Ski Club of Manchester Mayrhofen Holiday January 2026

Reporters: Michael Corbishley and Gavin Murphy

First Tracks, New Faces & Alpine Adventures

Welcome to Mayrhofen

49 members of the Ski Club of Manchester headed to the stunning Austrian resort of Mayrhofen. For both Gavin and myself, this marked our first trip with the club — an experience that exceeded expectations both on and off the slopes.

I joined the trip as a snowboarder, while Gavin skied, making this a great opportunity to experience the resort from two snow sport perspectives.

Where We Stayed

Strass Sports Hotel

The group stayed at the well-located Strass Sports Hotel, offering the perfect base for a week in the mountains.

Highlights included:

• Comfortable rooms with alpine views.
• Excellent food and social spaces.
• Superb Spa facilities inclusive of swimming pool, steam room and sauna.
• Table tennis and 2 full size squash courts which we didn’t know about until an hour before left for home.
• Easy access to the Penkenbahn and Ahornbahn lifts and buses directly outside for services to Hintertux.
• Friendly, knowledgeable hotel staff.
• The hotel played a big role in bringing the group together each evening, creating a relaxed and sociable atmosphere.

The Ski Area at a Glance

Mayrhofen offers a diverse and well-connected ski area, suitable for all abilities.

Mountain Areas

• Penken: Challenging red and black runs, ideal for confident skiers and boarders.
• Ahorn: Wider, gentler slopes — great for cruising and progression – with a fantastic blue switch back route which I personally loved.
• Hintertux Glacier: Snow-sure conditions and high-altitude riding.

Lift & Resort Facilities

• Modern, efficient lift system.
• Minimal queues even at busy times.
• Excellent slope signage and grooming.
• Easy town-to-slope access.

Snowboarding in Mayrhofen

As the only snowboarder on this trip, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of terrain available. Long cruisy runs, steeper sections, and open areas made for enjoyable riding throughout the week.

That said, this trip highlighted a great opportunity for the club…

With the right encouragement, future trips could attract many more snowboarders to the club.

Club Spirit & Welcome

One of the strongest positives of the trip was the warm welcome from club members. Despite being first-timers, both Gavin and I felt included from day one.

Advice freely shared on the best runs and how to navigate to particular areas.

Easy conversation at dinners and socials.

A great mix of experience levels.

Reassurance and encouragement to join groups on the slopes.

One of the great outcomes from the trip was the appreciation shown in trying to understand the difficulties and differences both snowboarders and skiers experience when on the slopes. There was real appreciation when explaining the reduction in visibility a snowboarder experiences on their ‘blind side’ to fellow members.

It was also noted that most of the ‘helping hands’ provided on the slopes was from snowboarders — we’re a friendly bunch really!!

Looking Ahead

Suggestions for future trips:

From a snowboarding perspective, it would have been great to have a couple more snowboarders on the trip and could be a great way to diversify membership in the future.

Continue fostering the inclusive, social atmosphere that made this trip so enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

The Mayrhofen trip was an outstanding introduction to travelling with the Ski Club of Manchester. From fantastic skiing and boarding to great accommodation and even better company, it delivered on every level.

We’re already looking forward to the next adventure — and hopefully seeing a few more snowboarders in the group next time?.