For 2012 we are returning to Kitzbühel. We actually stay in Aurach, a small village 5km from Kitzbühel in the Tyrolean Alps. Join the skigeek mailing list for more information, and register your interest by sending email either to the list or to the Cabal <skicabal@infradead.org>
Aurach has a ski shop (which is where we can hire equipment) and bar, as well as two or three places to eat out. It's easy to get into Kitzbühel itself by bus (which is free, with a ski pass) or taxi. It takes about 10-15 minutes, and we'll probably do it en masse a couple of times during the week for dinner/entertainment.
We'll book rooms at Heike's Pension again.
We will mostly be skiing, but expect a few snowboarders in the party too. You don't need to be competent at either; we often have beginners in the group, who often enjoy it enough to return in subsequent years.
The atmosphere is usually relatively quiet and civilised, rather than the rampant piss-up that occurs at certain conferences where we might meet. Despite the name of the event, excessive geekiness is generally discouraged — the trip is intended to be (and usually is) suitable for couples and families, and for everyone from complete beginners to expert skiers/boarders. Or even those who just want to wander about and relax.
Heike's Pension does have wireless Internet access we believe.
Dates
We'll arrive on Saturday February 25th, ski from Sunday to Friday
inclusive, and leave on Saturday March 3rd.
Travel
Kitzbühel is 75km from Salzburg airport, 97km from Innsbruck and 165km
from Munich. It is well-served by trains; see the
ÖBB web site for information.
Last time we were in Kitzbühel we found that the train was a very simple and convenient way to get there from Munich. We will book train tickets together, closer to the time.
The ski bus service is free with a ski pass. We will need to take the bus to
get to the lifts, but if the weather is good and run 33 (the Giggling) is
open, capable skiers will be able to ski back down to Aurach at the end
of the day.
weather permitting the capable skiers will be able
Rooms
Heike has three single rooms, three "twin" rooms (#11, #14, #21 listed as Doppelzimmer). Some individual travellers may need to share a twin room.
When the rest of the pension is full and Heike is getting further
enquiries, she'll contact us. At that point we'll start relinquishing
rooms and anyone who hasn't paid their deposit will lose their place
— although they may be able to stay at the Wiesenegg next door
at a higher price. Conversely, if/when we end up with more deposits
than we have space, we'll ask Heike for more rooms.
Prices
The price should work out at around €590 per person, including bed and breakfast and ski pass, but not including lunch and evening meals, equipment hire or tuition. The basic prices are something like this:
| Accommodation: | €360 |
| 6-day ski pass: | €210 |
| Ski/board hire: | €100-€150 (depending on level) |
| Lessons: | See Sport Noichl web site. |
In previous years, we collected an extra €20 or so from each person which went into the kitty and paid for things like taxis into Kitzbühel, tourist tax, ski pass deposits, etc. Anything left over at the end of the week went towards our meal (and drinks) on the last night. The figure of €590 includes that extra €20.
Accommodation prices may vary slightly for those who request apartments to themselves or single rooms. We'll work that out closer to the time once the bookings are finalised.
Booking (deposit, contact details)
To reserve your place, please pay a deposit of €100 (or equivalent in
any currency) as soon as possible to the following account at Citibank
International PLC:
| Account holder: | David Woodhouse |
| SWIFT BIC: | CITI GB2L |
| IBAN: | GB86 CITI 18 5004 8612 3932 |
If you prefer, you can also pay the full amount (approx. €590) immediately.
As well as letting us know that the deposit is paid so that we can confirm that it arrives, please also provide the following information. You don't have to send it to the mailing list; you can send it to Jes, Ben and Dave alone at skicabal@infradead.org:
Until Heike starts asking about the rooms and we start saying that we need them, the deposit should be refundable if you need to back out — at this stage we need them mostly to tell the difference between people who "might" make it, and those who are serious.
In 2009 we had someone pull out about a week and a half before the trip. They
were refunded the full €550 they'd paid. We aim to be that flexible as long
as we possibly can.
Insurance
We expect you to sort out your own insurance. In Avoriaz,
we included insurance in the cost of the apartments. We
are not doing that this year, since we expect that most people will
have travel insurance of their own anyway.
Besides, the cost of the group cover for this one week isn't much less than the cost of a decent annual policy — so it seems to make more sense for people to do it that way.
Please ensure that your personal cover includes winter sports, including emergency transportation (i.e. helicopters) and preferably also theft and damage to rental equipment (although the latter should be possible from Sport Noichl at a small premium).
If people really want us to arrange group insurance rather than having their own policies, we may do it for those who need it. Discuss it on the mailing list — but beware that the first to request it may be volunteering to arrange it all.
Pistes
Aurach is fairly centrally located in the Kitzbühel ski area, and
served by a free ski bus service which runs up to the lifts at
Jochberg and Paß Thurn at one end of the resort, as well as into
Kitzbühel and beyond in the other direction. The bus stop is on the
main road about 50 metres from where we'll be staying.
There's plenty to do for everyone, from the board park and beginners' slopes on the Kitzbüheler horn to the set of lovely black runs on Steinbergkogel and elsewhere, and plenty of opportunities to play silly buggers off-piste.
You can see the Hechenmoos marked on the piste map below, just above (which is south of) Aurach itself, at the bottom of run 33 (the Giggling) which can bring us directly down into Aurach from Steinbergkogel when the snow is good.
The Bergbahn also provide an online listing of lift and piste status as well as their own weather forecast