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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

AFP

Yankuba Minteh netted a brace as Brighton beat Chelsea 3-0 on Friday night[/caption]

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Jadon Sancho was slammed by Jamie Carragher for his defensive effort on the third goal[/caption]

Sky Sports

Minteh breezed past Sancho, who didn’t track in his runner[/caption]

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.

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“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.”