SULA BRUCE
MY TOP FIVE
Ski Club rep Sula Bruce reveals her favourite resorts for late-season spring skiing
I am a big fan of late-season skiing; the slopes are quieter, the flights and hotels cheaper, and I’ve been lucky to ski powder in April, and even May. I have also skied a lot of slush and rubble, but hey, it’s great to help strengthen the legs for next season! Here are my top five resorts:
1 Zermatt, Switzerland I went on the end of season Zermatt trip in April 2018, led by former Ski Club Leader Peter Viccari, and loved it. Zermatt is high enough to keep the snow, with glacier skiing up to a staggering 3,899m. On my visit the sun shone and the pistes were empty. The highlight was an unexpected and exciting heliski excursion. Accompanied by our guide, Klaus, the helicopter dropped us on a plateau north of Alphubel and we skied through deserted Täschbach. After a short ski, we skinned in a remote wilderness and enjoyed some lovely descents finishing along the road to Täsch. The day ended with a feast prepared by Klaus’ wife at his farmhouse in the village, and the trip was topped off when we found fresh powder in Cervinia on our last morning… on 1 May!
2 Alagna, Italy Alagna is a charming Italian village, made for a late afternoon Aperol spritz in the sunny village square. Something lovely about skiing late in the season here is seeing the resort breathe a sigh of relief that winter is over, and life can continue without snow shovelling. The Monterosa ski area – Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna – are a reliable choice if you’re after a quiet resort with high altitude slopes (the ski lifts go as high as 3,550m). Alagna has been described as the Italian Chamonix, thanks to its extensive freeride terrain, and even late in the season you can find great powder. On my last spring trip there, we had two guides who really knew how to make the most of it. It was the first time I had tried skinning; the hour-long ascent took us to a refuge at 3,900m and I could really feel those metres, but reaching the top, the views and the turns we made on the way down made it worthwhile.
3 St Anton, Austria Many people don’t think about Austrian resorts when it comes to late season skiing, but St Anton, located in the Arlberg region, has an excellent snow record. With many north-facing slopes, it offers skiing from late November through to early May. Spring is also when the resort’s après-ski scene really comes into its own, as the terraces of bars like the MooserWirt are buzzing with skiers stripped down to their T-shirts. Being late in the season meant I was happy to get up early, ski the best of the day before the lower slopes got slushy, and head to the MooserWirt for some alternative quad exercise – dancing on tables in ski boots!
4 Davos, Switzerland Davos has a special place in my heart as it was the holiday that introduced me to the Ski Club back in 2013. Derrek Buller, Sandy McGilvray, Katy Ellis and Adrian Lamb – it was these Leaders, and that holiday, which prompted me to do the Mountain Safety and Leadership (formerly Leaders) course the following year. I led the Davos Easter Extravaganza with Derrek for four years after that, and it became a firm fixture in my calendar. More than 80%
of the ski area is over 2000m, with many north-facing slopes, so the pistes hold snow well into spring. There is a firm group of returning members on Freshtracks’ Davos spring trips who have become good friends. Firm favourites with all of us are the black run to Wolfgang for a beer in the sun, and the rolling pistes to Schifer.
5 Thredbo, Australia I am pushing the boundaries of ‘late’ season skiing here, as it is out of the Northern Hemisphere season,
but I spent a season in Thredbo, in the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park. Thredbo may not be the greatest resort I have skied for steep terrain, but there is a certain novelty in skiing through broccoli-esque gum trees in place of pine. And opening from June to September, it means back-to-back winters are possible.
PHOTO Axel Adolfsson/Three Piece Media
Davos has many north-facing slopes, so the pistes hold snow well into spring
SULA FACTFILE
Sula made her first turns… at the age of four in Flaine.
She passed the SCGB Mountain Safety and Leadership course… in 2013, and will be repping in La Grave in January and Obergurgl in March. Her favourite skiing… has been in Tomamu, Japan, although her favourite spot is usually the last one she visited.
Her favourite après spot is… the MooserWirt in St Anton. Austria definitely does the best après!
Her tipple of choice is a good glühwein.
Her top tip is… Feel the fear and enjoy it anyway. Be that fear physical, mental or financial, we are here for a good time, not a long time, and life is better when you’re skiing!
