The story behind

“Top Quality Skiing”

The Obergurgl and Hochgurgl lift companies have joined forces under this motto to create the top ski resort of Gurgl. Their goal: to offer a first-class winter sports experience with safety, variety, and comfort at the end of the Ötztal Valley. At the same time, the mountain railways are an attractive employer with jobs in lift operations, mountain restaurants, ski huts, and hotels. The spirit of innovation that has shaped the ski resort can still be felt today.

Historical development of the ski resort

Milestones and achievements: Local families laid the foundation for the modern winter resort of Obergurgl. In 1948, a T-bar lift was built in Obergurgl – the first in the entire valley. Hans Falkner, Angelus Scheiber, and other local families founded the Obergurgl lift company in 1949. A little later, the Hochgurgl lift company was founded under the leadership of the Scheiber family.

Angelus Scheiber had already proven to be a visionary during the construction of Hochgurgl. The view of the sunny slopes of the Angerer Alm he saw from his office in the Hotel Edelweiß (Obergurgl) inspired him to found a ski resort in 1961. Since these first pioneering days, the ski area has been continuously expanded and modernized, and is now rightly considered one of the best and most snow-sure resorts in the Alpine region.

1948
First T-bar lift (300 m long, the first lift in the whole Ötztal)
1949
Gaisberg chairlift
1954
Hohe Mut chairlift (up to 2669 m, the highest lift in Austria at that time)
1961
Grosses Kar (first lift in Hochgurgl); opening of "TOP Hotel Hochgurgl"
1963
Krumpwasserlift
1966
Europe's first snow-grooming machine
1967
Top Wurmkogel 1 + 2
1973
Hochgurglbahn 1 gondola
1978
Kirchenkarlift
1979
Gipfellift
1987
First snow-making system in Ötztal, Hochgurglbahn I gondola
1988
Hotel Crystal
1989
Festkogelbahn
1990
Plattachbahn
1997
Roßkarbahn & connecting gondola to Hochgurgl
2001
Bruggenbodenbahn & Steinmannbahn
2004
Große Karbahn
2007
Hohe Mut Bahn, Hohe Mut Alm, Mahdstuhllift, new Hotel The Crystal
2009
Wiesenlift
2015
Kirchenkarbahn I 10-person gondola replaces old T-bar lift; Top Mountain Crosspoint
2018
Opening of Kirchenkarbahn II (final expansion stage in Hochgurgl)
2021
10-seater gondola lift Rosskarbahn (Omega V gondolas) replaces the chairlift; opening of the Motorcycle Experience World

Did you know? To this day, the two lift companies in Obergurgl and Hochgurgl do not distribute any profits to their shareholders, but reinvest everything to improve and modernize the facilities and ski area.

Open positions

Work in the mountains: The Obergurgl-Hochgurgl lift companies are among the largest employers in the rear Ötztal. There are jobs on lifts, as well as in the mountain restaurants, ski huts, and hotels. You can choose between year-round and seasonal positions that all offer numerous benefits. Do you want to combine work and fun? Then you've come to the right place.
Important information and workplace benefits can be found in the employee booklet.

The Job Exchange Ötztal lists all vacancies in tourism and you can search specifically for jobs in Obergurgl-Hochgurgl.

More information about the lift companies as employers can be found here: www.liftgesellschaft.at

Contact

Lifts Obergurgl-Hochgurgl
Gurglerstraße 93
6456 Obergurgl-Hochgurgl
T +43 (0) 5256 6260
bergbahnen@obergurgl.com

Hochgurgler Lift-Gesellschaft
Hochgurglerstraße 8
6456 Hochgurgl
T +43 (0) 5256 6265 0
bergbahnen@tophochgurgl.com