FrompeaktoPeak Val Gardena Threeseasoned ski writers selecttheir top resorts,from gentle in SouthTirol to the dramaticpeal

'-t, i

GABRIELLALE BRETON

Rlr.'rLstoru, BRtlsil CoruNren TTThentwoskiliftsopenedatRevelstokeMountainResort(RMR)inDecember world's.youngest \ A / iOOi, tft. sti inOustrytraO to rewritethe historybooks. The heli-servedskiing v v ski resortbecame the first to providelift, snowcatand itlaid claimto the from onebase and, when a third lift openedthe following winter. metres)' world'sgreatest lift-accessed vertical descent (a thigh-bumtngI'700 TheselkirkMountamssurroundingRevelstokereceivebetween12andl8metres andtf9 of snowannually, rn comparisonwiti Europe'sseven-metre average' lift-accessedski terrain' ."i".r.f Mount ii4ackenri.,*hi"tt formstG buk of RMR's gladesand open powder bowls in which to enjov ;;;il;; .i.ep pit.her, *ood"d ihi..no*y* uounty. t.-,:,-^...^t. etgt"tiv trt bestday's skiing of mv life w1si1 'f'9r7-.tt:l*':t1,Y119.Y-1ltt chalrlrfiburst mro to deisecltud andsteeled myself for a dayof badvisibiliry' the abovea swirling .i*. rt i", to."rreal breathtakingviews of the peaksof the Selkirks freshpowder, with just U"*f I shared:,Oti u&.r of pristineterrain, doused in iO otfr"t"i"f""0.p.opr". It's still earlvdavs foiRMR, with.l3vears'furthel:jlilT:1,y:lk po*oei aay' it aheadyknocks the ski socksoff ;i-J,;;r'f- advancedtr.i"tt L" u mostresorts. intlelr-eart Whereto sleep:The Regent Inn (+ 1 250837 2107', www'regentinn:loT): ttaslarge' of downtownRevelstoke (aten-minute drive from the RMR base station), Theone Twelve' and comfortablerooms. lt's also home to Revelstoke'sfinest restaurant, thepoPular River CitY Pub. wheretoeat:KawakuboSushi,sake&Steak(+12508372467)servesexce||ent ldiot' ..t.pun"t.food, perfect after some aprbs snacks at TheVillage andtowering wn"i" to party:Join the locals at rhe Villagetdiot for homebrews oortionsof nachos.

