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I visited the ‘secret’ European ski resort that Brits often overlook with empty slopes and perfect snow

I HAVE, on occasion, eaten so much, I’ve wished I could simply roll back home.

After a cosy evening of dumplings, kaiserschmarrn – a traditional Austrian dessert of chopped pancakes – and locally made schnapps, I am told that tonight is my lucky night.

Skiers on a snowy mountain slope.
Shutterstock Editorial
The Ski Amade region is still relatively undiscovered by Brits[/caption]

The only way down from our restaurant near the Hochkönig mountain in Salzburgerland is the wooden toboggan I have been handed.

We had hiked up the 1.5km snowy trail under clear skies with views of the moonlit village and church.

As I stare down at the sled in my hands, I’m suddenly grateful for the schnapps-tasting session we’d enjoyed beforehand — a little Dutch courage never goes amiss.

Our guide, Johannes Rainer, is 25 but already a seasoned pro, having worked in his family’s schnapps distillery since the age of 15.

Each batch uses about 100 tonnes of fruit, usually apricots, and is fermented for four weeks before being distilled on-site to 80 per cent proof.

It is then mixed with fresh mountain water to make the — still lethal — 40 per cent schnapps, which we try in their picturesque lodge in Grünegg Alm.

Their stock ranges from those infused with carrots, celery, hay, and pine needles, to the slightly more palatable raspberry and lemon strudel flavours.

“In Austria, when we feel ill we don’t go to the chemist, we go to schnapps,” Johannes tells me.

The celery variety did taste slightly medicinal and I did feel more optimistic about the toboggan ride home afterwards, so maybe there is something to it.

Back outside in the -10C wintery night, I carry my wooden sledge down to the start of the run, which is lit with floodlights.

With no brakes or steering mechanism beyond my own two feet, I shuffle hesitantly forward before gravity takes over.

The next thing I know I’m hurtling downhill.

To avoid flying off into a tree as I approach the first corner, I slow down and manoeuvre round, rather than attempting to take it at full pace.

This is nothing like the slushy, half-hearted sledging of my childhood back in the UK, where melting snow and gentle hills often cut the fun short.

Here, the perfectly groomed run allows me to pick up pace as I weave through the trees and swerve around sharp corners. I thankfully made it back down to the bottom in one piece.

My toboggan adventure had followed a great day of skiing in the Ski Amade region, made up of a hefty 760km of slopes.

The zone in the Austrian alps is named after the country’s most famous export, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Despite being only around a one hour, 15 minute drive from Salzburg, Amade is still relatively undiscovered by Brits.

Early in January we never have to queue for a lift and the runs are quiet, ahead of the busiest weeks in February half-term and the Easter holidays.

Only around three per cent of skiers and snowboarders here are from the UK, with most people I meet coming from Austria or Germany.

I was mainly skiing near Hochkönig (meaning High King), the mountain which soars over the three villages of Maria Alm, Dienten and Mühlbach.

A man points to a wall of liquor bottles behind a bar.
supplied
Johannes Rainer has worked in his family’s schnapps distillery since the age of 15[/caption]

For an intermediate skier like me the slopes were perfect with lots of steep but wide reds and a few black runs I could test my skills on.

There are also lots of gentle nursery slopes for beginners and more challenging off-piste sections for anyone looking for something more adventurous.

The 760km of slopes are spread across five regions and you can drive between them or take the ski bus if you want to explore.

Traditional ski huts are dotted across the slopes with menus including wiener schnitzel with lingonberry jam, and tiroler gröstl – a rustic dish of fried potatoes, onions, and diced bacon often topped with a fried egg.

Exhilarated after a day’s skiing we head back to our hotel, the Hotel Der Almhof in Hinterthal.

After a great couple of days skiing, my legs are aching but I am thankfully uninjured.

And, should I have taken a tumble, there’s always medicinal celery schnapps waiting in the wings.

GO: SKI AUSTRIA

GETTING THERE: Fly to Salzburg with Jet2, Ryanair, Wizz Air or British Airways. Fares from £34 return.

STAYING THERE: Four nights’ half-board at the Hotel Der Almhof in Hinterthal is from £750pp including ski pass. See almhof.co.at.

OUT & ABOUT: Toboggan rental from five euros but many hotels have their own that you can borrow.

MORE INFO: See hochkoenig.at/en.

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‘Where is Jadon Sancho going?’ – Jamie Carragher fumes at Chelsea loanee as Man Utd fans make brutal ‘freedom’ dig

JAMIE CARRAGHER has torn into Jadon Sancho for his lack of effort during Chelsea’s humiliating loss at Brighton.

