France’s Alpine wonderland
There’s a reason the fabulously wealthy flock to Courchevel, France, said Michael Paterniti in The New York Times. Located in the Savoy region of the French Alps, the ski resort is a true winter wonderland, “a canted plinth of pine-treed beauty above which rise the stunning, coruscated peaks of the Massif de la Vanoise.” Courchevel is part of Les Trois Vallées, the world’s largest ski area linked entirely by lifts and slopes, but the area’s “fabled” runs aren’t its only attraction. Though initially developed in the mid-20th century as “the People’s Ski Resort,” Courchevel has become “one of the ritziest places on earth,” drawing a clientele that includes Kate Moss, the Beckhams, and Prince William and Kate Middleton. The resort has “all the traits of a traditional French village, and then all the glitz of Avenue Montaigne” in Paris. Women sashay by in ski outfits that would cost “your average proletarian a month’s wages” while the men sit by the fire drinking bottles of cognac “whose sticker price resembles that of a compact car.” Some boutiques, including Louis Vuitton and Dior, provide “ski-in, ski-out shopping.” Courchevel isn’t “exclusively for the mega-wealthy” though. The farther down the mountain you stay, the more reasonable the prices. Regardless, Courchevel’s glamour is a “force nearly equal to the skiing” when you’re snacking on shrimp from New Caledonia, soaking in Jacuzzis with “disco lights,” or swimming laps in a pool that looks like “something built by the pharaohs.” Contact: courchevel.com
Snowshoeing in Alaska
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While Alaska offers countless winter adventures, nothing can match the “solitude and awe-inspiring views” from atop Mount Ripinsky, said Heather Lende in National Geographic Traveler. Winter happens to be my “favorite time” of year to explore the 3,690-foot mountain, which towers over Haines, a tiny town located at the top of the Alaska Panhandle. While the season’s usual mix of snow and rain can make the Panhandle’s low-lying towns pretty “miserable,” whenever it’s raining in the harbor, it’s probably snowing on Mount Ripinsky, the most notable peak of southeast Alaska’s Takshanuk range. December to April is “prime” snowshoeing season on Ripinsky. “Bears lie sleeping in their dens; deep snow smooths out the rugged trails and buries brush so that you can walk almost anywhere and, thanks to the tracks you leave, not get too lost.” On stormier mornings, stick to the lower slopes, which are “sheltered by tall spruce and hemlock trees.” But on “bluebird days or moonlit nights,” venture above the trees. You’ll see for “miles down the fjord—not quite to Russia but almost to Juneau.” Contact: expeditionbroker.com
Iceland’s ‘cold-weather treats’
The days may be short in Iceland, but the pleasures are lasting, said Carol Pucci in The Seattle Times. Though January and February bring sunrises as late as 11 a.m., “it’s worth the wait” to see the sun creep up and cast a “brilliant pink light on the snowy mountains and blue sea” surrounding Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík. As day breaks, it begins to reveal the charms of this walkable town, which is “more New England fishing village than cosmopolitan capital.” Situated on the southern shore of Faxa Bay, the city is home to a “quaint waterfront,” houses “sheathed in colorful corrugated steel,” and “excellent restaurants” that serve up such fare as shark meat and whale kebabs. Within an hour’s drive of Reykjavík is an Arctic “landscape filled with hot springs, geysers, waterfalls, and fields of black lava rock.” In Thingvellir National Park, you can hike on both sides of a great rift where the earth once split. Heading instead to the north, you can see the “half-frozen Gullfoss waterfall.” Venturing south, you can soak in the “milky 99-degree waters of the Blue Lagoon,” just one of Iceland’s many “steaming, sulfur-scented” geothermal spas. Contact: visitreykjavik.is
A new thrill in New Hampshire
Leave your snowboard at home: Alpine coasters offer the “newest adrenaline rush” on New England’s slopes, said Andrea Sachs in The Washington Post. Built like mountaintop roller coasters, these winding steel-rail thrill runs offer winter fun-seekers “another reason to brave the elements.” The fiberglass sleds that riders strap into reach 25 mph, and the loops, curves, and hairpins make snow-tubing courses seem tame. Best of all, Alpine coasters cost less than a ski-lift ticket—roughly $10 a run—and are open year-round. New Hampshire is the only state in the eastern U.S. that has two Alpine coasters; better still, they’re separated by just 10 miles. At Attitash, near the town of Bartlett, the stainless-steel course is “integrated in the landscape, tracing the layout, contours, and natural features” of the White Mountains. Attitash’s ride ascends 1,420 feet, descends 2,880 feet, and “ribbons through a serene forest with babbling brooks, an unkempt garden of granite boulders, and raccoon prints pressed in the snow.” Cranmore’s coaster travels 1,300 feet up and 2,400 feet down, while offering a quick glimpse of Mount Washington “before it fades into the horizon.” As the pulley system dragged my sled up the incline, “two rows of evergreens raised their branches in salute,” then whoosh! The cart rolled down and “banked around a wide hula hoop.” I quickly learned the “effect of speed on one’s brain, body, and soul.” Contact: attitash.com, cranmore.com
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