Skiing in Niederau

Niederau is a favourite spot for beginners and school groups and it’s easy to see why.

There is a welcoming and easy selection of gentle slopes served by no less than six draglifts at the base of the valley near the main road, allowing skiers who are just starting to practise their turns close to their accommodation.

Heading up the mountain will, for most people, mean taking the Markbachjoch gondola to the top of the ridge and to some beautiful views out over the surrounding mountains. Off to the left are the Kropfraderjoch and Mittermoosjoch draglifts which serve easy intermediate runs. A long red or “black” run heads back down to the drags at the valley floor or the return via the gondola.

Another option is the red run closer to the gondola, which joins onto the previous run about halfway down. This also accesses two black ski routes which, if they are open, actually do deserve that label more than the marked black runs (which, as so often in Austria, appear just to be the harder red runs).

Off to the right from the top of the gondola is the area under the Lanerköpfl, which can either be reached by a “flat” blue run which involves some poling, or via the ancient Lanerköpfl single chair from the valley. The Gipfel draglift accesses yet another easy black run and the Anton-Graf Hütte at the base of it is a pleasant place for lunch. The black extends all the way to the valley floor (confident intermediates should have no problems with it).

Niederau is probably the best-known of the ski areas in the Wildschönau valley but Auffach has always had the best snow.

Now the link over to the Alpbach valley – forming the Ski Juwel ski area – means it has the most interesting and expansive skiing as well.

Skiers and snowboarders start out of the village with the Schatzbergbahn gondola. This has a mid-station with some easy practice areas and runs for beginners and early intermediate skiers.

The top of the gondola accesses red runs over to two six-seater chairlifts, which host the most interesting Auffach ski runs. There is even a short black run off the Hahnkopf chairlift.

There is also the short Thalerkogel draglift to the right of the gondola looking up. The runs to the side of this are also the way to access the ski route down to Thierbach, if snow conditions allow skiing all the way down.

The link over to the Alpbach valley can be reached from the top of the Hahnkopfbahn chairlift, although be aware that it is only possible to ski halfway down the route before taking the rest of the journey on the Verbindung lift.