Ciasa Salares, in the Dolomites, has a knack for making old-fashioned Italian pursuits relevant again; it leads wine and cheese tastings in a stylish but ancient-looking cellar, and its modern décor is the result of traditional woodworking techniques.
Now it’s bringing back “sealskin skiing,” which at one point required the use of seal fur to create traction against wet snow. Starting this season, the hotel will be lending guests synthetic fabric versions of the ski covers, helping them explore the full range of the Alta Badia ski area—which has long been known for its mountaintop restaurants, many in areas too remote to be accessed by lifts.
Crested Butte, Colo.
As if hiking up a mountain in your skis weren’t epic enough, Crested Butte is asking skinning enthusiasts to do it at night—headlamps and all—in order to attend their monthly Full Moon Mountain Parties. It costs only $30 per person to get in, assuming you can make it to the top of the Painter Boy lift, where the mountain's Umbrella Bar is opening for its sophomore season.
Once you’re there, it’s all about fondue dinners and knocking back beers in slope-side Adirondack chairs by the glow of (you guessed it) the full moon.
Norway
Norway is one of this year’s up-and-coming ski destinations—partially because it’s so pristine and little known to skiers. The only way to access its best terrain is by helicoptering or hiking up, which means you’re likely to have first tracks on nearly any slope you shred.
Bonus: Since its mountains literally jut out from the fjords, you’re starting your hike at sea level, rather than at altitude. That makes Norway one of the most scenic (and approachable) places to master the art of skinning. Plan your trip with the locally based luxury operator 62 Nord; it specializes in bespoke guided trips and ensures you’re never too far outside your comfort zone.
Beaver Creek, Colo.
This season, the team at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek decided to roll a bunch of trends into a single epic day with their Ultimate Winter Experience. Guests who sign up don’t just get to go skinning into the North Vail Bowls—they also get to have a picnic in a snow cave, take an avalanche-training course, and spend a few hours ice climbing in the mountain’s remotest corners.
And if that all weren’t enough, they’ll help you hire a drone cinematographer to capture all the action. The package is available for the entire season and costs as much as $30,000, depending on which add-on services you choose.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.