AUSTRIA - February 13 th to 21st 2015

Transcription

1 Staff Association Ski Trip Information Booklet Rev 1 AUSTRIA - February 13 th to 21st 2015 February 2014 Group Photograph From the Bottom of the Saloberjet courtesy of Simon Youngs Booklet Contents Holiday Package at a Glance Location Accommodation Package Costs & Lift Passes More Photographs of Past Trips Departure and Travel Additional Information Sample Menu Frequently Asked Questions What To Take with You Tips Application Form Info Required This booklet is comprehensive but should you wish to ask questions please contact:- Peter or Sharon Peter via P.Bilverstone@uea.ac.uk or Sharon Sharon.weekley@uea.ac.uk Please note:- Itinerary arrangements and prices are given in good faith and may be subject to change by the tour operator JEKA Group Holidays without our control. UEA Staff Association, 25 th February 2014

2 HOLIDAY PACKAGE AT A GLANCE What s included? Return travel by modern touring coach, use of coach in resort for ski transfers & evening activities Exclusive use of coach. (Dependant on numbers wishing to take part) Return ferry or tunnel crossing, road tolls and taxes Accommodation ( family rooms and single sex dormitories) Groeninghe House All meals in resort prepared and cooked by JEKA s local volunteer staff Ski/snowboard equipment rental for 6 days o (Downhill & Cross Country skis, boards, boots and poles) 4 hours ski tuition per day x 5 1/2 days What s extra Ski lift pass o Saloba 3- Valley Super pass o or Local Village Lift Pass o Extra to reach Lech & Zürs resorts new link opened winter 2014 Drinks with meals other than tea, coffee or hot chocolate Local tourist tax Meals en route (JEKA do provide a packed lunch for the homeward journey) Cost of evening activities (Usually 3:50 Euros each. & 7:50 for 2 hrs. swimming) Travel Insurance (charged extra dependant on age & Med Conditions ) Snowboarding tuition not included (Tuition available but make your own arrangements) Tips for Drivers, Volunteer catering staff and cleaners Insurance We will organise a group insurance cover tailored to cover all the activities once all participants have confirmed attendance and paid all dues. Cost expected each, dependent upon age and physical health. (2013 &2014 under 55 age group 26.64) If you wish to arrange your own insurance cover, please ensure that all activities as well as travel are covered, such as the evening programme including tobogganing, ice skating, night skiing, Cross Country Skiing, snowboarding, swimming & shooting. You will also be required to sign an insurance waiver from JEKA Group Holidays.

3 LOCATION We are going to the Lechtal Valley, in the Tirol region of western Austria The main resort we ski from is Hochkrumbach between Wart and Schrocken at 1600m + above sea level, a small and quiet station with Bar, Restaurant and a First Aid Centre; it generally closes between 4pm to 5pm as the ski lifts close at 4pm to allow the Piste Bashers to prepare the slopes for the following day. Down in the valley floor are smaller slopes including Stanzach, Holgau & Elbigenalp, they tend to be quiet and therefore great for beginners as plenty of space to practice. The resort of Hochkrumbach provides for beginners through to good intermediates, there is the nursery slope some ¼ mile long, and plenty of Blue and Red runs and some six or more Black runs in the area and plenty of off Piste. For the really experienced you could try hiking above the ski lifts to some higher slopes that have plenty of Off-Piste and attract the brave. Additionally there are Cross Country routes around Hochkrumbach as well as down in the valley. With the 4.5m Euro ski lift upgrade and new link to the Lech & Zürs this has provided a much greater expanse of on piste and off piste with long runs for the experienced to enjoy. The Wart/Schrocken area provides around 90km of piste runs and with the Lech & Zürs gondola link in place there is a further 300 +km of piste to access. The trip is run and organised by:- JEKA GROUP HOLIDAYS, Taunton Somerset. JEKA GROUP HOLIDAYS, also has an office in the Lechtal Valley in STANZACH, Austria.

