22 minute read
Cross-country Skiing Tips
Crosscountry Skiing
You have to follow the rhythm. Guided by the feeling that you are completely at ease and that you are able to experience the everlasting harmony between physical awareness and natural beauty as an escape from everyday life. Designed to be a real spectacle, there are more than 125 kilometres of cross-country ski trails in Zillertal that will tempt you into gliding through the snow. Whether for beginners or experts, even choosing a difficulty level feels like a pleasant challenge: Let the search for tracks begin! www.zillertal.at/ crosscountryskiing
Innertal-Funsingau Alongside the Water
Zell-Gerlos. When the Gerlosbach stream beckons, pure enjoyment is guaranteed. Situated at an altitude of 1,300 metres, the perfectly groomed cross-country ski trail leads from the Isskogelbahn lower station alongside the romantic waters towards Innertal amidst an enchanting winter landscape. Both the classic and the skating trails are ideal for clearing your head.
Schönachtal In the Glow of the Night
Zell-Gerlos. A dreamlike track, that’s all that counts. This is where beginners and experts get their money’s worth. The cross-country ski trail network, with all its marvellous vastness, invites you to recharge your batteries amidst nature. And those who wish to skate at night are welcome: 1.5 kilometres of the route are illuminated from 5 pm to 10 pm.
Luggi Gredler Loipe In the Tracks of a Champion
Tux-Finkenberg. Passion has a name. In this case it is that of the famous biathlete and multiple World Cup winner Ludwig Gredler. The classic (and daily groomed) cross-country ski trail stretches over an impressive 14 kilometres from Tux-Vorderlanersbach to Madseit, the skating trail is located in Juns/ Madseit and features a number of entry points.
Juns-Madseit-Runde Picturesque Ambience
Tux-Finkenberg. This cross-country ski trail stretches for 2.5 kilometres alongside the picturesque Tuxbach stream from Juns to the outskirts of Madseit and is an exquisite part of the Luggi-Gredler route. Mountain panoramas and scenic peaks spur leisurely cross-country skiers and endurance athletes onwards. The route leads up to the bottom of the Tux-Finkenberg tourism association and back.
Burgschrofen Four Routes under Floodlights
Mayrhofen-Hippach. In the district of Burgschrofen in Schwendau, cross-country skiers will find four beautiful routes, all starting at the Burgstallschrofen chapel. The Sprint trail (900 m), the Pleasure trail (1.4 km), the Pro trail (1.6 km) and the Marathon trail (4.3 km) with the course highlight “Camel Hump” are all illuminated until 10 pm.
Ahrnbachloipe Stumm The Pleasure Seekers’ Route
Fügen-Kaltenbach. It all starts at Hotel-Café Riedl in Stumm. There you will find the starting point for an easy route, perfect for pleasure seekers. This leads to the district of Ahrnbach, where you can cross the Ziller river on skis via a pedestrian bridge. Many a cross-country skier has been spotted resting here before setting off for Aschau.
Laimach Where the Beaver Lodge Beckons
Mayrhofen-Hippach. This medium difficulty crosscountry ski trail is 5 kilometres long. It passes over wide fields in a magnificent winter setting, along the Ziller river, past the beaver lodge. Two guesthouses directly on the route provide the opportunity for stopovers and short refreshments. Below the beaver lodge (outwards from the valley) there is a rest area from the Easy Trail as a reward.
Höhenloipe Hochfügen A Thirst for Adventure
Fügen-Kaltenbach. For cross-country skiers who yearn for a challenge, this high altitude crosscountry ski trail is just right. Starting at the car park near the lift ticket counter, the 9-kilometre route runs towards Gamsstein. The grading is “medium to difficult”, with about 400 vertical metres to be climbed. This trail is suitable for both classic crosscountry skiing and skating.
SECOND Home Zillertal
Born in Kenya, raised in Austria, on her way to the top of the world in the snows of Hintertux. The story from Sabrina Simader's heart.
TEXT Wolfgang M. Gran PHOTOS Christoph Johann
It's all about freedom. And adrenaline. And that little rascal in your head who loves to see the looks of disbelief and amazement on people‘s faces: "Nobody expects to see an African woman on skis, and that gives me a little bit of inspiration when I can surprise people", says Sabrina Simader, not trying to hide her smile. Sabrina, 22, who was born in Kilifi, Kenya, has long been much more than just half Austrian. When she was three years young, she moved with her mother to St. Johann am Wimberg in the Mühlviertel, and for the last eleven years she has been living in Ennstal.
