8 Day Ski Tour and Yoga Retreat at the Foot of Austria's Highest Mountain in Kals
Ski Tour and Yoga Holiday in the Stunning Austrian Alps
Join MoaAlm Mountain Retreat at MoaAlm for an unforgettable ski touring specialist week from March 7 to 14! This week will focus on the basics of ski touring, with four days of guided tours and instruction. Limited to just six participants, secure your spot now for this tailored alpine adventure!
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- 4 days of guided ski touring, free-riding, and avalanche rescue training
- 5 morning or afternoon yoga sessions
- Use of avalanche safety gear on the guided tours
- Use of snowshoes and poles
- Group transfers to / from the tour start points included
- Group transfers from Lienz or Huben in Osttirol on Saturdays
- 7 nights accommodation at MoaAlm
- Daily breakfast and three-course dinners with wine or beer, and tea with cake
Skill level
- Intermediate
Yoga styles
Salzburg Airport (US$ 84 per person)
Accommodation
Facilities
- Hot tub / Jacuzzi
- Bar
- Dining area
- Lounge
- Terrace
- Yoga studio
Nestled within the Alps of East Tirol, MoaAlm is a stylishly renovated guest house for a maximum of 14 guests. MoaAlm Mountain Retreat has six comfortable single, double, twin, or triple rooms, all with ensuite bathrooms and stunning views.
The rooms are stylishly decorated and spacious, and some have balconies and mountain views. South facing rooms have balconies and views of the surrounding mountains. All rooms can be made up with a double or two single beds. Two of the bedrooms can also be available as triple rooms, which are ideal for solo travelers.
After an active day in the outdoors, you can enjoy the astonishing view from the sunny terrace or relax in the living room, enjoy a drink at the bar, curl up on the sofa with a book, or enjoy a plant-based meal at the shared dining table.
The in-house yoga studio has a panoramic mountain view and is the perfect place for an active start of the day, with some energizing yoga or a relaxing session of Restorative yoga in the afternoon. In the morning, the sunrise fills the room with energy while the late afternoon turns the mountains pink.
MoaAlm Mountain Retreat, the remote home for your Austrian holiday, stands proud at 1,800 meters within the Hohe Tauern National Park. Situated just three kilometers above the small community of Kals am Grossglockner, a farming community with a strong mountaineering tradition.
After an active day in the outdoors, t also have a wood burning hot tub to relax in and savor even more of the fresh Alpine air, before enjoying dinner at the communal oak dining table. Please make yourself at home: relax, enjoy a drink at the bar, curl up on the sofa with a book, enjoy a meal with your new friends, and immerse yourself in the beauty of MoaAlm Mountain Retreat.
Heating system
MoaAlm's boiler system for the central heating is extremely efficient, using only sustainable wooden pellets as fuel and producing very little waste. The thickly insulated walls, newly installed loft, and triple-glazed windows in the house will ensure that you won’t even need the radiators on all the time during the winter months to stay warm!
MoaAlm encourages guests to be conscious about how they use the lighting and heating in their rooms: turning off lights and keeping doors and windows closed when heading out for daily adventures.
Solar panels
The hot water is heated primarily by MoaAlm's solar panels. Only when there are a lot of consecutive cloudy or rainy days do they need to rely on the boiler system as a back up.
MoaAlm is south facing and they are at 1,800 meters, so they not only get plenty of sunlight in the summer months, but they're also able to utilize the winter sun (as long as they keep removing the snow from the solar panels!).
Hot tub
There's nothing better than having a relaxing soak in the hot tub, especially as MoaAlm avoids the use of chlorine and other chemicals. They keep it clean through a natural salt cleaning system, using Epsom salts and Dead Sea salt which are full of magnesium, which is especially beneficial for tired legs after a long day of hiking in the Austrian Alps.
The hot tub is wood fired, so it is only heated by burning sustainable firewood that they source from one of the farmers in the local village.
Suppliers
The growing season is very short up there at MoaAlm as they are at 1800 meters, but they manage to grow a bountiful garden of fresh herbs, chard, and lettuce. They also have lots of fresh mint in the summer to supplement their tea obsession.
They cook with organic and locally-sourced food as much as possible. Likewise, they try to get all their other supplies from nearby, independent businesses in the village of Kals. MoaAlm is committed to constantly looking at ways to address their carbon footprint and they are a plant based business.
Water supply
MoaAlm has their own water supply that comes to them directly from a natural spring from the mountain side. This means that they don’t have to worry about transporting water up to MoaAlm through a pump system. It tastes incredible as it comes directly from Grossglockner Glacier and is filtered by nature! Their guests often say that it’s the purest water that they have ever tasted.
