Go to Europe and go skiing in the winter.

Text and photos:Minh Trang

From the Netherlands, my wife and I were eagerly awaiting our vacation to travel to Austria for skiing. Austria seemed far away, but after just over 10 hours of driving, we were able to admire the long mountain ranges covered in pristine white snow and the lush green pine forests still glistening with snowflakes like soap bubbles. The roads were no longer straight like in the lowlands of the Netherlands, but winding and curving as if dancing with nature.

Our destination was a village in northern Austria, about a two-hour drive from the southern German border. It was Altaussee, nestled at the foot of Mount Loser, where we would experience snow sports. We chose this place because it was small, cozy, and had few foreign tourists, making it ideal for us to experience strength sports and explore the local culture.

Learning... and playing also requires a lot of effort.

This is my third trip to Austria, all for skiing. The first was two years ago, when I took my first steps on the skis with two and a half days of lessons from a local instructor. On the morning of the first lesson, I struggled with the two skis under my feet. I'm naturally prone to losing my balance, so maintaining it while practicing was even harder. The first lesson was learning how to attach the skis to my feet. The local instructor didn't speak English. I didn't know German, but I overheard many words that sounded like Dutch, so I managed to understand a few things.

My skiing group consisted of three Dutch people who were family members of my husband's, two British people, and I was the only Vietnamese. Most of the Dutch people knew German and were fluent in English, so the two British friends had the opportunity to rely on me as an interpreter whenever the instructor got carried away with explaining things.

On the first day, we mainly practiced balancing and controlling the skateboards correctly and safely at the practice area for... children. To reach the top of this children's slope, we just needed to hold on tightly to a rope and be pulled up. When we reached the top, we had to skillfully and confidently release the rope and slide a short distance to the assembly point to take turns sliding down according to the coach's instructions.

On the second day, when everyone was confident enough to steer and win, the instructor led us to a higher slope for more practice space. To reach the top of this slope, you had to buy a key card to access the gate where an elevator pulled us up. The elevator to this practice area cost 25 Euros a day. (You can also pay by the hour if you don't want to ski in one place for too long.) It consists of iron shafts with a long, elastic rope attached to a pulley system that runs continuously, and a flat, round piece of iron at the other end that you grip between your legs to be pulled up the slope. With this type of elevator, your feet remain on the ground and you slide up the slope using the elevator's pulling force.

When you reach the top of the slope, you just need to skillfully and confidently pull the metal pole out from between your legs and release it, sliding to one side so as not to disturb the person behind you. Even so, I fell dozens of times that day because I lost my balance. Falling on the snow is very comfortable, but if the skis come off your boots, it's a real struggle to put them back on.

Enjoy the scenic mountain views while speeding along the road.

On the third day, the whole group cheered excitedly when the coach said that our group was learning very quickly and well, so he would take us up the mountain. To get up the mountain, we had to walk...cared for the elderly(Elevator with seats). Price forcared for the elderlyIt costs 35 euros a day for adults. It took us 15 minutes to get to the bus stop.cared for the elderlyHere. The instructor guided us towards the green ski slope. The slope was actually a normal snow-covered road that the ski resort management had leveled specifically for skiing; cars were no longer allowed on it. The feeling of sliding down the chairlift to the top of the slope, preparing to descend, was indescribable: to your right was a white cliff, to your left a white mountainside; glimpses of villages nestled beside a large, frozen lake peeked through the pine forest.

Which level do you want to try: the blue, red, or black slide?

Ski resorts are divided into many slopes with varying levels of difficulty to ensure skier safety. Some ski resorts have all kinds of slopes, while others only have slopes of medium to high difficulty, like the Loser Mountain ski resort where we often go. The place I skied, apart from the children's area where we practiced on our first day, only had green, red, and black slopes.

The green course is the least steep, ideal for beginners. In my first year, I only dared to use the green course and really enjoyed the slope along the mountainside because I could leisurely enjoy the view of the mountains, hills, and villages below while sliding. The red course is more difficult, requiring more confidence and skill to slow down when necessary to avoid hurtling straight down the steep slope, which is very dangerous.

