Haldenköpfle

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A Black Forest Gateau

Haldenköpfle is a micro ski station located about 20 minutes drive from Freiburg at around 1200 meters altitude. It is really of interest to locals. These small resorts are often ideal places to learn to ski as the ski schools are more personal and tuition and lift passes are much more reasonably priced.

ski lift pass for Haldenköpfle

The fiendishly efficient Germans have recently installed a new lift system which has automated card readers. You can buy a timed card such as the one above or a points card that gives you a certain number of rides and you can use throughout the season.

Haldenköpfle main ski slope

This is the main red from the café. The resort had constructed some jumps at the top and bosses had begun to form near the top, ideal for practicing that technique on gentle and uncrowned slopes. Of course we made frequent stops for Glühwein, Wurst and Heisse Schoki and it gave me a chance to practice my German.

Top of the Haldenköpfle pistes

The lift system has been extended to add another 300 meters of blue piste. The local ski club were actually slalom training on the left hand side. It will be a while before they produce any Olympic medallists I think. The station really holds the snow, while all around is brown the pistes had around 30cm and none of the stones and rocks you would get on French pistes with those sorts of depths.

rachel and geraldine at the Haldenköpfle cafe

Geraldine decided to spend the day sunning herself and reading 'running with heels' a kind of sub-Bridget Jones novel. She also had the delights of German umpah bands on radio Freiburg.

David at the base of the Haldenköpfle ski pistes

It was nice to get back into my alpine ski boots after two years in touring gear. The borrowed skis dated from the Arc and it was a delight to escape from the carving orthodoxy that has overtaken downhill skiing.

David descending the Haldenköpfle main ski piste

Despite the limited number of pistes they actually issue a piste plan and give a full range of numbers for search and rescue services! Maybe this is not so daft as Rachel had said that her husband had skied all the way back to Freiburg at one time.

Haldenköpfle piste plan

More Information

http://www.skilifte-haldenkoepfle.de

http://www.skilifte-im-schwarzwald.de

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