Family fun in Filzmoos: a perfect day's skiing with Elias

My five-year-old son Elias, now a little piste pro after his third ski course, and I are getting ready for a new adventure in the snow today.

After a hearty breakfast of jam sandwiches (with raspberries picked from our garden - Elias' secret weapon for more energy on the slopes), we set off for the Filzmoos ski area. The fun slopes "FilZOO" and "Snowman Trail" as well as the Ski-Movie and Timed Run promise plenty of adventure and Elias can hardly wait to hit the slopes.

At 09:00 am on the dot, we are at the valley station of the sixpack Mooslehen, ready to enjoy the perfectly groomed pistes. Elias is jumping from one leg to the other with excitement, while I try to contain his enthusiasm. After all, we don't want to waste our energy before the first descent!

Before we set off, Elias insists on doing his special warm-up exercises: wild jumping jacks and trying to use his ski poles as propellers. The surrounding skiers smile, and I have to stifle my laughter. If enthusiasm had a face, it would be his.

When we reach the top, Elias shouts enthusiastically: ‘Look mum, a giant giraffe in the snow!’ After what feels like a hundred photos of Elias and the blue and yellow giraffe, we have a duel on the snowball wall before we get ready for the first descent. Elias races off as if he's never done anything else, while I try to follow him halfway elegantly. Together we wind our way through the course, past monkeys, tigers and other funny creatures. The moving figures and small obstacles provide plenty of laughs.

In the second section of the "FilZOO" fun piste, snow hills and a wave track await us. Elias gets plenty of momentum and lifts off the ground slightly on the hills. ‘Mum, I can fly, did you see that?’ he shouts, beaming. I follow him with moderate success - and promptly land in an elegant snow cloud. Elias' happy giggles are my highlight of the day.

To get to the "Snowman Trail" fun piste, we have to take the Halsegg drag lift. Magic carpet conveyor belt lift, button lift, chairlift - all already mastered. But a T-bar lift? That's new territory for both of us. The ‘lift operator’ quickly explains: ‘Lower the bars to your knees, put your son's skis underneath, keep them straight and together!’ - and before he can continue, we're already off. The tense ride was a success and when we reach the top, we cheer with a big high-five and a small gummy bear reward. Elias calls out excitedly: ‘Mum, there's the snowman trail!’

‘Mum, are all the snowmen we've already built coming here so they don't melt?’ asks Elias curiously. ‘It's best if we go and have a look straight away,’ I reply with a grin. Elias greets the snowmen like old friends and insists on giving everyone a high-five - with his ski pole, of course. The tree figures with their funny eyes make everyone laugh.

After the ascent on the 4-seater chairlift, we stop off at the cosy Kleinbergalm, which is right next to the large "filzmoos" sign, of which we have also taken several photos. Over hot chocolate and yeast dumplings, Elias tells me about his plans to become a ski instructor one day - or perhaps a superhero, or "FilZOO director", or ideally everything at once.

Energy levels boosted; we head back to the ski movie course. Elias jumps excitedly into the start hut: ‘Beep, beep, beep, beeeep!’ And off he goes. He rounds the obstacles almost like a pro and races to the finish. I start straight after him. ‘On your marks, get set, go!’ - But who is faster?

We spend the whole journey home discussing who won: ‘No, Mum, I won!’ - ‘No, Elias, I've won!’ At home, we log on to Skiline and watch the videos. And sure enough, Elias was four hundredths faster than me. As a prize, I surprise him with a "FilZOO giraffe" and a blue "Filzmoos" cap from the cable car shop at the Papageno valley station. ‘Well then, the ’FiLZOO magnet’ is my consolation prize,’ I say with a wink. (He doesn't need to know how happy I am about the beautiful fridge magnet for my collection and how difficult it was for me to decide which one to buy from the fantastic selection). As he falls asleep, Elias snuggles up to me with his new giraffe and whispers: ‘Mum, when are we going to Filzmoos again?’

Beim Einschlafen kuschelt sich Elias mit seiner neuen Giraffe an mich und flüstert: „Mama, wann fahren wir wieder nach Filzmoos?“

The perfectly groomed pistes, the child-friendly slopes, the friendly ‘lift staff’ and the cosy atmosphere make Filzmoos the ideal destination for families. If you too would like to experience an unforgettable day's skiing, then pack your skis and discover the winter wonderland of Filzmoos.

photo credits: Anja Prommegger