Méribel, The Cheat Sheet
Freshly back from a trip to Méribel, my Moonboots still at the door and my Flight Deck still tucked in my Huff ‘n Puffa jacket, here’s a run-through of where to head this season in this enticing section of Les Trois Vallees.
Travel
Vertical Limit
Imagine scaling the sheer walls of a mountain, gripping onto metal rungs and wires, while admiring the stunning scenery of the Alps, the Mediterranean, or the Canadian Rockies. This is the thrill of Via Ferrata, or “Iron Way”, a type of climbing that originated in the First World War as a way for soldiers to traverse the rugged terrain of the Dolomites.
The Alpine Edition 22-23
Join us as we visit resorts across Europe and the US and get serious about this season’s must-have styles. We also sit down with Air Zermatt CEO Gerald Biner.
Alps Privé
As the winter ski season arrives in all its powder-laden glory, and legions of tourist boards around the world brace to see where the modern jet set will land, the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa wants you to know that their season kicks off with a rare privilege. A Private Mountain, no less.
Range Rover – The Next Generation
The first Range Rover prototype broke cover in 1969, code-named: Velar. Its appeal was instant, combining permanent 4-wheel drive, a split tailgate and elegant modern design. Whilst I would have preferred to have owned the original three-door Range, the four-door iteration released in 1981 boasted all the nostalgia I craved.
The Sirreti List
Homes that orbit the top and ultra-luxury rentals market have to be faultless, flawless and in the most pristine locations to get on the books of the world’s foremost travel curators. As such, it’s remarkable that – at least, until now – there has been no professional measurement or recognition at this loftiest of levels.
Airelles, Courchevel
Escapism. Goodness knows we all need some after the last couple of years. Crossing the Masai Mara at sunrise by hot air balloon to watch the migration or boarding the Glacier Express across the alps is arguably bucket list-worthy. However, for me, the instant gratification of short-haul travel is equally satisfying, waking up to the mundane breakfast at home, yet taking lunch somewhere completely out of the ordinary. With French Alpine resorts open, this can only mean taking that midday intermission mountainside.
Quintessential Dukes
This seamless blend of two Victorian townhouses (as of 1908) spans an impressive 91 bedrooms, whilst preserving its throne in the then power seat of London.
The Road to Villa d’Esté
I will always remember the first glimpse I had of Lake Como. I was coming from Milan and just remember seeing a glint of sunshine bounce off the Lake as I approached. I was fixated on this mammoth lake that consisted of some of the clearest water I had ever seen, cosseted in between the Italian hills.
Robert Bösch Engiadina
Robert Bösch is not afraid of the intensity of the Engadin light and the grandiosity of the nearby mountains. Even as a young mountaineer, he was often in the Engadin and for years now has been spending a lot of time at his home in Maloja, from where he has roamed the area and climbed many mountain peaks.
The Alpine Edition Europe
We’re headed to Lech, a luxury resort at the heart of the Austrian Vorarlberg region. Lech has had a remarkable snow record over the years and is now part of Austria’s largest skiable area thanks to the Flexenbahn gondola.
The Alpine Edition
Join us as we visit a host of resorts across Europe, Japan, the US and New Zealand. Jesse Van Rheenen meets up with Freeride World Tour champion Markus Eder to talk about The Ultimate Run and his partnership with Alpina.
Japan – Hokkaido & Hakuba
In the Nagano prefecture, Hakuba is one of Japan’s top winter resorts stretching over the three municipalities of Omachi city, Hakuba Village and Otari village. With Olympic hosting heritage comes investment and footfall and so Hakuba comprises 10 ski resorts that run north to south entrenched in the foothills of the Hida Mountains.
Hurawalhi
Seaplane is one of the most spectacular ways to arrive at Hurawalhi. The de Havilland Twin Otter is unpressurised and a rite of passage for anyone travelling to the 1190-island archipelago of the Maldives. The journey to the Lhaviyani Atoll takes around 40 minutes – enough time to either power-nap or stare intently out of the window at the blueprint of the original 90s desktop background.
Cortina d’Ampezzo
Deep in the Veneto valleys of Northern Italy sits The Queen of the Dolomites, Cortina d’Ampezzo. There’s no angle of approach to the region that won’t leave you overwhelmed by the colossal mountains fortifying this beautiful region.
Fingal
Edinburgh has many fine and illustrious luxury hotels, but none with the heritage and timeless elegance of Fingal. So, when the conversation about a Scotland fly drive was raised by the assistant motoring editor, Aaron Edgeworth, my deck shoes were already packed.
Wanderlust – Spring
I’ve managed to undertake a whole lot of travelling through the various lockdowns. The problem? Aside from a couple of brief working jaunts to the Baltic states, it’s happened almost entirely within my imagination.
Elysium: Kudadoo
Was it all a dream? Some sort of abstraction from consciousness? Had delirium set in? It seemed so real. The colours so incredibly vivid, the sealife so lustrous. I felt incredibly lucid sojourning under the luminous morning sun, deep in the heart of the Indian Ocean. The heat instantly envelopes you when you’re a mere 380 miles from the equator. It was a stark contrast from the ashen winter morning that now sat before me. I needed to find the red pill and somehow get back – back to the pure shores of Kudadoo.
Alpine Escapes
When I started 2020, I was almost mountain fit. Not rock-climbing fit, you understand, but skiing down. I spent the last six months of 2019 working on a fitness routine to kick start myself into a 2020 season of incredible heli skiing in New Zealand, British Columbia and Japan.
The Cary Arms
I should start by talking about the provenance of the local area, of the coastal beauty of South Devon, and the steeped history that the Cary Arms and its outlands hold. I should regale you with grand tales of the gaff yawl “escape” and the vision as she rounds Long Quarry Point.