When you think of Austria, the mountains and the good food are probably among the first things that spontaneously come to mind. For us at VERIVAL, the mountains play a very special role. Our production and headquarters are located in the middle of Tyrol and the Tyrolean Alps. The mountains are therefore very close to the hearts of our company, as they are to many Austrians.
Austria, with its mountain scenery, hiking opportunities in summer and beautiful ski resorts in winter, is also a popular travel and holiday destination for tourists from all over the world. As a result, countless different alpine sports have developed – some for hundreds of years, others for just over a decade. In this blog post, we will introduce you to our six favourite mountain sports.
Organic breakfast from Tyrol by Verival
1. Alpine skiing
A classic among alpine sports and probably the sport that, along with football, every Austrian has tried at least once. Some keep trying until they win the Alpine Skiing World Cup eight times in a row (see Marcel Hirscher) – others just want to make it up the mountain and back down safely.
The beauty of skiing is that, basically, it's not hard to master ski slopes. However, becoming really good at it is a comprehensive task that can take years. But regardless of skill level and enthusiasm, the best thing about skiing is the absolutely unbeatable view from the summit. The feeling of freedom when you stand at the summit is something that is hard to replicate. The wind and the mountains all around make you realise how small you actually are and let you feel that this world is something special. If you then make it down to the valley in one piece, it's great fun.
2. Ski touring
There are actually not that many differences between skiing and ski touring. The arduous part about ski touring is that you are not carried to the top by a lift, but that you have to take yourself to the summit. At this point, many ski tourers would probably claim that it is only a real experience this way. That's fair enough, but one thing is certain: if you have to go up a mountain on skis, it's bound to be a lot more strenuous than just taking a lift up.
In this sense, you feel more rewarded when you make it to the top. The feeling of dragging yourself up a mountain is associated with extreme freedom – ideally away from the normal ski slopes, where you can enjoy peace and quiet and a relaxed summit snack. 😉
3. Hiking
The trend sport among all mountain sports. Everyone is talking about it and everyone loves it. The reason for this is very simple and obvious: in theory, anyone can go hiking. You don't need any special equipment or previous experience to hike up a mountain. However, it is still an advantage to have sturdy shoes and an average level of fitness.
In most cases, you also need time, because if you want to climb mountains, you have to be patient. These are not 10-minute workouts. Hiking is likely to be so popular across all generations because it simply clears your mind. It's just the right mix of strenuous and not so strenuous – and where better to reflect on life than in forests and mountains.
4. climbing (any form!)
Climbing is a bit different from hiking. Some prior experience is necessary here, because if you don't take the right safety precautions, the risk of an accident is simply higher. But if you are experienced and pay attention, you minimise the risk of an accident. Climbing is probably the sport where you get to know yourself best. Where are my limits? How high can I go? But it's not just these questions that you answer by yourself. Climbing is also always a game of trust with your climbing partner.
From a health perspective, climbing is the sport that activates and strains the most muscles. When climbing, you simply need almost all the muscles you have available. Anyone who has ever climbed knows how much the whole body has to struggle with the muscle soreness the next day. The ‘little’ brother of climbing is bouldering. You can now do bouldering not only in the hall – specially created mountain bouldering routes make it possible to do bouldering directly on the mountain. You don't need ropes and harnesses here, because bouldering is not necessarily about the height you reach. But the same applies here: sore muscles are inevitable!
5. Mountain running / trail running
This form of mountain sports is probably one of the most exhausting and intense. For many people, running itself is already problematic – imagine running up a mountain. For many, trail running is the ultimate endurance test. There are mountain running competitions that cover 50 kilometres or more, with a total running time of 24 hours. It's hard to imagine, but it's true!
6. Honorable Mentions: Downhill Mountain Biking and Canyoning
We mention these two mountain sports, although in theory you don't necessarily have to go up a mountain for either. In Austria, however, you can do both sports in the mountains. Admittedly, these are also somewhat ‘more extreme’ types of alpine sports. Canyoning combines many forms of physical activity. You climb, swim, climb up and down and jump off cliffs.
Ideally, this should be done as part of a guided tour – it is often not that easy to find routes. There are different approaches to downhill or downhill mountain biking. In Austria, there are now a number of different parks that you can visit for an entrance fee. There you will find a number of different trails that are suitable for your ability. The other option would be the ‘free’ trails, so to speak. These are usually not perfect trails, but they are more adventurous. 😉
Energising sports breakfast from Verival
But what all these sports have in common is that you need a good shot of energy to do them. At Verival, we have been thinking a lot about what the perfect sports breakfast looks like. As a result, we have developed our own sports range, which can serve as the ideal basis for your energising power breakfast. Just click through!
Do you already know your BMI?
With Verival you can now calculate your BMI quickly and easily. Use our BMI calculator. It doesn't matter whether you want to lose weight, just do something for your health or are in the middle of a muscle-building workout. The body mass index is often the first measurement that shows you whether you have your body weight under control.
Here you can calculate your BMI (body mass index) in a few seconds and learn more about what this value means.
