SECOND CHOICE SPLITBOARD CAMP – KUEHTAI – SEXY SNOW, SEXY WEATHER, SEXY GROUP, SEXY RESO
The sexy camp at Kuehtai – sexy snow, sexy weather, sexy group, sexy resort, sexy everything!
Once again, the Kuehtai surpassed itself this winter! For the second Choice Splitboard Camp, the resort pampered its guests with a weekend full of bluebird, sunshine and fresh powder. Add a group of the funniest people, the world´s most warmly mountain hostel host, two highly motivated mountain guides and a couple of unforgettable splitboarding adventures, that did not quite match the advertised camp level – but never mind – as we all know, the magic happens outside the comfort zone! And it did, that weekend at „sexy“ Kuehtai!
Only 35 kilometres from Innsbruck and situated high above 2.000 metres sea level, the Kuehtai offers perfect touring conditions until late spring. With numerous splitboarding options, a breathtaking foresight and its deep blue lakes, the Kuehtai is very sexy – as we realized one more time during our second Choice Splitboard Camp.
Splitboard fans of choice and future splitboarders arrived on Friday afternoon at the Zirmbachalm. After the gear adjustment party everybody knew how to handle their Amplid or Jones Splitboard and how to adjust their Karakoram or Spark bindings. Almost everyone took some Deeluxe Boots for testing, ABS backpacks and Ortovox safety gear. Last, but not least those who did not have a helmet, had the choice from Alpina and try out matching goggles. At latest after the welcome schnaps and yummy dinner all participants fell in love with the cosy mountain lodge Zirmbachalm and its wonderful host Waldtraud.
On Saturday the alarm went off early with the rising sun. The mountain guides Christian Eberherr aka Snoppy and Markus Moser had a great plan. From the Kuehtai reservoir lake, the group startet splitboard touring to the „Vordere Karlesspitze“ on 2.571 m, wandering 680 height metres and 4,3 kilometres through an amazing winterwonderland. With bluebird and cloudless, sunny skies, a pleasant anticipation started rising during the hike. After a well-deserved summit break, the splitboarders changed to riding mode and enjoyed a very long descent in untracked snow. Everybody was more than delighted about the amazing snow quality and playful terrain offering great options for drops and jumps. To end this unforgettable experience, the riders took it with a funny boardercross through the woods and all the way down to the valley. A cold beer was calling for the sunkissed campers at the umbrella bar at Kuehtai on their way back to Zirmbachalm.
Everybody was happy to escape the sun after a long day in the mountains. Time for a shower and some relaxing before dinner and a workshop about tour planning and map reading. Content and tired the adventurers went to bed early that night.
On Sunday, the Kuehtai showed off with amazing weather and perfect conditions, again. Early up with the chair lift Dreiseenbahn, the group changed to hiking mode and started skinning straight from the mountain station. Seperated in two groups, they took course to the next adventure direction Gaiskogel on 2.820 metres.
After a rather moderate start, steep and challenging kick-turns demanded full concentration. Especially the splitboarding newbies were now extremely grateful for their practise from the previous day. After a short break, the last height metres had to be overcome on a steep ridge with the splitboards on the back. The ridge challenged some people to step outside their comfort zone. In the end, everybody made it all the 440 height metres up to the summit cross. A breathtaking 360 degrees mountain view was their reward for all the efforts.
The decent over the north chute down to Haggen required full concentration again. After a steep entrance, the riders got recompensed with a wide playground. With a powder run of 1.100 height metres and 5,3 kilometres adrenaline levels rose beyond high. And again: what a sexy run, what a sexy day! Deliriously happy the cheering group ended up somewhere just beside the main road. The next busdriver was so friendly to give them a ride back to Kuehtai even though there was no official bus stop. What a day, what a weekend, what a group, what an amazing team of mountain guides! We´ll definitely come back, see you in 2019, Kuehtai!!! www.kuehtai.info
Special thanks to the resort of Kuehtai for the support. Big up to Christian Eberherr and Markus Moser for sexy guiding and Fiona Stappmanns aka www.mountainsandtheocean.com for all those great photos
Thanks to the Choice partners for the test center: Amplid Splitboards, Jones Snowboards, Karakoram, Spark R&D, Alpina Sports, Deeluxe Snowboardboots, Ortovox, ABS, PallyHi
