CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: PERTISAU
Written April 2009
This holiday was absolutely outstanding: one of the three or four best in my life. In terms of cross-country skiing holidays, it ranks for sheer enjoyment with the first cross-country skiing holiday I had twenty years ago, spent with Exodus's predecessor Waymark. Like that holiday, snow conditions were not as good as experienced on other vacations in between. As sometimes happens shared difficulties leads to greater challenge, improvisation, hilarity and group spirit, as my fellow holiday makers and I slithered and stopped, crashed, fell over got up again, and got better against worsening conditions as the week went on, the sun shone, and the track went from polished ice in the mornings to slush punctuated by dung, soil from mole hills, tree branches and fir cones in the afternoon. I have to say that team spirit always seems to improve faster in grade 1 beginners, for whom the novelty of this unnatural form of personal transport known as langlaufing has not worn off. The excitement of mastering a bike for the first time is similar. Grade 2's can be slightly blasé about it. Above grade 2, possibly that focus on distance travelled, and personal bests, would make me feel uncomfortable amongst other participants, just as when I ran two half marathons for fun, health and charity, and found myself sharing changing facilities with skinny, intense, (and frequently bald), men talking obsessively about 'PBs'.
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- What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
- The last day's descent of about two miles which I did without falling and under some control. Followed by two gluhweins at a local cafe at the foot of the run, which turned aching legs of jelly to warm mush, in the pleasant company of my fellow Grade 1 skiers.
- What did you think of your group leader?
- After day one. I demoted myself to Grade 1, after asking the two holiday leaders. I had met, Albert Callewaert, the leader of Grade 1 about 13 years previously. Throughout the week, I became more and more impressed by his quiet, patient and thoughtful leadership style. He was a good observer of our strengths and failings, and gave individuals, the encouragement and modifications to their technique which helped them. Albert was also very good at selecting the ground to match our abilities, increasing the challenge as the week went on. At the pace he set, there was time for the slower members to catch up, and time for everyone to enjoy the picturesque local scenery, and observe the local wildlife. Albert was easy to approach, friendly and a pleasure to be with. I am pleased to say that both our leaders joined us at table, and organised and participated in the other entertainments of the week.
- Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
- If you've got the money, the stamina, the exuberance, don't mind the cold (nowhere near as bad as Norway) and can take the odd knock from falling over, then take this holiday. You won't find better. You should find interesting holiday companions from the tour and congenial fellow hotel guests. Don't accept the skis the shop first gives you. Ask for shorter ones to improve control at the expense of speed. If you lose a bit a of glide, then the extra exercise is good. Crashing because you can't control the skis going out of control downhill is bad. It's painful and demoralising.
- Is there anything else you would like to add?
- This holiday was absolutely outstanding: one of the three or four best in my life. In terms of cross-country skiing holidays, it ranks for sheer enjoyment with the first cross-country skiing holiday I had twenty years ago, spent with Exodus's predecessor Waymark. Like that holiday, snow conditions were not as good as experienced on other vacations in between. As sometimes happens shared difficulties leads to greater challenge, improvisation, hilarity and Gruppegeist, as my fellow holiday makers and I slithered and stopped, crashed, fell over got up again, and got better against worsening conditions as the week went on, the sun shone, and the track went from polished ice in the mornings to slush in the afternoon. The ice and slush were punctuated by dung, soil from mole hills, tree branches and fir cones. I have to say that team spirit always seems to improve faster in grade 1 beginners, for whom the novelty of this unnatural form of personal transport known as langlaufing has not worn off. The excitement of mastering a bike for the first time is similar. Grade 2's can be slightly blasé about it. Above grade 2, possibly that focus on distance travelled, and personal bests, would make me feel uncomfortable amongst other participants, as I used to when I ran two half marathons for fun and health. Aside from the skiing in a variety of attractive locations, under sunny skies, sometimes served by a good local public bus service, with a chance to talk to my fellow passengers, many of them also skiers, in a mixture of my pidgin German, and their better English. I even had a coversation which consisted largely of naming English lawnmower brands to a Honda power garden products representative. I should like to analyse what made this holiday so good. 1. My fellow holidaymakers. I went on holiday on my own. My wife mastered the basics of skiing on oversized toothpicks, with old fashioned 'slide off and twist your ankle bindings' about 18 years ago. Technically she was much better than me: better balance, better control, more physically able to twist her legs into the snow plough position. However she hates cold. She hates falling. She isn't too keen on exercise, or aeroplanes or airports either. So I travelled alone. This makes you keener to make friends on holiday, and more willing to talk to and to listen to strangers, you should meet. I am delighted to say that my fellow holidaymakers were not only friendly, but interesting to talk to as well. Many were well qualified in a variety of professions, and brought a variety of experience outside work to the table as well. They were articulate, relaxed, self-confident, and amusing, just the sort of people you would want to take as friends on holiday. 