Hochzeiger Ski Resort Austria
Hochzeiger is a fun, family-oriented ski resort in the Pitztal (Pitz valley) of the Tirol in Austria. With relatively few people skiing off-piste, it doubles beautifully as a powder ski destination in the right conditions.
The ski resort at Hochzeiger superbly complements the nearby Pitztal Glacier - Rifflsee ski resort. During a blizzard, ski Hochzeiger. When the sun comes out, head up to Pitztal Glacier & Rifflsee.
Pros & Cons for Hochzeiger Ski Resort
Pros
- Powder snow available off-piste for days after a snowfall.
- Fun on-piste terrain for families, beginners & intermediates.
- Wonderful off-piste areas to learn powder skiing.
- Freeride routes, tree skiing & alpine bowls are enjoyable & diverse.
- Sheltered skiing alternative to the high alpine Pitztal Glacier.
- Majority of terrain above the magic 2,000m mark for snow surety.
- Generally quiet during the week.
- Easy access via train & bus.
- Ski-in ski-out accommodation available.
- Multi-day lift pass includes Pitztal Glacier.
- Excellent après ski at the base of the lifts.
- Great restaurant food & drink.
Cons
- Relatively short skiable vertical off most lifts.
- Advanced on-piste trails are upper intermediate at best.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Small ski resort village (but with all services).
- Medium sized ski area with enough terrain for a few days.
- Best skied with Pitztal Glacier & Rifflsee.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
As one expects in Austria, even a small to medium sized ski resort like Hochzeiger has a cheeky 1,000m of skiable vertical. Most of the resort's west facing terrain is in the top 500m vertical, providing alpine bowls through to tree skiing amongst both tall and stunted pines. The aspect of the terrain shelters it from the brunt of the worst blizzards & the trees provide features in poor visibility making it a 'go to' location when Pitztal Glacier is socked out.
Check out the ski trail map for Hochzeiger below.
Hochzeiger’s wide beginner piste trails are in the centre of the resort, making it easy to progress without the fear of 'where am I' denting one's confidence. Lovely rolling groomers are fun for intermediates but limited for advanced skiers & riders. Off-piste, the snow remains untracked for much of a powder day, proving very pleasing to our Powderhound freeride sensibilities.
The small number of ski lifts at Hochzeiger covers all the terrain with ease & efficiency. Indeed, the lift alignments are more reminiscent of a North American or Australian ski resort than a European one - not a bad thing! Aside from one remaining slow double chair, the 1980's vintage Sechszeiger, all lift infrastructure is modern. The latest addition was in season 21/22 when the old Rotmoosbahn quad was replaced with a hooded 8-seater chairlift, that also increased the highest lifted point in the resort from 2,450m to 2,500m. Now that is future proofing!
Lift Passes
Ski lift passes at Hochzeiger offer very good value. A bonus is that multi-day passes purchased of 2-days duration or greater are valid for use for a day at Pitztal Glacier & Rifflsee. A bonus for families is that children under 10yr old ski for free on a ‘Bambini Pass’ when you buy an adult lift ticket. Lift passes of 5-days or more duration also include night tobogganing in the resort.
Where is Hochzeiger Austria?
The Hochzeiger ski resort watches over the entry to the Pitz valley (Pitztal!) in the Austrian state of Tyrol. The resort rises above the small town of Jerzens & is only 50km west of Innsbruck (as the crow flies!). The nearest major town is Wenns across the valley, 9km by winding road to the west of the ski resort.
Gateway airports for Hochzeiger are Innsbruck (INN) (from within Europe & UK) and Munich (MUC) or Zurich (ZRH) (for everyone else). Even though we prefer taking public transport wherever possible, the most convenient method of travel to Hochzeiger is a private transfer from the airport or a closer major city /train station direct to your accommodation.
Search & book private transfers to Wenns, Jerzens & Hochzeiger.
From Innsbruck or Landeck, Hochzeiger is a short train ride to Imst-Pitztal station & then the route 4204 bus (hourly). Journey time from Innsbruck is about 1½hr.
Search & book train tickets to Imst Pitztal. Buy bus tickets directly from the driver.
If one has a rental car, the journey is alot quicker and enables easy travel up and down the valley. Rent a car from Innsbruck or other Europe location here.
Hochzeiger Accommodation
A compact ski resort village at the base of Hochzeiger, plus the larger village of Jerzens a short way down the hill provide the most convenient accommodation. Several on mountain lodges provide ski-in ski-out options away from the great unwashed below.
Search & book Hochzeiger accommodation.
The main town in the Pitztal is Wenns, a short drive across the valley from Hochzeiger. Wenns is connected by regular bus to the ski resort. It is a full-service town with multiple supermarkets, hotels, restaurants & bars.
When the Powderhounds visited, we overnighted in a gorgeous fully self-contained apartment next to the local dairy in a fabulous farm-stay above Wenns. We travelled by car each day to both Hochzeiger & Pitztal Glacier each day with ease. We either cooked meals for ourselves or dined in some of the awesome hotels in Wenns.
Ski & Snowboard Equipment Rentals
Ski rentals are available with our local partners in two locations next to the ski lift base at the Hochzeiger ski resort village. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Hochzeiger Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
Reviews
The Powderhounds reviewed Hochzeiger a few seasons ago now, & had a splendid time in the resort & further up the valley at Pitztal Gletscher. We will drop by again if the weather is foul on our next Pitztal Glacier visit in the coming season. Click on the review link in the left column to read its thought-provoking prose!
See how Hochzeiger compares to the rest of the Austrian ski resorts on the Austria ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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