4 ACCOMMODATION JEKA both own/lease & hire houses in various villages in the Lechtal Valley. We are pleased to announce JEKA have confirmed the booking of the Groeninghe House in the village of Stanzach for the 2015 trip. The Groeninghe House sleeps up to 70 people and as we will not take that many there will be space to spread ourselves a little. Eight of the rooms have both a shower and sink. A shower room is located on the ground floor with toilets on both ground and 1 st floors. There are small family rooms and larger group dorms, very much on the lines of past years in Elmen, Bach & Holzgau. The minimum number we require to secure this house is 44. All of the houses are usually in small villages down in the valley and we travel up the mountain to the resort of Wart & Hochkrumbach. (Groeninghe House images below)

5 DAY TIME Ski & Snowboard to your heart s content or sit and admire the view (Feb 2013) Above: - Top of Saloberjet at Hochkrumbach - Below:- The piste down into Wart

6 February 2014 Snow Angles NIGHT TIME Games at the house or evenings out swimming, bowling, ice skating, tobogganing, shooting, night skiing/boarding and sleigh ride, or pop to the local bar/hotel. February 2014 Knitter bar after night skiing - Elbigenalp

7 February 2014 Followed by Dice & other games after night skiing February 2014 and other group activities at Chalkies Place

8 Ski, Cross Country, Boarding and Non Skier s Costs Staff Association Member Outward Tunnel Supplement included Ski (downhill) Includes 5 ½ days tuition 538 Snowboard EXCLUDES Tuition 448 Discount for those not requiring Ski tuition (- 90) Discount for own boots, ski s/poles or board (- 48) No winter sports/ own daytime arrangements 400 Cross Country ski hire discount (- 15) Non-Staff Association Member Outward Tunnel Supplement included Ski (downhill) Includes 5 ½ days tuition 578 Snowboard EXCLUDES Tuition 488 Discount for those not requiring Ski tuition (- 90) Discount for own boots, ski s/poles or board (- 48) No winter sports/ own daytime arrangements 440 Cross Country ski hire discount (- 15) Note:- costs are whole party taking one sport either Ski or Board not Combined, alternative rates may apply dependant on numbers. (Currently low numbers of snowboarders may attract higher rates). Supplement Rates for flying from Stansted To be confirmed. I have been asked by a few people for the possibility of flying to and from Austria. As yet I cannot confirm it will happen but I am working towards same. Expect a further supplement charge of per adult. (Prices assume a party of 20 persons, and assume 35 baggage charge included) - Prices subject to confirmation. Non-Refundable Deposit of 80 per person is due by return. Remaining payments can be spread out monthly to December Full payment to be made before Christmas Lift Passes - Rates below are as experienced during the Feb 2014 trip and may vary by next year. A 6 day 3 Valley Super pass covers an extensive area including Lechtal & Wart/Hochkrumbach Approximately 201,00 adults; 177,00 youth (16-18 yrs.); 101,00 children (6-15yrs). (Block booked discounts possible: excludes local busses & Lech Valley passes). A Top-up daily fee of 20, 00 for adults allows the 3 valleys pass to be used in the Lech & Zürs region. Local village lift passes may be available for those who will not progress further than one village s lift system and cost much less and are free in some cases daily cost 23,00 for adults. Last year the adult 3 Valley Super pass cost 201, however we achieved a discount by block booking and paying in advance (those who advised us they wanted them) and paid 181,00 Euros each for adult passes. Tourist tax Everyone over 15yrs pays 1,50 per person per night, (rates correct at Feb 2014), payable on arrival. A list of participants is passed to the local JEKA representative and payment collected from us and taken to the local Toursimusverband.

