Courchevel, France – “Have an espresso. It’s quite good.” This sage advice came from Skip King, an old friend and the American press attaché for the Courchevel Tourist Office. He had just flown in from Boston, and he didn’t look much better than I felt. A nine-hour overnight flight from Miami had brought me here … Continue reading Coeur de Courchevel →

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 spring snow on a giant mountain all … Continue reading Pyrenees Haute Route: Venturing with Vultures →

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” with just four lifts, no ski … Continue reading La Grave: Personal Responsibility →

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 written about it. A resort with 300km of groomed runs, 97 lifts, two … Continue reading L’Espace Killy: Where Imagination Meets Reality →

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 at 150 mph. A lot of people choose to spend their winter seasons in the resort. But nothing could have prepared me for the sheer diversity, size and quality … Continue reading Les Arcs: Something for Everybody →

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 come," she repeated, then slid closed the window for talking and looked away. She would not … Continue reading Mavrovo: A Return to What Was →