WHAT A SEASON... I FEEL LIKE SKIPPING!
THIS winter has been the best in the Alps for decades with ‘once in a generation’ snow conditions. Val s’Isere, Tignes, Avoriaz, La Rosiere – all in France – and Engelberg in Switzerland are among the resorts with the greatest snow depths.
And it’s not over yet – April looks set to be a strong month for last-minute Spring ski trips.
It has got me thinking about the ‘best of’ my season, from snow conditions to fun experiences, interesting mountain people and delicious Alpine food.
Let’s start with the snow – the best powder I’ve skied this winter was in Morzine/Avoriaz in France, Baqueira Beret in Catalunya, Davos in Switzerland and Westendorf and Bad Hof Gastein in Austria.
I’ve sampled different hotels and chalets throughout the Alps since December and the ones I’ve enjoyed most are La Ferme Du Lac Vert chalet in Montriond (near Morzine) for sheer fun, food and style.
The five-star Chedi hotel in Andermatt, Switzerland, is top of my list for luxury with i-pad checkin, an entire room in the restaurant dedicated to cheese (the cheese tower) and classy suites. And you get to ski off-piste in one of Europe’s freeride meccas.
Likewise the Tivoli Lodge in Davos – if I ever win the lotto I look forward to again sleeping in a suite fit for a World Economic Forum delegate and enjoying fine dining in its divine dining room.
For luxury that’s affordable and cultural as well as a skiing experience, I’d be tempted back to the Termag hotel, right, in the Bosnian resort of Jahorina. Tied in with a visit to Sarajevo and a stopover in Istanbul via Turkish Airlines, my visit there this week has been one of the most memorable of the winter as the resorts which hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics are re-unified.
More than 20 years after the end of the war there, proactive resort bosses will be looking to attract Irish skiers in search of a different (not to mention better priced) experience. Watch this space for more on the Sarajevo Olympic Mountains project.
The Salzburgerhof hotel in Bad Gastein is a perennial favourite I love its comfort and the fact that long-serving staff members remember me each time I visit.
For-city-to-snow trips, the JW Parc Marriott in Vancouver impressed with sheer scale and a new kind of hotel resort style.
The best view of the winter award goes to the new Hyatt Centric hotel in La Rosiere. I could happily while away the hours gazing at the Aiguille Rouge from the hotel’s outdoor hot tub.
Panoramic views from the top of the Titlis cable car in Engelberg were special too as was the sea of cloud below. Skiing on the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil region – around Le Crozet and Champoussin – opened up glorious views with virtually no other skiers in the way. And back in the Belle Epoque spa town of Bad Gastein, Austria, the suspension bridge offered dramatic scenery. Fun? I’ve had lots. From skiing with Bond stuntman Stefan Zurcher in Wengen and Olympian Robbie Dixon, above, in Whistler to partying at the Lucerne carnival in February,
I got to see my seven-year-old nephew learn to ski in Austria and explored the ice caves of the Pemberton Ice Cap near Whistler?
Ski touring season is only really starting now but in January I had an early taste, skinning up the slopes with Swiss Nick from La Ferme du Lac Vert. Walking uphill to reach fresh powder is hard work but boy do you earn your glass of wine afterwards. My favourite wines this season have been Gruner Veltliner in Austria, Fendant in Switzerland, Vranac in Bosnia and the wine list at the Hyatt in La Rosiere. Food? The dumplings with brown butter in Bad Hof Gastein, affordable fine dining in Chalet Kapa in Morzine, pintxos in Vielha near to where I skied in Baqueira Beret, delicious tapas in Whistler and lunch at Pepita’s Cafe in La Thuile.
I’ve also had some great ski tips, few better than from race coach Christian Zehentner’s tipin Bad Hof Gastein. One of the best exercises for ski fitness (as it mimics ski stance and works your core) is skipping.
It’s been an amazing season. an absolute blast. See you on the slopes next winter!