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Ah, Aspen… Loved by celebs with private jets and people with so much money they could buy the whole mountain if they so desired. But for one week each winter, this mountain resort turns into the biggest LGBTQI party you might ever encounter, and at Aspen Gay Ski Week there’s as much action off the slope as there is on.
Après-ski hot-tub ragers, friendship dinners, art nights and dance parties take over when the hikes, downhill costume parties and bootcamp classes are done for the day. There’s also a (slightly) serious side: all money raised during the festivities goes to the Roaring Fork Gay and Lesbian Community Fund, which supports ventures promoting tolerance, understanding and diversity.
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The ultimate in travel experiences
Rock with altitude at SnowpenAir
With a backdrop of Switzerland’s most beautiful mountains, SnowpenAir allows punters to get high listening to the likes of James Blunt and Bryan Adams. For two days in April, the world’s highest open-air concert showcases some of the world’s biggest acts, as well as some homegrown heroes to keep the local crowd happy.
Forget warm beers and the stench of portaloos that typically hovers over festivals, and instead breathe in the fresh alpine air and enjoy a schwofen (dance) on the slopes.
Ski and party at Horizon Festival
Party hard in an abandoned factory and brush off the cobwebs with the help of crisp air and powder snow the following day. Open from December through May, Bansko, Bulgaria’s largest ski resort, offers one of Europe’s longest ski seasons but the best time to go is in March when Horizon Festival hits the slopes.
This boutique event packs 30 parties into an eclectic mix of venues, including abandoned hotels and a geothermal pool, over six nights and seven days. Think international DJs pumping out house, techno, groove and funk in secret spots on Pirin Mountain and on stages lurking in forests and medieval halls.
Summer ski loving
No matter what time of year you get the bug to strap on the skis (or the board), you can take to Oregon’s Mount Hood. Here, you’ll find Timberline Lodge at about 1,200 metres.
During the summer months (from June to September) you’ll find plenty of skiers higher up the mountain at Palmer Snowfield. The best part is you can get up early to do a bit of skiing, then head down to Portland for some craft beer and doughnuts, or go a bit further to enjoy the amazing coastline. Take in artsy Cannon Beach, wander the promenade at Seaside or catch a wave at Indian Beach.
Californian ski and surf
Pack your wettie and your skis and take off on a thrill-seeking Californian day trip. Spend your morning surfing the friendly Bolinas break locals have tried so desperately to keep secret (they remove road signs almost as soon as they’re put up), then buckle up for the four-hour drive to Squaw Valley, host of the 1960 Winter Olympics. There’s no need to rush – runs are floodlit by night, giving you plenty of time to ride the legendary slopes.
Ski one hour, sunbake the next
If you decide to add Cyprus to your next itinerary, put a few days aside for some fun in the snow. That’s right, in the heart of the Troodos Mountains, Mount Olympus has four ski slopes.
It’s a short season, from January to March, and it’s all pretty gentle, but it does have the honour of being one of the few places in the world where you can get your hit of snow-based action for part of the day then sunbake yourself silly at a beach resort just an hour later. Nearby Paphos has 27 beaches ranging from very popular to almost deserted, the perfect way to warm up after your unexpected snow experience.
Ski the Spanish way
When you hit slopes around the world you expect vistas daubed in snow, but the pistes of Sierra Nevada boast panoramas far more unusual – the shimmering expanse of the Mediterranean Sea. Andalucían rays beam down on Europe’s southernmost ski slopes most days of the year, making it the ideal place to go if you’re torn between sun and snow.
As the ski season slips into spring, the days get warmer and the sparkling blue begs you to swap your boots and poles for togs and a towel. Make for the shore, known as Costa Tropica, just 100 kilometres away.
Hit the slopes, Morocco-style
Morocco tends to conjure thoughts of tagines, deserts and inescapable heat, so you’ll be forgiven for forgetting to pack your skis. Yet only 70 kilometres from Marrakesh, the Atlas Mountains are home to Oukaïmeden, Africa’s highest ski resort.
Oukaïmeden offers a Moroccan take on the classic sport. Clamber onto a donkey instead of a chairlift, haggle for a cheap set of skis and spend a bizarre après-ski in awe of the snake charmers and street performers who roam Jemaa El Fna.
Glacier kayaking
While some wring their hands at the mention of shrinking glaciers, a beautiful side-effect of glacial retreat peppers Alaska’s Prince William Sound. A 16-kilometre trail of ever-changing ice sculptures graces the bay, creating a striking landscape best explored by kayak. It’s a two-hour water taxi trip to the Columbia Glacier, but keep your eyes peeled along the way for seals, sea lions and, if you’re lucky, whales.
When you arrive, swap the motor for a paddle and coast around the vibrant blue shards, listening as great chunks of ice crash from the terminus of one of the world’s most rapidly changing glaciers. Scientists predict its retreat will halt in the next five to 15 years, when it will stabilise and cease shedding.
Hot tub igloo
The thought of walking into an igloo in a bathing suit is enough to make anyone shiver. But Engelberg Iglu-Dorf has its own in-igloo spa and sauna equipped with a heating system to fend off the cold. The igloo village it resides in is built from scratch every year, and the spa igloo accommodates up to six guests within its icy walls, which are adorned with Inuit art carvings. It’s a constant –5°C inside, but the 38°C jacuzzi will make you forget the chill.
