by I’ll be honest, I was never impressed with the idea of skiing. I know that’s not very chic, so it’s something I often keep to myself, like trying my best to eat molluscs (you can be classy and cultured and not like oysters! You can with you!).
I went skiing once when I was 11 years old, and although my mother insists I was good, I have no memory of this – and I don’t remember enjoying it – so I guess I think it’s a lie. For all intents and purposes, I wasn’t planning to ski again. But antipathy towards skiing puts you in a rather sad position if you, like me, also love your mountains, or if, like me, you dream of cold snow-filled escapes. There’s obviously hard rock and humor here but I’m not going to do it.
In my age group, it often feels like you have to choose between two holidays: a warm holiday, or a ski holiday. Other cool locations – Copenhagen, Reykjavík, etc – are too expensive or, at this point, a bit explosive. Plus, those are city breaks. If you want a proper tundra, people will expect you to strap on your salotettes.
But what if you didn’t? That’s a question I sought to answer while on board the inaugural SkyAlps flight from London Stansted to Bolzano, a tiny airport in a city in Northern Italy that gives Londoners closer access to some of the best ski destinations in the Dolomites from December. SkyAlps has been operating since 2021, transferring skiers from several European airports to Bolzano, but Brits have had to wait until now to enter the market.
If the words “initiative flight” do not frighten you, perhaps the term “propeller plane” might. Or, if you’re me, a person’s sight will probably do the job. I did a quick and frantic dive into the aviation side of Google (ie I searched for “safer propeller plane or jet?????????”) and thankfully learned that both essentially identical.
The flight was very smooth considering we took off in rainy England and landed in an Italian blizzard. Yes, some turbulence, but not enough to whisper last minute Hail Marys. It was two and a half hours to Bolzano, then you will have to wait for a transfer to your choice. We went to Alta Badia, staying in the nearby town of Corvara, which meant another hour and a half of driving. Before the SkyAlps flight, Alta Badia hopefuls would have to fly to Verona or Milan and take another train or two to reach Bolzano, as well as another bus or car to the desired destination. A bit of a hike, especially for someone who has no plans to tear up the slopes.
I actually had designs on skiing this trip, but it was quickly sidelined due to a hand injury, which made it too risky to even try. So my ski trip quickly became a no-ski trip. “Weren’t you bored?” you can ask. No, dear reader, I was not – and here’s why.
There are several key conditions for an enjoyable ski trip: first of all, you will have to choose your hotel very carefully. I stayed at two in Corvara. First, the traditional Sassongher Hotel, family, five stars, which will warm the bones of even the coldest person. It’s very retro in its decor (watch out for the ornate doll types) but that old-fashioned sensibility also extends to its staff, making you feel very welcome, almost like a long-lost relative. day. Christmas big family.
There’s also an amazing “sky spa” (read: a larger-than-average outdoor Jacuzzi) where you can marvel at the mountains without worrying about putting your skis up to them.
Sorry, this brings me to point two. A ski-in/ski-out holiday doesn’t mean you’re heading off to the foothills. If you go with a group of skiers and you cannot, or will not, participate, you can still find the chair lifts and gondolas to meet them for lunch, apres, or a pleasant little jaunt on the skidoo (basically snow jet ski) as I did. It’s great not to move yourself away from the slopes side of things, especially as you’d miss out on some of the gastronomic highlights. For example, Rifugio Col Alt, which had some of the best versions of hearty mountain fare of the entire trip. The flavors were aided by some well-paired wines, carefully selected by our lunch colleagues Hugo and Ursula Pizzinini, owners of Rosa Alpina, a luxury Aman partner venue currently under renovation (it will reopen next December, in case that you will be happy to receive recommendations for the ski season. 24/25).
Finally, point three: taking the ski out of a ski holiday leaves you with an almost mandatory relaxation. While everyone else was on the slopes, working up a sweat and developing some disproportionate sunburn, I was relaxing to do my part. Reading, swimming, spa-ing. This part of my trip was particularly beautiful at our second hotel, La Majun, which is a more modern four-star offering in Corvara with an 800 square meter spa. A host of treatments are also available, from lymphatic drainage massages to cellular relaxation facials. I had a massage and facial and my body was so relaxed when I walked out that I had to do the steady techniques I usually use when I’m very drunk.
If you still want that active element, however, you can spend the time hiking, trekking or cross-country skiing, all made easy by your hotel. Around the time we were in Corvara there was even a chance to watch part of the Skiing World Cup, if you were competitive with a sporting inclination.
There are some downsides to a ski-in/ski-out holiday, although they are far less than you might expect. First of all, you’ll still need to wear skis if you plan to hit the slopes, or at least Matryoshka level of layering – the cold above just beats different things. Fortunately, you can rent ski wear from sites like Blanqo or Hurr, in case you don’t plan to reuse your ski gear. I put Blanqo’s offering of Perfect Moment ski layers to good use, which meant I still got the apres ski Instagram post I’d been dreaming of without having to spend a fortune on the ‘fit.
The other downside is that you won’t feel nearly as healthy as your pro-skiing buddies, who will be burning all the meat and cheese-heavy alpine cuisine by carving that powder. On the other hand, you’ll be wondering how much weight a chairlift can actually hold on your way back from lunch.
But as far as disadvantages go, those aren’t too bad. So if you’re sitting on Instagram this ski season feeling a heavy dose of FOMO, know that you don’t need the skills or inclination for a dream ski break. All it takes is some rental salotettes, a bathing suit and a really good book. Okay – two good books.
-
SkyAlps flights between London and Bolzano start from €184 each. 50% off for children aged 2-11. Under 2 go free. skyalps.com
-
Hotel Sassongher offers Comfort Rooms from €300 per night, based on two adults sharing half board. sassongher.it/en
-
Hotel La Majun offers rooms from €370 per night, based on two adults sharing on a Bed & Breakfast basis during the winter season. lamjun.it
-
For more information about visiting Alta Badia, visit: altabadia.org
