https://www.scmp.com/rss/268452/feed Alf Alderson is a ski and adventure sports writer based in the French ski resort of Les Arcs. He has skied at more than 200 locations around the world and writes for a wide range of publications including The Guardian, National Geographic Traveller and Daily Telegraph (UK). en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Few holiday activities are more under threat from climate breakdown than skiing and other winter sports. Nevertheless, operators of some of the biggest resorts are tackling the problem by introducing more eco-friendly practices ahead of this winter’s ski season, many of which involve whisking skiers to the top of slopes as efficiently as possible. 1. Niseko, Japan Japan’s best-known ski resort and world-famous powder-skiing location – where the season starts early, in November – sees the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3281103/5-ski-resorts-getting-sustainable-makeovers-winter-holiday-niseko-les-arcs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3281103/5-ski-resorts-getting-sustainable-makeovers-winter-holiday-niseko-les-arcs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Oct 2024 23:15:07 +0000 If you are considering a skiing holiday this winter but are not sure where to go, allow us to suggest the ideal destination for a variety of needs. Best for beginners La Rosière, France Virtually all of La Rosière’s sunny south-facing slopes have a gentle gradient, and are wide and open, making them suitable for beginners; there is plenty of space in which to practise technique. The resort also has numerous bustling mountain restaurants in which to give tired legs a rest. Once you’ve built up a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3241880/best-ski-resorts-world-every-skier-families-beginners-experienced-snowboarders-apres-ski-fans-our?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3241880/best-ski-resorts-world-every-skier-families-beginners-experienced-snowboarders-apres-ski-fans-our?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Nov 2023 10:15:08 +0000 As keen skiers are all too well aware, there’s no way of guaranteeing great snow conditions on a ski holiday. You can skew things in your favour by staying at a high-altitude resort – Val Thorens, at 2,300 metres (7,500ft) in the French Alps, perhaps, or Breckenridge, at a lung-busting 2,925 metres in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, in the United States – but in the end, it’s down to the weather gods, and, increasingly, the impact of climate breakdown. This Christmas, the European Alps made... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3208088/skiing-forecast-heavy-snowfalls-kick-start-2022-2023-season-late-beginning-some-regions-shows-how?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3208088/skiing-forecast-heavy-snowfalls-kick-start-2022-2023-season-late-beginning-some-regions-shows-how?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jan 2023 08:15:10 +0000 The interior of Canadian province British Columbia is renowned for its annual deposits of deep, feather-light powder snow and the homely feel of its ski resorts, attributes epitomised by Whitewater and Red Mountain. It has been difficult, if not impossible, to access these ski resorts for anyone other than locals over the last two years, because of Covid-19 travel restrictions, so when, after much form-filling and tedious bureaucracy, I was able to visit this corner of BC last month, I wondered... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3169996/how-skiing-canada-pandemic-eases-2-resorts-british?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3169996/how-skiing-canada-pandemic-eases-2-resorts-british?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Mar 2022 11:45:23 +0000 I am buried beneath a metre of snow above the ski resort of Les Deux Alpes in France in a cold, silent, friendless world. Suddenly there’s a scuffling sound, followed by a pair of black paws frantically excavating the snow, as Icare the avalanche dog bursts through to my rescue. Fortunately, this is just an exercise – part of a two-week training programme for avalanche dogs and their handlers organised by ANENA, the French national association for the study of snow and avalanches. Were it for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3045535/avalanche-dogs-close-canine-lifesavers-they-train-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3045535/avalanche-dogs-close-canine-lifesavers-they-train-their?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jan 2020 02:30:06 +0000 Any outdoor enthusiast will be familiar with the dilemma of visiting a new area and wondering where the best action is, whether it’s a gentle bike ride or a gnarly off-piste ski line. At one time we would have used old-fashioned, bulky guidebooks and maps to find our way, or even better, picked the brains of a friendly local – if we could find one. Today, however, an ever increasing number of smartphone apps can help point you in the right direction. A recent launch is Guidify (guidify.io;... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3041596/three-best-cycling-and-outdoor-apps-adventurous-travellers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3041596/three-best-cycling-and-outdoor-apps-adventurous-travellers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Dec 2019 07:00:12 +0000 Wearable technology is a trend across many sports at the moment, allowing users to do everything from monitoring their heart rate to controlling their body temperature – and few activities lend themselves to this better than skiing. Not only does the body have to deal with the physical exertion involved in the sport but it also has to cope with temperatures that in a single day may vary by as much as 30 degrees Celsius (85 Fahrenheit) – usually on the minus side of zero. Wearables that regulate... