I’ll be honest: I’ve never been enthralled by the idea of skiing. I know that’s not very chic, so I often keep it to myself, as well as my aversion to eating mollusks (you can be classy and cultured and not like oysters! You can!).
I went skiing once when I was 11 years old, and although my mother insists I was good, I have no memory of it – nor do I remember enjoying it – so I think it’s probably a lie . Whatever the case, I never planned to go skiing again. But an aversion to skiing puts you in a rather sad position if, like me, you also love mountains, or if, like me, you dream of cold, snow-filled escapes. There’s a definite rock-and-hard-place joke here, but I’m not going to make it.
In my age group it often feels like you have to choose between two holidays: a warm holiday or a ski holiday. Other cold locations – Copenhagen, Reykjavík, etc. – are either prohibitively expensive or, at this point, mildly explosive. Moreover, they are city trips. If you want a real tundra, people expect you to strap on your salopettes.
But what if you just… didn’t do it? That’s a question I sought the answer to as I boarded the first SkyAlps flight from London Stansted to Bolzano, a small airport in a northern Italian city that will offer Londoners better access to some of the country’s best ski destinations from December. Dolomites. SkyAlps has been operating since 2021, transporting skiers from a number of European airports to Bolzano, but Brits have had to wait until now to get in on the deal.
If the words “inaugural flight” don’t scare you, perhaps the term “propeller plane” will. Or, if you’re me, the sight of it will probably be enough. I did a quick and panicky dive into the aviation side of Google (i.e., searched for “propeller plane or jet safer???????”) and luckily found that the two are essentially equivalent.
The flight was surprisingly smooth considering we took off in rainy English conditions and landed in an Italian snowstorm. Yes, some turbulence, but not enough to whisper a last-minute Hail Mary. It was two and a half hours to Bolzano, then you have to hop on a transfer to the resort of your choice. We headed to Alta Badia and stayed in the nearby town of Corvara, which meant another hour and a half drive. Before the SkyAlps flight, hopeful Alta Badia refugees would have had to fly to Verona or Milan and take another train or two to get to Bolzano, as well as a further bus or car to the desired resort. A bit of a trek, especially for someone who has no plans to climb the slopes.
I actually had plans to ski on this trip, but was quickly put back in place by a wrist injury, making it very risky to even try. As such, my ski trip quickly became a non-ski trip. “Aren’t you bored?” you can ask. No, reader, I wasn’t – and here’s why.
There are a few important conditions for an enjoyable ski holiday without skis: First, you need to choose your hotel very carefully. I stayed in two in Corvara. First, the traditional, family-run, five-star Sassongher Hotel, which would warm the bones of even the coldest person. It’s quite retro in terms of decor (note the range of ornate dolls), but that old-world sensibility extends to the staff too, making for an incredibly welcoming stay, almost as if you’re a long-lost relative who has returned for the extended family Christmas.
It also has a beautiful “sky spa” (read: larger-than-average outdoor jacuzzi) where you can marvel at the mountains without having to worry about lugging your skis.
Unfortunately, this brings me to point two. A no-ski vacation doesn’t mean you’re banished to the foothills. If you’re going with a group of skiers and can’t or don’t want to participate, you can still use the chairlifts and gondolas to pick them up for lunch, après evening, or a fun outing on the skidoo (basically a snow jet ski), like I did. It’s great not to keep yourself off the slopes, especially as you might miss some of the gastronomic highlights. Like Rifugio Col Alt, for example, which had some of the best versions of the hearty mountain fare of the entire trip. The flavors were supported by some well-paired wines, carefully selected by our lunch companions Hugo and Ursula Pizzinini, owners of Rosa Alpina, a luxury Aman partner resort currently under renovation (it will reopen in December, in case you’re open to suggestions for the ski season 24/25).
Finally, point three: when you take off your skis from a skiing holiday, you experience an almost mandatory rest. While everyone else was on the slopes, working up a sweat and getting rather incongruous sunburns, I was in a place of relaxation of my own making. Reading, swimming, spa. This part of my trip was particularly lovely at our second hotel, La Majun, a more modern four-star hotel in Corvara with an 800-square-metre spa. A range of treatments are also available, from lymphatic drainage massages to cell recreation facials. I had a massage and a facial and my body was so relaxed when I walked out that I had to use the stabilization techniques I normally use when I am significantly drunk.
However, if you still need that active aspect, you can pass the time hiking, bobsledding or cross-country skiing, all of which will be facilitated by your hotel. Around the time we were in Corvara there was even the opportunity to attend part of the Ski World Cup, if you were into competitive sport.
There are some downsides to a ski holiday without skis, but they are much smaller than you might expect. Firstly, you’ll still need ski gear if you plan to hit the slopes, or at least a Matryoshka doll level of layering – the cold up there is just different. Fortunately, you can now rent ski gear from sites like Blanqo or Hurr, in case you don’t plan on reusing your ski equipment. I put Blanqo’s range of Perfect Moment ski sets to good use, which meant I still got the après-ski Instagram post I’d dreamed of without having to spend a fortune on the fit.
The other downside is that you won’t feel nearly as healthy as your professional ski friends, who will burn off all the meat-and-cheese-heavy alpine fare cutting up that powder. On the other hand, you may wonder how much weight a chairlift can really carry when you’re on your way back from lunch.
But as for the disadvantages, they are not so mean. So if you’re on Instagram this ski season and feeling a heavy dose of FOMO, just know that you don’t need any skills or desire for a dreamy ski-less ski vacation. Just a pair of rented salopettes, a bathing suit and a very good book. Okay, two good books.
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SkyAlps flights between London and Bolzano start from €184 each way. 50% discount for children from 2 to 11 years. It is free for children under 2 years old. skyalps.com
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Hotel Sassongher offers Comfort Rooms from €300 per night, based on two adults on half board. sassongher.it/en
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Hotel La Majun offers rooms from €370 per night, based on two adults on a B&B basis during the winter season. lamajun.it
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For more information about visiting Alta Badia, visit: altabadia.org