New Zealand – My 70th anniversary of skiing on Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand.
Sliding on wooden skis at the raw Whakapapa ski area in1954 was my baptism to mountain life, and the first sensational thrill of going down a snow covered mountain…fast.
With father “Jack” who was a passionate mountain climber it was a no-brainier “You walk up and I’ll watch you ski down”, eventually graduating to the Manawatu Tramping Clubs tough n’ gruff private rope tow.
70 years later I was slapping my big red ski bag and boot-pack up a nasty volcanic rock pathway to the Ngauruhoe ski lodge (being a foundation member for 60 years) on Mt. Ruapehu and stumbling into the welcoming foyer…. read more…
Canada – A Rowdy “Family Pow Trip” in Canada B.C. 2024.
We arrived in Vancouver en mass, my Nephew and Grand Nephew from Auckland direct, and me via Brisbane and the Spirit of Queensland train from the Whitsundays.
After collecting ski bags and a simple immigration check we took delivery of a brand new all-wheel drive Subaru Wagon (on obligatory snow tires) and with a ski rack from the owner of our TURO RENTAL in the hustling Drop Off lane…. read more…
Canada – solo to Whistler Blackcomb. 2024
After missing the last bus, a “Whistler Connection” hostess offered me a seat on their 7 pm shuttle to Creek Side. It’s a comfortable two-and-a-half-hour trip and with my large ski bag and backpack, I connected with the #20 village bus to the former Olympic Games Athletes Village…. read more…
New Zealand – A Boys’ ski trip to Kiwiland ‘down under’
Planning a ski trip to New Zealand in these post Covid years is now a seriously Hokey-Pokey guess, due to the traditional weather patterns and snow predictions being more volatile and frustratingly dysfunctional.
Flights with coordinated accommodation, vehicle rentals, school holidays, crowded weekends and endless driving up goat tracks (including using chains on 4x4s!)… all is forgotten when your skis glide and carve down that fresh cold Kiwi Pow…. read more…
Spain – Skiing the best Spanish Resorts in the Prynees and indulging in “B.A.R.C.E.L.O.N.A”.
The bus from Estacio del Nord in Barcelona is a calming 5-hour vista up through the Val D’Aran Valley, eventually arriving at VIEHLA. Then connects with a local bus to Salardu Village and stops below historic Refugi Rosta. The new owners Ramon and Miguel greeted me with the traditional h..“Ola”, a beer at the bar and much chat about being their first International guest “yardy-dar-da” and the 2 plane, 2 metro, and 2 bus journeys of about 32 hours!…. read more…
Australia – Where is the best skiing “DownUnder”?
Is it the unique Snowgum covered rolling Alps of Australia or around the eye watering lakes and raw peaks of the Southern Alps in New Zealand?
Oh, and there are two major resorts on the volatile volcano Mt.Ruapehu, in the middle of the North Island of kiwi land? read more…
New Zealand – Heli Skiing from The Great Glenorchy Alpine Base Camp.
Finally, The Great Glenorchy Alpine Base Camp in New Zealand is open and now firmly established on the International “Adventure” trail.
Passionate ‘huntin’ shootin’ and fishing kiwi gent – Doug Rikard-Bell and his most capable team, have concocted this amazing Base Camp and social centre par ‘escalante’ in Glenorchy.
It’s a pretty 45-minute drive west of Queenstown, and within the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site. read more…
Switzerland – Spring Skiing in Switzerland after a two year Covid19 Lock-Down!
When pushing the ‘Departures’ door open and dragging my ski bag into the Brisbane International airport I was confronted with an eerily apocalyptic void.
There was nobody there?… No Body!
What was going on, even the coffee bar-bistros had chairs up on their tables? Confused, and a little apprehensive I sat down in a big comfy chair and digressed back to yesterday’s delicious calm of ‘Room with Roses’ in the Brisbane Arcade. read more…
Europe – Gypsy ski travels in Europe and ‘new wave’ Hipstel accommodation
Planning a European ski tour from ‘down-under’ has always been a gamble, this year I chose 10 of the highest resorts with a history of consistent and reliable snow; to enjoy skiing their best steeps and coldest pow? read more…
Italy – Tasty skiing in the Dolomiti.
Skiing the Dolomiti in northern Italy is…“Amazing”! It is the largest ski region on the planet (450 ski lifts), and the outstanding beauty of these unique mountains and variable terrain makes the skiing truly ‘delicious’. read more…
Switzerland – Skiing the dream in Switzerland
Fast and punctual Swiss express trains make Milano to Zermatt picturesque and very pleasant and after arriving at Brig I schlaped my ski bag and boot pack off the train into the rather hip Bahnhof restaurant and cafe. Lunch wasn’t particularly memorable, (tagessuppe, breads and a cappuccino) but the price was…“get used to it mate, you are now in Switzerland”! ) read more…
Argentina – Skiing and all that tango.
Ever since I started wandering the planet, Las Lenas in Argentina has always been a ‘must do, gotta go there’ ski destination. But getting the skinny about this iconic mountain and finding a cheap air ticket not leaving from ‘the states’ never popped up. Then Qantas entered the fray and made Argentina and Chile viable ski destinations from Australia and New Zealand. read more…
USA, and Cuba – Skiing, Cigars and a submarine.
