MoaAlm Mountain Retreat is situated within one of the most beautiful and remote areas of East Tirol, Austria. It is the perfect place for adventure and to relax, refresh, and make the most of all the Alps have to offer.
There will be something to do for everyone: single travelers, families, or groups of friends. Some like to participate in the morning yoga and spend the day reading, whilst others go skiing or join the organized snowshoe hiking. At the end of the day, retreat participants will all come together over a delicious plant-based meal.
At MoaAlm, they like to make the most out of each day because they love the mountains and everything they have to offer. They provide snowshoe hikes, winter walks, cross country skiing, and the chance to experience the stunning surrounding Austrian Alpine scenery.
MoaAlm Mountain Retreat does not offer guided skiing or snowboarding, but each day, there will be a transfer to the resort for skiers. These outdoor adventures are combined with morning yoga, suited to all levels of experience and under the guidance of MoaAlm's yoga teacher. Of course, all activities are optional.
Winter activity holiday
The winter activity holiday usually starts with morning yoga looking out at the sunrise over the mountains. After a delicious breakfast, MoaAlm may offer a snowshoe hike in a high alpine trail or the chance to cross country ski within the valley.
On some days, they may take a picnic to enjoy the views of GrossGlockner, Austria’s highest mountain, but on others. you can warm up in a local mountain hut, sampling the traditional local Tyrolean food.
When the group returns to MoaAlm in the afternoon, coffee, tea, and freshly baked cake awaits. The wood-fired hot tub will also be ready on alternate evenings, giving you time to soak those muscles as the evening light dances on the surrounding peaks.
At the communal dinner table, a sumptuous three-course plant based evening meal will be served alongside local Austrian wine.
Mountain sports
MoaAlm also loves lots of other mountain sports. Occasionally, the whole group will be off snowshoeing with their guide, but more often than not, some guests take a couple of days skiing or snowboarding in the local resort.
They will be happy to give you a lift to and from the piste and organize any equipment rental or lessons you may require. MoaAlm is also ideally situated for ski touring and split boarding. Guides for these are easily arranged through their local ski school.
They also have rodels or sledges available to use as an alternative way to experience going down the mountain from MoaAlm Mountain Retreat.
Snowshoe hiking
MoaAlm offers daily guided and accompanied snowshoe hikes to allow you to really get the most out of your Austrian mountain adventure. No experience is needed, just the ability to hike for a few hours and a good pair of hiking boots. They will provide all the snowshoe equipment and will suggest daily routes, depending on weather, preference, and your sense of adventure!
If the visibility is great, they will aim to hike up to a mountain hut for a picnic and then descend through the forest, making their own personal trail, creating fresh tracks with the snowshoes. Snowy conditions and the surrounding forests are the perfect setting to explore in.
Cross country skiing
MoaAlm has access to some great cross country skiing terrain directly from their village. If there is a guest preference to try some cross country skiing, then they will provide the equipment and guidance. It's often a nice change of pace from snowshoe hiking and many guests enjoy trying something new. It's guaranteed to put a smile on your face!
If you have cross country ski experience. then MoaAlm has a variety of blue and red routes in the valley and they occasionally venture further afield to try some more challenging red and black routes.
Ski and snowboard
Being one of the most snow-sure regions of the Alps, Kals is a perfect place to ski and snowboard in. The GG-Resort offers 40 kilometers of pistes that are suitable for skiers of all ages, with all levels of experience. There are no waiting lines for the lifts and the many restaurants on the slopes serve local specialties at friendlier prices than most ski resorts in Europe.
If you are a moderate skier, you can ski down to the chairlift directly from MoaAlm. Never skied before? Don't worry, since they can arrange lessons for you.
Yoga
MoaAlm offers a one-hour morning yoga class with a certified instructor on five days of the week. You will be very welcome to join whether you have never done yoga before or you are a regular practitioner. The classes are always tailored to individual needs.
Your yoga teacher specializes in Hatha yoga and will teach an energizing yoga class in the mornings and occasionally teach additional Restorative, Yin, or inversion sessions in the afternoon. There can also be guided meditation on request.
MoaAlm's fully equipped in-house yoga studio has yoga mats and props, so you just need to bring some comfortable clothes that will allow you to move freely. The morning yoga sessions will be in a panoramic studio followed by organized cross country skiing or snowshoe hiking on five days of the week. The yoga studio is always open for self-practice. Equipment is provided.
A typical week might look like this:
Day 1
After arrival to your mountain home, MoaAlm, you'll have a welcome drink, cake, and a chat over dinner about the week ahead.
Day 2
There will be a morning yoga class looking out at the sunrise from behind the mountains before breakfast. You can choose either from an introduction to snowshoe hike with MoaAlm's guide or a day of skiing from the house wherein you can orientate yourself to the local ski resort.
Afterwards, there will be plenty of time to relax back at the house and enjoy the wood-fired hot tub. Over dinner, you can talk about the best moments of the day and the snow forecast with your fellow travelers.
Day 3
This day can look like you having breakfast followed by a day cruise on the pistes, or maybe learning cross country skiing at the bottom of MoaAlm's hill. You'll go back to the house for a late afternoon cake and après-ski drinks, then dinner will be at 19:00.
Day 4
Practice a morning stretch before breakfast. On this day, it can be snowing and there can be poor visibility up high, so you will head down the valley and take a guided snowshoe hike through the trees. There will be a hot tub followed by a Restorative yoga session and a delicious dinner.
Day 5
There will be no guided activity today so you can head to the piste for a day, take the snowshoes out on one of the marked trails, or improve your cross country ski technique. You can also visit the nearby town of Lienz, go to the sauna for a spa day, or chill with a book in the cozy living room at MoaAlm. The dinner out this evening will be at one of the restaurants in the village.
Day 6
Get back to your new favorite routine: morning yoga, a nutritious breakfast, then cross country skiing! You will come back to MoaAlm to have afternoon drinks, freshly baked cake, and dinner at the house.
Day 7
Friday will come around all too quickly but you can make the most of it with a chance to explore the fresh powder and off-piste skiing at the base of Austria's highest mountain. Alternatively, you can join MoaAlm's last guided snowshoe hike of the week and take in the stunning views of Grossglockner.
Back at the house, the hot tub will be ready in the afternoon. Enjoy some sunset drinks and a final evening meal with new friends.
Day 8
This will be your departure day. Latest check-out will be at 10:00.
MoaAlm Mountain Retreat
MoaAlm understands that every guest and every day is different. What sets their holiday apart from the usual mountain holiday, is that they can find that perfect daily adventure for every member of the group. The benefit of small groups is that they can adapt, discuss, and personalize each day. Your hosts just want everyone to love yoga and the mountains as much as they do!
