The Austrian resort of Ischgl sits on the border across from the Swiss resort of Samnaun. The latter is less well known to the UK market but it is the venue of the annual Clauwau Santa Claus World Championships and it also has duty free status so, like Livigno and ski areas in Andorra, has streets lined with cheap alcohol, perfume, cigarette and electronics shop s and even lots of cheap petrol stations on the road in.
The two resorts share their ski slopes but have a long history with smugglers. In the old days the Austrians packed their rucksacks with butter, cheese and furs to take over to Switzerland, returning with coffee, rice, flour, tobacco, sugar and spices to sell in Austria. Even today border police check heavily laden skiers returning to Austria from Samnaun to make sure they’re not bringing in more than their personal allowance from Switzerland to the EU.
This season though Ischgl is making the cross border relationship a bit more fun and 100% legal in a new set of marked ‘smugglers routes’ that skiers and boarders can follow using the resort’s iSki Ischgl App connected to GPS on their phones.
The aim for skiers and boarders is to amass kilometres rather than merchandise and to track and record their progress by GPS via the app. There are three well-signposted routes, gold, silver and bronze, of varying difficulty to cater for all standards.
The gold smugglers’ circuit covers 35.7 kilometres of piste, with a total vertical of 6,463 metres and the silver route is over 24.7 kilometres of piste, with 4,745 metres altitude difference. Both are on predominantly black and red pistes and suited to advanced skiers and boarders. The bronze circuit is easier, on mostly blue runs, over 19.8 kilometres of piste, and an altitude difference of 3,191 metres.
Those who successfully complete their chosen circuit can enter prize draws every day, weekly and for each season. Prizes will include head bands, rucksacks, half-board hotel stays, lift passes and passes for mountain concerts. .ischgl.com/apps
