Ski Breaks

South Tyrol, Italy’s most northernly region, plays host to the jaw-dropping beautiful mountains of the Dolomites.  And that’s not just our opinion.  The range was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2009.  The area boasts some of the best ski and snowsport runs in the world, as well 300 days of sunshine every year and a snow guarantee that runs from December to April.  This is clearly the place to be for discerning snow enthusiasts.

Val Gardena is probably one of the best loved ski resort in the world also the most famous ski area in the whole of South Tyrol.  Val Gardena/Gröden is made up of three charming alpine villages; Ortisei at 1236m, Santa Cristina at 1428m, and probably the best known is Selva at 1563m.

While some ski resorts in the Alps have to wait for the peak of the winter season to offer the good white stuff others are already in full swing.  So if you want to take an early ski break this winter, why wait when you can be on the pistes  before the madness of the height of the season.  We have found five resorts located above 2000m that have what you want for an early ski break.

Each winter skiers and snowboarders are faced the options of deciding which ski resort to go, where they will have a good time and guarantee snow.  We have found eight destinations in Europe and America that will give you a winter break to remember. The is the slow, busy, traditional, modern and old depending on your taste and how you want to spend your winter break.

Nestled on the border between France and Spain, Andorra is an excellent ski destination, whether you are a pro or a first-timer, party animal or just want to take it easy on the slopes.  Whatever you want from your ski holiday, you’ll find it in Andorra.

FREESTYLE SNOWBOARDING CAMP WHISTLER, CANADA
If you want to ramp up your tricks and nail some extreme moves in one week, Core Snowboard Camps in Whistler are a pretty slick bet.  The Nintendo Terrain Park offers six parks of different levels, a superpipe and a snowcross track, and if that tops, hip jumps, spines, rails and fun boxes are your bag, Core's pro snowboarder coaches will show you the ropes. Groups are no bigger than four, and instructors use video analysis - as well as a degree of good-natured ribbing to show you the way.

Many people assume Siberia is an inhospitable wasteland of frequented by bears and convicts, largely due to the more than 14 million people who were deported to the Gulag prison camps there between 1929 and 1953. But head to teh eastern slopes of Russia yourself and you will soon find this assumption is incorrect.  Stretching from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, Siberia covers a whopping 5.2 million square miles. It accounts for 77 per cent of Russia's territory but is home to only 25 per cent of its population. Meaning, lot of uncrowded slopes!

Alta Badia is known for its food and as much as a skiing destination. The ski resort forms part of the South Tyrol Dolomiti Superski ski region but in addition to its skiing reputation the valley has taken the combination of skiing and food to the next level making it a must visit winter destination. The Alta Badia valley is made of six picturesque alpine villages: Corvana (1550m), Colfosco (1650m), LaVilla (1430m), San Cassiano (1540m), Badia (1320m) and La Val (1350m).

Italy’s most northernly region, South Tyrol (also known as Sudtirol) is one of the country’s most enticing area for winter sports fans.  Its home to the world’s largest fully interconnected ski area, the Dolomiti Superski (1200km) and the world’s second largest interconnected ski area around the Sella Ronda (500km), skiers and boarders can feel that they can ski forever from one cosy village to another, always with the spectacular pale limestone and sedimentary rock cliff formation of the Dolomites towering dramatically above.

A ski break in Les Contamines-Montjoie is a road less travelled by popular winter holiday operators and skiers alike.  I have to admit it is a break on the quiet side unlike the après-ski resorts around Mont Blanc i.e. Chamonix but don’t let this put you off.  Les Contamines has its own charm, first it has the white stuff in abundance along with its 120km of serene piste and rolling hills of untouched powder.  Little known of this charming resort even though it is only an hour’s drive from Geneva, the Swiss capital to Mont Blanc.