Punctuality
With up to 60 people on a trip and a very tight schedule, a trip will not run smoothly without the commitment of everyone involved to being punctual.
Equipment
For weekend trips, club members should have their equipment with them. If you need to rent, it must be done in Vienna. (There are two main reasons why: We often ski at different areas over the course of a weekend and you may not be able to return equipment that is rented at one ski area at a different area. Also, on the mornings of ski days there may not be enough time available to rent skis and participate in a ski lesson.)
See the Equipment page for more information.
Bus trip to a ski area
The bus leaves on Friday or Thursday afternoon for two- and three-day trips respectively from the ground level under A Building at 17:00. You can get to where the bus will be parked from C Building by taking the escalator down to the car park and then going down another escalator, which is to the right. The bus is usually there from about an hour beforehand for you to bring down and load your gear and pick a seat on the bus.
The bus ride itself is an invariably friendly and jovial affair. Beer and sports drinks are available and people often bring along some snacks. The journey lasts 2.5–4.5 hours and usually involves a 20-minute stop at a service station, which is just about long enough for a quick drink and snack.
During the journey, the ski instructors will collect money for ski passes and assign you to one of the ski groups for the weekend's classes. Initial assignment to a ski class is based on various considerations including your assessment of your ability. Tip: it may be better to be a stronger skier in a less advanced group than to struggle in a group that is more advanced.
When the bus arrives at the hotel, we leave the skis and snowboards on the bus (but take the boots in so they are warm (something to consider when you pack!).
At a ski area
The bus usually leaves the hotel for the ski area between 08:15 and 08:30. Information about the ski area will be given out during the journey, including where the group will meet for lunch, après-ski arrangements and when the bus will leave the ski area in the afternoon.
Classes for novice and intermediate skiers are held in the morning; advanced intermediate and advanced skiers have classes in the afternoon. No one is required to attend a class, but it is highly recommended
Short stop at the hotel before the bus trip back to the VIC
After skiing/snowboarding on Sundays, the bus will make a brief stop back at the hotel. There is usually enough time for a brief shower during this time either in the hotel’s sauna or in designated hotel rooms. Information will be provided by the trip leader on Saturday evening about where luggage should be stored. After the short stop at the hotel, you should bring your luggage to the bus.
Bus trip back to the VIC
The bus usually leaves the hotel at about 17:00 on Sunday afternoon. Any guests without a VIC grounds pass should make themselves known to the trip leader and bus driver to ensure their equipment and luggage are loaded separately as they must get off the bus with their luggage before it enters the VIC. The rest of the group stays on the bus and proceeds into the VIC, where everyone is again strongly encouraged to help unload the bus. The Club's storage room will be opened for people to leave skis/snowboards and boots, etc.
Covid-19 policy
IAEA Ski Club members are required to fulfill the following mandatory measures as a prerequisite to join the trip.
If your questions haven’t been answered, please see our FAQ page.