Krippenstein

Krippenstein ski area in Upper Austria is very unique, more a free-ride zone than a traditional ski area.

To start your journey up the massive mountain, two consecutive modern tramways bring you to a towering summit of 2105-meters (6,906′). Don’t miss the short hike up to the summit panorama installation for an amazing Alps view, and glacier aspects.

At Krippenstein’s summit, you will discover a short quad chair serving about 500’ vertical, a beginner T-bar, and a third (aging) tramway gets you about 600-vert. There’s just one prepared piste on the summit chairlift, and one really long 9-kilometer trail – a summit to base prepared trail. This Krippenstein trail is the longest piste in Austria!

The rest of Krippenstein terrain is an extreme free-ride zone, so we highly recommend hiring a mountain guide as the landscape is wild – with unmarked cliffs and untamed terrain. You will see how harsh the free-riding can be if you take a close look during your ascent on the two tramways. Krippenstein hosts free-ride training camps, and events, for skiers and snowboarders – due to its legendary off-piste terrain. Its known amongst powder hounds during storm cycles as the place to go. Without good natural snow, there is basically one short prepared piste on the summit chair and the one LONG prepared piste trail with snowmaking all the way to the base.

Krippensetein has a beautiful view of Lake Hallstatt from the ski area, high above, with two installation viewing platforms – the 5 Fingers is a multi-pronged suspended viewing station with 360 views, and the sparkling silver World Heritage spiral. These venues are popular with Asians who ride the trams (no skis) to see the view and take photos, then they go down to Lake Hallstatt to see the lake and take more selfies and congest the otherwise sweet (but over touristed) Austrian town.

Up on Krippenstein’s summit plateau, you also view the former glacial field, now mostly melted glacial fields, becoming scrub pine. It is otherworldly looking out at the reimaging ice formations of Dachstein Glacier. On Krippenstein’s high plateau, you can winter-wander on designated paths, or snowshoe on three routes including the Shark trail that takes you to a small ice cave – very cool!

Krippenstein’s summit restaurant – Berg Restaurant – at the Tram station, felt more like a cafeteria. So we skied down a few turns to the Lodge at Krippenstein, for a lovely lunch. This was self-service, but felt more like a cozy alpine restaurant with a fantastic view and huge sun deck plus the classic wood interior. The Lodge food is very good, and service is swift. You can actually stay overnight here high on the plateau, with meals (half board) for about $100 a night per person, riding the tramways up and out, so its ski glamping. We liked lodging in Lake Halstatt in the pretty village below.

End your ski day at Krippenstein on the one long groomed “1b” (the Austrians lack clever names for their ski trails) summit to base run to experience the full 4900’ vertical feet, on this impressive almost 6-mile trail.

Krippenstein Ski Stats:
Elevation: 609 – 2109 m – 6,919′
Vertical Drop: 1500M – 4,921′
Lifts: 97 in the Arlberg ski region
Trails: 12 km of prepared pistes – plus unlimited off-piste adventures. Freeride Resort
Stay in beautiful nearby Lake Hallstatt

More on Austria Ski Trips