The on-loan Man Utd winger replaced the injured Noni Madueke during the first half at the Amex on Friday night.

Yankuba Minteh celebrating a goal for Brighton.
AFP
Yankuba Minteh netted a brace as Brighton beat Chelsea 3-0 on Friday night[/caption]
Yankuba Minteh of Brighton & Hove Albion challenged by Jadon Sancho of Chelsea during a Premier League match.
Getty
Jadon Sancho was slammed by Jamie Carragher for his defensive effort on the third goal[/caption]
Soccer players near the goal.
Sky Sports
Minteh breezed past Sancho, who didn’t track in his runner[/caption]
Soccer player near the goal during a game.
Sky Sports
The Brighton full-back was able to advance and shoot, with Sancho left watching on[/caption]

Sancho wasn’t able to create anything of note as Enzo Maresca’s men fell apart on the South Coast.

The Blues collapsed to a dismal 3-0 defeat, mustering ZERO shots on target.

But it was Sancho’s defensive effort which frustrated Carragher most in the Sky Sports commentary box.

The ex-Dortmund winger failed to track Yankuba Minteh with the Blues already 2-0 down at the Amex.

Minteh was able to ghost past Sancho into the box and smash in Brighton’s third, with the winger left looking helplessly on.

An irate Carragher said on commentary: “Just see Sancho with Minteh at the top of your picture, the one-two and just watch Sancho.

“I mean, where’s he going?!

“Minteh has the potential to be a real star, but the intensity on that side from Cucurella and Sancho was awful.

FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS

“This is a bad, bad night for Enzo Maresca and Chelsea.”

Sancho had angered some Man Utd fans earlier this week after an apparent dig at the club.

The 24-year-old posted a message saying “Freedom” after Marcus Rashford left the Red Devils on loan to Aston Villa.

Following Carragher’s on-air rant, one United fan wrote on X: “Carragher pulls no punches! Is this deja vu for Sancho?”

Another said: “He’s just completely gone awol, lost his man and that man had made it 3-0. Carragher sums it up.”

While a third added: “Carragher asked where was Sancho going??? We used to ask that many times. Now Chelsea know why we wanted rid of him.”

And a fourth commented: “Sancho was enjoying plenty of ‘freedom’ there as he let Mintah run away from him.”

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Love Island All Stars fans stunned as THREE couples facing the axe are revealed ahead of twist

LOVE Island All Stars fans were left on a dramatic cliffhanger as it was revealed THREE couples face the axe – but there’s a huge twist.

After a romantic evening celebrating Valentine’s Day with their other halves, the couples were surprised with the results of a public vote.

Harriett Blackmore reacts to news of Love Island evictions.
Gabby Allen looked shocked when the result was read out
Eroteme
Harriett Blackmore and Ronnie Vint on a Valentine's Day date.
Ekin-Su and Curtis were surprised not to be in the bottom three
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Screenshot of Love Island All Stars showing three islanders walking.
Danielle Sellers and Samie Elishi join the dumped islanders returning
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Love Island All Stars: Islanders walking away from the show.
Kaz and Montel held hands as they proved they’re still dating
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After voting for their favourite pair, fans left Elma Pazar and Sammy Root, Catherine Agbaje and Omar Nyame and Harriett Blackmore and Ronnie Vint vulnerable.

However, they were told the surviving couples wouldn’t be in charge of who to send home.

Instead, the dumped islanders will return to cast their vote.

The villa was left reeling as the three couples realised their fate is totally out of their hands.

Harriett yelled: “Well that’s us gone then.”

One viewer said: “I swear to god the dumped islanders most take Elma & Sammy with them!”

Another added: “These dumped islanders better do the right thing and save Catherine and Omar. Could give AF about who leaves but it absolutely cannot be Catherine and Omar?”

Someone else stated: “Letting dumped islanders decide is crazy.”

Someone else wrote: “If the dumped/ex islanders from this season don’t make the smart decision and send Elma and Sammy home I will go to South Africa and fight the producers for messing it up.”

Ekin-Su appeared to be the most surprised by the result.

It follows a week of intense rows between her and Elma.

During video calls with some of the boys on Friday night’s show, family members hinted that the drama surrounded the girls could mean Elma doesn’t make the final.

Find out who the dumped islanders choose to save or send home in Sunday night’s episode at 9pm on ITV2.

Screenshot of Harriett Blackmore and Ronnie Vint from Love Island.
Tina and Chuggs headed back in
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Love Island All Stars: Islanders walking outdoors.
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Olivia, Marcel and India all made a return[/caption]

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Super lucky UK ticket holder EuroMillions winner scoops massive £65million Valentine’s Day jackpot

A LUCKY Brit has scooped a massive £65 million jackpot playing the EuroMillions.

