Chic Peaks, South Tyrol, Italy

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uncrowded
iO-mileexpanseof beautiful,
idyllof
s is laidoutaroundthe mountainous
Badia in the Dolomites. cABRTELLA
LEBREToN
hits the slopes,where the world'sbeautiful
people- includingGeorgeClooney- gracethe
glamorousscene.Plus,we round up the hottest
soots to heli-skipHoroGRApHs
ByDAvEwATTs
298 | Her.psn's BAZAARI Decenber
2011
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ucking into fresh lobster for
lunch on the terraces of the
Rifugio Emilio Comici, 2000
feet above sea level. next-door
to a Gw familiar faces from
the Ferrari F1 team, was a promise that I
was living the dolce vita. The whole snowy
expanse of the Alta Badia was at my feet.
The wine left condensation trails down the
glass.The sun shone.Later, havingswapped
salopettes and GorelTbx for a cashmere
dress, sipping a hot chocolate outside the
Cafe Corso, watching the Dolomites blush
pink in the setting sun while fur-clad Italians
animatedly swapped tales of their day, I
pondered how different a scene this was
from the ski-booted dancing on beery tables
in neighbouring Austria.
I might have guessedthat we were upping
the glamour stakeswhen I checked in to the
discreet Rosa Alpina in San Cassiano and
spotted photos of George Clooney looking
chummy with the chef Norbert Niederkofl er
and the property's owners, the Pizzinrni
familr'. \Vith the exception of his motorbikes,
Cloonev's onlylastinglove affair is with Italy,
and he has developeda nosefor discovering
impossiblv sexy pockets of the country in
n-hich to indulge his passionfor the good life.
San Cassiano,one of six villages in the
Sou:r Tr-roleanmunicipality of Alta Badia
:r :he heart of the Dolomites, and home to
a c1';s:e:ofriberJuxe hotels,spasand restau:::r:s. ce::ainlr'fits the Clooney bill. While
::::.:::::i:-,-to the Austrian border lends effi-.:::: :ni cutting-edgetechnology to the
:-!,:--> :.:tj' rentals, the vibe is distinctly
-'.,..: - :eople are here to soak up the
w,harprsbazur.o.ul
sunshine and be seen cruising down the
pistes in the latest ski fashions,rather than
queuingfor aposition on the first lift.Indeed,
u'ith the exception ofthe Seila Ronda circuit
(a popular dayJong route that enables
intermediate skiers to circumnavigate the
magnificent SellaMassifby following some
14 miles of gently undulating pistes), skiing
here seemsto be a handy form of transport
between sun-drenched terraces, rather than
the focus of activity. And that is despite the
fact there are a whopping 750 miles ofpistes
in the mostly liftlinked Dolomiti Superski
area (comparedwith 190miles in Val d'Is€re
and Tignes) - not bad for a place most skiers
outside Rome and Milan have never heard of,
With picturesque mountain villages and
a constellation of Michelin-starred chefs
and glitteringboutiques, this is aworld away
from the purpose-built concrete towns of
France and budget resorts ofAndorra and
Bulgaria. The stunninglimestone Dolomites,
embracing three provinces in north-eastern
Italy, were once part ofa coral reefunder the
ocean over 200 million years ago - hence
the distinctive rosy hue of the rock face.
Today, the range is officially one ofthe most
beautiful places in the world - according to
Unesco, which bestowed upon it the honour
ofWorld Heritage Site in 2009.
I adapt easily to the local routine: a couple
of warm-up runs; a mid-morning stop at a
mountain refuge for a restorative bombardino
(a frothy concoction ofbrandy and advocaat
served hot with whipped cream); cruise to
another refuge for an extended lunch on a
sunny terrace; consider a couple more ski
runs before enjoying a pastry on another
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terrace;and ski to the celeb-snrddedClub
Moritzino for live musicfrom the visitingDJ
on the outsidedeckandsignaturecocktails,
beforemeanderingdown the mountain.
Once offthe mountain,you haveto try
the traditional South Tyrolean hay bath: a
hay-and-wildflowerinfusion that releases
vapours to loosen musclesand open up
lungs. Rosa Alpinas Daniela Steiner Spa
specialisesin these, as well as Edelweiss
facials - and then it's time for lapasseggtbta,
an eveningstroll through town, stoppingto
browsethe boutiquesand quaffan aperitif
in a candlelitztinotecabefore
dinner.
