Snow sure for sure!
Altitude is king when it comes to snow and Kuhtai is one of the highest ski resorts in the Alps. There’s no glacier, but it has one of the best snow records in Austria purely because of its height. The village is situated at 2020 metres above sea level with the highest lift reaching 2820 metres.
The ski lifts span both sides of the high valley with slopes facing both north and south, with the north side holding powder snow for days after a storm. Even when snow is hard to find in the Alps, there are always going to be runs open in Kuhtai and the season normally lasts right through to the very end of April.
Something for everyone
Kuhtai isn’t like the ‘super-resorts’ you can find scattered across the Alps, with hundreds of kilometres of runs and lifts as far as the eye can see. It’s quite small with 41 kilometres of pistes and 11 ski lifts – but what it lacks in numbers it makes up in variety. From beginner to expert, there is something for everyone and the off-piste skiing, especially if you’re into ski touring, is excellent.
This makes it a perfect family resort as it’s hard to get lost – runs tend to all lead back to the centre. The snow park has developed over the past few years and includes a half-pipe and ski cross track.
High standard accommodation
The resort has remained largely undeveloped and focuses around a group of large 4 star hotels in the centre of the village. There’s also some good 3 star options, all of them serving evening meals as well as a good breakfast. Then there’s a small selection of apartments and a couple of B&B’s.
But the standard of the 4 star hotels is excellent and they provide excellent value for money, especially when compared with many other resorts in the Alps. The hotel standard in Austria is high anyway, but the choice of 4 star hotels in Kuhtai in relation to the size of the resort is second to none.
It’s a TV set
Kuhtai is the setting for Channel 4’s celebrity winter sports program, The Jump. First shown in February 2014, it’s been confirmed once again for 2015 with Kuhtai forming the backdrop to the program.
The stars of the show will be based in the resort during the month of January – so whether you want to celeb spot or just ski the same runs you’ve seen on the TV, Kuhtai is the place to do it.
Dual ski area
A short hop on a free ski bus takes you down the road to the Hochoetz ski area for a change of scenery. The skiing is fairly mellow and excellent for families and intermediate piste cruising, with some interesting off-piste options in the right snow conditions higher up.
The town of Oetz is located in the valley below and the views up towards St Anton and the Swiss border one side and Innsbruck in the other direction are wonderful on a clear day. It’s about the same size as Kuhtai with 39 kilometres of piste and 12 lifts.
Crystal Ski operate holidays throughout the winter to Kuhtai with direct flights to Innsbruck Airport with inclusive resort transfers.
Prices in the four star Sport Hotel and Astoria, both located in the centre of the village and right next to the slopes start at £645 per person based on double occupancy, for 7 nights inclusive of flights on a full-board basis.
