It took a horrific accident in the Alps to make Karolina Ekman fully appreciate the power of Mother Nature. by Karolina Ekman in the Spring 2012 issue As deliriously excited big-mountain skiers from around the world wait for the latest storm in the Alps to subside and the upper lifts of the resort to open again, I cannot say… More »
from Fall 2011 issue The other day I was out on the balcony of Mike’s $99-million chalet just blowing smoke with my buds. From the 4,314m summit of Grand Combin on the Italian border, across to our own local petit Combin (3,670m) and over to the Mont Blanc massif in France, the mountains were painted… More »
From the Fall 2009 issue Hard times need not rule out high times. Even if you’re on a gap year, don’t write off that dream trip to the Alps just yet. True, even a less than luxurious hotel room can easily cost $500 to $1,000 in a top resort. But there are plenty of high-altitude,… More »
Soup’s on! When it comes to accommodation, Big White is one of Canada’s most complete ski-in, skiout resorts. “Home for lunch” can be as easy as choosing from one of the village’s 15 eateries. One cabin and condo rental agency, Rent Chalets, goes a step further and stocks your cupboards before you arrive—and, for Ski… More »
From the Buyer’s Guide 2010 issue More than a good life, “it’s a dream come true,” says Hans Solmssen. Hans is at the top of his profession, one of the most sought-after guides in the Alps. His story is an inspiration to any North American aspiring to the ultimate job. “If you want to be… More »
Pounding music, hoarse yells, diminishing inhibitions and a crush of costumed but not heavily clad flesh beggar the senses. Per Jonsson, pro rider, is sporting a short dress, shaved legs, stubby pink fingernails and an inane grin as he attempts to maintain balance with the help of twin beers and the shoulders of two virtually… More »
In the 1920s an impecunious Ernest Hemingway bummed around the Italian Dolomites, hitching rides on pre-dawn milk trains chugging up to high farms, using them as ski lifts. Only a decade ago, the tourist director of St. Anton in Austria told me, “We open our arms to ski bums.” And one who took him up… More »
It’s that good in Bruson. There are only two chairlifts and two brutal T-bars. The groomed piste skiing is distinctly limited, easy enough for an intermediate to exhaust in an hour. But the off-piste excursions are epic in variety and, in my experience, unique in their ability to reinstill the elemental joy of skiing in… More »
It’s a question I get asked often, and one that draws more discussion with readers and editors alike than questions of snow quality and slope inclination. (Not that I am an authority.) Despite my limitations in the downhill department, most of my friends would readily agree that I am a considerably more expert and experienced… More »
Why travel all the way to Europe when Canada has some of the best skiing in the world? Well, you could ask any of the Canadians I wrote about last month why they left to settle with such satisfaction in the Alps. European skiing is more extensive and higher in altitude with more sophisticated ski… More »
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