#flaine

#flaine

The Wildspitzbahn gondola takes skiers to the heart of the Pitztal Glacier, where pristine snow and high-altitude adventures await. The top station features Austria's highest cafeteria and offers delicious cakes as well as spectacular views of Austria's glaciers almost year-round.

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."

"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."

Inspired by Courchevel's glamorous heyday in the 1960s, when the jet set swarmed the ski resort's sun-drenched slopes, interior designer Tristan Auer (behind some of France's most revered revamps, like Hôtel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel) wanted the property to feel more like an intimate chalet than a traditional hotel. "We have reimagined the Alpine estate to create a dynamic and unexpected hub of conviviality,"

The Canterbury region woke up to the coldest day of the year so far, with windchill making residents wonder if it's time to turn on the heating and bring out the winter bedding and heated blankets.

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.

Vail Village is where it all started... The original vision of creating a ski village, similar to what our founders envisioned from their experiences in Europe-particularly while serving as 10th Mountain soldiers-formed the foundation of a car-free, walkable street base village. Here, you'll find chalet-style buildings with detailed wood carvings and flower-filled window boxes.

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.

"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."

I've checked in at a few of the group's lauded hotels over my decade-plus time living in France, but the Alpine locale has long been on my bucket list. Courchevel, the ritzy ski resort in France's Les 3 Vallées-the world's largest interconnected ski area-lives up to its reputation of "Saint-Tropez in the snow." Here, you'll recognize some of the same restaurants (Kinugawa, Bagatelle) and hotels that line the cobblestone streets of the famous French Riviera town.

Les Deux Alpes keeps unfolding lap after lap, zone after zone, until you realize you've spent the entire day chasing terrain that never really ends.

The sport originated thousands of years ago in Europe by necessity when hunters used long skis to travel and explore over mountain passes, placing animal skins on the bottoms of their skis for traction when climbing. Military units used similar gear to patrol the Alps in the late 1800s, sometimes engaging in speed competitions, which were likely the prototypes for the format of the Olympic skimo debut this February.

Snowfall in France this week has been huge, with some resorts seeing more than 2 meters (6.6 feet) in the last five days. A massive winter storm hammered the French Alps from February 10-13, unleashing monster snowfall that has buried resorts and reshaped the mountain landscape just days before Valentine's Day weekend. Across the Northern Alps - including iconic resorts in Haute-Savoie, Savoie, and Isère - weather stations reported extraordinary snow totals.

I parked in a big underground garage and popped up out of the ground like a rabid squirrel right at the lifts. This was the first and only day I've skied alone the entire trip (I've been out here since Feb 3). I had absolutely no idea where to go. I jumped on the Olympique tram-gondola because I'd never seen a setup like that before. Each cabin was massive, holding maybe 40 people or more, with tons of seating. Everything is so civilized here.

The alpine terrain is pure diesel. Jagged peaks, spires, massive couloirs, tons of snow, and hanging platforms all accessible via tram, gondola, and chairlift. I skied a small couloir I spotted under the gondola, then gawked at the terrain attached to the Saulire tram. I was gobsmacked. I zipped up the tram, crossed the "Closed" signs (these are to keep folks out who don't have the gear and training), and delved into the unknown.

We loaded the chair around 10:30 a.m. and followed a new local friend, Luke, into a wild pillow-stacked gully. That first run showed us exactly how deep and perfect the snow really was. I lapped the chair twice more before noticing a sign saying another, higher chair would open at noon. It was 11:24 a.m. Perfect timing. I headed over to wait for the Marquise chair, which rises above treeline into mellow, rolling alpine terrain.

Backcountry | The Télécphérique de La Grave in France is mythical. It owns myth. It deserves myth. It owns my fear. I've been wanting to come here since I was 22, but I knew I wasn't ready. At 47.6 years old, I suppose I finally felt prepared to explore La Grave and see how she treats me. Conditions ReportMy friend Per has been a guide in La Grave for 30+ years and his calm demeanor and laissez-faire attitude towards the place calmed me some.