#alpine-lifestyle

#alpine-lifestyle

Barefoot trails exist around the world, inviting people to get closer to nature through sounds and sensations. Feeling cool mud squish between toes, stepping on pine needles and exploring meditation caves transforms a routine walk into an immersive experience.

Canada's national sport, ice hockey, is a major attraction, with seven NHL teams representing cities across the country. Experiencing a live hockey game in historic rinks is highly recommended.

"It's so great to be recognized for the reasons skiers keep coming back to Banff National Park. Across Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise Ski Resort, and Mt. Norquay, SkiBig3 delivers real winter-deep natural snow, high-alpine terrain, and room to move-set in a protected place where the mountains still shape the experience."

The Surselva region is best known for its wintertime skiing and snowboarding opportunities, but there's a wealth of things to do throughout the year, including hiking, swimming, and biking.

To tackle Corbet's Couloir, start by planning your trip to Jackson Hole and brushing up on your skills. JHMR offers a Steep and Deep camp designed to help skiers master advanced techniques.

Ortovox is launching its first-ever mountain bike collection, the Sequence series, which includes two distinct lines: Trail and Free, aimed at integrating alpine values into biking.

What makes it shine are the behind-the-scenes moments throughout this five-part series. Without getting lost in technical detail or overselling the sport, it leans into what ski racing actually is: long travel days, fragile confidence, and moments where everything - a season, a career - comes down to a few seconds between gates.

Breckenridge will host its first-ever Wildflower Week from July 2 to July 12, celebrating the arrival of colorful blooms in the mountain meadows. The event will include a farmer's market, live music, and kids' crafts, along with wildflower hikes led by naturalists and floral cocktail classes.

The Theth-Valbonë trail in Albania connects two breathtaking national parks via a scenic mountain pass, suitable for all kinds of hikers.

Ski Vallée Bleue is a new addition to Indy Pass for 2025-26, promoting itself as 'Le ski, sans stress.' The atmosphere is relaxed, and the lift attendants are friendly.

"There's nowhere else in the world where you can sit down with a drink and watch skis being made right in front of you," Ted Eynon said, CEO of Meier Skis, in the announcement. "We've always believed in making the ski-building process visible. The Couloir turns that into something people can experience."

"At the top of that lift, I met my travel companion ( Travel + Leisure's own Nina Ruggiero), where we dined at Schafalm, a ski hut so charming, you'd think it was a movie set thanks to its crackling fireplace in the center, cedar walls, and lederhosen-wearing staff. "Are you guys going to the concert tonight?" three more strangers-turned-friends asked as BSB blared over the speakers, sitting down to join us for our cocoa break."

The horses were in full view across the resort boundaries, even getting pretty close to the lifts, captivating skiers with their unexpected presence.

"The glacier itself has since 1996 melted continuously. Today the glacier is 300 meters (1,000 feet) from the original lift entrance, and there is now a large lake between the glacier and the original entrance. You would need a boat to access it in summer."

The alpine luxury aesthetic has been whitewashed with bleached timbers, disciplined schemes in varying shades of snow, and bouclé furniture that politely receded into the background - all designed to quiet the senses after a day on the slopes. It was a look that mirrored the landscape outside: serene and elemental. But something more decorative is carving fresh tracks. A new generation of designers is embracing pattern, color and ornament at altitude, with chintz leading the mountain-maximalist charge refreshingly off-piste.

The race is a 7.3-kilometer race that combines a downhill component with uphill sprints and an obstacle finish at the end, attracting 555 skiers and snowboarders.

Both days delivered clear skies and cold temperatures, with hardly a cloud overhead and almost no wind. Despite the strong alpine sun, temperatures remained below freezing, keeping the snow in excellent shape across the mountain.