2. Leadership. After day one. I demoted myself to Grade 1, after asking the two holiday leaders. I had met, Albert, the leader of Grade 1 about 13 years previously. Throughout the week, I became more and more impressed by his quiet, patient, thoughtful, gentlemanly leadership style. He was a good observer of our strengths and failings, and gave individuals, the encouragement and modifications to their technique which helped them. Albert was also very good at selecting the ground to match our abilities, increasing the challenge as the week went on. At the pace he set, there was time for the slower members to catch up, and time for everyone to enjoy the picturesque local scenery, and observe the local wildlife. Albert was easy to approach, friendly and a pleasure to be with. I am pleased to say that both our leaders joined us at table, and organised and participated in the other entertainments of the week. 3. Skis. After floundering on the slightest uphill rise with no grip on day one, I changed the skis to a much shorter and wider pair, which were more controllable, and slower downhill and on the flat. The shop were very helpful, but a little sceptical that these skis would be sufficient to support my weight for gliding. I did not glide perfectly, but this was more than offset by the better kick down grip I got from the standing leg. Going uphill was easier than ever before, even than when I was twenty years younger and twenty kilos lighter. 4. Hotel. Here I wish to contradict the views expressed by Susan Scott-Green about the Kristall Hotel, Pertisau. Like her I had a single room. It was simply the finest single room I have ever stayed in anywhere. It was room 109, like the Messerschmidt World War II fighter, an easy number to remember. I try not to think of the war in German speaking countries, but often fail. The room had a huge amount of hanging space, a double bed, separate toilet, and shower with wash basin room, and large lounge area, with substantial desk and armchairs, leading to a balcony with table and chairs and views across a snow covered field to the church and the downhill slopes beyond. The sound insulation was good. The heating was not controllable, and up too high, but this was useful for drying clothes, and could be offset wastefully by opening the balcony doors. Mostly as a single traveller, I have been stuck in cubby holes down in the basement next to the boiler, or roof space so slopingly narrow, it should be reserved solely for bats, but not here. The hotel provided such luxuries as free dressing gowns, and slippers (a gift), and separate towels for sitting on and for drying off in the luxurious spa suite, with a swimming pool so large you could swim more than the usual two strokes that you get from the length of the normal "yes we have a swimming pool", tick in the box swimming pool that is common in three star hotels. This was a proper four star swimming pool. My only criticism is that the jacuzzi feature in the middle of it was on too often for swimming. It acted like that Bermuda triangle geological feature, where turbulent gas bubble release produces catastrophic effects on buoyancy, known as a sinking feeling. There were two saunas, two steam rooms, one with smells and flashing leds, which were pretty, and new age music which was dire. This is Austria. Austrians have a great musical heritage: Mozart, Haydn and the Strausses. Play them please Like much of the German speaking world, the saunas were mixed. Both sexes were usually completely naked. I did not find it as hard (to control myself) as when I was twenty years younger, but mixed nudity with strangers may come as a surprise to the shy, sheltered and modest. The food was plentiful, and outstandingly good. Unlike all other country-skiing holidays bar one, I did not have to go to bed feeling hungry, or wake up in the night feeling so hungry that I could chew the soap, the furniture, and yesterday's underwear. On past holidays, waitresses began to appear not so much pretty as edible. Service at the Kristall was not only efficient, but always friendly. Smiles were answered with like. I try to be nice to hotel staff. They have to be friendly and efficient, and put their own worries behind them, often have difficult people and situations to deal with. I thought the staff at the Crystal were outstanding - reception, bar staff, cooks, cleaners, all of them. The hotel was scrupulously clean. On occasion the serving staff dressed in local costume. One of the waitresses looked stunning in her dirndl, but I forced myself to avert my gaze when she leaned over my table. One evening, local entertainers came and played a variety of traditional Austrian, and more widely known popular tunes such as Lili Marlene, on folk instruments for us to sing along to. I should also mention that some of the Exodus guests had been coming for several years to the Kristall, so that like me, they were of a different opinion from Ms Scott-Green as well. 5. Entertainment Some of us went to an evening of folksy entertainment at the local cross country ski centre, with electric guitar, accordion and drums playing popular Austrian tunes, beer and dancing. Forget subtlety, sophistication, English diffidence and reserve. Please pitch in. Dance, clap hands, link arms and sway at the table just like the locals, it was enjoyable. As the German philosopher of Dionysian exuberance, Nietzsche would say: "Up for it. Go for it" I haven't had as much fun at dance since I was at school. Above all join in with the singing of "ein Prosit zu Gemuetlichkeit", a toast to warmth, friendship and congeniality. It was unsophisticated and fun. We also went and played ninepins at a local hotel. A nice evening of friendly competition. The last day I spent on the pleasant sun terrace of the hotel sharing two bottles of wine with a most convivial and witty couple of my fellow holidaymakers. It was a delight, lang loafing par excellence. 6. Flights: On time coming back. Journey shorter than expected. Unexpected meal served at no charge both ways. Meal was unexpectedly edible as well. Leg room was inadequate on the way back. It was not a problem on the flight to Austria because I had a seat next to the emergency exit. Please publish any or all of my report on your website. I wish to counter the unfavourable impressions of the hotel by Susan Scott-Green.
from 6 reviews.
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- Exodus Staff