Skiing, tobogganing and cross-country skiing on Rangger Köpfl

Sport is simply part of the Tyrolean concept for winter! The Oberperfuss cable cars in the Rangger Köpfl ski area show what a small ski area can get out of a single mountain.

A mountain for families: the Rangger Köpfl

The Rangger Köpfl is hard to confuse. A long piste winds its way up through the forest to its round, bare summit. The contrast with the sharp silhouette of the Rosskogel next to it makes the mountain look even softer. Manuel Hujara, Managing Director of Bergbahnen Oberperfuss, paints a very fitting picture of the ski area: "It's a family and beginners' mountain, and there were even a lot of families here on the opening weekend."

As a small ski area that is not only popular with the little ones, they have learned to make the most of the available resources. Around 30 people work more or less around the clock to keep things running smoothly. "There's no stopping and starting," says Hujara, explaining the usual rhythm, or rather lack of it.

At eight o'clock in the morning, the employees swarm out to their posts, final checks are carried out before operations begin with the guests at nine o'clock. When the last people have left the slopes at 4 p.m. - or even a little later - there are more check rides. If there really is no one left, the two snow groomers get to work and restore the slope, which has been rutted by ski edges, to its original even state. This goes on until around midnight - weather permitting. In heavy snowfall, the work of the snow groomers would be in vain. Then they have to wait and put in an early shift from three o'clock.

Freshly groomed snow must first settle and harden in the cold night air to create a slope with good grip the next day. The fine grooves that the snow groomers leave in the surface also help with this. They mean more surface area for the cold to attack - and also a more pleasant feeling on skis.

Not only do the twelve kilometers of slopes have to be groomed, but also nine kilometers of toboggan run and five kilometers of cross-country ski trail. "That's quite a wide range for a single mountain," says Hujara with satisfaction. A lot also had to be done to improve the offer; a new ski area was practically built in the upper section. The old tugboat to the summit had become obsolete and was replaced by a chairlift-gondola combination. A new section of the toboggan run and a panoramic cross-country ski trail were also added in this area. But that wasn't all in terms of new infrastructure, as the cable network was also replaced and fiber optic cables, aka internet and ducts, were pulled all the way to the top. Please note: A mountain lift requires much more than just enough snow!

The construction projects were only approved by the highest cable car authority days before the start of the winter season, which in turn began just five weeks after the end of summer operations. No stopping and no starting, that applies to years as well as days. "We are a year-round mountain. Revision happens between winter and spring, the winter has to be cleared away and the trails made ready for summer operation," says Hujara.

As a small ski area, Rangger Köpfl has to keep a close eye on its resources, as even the water reservoir for snowmaking is not particularly large. But: they know how to help themselves. Extra snow depots for the toboggan run made it possible to keep it open for a comparatively long time last winter. The cross-country ski trail and toboggan run are groomed by a local, external company that can cover everything in one long, elegant loop. Highly technological snow management systems are covered with experience by a resource that cannot be bought in.

Despite all the enthusiasm for the successful start to the season in "imperial weather", there are always challenges, according to Hujara. It starts with the special features of the usual processes, such as night-time operation two days a week. Grooming can only take place later on the affected sections of the slopes, which therefore have less time to cool down and harden for the next day.
Then, of course, there is the weather, which every outdoor operation has to contend with. When the new course was built, it was carefully considered how it could best withstand the wind. This means that the lift can withstand the gusts, even if it might be a little uncomfortable for skiers on the piste.

Hujara explains: "We live with nature, not against it. We have to adapt to that." He has observed that some groups of guests are much less impressed by the weather than others. Tobogganing enthusiasts, for example, are more likely to give snowfall and wind the cold shoulder than those who are out and about on the slopes. Several target groups come together at Rangger Köpfl: Ski and snowboard enthusiasts, tobogganers, ski touring fans, cross-country skiers and people exploring the winter hiking trails. According to Hujara, the surprisingly peaceful coexistence makes the spatial separation of interest groups possible - even on the small Rangger Köpfl, there is enough space for everyone with a little skill.

Information about the Oberperfuss -Rangger Köpfl cable cars such as operating times, pistes, toboggan run, new high-altitude trail and refreshment stops can be found on this website.