Wurzeralm – Spital am Pyhrn reviews

Wurzeralm
The ski resort from the past.

If you are looking for a cozy ski system with child-friendly slopes, Wurzeralm could be an option. You take a mountain train up to the slopes. Quick and easy.

We were there week 8 and the only times you had to queue were when you ended up on the same slope as the ski school or when the 4-seater lift "Gammering" broke down.
Almost all slopes are child-friendly. The two that go all the way down to the valley are impressively long and not very technically demanding. Only the black runs are challenging.

The restaurants on the hill are cozy wooden cabins where classic Austrian food and drinks are served together with a nice mix of music.

There are many people who walk with trail skins along the slopes here. Some pistes have marked trails adjacent to the piste for those going uphill. There are some peaks in the area with nice gullies that can be explored with trail skins. Personally, I would hire a guide in the right snow conditions.
See also picture of "summer trails".

It is easy to find off-piste close to the piste. The best off-piste lift access can be found from the top of the two-seater lift "Frauenkar" (1870 möh). If viewers are right, there are enough surfaces to retrace a day after a snowfall. A little further down, you continue into a mixture of larch and spruce forest. If you instead take a left from the lift, you can go out on "bump-n-jump" forest skiing.

We stayed in the nearby village of Spital am Pyhrn at the Hotel Botenwirt. It was like traveling 30 years back in time. Nothing to recommend. Would then rather choose Gasthof Familie Gruber, which has both a nice restaurant and skittles. There are a couple more restaurants. Nightlife we haven't found anything at all. The hotel by the church was the only place that had some après ski.
There is a shop in the village with Austrian opening hours, i.e. closes early on Saturdays and stays closed on Sundays.

The week we were in Wurzeralm, the weather was mild, and it was mostly spring snow. The slopes around the 4-seater lift Gammering are on the north side and the snow held pretty well most of the day. The slopes down to the valley and Frauenkar are more exposed to the sun and were best in the morning.

All in all, I would give Wurzeralm / Spital am Pyhrn a 3a.
5 for mood and nice people.
4 because you hardly had to queue.
2 for the size of the system, which you get tired of in a week.
2 for Spital am Pyhrn as place of residence.

Wurzeralm shares a lift pass with Hinterstoder which is a ski resort for those who like piste racing. See separate review.