The Kick at the Starting Gate But the trio of freedom, adrenaline and little rascal has kept her Kenyan citizenship so far. Because even in her first Austrian winter, it was already impossible to get Sabrina, who was still called Wanjiku at that time and who was only baptised after arriving in her adopted country, off the pistes – she still gets this powerful feeling of freedom when on skis today. Because she's really into the adrenaline rush that she gets every time she stands at the starting gate. And because the gate to the 2017 World Ski Championships in St. Moritz and the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang was open to her as a Kenyan. Although she only placed above 30 in the super-G at these two major events – she was there.
But it wasn't just that: Sabrina also made history by being the first female Kenyan to participate in the World Championship and Olympic Games in alpine skiing. And when she competed in giant slalom in Maribor on January 17, 2017, it was historic once again – she was the first female racer from Kenya in a World Championship race.
An Ambitious Goal Not surprisingly, Sabrina Simader is the only member of her national ski association. The association had already been founded because cross-country skier Philip Boit became the first Kenyan to immortalise himself in the history books at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games. The same year that Sabrina was born. She has a winning smile, and for the time being the journey along the pistes is her reward. Nevertheless, Sabrina wants to make it all the way to the top in the World Cup circus.
Training in Zillertal The Hintertux Glacier has developed into one of the most renowned training areas in the international ski circus. Athletes from around sixty nations come here in summer and autumn to prepare for the winter competitions.
Extreme Logistics The motivation to practice on the approximately 30 different training courses is enormous, and requires course manager Jörg Tarmann's logistical genius. He makes no distinction between stars and newcomers when assigning pistes and times: "Without new blood we wouldn't have a future. I treat everyone the same."
Lots of Support Since the glacier is in operation 365 days a year, it requires a lot of hard working hands. 120 employees are working during summer and up to 170 during winter to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Nature lover Sabrina Simader
Kenya's first female Olympic competitor training hard on the Hintertux Glacier to reach her ambitious goals.
But being first in the statistics is not enough for the ambitious young lady by any means: "I resist being treated as something exotic, but somehow I just am, and so I've accepted it with a strange mixed feeling," she says. But her objective is something else: "I want to be recognised as a competitive athlete and I'm working towards becoming a world-class ski racer."
For five years now, she's been working away every summer in the year-round Hintertux Glacier ski area: "My training here in the Zillertal has already helped me a lot. Jörg Tarmann, the course manager, always does a great job because he makes sure that I can train with other international teams. It's a good push." And so Zillertal has already become a little piece of home for the Upper Austrian-Styrian Kenyan: "I really love nature, and so to be able to go mountain running or hiking after training on the glacier, that's really something special in an amazing environment like this one", she raves.
With a Dose of Self-confidence Now Sabrina intends to increase her World Cup entries. Because the two-time winner of FIS races wants to be among the top 30 in the world there: "I know I can do it."
And as much as that little rascal in her head likes to see the amazement on people's faces: Soon no one will be surprised anymore, because Sabrina intends to make headlines not because of her heritage, but because of her achievements. Then it's all just about freedom. And adrenaline.
"It burns in my mind and in my soul", says Anton Unai. And this feeling needs to be reflected on the canvas.
DREAMER AND
Rebel
From Barcelona to Berlin into Zillertal. The painter Anton Unai followed the artistic call that came from the mountains and continues to live his vision of poetry, provocation and a better world here.
TEXT Michael Hufnagl PHOTOS Christoph Johann
Anton Unai
Chaotic," grins the nine-year-old Laia cheekily. The girl is sitting at the lunch table of the Kristallhütte, and while her father, distracted by his Kaiserschmarrn, searches for the right words, she adds her own thoughts. The painter Anton Unai nods. His daughter knows him. His character. His style.
Art experts define the work of the 46-yearold Spaniard roughly so: "He celebrates a visual poetry of playful ease and rebellious provocation." Anton's own description of his painting is that it is "intuitive, free, expressive, always with a message".
It's a gorgeous day. Not a cloud in the sky. Just the Zillertal. We sit at 2,147 metres and let our eyes wander over the magnificent mountain panorama. Anton is here with his daughters Laia and Elina, 11, skiing is a special passion for the trio. "I love it. And it's never too late to take on new challenges", smiles Anton. It wasn't much different with painting.