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3039707/no-sweat-skiing-bluetooth-ready-clothes-regulate-body?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3039707/no-sweat-skiing-bluetooth-ready-clothes-regulate-body?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Nov 2019 18:00:16 +0000 The chairlifts at Tetnuldi serve what must be the most remote ski resort in Europe. A pedant might take issue with the assertion we are even in Europe – the Greater Caucasus Mountains are generally considered to be at the geographic intersection of the conti­nent and Asia – but there’s no doubt that Tetnuldi, in Georgia, is “out there”. We arrive after a nine-hour drive along increasingly potholed roads from the cosmo­politan capital city of Tbilisi. The journey has taken us up the deep Enguri... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3007589/skiing-georgia-fewer-people-and-fraction-cost-alps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3007589/skiing-georgia-fewer-people-and-fraction-cost-alps?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Apr 2019 12:00:08 +0000 Unlike today’s modern shortboards, in the 1960s – the days of the Beach Boys and wave riders frolicking on the sun-kissed shores of California and Hawaii – the surfboards that graced Malibu and Sunset Beach were usually 10 feet (three metres) or more in length. These were the forerunners of the boards on which competitors from around the world carved elegant lines across the surf when Taiwan hosted the World Surf League’s Taiwan Open World Longboard Championships last November. Surfing in the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2186313/why-longboard-surfing-making-comeback-especially-asia-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2186313/why-longboard-surfing-making-comeback-especially-asia-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Feb 2019 07:16:16 +0000 A dense, cold nighttime fog has descended onto my hotel in the heart of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains. It is a little bit eerie given that this is the very same building that featured in The Shining. Lovers of horror films will recall the similar conditions at the climax to Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 classic – fortunately, however, I’m not about to be chased around in the snow by an axe-wielding madman: I’m here to go skiing. Ski touring Japan: go off-piste and explore Hakuba’s vast wilderness For my... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2176941/ski-hotel-shining-then-move-uncrowded-slopes-oregon-idaho?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2176941/ski-hotel-shining-then-move-uncrowded-slopes-oregon-idaho?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Dec 2018 17:00:45 +0000 Senja likes to call itself “Norway in miniature” since the country’s second-biggest island (1,600 sq km, with a population of 7,864) contains pretty much every landscape you’re likely to encounter elsewhere in the Scandinavian nation. What you won’t come across, though, are the ski resorts, which is why I find myself slogging up one of Senja’s many mountains on my skis rather than sailing effortlessly heavenwards on a chairlift. Not that I mind. As our small group of ski enthusiasts approaches... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2175644/skiing-norway-stunning-senja-island-boasts-perfect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2175644/skiing-norway-stunning-senja-island-boasts-perfect?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Nov 2018 09:00:30 +0000 For the uninitiated, ski touring can mean everything from cross-country skiing to ski mountaineering. But authentic ski touring, or “ski randonnee” as the French call it, is simply hiking uphill on skis and then skiing back down. No ski lifts are involved, it’s all about hitting the hills under your own steam. Pack some of this latest gear for a safe, comfortable skiing trip It is the biggest niche market worldwide in skiing at present, according to the Ski Club of Great Britain. One of the main... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2173212/ski-touring-why-its-growing-more-popular-and-five?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2173212/ski-touring-why-its-growing-more-popular-and-five?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Nov 2018 10:15:00 +0000 I was hammering down one of the bike trails of the ski resort of Les Arcs in the French Alps, whooping and laughing like a child who has just learned to ride. I’d heard mention of the “electric bike smile” before, and now I knew just what it referred to. This was my first time riding an electric bike – a Giant Full-E+1 mountain bike – and I could not wipe the grin off my face. Six hard-learned lessons from cycling 1,200km from Tokyo to Sapporo Thanks to a motor that gave me a choice of “Eco”,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2167080/how-electric-bike-can-improve-your-fitness-and-four-best?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2167080/how-electric-bike-can-improve-your-fitness-and-four-best?