Heli-Skiing in the Franco-Italian Alps Powder Conditions on Some of the Highest Slopes in Europe
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TAKE YOUR SPORT TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN A NEW DESTINATION— ›› WHEN YOU WANT TO PLAY AS HARD AS YOU WORK, these destinations offer some of the world’s best spots to hit the slopes, links, mountains and more—plus wellness treatments to help you recover from going tough. HELI-SKIING IN THE FRANCO-ITALIAN ALPS POWDER CONDITIONS ON SOME OF THE HIGHEST SLOPES IN EUROPE EXTREME MEASURES EXTREME›› CHALLENGE: Comprising several con- BUT DON’T FORGET TO RECOVER. nected villages, France’s Trois Vallées is one of the largest ski areas in the world, with access to 373 miles of pistes, 26,000 acres of skiable areas and 321 downhill tracks. Courchevel, the easternmost of the ski towns, is home to a num- ber of treacherous black diamond runs, some as BY SANDRA RAMANI high as 9,000 feet. A network of lifts lets you ski through all three valleys in one day. Ski junkies, however, may prefer off-piste heli-skiing, which gives skiers access to otherwise unreachable MEASURESslopes. Although illegal in France, heli-skiing is RAMANI SANDRA BY available from Val Heliski, among others, which picks you up from your hotel and flies you to the top of a mountain on the French-Italian border. Armed with an avalanche transceiver—which lets others know where you are in the case of an avalanche—shovel and probe, skiers tackle de- scents at verticals of up to 8,200 feet. ›› RECOVERY: At the spa at L’Apogée Courch- evel, the Private Bania Treatment draws from Russian traditions. Start with a steam bath to hy- drate dry skin and dilate the capillaries and pores. Next, a brushing with infused birch branches stimulates blood circulation—key after all that time at a high altitude—followed by a bracing cold bath and a body wrap using natural honey to heal any sun or wind damage. A relaxing deep tissue massage rounds out the experience. ›› CONTACT: Val Heliski, info@valheliski .com, 415.670.0143, valheliski.com; L’Apogée Courchevel, Duarte Bon de Sousa, general manager, [email protected], 33.4.7904.0104, lapogeecourchevel.com One of 32 drop zones, each of which have an average snow base of 37 feet WORTH.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2016 151 GOLF IN SEA ISLAND, GA. GOLFERS PUSH THE BOUNDARIES Stage three of the Jungle Ultra, one of more than 70 river crossings ›› CHALLENGE: Among the top golf resorts in the U.S., Sea Island hosts dozens of pro tournaments throughout the race every year. The demanding par-70 Seaside Course is the site of the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic, and the treacherous par-72 Plantation course, with its tidal creeks and limited wind protection, confounds even the best players. About a dozen PGA players, including 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson, call the island home, drawn by both the difficulty of its courses and the resort’s idyllic vibe. Davis Love III and U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover also train here at the state-of-the-art Golf Performance Center. ›› RECOVERY: Last spring, Sea Island became the first resort in the country to offer whole body cryotherapy (WBC) at its newly built Performance Therapy Center. WBC exposes the body to sub- EXTREME MEASURES zero temperatures, often as low as -220 degrees Fahrenheit. Controlled bursts of nitrogen vapor ranging from 90 seconds to three minutes in duration trigger the body’s natural release of anti- inflammatory molecules and endorphins. For golfers, this can result in “increased flexibility and range of motion for a more effective swing, faster muscle recovery, reduced pain and an immediate feeling of invigoration,” spa director Ella Stimpson says. WBC got some negative press late last year when an employee at a Las Vegas spa died after immersing herself in a cryotherapy tank without any supervision. Still, PGA Tour golfers including Jordan Spieth, Johnson and Love have incorporated the procedure into their fitness regimes; Love says he likes it before and after a round “to help the body loosen up, and prevent the soreness of a long day on the course.” MIKKEL M. BEISNER ›› CONTACT: Golf Performance Center, Brannen Veal, director of golf, [email protected], 912.638.5118; Performance Therapy Center, Ella Stimpson, director of spa, ellastimpson@seaisland RAMANI SANDRA BY .com, 912.638.3611 ext. 5370 ULTRAMARATHON IN PERU REACHING THE LIMITS OF ATHLETIC CAPACITY IN TROPICAL RAINFORESTS ›› CHALLENGE: The distance alone makes ultramarathoning one of the most difficult disciplines in running. Add harsh jungle and rainforest environments and steep ascents to that 143-mile run— that’s the Jungle Ultra, held annually in Peru. It’s not just the terrain that makes this an arduous competition: Near-100 percent humidity and the presence of snakes, spiders, bullet ants—which have