00:11the snow is falling the lifts are open and ski season is finally here on this week's travel
00:17smart we're diving into some of our favorite places to head in Europe's highest ski resort
00:21in the French Alps to a laid-back corner of the Donuts and we'll also be sharing our dream
00:27destinations further afield from Japan's powder paradise to Canada's big mountain legends
00:40Baltarenz is one of the giants of European skiing at 2300 meters it's the highest ski resort in Europe
00:48which basically means one thing reliable snow the season runs November through May and if you want
00:55the very best conditions January and February are the golden months it's famously part of the three
01:01valleys the largest link ski area in the world there are more than 600 kilometers of pistes and
01:07endless options but what makes Val Terrens so exciting is how fast you can get off the beaten
01:13track a quick traverse and suddenly you're in a huge silent bowl with views stretching to Mont Blanc for a
01:20few minutes it feels like you've got the Alps all to yourself now just a little word of warning there
01:26are very few trees in Val Terrens if you're already a skier you'd know to head to them during a
01:32whiteout
01:32but on the plus side you've got constant uninterrupted views of that incredible landscape then there's
01:39Seine de Caron the big one at 3195 meters high you can see into Italy on one side and on
01:48the other the
01:48Morien Valley it's a proper jaw drop moment what's more getting to the chairlifts is a cinch most of
01:55the key ones all leave from a central point and take you off the different parts of the stunning
02:00mountain landscape in a star formation now if you want something completely different spend the night
02:06in a mountain refuge like Lac de Luz you hike up with head torches spend the night in a cozy
02:11hut and
02:12wake up surrounded by untouched snow before anyone else gets there après here is legendary too you've
02:19got the huge terrace parties with DJs but also the traditional savoyars side think fondue and tartar
02:26flat extra fuel for the next day on the slopes Val Terrens is big bold and busy and full of
02:33surprises
02:34if you know where to look cavara in the italian dolomites is one of my favorite places for a
02:41snowy holiday not only is there world-class skiing and beautiful landscapes the mountains there truly
02:46are some of the most beautiful in the world but there's plenty to do off the slopes whether that's
02:51indulging in wellness at one of the beautiful spa hotels or immersing yourself in the ladine culture
02:57which has a very distinctive food and wine scene the season runs roughly from december through to april
03:03and the skiing is usually wonderful throughout when i went in january i found crisp snow and blue skies
03:09but in spring it's particularly special with long sunny days and those mountains glowing pink at sunrise
03:15and sunset part of the beauty of cavara is that there's a real range of skiing so if you're a
03:21beginner or intermediate there are plenty of wide blue and green slopes which are also great for more
03:26experienced skiers as the views on them are absolutely stunning my personal favorite and i'm sure a lot
03:32of other skiers would agree is the cellaronda an all-day circuit linking four valleys and you can swoop
03:38below those jagged dolomite peaks the cellaronda circuit is on many skiers bucket lists it's about 44
03:44kilometers long 23 of which are skied and should take around six hours so it's a good idea to start
03:50early
03:51it's particularly spectacular as you have amazing views of the cellar massif which is a plateau shaped mountain
03:57and it also allows you to ski between various resorts and pass through beautiful mountain villages
04:02but the real magic is the food in alta badia as a whole there's a very distinctive ladine culture
04:08and the cuisine is particularly special by the afternoon is an aperol spritz on the sun terrace
04:13or a spa session with a view of those stunning jagged peaks honestly there's not much better than
04:19coming off the mountain after a strenuous day and watching those beautiful mountains change color
04:23kavara shows that ski trips doesn't need to be all about high adrenaline it can be about slowing down
04:29eating some really good food and taking some time for yourself so ted we've talked about europe but
04:37you've been to some destinations further afield what are your favorite long haul destinations for skiing
04:42or snowboarding because you're a snowboarder yeah i'm a snowboarder yeah and one of my favorite ski
04:46memories actually was in japan in a resort called niseko on the island of hikado it's renowned for having
04:52some of the world's best snow in january and february it can snow almost every day and you're
04:59skiing through feather-like powder but what about you when i'm skiing in the three valleys i actually
05:04usually stay in layman weir which is a little bit further down the mountain the reason for that is
05:09it's a more affordable resort it's a little bit more low-key compared to valteran which is a bit of
05:14a
05:14party town but you still have access to the three valleys which is a huge ski area what about
05:19further afield anywhere else i also skied in shiga kogan it's a more local resort and it's a huge ski
05:25area but it hasn't got the same international attention yet and what's really great about shiga
05:30kogan is there are the onsen towns nearby so you can ski and then come and bathe afterwards which is
05:36so unique and so different so i absolutely love skiing in canada and whistler is resort i come back to
05:42again and again you've got long cruisy slopes but then there's also some really great back country
05:47skiing and there's also a really great apre another one of my favorite spots for snowboarding is in
05:54canada as well it's this town called fernie in the rockies it's interesting i've not heard of fernie
05:59before i think it's one of the most off the radar underrated ski towns it's not polished or purpose-built
06:05it's a real community with a world-class ski resort on its doorstep what you do is you get the
06:11bus out
06:11to the resort every winter there's seriously deep snow and then you're treated to having slopes almost
06:17yourself there are steep bowls there are tree runs it just feels so raw and authentic and then at the
06:23end of the day when you've done your skiing or snowboarding you head to the local bar and the
06:27people in there that you're with actually live there it's brilliant so whether you're seeking high
06:34peaks fresh snow or simply those unforgettable mountain views there's something for every skier
06:40or snowboarder for more expert guides on the world's best ski resorts and other top travel destinations
06:46visit independent.co.uk forward slash travel see you on the slopes
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