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Oct 2018 06:00:45 +0000 It was 1979 and we’d hit the road in an old, beat-up Peugeot Estate, heading to the wave-washed coast of southwest France on a surf trip – my first ever. Eventually we arrived at our destination, Biarritz, the surf capital of Europe at a time when the sport was still a niche activity enjoyed only by a renegade few. From the early 1960s to the early ’80s the area around Biarritz, known as the Côte des Basques, and the Landes region to the north, was the focus of all the action. Five great places... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2165933/surfing-then-and-now-southwest-france-40-years-biarritz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2165933/surfing-then-and-now-southwest-france-40-years-biarritz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Sep 2018 16:01:50 +0000 I’m gazing out across a vibrant green summer landscape from 38 metres above the River Dee in North Wales, sitting in a rubber raft. To achieve this feat I’ve travelled to the Snowdonia National Park, an area of wild, green mountains and hills through which runs the world’s highest navigable aqueduct, and paddled my ‘packraft’ across the aqueduct, which transports the 200-year-old Llangollen Canal across the River Dee. My ‘packraft’ is essentially a lightweight inflatable raft that is carried in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2160432/dont-read-if-youre-scared-heights-or-water-packrafting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2160432/dont-read-if-youre-scared-heights-or-water-packrafting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Aug 2018 05:00:50 +0000 “Gravel bikes? It’s just another fad designed to sell more bikes to the uninitiated.” That was a friend’s assessment of the “big new thing in cycling” when I bought a gravel bike last year. And he should know what he is talking about – he’s cycled most of the major passes of the French Alps and has ridden up the 1,912-metre Mont Ventoux three times in one day. But 12 months down the line, he is in the market for a gravel bike of his own. Explore China’s Yangshuo by bike on a cycling tour set to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2157163/new-cycling-trend-how-gravel-bikes-are-opening-remote?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2157163/new-cycling-trend-how-gravel-bikes-are-opening-remote?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jul 2018 18:00:31 +0000 As American surfing legend Phil Edwards once put it: “The best surfer is the one having the most fun.” In other words, you don’t have to be an expert to enjoy the waves. Mastering the sport can be hard at first, but if you keep at it, not only will you get fit, but you will also eventually get to enjoy the thrill of paddling for a wave, rising to your feet as the swell muscles your board forward, and then gliding smoothly along a glittering wall of water as you ride one of the most powerful... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2145533/beginner-surfing-hotspots-six-perfect-locations-catch-your?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2145533/beginner-surfing-hotspots-six-perfect-locations-catch-your?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 May 2018 12:00:45 +0000 Ice – it’s not something you would want to climb, surely? For a start, it hardly provides the best of traction. However, ice climbing has been a popular niche in the mountaineering world since the late 1970s when Yvon Chouinard, an outdoor equipment innovator and founder of gear manufacturer Patagonia, wrote his seminal book Climbing Ice. The sport developed in the Alps, the Rocky Mountains and the Scottish Highlands in the 1960s and ’70s, and today there are international ice climbing... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2136549/ice-climbing-guide-where-go-what-gear-take-and-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2136549/ice-climbing-guide-where-go-what-gear-take-and-why?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Mar 2018 07:15:30 +0000 I’ve stopped for breath on a sunny slope above Hakuba Valley on the Japanese island of Honshu. Snowbound forests stand tall above steep rises of smooth powder, and higher still, craggy peaks pierce clear blue skies as plumes of spindrift blow from their shoulders. Despite the fact that this is one of the country’s most popular ski areas, the only other skiers in sight are my two friends and our ski guide. Five of the best Asian countries for skiing, recommended resorts and our top pick for this... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2133789/ski-touring-japan-explore-wilderness-around-hakuba-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2133789/ski-touring-japan-explore-wilderness-around-hakuba-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Feb 2018 11:45:15 +0000 This winter’s ski gear innovations are tech-focused, and safety is the main feature. Comfort is also a focus, especially when it comes to keeping your hands and feet warm. Skiing with Borat: Hong Kong adventurers take on Kazakhstan Here are our picks for this season: Scott Alpride 24 ABS Pack At 1,240 grams, the 24-litre Scott Alpride (HK$5,115, US$655) is one of the lightest avalanche safety bags (ABS) on the market, designed with a pull handle to inflate an integrated 150-litre airbag in just... