Travel Notes: Ski Edition

Photographer and alpinist Alex Buisse has travelled all over the Mont Blanc massif to capture images of all the major mountain faces and trace the classic climbing and skiing lines. In this new coffee table book and guide, readers can learn about the major mountain faces and trace the classic climbing and skiing lines – ideal if you want to take your skiing to the next level. As well as Mont Blanc, it also features other Alpine icons, including the north faces of the Grandes Jorasses and the Droites, the Aiguille du Midi, and the Grand Capucin.

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Austria’s top food and wine festival Wein am Berg will take place from Monday 20th to Thursday 23rd April 2023. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the festival attracts some of the country’s best sommeliers, wine growers and international chefs from the region for a weekend of food and wine tastings. The festival will be hosted at the five-star Das Central Hotel and Europe’s highest gourmet restaurant, ice Q – you might recognise it from the James Bond film, Spectre. Skiers will get the chance to hit the slopes with world champions and former Olympians, while non-skiers can enjoy wine tastings at the restaurant. You can even try a bespoke pinot noir created especially for the event, made from grapes collected across Italy, Germany, and Austria.

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Travel operator Tui has created a new sleeper train which runs from Amsterdam through to the Austrian Alps. Ideal if you want to combine a city break in the Dutch capital with a ski trip, the route will run every Friday to Austrian ski resorts from December until March 2023. Guests will leave Amsterdam in the evening and wake up in the mountains on Saturday morning. The best part? Unlike airlines which charge you to travel with ski and snowboard equipment, there will be no additional luggage costs for the overnight rail service. To hop aboard, travellers will need to book the train as part of a Tui package holiday lasting at least ten days – but you’ll receive a complimentary six-day ski pass to hit the slopes as soon as you arrive. 

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Alaïa Bay is the Alps’ first and only in-land surfing destination. Having opened its doors last summer, the wave pool is open year-round, including during the winter for those brave enough to enter the water. The first of its kind in Europe, the venue is located at Sion in Switzerland – and it’s suitable for beginners and pros alike, as two parts of the pool simulate waves for varying abilities. Before a 90-minute session, you’ll be given a winter wet suit, plus boots, gloves and a hood for extra insulation. If you want to stay on site, the modern Alaïa Lodge is a 30-minute drive from the pool and just a short walk from Crans-Montana resort.

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