National Lottery operator Allwyn confirmed the single UK ticket-holder won Friday’s jackpot.

National Lottery sign.
Alamy
A further 14 players each won £1 million in the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker event draw[/caption]

Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said, “Wow, it’s not just ‘love’ that’s in the air this Valentine’s Day, it’s ‘luck’ too.

“A single UK ticket-holder has scooped tonight’s incredible £65M EuroMillions jackpot, and a further 14 UK players have won £1M each in the special EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker event draw.

“If that wasn’t enough, an additional 14 luxury trips for two to the romantic destination of the Maldives have been bagged.”

The winning numbers on Friday were 04, 14, 31, 36, and 38, and the Lucky star numbers were 03 and 10.

Just one lucky Brit managed to secured all five main numbers, and the two bonus ones, to take home the £65,341,620.50 prize.

Andy added: “Players are urged to check their tickets and to give us a call if they think they are one of tonight’s lucky winners.

“Playing any National Lottery game is more than just a chance to win; it’s a way to contribute to something much bigger.

“Each week, players help generate around £30M for National Lottery-funded projects.”

Andy continued: “With over 700,000 grants awarded to date, this funding touches every part of the UK.

“From supporting the arts and sport sectors, to empowering local community groups and preserving iconic British landmarks, players’ participation makes a difference every single day.”

UK's biggest lottery winners

By Ethan Singh

  • Anonymous winner£195,707,000

A UK ticket-holder scooped the record EuroMillions jackpot of £195 million on July 19 2022 – the biggest National Lottery win of all time.

The holder, who remains anonymous to this day, amassed the fortune with just one lucky ticket.

  • Joe and Jess Thwaite£184,262,899.10

Britain’s previous EuroMillions record holders were Joe and Jess Thwaite.

The couple won a record-breaking £184million jackpot in May 2022 and shared hopes of a Hawaiian holiday and a new horse box for their children’s ponies.

Joe bought his winning ticket online on May 10, 2022, and the following morning received an email with good news.

As he learnt of the huge win, he was in disbelief and initially kept it for himself as he did not want to disturb his wife, who was sleeping.

Joe, a communications sales engineer, and Jess, who runs a hairdressing salon with her sister, have been married for 11 years and have two children.

  • Colin and Chris Weir, £161,653,000

Colin and Christine Weir landed the colossal prize money in 2011 and were Europe’s second-biggest winners until someone in Italy won a jackpot worth £193m in 2019.

They splashed the cash at an astounding rate of £100,000 a week before tragedy struck.

But at the time of Colin’s death in December 2019 his share of the prize money had dwindled by around £40m.

He spent the millions living a life of luxury, forking out for sports cars, property and the football club he supported.

Colin and Christine divorced shortly before his death after being married for 38 years.

He left money for their children Carly and Jamie.

  • Adrian and Gillian Brayford £148,600,000

Adrian and Gillian won 190 million euros in a EuroMillions draw in August 2012, which came to just over £148 million.

But Adrian split from Gillian the following year because of the stress of the win.

The couple bought a Grade II listed estate in Cambridgeshire, complete with cinema and billiards room, but it was sold in 2021.

After divorcing in 2013, he failed to woo ex-sausage factory worker Marta Jarosz — but fell for stable girl Sam Burbidge.

She left him in 2017, taking 30 prize horses Adrian bought.

It might have worked out in the end for Adrian though as the former postman was seen smiling with ambulance worker Tracey Biles last year.

  • Frances and Patrick Connolly – £114,969,775

Former social worker and teacher Frances set up two charitable foundations after she and her husband hit the jackpot.

They scooped almost £115 million on New Year’s Day 2019.

She estimates that she has already given away £60 million to charitable causes, as well as friends and family.

  • Richard and Debbie Nuttall£61,000,000

The couple from Colne, Lancashire, took home £61 million on January 30 2024.

Both 54, they were enjoying a holiday in Fuerteventura, celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary.

But they then discovered the big EuroMillions win.

Richard revealed they originally thought they had won £2.60, but then received another email telling the pair to check their account.

Other eye-watering anonymous winners:

  • 2019£123million

Another anonymous winner scooped up a prize of £123,458,008 in the June Superdraw rollover.

  • 2021 – £122million

Following nine rollovers, one ticketholder bagged the £122,550,350 jackpot last April.

The successful participant chose to remain anonymous.

  • 2018 – £121million

Another anonymous winner found their fortune during the Superdraw jackpot rollover in April 2018, securing £121,328,187.

