Ski the Summit of the Patscherkofel

The Patscherkofel in Igls near Innsbruck is the perfect ski area to try ski touring for the first time in a completely safe environment.

This ski area offers beginner ski tourers the opportunity to give the sport a try without having to venture out into the backcountry or tour up the crowded pistes.

You can rent ski touring equipment from the InterSport rental directly at the bottom station of the gondola, which is great if you just want to give it a go to see if you enjoy it.

You can either do the "Gipfel (summit)" tour or the "Vital" tour (or combine the two).

The "Gipfel" tour is from the top station of the gondola to the summit. This tour follows a special pisted trail for tourers and snow shoe hikers that winds around the mountain and has an altitude gain of 280m. There's a little hut at the top where you can get a hot drink and strudel (cash only and only open in peak season), and you'll usually ski back down the way you came up.

The "Vital" tour is from the Patscher Alm, just across from the middle station of the gondola, up through a walking trail through the woods to the top station of the gondola. Like the Gipfel tour, the trail is about 1 piste-basher wide and is usually groomed. Once at the top, you can choose whether you want to continue on the Gipfel tour to the summit, or take your skins off and ski back down to the valley. After a cold beer, of course! The altitude gain from the middle to the top station is 250m.