From Drizzle to Dazzle

It was raining when we arrived in the Tirolean village of Mayrhofen.Not a snowflake in sight. Not the best start to a skiing holiday.But when it comes to skiing, what really counts is what’s on top – and Mayrhofen has a lot on top.

If it’s raining in Mayrhoden, at just 630m above sea level, the chances are it will be snowing on the peaks, 2,000m above the valley floor.

And it was. Once we got up above the village, amid the towering mountains of the Zillertal one of the Tirol’s largest ski areas, the snow was brilliant. Fresh and soft, it was a dazzling white wonderland.

We spent a week snowboarding in Mayrhofen with Directski.com and stayed in the lovely four star Hotel Schröfenblick. Despite our autumnal arrival the numerous shops and bars in this pretty resort were packed with postcards of winter-wonderland Mayrhofen, coated with inches of fluffy snow. Snow is hard to predict these days and last season it was strictly rationed right across Europe.

But crazy climates are not a new phenomenon. Austrian grannies will tell you of winters that came so late the cows weren’t brought down from the pastures until December and summers when they were stuck in barns until June because of late snowfall.

Folklore aside, to supplement what nature does, or doesn’t, provide, there is excellent snow-making on both the Penken and Ahorn mountains either side of the Ziller Valley. Skiing starts conveniently right in the village centre, with a gondola lift up to the Penken operating from the heart of the main street. The slopes that flank this traditional village, with its onion-domed churches and musical box buildings, offer 157km of pistes, served by 48 lifts.

These include 45km of easy blue runs, 92km of reds and 20km of challenging blacks, including the steepest piste in Austria, the ‘Harakin’ piste.

Ramps - A combination of new lifts now links Mayrhofen to neighbouring ski areas, accessible with the Zillertal Superski pass that opens up 101km of runs.As if to please everyone, Mayrhofen is also a snowboard-minded village and home to Europe’s favourite snowboard park, the Vans Penken Park, with its ramps, jumps and obstacles. Visitors to the Ziller Valley can ski 365 days of the year on the nearby Hintertux glacier – one of five in the Tirol – which, at 3250m above sea level, satisfies the biggest ski-lust even in July.After a morning belting across the pistes on skis or snowboards, a hearty Austrian meal is just perfect.

Mayrhofen’s mountain restaurants offer everything from burgers to traditional Austrian Wiener schnitzel (veal cutlet fried in breadcrumbs).The Austrians will tell you that a couple of shots of schnapps are a good digestive, which is clearly Austrian for ‘just get that down you neck’.After a day on the slopes, everyone heads straight for the bars for a muscle-soothing drink. The bars can be divided into two categories: There are the bars which blast out boot stomping Euro-pop and hard Germanic techno and others where you pull a blanket over your lap and chat about the day. Whichever you opt for, a glühwein (hot spiced wine) or two goes down very well.

The Schröfenblick is a good, four star hotel, very traditional, pretty as a chocolate box and has polite staff.Rooms come with a choice of en-suite baths and showers, so if you’re a fan of the long soak, make sure you make that clear when you book.

We enjoyed the peaceful location of the Schröfenblick. It is a 30-minute stroll into Mayrhofen or you can use the free bus service organised by the hotel, but there are plenty of village centre hotels that are closer to the action. And action is what Mayrhofen does best, whether its piste action, the lively après-ski or taking part in the biggest music festival on the slopes, Mayrhofen’s Snowbombing, April 13-19 2009.

Now in its tenth year, the event is hugely popular with Brits coming for a week of parties, bands and DJs, followed by long days on the slopes.Austrian grannies eat your hearts out.