Words: Gentleman's Journal
Clean mountain air, spectacular scenery and a vast range of activities mean ski resorts can be just as good a place for a summer holiday as a winter break. From mountain biking to tennis tournaments, food festivals, concerts or just enjoying the wilderness, when the snow goes, some of the world’s most famous resorts have just as much happening.
BE ACTIVE IN VAL D’ISÈRE
The grassy pistes of Espace Killy open for mountain bikes from 27 June – 30 August. Trails are graded like ski slopes, with green for beginners, blue for improvers, red for advanced and black for elite bikers, and you can even use the ski lifts to take bikes to the top.
In July the French town hosts the 4th Val d’Isère Tarantaise Ice Trail on the highest running trail in Europe, and the Skyrunning Ultra World Series. If you think skiing down Bellevarde after a few Génépis is tough, just try running one vertical kilometre up it.
At over 3,000 metres, the Pisaillas Glacier retains snow all year, so you may even get a little skiing in too if you don’t mind sharing runs with the French Ski Team., www.valdisere.com
GO GOURMET IN ISCHGL
In winter, the slogan for Ischgl is ‘relax if you can’. In summer, the Austrian resort slows down. There might be Ischgl Ironbike, one of the toughest mountain biking contests in Europe, and Silvrettarun 3000, a selection of marathons which take place at altitudes of up to 3,000 metres. But, the highlight of the summer is the Culinary St Jacob’s Way.
From 5 July, four international chefs take up residence in mountain huts around Ischgl and the neighbouring villages of Kappl, Galtur and See. Hungry visitors can access the huts on foot via ancient pilgrim paths.
The chefs, which include British Michelin-starred chef Matthew Tomkinson, from the Montagu Arms, Hampshire, create dishes using local produce like air-dried bacon, mountain honey and Paznaun Alpine cheeses. Perhaps in summer the slogan should be ‘have dessert if you can’., www.ischgl.com
CHECK OUT CULTURE IN ASPEN
One of the chicest ski resorts in the Rockies, Aspen is synonymous with designer shops, expensive restaurants, and a celebrity clientele. In summer, the resort is a less glitzy – room rates drop, and packing is a lot easier if your girlfriend doesn’t need to bring a fur coat.
Summer is festival season in Aspen. There’s the Food & Wine Classic, 19-21 June; the Wanderlust Festival for yoga and meditation, 2-5 July; and Aspen Ideas Festival, 25 June-4 July.
Neighbouring Snowmass offers 50 miles of hiking and biking trails, plus golf, fishing and white water rafting. Farm-to-table dinners take place throughout August at Elk Camp and Lynn Britt Cabin (Snowmass) and at Roaring Fork ranch where you can meet suppliers of the Little Nell. Gondolas run until early October., www.aspensnowmass.com
CELEBRATE SPORT IN GSTAAD
Julie Andrews once said: “Gstaad is the last paradise in a crazy world”, and with its geranium-bedecked chalets and gorgeous scenery, the saying is just as apt for the Swiss resort in summer as winter.
2015 is the 100th anniversary of the Swiss Open, the Alpine equivalent of Wimbledon. Held in Gstaad, the ATP World Series tournament attracts players like Roger Federer and Jamie Murray, while if you prefer to play, the Gstaad Palace Hotel runs tennis coaching weeks for guests with Roy Emerson.
Gstaad also hosts the Hublot Polo Gold Cup, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this August, and the Davidoff Saveurs Gourmet Festival, also in its 20th year., www.gstaad.ch/en
WATERSPORTS AND WILDLIFE IN JACKSON HOLE
Jackson Hole is possibly the only ski resort in the world to get more visitors in summer than winter. Set in the Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole is ideally placed for enjoying Wyoming’s scenery. The mountains are mega, with Grand Teton rising to 13,770 feet, while the canyons and Snake River provide a spectacular place for white water rafting, kayaking, canoeing and fly fishing.
Yellowstone National Park is 90 miles north. Best known for its supervolcano, Yellowstone is also home to wolves, elk, moose, bears and bison. Jackson itself is a cowboy town – buy some leather boots and hang out in a saloon – just don’t end up in the rodeo., www.jacksonhole.com
By Julia Hunt
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