9 DEPARTURE & TRAVEL Friday 13 th February 2015 We will not know the actual leaving time until ferry/tunnel crossings are booked and all the pickup point s en route are known and that will not be known until we have made the final payment to the operator in December. However past experience would suggest we would leave Norwich between 4pm to 6pm on the Friday but this is not guaranteed. It is possible to leave your vehicle at UEA while we are away, you would have to pay parking charges for the week and the vehicle would be left entirely at your own risk. We would advise your being dropped off or using public transport. TRAVEL TIME / Route The coach is operated by two drivers and takes between 18 hours to 21 hours (in normal conditions) to reach the house depending on the number of stops to pick up on route, the ferry/tunnel crossing times, the weather and the traffic. The drivers have said the quickest they have reached the house was just under 18 hours, the longest was 28 1/2 due to Dover port being closed for 7 hours due to high winds but this was unusual circumstances. The journey there & back is overnight in the main, we cross to France by ferry/tunnel late evening and so we travel through central Europe at night and sleep for a good section of the trip. The drivers aim to stop every 4 hours roughly for meals, toilets and a stretch and for them to swap drivers. (Meals en route to Austria are not included in the cost of the holiday). We watch films on route which help pass the time when not asleep. We travel from Calais through into Belgium onto Luxembourg into Germany and finally enter North West Austria usually via the E532 during the early afternoon on the Saturday. (Routes and times may change as not in SA control). Travel at Resort In the main the coach stays with the group taking us between the house and the resort of Hochkrumbach, this usually takes 55mins from Stanzach each way depending on the weather etc. Occasionally we must travel by local bus which is cheap and often free. We use our coach leaving the house around 8:00 latest to be on the slopes as the ski lifts open at 09:00. Some who do not wish to be up so early catch the local buses. Finally our drivers, by EU law, have to save their driving hours on the Friday for the return journey and so we use the local busses to Wart/Hochkrumbach or the slopes in the valley. Travel on return Having packed our bags on the Friday morning before we ski, we return from the resort by local bus late afternoon, we have a hot meal & collect our pack-up for the journey. We present gifts to the staff and clean our rooms, before getting on the bus during the evening & travel through the night reaching Calais around 6-7am (breakfast on the ferry) & back to Norwich by mid-afternoon. Seat belts Seat Belts must be worn at all times, as on the spot fines are issued by the local police to the driver and passengers not wearing belts. You have been warned!!

10 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM JEKA THE OPERATOR Essential Information Group Sizes Minimum group size required is 44 people. (We may be merged with another group where the minimum is not reached or moved to an alternative house). Insurance is not included as part of the ski package, however it is compulsory that every group member has full, comprehensive travel insurance. We will arrange a group insurance cover once the final numbers have been confirmed and paid. The cost is usually under 30 for those under 55 years of age with last year average being Expect premium increases for those with pre-existing conditions. Health Care Abroad As a regulation of A.B.T.A we are required to advise all clients to consult their doctors regarding any inoculations required for Austria. All group members should be in possession of a valid EHIC. For those without cards please consult the Department of Health s booklet leaflet Access to Healthcare Abroad. Health care is expensive without. A note from Peter/Sharon - (EHIC is the European Health Insurance Card more info is available on the NHS Website here: including how to apply for free) Passport Information Passports are required for Austria. It is the responsibility of every participant to ensure they comply fully with passport and visa regulations for Austria and also transit countries (France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany) Deep Vein Thrombosis Please be aware of the risk of DVT while undertaking long journeys by coach. Always go for a walk at stops, and Consult your doctor for further information. Luggage Luggage is restricted due to space, therefore ONLY ONE piece of baggage in the hold (suitcases or holdall). Overnight on the bus suggest bringing a pillow & a small day bag for snacks, drinks (DVD s as buses have players) we recommend travelling light bus stops every four hours or so for services, wear ski jacket and good soled boots as expect cold outside between bus & services. (Ski & boot bags not inc. in the one bag rule). Money Few cash machines in some villages but we recommend bringing some Euros with you for toilets 0.70 cents and Lift Passes to purchase on arrival), machines take most UK cards. Telephones/ WIFI There are no telephones in JEKA Houses, however most mobile networks work in the valley.

