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Driving a snow groomer in Silvretta Montafon
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A childhood dream comes true!
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Winter activities
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Events at the Sporthotel
At the Sporthotel Silvretta Montafon
Arrive and feel at home
In the early afternoon, we arrive at the Sporthotel Silvretta Montafon in Gaschurn – our home for the next few days.
We move into our lovely chalet with a separate master bedroom, large living/dining area, fully equipped kitchen, wood-burning stove and pull-out sofa for the children. The large windows open onto the terrace with a direct view of the ski slope.
A real highlight: our own small steam bath and private sauna in the bathroom – even though the hotel also scores points with its spacious Golden SPA, including a family area, adults-only spa, relaxation rooms and pool.
We quickly unpack, put on our winter jackets – and off we go again.
Long Night of Cable Cars
At night on the mountain
A special event is scheduled for 6 p.m.: the Long Night of Cable Cars, which takes place every winter at three different locations. On this evening, the Zamang Bahn will take us up to the Hochjoch free of charge.
The night-time gondola ride is an experience in itself. Once you reach the top at 1,850 metres, several snowcats are waiting for you to sit in, marvel at and ask questions about. The newly renovated Kapellrestaurant is also open, and outside a DJane accompanies the fire show.
The next highlight follows at around 8 p.m.: the ski school descends Vorarlberg's steepest slope in an impressive choreographed display with burning torches. Afterwards, the snow groomers show off their skills in the Bully Parade.
What a start to our first evening in Silvretta Montafon!
First ski day
Wake up to mountain views
The next morning begins with a view of the surrounding white mountains right from our bed. After a relaxed and very extensive breakfast buffet, we fetch our skis from the ski room and set off.
In just five minutes on foot, we reach the Versettla cable car – it couldn't be more convenient. Once at the top, we are immediately impressed by the very child-friendly, varied and excellently signposted network of slopes. Not only are the slopes marked, but also complete routes including connections, huts and toilets – we have rarely seen such a clear layout before.
We explore the area slope by slope before stopping for refreshments at the Sonnen Barga. The name says it all: on the sun terrace, we enjoy the afternoon sun, chips and yeast dumplings before heading back out on our skis.
The next stage is already waiting for us at the Valisera Bahn mountain station – DJ, good atmosphere and club day with après-ski party until 6 p.m. But for us, it's on to a very special event.
We are fulfilling a childhood dream
Sunset ride with the snow groomer
Franzi and I have been fascinated by snow groomers for years – and, of course, the children have long since caught on to this ‘hype’. In Silvretta Montafon, you can actually book this special experience: an hour as a co-pilot in a snow groomer.
We wait excitedly at the mountain station and then two brand new snowcats arrive! We are greeted by two Lukases, who will be taking us today, one adult and one child per vehicle.
Driving a snow groomer into the sunset – a childhood dream come true.
No sooner are we sitting in the cockpit than my inner encyclopaedia starts working:
- How long is a working day? (Until 1 a.m.)
- How much does a snow groomer weigh? (12 tonnes.)
- How do you know where the slope needs to be groomed?
We drive up steep slopes with gradients of up to 27 degrees, turn 360 degrees thanks to the chain drive, pull ourselves up the mountain with the winch, pushing a whole load of snow in front of us, smoothing out snow mounds without even the slightest jolt. After an hour, we get out again. It was so intense that I almost missed the beautiful sunset. As we say goodbye, Lukas tells us that we will probably never be the first on the freshly groomed slopes, because that honour goes to him and his 27 colleagues, who are the first to drive over the perfect surface at night with their headlamps on.
Pistenbully fahren - Silvretta Montafon | ©Silvretta Montafon - Roadtyping
Pure relaxation
Culinary end to the day
Completely blown away, we take the gondola back down to the valley. Behind the jagged peaks, the last remnants of light still glow, and the snowcats shine everywhere in the darkness.
Back at the hotel, we slip out of our ski gear, freshen up and enjoy a delicious 4-course meal at the Sporthotel Montafon. Afterwards, following a quick detour to our own steam room, we fall into bed, happy and tired.
Temporary farewell
Back on the slopes
On the day of departure, we want to savour every minute. After breakfast, we hit the slopes once more, exploring more runs and skiing down what is probably the cutest valley run we have ever experienced. Through the small mountain village of Garfrescha, where you can also enjoy some great night tobogganing. Those staying here travel with their luggage on a small two-seater chairlift, which is an experience in itself.
At lunchtime, we stop at the Alte Talstation, apple strudel for the kids, vegan cauliflower steak for us – simply wonderful.
It doesn't get any better than this
Spa on the day of departure
Back at the hotel, we pack our things and move the car to the wall boxes in the underground car park. But our stay isn't over yet: the spa area at the Sporthotel Montafon can be used until 8 p.m. on the day of departure. The children are drawn to the crystal pool and the family sauna, while I explore the adults-only area. Later, we meet up in the Heustoba, one of the lovingly designed relaxation rooms – a perfect end to our stay.
Our conclusion
What an intense, eventful weekend in Silvretta Montafon! It's amazing how much you can experience in such a short time. For us, getaways like this, even if just for a weekend, are a real source of energy, and we already know that we'll be back in the summer to discover even more of this fascinating mountain world.