JeNuenv2010 SPrcr,lron Busxrss 67 CoNNorssEURsPECTAL

Val GrrnoeN,t, Sol"ru Traol fT!h. narrow valley of Val Gardena,flanked by I the ,encompasses several villages I with accessto the extensiveSella Ronda ski area.Located in the South Tirol, the valley's rich Austro-Italian heritage means visitors enjoy the warm, I exuberant welcome and rich. flavoursome food of Italv while appreciatingscrupulous Austrian efficiency. The historic market town of Ortisei is my favourite of Val Gardena's three main hubs - the pedestrianised centre is packed with athactive old buildings which house sumptuous hotels and restaurants,atmospheric bars, pretty churches and boutiques. On the slopes, you'll find mostly intermediate terrain with some of Europe's most spectacular scenery and best mountain restaurants.You can cruise the deserted high-alpine meadows of Alpi di Siusi, tackle the steep reds on the Marmolada glacieq head off-piste in the Val Mezdi or spend a day circumnavigating the dramatic Sella Ronda. But there's one thing every visitor to Val Gardena must do: make like a local and simply soak up the views, sunshine and relaxed atmospherefrom a tenace on the slopes, Bombardino or Grappa in hand. Wontu m watr schnapps perched Whereto sleep:The Hotel Adler (+39 47 1 775000; llJtomingb kton at theshack onthe edgeof thecliff www.adler-resorts.com)is a traditional,familv-owned mountains are remote thetop of LesDiablerets, ignoring the 1,000-metre hotelin the heartof Ortisei.Linked by underground and beautiful (above); Enroute back to Villars,take the fast quad to Meilleret for lunchon the (+ walkwayto ihe originalbuilding is the newAdler Vital Amangani is theplace to sundeckof RestaurantLe Mazot 41 Residenz- a contemporaryoption for guestskeen to stay (below right) 244921023),which has rear side views of the olacier makethe mostof the hotel'sextensive Spa facilities. youjust visited. Whereto eat: TheAnna Stuben in HotelGardena, Whereto party: Thehome run to town shouldbe Ortisei(+39 47 1796315;www.annastuben.it) offers Gabriella Le Breton cappedby slicesof salamiwashed down with a few gourmetTirolean dishes created bv the Michelin-starred isco-author of decilitresof localOllon vin blanc at theaprds ski Refuge chefArmin Mayrhofen, accompanied by the region's Footprint'sSkiinq L'Arrivee.Gourmets should dine at leastonce in finestwines. The charming Tubladl (+39 47 j 796A79) Iur*!* guidebook RestaurantLe Soleil(+ 41 244 954530). servesmore simple local classics. anda freelanceski Whereto party: Enjoyauthentic Austrian aprds-ski at journalistfor the Counvaygun, IrALy the baseof the Ortisei'slifts ai Secedabefore heading Sundal'Teleqr*ph and Jf therewas a ski resorttrophy for multiculturalism. for HotelAdler's Siglu Bar and Mauriz. Sncwmagazine I Courmayeur.in the Aosta regionof , would r win it handsdown. This is wherechic Milanese ladies in full-length fur rub Pradahandbags against NEIL ENGLISH the Dakine rucksacks of hard-core skiers in many of the bars dotted along the pedestrianisedresort centre, Vulans, SwtrzEnt-eNl known as via Roma. verything 'Riviera I about this Swiss town in the OK, the ladiesmight be sipping proseccoafter a nlps', fi which rise up rather serenelybehind the tough day's boutique shopping and manicures while I-lnorth shoreof Lake Geneva.is easyon the eye. the gnarly freeriders chug lager, having attacked the Attractive chalet-style buildings dominate. Most face backcountry steepsflanking . But once the dramatic alpine ranges of the Grand Muverans the shops and lifts close, they both indulge in the and that sandwich the glaciers skirting free antipasti delights spread out for all customers, Mont Blanc's massif.Even the Edwardiancog railway, especiallyin Bar Roma. Thosewho fall somewhere winding up from the resort through snowy pastures betweenoff-piste aficionadosand ladiesof leisurewill to the ski area'shub of Bretaye at 1,800metres, has a enjoy the 100 kilometres of groomedtrails above Plan certain charm. Altematively, a modem gondola rises to Checrouit, only accessiblevia cable car from the resort. Roc d'Orsay at 2,000 metres. Both Villars and Courmayeur can be reached by car The 100 kilomehes ofpistes aboveVillars include within 90 minutes of Geneva Aimort. the pine forest-lined descentto Les Diablerets. On a Whereto stay: The HotelBouton d'Or (+39 I 65 blue bird day, take the short shuttle bus to the cable cars 446729; www.hotelboutondor.com) delivers three-star which climb to Les Diablerets' 3,000-metreglacier, accomodationplus familv-run charm on a bedand for the views alone if nothing else. But the skiing on breakfastbasis. the diverse trails to the valley floor provide a wealth of Whereto eat: Forcalorie-loading 'elevenses', try fabulous downhill. thedecadent hot chocolate and ltalian Mama-style Where to stay: Centrallylocated and family run, the homemadecakes at ChezCroux (+39 348 5 17586 1; residences (+41 at AlpeFleurie 244 963070;www. www.chezcroux.com)and backin the resort,Aria (+39 alpe-fleurie.com)offer a rangeof threeto four star 165848069)and La Terrazza(+39 165843330) accommodation, in the mainhotel or a rangeof chalets. restaurantscan take a bow.Up the mountain,some 27 Where to eat: First,be sureto bravea coffeeor restaurantsadorn the slopes,most with sundecksfacinq