11 Sample Menu Evening of arrival: soup, bread, cheese spread, coffee, tea, biscuits. Day 1: - breakfast : Tyrolean bread, jam, chocolate spread, coffee, tea, - dinner : asparagus soup, potatoes, skewer, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, pudding - supper : Bread, bacon and egg coffee, tea, fruit. Day 2: - breakfast : Tyrolean bread, chocolate milk, cheese spread, jam, coffee, tea, - dinner : leek soup, potatoes, meat rolls, peas and carrots, dessert, - supper : bread, smoked meat, Gouda cheese, coffee, tea, biscuits. Day 3: - breakfast : Tyrolean bread, jam, egg, coffee, tea, - dinner : mushroom soup, potatoes, Flemish stew, applesauce, dessert - supper : bread, minced meatballs in tomato sauce, coffee, tea, fruit. Day 4: - breakfast : Tyrolean bread, jam, chocolate spread, coffee, tea, - dinner : spring soup, potatoes, green beans, sausage, pineapple, - supper : bread, cut liver sausage, cheese, coffee, tea, fruit. Day 5: - breakfast : Tyrolean bread, jam, honey, cheese spread, coffee, tea, - dinner : minestrone soup, rice, chicken fricassee, dessert, - supper : bread, hot dog, coffee, tea, yoghurt. Day 6: - breakfast : Tyrolean bread, jam, chocolate, coffee, tea, - dinner : noodles soup, potatoes, roast pork, peas and carrots, pudding. - supper : bread, cold dish: tomatoes, lettuce, egg, boiled ham, fish and coffee, tea, fruit. Day 7: - breakfast : Tyrolean bread, jam, chocolate spread, coffee, tea, - dinner : tomato soup, pasta, turkey fillet with supreme sauce, peaches. - supper : Tyrolean bread, spaghetti sauce Bolognese, coffee, tea. Day 8: - breakfast : Tyrolean bread, jam, cheese spread, coffee, tea, - dinner : pea soup, potatoes, green beans, escalope with ham and cheese, biscuits, - supper : bread, Dutch cheese, luncheon meat (sausage), coffee, tea. Remarks: - slight changes are possible, - every morning before 8 A.M., the baker brings the breads (in bars), except on Sundays and public holidays, - always jam and coffee at breakfast and supper.

12 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - When do we leave? - The trip to Austria leaves during the day on the Friday in the afternoon or early evening depending on the tunnel/ ferry crossing times, the two drivers take it in turn to drive through the night while we sleep, stopping off every 4 hours or so for toilets and always at a place to have a snack/meal and drink if required. - When do we arrive? - We arrive sometime Saturday afternoon and once off loaded at the house we head to the hire shop to be kitted out with boots, skis, poles and boards all of which are part of the base price (Helmets if required are supplied by JEKA for free). - - What are the sleeping arrangements? - The Groeninghe house has 13 rooms of various sizes mainly with bunk bed style dormitories, eight of the rooms have a shower and sink within them. Generally we put families together in one room or adjacent rooms and then remainder of rooms allocated pulled from a hat or grouped by age and gender. We have been on these trips many times and all muck in together and a quick way of getting to know one another. - What is the accommodation like generally? - It is pretty much muck in with everyone as we eat together and share common rooms of which there are 2 for evening games, reading, chatting or our last night party. We are usually looked after by 3-4 Belgian staff who prepare breakfast and put out food for packed lunches which you collect what you want and prep yourself to take with you to the slopes etc. On return each evening/ late afternoon there is usually about an hour to have a shower before we sit down to a hot meal, typically something to warm you (see Sample Menu) there is usually little for vegetarians but V food can be taken with you and if we ask they usually cook it for us. - What is there to do in the evening? - Depending on the weather we regularly have an evening activity to look forward to, tobogganing down a closed and frozen road, or tobogganing down a floodlit ski slope, air riffle shooting under a local fire station in a Shooting Gallery, ice skating on a frozen football pitch, horse drawn sleigh ride, 9 pin bowling, night skiing and a fantastic swimming complex. There is usually a bar adjacent or nearby to the house and excursions, so those wanting to opt for the bar and watch is not a problem. The cost of evening activities is not included in the package but the cost of the coach is normally covered by the operator. - What is the area like? - We stay in one of the villages down on the valley floor. In recent trips this has included staying in Elmen, Bach, Holzgau & Elbigenalp. The valley consists of small hamlets/villages dotted along the one road through the centre of the valley as it winds its way up to Warth and Schrocken.

