Gavarnie, France – What can you say about a day when you summit the highest peak in the French Pyrenees under the bluest, most cloudless sky that you have ever seen, and then afterwards, following a short rappel, you have a nearly 5,000 vertical-foot ski descent on soft … Continue Reading ››

La Grave, France (September 2002) – What could I write about La Grave that hasn’t already been written? This small French village claims no more than a couple of bars and hotels, yet it’s home to some of the most extreme lift served terrain on the planet. A “resort” … Continue Reading ››

Val d’Isere, France – Imagine a resort nearly four times the size of Whistler-Blackcomb with terrain to suit all standards of skiers and boarders, no matter how extreme your tastes. A resort with off piste possibilities so vast that books have been … Continue Reading ››

I knew two things about Les Arcs prior to our visit. I’d seen pictures of lunatics with space helmets on, hurtling down the speed skiing run … Continue Reading ››

Serre Chevalier, France – It wasn’t looking good. Our flight went well, the hire car was OK and we’d managed to find our hotel without getting lost. Then it all started to go wrong. It was pouring down with rain when we got out of the car, all the shops were shut for lunch and … Continue reading Serre Chevalier: Too Many Options →

Mavrovo, Macedonia – "How much is the bus to Mavrovo?" I asked the lady behind the counter. She looked at me confused, and answered dismissively, "The bus will come." "OK. I want to buy a ticket." "The bus will … Continue Reading ››

Glenshee, Scotland – When hiking in Switzerland several years ago, we had the unusual experience of our Swiss guide, Ruidi, giving all affirmative answers as “Aye” rather than “Yes” or the German “Ja.”  It turned out that he had been married to … Continue Reading ››