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2117265/how-stay-safe-and-warm-piste-heres-latest-gear-safe-skiing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2117265/how-stay-safe-and-warm-piste-heres-latest-gear-safe-skiing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2017 11:03:25 +0000 I’m changing trains on a busy Sunday afternoon at Zürich Hauptbahnhof, and it seems as though every other passenger is toting skis and rucksack, some clumping round in ski boots, others with their boots dangling off their pack. But no one is getting poked in the eye with skis and everyone finds space to store their gear without blocking the aisles. I’m one of their number, returning from a trip to some of the lesser-known ski resorts of the magnificent Graubünden region, in the far southeast of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2070998/train-and-ski-geek-goes-piste-remote-switzerland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2070998/train-and-ski-geek-goes-piste-remote-switzerland?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Feb 2017 08:45:45 +0000 It used to be called off-piste skiing, but these days “freeride” is the cool new name in winter sports. What it refers to is skiing anywhere on the mountain other than the immaculately prepared pistes of ski resorts; if you can throw in the odd jump or other trick along the way, so much the better. This means you need to be at least a half-decent skier if you have aspirations to be a “freerider”. You could find yourself taking on anything from fluffy, light-as-air powder snow to heavy, wet slush... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2054514/freeriding-everything-you-need-know-about-winters-coolest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2054514/freeriding-everything-you-need-know-about-winters-coolest?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Dec 2016 09:02:02 +0000 WHAT IS IT? The ultimate “room” with a view. A “portaledge” is a device used by mountaineers to get a night’s sleep when climbing in the Himalayas, Greenland and the like. It’s a lightweight canvas and aluminium platform suspended from bolts driven into the rock face. Hop aboard, sit back and enjoy the view. WHERE IS IT? Located on a 500-metre-high rock face above the eastern shore of Lake Annecy, in southeast France. Reaching it involves a pleasant 30-minute hike through thick forest from the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2017134/sleep-climber-halfway-alpine-cliff-face?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2017134/sleep-climber-halfway-alpine-cliff-face?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Sep 2016 04:32:19 +0000 What is it? The newest five-star hotel in Val Thorens, in the French Alps, the Pashmina opened in December after three years of construction. The owners have been hoteliers in Val Thorens since the first skiers arrived here in the 1970s, and were keen to move away from the rabbit hutch architecture featured in many older French alpine hotels. Larger than your average ski lodgings, most of the Pashmina's sumptuously furnished rooms are 36 square metres (and have spectacular mountain views). The... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel-leisure/article/1916587/pashmina-le-refuge-newest-hot-spot-snowy-val?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel-leisure/article/1916587/pashmina-le-refuge-newest-hot-spot-snowy-val?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Feb 2016 14:41:49 +0000 I’m standing at the bottom of the Vallée Blanche chairlift at 1,600-metres in Les Deux Alpes; fresh snow lies all around but despite my skiwear I’m not going skiing. READ MORE: Top 7 heliski destinations in Asia, Europe that won’t break the bank, and one that might ELECTRIC FAT BIKING, LES DEUX ALPES , FRANCE Today I’m mountain biking on the snow instead; and I’m doing it the easy way, with an electric fat bike. Huge balloon tyres ensure a good grip and, best of all, the bike’s electric motor... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1913729/electric-fat-biking-ice-climbing-seven-alternative-winter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1913729/electric-fat-biking-ice-climbing-seven-alternative-winter?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Feb 2016 22:00:29 +0000 Heliskiing may be the most dramatic and thrilling form of skiing but it’s also renowned for the eye-watering costs; however, there are ways of doing it that,  while not exactly cheap, are reasonably affordable. Here are seven of the best value options (plus one that may indeed break the bank). Livigno, Italy In the far north of the Italian Alps, Livigno-based Heli Guides offers two helicopter drops, which essentially amounts to a full morning of heliskiing, for €275 (HK$2,400) per person; when... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1870337/top-7-heliski-destinations-asia-europe-reasonable-budget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1870337/top-7-heliski-destinations-asia-europe-reasonable-budget?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Oct 2015 07:15:00 +0000 Get the technology to keep you dry and safe and warm (but not too hot) on the snowy slopes this winter. Here is our pick of the latest innovations in alpine accessories:   Julbo Aerospace goggles The Aerospace (HK$2,200) features Julbo’s innovative “Superflow” ventilation system which allows you to pull the lens forward so the airflow  prevents fogging. Although designed primarily for the hot and sweaty sport of ski touring it’s also effective on warmer days on the hill or in clammy cable... