3 Once-In-A-Lifetime Ski Trips
ON THE MOVE:
A Cross-Continental Ski Trip In The Southern Hemisphere
The trip: Skiing across Argentina, Chile & New Zealand in eight days.
Price: From £13,500pp.
The Concept…
This eight-night extravaganza takes guests to some of the very best ski spots in the Southern Hemisphere. The trip kicks off in Mendoza, Argentina, at the Cavas Wine Lodge, close to the Las Leñas Valley, where you’ll be helicoptered up to one of the leading ski resorts in the country. From Argentina, you’ll be flown west over the border to enjoy the other side of the Andes in Chile, staying in the capital of Santiago. The next day, guests will be flown up to the nearby resort of Valle Nevado – the largest ski area in the Southern Hemisphere. Finally, the group will head over the Pacific Ocean from Santiago to New Zealand to explore some of its best freestyle and cross-country skiing, while staying in some seriously chic tented suites.
Trip Highlights…
Cavas Wine Lodge, Argentina: This charming, rustic hotel offers lunch at local wineries to experience Mendoza’s world-renowned wines. Las Leñas Valley is great for off-piste backcountry skiing in a wide, snowy Latin landscape. The resort is also home to a snow park and offers rare night-time skiing thanks to its late-closing pistes.
Valle Nevado, Chile: The valley offers 7,000 acres of slopes as condors soar above. Thanks to the mountain’s exceptionally high altitude, the valley has unrivalled sunshine hours and top-quality snow conditions. There’s also an option to give heli-skiing a go.
Minaret Station, New Zealand: From a tented suite, guests will have incredible views over the snowy Southern Alps and lakes. A helicopter flight will take you to New Zealand’s Treble Cone ski area, which offers optimum skiing with a host of challenging, steep trails and seamless snow. Alternatively, head to the Harris Mountains for world-class heli-skiing or Waiorau Snow Farm, where you can go cross-country.
The Expert Says…
Carolyn Addison, head of product at Black Tomato
This high-end trip is aimed at discerning travellers and keen skiers who want an intrepid, fast-paced adventure beyond the typical European and North American ski hotspots. It takes travellers to some of the best ski spots in the Southern Hemisphere, including three countries – Argentina, Chile and New Zealand – in the space of a week. The itinerary is bound to impress even the most experienced and well-travelled skiers with its next-level adrenaline-inducing excursions and a huge variety of compelling ski culture from start to finish.
The best time to undertake this trip is June-September and we suggest booking it a minimum of six months in advance. While the trip naturally skews more to adults due to the nature of heli-skiing, arranging an exclusive-use buyout of Minaret Station in New Zealand (which only has four chalets) is a great option for multi-gen families who want to organise an epic ski trip.
To take the trip to the next level, there are lots of little extras the team can organise. Examples include an exclusive viewing of the Southern Lights in New Zealand, while in Argentina guests can blend their own wine in Mendoza. The bottles will come with a personalised label and will be shipped home, ready for guests’ return – a great way to extend the trip once you’re back in the UK.
Visit BlackTomato.com
IN THE AIR:
A Heli-Skiing Experience In Iceland
The trip: An action-packed buy-out of a super-remote luxury lodge.
Price: Nightly rates start at $55,556 (£45,332) for 12 guests.
The Concept…
It doesn’t get more off the grid than the Fljót Valley on the mountainous Troll Peninsula in northern Iceland. This remote area sees some of the highest average snowfall in the world, making it a dream spot for skiers. On a converted sheep farm, Deplar Farm blends into the natural landscape with its black timber cladding and living roof, and floor-to-ceiling windows that embrace the surrounding peaks. With two helipads on property, guests have instant access to descents and steep couloirs that go all the way to the ocean. Iceland’s maritime snowpack provides stable conditions ranging from smooth slopes to fresh powder, and the region’s midnight sun makes it possible to carve tracks at 10pm. Unlike many heli operations, there are no down days at Deplar. If conditions don’t co-operate for flights, guides can take guests cat skiing or off-piste.
Trip Highlights…
Interiors: Nature is everywhere at Deplar Farm: floor-to-ceiling windows frame the surrounding peaks and, throughout the home, you’ll find natural touches like driftwood from the nearby sea and stone from the Fljótaá River. Decked out in sheepskin, Moroccan wools, local art and textured walls, Deplar Farm’s 13 bedrooms are a cosy contrast to the raw landscape outside. Grettir, the master bedroom, has a mezzanine loft with a spacious seating area and each of the four gallery suites have mezzanine-style lofts with hammocks and day beds for lounging or additional guests.
Wellness: The spa is one of the standout spaces, with a grey stone hot tub, sauna, steam room and two Isopod floatation tanks. Guests can alternate between the Viking sauna and the cold plunge, or soak under the Northern Lights in the lodge’s open-air geothermal pool. There’s also a gym, yoga studio and geothermally heated indoor pool. Deplar even has massage therapists on hand to relieve any sore muscles, so guests never have to miss a ski day.
All-inclusive offering: The trip includes guided heli-skiing in the surrounding mountains of the Troll Peninsula, with all the gear necessary for activities, use of an off-property base camp for activities and meals, plus roundtrip airport transportation. Then there’s the chef-prepared breakfast, lunch, après ski and dinner each day. Best of all, an authentic Viking dinner is included for guests who buy out the lodge for more than four nights.