Holding Up the Mirror Born in Barcelona, the young man soon relocated to England, where he studied political science. Later he moved his residence to Berlin and became a journalist. The conceptual design of the magazine "art" gradually led him to the decision to become an artist. "I felt I wanted to hold up a mirror to this world in my own way", he recalls. The influence of politics has never left him. But not the kind of politics we encounter in everyday life. "I'm interested in the philosophy behind it", he says. "How people treat others, how we understand cultures, interact with children, that is politics. Everything we love is political."
Zillertal Family Anton Unai came to Zillertal thanks to an invitation. Stefan Eder, head of the Kristallhütte, has been following his passion for 13 years: "We offer artists the opportunity to exhibit their work on the mountain and to breathe new life into this special place again and again." And so Anton learned to see his artistic ideas as a gift: "It's like a family here. I immediately felt at home in Zillertal."
Which might also have something to do with the Kaiserschmarrn, which the father and the two daughters have quickly polished off. Elina is waiting for the award ceremony after the ski race, and Anton seems more excited than his kid. Even though, as an artist, he likes to take in the mountain world far away from the slopes. "I love the spirituality up here, the fire of nature, the stillness, and even the extremes."
And this is exactly the philosophical world that you enter into through his pictures. Not thinking, just doing, without a concept, simply following intuition, that is his artistic creed. "It burns in my mind and in my soul", he says. And if he doesn't like the painting, he paints over it. "I am very fast, making
"I always want to take a risk on the canvas", says Anton, "not just stick to stencils." Not thinking, just doing, without a concept, simply following intuition. That's how his works are created.
Reflections on the future are the driving force behind many Unai paintings and find powerful expression in them.
between two and three hundred pictures every year. And sometimes it comes out as nonsense, but I always want to take a risk on the canvas, not just stick to stencils."
Believe and Demand In Berlin, Anton Unai earned his money as a creative advertiser. For a man like him, who had exhibitions in London or Paris, in Vienna or New York, painting is pure devotion. It doesn't matter if a painting sells for 10,000 or Lowercase euros, it should never define the value of his work. Then Anton laughs and says: "I'm not a diva."
He's more of a dreamer. And believes that it is always worthwhile to use everything that fate provides in order to work for a better future. "It's about the world we want to leave behind for our children. And we really need to be demanding about it." Then he clips into his skis. Waves. Skis away. And calls to us: "I have to get to the medal ceremony. To see my kid smile. Nothing is more important than that."
Anton Unai
THE SPICE OF Life
Enzianhof on Gerlosberg has been producing the finest speck for four generations. With the most important ingredients: Tradition, time and love.
TEXT Wolfgang M. Gran PHOTOS Bernhard Huber
But even in a traditional house like this one, some things eventually change. And so Sepp (short for Josef) Kerschdorfer, son of Sepp and grandson of Sepp senior, had his son baptised as Alexander 17 years ago. But this did not prevent the young man from deciding to become a butcher, just like his dad, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Sometimes blood is even thicker than consecrated water, especially if it seems to contain the speck gene. For seventy years, the Kerschdorfers have been processing meat 1,270 metres high on the Gerlosberg in Zell am Ziller – with Alexander now in the fourth generation: "They wanted to teach him anything else", smiles Grandpa Sepp, "but he always worked with me and one day he said: 'I know that l want to learn to be a butcher now, I'm halfway there already." And this means that there's one thing you don't have to worry about: that this incredible speck, known far beyond the borders of the Zillertal, will not be around anymore. Because Alexander studied his profession in the same butcher's shop in Kaltenbach where the three Sepps before him had already completed their apprenticeship. And he watches his grandfather closely, just like his father before him.
Our Own Farm "It's really interesting how history repeats itself", says the senior Sepp Kerschdorfer. It's not the worst way to learn.
Because even though the Enzianhof of today cannot be compared with the one Sepp Kerschdorfer the First took over almost eighty years ago with only a few cows and pigs, there's one thing on Gerlosberg that hasn't changed: "We have been processing our meat the same way for forty years. That's our trademark, that's the way we think it should be, and we don't intend to change it," says the senior
The peace of the smokehouse. "Our speck is this good because we give it time to become something proper," says Sepp Kerschdorfer.
A lot has changed, only the speck is made as it was before. Sepp Kerschbaumer carefully inspects the juniper, which he uses for cold smoking in the stone cellar for its unmistakable aroma. So that later on, flavourful treats on platters can be guaranteed.