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1862628/6-must-have-items-piste?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1862628/6-must-have-items-piste?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2015 03:00:30 +0000 What is it? The world's first inland surf lagoon. But don't imagine some sloppy wave rolling through an outdoor swimming pool - this is as near as technology has come to creating a "real" surfing wave. Where is it? In the heart of the Snowdonia National Park, in north Wales, so, rather than swaying palms and tropical breezes, you encounter green wooded hills, scudding clouds and, yes, plenty of rain. Who is it aimed at? Everyone from "groms" (precocious kids) to experts. There are three waves:... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1856597/ride-waves-worlds-first-inland-surf-lagoon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1856597/ride-waves-worlds-first-inland-surf-lagoon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2015 07:00:15 +0000 One thing is for sure about a yooner - it's way faster than public transport. But before I explain further, perhaps I should first enlighten you as to what a yooner actually is. If you grew up in a cold climate, the chances are you had a sledge or toboggan as a kid. Well, a yooner is simply a hi-tech French version of the same. Based on a form of wooden sledge called a "paret", which was used by children in the mountain valleys of France's Savoy region at the turn of the 19th century, a yooner... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1155498/yooning-trendy-sport-2013?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1155498/yooning-trendy-sport-2013?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000 To get some measure of how good the skiing is in Verbier you simply have to meet Australian mountain guide John Falkiner. Falkiner has skied all over the world; when I share a ski lift with him in the resort he has just come back from British Columbia and is about to leave for Kashmir, and he regales me with fascinating accounts of his travels with the Australian and K2 freestyle ski teams, not to mention employment as a stunt skier in a James Bond spectacular or two. And he chooses to live in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1150170/travel-review-verbier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1150170/travel-review-verbier?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Scott Nav R-2 Goggles The Nav R-2 (US$125; scott-sports.com) have a system that allows adjustment around the nose and face plus a light-sensitive lens that cuts glare, provides definition and enhances clarity in any conditions. They're also built to house the Recon Mod GPS unit (US$220, reconinstruments.com) which delivers crisp graphics of your speed, vertical descent, jump airtime, navigation and distance skied. The display sits at the bottom right of your frame and, when paired with your... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-watches/article/1104493/toybox-ski-goggles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-watches/article/1104493/toybox-ski-goggles?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 La Plagne, France La Plagne consists of a number of ski "villages" dotted around a huge alpine bowl, along with more rustic satellite villages such as Champagny-en-Vanoise (the prettiest accommodation option), and it offers a vast array of terrain that is well suited to every level of skier and snowboarder. However, for beginners, it has the added attractions of at least one free ski lift in each village and easy accessibility to the beginners' slopes. The Ecole du Ski Francais (ESF) also has a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1104488/nature-piste-alf-aldersons-first-resorts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1104488/nature-piste-alf-aldersons-first-resorts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Slowly, I sink beneath the surface of the frozen Tignes Le Lac in the heart of the French Alps and feel a cold, sinister squeezing around my rib cage as the pressure of the icy cold water increases. My breathing becomes more laboured, and the sound as I inhale and exhale through my regulator is amplified inside my neoprene helmet. Expelled air bursts forth in silvery bubbles and races upwards to become trapped under the ice sheet above me. Unlikely as it may seem, I'm on a trip to one of the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1083132/ice-diving-french-alps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1083132/ice-diving-french-alps?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Turning off the Cantabrian Highway along Spain's verdant north coast and heading inland to the Desfiladero de la Hermida, you soon encounter an ever-narrowing chasm where the cold, clear waters of the Rio Deva bounce between thickly vegetated rock walls. Even on the sunniest of days, an air of gloom hangs over the dank, vertiginous road as it winds its way up towards the Picos de Europa. It's a far cry from the open skies and landscapes of the coast, and it's easy to understand why medieval... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1048696/take-hike-through-spains-picos-de-europa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1048696/take-hike-through-spains-picos-de-europa?