by I’ll be honest, I’ve never been captivated by the idea of skiing. I know that’s not very chic, so it’s something I often keep to myself, much like my aversion to eating shellfish (you can be fancy and cultured and not eat oysters! You can!).
I skied once when I was 11, and although my mother insists it was good, I have no memory of it, nor do I remember enjoying it, so I think it’s probably a lie. For all intents and purposes, I never planned to ski again. But antipathy towards skiing puts you in a pretty sad situation if you, like me, also like the mountains, or if, like me, you dream of cold, snow-filled getaways. There’s an obvious joke here, but I’m not going to pull it off.
In my age group, I often feel like I have to choose between two holidays: a hot holiday or a ski holiday. Other cold places (Copenhagen, Reykjavík, etc.) are prohibitively expensive or, at the moment, slightly explosive. Plus, those are city breaks. If you want a proper tundra, people will expect you to put on your dungarees.
But what if you just… didn’t do it? That’s a question I sought the answer to as I boarded SkyAlps’ inaugural flight from London Stansted to Bolzano, a small airport in a northern Italian city that, starting in December, offers Londoners closer access to some of the best ski destinations in the Dolomites. SkyAlps has been operating since 2021, ferrying skiers from various European airports to Bolzano, but the Brits have had to wait until now to sign the deal.
If the words “maiden flight” don’t scare you, perhaps the term “propeller plane” will. Or, if you’re me, seeing one will probably do the job. I dove quickly and frantically into the aviation side of Google (i.e. searched “safest propeller plane or jet???????”) and fortunately discovered that the two are essentially equivalent.
The flight was surprisingly smooth considering we took off in rainy conditions in England and landed in an Italian snowstorm. 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 take a transfer to the resort of your choice. We headed to Alta Badia and stayed in the nearby town of Corvara, which meant an extra hour and a half of travel. Before the SkyAlps flight, Alta Badia hopefuls would have had to fly to Verona or Milan and take one or two more trains to get to Bolzano, plus another bus or car to the desired destination. A bit of a hike, especially for someone who has no plans to climb the slopes.
I actually had plans to ski on this trip, but a wrist injury quickly put me back on track, making it very risky to even try. As such, my ski trip quickly turned into a non-ski trip. “Weren’t you bored?” You can ask. No, reader, it wasn’t, and here’s why.
There are some key conditions for enjoying an enjoyable ski-free ski trip: Firstly, you will have to choose your hotel very carefully. I stayed in Corvara at two. First, the traditional five-star, family-run Hotel Sassongher, which would warm the bones of even the coldest human being. It’s got fairly retro decor (keep an eye out for the array of ornate dolls), but that old-fashioned sensibility extends to its staff too, making for an incredibly welcoming stay, almost as if it were a long-lost relative who has returned for the big family Christmas.
It also has an impressive “sky spa” (read: larger than average outdoor jacuzzi) where you can marvel at the mountains without having to worry about lugging your skis.
Unfortunately, this brings me to point two. A ski-free ski holiday doesn’t mean you’re relegated to the hills. If you’re with a group of skiers and can’t or don’t want to participate, you can still get the chairlifts and gondolas to meet them for lunch, afterward, or for a nice little ride on the skidoo (basically a snow jet ski) like I did. . It’s great not to be left off the slopes, especially since you’d miss out on some of the gastronomic highlights. Like, for example, Rifugio Col Alt, which had some of the best versions of hearty mountain food of the entire trip. The flavors were helped by some well-matched wines, carefully selected by our lunch companions Hugo and Ursula Pizzinini, owners of Rosa Alpina, a luxury resort associated with Aman currently undergoing renovation (it will reopen next December, should it be open to suggestions for the ski season). 24/25).
Finally, the third point: removing the ski from a ski holiday gives you almost mandatory peace of mind. While everyone else was on the slopes, sweating and developing some rather incongruous sunburns, I was on a relaxation retreat of my own creation. Read, swim, do spa. This part of my trip was particularly lovely at our second hotel, La Majun, which is a more modern four-star offering in Corvara with an 800 square meter spa. There are also a variety of treatments available, from lymphatic drainage massages to cellular recreation facials. I had a massage and a facial and my body was so relaxed when I came out that I had to use the stabilization techniques I normally employ when I’m quite drunk.
However, if you still need that active aspect, you can spend your time hiking, sledding, or cross-country skiing, all of which will be facilitated by your hotel. During the period we were in Corvara, there was even the opportunity to witness part of the Ski World Cup, if you were into competitive sports.
A ski-free ski holiday does have some disadvantages, although they are much less significant than you might expect. Firstly, you’ll still need ski clothing if you plan to hit the slopes, or at least Matryoshka doll level of layering – the cold up there just hits differently. Fortunately, you can now rent ski clothing from places like Blanqo or Hurr, in case you don’t plan to reuse your ski equipment. I put Blanqo’s offer of Perfect Moment ski sets to good use, which meant I still got the après-ski Instagram post I’d been dreaming of without having to spend a fortune on fitting.
The other downside is that you won’t feel as healthy as your pro ski buddies, who will burn off all the meat and cheese in alpine cooking splitting that powder. You, on the other hand, will be contemplating how much weight a chairlift can actually hold while returning from lunch.
But as far as drawbacks go, they are not too cruel. So if you’re sitting on Instagram this ski season feeling a big dose of FOMO, know that you don’t need any skills or desire to enjoy a dream vacation without skiing. Just some rented robes, a bathing suit, and a really good book. Well, two good books.
-
SkyAlps flights between London and Bolzano cost from €184 one way. 50% discount for children from 2 to 11 years old. Children under 2 years old enter for free. skyalps.com
-
The Sassongher Hotel offers Comfort rooms from €300 per night, on a half-board basis for two adults. sassongher.it/en
-
Hotel La Majun offers rooms from €370 per night, based on two adults sharing B&B accommodation during the winter season. lamajun.it
-
For more information on visiting Alta Badia, visit: altabadia.org
