Auffach

Auffach is a pretty straightforward mountain to get around on at once you have got yourself to the top of Schatzberg at 1903 m you will be able to find some nice powder between the pistes,. Everything is super wide up here so if it’s been snowing you are going to be able to do some fresh powder turns.

Whether is has snowed or not a good area to try out is between pistes 11 and 12 where you can find some nice fresh powder and also a few trees, this side of the mountain seems less bust than piste 9 and 10 so if you want something with a bit more variety head here. 

Auffach has a pretty good freestyle park that had a variety of Kickers to practise on, starting small and increasing in size these attract riders of various levels who can lay down tricks in a nice relaxed setting. If you are in staying elsewhere in the Wildschonau valley and are into freestyle Auffach and Alpbach are definitely the places to check out.

There is nothing too extreme in Auffach and the reds and blacks in Niederau are probably steeper if that is what you are after. However that said piste lovers who like wide uncrowded slopes where they can throw down some turns will definitely enjoy what Auffach has to offer. Although it is not the biggest area in the world intermediate riders will be perfectly happy here for a few days and if you are prepared to try all the resort in the Wildschonau valley you can have a busy week with lots of variety.

If you’re a rider who normally sticks to blue runs and have been put off by reds in the past then you should still give Auffach a try. If you are at this stage after getting off the Gondola the steepest section you will have to negotiate is the top of piste 6 it looks worse than it is to start with but halfway down the slope the piste levels out and you have a smooth wide run down to the bottom of the S2 chairlift. From here take the chairlift back up and hit piste 9 and 10 for those still a bit wary of red pistes these runs will prove perfect for building your confidence. It’s easy to see where you are going and to get back to the same point while at the same time taking a few different routes down this part of the mountain

If you are confident with these runs then pistes 11 and 12 should be tried as they offer a bit more variety in the terrain without ever getting too steep. Access back to the main gondola is found by following piste 5 this is fairly flat to start with so go straight and keep your speed. Whatever you do when you get to the end of the run take a few minutes and take in the mountain views as they are amazing on a clear day form here you can also head over to Alpbach with the new linked gondola that is has really opened up the possibilities of riding the Ski Juwel.

Intermediate to advanced riders will have fun riding straight down from the main gondola onto piste 2. The top section is probably the steepest of the reds but it is nice and long and levels out. Keep following this piste down and you will come out at the mid station of the gondola.

From here you can go back up or follow piste 1 which starts off as a ski road though a forest before widening out. The ski road soon widens out so you won’t have to do much pushing if you keep you speed. It is definitely worth heading down the route so you can say you have rode the mountain from top to bottom.

One more run to note for those who wants something a bit more challenging is to try piste number 13 found at the end of run number 5 this piste links up to the Auffach gondola so definitely take this route if you are going over the valley. It’s a pretty wide run with the odd steep section but nothing too extreme. The views from here though are really special so take it all in, so put a few minutes aside to do this.

One thing to note is Auffach is quieter earlier in the week so go then if you are a confident rider, you will find less queues and quieter pistes. Thursday and Friday see ski schools arriving from the nearby resorts of Niederau so it is worth heading over to that side of the mountain on these days to make the most of the quieter pistes.

One thing to remember is that beginner rider will need to get comfortable with T-Bars and Pomas as nearly all of the blue runs in the resorts use these lifts.