Sepp. Most of the meat still comes from our own farm, the animals are kept and raised how they were meant to be. And during processing, the most valuable ingredient is then introduced in the smokehouse: the time to age. For eight to ten weeks, the ham is cured in sea salt and carefully selected spices from juniper to caraway, marjoram to coriander. After the water bath and drying, it is smoked "cold", over little embers, at a room temperature of 20 to 23 degrees. Juniper bushes or "Krabatn", as they are called in the Zillertal, as well as beech wood shavings are used before the ham is air-dried for another one or two weeks.
While the processing always remained the same, a lot has changed in this high-altitude paradise. The founder of the family dynasty, who died in 2008, still produced his products as a means of barter and payment.
So the cobbler took a ham with him, and Sepp Kerschdorfer received a pair of new shoes for it, beer from the brewery was exchanged for meat and from the baker flour: "That was so common back then – we had meat, eggs and cheese, and they were paid in kind", says the current senior partner about the customs at the time when his father started intensive cultivation of the Enzianhof after the war.
Diligence and Vision Later, the stone cellar, carved from natural stone, was the first small sales room, a sort of forerunner to the farm shops. Throughout the decades, Sepp I tinkered with recipes and refinements for his hams and sausages, and these recipes are still used today: "He would certainly be very proud today if he could still see how this craft is carried on by us in his spirit", says grandson Josef
Kerschdorfer. Just as proud as the grandson is of his grandfather who, with diligence and the right visions, has steadily expanded the small mountain farm, opened an inn and organised a road to the Enzianhof, which could initially only be reached by gondola or on foot.
Love, Joy and Paula's Grunts His descendants were able to build on it and develop it: "But it was always important to us that the original charm of the house be preserved during all the renovations and construction work", says Josef Kerschdorfer. A house that still houses four generations today. "My 89-year-old mother and my 17-year-old grandson both live there. What we do, we do with love and joy, and that's why I'm sure that everything we do up here will definitely continue for another generation or two", says Sepp Kerschdorfer, convinced.
Family life is very important up here – and this even includes the cattle in a special kind of way. The sight of cows, oxen and pot-bellied pigs running around is part of everyday life for the Kerschdorfers and delights the guests. But one of them stands out from the crowd because of its status: "Our 15-year-old pig Paula is known throughout Zillertal and is almost like a member of the family for us," says Josef Kerschdorfer enthusiastically. Paula grunts and enjoys her tranquil existence here at the Enzianhof, where she also likes to make herself comfortable between the house guests on the sun terrace. A pretty good life.
Three generations and one speck snack: Grandpa Sepp, Josef the son and Alexander the grandson sampling their wares.
Let's get cooking!
Sure, you can eat bacon – or speck, as it's German cousin in known – as a snack and as a hearty main meal –but have you ever tried it as a dessert or as an elegant cocktail? Here are some recipes to marvel at and enjoy.
PHOTOS & RECIPES Kevin Ilse More recipes at: www.zillertal.at/recipes
4 servings Preparation time: 15 minutes APPETISER
Savoury Zillertal speck dip with vegetable sticks
INGREDIENTS
For the dip: 100 g sliced
Bauchspeck 1 small onion 150 g plain cream cheese 100 g yoghurt 1 tbsp. chives, chopped
Salt, pepper
For the vegetable sticks: 3 sticks of celery 1 cucumber 3 medium carrots
Fry the Bauchspeck in a pan without oil until crispy and let it cool down on a plate, put 2 slices aside for garnishing. Leave the leftover fat in the pan. Peel and finely chop the onion. Then fry the diced onions in the leftover speck fat until they begin to brown, become soft and slightly sweet. Set aside and let cool.
Crumble the crispy Bauchspeck between your fingers. Mix speck bits, diced onions, cream cheese and yoghurt. Add salt and pepper to taste. Break the set aside speck slices into chunks and garnish the dip with them. Finally, sprinkle the chives over it.
For the vegetable sticks, wash celery sticks, cucumber and carrots and – as desired – peel them. Cut into strips and serve with the dip.
Tip: Tastes good with breadsticks too.
MAIN DISH
For the Knödel: 200 ml milk 3 eggs 250 g cubed bread (or dried white bread in cubes) 1 onion 2 tbsp. butter 40 g flour
Salt
For the casserole: 1 red onion 250 g mushrooms (white or creamed mushrooms) 2 tbsp. canola or sunflower oil 150 ml whipped cream 100 ml milk 2 eggs 1 pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated 100 g Schinkenspeck 150 g Bergkäse, grated 2 tbsp. chives, chopped
Salt, pepper
For the Knödel mixture, heat the milk (caution: do not boil!) and whisk together with the eggs and a good pinch of salt. In a bowl, pour the milk and egg mixture over the bread cubes, mix thoroughly and let sit.