UK EuroMillions lottery ticket.
Alamy
A lucky Brit has scooped tonight’s EuroMillions jackpot[/caption]

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Gaza refugee allowed to stay in UK despite ‘lying’ on application claiming his life was in danger

A REFUGEE was allowed to stay in the UK despite having an initial asylum claim rejected after lying that his life was in danger at home.

Court documents uncovered by The Sun reveal a judge ruled his 2022 account was “not credible” and he actually came here “as an economic migrant”.

Chris Philip, Shadow Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, at the BBC.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has called for urgent changes to human rights laws
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However, while his asylum plea was dismissed in March last year, he was granted leave to remain on humanitarian protection grounds.

The unnamed Gazan man had argued he was in “fear of Hamas”, which was disputed by the Home Office.

His lawyers relied on the European Convention on Human Rights’ Article 3, which states no one can be subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, or punishment.

However, a subsequent Upper Tribunal hearing in Manchester in April 2024 concluded the original judge was wrong to reject the man’s asylum claim.

Judge David Michael Walker Pickup said: “Unarguably, by the judge’s own reasoning, the appellant is ipso facto a refugee.

“It follows that the judge was in error in dismissing the appeal on asylum grounds, even though the factual basis of the claim to fear Hamas was rejected for cogent reasons.”

It meant he can stay on asylum and humanitarian protection grounds.

It comes amid fury after a Palestinian family were allowed to join a relative here despite using a scheme set up for Ukrainians fleeing the war.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch wants ECHR powers in the UK curbed.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Urgent changes to human rights laws are needed so Parliament, not immigration judges, decide on the criteria to stay in the UK.”

Deaf paedo deport axe

A SERIAL paedophile dodged being deported, partly due to being deaf.

The 33-year-old, known only as RC, was caged for molesting children and sharing child sex abuse images, and was to return to Zimbabwe in 2019.

But a court ruled he faced torture at home as he is gay, autistic and deaf.

He cited Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Partially-deaf Tory MP Sir Alec Shelbrooke said: “Being deaf is no excuse at all for his evil offending.”

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I was left screaming in agony at A&E for 14 HOURS – it’s been a year and doctors still don’t know what’s wrong with me

A MUM was left screaming in agony in A&E for 14 hours straight and has been left housebound by an undiagnosed condition.

Sadie Slattery, 41, from Torquay, Devon, now faces having to pay for expensive private healthcare in a desperate bid to find out what is causing her unbearable pain.

Woman in orange dress taking a selfie.
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Sadie Slattery, 41, has been left in agonising pain after being stuck on seemingly endless NHS waiting lists[/caption]
Photo of legs with extensive bruising.
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The mum has described how her body was left with horrendous bruising after one hospital wait[/caption]
Woman lying on the floor wrapped in a blanket in a waiting room.
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Sadie, who used to love kickboxing, claimed she was forced to lie on the floor for hours while waiting for medical help[/caption]

Half of her once strong and fit body has been suffering from intolerable muscle spasms since last March but the mum is still stuck on a lengthy NHS waiting list.

Housebound, she is still waiting for a diagnosis and has yet to be seen by the pain management team as she is on a 16-month wait list.

This week, Sadie claimed she was left in “screaming agony” without medication after an error with her prescription.

Her 11-month ordeal has seen her admitted to A&E at Torbay Hospital on average once a month, with wait times allegedly stretching from seven hours to a shocking 14-and-a-half.

The mum claimed she was also left on the floor on one occasion which caused her horrendous bruising, carpet burns, and sores to her skin.

She was last admitted to hospital two weeks ago, for 10 days, and she says she was left in a waiting room on a mattress for nearly nine hours while waiting to be discharged.

Sadie claims this was because her bed was needed by another patient.

Her 12-year-old son, who has ADHD, has not seen Sadie for months as she worries the state she is in would trigger him.

The mum now relies on carers, who visit twice a day, as she is unable to bathe or feed herself and she cannot sit up or walk for more than 10 steps.

Sadie’s supportive family and friends have launched a GoFundMe page to try and pay for private medical care in the hope she may finally get answers to her painful problems.

The 41-year-old, who loved to do kickboxing in her spare time, is now a shadow of her former self and no longer works at Torquay pub The Castle nor its sister-pub JD’s Bar.

Her fundraiser has raised more than £4,100 so far and has already helped the mum see a neurology specialist at a private hospital, Exeter Medical, who believes her condition could be dystonia.

Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder which causes involuntary muscle spasms and contractions.

Sadie’s friend Claire Birch, who set up the fundraiser, said that dystonia had been suggested as a cause by her chiropractor two months ago but that her NHS consultant “didn’t want to know.”