13 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Continued - How do we reach the resort? - After breakfast we leave the house at 8:00am to drive up to the resort. En route we pass through the town of Wart which has a ski resort but we continue another 2-3 miles round the base of the mountain to Hochkrumbach near Schrocken. Here the resort has a restaurant, a separate bar, a private doctor, and a local bus stop. On occasions we have to catch the local buses to and from the resort. The buses are frequent at peak times and often free (NOT guaranteed free as driver dependant). - Are the facilities suitable for beginners? - As part of the package and depending on numbers we have 1-2 instructors (dedicated to our party) and we split people into groups of ability not age or families so beginners will all be together and a good way to get to know your group too. Lessons are usually 10 am to 12 noon and then 1pm to 3pm. You will tend to stay with your instructor as you progress or if someone picks it up easily they will be moved up to a better group. This year the beginners will learn in the village of Stanzach a short walk from the house. The area is quiet and less frequented than other resorts which in turn means the slopes are not crowded, one does not wait ages to get on to a lift. The resort is ideal for beginners and recommended by the JEKA UK Director and staff from the Bristol office, they having learnt to ski themselves at Stanzach. - Are there any Shops and Banks? - There are small minimarkets in many villages. A number of the villages have cash machines that take UK cards, and these include Elbigenalp, Bach & Holzgau. Do we ski every day? - You can ski all six days if you wish and many people do, however a midweek trip or change of activity is often scheduled but only confirmed nearer to the departure date. Past trips have included an afternoon swimming in Reutte pool complex followed by night skiing after supper. - What is the weather like? - The weather plays a large part of what we are able to do, 2010 we had blue skies and minus 12 at 10 am rising to minus 6 by 4pm, and one day of overcast cloud with snow but still able to ski was much warmer and little snow when we arrived but two foot of snow fell the Sunday and Monday which was not too heavy and we were able to ski but created such great snow and the sky was clear the rest of the week the snow was deep on arrival with minus 17 at 9am and I think minus 20 one morning rising to minus 12 by the afternoon, we had one really heavy downfall during the day and unable to ski and a heavy downfall overnight and could not get out of the village till the snowploughs had cleared a route, so plenty of skiing we had great snow on arrival with two nights of flurries and really only ½ day of overcast cloud with sunshine most other times, this weather combination made for one of the best trips to date we skied every day with perhaps a half day overcast otherwise it was sunny every day. Many of the slopes in Lech are on south facing slopes making for great visibility. Although in places the snow was thin due to a warm season but overall another great week skiing was had possibly topping In summary overall the last 5 trips we have lost a total of only 1 ½ days skiing due to poor weather.

