First-look at Hochgurgl's new champagne gondola experience and extended ski area
Refastening ski boots, a quick bite of a chocolate bar or chance to post a smug selfie on social media, however you spend a gondola ride the mundane process of being transported from one part of a ski area to another is often not the most memorable part of a ski holiday. This winter however the Austrian resort of Hochgurgl, which sits at 2,150m, 120m above neighbouring Obergurgl, has opened a Perrier-Jouët champagne gondola experience, where guests can enjoy a taste of the luxury lifestyle at over 2,000m.
On December 1, two weeks after the ski area officially opened for the winter, I was one first people to sample the new experience.
Hochgurgl is one of Austria’s most snow-sure destinations, meaning despite it being so early in the season as we arrived at the TOP Mountain Crosspoint (2,150m), the starting station for the new champagne gondola experience, we were surrounded by other skiers and snowboarders bumbling around with their equipment, while we waited patiently for our carriage to arrive, in true Cinderella style.
As the doors to the fifthteenth car of the the newly extended Kirchenkarbahn gondola open, instead of the usual elbows-at-the-ready rush to board, it’s an elegant affair as the red rope is unclipped and we were ushered into the Perrier-Jouët branded cabin.
Most of the gondola’s cabins accommodate up to 10, but this one has been refitted to reflect its deluxe purpose with cushions and blankets scattered over the seating. What can only be described as a flute tree was perched on a table in the middle, with holders for our glassware - we discovered later this also acts as a handy mechanism to prevent spillage when rattling through the gondola stations.
With a pop of a cork we swung out the TOP Mountain Crosspoint station and started our ascent to 2,839m. Enroute we indulged on the sharing platter of smoked salmon, caviar and beef tartare, all washed down with the fizz of Perrier-Jouët bubbly. For the non-champagne drinkers in the group there was local Austrian beer stocked in the mini-fridge.
As we arrived into the middle station, clutching to our flutes, the doors opened and fellow skiers and snowboarders stood, some confused some amused, peering in at our high-altitude banquet - cameras soon appeared and we smiled for our admiring audience, waving royally.
Next stop, the top and the new gondola station, which opens this winter. At 2,839m, the lift now reaches just below the Kirchenkogl summit (3,113m), and accesses a new off-piste area and a further 2.2km of pistes in the form of two interlaced red and blue runs, which travel all the way back down to the Crosspoint station. The top-to-bottom run is a welcome addition to the shared Obergurgl-Hochgurgl ski area and adds new variety to the piste map. But with fizz on ice there was no time to get distracted with the urge to ski as we began our descent back down into the valley.
A post shared by Telegraph Ski and Snowboard (@telegraphskisnowboard) on Dec 2, 2018 at 1:24am PST
The round trip takes roughly 15 minutes, and with champagne left to be drunk and a bread basket to soak it all up, we succumbed to three circuits. There’s something about the novelty of being able to indulge in life’s luxuries while, beyond the glass of the gondola cabin, we were surrounded by crystal-clear views of the Öztal valley – the two work in perfect harmony.
The new gondola is the latest innovation from the Scheiber brothers, Alban and Attila. The identical twins are behind most of Hochgurgl’s recent development. They also own and run the TOP Hotel Hochgurgl, which this year has been crowned the first superior five-star hotel in the valley. Part of the hotel’s transformation includes a swanky new spa complex, complete with full-size indoor pool, steaming outdoor pool, plethora of saunas and a relaxation room boasting revive-yourself-post-skiing heated water beds (where I later slept off the champagne haze before a fondue dinner.)
The brother’s taste for the finer things in life extends up the mountain, where visitors will find Attila’s collection of over 300 vintage mountain bikes at the TOP Mountain Crosspoint museum, also home to a 6,060 square-metre restaurant and event space. The Perrier-Jouët gondola, as novel as it may seem, appears to be the jewel in their and subsequently Hochgurgl’s luxury crown.
Eventually though as the fizz subsided those pristine pistes beckoned and, trading flutes for skis, we went back up to explore the new ski area, giddy with excitement – or was that the champagne talking?
Need to know
The Perrier-Jouët gondola experience costs €92 for two, including a half bottle of champagne and a platter of smoked salmon, beef tartare and caviar. Further passengers cost €25 each. Book at the TOP Mountain Crosspoint restaurant. Rooms at the TOP Hotel Hochgurgl cost from €196, including half board.
