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More expert skiers and snowboarders will find plenty to enjoy – and Mayrhofen is home to Austria’s steepest slope, the 78 per cent Harakiri (plainly it can only be that gradient for only a short stretch of the overall run). And after fresh snow there is a respectable amount of good off piste not far from the marked runs. For good intermediates there are steepish options available from every lift.
Beginners will find designated areas to start their adventures – but not necessarily in places where it’s easy to meet up for lunch with more experienced friends. The best nursery slopes are on the Ahorn, a separate ski area to Penken. Beginners take a cable car there from town (the Ahornbahn, Austria’s largest cable car, carrying up to 160 passengers), and return home the same way at the end of the day. But there are also some beginner slopes near the top of the Penken gondola, and some steep slopes coming down from Ahorn to town, so there’s scope for group bargaining.
For variety, alternatives are available for the beginning of the day. Some people nip over to the Ahorn cable car and have two or three warm-up runs – the slopes back down from Ahorn are pleasantly steep and deserted in the morning, and usually freshly groomed. The challenging 5.5 km long ValleyRun with its spectacular views over the Zillertal Valley is good for advanced skiers and snowboarders.
Another option is to take the ski bus to one of the alternative gondolas that head up to the main area. Lanersbach has a gondola up to the isolated Eggalm sector, and another to the Rastkogel area of Penken. Finkenberg has one up to the Penken area, and Hippach has a gondola up to the valley between Penken and Horberg.
The PenkenPark at Mayrhofen is widely regarded as one of the best terrain parks in the Alps. At 2,100m, beneath the Sun-Jet chairlift on Penken, it’s rammed full of kickers, plus boxes and rails. It has a separate kids’ area, also with its own lift, as well as dedicated spaces set aside for intermediates, advanced and pro riders.
Further thrills can be had on the FunRides on Mount Ahorn and Penken. The RacingParadise Unterberg at Piste 15 offers three permanently timed giant slalom courses gold, silver and bronze. The SkiMovie Run at piste 16, the BlackAttack at the Möslbahn, provides a filmed descent and you can download a free video based on your ski pass number.
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