Peel and finely dice the onion. Heat the butter in a pan and sauté the onion in it until transparent. Then mix the onion and the flour with the bread cubes in the bowl. Using slightly wet hands, portion the mixture and shape it into Knödel of about 5 cm diameter each.
Cook the Knödel in salted, slightly simmering water for about 10 minutes. Then lift it out of the water with a slotted spoon and put it aside on a plate.
For the casserole, peel and slice the red onion. Clean the mushrooms, cut large ones into halves or quarters. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion slices until translucent. Add the mushrooms and sauté thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 200 °C (upper/lower heat). Whisk together the whipped cream, milk, eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cut the Schinkenspeck into cubes.
Place the Knödel in a casserole dish and spread the sautéed mushrooms and onion slices on top. Sprinkle the Bergkäse over it, pour the cream mixture over it and finally sprinkle the speck cubes over it. Bake the casserole for 25 minutes until golden brown.
Sprinkle with chives before serving.
DESSERT
Zillertal crispy speck in a chocolate coating
4 servings Preparation time: 30 minutes plus approx. 1 hour cooling time INGREDIENTS 100 g sliced
Bauchspeck 30 g almonds, blanched 200 g dark chocolate couverture
Heat a non-stick frying pan and fry the speck slices until crispy without adding any oil. Let it cool down on a cooling rack or a plate with paper towel.
Chop the almonds. Break the couverture chocolate into small pieces and melt in a water bath. Dip the crispy slices of speck halfway into the couverture one after the other, place them on the cooling rack and sprinkle with almond slivers. Let couverture harden at room temperature.
Tip: The sweet-savoury crispy speck also tastes good sprinkled with coarse sea salt.
A Little Bit of Speck Lore
SCHINKENSPECK
Belongs to the Zillertal like the snow to the mountains. It is made from the pork leg, salted with spices, cold smoked and dried. It has a similar flavour to prosciutto and has a low fat content.
KARREESPECK
Very fine speck from particularly lean muscular meat from the back of the pig. Sliced wafer-thin, it is a delicious snack for people who like lowfat foods.
BAUCHSPECK
This streaky speck always has a rectangular shape and is about 3 to 5 cm high. Ideal for frying, as it becomes nice and crispy. It is the fattiest type of speck and tastes good with salad and tomatoes.
SCHOPFSPECK
Comes from the neck area and is the most beautiful marbled speck. It is extremely tender and juicy and is not used for cooking. Ideal for a light meal.
COCKTAIL
Zillertaler Speck Old Fashioned
Recipe: Andreas Hotter
Preparation time: 5 minutes (when all parts are premade)
ANDREAS HOTTER The bar manager and hotelier of the Englhof in Zell am Ziller was awarded the "Mixology Bar Award" for the best bar in Austria in 2018. In 2019 he was named "Austria's most innovative mixologist". INGREDIENTS for 1 cocktail: 60 ml Bourbon
Fat Washing* 7.5 ml honey syrup 20 ml apple reduction
Angostura Bitter
Additionally:
Ice cubes
Block of ice
For the Bourbon Fat Washing: 40 g Schinkenspeck 750 ml bourbon
For the honey syrup: 100 g honey 50 ml water
Orange zest to taste
Vanilla from the pod
For the apple reduction: 500 ml apple juice unfiltered PREPARATION For the Bourbon Fat Washing, melt the fat from the Schinkenspeck at low heat for 5 minutes while stirring. Mix the melted fat with the bourbon, let sit for 4 hours and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Skim off the solid fat, filter the rest through a cloth and pour into a bottle.
For the honey syrup, simmer honey at a ratio of 2:1 with water, orange zest and vanilla until you have a homogeneous liquid.
For the apple reduction, simmer the apple juice and let it reduce by half.
PREPARATION Stir Bourbon Fat Washing, honey syrup, apple reduction and 2 splashes of Angostura Bitter in a mixing glass over ice cubes and strain onto a block of ice in the pre-cooled tumbler glass. Garnish with mint.
* Fat washing is the process of adding melted fat, one of the most important flavour carriers of all, to spirits. Since the process is time-consuming, mixologist Andreas Hotter recommends preparing a larger quantity of the bourbon, as well as honey syrup and apple reduction. 12 drinks can be prepared from the quantities given here.