The Expert Says…
Tony Ardisson, GM at Deplar Farm
Deplar Farm is an extraordinary property in a remote region of Iceland, and the bespoke adventures and itineraries offer guests a special experience: from cross-country skiing to age-old wellness rituals, whale watching, snowmobiling or horse riding across the Troll Peninsula. Deplar Farm is open year-round and offers both summer and winter experiences.
Winter is my favourite time here. The twilight of the short days gives you the perception of a never-ending sunrise or sunset, igniting the snowy landscape in an array of colours. Then, as darkness falls, the Northern Lights begin to dance and the colours change again. Imagine sitting in the heated spring water of the geothermal pool for this, with all the lights off in the lodge. The next morning you might be snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in a remote stretch of valley, or walking the black sand beach of Hagenesvik in front of crashing North Atlantic waves. January or February, with optimal snowpack, is also a great time for a family snowmobile excursion over Lagheidi Pass to Ghost Farm.
All Eleven itineraries are created by the onsite experience managers – and most can be tailored to accommodate families. Additional activities can include astronomy workshops, state-of-the-art wellness experiences, sea kayaking and dog sledding. What makes this a once-in-a-lifetime trip? That would be the unrivalled access to a remote part of the world, in an exquisite lodge offering adventures and experiences you won’t get anywhere else.
Visit ElevenExperience.com
TIBERIO SORVILLO
ON THE GROUND:
A Super-Luxe Stay In A Mountain Chalet
The trip: A week’s stay in Austria’s most exclusive accommodation, The Arula Chalets in Lech.
Price: Nightly rates start at €9,500 for 8 guests.
The Concept…
Arlberg is the largest ski area in Austria and the fifth largest worldwide (there are 305km of slopes and 200km of high-alpine, deep powder snow runs). It’s known for its snow guarantee until the end of the season in late April. Austria’s most exclusive ski accommodation, The Arula Chalets is an alpine hideaway above the village of Lech with ski-in/ski-out access and world-class service. It comprises two luxury lodges in the middle of the mountains: Chalet 1 has space for 22 guests, Chalet 2 accommodates eight and they can be taken together for exclusive use. The impressive interiors mix local Austrian craftsmanship with modern touches, such as a cinema, casino table, shuffleboard and private ice rink, so guests don’t have to leave to find entertainment (they can even transform the car park into a nightclub – perfect for anyone looking to throw a mega birthday party). In-chalet wellness facilities include an indoor swimming pool, Finnish sauna, steam bath and infra-red cabin, as well as the choice of hot stone and deep tissue massages, Augustinus Bader signature facials or restorative evening yoga.
Trip Highlights…
Service: Ski fitting in the chalet, heli-skiing, ski instructors, off-piste guides, ski routes and après ski can all organised and planned by the team’s in-house experts. Throughout their stay, guests will be kitted out with the very best equipment, thanks to Arula’s exclusive partnership with DPS. The five-star service includes twice-daily housekeeping, 24/7 butler and concierge, private Michelin-trained chefs, in-house spa therapists and a chauffeur service. Each day at Arula Chalets ends with a high-end dinner prepared in a restaurant-worthy kitchen while the sommelier chooses a bottle from the chalet’s wine cellar, which is filled with international rarities and Austrian wines.
New experiences: This winter, the adjoining chalets will launch an exclusive partnership with Sharky & George, the revered family entertainers, to curate itineraries with children in mind, including horse-drawn sleigh rides, sledging, snowshoeing and igloo building. A four-night ‘Fresh Tracks’ experience will see guests join former world ski champions, while the ‘Off the Slopes’ short break showcases a different side of the mountains for non-skiers with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating.
Access: Guests can take advantage of Arula’s special access to a roster of former ski champions to accompany them, including Olympic gold medallist Franz Klammer, who can take guests through the six key components of downhill skiing, and double freeriding world champion Nadine Wallner, who can give first-hand knowledge of Lech’s mountain terrain, snow and weather conditions.
The Expert Says…
Claudia Epp, GM at The Arula Chalets
The Arula Chalets is an exclusive place to experience the magic of the mountains, whether you’re looking to heli-ski with the best in the world or wanting to join local guides for cross-country skiing, ski touring or snowshoeing.
Lech as a destination – and our little black book of contacts – is what makes this such a special experience. This is the only place in Austria where heli-skiing is permitted, and we have connections with a roster of former world champions to take our expert guidance to the next level or join guests for lunch or dinner. Guests can hear first-hand stories, such as tales of the Olympics, their personal paths to success, challenges overcome, or the mindset and strength needed to reach such goals.
The whole season from December to April is magical, but for the best snow conditions I’d book between January to March. For those looking to ski with our ex-champions, I’d recommend booking this a couple of months in advance.
If money is no object, I’d definitely suggest a helicopter experience, whether it’s flying from Lech to the Dolomites for a day of skiing in a Unesco World Heritage site with an al fresco lunch on the mountain or flying over to Zurich for a day of shopping – perhaps to soak up the festive atmosphere of the Christmas markets there.
Visit TheArulaChalets.com
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