Can an adventure ski holiday ever be cheap, adventurous and fun ?
Sounds perfect doesn’t it ? But surely it’s impossible ? Cheap destinations generally crawl with visitors and lack spicy terrain, which is banal and unmemorable. Adventure, meanwhile, is at a premium – and that means £££ ! Chamonix, Jackson Hole, Verbier – all resorts renowned and revered by the advanced skier, but they are also extortionate.
And fun ? Well, it is what you make it, but if there’s no après scene, a hotel room is a lonely, dull place to be.
The alternative ? Motorhomes – also known as ‘Recreational Vehicles’ or RVs. There, I said it! Vilified by Clarkson (“Surely that works in their favour?” Editor), they are, in fact, the future. The answer to the equation. Here’s why:
First of all, they’re absolutely MASSIVE, and also massively exciting. Anything which needs tiptoes to see over the bonnet is a winner, to say nothing of the throb of a V10. Remember the sheer joy of the first car you encountered with drink holders and folding trays? Come on, it’s okay, everyone loves it. But imagine something resplendent with 9 metres of features to explore! You’ll race from one end to the other, jump on every bed, stand in the shower, sit on the toilet, open every cupboard, climb onto the roof, crawl through the luggage compartment, and still know there’s more to uncover, giddy as you are, six years old once more. You’ll witness your mates transformed: infantile, goofy, thrashing out rock-paper-scissors for the best bed !
Aside from the beauty of the RV itself, there are major practical advantages. You’re free. Free as a bird. Drive where you want, stop when you want, stop where you want and, most importantly, make a pot of finest Yorkshire Tea whenever you want. Fridges are cavernous and kitchens are complete with crockery, utensils, gas hobs, and microwave. You can cook a sumptuous feast every night. It’s rare in our fast-paced modern life to sit, chat and eat with mates. For the duration of your trip, that’s all you’ll do. No distractions from the internet or TV, no need to rush to make that restaurant reservation. It’s your time. You can just enjoy the camaraderie, banter and most importantly: b*****it.
Conventional resort-based holidays, or even hut-to-hut ski touring trips, are restrictive. You’ve booked accommodation and bought lift tickets. The snow is better 50 miles away, but you can’t justifiably relinquish the investment you’ve made there. No such problem with an RV. You follow the good weather and snow. You can buy a day pass. You can book a hut for a night. You can park the RV somewhere really cool and access amazing terrain, using it as your private backcountry hut. Kipping at the bottom of the hill, you have a head start on everyone else, who’ll need to drive for an hour just to get there. And, should the weather be poor in the morning, you’re not stuck on a mountain side, you can just drive off. If somebody wants a relaxed day, they can return earlier to the comfort and warmth of the homestead. No sitting and waiting in a cold car or paying exorbitant prices for a hot chocolate in a café. Flexibility is the key to making the most of a winter-sports holiday, and this is the most flexible way we’ve found.
Rigid itineraries are just that: rigid. And rigid is often … boring! Adventure is the way. Adventure is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “An unusual and exciting or daring experience” – you can’t get that in a hotel can you? Waking up and deciding what to do, off the cuff, is liberating, and rewarding. If you ski and board you clearly like adventure. The unknown. The risk. The daring. Have more of it! Grab your trip by the reins and go, go, go! Being unconventional with no fixed agenda enables you to stop and ski wherever looks good, rather than having to push on elsewhere. Explore one area as much as you like, then move on to the next. On your terms.
Parking up in the mountains is wondrous : nobody around, serene, special and your own nature programme. During these moments we’ve seen a bear, moose, incredible sunrises and sunsets, watched shooting stars charge across the night sky … the list goes on. There’s a genuine sense of wilderness but without any of the suffering of winter camping. Heating cranked, brew in hand, warm and dry, scanning the map for the coming day’s adventure … there’s nothing like it.
As ski tourers, we’re able to access and explore remote corners, summit classic peaks and ski the best snow. As RV users, we get the odd “Brucey Bonus” too. Being able to arrive at a destination late (with no local accommodation) and get an early start, it’s easy to squeeze an activity in before skiing. From swimming in the Colorado River, to climbing the celebrated Ancient Arts Tower, we managed to make our last trip truly multi-activity.
I’ve not answered the big question yet – how much ? Well, not much. RVs aren’t that expensive to hire. True, they’re thirsty, but as you’ll be sharing the fuel bill, and as we pay more than just about anyone in the UK, you’ll find it surprisingly cheap. Then of course you’re saving on hotel rooms or hut fees. And restaurants. Not to mention cafes and lunch at a resort. Ski touring is free, and when you fancy an easy day, you can buy a lift pass; you’re not obliged to ski every of the 6 days you’ve paid for on a week pass. We managed a 7-day trip to Norway for roughly £300 each, plus flights. For 3 weeks in the USA it cost £180 each for van hire, and maybe another £100 for fuel. Aside from flights, I don’t think anyone spent over £500, and we lived like kings!
And where can you do it ? Anywhere that rents RVs. We’ve done it in Arctic Norway and the USA. Each had their idiosyncrasies; Norway was a damper climate, we came back damp from knee-deep powder most days. Turning the shower into a drying room, all our kit was warm and dry for the next day. The US was cold at night; we were often sleeping at 3000m. Not a problem, that’s what the heating’s for! We never had any trouble getting water or emptying the toilet (very easy), driving or parking. Locals notice you, and as such they often take the time to tell you why their town is great and where’s best. Such knowledge is invaluable!
Obviously, skiing, adventuring and having a ball with mates is fun. You can’t beat it. I truly hope I’ve sold the future to you and proved that ski trips can be cheap, adventurous and fun !
By Will Nicholls
Will is a keen skier and climber and is lucky enough to work teaching both. His company will be running ski touring courses and trips in Scotland and Norway this winter: www.gaiaadventures.co.uk
