A train trip from Budapest to Innsbruck's nearby Kuhtai was an absolute dream in mid-February 2019.

The easy logistics of getting to Innsbruck (a major rail hub accessible by most places in central and western Europe) by train had us choose this as our main destination. From Innsbruck, you have a plethora of amazing skiing options available, and a ski bus allowing you to access them all. We opted to stay in a chalet in Gries im Sellrain, about 20 minutes via ski bus from Kuhtai's base, since staying in Innsbruck would have meant a 1 hour ski bus journey every morning and evening up and down. Still a very great option to stay in Innsbruck, as you can make a decision on what resort you’ll head to each day depending on where might have the best conditions.

The base of Kuhtai has some great and affordable options for accommodations, but unfortunately our trip was too last minute to snatch one. Gries im Sellrain was a lovely quiet little nearby town, with a tiny grocery store, 3 hotel restaurants, and a ski shop.

Our trip included 5 days in Kuhtai and unfortunately none of them saw snow, but instead blue-bird conditions everyday. The cold overnight temps and warm days meant we started our days with compact, flash-frozen snow in the early mornings. By mid-afternoon however, the Sun helped soften things up, making the groomed pistes and off-piste lovely.

We found some incredible off-piste conditions going up on the Kaiserbahn gondola, doing a 30-minute hike (snowshoes and avalanche gear required required) up just above it towards the top of a beautiful bowl filled with lush powder. We also came across a man-made jump towards the bottom of the bowl where we had way too much fun and spent nearly the entire day. We later discovered Dreiseenbahn. From there, you could do quite a long hike up towards the ridge between Gaiskogel and Pockkogel summits (again, snowshoes and avalanche gear required), and have a lot of fun in the untouched bowl powder. Once we found these off-piste locations we had an incredible time doing the occasional piste / groomed trail and mixing in as much off-piste as we could. There wasn’t a huge amount of slackcountry (lift accessible off-piste), but we enjoyed the climbs.

We ended almost everyday at Dreiseenhutte with a few beers and well deserved fries, an amazing spot in the late afternoon until the Sun passes over. We found the apres to be pretty calm. Kuhtai is definitely more family oriented and not exactly the most happening spot for a party weekend in the mountains.
See our video here

Rode Kuhtai last winter. Its unreal. Not huge but so, so good for a couple of days. The previous reviews are right on the money, but only if the sun is shining. ;-)
See our video here

I want to ski the dam wall!
Maybe next time. Thoroughly enjoyed skiing here in February. The resort has two sides each separated by the access road. Ski one side in the morning and the other in the afternoon depending on sun etc.
One day I will ski the dam wall
See our video here

Kuhtai is so much fun. It is a resort that you can go to with anyone and everyone regardless on their skiing ability/preferences. In between the excellent groomed runs the off piste holds fantastic quality snow days after it has snowed. When one side of the hill warms up you just go to the other side. There is fun tree skiing and a human made dam wall to ski. There are cross country trails and so much slack and back country you could spend weeks in this resort and continually find something new to do. Even though there are obviously bus loads of people at the resort when we skied it, it did not seem that way. There were no queues for the lifts, there was plenty of space and fresh lines to be had. Kuhtai is fun.
See our video here

Kühtai is the highest ski resort village in Austria and is only 35km from Innsbruck along a road that doesn’t feel like it is taking you to 2020m. At that height, the snow quality at Kühtai is super. Cold, dry and deep. Split by the road right through the middle, the resort lifts and pistes are connected by some clever tunnels and bridges. A south facing sunny side gathers the morning sun, whilst the north facing terrain stays cold and dry for afternoon freshies. Off piste powder lays here for days unsullied until we arrived and left our signature wherever possible.

Whilst the Kuhtai's skiable vertical is not huge, it doesn't matter. The extensive piste trails are predominantly intermediate, but with continual fall line. Beginner lifts and learning areas are adequate, but on-piste terrain is limited for beginners. Some real advanced piste trails exist……. and some not so real! The off-piste and freeride terrain is expansive, and because no one seems to ski it, face shots & clean lines are standard. Ridges, gullies, natural half pipes, cornices, trees and wide open bowls are there for the taking. The brave can even venture over to the dam wall and give it a whirl – surely one of the more unique ski experiences. Backcountry access is excellent. Skinning up Pirchkogel, Gaiskogel and 3016m Sulzkogel opens a world of possibility. Because of its height, the terrain is mostly treeless and not so friendly during poor weather (gotta be one negative!).

What really sets Kuhtai apart from other ski resorts, and why we love it so much, is that you can easily scope all of the terrain and not waste any time with the search, which is great for day trippers and short-term visitors. Having never been to Kuhtai before, we skied the entire resort, were in pristine or tracked powder all day and did not ski a groomed piste once! For Powderhounds, that equates to a sensational ski resort. An added bonus is the ridiculously cheap lift ticket price - €39 (2018 price).

Accommodation is all 'ski-in' and day trippers can park right next the lifts and ski back directly to their car. Après ski options are abundant and the village, despite being split by a road is surprisingly pedestrian and ski friendly.

Kuhtai is a wonderful ski area that provides some of the world's best value, quality skiing and snowboarding. Do yourself a favour & visit it soon.

See our video here