Jamie Gunn, our committed Highland reporter, managed to sneak in an end-of-season Alpine jaunt to round off his winter. Here is his report from the Austrian resort of Mayerhofen, as he took himself off to that perennial 'music and alcohol'-fest, Snowbombing:
"Instead of spending what was to be the last week of the Scottish ski season on the slopes of CairnGorm, I had plans to end my season with a bang!
A week at Snowbombing
Snowbombing was the key, a week in Mayrhofen, Austria, and the promise of “piste by day, beats by night”. I made my way to Salzburg and, after a lively night in a backpackers hostel, caught the Snowbombing transfer coach to Mayrhofen. You could feel the excitement rising on the coach as we made our way through the mountains and suddenly the TV screens on the coach exploded into life [Ed: he means the TV was switched on].
Beer & Jaeger on the coach...
We watched footage from the 06 Snowbombing and we knew this was to be no normal trip. Interviews with artists and snowbombers alike were enough to whet our appetites, but not enough to satisfy the growing excitment as the party mood got everyone hyped up. Happily, the coach had laid on refreshments and more and more of us ventured down to the fridge at the front of the bus for a beer or two and perhaps a couple of cheeky Jagermeisters!
Check in and check out Austrian Apres Ski
The Snowbombing reps dropped us off at our accommodation with directions of how to get back to Snowbombing HQ to collect our wristbands and lift passes. Immediately, we ditched our bags in our room and took off back to the Hotel Strass. Once that was sorted, it was time for a beer to check out the week's itinerary.
Apres ski was soon in full swing for those who had arrived the day before and we were swept away by the atmosphere. A brief pause for dinner in the Strass bar and grill ensued, before back to partying with the live music in the bar next door until the Arena opened.
Arena club roster was inspiring
Joe Ransom got the party going in style, followed by the Foreign Beggars who were absolutely amazing. Beat boxer Schlomo thrilled the crowd with his skills and the whole place was bouncing. The Foreign Beggars handed over to the legendary Scratch Perverts and the crowd erupted! By the time Fresh took over, the dancefloor was a mass of sweating bodies dancing their socks off and the air felt like it had been blown straight from a furnace.
The party went on until 5am, when the hardcore went downstairs to the Garage to party away the small hours and some of us snuck off to our accommodation to get what sleep we could before we hit the slopes in the morning proper.
Sunshine, soft snow and Harakiri's 78 degree slope
Glorious sunshine was welcomed by some more than others as we boarded the Penkenbahn to make our way up to our first day on the piste. Conditions were decent, firm in places but softening in the sun. Sadly, my roommate for the week managed to find the one really icy patch on the mountain and sustain a wrist injury. I carried on riding for another hour or so and confidently attacked the famous Harakiri run’s heart-stopping 78% gradient pitch [Ed: officially Europe's steepest pisted run]... ...before rejoining her by the Myspace music stage for a Jaeger or two to stop the shaking! Sun and beer in the afternoon accompanied by the previous night's antics sapped the energy somewhat, so after a bit of après the decision to have a quiet night prevailed.
Tayo's Tracksuit Party...
Wednesday was a day of hardcore riding and trying to hit every part of the ski area possible before heading back to change into fancy dress for the famous “Tayo’s Tracksuit Party” at the Schlussel. A simple but fun idea, everyone had to wear the most awful tracksuit possible. I donned a nasty purple and neon shell suit, but still marvelled at some of the other outrageous efforts. The most shocking, however, had to be the rather tall chap who had squeezed himself into a ridiculously small pair of blue (and very short) shorts who repeatedly bent over to adjust his socks/tie his laces thus revealing a bit more than necessary much to everyones amusement!
Giant Iglu bar and reggae in the sun...
The next day, feeling rather worse for wear we decided to take it easy and headed up the Ahornbahn on the other side of the valley. After taking a few blasts down a lovely red run, we headed for The White Lounge, a giant iglu come bar where for 2 nights in the week an Artic Disco was held. The effort which had gone into it was impressive, with lovely carvings on the walls inside, seats carved in with nice furry rugs to sit on and an ice bar. We sat outside where Trojan Soundsystem was playing some reggae and sunned ourselves, sipped some nice cold beers and relaxed to prepare ourselves for another crazy night.
Scott Nixon & Krafty Cuts as temperature rises
The Schlussel was the venue of choice again being (slightly) cooler than the inferno that was the Arena and we danced away to the tunes played by Scott Nixon, A-Skillz and Krafty Cuts, the latter REALLY getting the crowd going.
Friday was another good day of riding however the blazing sun and temperature in the high 20’s C was taking its toll on the snow. Good fun was still to be had and skimming over the small pond that was gathering at the bottom of one of the runs provided much entertainment.
Fancy dress party & Annie Mac
Later that afternoon a street party took place and plenty of crazy fancy dress outfits appeared including one guy dressed as Chewbacca who must have been boiling alive inside that suit! Must mention a thankyou to the Red Bull guys, who sorted us out with plenty of Red Bull cocktails so we didn’t go thirsty! After that a quick bite to eat and off to the Schlussel again before nipping down to the Arena just after 2am to try to catch Annie Mac; then downstairs to the Garage when it opened at 5am! It was only a brief stay at the Garage ,however, and we left at 6am - although many stayed much later and could be seen hugging beers in the street later in the morning.
Hintertux Glacier trip, before final night out
For our last day we decided it would be rude to be in the area and not visit the Hintertux glacier and so, skipping from the programme, we hopped on a bus. As the bus wound its way around the mountain roads we wondered if it would not have been a better idea to have chilled by the park watching the “Highway to Hell” comp before checking out the Squeaky Hill Winter Olympics which comprised crazy events including space-hopper racing!
Once the road stopped being so twisty, however, we felt much better and soon we were at the bottom lift station for the glacier. We were ready to go and headed straight up the double gondola, excitedly realising how good the snow conditions looked. From there, in need of some fresh air we opted for 2 chair lifts to the top and took in the breathtaking scenery. My previous experience of glacier riding has only been at Tignes and I was blown away by the sheer scale of the Hintertux glacier, there were lifts everywhere, a huge park and what seemed like limitless runs.
After a day of fantastic riding, a power nap was on the cards before we hit the Schlussel one last time, unfortunately missing out on seeing The Cuban Brothers at the Arena due to what we thought was a better line up there.
Much recommended as "hell of a party"
Suddenly it was all over, checking out in the morning, taking a train back to Salzburg – all the time talking about what an amazing week it had been. People go back to Snowbombing year after year and I can see why, an unforgettable experience and a hell of a party - much recommended!
Report from Jamie Gunn, Natives Resort Reporter, Aviemore]