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The Matterhorn above Cervinia provides an unforgettable welcome. But these days, that is rivalled by the Saint Hubertus Resort. The understated elegance will have all but the keenest of mountain lovers lingering in their rooms, at the bar, or the sumptuous spa. If that could be called a downside it's probably the only one. Designed by Italian architect Savin Couelle, this "bio-resort" conserves energy and is in harmony with its surroundings. It invites you to relax from the moment you enter -... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1035924/travel-review-saint-hubertus-resort?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1035924/travel-review-saint-hubertus-resort?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Gregory Wasatch 12 The Wasatch (HK$700) doesn't come with a hydration pack but is designed to take almost any after-market system. The selling point here is the BioSync suspension system, which allows the pack to move with you, along with an internal compression system, which keeps it centred - meaning it's good for high-energy activities such as mountain biking and trail running. gregorypacks.com Rig by Geigerrig Utilising a specially engineered hydration bladder the Rig (US$98) employs a... https://www.scmp.com/article/1005971/hydration-packs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1005971/hydration-packs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Names become somewhat meaningless when you're in a wilderness area, so let's get them over with quickly. The Middle Fork of the Salmon River, down which I was about to bounce for six days, flows through the heart of Idaho's Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness Area. It's the largest such area in the US outside Alaska. The long-winded name comes from the fact that the region was named for the senator who was instrumental in setting it up in the 1960s; and the fact that it's impossible to... https://www.scmp.com/article/1005311/great-white-soak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1005311/great-white-soak?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 It's possible to discover a degree of solitude at the western end of the French Pyrenees, even at the height of summer. That's probably due to the fact that the mountains here are not quite as high and mighty as the range's more famous 3,000-metre giants to the east. But they're just as dramatic. The finger-like peaks of the mighty Aiguilles d'Ansabere, for instance, thrust up from a white and dusty jumble of gigantic boulders and limestone scree as defiantly as any mountains on the planet. You... https://www.scmp.com/article/1003303/peaks-and-quiet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1003303/peaks-and-quiet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Orange Five Pro Hand-built in Britain, the Orange Five Pro (HK$16,000) is an ideal choice for trail riding. The frame's mix of monocoque construction and custom-butted 6061-T6 Reynolds tubing keeps weight down, with a new tapered headtube for extra stiffness. A single-pivot rear suspension system provides a ride that's finely balanced between sensitivity and efficiency, with the bearing system promoting responsiveness and reliability. This bike will handle anything and put a huge grin on your... https://www.scmp.com/article/1001879/mountain-bike-equipment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1001879/mountain-bike-equipment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 As I scrabble out of a tiny six-seater helicopter and onto the summit of 1,100-metre Mount Kerahnjukur on Iceland's Troll Peninsula, I wonder just who's having more fun here - the skiers or the pilot. The laconic man at the controls of our craft, Snorri Steingrimsson, has been displaying his masterly flying skills. He hovers with only one skid on the ground, while the other hangs in space over a drop of several hundred metres above vertiginous crags. When we all tumble out of the dragonfly-like... https://www.scmp.com/article/998659/when-skiing-believing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/998659/when-skiing-believing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Wander around the Norwegian mountains near Voss on a sunny day and the chances are that if you look up into the sky, you'll see one or more people dangling beneath a parachute. Some will be paragliding, others may be parachuting and the odd individual - in every sense of the word - or two may be performing a Base jump or flying through the clear blue sky in a wingsuit. Voss doesn't just talk the talk when it describes itself as the 'extreme' sports centre of Europe: it walks the walk, bikes the... https://www.scmp.com/article/996234/extreme-measures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/996234/extreme-measures?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Arc'teryx Altra Pack A tough, well-made large volume pack (HK$4,400) that's ideal for multi-day backpacking. The Altra's patented suspension system provides excellent support and comfort, as do the breathable back panel, hip belt and shoulder straps, which make a big difference in warmer conditions. The top-loading pack also has a full-length zipper for easier loading, and it's big enough to take several days worth of camping gear. With the legendary Arc'teryx quality, the Altra should provide... https://www.scmp.com/article/995570/camping-gear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/995570/camping-gear?