She explained how Sadie had been passed across countless departments, each one with its own “massive” waiting list, with her having to wait up to 12 months sometimes to be seen.

Claire explained that sometimes at the end of this wait, Sadie would be told her case is not for them and then she would be put on yet another list.

‘NEVER-ENDING CYCLE’ OF PAIN

The mum has already had to fork out £550 for two 30 minute appointments at Mount Gould Hospital in Plymouth, Claire said.

Sadie’s friend said they cannot afford to be waiting another 12 months just to be told they can’t be helped.

Claire said the plan is to now book an appointment with a dystonia expert in Bristol and to try some new medication.

She added: “Sadie is begging for her her arm to be chopped off at the moment as she is in so much pain with it.”

“It’s a never-ending cycle because she is discharged from hospital on a lot less meds and then she is in unbearable agony and is told to go back to A&E if the pain gets too bad.”

Claire also said how Sadie’s muscle spasms have spread to her back and that the worst pain is in her arm, where the problem began.

Sadie’s first appointment to see the pain team will be in July, 16 months since her ordeal began.

Claire explained in the fundraiser: “In March 2024, Sadie started with a pain in her arm which felt like she had sleep funny.

“This has now progressed and her arm muscles continually spasming, her hand is locked in a “claw like” position.

“The pain and spasms have also spread to her back and she is stuck in a very painful unnatural posture.”

Despite being admitted to hospital numerous times, it is claimed doctors have only been able to say that a signal in her brain is causing it.

Sadie has had both CT and MRI scans which were done under general anaesthetic as she could not keep still enough due to her spasms.

TIMELINE OF THE NHS WAITING LIST

THE NHS waiting list in England has become a political flashpoint as it has ballooned in recent years, more than doubling in a decade.

The statistics for England count the number of procedures, such as operations and non-surgical treatments, that are due to patients.

The procedures are known as elective treatment because they are planned and not emergencies. Many are routine ops such as for hip or knee replacements, cataracts or kidney stones, but the numbers also include some cancer treatments.

This is how the wait list has changed over time:

August 2007: 4.19million – The first entry in current records.

December 2009: 2.32million – The smallest waiting list on modern record.

April 2013: 2.75million – The Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition restructures the NHS. Current chancellor Jeremy Hunt was Health Secretary.

April 2016: 3.79million – Junior doctors go on strike for the first time in 40 years. Theresa May is elected Prime Minister.

February 2020: 4.57million – The final month before the UK’s first Covid lockdown in March 2020.

July 2021: 5.61million – The end of all legal Covid restrictions in the UK.

January 2023: 7.21million – New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledges to reduce waiting lists within a year, effectively April 2024.

September 2023: 7.77million – The highest figure on record comes during a year hit with strikes by junior doctors, consultants, nurses and ambulance workers.

February 2024: 7.54million – Ministers admit the pledge to cut the backlog has failed.

August 2024: 7.64million – List continues to rise under Keir Starmer’s new Labour Government.

September 2024: 7.57million – A one per cent decline is the first fall since February and a glimmer of hope.

Claire told the Daily Mail how awful Sadie’s health has become, saying her muscles now appear stone-like in her neck.

She described how the 41-year-old mum looks “possessed” and how one person thought she was a mental health patients because of how she was screaming in pain, crawling around on her hands and knees.

To donate to the fundraiser, please click here.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust has been approached for comment.

It comes as almost 14,000 deaths were linked to long waits for hospital care in 2023, according to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM).

RCEM also fears figures for last year could be even worse as thousands of patients waited in “trolleys, cupboards and chairs” for more than 12 hours at a time.

New figures show record numbers of people in England waited more than 12 hours in A&E before receiving care last month.

The record-breaking delays came as hospitals grappled with a tide of winter illnesses, including flu and norovirus.

Experts blamed a “logjam” of patients who hadn’t been discharged despite being deemed fit enough, meaning beds can’t be freed fast enough for incoming patients.

They called on the Government to address issues in social care to tackle the “catastrophic” situation – amid warnings that delayed discharges overwhelm emergency departments and strain the “already overburdened” NHS.

NHS England figures for January show a record 61,529 people waited more than 12 hours in A&E departments to be admitted – up from 54,207 in December.

This surpasses the previous record of 54,573 patients in December 2022.

The number of people waiting at least four hours also rose to 159,582 in January, up from 154,689 in December.

Woman lying on a makeshift bed in a waiting room, experiencing pain.
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A fundraiser has collected more than £4,100 to help Sadie pay for private medical care[/caption]

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