In my second year of skiing, I started on the green trail, then tried the red trail on the second day and was immediately captivated by its challenge. The feeling of standing on the slope and looking down at the almost vertical mountainside often made me shudder and feel discouraged, but I encouraged myself that I could do it. It was like a battle of wits, overcoming myself. Those who were skilled at this trail looked amazing. They seemed to stand still, leaning from side to side, gliding effortlessly down the snow with the wind. As for me, I was trembling while skiing, so I just slid slowly and steadily from one side of the slope to the other, gradually descending the mountain. And yet, reaching the bottom felt like conquering something, something to be very proud of.

The black slide is, needless to say, the most difficult one. To get onto this slide, you have to sit on it again.cared for the elderlyascend to the mountaintop. The time taken from the foot of the mountain to the summit is equal tocared for the elderlyIt took 30 minutes here. For experienced skiers, it probably only takes about 15 minutes to ski from the top to the bottom, but for me, it took three times longer than going up. Because there are red and green slopes down from the top, we didn't ski straight down to the bottom but only halfway down to where the station is located.cared for the elderlyThen you go up, slide down a few times, and then slide down the mountain to have lunch or go straight back for convenience. I haven't dared to slide on the black track yet, but maybe next time I'll try it. Safety comes first, so if you don't feel confident, you shouldn't do it, because this sport requires extreme confidence. With confidence, you can do it.

Enjoy the European winter

Our vacation was a week long, but we didn't ski for the whole week. We usually skied for three or four consecutive days, or spaced out depending on the weather. If we knew it was going to snow heavily and be cloudy, we wouldn't go skiing but would drive to a nearby city to sightsee, shop, and enjoy quality family time together.

Instead of staying in a hotel, we rented an entire house so we could cook our own meals and enjoy a more comfortable family life. This type of family-run accommodation is very popular here when traveling with family, especially for large families like ours, with seven members in total. Rental prices vary depending on the time and location, ranging from 1,000 euros a week, like the house we rented in a small village, to several thousand euros a week if it's right in a ski area. Perhaps that's why skiing during winter holidays is considered an aristocratic sport, due to the high cost of accommodation and transportation.cared for the elderlyI heard there are many student-friendly ski resorts in France with more affordable prices, but my family preferred a quieter place, so we chose Austria as our destination.

Winter is bitterly cold but beautiful when it snows. Some call skiing an extreme sport. Others call it a noble sport. Still others say skiing is very dangerous. But I see skiing as a community sport; it connects friends and brings family members together. Perhaps it's because skiing isn't just about sliding down a mountain on a snowboard, but also about spending quality time together as a family, preparing breakfast, going on excursions, cooking dinner, or gathering in a cozy local restaurant.

Additional information:

- You don't need to buy your own skates or skateboard because you can rent them at the skating rink for about 12 Euros a day.

- When skiing, you should bring a helmet and sunglasses. You can rent ski helmets for about 4 Euros a day.

- Pricecared for the elderlyThe price varies depending on the total time you wish to use. The price for the whole day is 35 Euros.

- Ski lessons cost varies depending on whether you take group or private lessons. That time I had to pay 30 euros an hour. You can stop learning at any time. This price does not include tuition fees.cared for the elderly.

Altaussee, a ski resort, is a small village on the lake of the same name in the Styria region of Austria, with a population of over 1,800. The village is also one of the cradles of salt mining in Austria. Visitors from all over the world, whether in winter or summer, cannot miss tours of the Salzwelten Altausee salt mines, one of the oldest salt mines in Austria.

Despite its small size, the village has around 23 restaurants and 2 ski schools. Although there are only 3 hotels, most visitors who come here in winter usually rent holiday homes from locals or in the ski area.

The village of Altaussee is located 92 km from the nearest airport in Salzburg. If staying in the village, visitors can use the free shuttle bus 955 to the Loser mountain ski area, which runs three times a day (two morning and one afternoon). Although the locals are very friendly, few people speak English. German is arguably the only language spoken here.

Altausee village is a peaceful place, ideal for relaxing walks. In the cold winter, when the lake freezes over, the lakebed becomes a delightful spot for a leisurely stroll each early morning before heading out for skiing.

+ Addresses you should contact to prepare information for your skiing trip:

Tourist Office Altaussee
Tel: 0043 - 3622 - 71643

government:www.ausseerland.at

The Thanh