a sting so powerful that it causes waves of pain for up to 24 hours—monkeys and maybe even jaguars add extra challenges to the five-stage run. Participants carry their own food, gear and supplies as they make their way around Manu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve located about four hours from Cusco. ›› RECOVERY: In Cusco, the Hypnôze Spa at the Belmond Palacio Nazarenas hotel uses ingredients from the Andes and Amazon—some of which you may have run past—to target a variety of issues. To get rid of weather-worn dead skin and help heal insect bites, start with a body wrap made with coca leaf, eucalyptus and muña, a medicinal Peruvian herb known to help with itching, skin irritation and fungus. Follow up with massages to target those backpack-carrying muscles and rejuvenate the legs and feet. Even your hotel room at the Palacio Nazarenas can help you recover: It can be infused with oxygen to help combat reactions to the high altitude. ›› CONTACT: Jungle Ultra, Kris King, race director, [email protected], 44.79.6974.2712, beyondtheultimate.co.uk; Belmond Palacio Nazarenas, Floris Boyen, general manager, [email protected], 51.84.58.2222, belmond.com/palacio-nazarenas-cusco TOP PHOTO: EVAN SCHILLER; CRYO PHOTO: ELIOT VAN OTTEREN/SEA ISLAND OTTEREN/SEA VAN ELIOT PHOTO: SCHILLER; CRYO EVAN PHOTO: TOP WORTH.COM FEBRUARY-MARCH 2016 153 CYCLING IN NAPA AND SONOMA COUNTIES, CALIF. DIVING IN ICELAND CHAMPIONSHIP RIDING BEYOND THE VINES A TEST OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ENDURANCE ›› CHALLENGE: Napa’s reputation for having “the good life” is not due just to the food and wine—many are drawn here by the natural surroundings and the wealth of year-round outdoor activities. Cycling is particularly ›› CHALLENGE: Deep in Iceland’s popular in the area, with hundreds of miles of dedicated routes that—thanks to light road-grading restric- Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World tions—will have you steadily alternating up and downhill, often at over 20 percent grades. Tour de France Heritage Site, the Silfra fissure forms a competitor Andrew Talansky and Olympic cyclist Levi Leipheimer laud cycling in wine country; the latter, who crack between the North American and lives in the area, hosts the annual Levi’s GranFondo event, which offers a choice of 10 routes ranging from 30 Eurasian continents—making it the only to 117 miles. Some of Leipheimer’s favorite Napa/Sonoma rides include the 51.1-mile track to panoramic Pine place where you can dive where continental Flat Road, which features an 11-mile climb and elevation gain of 4,286 feet; and the more punishing 51.8 mile plates meet. (They are slowly drifting apart, loop from Santa Rosa around Glen Ellen and Annadel State Park, full of twisty, hilly tracks and steep climbs. at a rate of about 0.79 inches per year.) Divers often place Silfra on their must-do EXTREME MEASURES ›› RECOVERY: Calistoga, located in Napa County, is known for its natural mineral waters, and the Solage lists for the thrill of the unique setting, as Calistoga takes advantage of them to offer various treatments designed for cyclists; the hotel’s spa draws well as the incredibly clear (and drinkable) from a private on-site spring to feed its baths and heated pools. Riders can begin with the signature Mudslide water, which comes from nearby glaciers service, which includes the application of sulfur-rich, volcanic-ash-infused mud and natural oils to decrease and is filtered through porous underground soreness and inflammation, followed by a restorative soak in water high in minerals like zinc, copper, potas- lava for up to 100 years. The water is about sium and chromium, to spur recovery. That can be combined with a cyclist’s sports massage, which incor- 35 to 39 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, porates passive stretching, anti-inflammatory arnica oil and deep work on the muscles most affected by making this a challenging cold-water dive cycling. Wellness and fitness expert Tim Carl, who leads several programs at the spa, has also developed a that only lasts about half an hour. You’ll post-biking yoga session to stretch the spine, realign the posture and have you ready to hit the pedals again. need to wear a dry suit, which prevents the water from reaching your body (but does nothing to protect your face). You’ll ›› CONTACT: Levi’s GranFondo, [email protected], 707.560.1122, levisgranfondo.com; RAMANI SANDRA BY Solage Calistoga, Marcus Mueller, general manager, [email protected], 707.226.0800, also need more weight to descend because solagehotels.com your dry suit is more buoyant than a regular wet suit, and you’ll consume more oxygen as your body tries to remain warm and your breathing rate increases. But there are pay- offs: underwater visibility is over 320 feet, giving the algae, marine life—there’s not a lot in water this cold—and bright-green “troll hair” plants a Technicolor quality.