14 experiences to transform your ski holiday this year
From food and drink to musical entertainment and more, Cat Weakley shares this season's highlights from the mountains
And breathe
Crunch, crunch, stretch, stretch, inhaaaaale… What am I doing? Snowshoe walk in Val Thorens, France, with asanas prescribed by resident yogini Anita Thevenot. Thursdays, 9.30-11am, €27. Can’t miss skiing? 30-minute warm-up sessions from 8-8.30am Monday to Saturday, €5. escale-zen.fr
Mud glorious mud
Sorry, can’t make drinks, bogged down in fragrant herb peat from the Kitzbühel Lutzenberg bog just now. Rescue? No ta, it’s a Heilmoorkur (healing mud) treatment at Aquarena. Sauna next. Entry from €10.40, 50-minute Heilmoorkur €58. kitzski.at
A little horse
When Julie Andrews said “Gstaad is the last paradise in a crazy world,” she was probably in a horse-drawn sleigh. Inspect pretty Swiss villages and traditional farms outside chic resort central, then trot on horsey, let’s hit Prada. CHF70 for half an hour, up to five people. gstaadschlittenfahrten.ch
Wine around
I’m getting mountain florals, maybe a bit of ski wax – you? Fine South Tyrol wine and gentle sliding around Alta Badia in Italy combine in Sommelier On The Slopes tours accompanied by a wine expert and a ski instructor. €28 including wine at three huts. altabadia.org
Dance party
“I’m only human after all…” Come on – sing along, Rag’n’Bone Man seems pretty appropriate after the day I’ve had on Chamonix’s black runs. You only came for Beth Ditto? That’s Saturday. Musilac festival from €49 for a one-day ticket, April 19-21. chamonix.com
Beer goggles
Mmmm, microbrewery-crafted IPA. I can see the tanks from here – are we in Shoreditch? No, by my beard, Switzerland! The Bier Haus at Vie Montagne Verbier, to be precise, set up by gastropub king Tom Etridge. Coffee milk stout next? From CHF5 for a 300ml glass. viemontagne.com
Take a moment
Forget Flake – steaming liquid chocolate of the finest quality, topped with lashings of cream, that's the real stuff of dreams. Float away at Marie’s Deli in Zermatt, purveyors of superior comestibles to eat in or take away. Swiss Chocolate Grand Cru CHF8. deli-zermatt.ch
Mountain high
Mont Blanc? It says Monte Bianco here – waaah, where’s my stomach? Whooshing from 1,300m to 3,466m in 9 minutes, the top of the rotating Skyway Monte Bianco cable car is within a snowball’s throw of Europe’s highest mountain. Enjoy view, drink wine, ride down, €49 return; descend off piste, save €12. aosta-valley.co.uk
Good enough to eat
Cheese tonight? Or ham? What’s that you say? Japanese? In a French ski resort! Itadakimasu! At Nama in the piste-side Aman Le Mélézin hotel, Courchevel, chef Keiji Matoba elevates the simplicity of sushi, sashimi, Wagyu beef and soups to fine art. Main dishes from €28. aman.com
Spa-di-dah
No better place to splash the cachet than the Palais leisure complex in swanky Megève. If warm indoor/outdoor pools with massage features don’t fully restore wellbeing, try womb-imitating AquaRelax water therapy. Entrance from €22; AquaRelax €70. megeve.com
Home comforts
Why go out for vodka Red Bull when you can have caipirinhas with a kaffir lime twist chez vous? Luxe operator Consensio has a new love/love relationship with SushiSamba’s Richard Woods – @the_cocktailguy – who’s created three sumptuous cocktails for canapé time. Complimentary on a Consensio holiday. consensiochalets.co.uk
Star spotting
OMG, just seen Sirius! Betelgeuse is looking a bit rough… See them all after a sunset dinner with jaw-dropping view (careful where you put your fork) at the space-stationesque Pic du Midi observatory at 2,877m in the Pyrenean resort of La Mongie. Selected Wednesday evenings €99. picdumidi.com
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Flying fondue
If it ain’t cheesy, it ain’t Switzerland, right? But how mediocre to twirl forks in a mere restaurant. Hence the kind people at Fondue in the Sky offer dippy feasts in six-seater gondola cabins. From CHF85 in Verbier, Villars and Crans Montana. fondueinthesky.com
Feel the heat
It’s a veritable sauna rollercoaster at Gletschergluhen sauna world within the Aqua Dome spa in Sölden. Hot boxes include the Loft (angled roof, no cobwebs), Haybarn (spoiler, contains real hay) and Canyon (less Raiders of the Lost Ark, more spectacular view). Aqua Dome sessions from €25. aqua-dome.at
