Ski and snowboarding holidays in Hintertux, Austria

Resort height: 1500mThe mountains

First of all, let's clear up two misconceptions about glacier skiing. The first is that you don't ski on ice - you ski on the snow on top of it, which in the winter at least is always in good condition (i.e., cold, crumbly and grippy). The second is that you're not dodging crevasses. Or at least, you won't be if you stick to the pistes. On most glaciers, the groomed and waymarked runs are as wide as boulevards and super-flattering to boot. They can be a bit bland too, but Hintertux's secret is that it has one black and several reds which are steeper than normal. This is why the ski racers like it so much. Last season, for example, the Bulgarian, Danish, Finnish, Croatian, Norwegian, Austrian, Polish and American ski teams were all training there.

Getting there

Hintertux is less than 90 minutes away from Innsbruck airport.

Rating: 5/10Après-ski

The après-ski score for Hintertux would be 1/10 if your choice of bars was restricted to the modest, and muted, village at the bottom of the glacier. But anyone in search of a little action at the end of a days skiing in Hintertux can head down the valley to Mayrhofen, which has plenty of pubs and clubs and a young, energetic clientele to boot (although you'll end probably end the night by catching an expensive taxi back to your hotel). Mayrhofen is the place to go for a meal when you're not eating in your hotel, too: there are pizzerias and grills aplenty, but for posh nosh, book a table at the Sissi Stube in the Elisabeth Hotel.

Rating: 2/10Non-skiers

Glaciers are for single-minded ski fanatics only. Fortunately, non-skiers on holiday in Hintertux can escape to other villages along the valley, notably Mayrhofen, which is home to a highly-rated pool complex. Innsbruck is within easy day-tripping distance, too.

Rating: 8/10Cost of living

Peak season for normal ski resorts is low season for the glaciers, which tend to do most of their business in the autumn and around Easter. So there's the potential to find plenty of cheap accommodation in Hintertux. You won't spend a fortune on drinks or dinner either, unless you go into Mayrhofen.

Rating: 6/10Attractiveness of the resort

Some will like the quiet, end-of-the-valley feel to Hintertux. Others will find it deadly dull. Still, there's no arguing with high-Alpine the scenery, which is gorgeous and dramatic.