Eating is a key theme in South Tyrol,
which is fastgaining a reputationasthe ski
world's hot new foodie destination.Alta
Badia's'Dolomitici',threehomegrownchefs
with four Michelin starsbetweenthem.not
only serveup a culinary storm in their restaurantsin SanCassianoand Corvara,but
have teamed up with eminent chefsfrom
acrossthe Alps to eachcreatea uniquedish
for 10mountainhuts,usingexclusively
local
products like tortelli pasta stufled with
speckpat6 and buffalo ricotta cheese,and
capuns(roast polenta) with raisins, local
speckand rocket.Pricedbetween.410and
{13 andwasheddown with a glassof crisp
South Tyrolean wine on a sunny terrace
overlookingthe Dolomites,it's a far cry from
what you might expectto receivein equivalent restaurantsin other parts ofthe Alps.
In fact, if the skiing in Alta Badiawasn't
so good, it would be easyto slip into the
mindset that skiing is merely a form of
transportbetweenrestaurants.
However,happily,the planfor tomorrow
isto goheli-skiingonMarmoladaMountain.
With heli-skiing banned in France and
mostofAustria, Italy is oneofthe few countries in the Alps where avid ofFpisteskiers
and riders can still enjoy the thrill. Even
without the rewardofunbrokendescentsof
up to 4,500vertical feetin untrackedvirgin
powder,heli-skiing in Alta Badia is worth
treating yourself to for the uninterrupted
viewsofthe Dolomitesalone.To be deposited on the snowy faceof Marmolada,the
highestpeakin the Dolomitesat 10,968feet,
and soakup 360-degree
viewsofthe world's
highest coral reef stretching around and
below,is a truly unforgettableeiperience.tr
TltreemgrtnatRosaAbtnaHotel6Spa nsxfm
t 1,670ap enon B 6 B, includingfugltts,
transrtn
and a 'sh.iambassador',
zlith PeartExpeience
(01292477771; znno.peal-experince.con).
Sk
passes
mstfromabout{75frr noodays.A lulimptertranferfunAlta BadtatotheMannolada
Glaciercostsfromaboutt100 a person.
w.hatmbawrn.ul
COME
fLmIIH \[L heli-skiing
destinations
d stforLNE-SEAS0N
SKIING
ftfransen,Sweden
-::62 iegrees north,24-hourdaylightin
:rd is a certaintyfrom early May.lt gives
-cj'::: senseof freedom,to which Sweden's
=
=:xec approachto heli-skilng
contributes.
--: 3 ot can landanywhere,any time.in
: ,,,- :e wildernessof 4O,OOOsquare miles.
<sgransenis a good basefor manoeuvres.
-=c,;r nights at Hotel Riksgransen, from about
!.755 a person, including heli-skiing, with
S:,omma (wwwstromma.se).
BestforHlGH-LtJX
EPART\TI\G
Rerrcktoke, canada
This is the dream ticket - with great heli-skiing
(operated by SelkirkTangiers),a superb ski
area,and a new lodge,Bighorn(sleeps16,
ivith its own helipad)suitsfamiliesand
groups.Heli-ski-onlypartiesmay be more
at home at SelkirkTangiers'HillcrestHotel,
From E4S,OOOa week for 16people at
Bighorn, including a private chet with James
Orr HeIiski (www.heliski.co.uk); heIi-skiing
costs from f6OO a person a day.
Best
\TEEDS\0\\'
IoTGUARA
\faH&,usA
Northern exposureis the name of the game
at Valdez,the ultimateski pilgrimagein
Alaska.A city of 4,OOOsoulshalfan hour
by air from Anchorage,it claimsthe highest
snowfallof any coastaltown in North
America.ValdezHeli-SkiGuideshasjust
opened the smart new TsainaLodge.
From about f5,45O a person a week at Tsaina
Lodge, including heli-skiing, with Valdez
HeIi-Ski Gui des (vvwttvaldezheIiskigu ides.com).
Best
[or\1RGI\TRACKS
Tsinahdafi, GeoEia
After running heli-skiingtrips on the Ossetian
border for 20 years,Swissmountainguide
RolandBeelerhas found a new playground
east of Tbilisi.Stay in a dacha at Tsinandali,
a wine estate founded by the 19th-century
poet PrinceAlexanderChavchavadze,and
be the first to make fresh tracks.
From about f4,21Oa person a week at
Tsinandali,includtng heli-skiing, with Alpin
Trave| (wwwa Ip intravel.ch).
BestforHlCH-FLTERS
Manali, lndia
Rarefiedheli-dropsat altitudesup to 16,000
feet are on the menu for skiersat Manali,
a hillstationin the northernlndianstateof
HimachalPradesh(translation:'snowy
mountains'):any higherand the air is too thin
for the rotors,not to mention the heli-skiers.
