Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
This adventure started on Thursday, the 12th of December, early in the morning. Why early, you ask? Because we always want to be on the first gondola up the mountain. As is customary on these trips, we stopped at the first gas station to get a cup of coffee, and then off we go toward Graz, Red Bull Ring, and finally Kreischberg. After approximately two and a half hours of smooth sailing (with a mandatory toilet break), we arrived at our destination. Of course, we were a bit late, so our first gondola was already on its way. However, there weren’t a lot of people, and the fog hadn’t lifted yet, so this time it was not that big of a deal.
After getting the tickets and putting on the gear, we jumped on board and went up the mountain. The top is over 2000 meters, but most of the skiing is done between 1800m and 1400m. We got off at the Bergstation and took a few runs down the “Mittelstation” slope, as we call it. I’m not sure if it’s really called that. That’s just to warm up for the best slope in Kreischberg: the Rosenkranz. It goes down from the highest point of the ski resort. As far as skiing goes, I’m still a grasshopper, so I was in the slowest group with one more member who just started skiing. We had an amazing time, skiing slowly and getting a bit faster with each run. We stopped for tea when we felt like it and just soaked in the sun and snow on the most beautiful day on the slopes.
A few hours went by, and it was time to meet the others, as always at our station on the hill Schluckspecht (Woodpecker), a nice little establishment just below the Rosenkranz slope. Everything is made of wood, hence the name. There, we had some beers and a hot dog to regain some energy for the last hour of skiing for the day. Time flew by, and we found ourselves quickly in the gondola back to the valley. You can ski down, of course, but the lower part is a black slope, and I’m not capable of that yet. Additionally, it looks scary from the gondola. In the valley, we had to check into our chalet and make it cozy. After taking care of the official stuff, it was time for some après-ski, a late lunch, and of course, the Jacuzzi to warm up before the evening activities. However, we went to sleep quite early. It definitely helped that we were tired from the drive and eight hours on skis.
The next day, we were greeted with another gorgeous day on the hill. After a well- prepared breakfast from our friend and a cup of tea, we put skis on our shoulders and marched toward the gondola. Again in the hunt for the first one. And again, we failed. Jokes aside, it is nice to be among the first gondolas up so you can have some “virgin” snow at the “Mittelstation”, at least for a few runs. The weather was again perfect for skiing, with sun rays touching our faces and little to no wind, even on the exposed sections. Our slower group decided to take a few runs on another slope that day, called “6er”. When we got a bit tired, we stopped at the majestic establishment on top of Kreischberg, the Eagle. We had a tea or two and headed back for a few more runs since the forecast for Saturday was a bit worse.
A couple of hours later, we had enough, so we headed back into the valley. We took a shower, changed our boots, and then went back to après-ski to have a bit of a party. That day definitely delivered, but I won’t get into details. Then, it was back to the house and back to sleep.
Our last whole day of this year’s ski opening started with about 10 cm of new snow. So we were not in a rush because we knew skiing would be quite challenging. Also, it was Saturday, so a lot of daily skiers started to trickle in, and everything looked like a day in bars with beers in our hands. And it was precisely like that. Soon after getting on the mountain, we were reminded about the dangers of fresh snow by the helicopter. They had quite a lot of work that day, sadly. So, as planned, a few runs until the slopes got bumpy and then chill and relax in our Schluckspecht. After a few hours and the worsening of the slopes, we ended the day pretty early. However, we still made ourselves a pretty good day: bathing in the Jacuzzi, visiting two other houses, having lunch at one of them, and finishing in true Kreischi fashion, on après-ski until the evening.
Going home day looked like every year. We got up, cleaned the house, and headed back home with a mandatory pit stop at Judenburg McDonald’s. Easily the best skiing weekend so far. I hope we will have many more together. Until the next one!