Waste management
MoaAlm is lucky that there's a fantastic recycling service provided by the local community. They make the most of this service to reduce the amount of landfill that they produce. They limit their use of single-use plastics on a day-to-day basis, using glass jars and buying ingredients and natural cleaning products in bulk.
Upstairs in the guest living area, they provide a mini recycling station, and they have this in every main area of the house to streamline the recycling. They also have a large composting system for food waste, but in general, not much food goes to waste around there - it’s too tasty!
Program
Led by a certified mountain guide, you'll learn essential techniques and safety skills as you explore the breathtaking backcountry of Austria’s highest mountain. From avalanche rescue training to free-riding techniques, each day will offer something new and exciting.
This will be combined with the unique MoaAlm experience: unwind with daily yoga classes, savor delicious plant-based cuisine, and soak in the soothing hot tub as you gaze at the majestic alpine views.
Required level of fitness and experience
This week is ideal for confident skiers with some touring and off-piste experience. You'll need to be comfortable on black runs and with a variety of snow conditions and terrain. A good fitness level is required to handle six hours of exercise and 700 to 1,200 vertical meters in a day.
Equipment
Touring skis, boots, skins, and ski crampons can be rented at the local sport shop in the village. MoaAlm will help you to get you set up with everything you need on Sunday. Avalanche safety gear (transceiver, shovel, and probe) can be provided by the mountain guide on request. They will also send a detailed packing list after booking.
Itinerary
Saturday
Arrive and settle in with a welcome drink and a three-course dinner. Meet your fellow adventurers and discuss the week ahead.
Sunday
Start with a morning yoga class, followed by a delicious breakfast. They will then accompany you to the village to get you set up with your ski touring equipment rental. From the local sports shop, you can skin up to the quiet GG Resort to warm-up. Back at MoaAlm, you can enjoy the sunny terrace and a relaxing hot tub soak.
Monday
You'll be looking for an early start! After breakfast, MoaAlm will give you a lift down to meet your English-speaking mountain guide. An avalanche rescue training will be part of your first guided ski tour. On the descent, you enjoy some nice powder turns! In the afternoon, there will be a Restorative yoga session at MoaAlm.
Tuesday
You will have the chance to improve your free-riding skills. At the ski resort, you will work on your technique, first under easier conditions on the slope, followed by the transfer to off-piste terrain. You will also learn how to ski in deep snow with less effort and even more fun! These will be topped off with freshly-baked cake, a hot tub session, and dinner at the house.
Wednesday
After a soothing yoga session and breakfast, enjoy a day off. You could take a day trip to Lienz, do some ski practice on your own, try your hand at rodeling down the three-kilometer sledge track, or just relax and recharge your batteries at MoaAlm! Dinner will be at one of the restaurants in the village.
Thursday and Friday
Dive into two full days of ski touring. Depending on weather and snow conditions, the mountain guide will plan the tours each evening. Examples for tours you might be doing include Glorerhütte, Greiwiesen, Figerhorn, Stüdlhütte, Weißer Knoten, Schönleitenspitze, Hochtor, Böses Weibl. Then, you'll have Après-ski drinks, a last muscle soak in the hot tub, and a final evening meal with your new friends.
Saturday
- Departure after breakfast
The program may vary depending on the weather and snow conditions.
Included excursions
- 1 accompanied day in the ski resort
- 4 days of guided ski touring, free-riding and avalanche rescue training with a certified mountain guide
Instructors
Craig Wear
Craig is not generally the main yoga teacher but he does offer a daily inversion class and as the owner he will always be part of the team.
Sophie von Zezschwitz
Sophie began practicing yoga 15 years ago. Yoga became then an integral part of her life, to find a better balance. She never found so much strength and inner peace as on her yoga mat and is happy to be able to give this back in her classes. In 2019 she completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Spirit Yoga in Berlin and is about to complete her advanced 500-hour training. Her teaching is influenced by Vinyasa Flow, very precise and always connecting power and relaxation.
Retreat location
Your home away from home will be MoaAlm Mountain Retreat in Kals am Grossglockner, Austria. The MoaAlm Mountain Retreat has a secluded location at 1,800 meters above sea level, just three kilometers above the farming community of Kals am Grossglockner in the middle of Hohe Tauern National Park.
Because MoaAlm’s three-kilometer driveway serves as the local tobogganing track in winter, normal cars cannot drive up and down to MoaAlm. If you will be traveling by car, you can park your car at the parking lot down at the bottom of the driveway and MoaAlm will pick you up with the jeep.