The seasonstarts late (end of January),
Himalayan Heli Adventures runs packages
for up to eight people in Manali. Visit
www.himachal,comfor details. ADAN4
RUcK
December
2011 | Henron's BLZLAI. | 301
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NEED
TOK\O\\WHERETOSTAY
Rosa Alpina Hotel & Spa (www.rosa pina.
it),Clooney'sfavourite,rswhere beauttcian
DanelaSteinerf irstiaunchedher mud fac a s
in 19 89 .Also in Sa n Cas s ianos t he e egant
and brilliantlylocatedHotel CiasaSalares
(www.siriola gro up. itThe
) . s um pt uousLa
Perla (www.hotel-lapera.it)in Corvarahas
v a st b ed roo msan d a f abu ous aor es - s k i
bar.Sp a-lo ve rssh ouldm ak e a beei r e + o'
Alpenroyal (www.alpenroya.it) rn Se ,.,:
A te rna trvey, sta y r ight up on t he - . , - : I
at the quirky Las Vegas Lodge (r.... ..
lasve ga so nlin e.lAt )nd
. new t h s s e: s : is the Alpina Dolomites (w,rr,rr,,.,.a
c -:
d olo mitesit) in A p e d Suis .r , . , : -: in cre dib iespa ,p oo lsand p. ' ,3 - e : - :
WHERE TO EAT IN TOWN
Th e b est o f Alta Ba dia' sr e: , . : , - - - _: the two-Michetn-starredSt Hubertus
(39 44718495OO);La Siriola -: _ 849445),and La Stiia de Michil -:,
0471B3 1OOO).
Va Gar dena: : :
:: :
300 | Hanron's BAZAAR Dern:i,. -
a lvlrchelin-starred
restaurant,Anna Stuben
(+39047179631r. For a more informal
option,try the tradrtionalTubladl (+39O471
796879) in Val Gardena,or cosy Ristorante
Stria ln Colfosco (39 A471 836620)
WHERE TO EAT ON THE MOUNTAIN
For a rstof gourmet mountainrestaurants,
v ls itt h e 'T a s t ef o r S k r r n g 's e c t r oant w w w .
alt aba d i a . c o mI. g h i g h t s i n c l u d e R
: ifugio
Utia De Bioch (+39 338 4833994), which is
one o f t h e b e s t s o o i s f o r L a d i ns p e c i a l r t i e s ;
Rifugio Emilio Comica (+39 0471 794121),
t he hi g h e s tf i s h 'e s t a . l . a n ti n t h e D o o m t e s :
Sofie Hiitte (+39335 527 1240),boastrng
one of t h e b e s : . , - e c e l a r sr n t h e A l p s ,a n d
the legendarl.'Club Moritzino (+39 O471
847403),v,i- .- ::.. es sub ime food and rs
t ne ho t t e s i a l : r . =: : 'c r a f t e r n o o nd r i n k s .
APRES.SKI
it's worth visitingCafe Corso n Ortis:
P6tisserieTabl6 rn Corvara.HMurin Ostar:
i n C o r v a r ai s a l s ov e r y l i v e l y.Th e w tn e : =
of the boutrqueHotel Nives (Val Gar.:=-.
l s i d e a lf o r a n a p e r i t i f .F o r d i scoa cti o . _
the Posta Zirm Hotel's Taverna (rn Co.. . .
WHATTODO
V r s i t o r si n M a r c h2 a 1 2 c a nta ke o a r t n
'Wine Ski Safarirand enjoy high-al|tr ::=
t a s t i n g so f l o c a lw i n e s ,a n d n i b b l e sa t
s e l e c tm o u n t a i nr e s t a u r a n ts.
Vr si tw w ,.
altabadia.org
f o r d e t a i l sA
. sk Ji m m y,:F=
e n t h u s i a s t io
c w n e r o f t h e m o u n ta i nr e '- . .
Jimmyts Hiitte, to give you an rnforma
t a s t i n go f h i s h o m e - d i s t i el d g r a p p a s '.
up earlyto take a 7am snowcatto Rifugio
Col Alt (www nfugiocolalt.it)to feasi ca 'D o o m i g h t y B r e a k f a s t 'f orsu n rse ,tf =be the f rst to enjoythe untouchedsno\. the mountain.For deta ls,contactthe A ..
B a d a a n d V a l G a r d e n aT o ur i stBo a r ci s
(w\,!\,v.a
tabadia.org;www.valgardenawww.fiarperslttza
c,