68 Spncuron BusrNnssJenu.q.ny 2010 Tnavnr

infamously tough in-bounds 'run' Corbet's Couloir- a leap into the abyss for experts only. But Jackson has enough benign skiing to attract beginners and families too, mainly on the lesser mountain, Aprds Vous. : Whereto sleep:The only dilemma presented by visiting ,it::: JacksonHole is whether to stayin TetonVillage, where the FourSeasons (+ l 307 7325000;www.fourseasons. com/jacksonhole)leads a listof goodhotels, or 12miles awayin the cowboytown of Jackson,with its wooden sidewalksand cowboybars, where the nightlifeis more lively.There's a regularbus service between the two, or youcould get the bestof bothworlds by stationing yourselfin the SpringCreek Ranch (+ 1 307 7338833; www.springcreekranch.com)or up-market Amangani (+1 307 7347333twww.amanresorts.com), both perched on a butte(hill) roughly halfway between the two. Whereto eat: TheGranary Restaurant at the Spring CreekRanch has some of the mostimpressive views of theTetons (which you can't actually see from the ski slopes)and makes a superbbreakfast or dinnerlocation. Whereto party: lt's wellworth a preprandialcocktail upstairsat TheGranary bar beforethe sungoes down on theview and no one should explore the town of Jackson withoutat leastone visit to the MillionDollar Cowbov Bar MontBlanc, western Europe's highest peak. Heston Neil Englishis the ski (+1 307 7332207 : www.milliondollarcowboybar.com), Blumenthaltold me MaisonVieille (+39 337 230979) correspondentfor the withlive music and saddles for barstools. serveshis favourite rustic alpine fare. Not to be missed. Li*il*n Sunc*y, Whereto party: Thisseason, the newlyrefurbished a f reelancejournalist GnANCarElRAL, SaN Ceru-os DE BARiLocHE, MontFretv (+39 165 841786)aims to sharein Bar anda qualifiedBASI AncsNrwa Roma'ssuccess with its own aprds ski hour offering instructor Jt may not havethe toughestskiing in the Andes seafoodsoecialities. I but the sceneryis secondto none - towering peaks Isurrounding the intriguingly namedLake Nahuel Huapi (Island ofthe Tiger) in northem Patagonia, Argentine's Lake District. San Carlos, on the shores of the lake, is a small, athactive city with significant German and Swiss influence. The ski area, five miles away at Cerro (Moun| Catedral (so called because thejagged peaksare saidto resemblethe spiresofa cathedral) is usually referred to simply as Bariloche. It's the largest and most Europeanised of any major resort in Argentin4 with a big aprds-ski culture which often includes spontaneousdancing on the flat snow-covered sectionsofthe basearea. The basevillage is a bustling mini-mehopolis with all manner of tearooms and bars. The skiing is extensive, with exhilarating but fairly easy long runs from above the tree level right down through the lower mountain's thinly forested areas,which are intermingled with bamboo copses. Sometimes, from the highest slopes,you might spy a pair ofcondors soaring lazrly on a gentle breeze. Whereto stay: Oneof the mostattractive hotel locationsis the Villa Llao Llao (+542944448107; www. villallaollao.com),perched on a promontoryjutting into the lakewhich makes it feelalmost as though you're stayingon an island.The restaurant has stunning lake views,and the hotelputs on tangodisplays. ARNIE WILSON Whereto eat: Oneof the bestrestaurants in San Arnie Wilson is a ski Carlosde Barilocheis threKandahar (+ 542944 4247021 JacrsoNHorE, Wvotr,tlc, USA writer for the [-!-and www.kandahar.com.ar),run by MartaBarber, a former J-l ven if the skiingweren't so exciting,Jackson editorof Ski+board Argentineski champion - greatfor venison,trout and ff Hot" is wonh e*veryone of the4,692miles it magazine.In 1994he wildboar. I-ltakes to travel there.It's wild - as in truly Wild skiedevery day for Whereto party: SanCarlos de Barilochehas numerous West - remote and beautiful, with the jagged Teton a year- takinghim barsand discos. One of the mostpopular is Grisu(+ 54 mountains,America's most photographedpeaks, to 240 resortsin 13 2944 422269;www.grisu.com/exeweb.htm) on Juan providing a dramatic backdrop. The main mountain, countriesand into Manuelde RosasStreet. close to the waterfront.Great Rendezvous Pealq tends to be revered as a gung-ho the GuinnessBook of viewsof the lakeif you get there beforedusk - or dance ski area, helped by its chutes and steeps,including its Records untildawn! O

Jer.n;erv2010 Spncr,q.ronBusrNrss 69