Skiing the Horny Donkey

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Yesterday I skied at the Horny Donkey ski area. Well, Horni Domky. This is a small ski area in northeast Czech Republic near the border towards Poland. The highest ski lift goes to 1315 meters and maximum vertical is 690 meters. While small, the area modern, has two fast high-capacity chair lifts, and generally offers nice skiing. The ski area is a part of a group of nine ski areas in the western end of the Giant Mountains: Skiregion.cz. Together these areas have 36 ski lifts and one lift ticket works on all.

My favorite ski run here is the "Slalomák", a steep red run that is best served not by the lift next to it but the slightly longer upper chairlift. The upper part of the mountain was still in winter-like form.

Other good trails include the "Drevarská" (black) and "Cervená FIS" (red). However, given the bad snow year in the central Europe and the fact that its the end of March, these slopes were already closed due to lack of snow.



Not that it stopped me from skiing them, just that a different technique was needed. I was surprised that a wet, steep grass hill sticks to your skis and slows you down quite a bit. Steep is better in grass skiing then, too.

And no, my skis did not suffer from this exercise. This was true grass, not sand or rocks. And it was lubricated by animal dung. I did have to give my equipment a shower back at the hotel, though.

The other way to handle the grass part

I also have to bring up the amazing Goulash index value in the Horny Donkey: 1.5€ for a bowl of Goulash soup. 1€ for beer. 24€ for a high-season day ticket, and we got our 5-hour tickets on a discount at only 16€. Skiing here is cheaper than staying at home and having to buy expensive groceries in Finland. Below you'll find a comparison of the Goulash index across some ski areas.

• Horny Donkey 1.5€

  

  Goulash soup 1.5€, beer 1€

• Mad River Glen 3.5€
• Zillertal 4.5€
• Åre 9€
• Zermatt (a fortune)
• Peuramaa (infinite, they only sell hamburgers)

I did not check accommodation prices (even if Pension Crazy sounded interesting), but it is clear that a day in Zermatt may give you a week in the Horny Donkey.

Go here for the after-ski

The best after-ski on the slopes takes place at the bottom of the Slalomák trail. This is the gathering place for many tourists, but also for racers whose race track sometimes occupies the Slalomák. The restaurant has tables inside and outside, cheap beer, music, outside grill, and all the other necessary ingredients to attract the crowds.