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Perched in your saddle and looking south across the whaleback mountains above Sun Valley, Idaho, towards the distant, arid Snake River Plain, you can easily imagine yourself as a cowboy riding the range - except the saddle is attached to a mountain bike, and you're about to hit some of the driest, smoothest and finest single track in North America. Sun Valley has been a worthy destination ever since Union Pacific Railroad chairman W. Averell Harriman got together with Austrian ski champion... https://www.scmp.com/article/994174/its-all-downhill-here?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/994174/its-all-downhill-here?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Had Ernest Hemingway not ended his own life, it's possible to imagine that Sun Valley might have been the setting for a later novel. A one-time resident, he first visited the region as a guest of Sun Valley resort founder Averell Harriman. Throughout the next two decades, the Nobel Prize-winning author returned frequently, writing portions or all of For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Moveable Feast and The Garden of Eden during his summer stays. When not writing, he could often be seen hiking,... https://www.scmp.com/article/994173/their-own-private-idaho?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/994173/their-own-private-idaho?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Snow is falling steadily onto the Coastal Mountains above Vancouver, and it's hard to believe that a building erected from that very material can possibly be transformed into a warm and comfortable bolt-hole for the night. But ever since I was a child, I've wanted to spend the night in an igloo, so where better to do it than the land where they were invented? On a more practical note, I'm travelling in British Columbia for some back-country skiing. Knowing how to build an igloo could be a ... https://www.scmp.com/article/988457/snow-place-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/988457/snow-place-home?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000 That hackneyed old phrase 'Europe's answer to Hawaii' has been used for decades to describe one big wave spot after another, but of all of them, the island of Madeira has one of the strongest claims to the title. Apart from the fact that the waves washing around this verdant rock poking up from the deep blue Atlantic are not as warm as those of Hawaii, it could be argued that Madeira is better as a surfer's winter bolt hole, for despite regular media exposure, the island's world-class giant... https://www.scmp.com/article/986512/give-me-break?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/986512/give-me-break?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Patagonia Powder Bowl HK$3,590 The Powder Bowl uses a two-layer shell with a Gore-Tex membrane bonded to a durable polyester fabric. A durable water-repellent finish keeps the shell from saturating, and the mesh lining wicks moisture from your torso. The hood is big enough for helmets. Available at Patagonia, Times Square, Causeway Bay, tel: 2506 0677; www.patagonia.com Arc'teryx Sabre SV HK$4,200 The Sabre SV uses a lightly insulated, snow-shedding Gore-Tex soft-shell material. It is... https://www.scmp.com/article/985105/hi-tech-ski-jackets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985105/hi-tech-ski-jackets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Holidays don't have to mean rest and relaxation on the beach. Many people prefer an action-packed winter holiday. To these hardy souls, the call of the ice and snow cannot be ignored. They'll take snowshoes over flip-flops any day. And while schussing on a pair of alpine skis is one way to have an exhilarating winter holiday, there are plenty of others. Cross-country skiing - Norway Cross-country skiing is the original and most effective means of getting across Norway's spectacular winter... https://www.scmp.com/article/985106/thrills-and-spills-mostly-chills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985106/thrills-and-spills-mostly-chills?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 For the kind of adventure I was embarking on, a kayak was the only way to go. Not only can it get into places where nothing else can, any idiot can use one. Well, I'll qualify that - any idiot can use one in calm conditions. Dealing with white-water rapids is another matter altogether and something best left to the experts. There were no real experts on our mini-expedition, though, just a mixed group of keen outdoor types from different corners of the globe who were being guided around the... https://www.scmp.com/article/983794/different-way-sea-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/983794/different-way-sea-life?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 In the last few years accolades have rained down on the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park like confetti, with this glorious Welsh peninsula being voted into in the 'top three' of everything from the 'World's Best Coastline' to 'World's Best Long Distance Trail' by the likes of National Geographic magazine - yet even in Britain it is a relatively unappreciated region. This may be because of Wales' not altogether accurate reputation for being a land of rain and wind - both are to be found, but in... https://www.scmp.com/article/981090/going-coastal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/981090/going-coastal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:00:00 +0000