Kals
Being one of the most snow-sure regions of the Alps, Kals is a perfect place to ski and snowboard. The GG-resort offers 40 kilometers of pistes that are suitable for skiers of all ages and with all levels of experience. There are no waiting lines for the lifts and the many restaurants on the slopes serve local specialties.
Distances
- Huben - 20 minutes
- Lienz - 30 minutes
- Salzburg Airport (SZG), 167 kilometers
- Innsbruck Airport (INN), 189 kilometers
- Klagenfurt Airport (KLU), 186 kilometers
Unique features
Activities
- Hiking
- Hot tub / Jacuzzi
- Mountain walking
- Skiing
- Table tennis
General
- Balcony
- Bar
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Garden
- Lounge
- Special menu request
- Terrace
This Yoga Retreat is vegetarian-friendly
Click to see more vegetarian-friendly Yoga Retreats
Food
At MoaAlm, the emphasis is on mountain adventure, sustainability, and a healthy lifestyle. All meals are plant based and freshly prepared from organic and regional ingredients. The chefs create excellent, seasonal three-course menus each night and are happy to cater for special diets.
After an active day in the outdoors, you can warm up with a cup of tea and enjoy some homemade vegan cake. The nutritious breakfast includes all vegan alternatives as well as locally sourced eggs, milk, and cheese.
Food shared around a large dining table always taste best when you are all chatting about the day's adventure and planning the next day of your holiday!
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Soda
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Lacto-ovo Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Organic
- Lactose Free
- Whole food
Things to do (optional)
- Private ski lessons
- Ice climbing
- Mountaineering
- Guided snowshoe hikes
- Sauna and swimming pool in Lienz (optional, extra fee)
- Massages and beauty treatments available in nearby hotel spas (optional, extra fee)
What's included
- 7 nights accommodation at MoaAlm
- 7 vegan / vegetarian breakfast
- 6 tea with freshly baked cake
- 6 three-course plant-based dinner with soft drinks, wine, or beer
- 4 days of guided ski touring, free-riding, and avalanche rescue training with a certified mountain guide
- 5 morning or afternoon yoga sessions
- Use of avalanche safety gear on the guided tours
- Use of snowshoes and poles
- Group transfers to/from the tour start points
- Group transfers from Lienz or Huben in Osttirol on Saturdays
- VAT, Tourist tax
What's not included
- Flights
- Touring equipment rental
- Lift pass (if needed for the free ride day)
- Lunch
- Insurance
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Munich Airport
159 km
Transfer not provided
Innsbruck Airport (Kranebitten Airport)
100 km
Transfer not provided
Salzburg Airport
89 km
Transfer not provided
Klagenfurt Airport
137 km
Transfer not provided
Driving directions from Kals
- Drive through the village past the church and the small supermarket
- At the first Y-fork, keep right, following the green signs for MoaAlm
- At the second fork, keep left at the beautiful wooden house with the blue and white balconies
- Stay all the way to the right at the third and final fork, driving past a small parking area and up the mountain to MoaAlm
- From the final fork, it is a 10-minute drive to MoaAlm
- During the winter, you will leave your vehicle in the small parking area just past the final fork
- MoaAlm will drive you the last two miles up the local Rodel Bahn (sledging track)
Arrival by airplane
Please arrange your flight to arrive at Salzburg Airport (SZG), Innsbruck Airport (Kranebitten Airport) (INN), Klagenfurt Airport (KLU), or Munich Airport (MUC). MoaAlm Mountain Retreat recommends booking flights that arrive earlier in the day, allowing you to get to MoaAlm on time for afternoon cake.
There are different options for transferring from these airports to the venue: public transport or car rental. If you choose to travel by public transport, they recommend the checking online at OEBB. You can search for either Huben Ort (bus station) or Lienz in Osttirol (closest train station). MoaAlm offers a group pick up from there on Saturday afternoons. They will also be happy to help you find the best connection.
They also offer a group transfer from Salzburg airport for 75 EUR per person each way on Saturdays. The latest that this transfer will depart from the airport is 14:00. On the Saturday of your departure, they recommend booking a return flight not before 13:00.
Arrival by bus or train
You can travel by bus or train from Innsbruck, Munich, Klagenfurt, and Salzburg to Lienz or Huben. This is often the cheapest but most time-consuming option. Public transportation in Austria is very reliable and the platforms and directions are clearly indicated. MoaAlm Mountain Retreat will pick you up in Lienz or Huben free of charge.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookYogaRetreats.com. All major credit cards supported.