intage
(
adj) vin-tidg
Rough-hewn poles?
Vintage salopettes? One
Alpine trend is seeing skiers go back to
basics. Way back. During Belle Époque
Week, 20-27 January, in the Swiss town
of Kandersteg (
kandersteg.ch
),
revellers
can party like it’s 1899, taking part in
events such as antique tobogganing while
dressed in the traditional garb of the era.
There’s even a costume ball. Elsewhere,
the newly opened Hotel Cordée des
Alpes (
hotelcordee.com
)
in Verbier is all
about vintage design: wooden skis adorn
the rustic walls, hand-knotted carpets
from Nepal cover floor spaces. But for
the ultimate time-travel trip, why not do
away with such technological fripperies
as a ski lift altogether? In Cortina’s
Hidden Valley, you’ll find a horse-drawn
ski lift. Just remember to bring sugar
cubes along with your lift pass.
Unusual (very)
(
adj) un-u-shu-al veh-ree
There’s only one thing seasoned
skiers love more than carving up a
virgin piste – and that’s engaging in a
game of one-upmanship about where
they’ve been. The more unusual the
better. If you fancy wiping the smug
look off their faces, we’ve got just
the ticket. In Morocco, the resort
of Oukaïmeden, just 78km south of
Marrakech, offers a distinctly North
African experience with tagines,
donkey rides and serendipitous snow.
Or what about Turkey, which has 16
ski resorts, ranging from the small and
beautiful Ilgaz Mountain Resort, set
in the llgaz Dağı Milli Parkı national
park, to the lofty Ezurum, 3,125m
above sea level. But at just 90 minutes’
drive from Istanbul, Uludağ is the
most popular. Finally – and surely the
ultimate – head to Sicily to take to the
domineering volcanic peak of Mt Etna.
There are two resorts – Nicolosi and
Linguaglossa – both offering views of
the Ionian, Adriatic and Mediterranean
seas, with the unmistakable scent of
sulphur near the summit.
White-out
(
verb) wyt-owt
Bluebird skies, wide-open powder
fields – if only skiing was always like the
postcards. In reality, mountains are home
to some fearsome weather conditions,
including the most terrifying of the lot:
the white-out, when the clouds roll in and
the horizon becomes an invisible seam.
Good goggles are essential if you’re going
to negotiate this disorientating state of
affairs and the Dragon APX (ionized, with
a bonus lens, £160 [€197]) is the first fully
frameless goggle for maximum peripheral
vision. When coupled with a treated inner
lens and ventilation system, it offers a
supremely clear ride.
dragonalliance.com
V
PHOTO
CORBIS, DAN MILNER, GETTY
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