14 What to take with you Evening Activity Costs Most cost 3:50 Euros each and are optional, we hope to book from the following :- swimming 7:00 Euros each for two hours, tobogganing, 9 pin bowling, horse drawn sleigh ride, night skiing, ice skating, shooting, so usually ski wear and swimming kit required. Accommodation Style Accommodation in the Groeninghe House includes a few small family rooms and then some larger 6, 8, 10 & 12 person dormitories, 8 of the 13 rooms have a shower and a sink with further showers, sinks and toilets in blocks on both floors. Beds are bunk beds and you will need to bring sheets pillows and duvet or as most do, bring a pillow and a sleeping bag. Bring your own essential toiletries, towels, first aid kits etc. too. Then house holds more beds than the coach has seats hence there will be spare beds in most of the larger rooms, the rooms should not be full provided we have enough people on the trip to retain this house, else we will be moved to a smaller house in the same village. Kit List and What to Bring The list is what we recommend having been on many such trips, most of the time you are in your ski wear outside either skiing or out to evening events. Kit List:- Bed linen, Pillow/s, pillow cases, sheets, duvet or sleeping bag (use pillow for sleeping on the coach) Towels, Personal medical kit, Passport, EHIC card, Toiletries, Warm waterproof coat/ski jacket, Cotton polo neck/ layers, Salopettes/ski trousers, Padded & Lined ski gloves x 2, Hat, Scarf/neck warmer, Thermals (body & legs), Ski socks at least 2 pairs, Footwear for snow and ice outdoors & bus, Slippers or trainers for inside the house, Sunglasses and goggles (orange tint goggles being the recommended wear), High factor sun cream, Lip salve, Tissues, Cereal/snack bars to eat on the mountain, Emergency rations, Camera, Torch, Swim wear, Night wear, Underwear, Waterproof day sack, small rucksack while skiing, water bottle, Casual indoor wear for evenings & travel x 2, travel/sea sickness remedies if return crossing is not calm. Food for Vegetarians Food is simple but wholesome (see Sample Menu) there is no catering as such for vegetarians, so bring bits and favourites like squash etc. There is a supermarket in most villages so it is possible to add variety. Food on the piste is good and Germanic / Austrian in style such as goulash and apple dumplings etc. Should you wish to bring your own vegetarian food we can ask the kitchen staff to prepare it for you.

15 Tips This section is new and created in March 2014 for the first time and will be expanded as new tips thought worthy are added. Purchase something in Euros before using a European toilet!! Many toilets in Europe charge a small fee to use them. Please note that some toilets pay machines issues a token to spend in the shops. However YOU WILL REQUIRE EURO CHANGE IN CENTS TO USE THE TOILETS in the first place. Kit Hire Identification Those hiring boots, skis etc. it is necessary to remember your boot and ski reference numbers to ensure you pick up the right ones from the drying room and coach hold each morning. Last year a number of people used a small piece of gaffer tape on each piece of kit and wrote on their names on same. Kit List Kit list is a guide only, however please be aware there is only room for one large suitcase or holdall per person in the coach hold (excludes Ski, Board & Boots bags for those that have them). A small rucksack or carrier bag is recommended for inside the coach for snacks, books etc. to entertain you on the journey. Child friendly DVD s are also acceptable as the coach has two DVD screens for all to see.

16 Information Required - Please complete and return the attached form Please provide details of each group member name, address, date of birth, shoe size and ski level and emergency contact details for during the trip... Your Name:... Your Address:... Your ... Your mobile Telephone no. you will use in Austria.. Date of Birth:.../.../... Staff Assoc. Number... Skiing OR Cross Country OR Snowboarding... Ski / Cross Country / Board Lessons for skiing?:...yes / No... Hire of Boards, Skis, Poles & Boots?:...Yes / No... Bringing own snowboard or skis:...yes / No... Taking out insurance with main group?:...yes / No will provide own insurance. Shoe size if hiring skis and boots?...yes / No... Level of ski / board ability: Beginner Intermediate Confident intermediate Emergency UK contact during trip: Name of UK Contact:... Address: Emergency Contact Tel. Number:... Please send Cheques made payable to UEA Staff Association and send to:- Peter Bilverstone, Estates Division, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ. Please ask for details if wishing to pay by electronic payment transfer. Please note: - Itinerary arrangements and prices are given in good faith and may be subject to change without our control. UEA Staff Association 23 rd March 2014