After 21 years of back to back winter seasons teaching and coaching upper level skiing my insatiable passion needed a change of direction. To include different travels and more ‘Free Riding’ and Fun skiing for me, and outside the confines of relentlessly greedy and demanding ski schools.This ‘down under’ winter I stayed at home to enjoy more time in my gorgeous back yard, (The Great Barrier Reef) kayaking and honing skills as a newbie crew member on a IRC. race yacht. read more…
Japan – Chasing the POW POW in Japan
After dodging Kangaroos eating their roadside breakfasts, we finally arrived at Proserpine railway station. Then an officious employee insisted I lighten my new Sierra Summit ski bag by 1 kilo! “mate, ya gotta lighten the bag to 20 kilos”… on a train?
The 10 hour trip rumbled north and developed into a kinda “Faulty Towers” train, stopping at every Tom, Dick and Harry station and with friendly-bumbling crew swaying to and fro in the retro carriages while dishing out the tasty railway nosh. read more…
Italy – Skiing in the beautiful Valle d’Aosta Italy.
It took me three trips to footprint Gypsy Ski Travels in this beautiful valley, as there are 11 major resorts and a few more worth visiting for a quick day trip.
Usually, I start from Malpensa-Milano, but if coming from France Valle d’ Aosta begins at the exit of the Mont Blanc tunnel at Entreves. It is Train and Bus friendly (that’s me), however the west to east motorway makes the various ‘finger valleys’ quicker and easier in a car…sometimes and always on winterised tyres or in a 4 x 4. read more…
Italy – SKIING in Lombardy… the Italian region of style.
My one stop flight was in flashy Abu Dhabi and while gliding through “another designer mall” I spotted a poster promoting Red Bull Air Races above the faux Corniche. O.K it didn’t tick any boxes, but these aerobatic planes flew fast n’ low, twisting, turning…looping, an interesting alternative to the usual opulent choices offered to a tiring punter on a long stop over. read more…
France – Skiing the Via Latte from the border village of Claviere.
The heart of this large n’ snowy region on the boarder of Italy and France is the busy train and bus station at OULX. My regional train from Torino was fast and a connecting bus dropped me at the historic and beautiful Claviere Church, before continuing over the Montgenevre Pass to Briancon.
There are seven resorts in the Via Latte region, Claviere butted to Montgenevre, (in France) Cesana Torinese, Sansicario, Sauze D’Oulx, Pragelato and the imposing Sestriere. read more…
Canada – Skiing the “Powder Highway” in Canada.
Powder this, pow pow that, its all a bit ‘ho hum’ and often misleading when one is pre booking air travels, and has limited time. However I have travelled the highway twice and thoroughly enjoyed it’s imposing beauty, frigid temps and the consistently reliable snow with varied skiing.On my first trip we arrived in ‘freezing’ Calgary to plugged in parking cars and heated underground shopping malls. Then went anti clockwise “Snob Hopping” in the best hotels in Canada. read more…
Europe – Creating Gypsy ski travels… global adventures of Skiing and Fun.
My first adventure was very ambitious. Oh, I had already been travelling extensively for life, business and fun, but that had become a well worn rut and honestly, I felt ignorant and globally uneducated.
This trip started in Brisbane and after a bum numbing flight via Perth, my Etihad flight landed in Abu Dhabi at dawn. Then a luxury coach dropped me at a metro station in Dubai, and a quick ride put me opposite the MEGA “Mall of the Emirates” and the Dubai Indoor ‘Snow Resort’? read more…
Australia – Fun in the Sun with Sea Shepherd “Ocean Defense Tour 2022”.
I wear the iconic Sea Shepherd logo on all my outer ski wear, to support and encourage participation in this global conservation group’s clandestine ocean campaigns and stealth executions.
“fighting to defend, conserve and protect our seas”.
Recently my tenacity to get more involved exploded (my backyard is the Great Barrier Reef) and ‘jumped ship’ to the Spirit of Queensland that stops at Proserpine. Then embraced the 15 hour (1050 k) rail torture down to Brisbane. read more…
Australia – Rugby and visiting the Gold Coast….while waiting for snow?
After 6 months of being ‘locked down’ within the Queensland borders and sailing in the Airlie Beach Race Week became a non event due to major rig failure, I needed a gulp of fresh air and a new focus.
Could a Rugby Test and a visit to the infamous ”Gold Coast” beaches do this? read more…
Australia – Sandy Toes and Salty Kisses on the beaches of Sydney.
There’s not much snow in the Australian summer and now the government is saying “there’s little chance of any International Travel…(maybe to ‘kiwiland’) until later this year”?
But there is plenty of beaches to get your toes into the sand and the state border to New South Wales had finally opened. read more…
Australia – Coaching Skiing “Online”?
Recently I meet a guy at our local Doyle sail loft who said, “I have been coaching Surfing Online”…and latter my light bulb went on!
Thinking…it could be fun trying to coach Skiing OnLine, just for fun.
In fact it’s perfect timing, as I am “Locked Down” in the Sunshine State and the kiwi A.O. group is now spring skiing on Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand?
Usually we enjoy these 5 to 7 day ski weeks at Whakapapa, as it’s Ski In-Out from the comfortable Ngauruhoe Ski Club Lodge and the slopes are better protected here in the volatile spring weather. read more…
Ski Tech Chat
And then he said, “I want to buy a new pair of skis”?
Recently one of the guys I coach in Kiwiland phoned and said just that, then the obligator “can you help me”?
Well,..I‘m here in the warm Whitsundays winter, (topping out at 26 degrees) quarantined for the second time and the Queensland borders are still locked down. Of course “my eyes are wide open” as there is a possibility of a Trans Tasman Bubble opening soon…yeah, maybe? read more…
Buying new Ski Boots…and how to avoid the pain!
Everybody is doing it….and hopefully aware of the hidden pitfalls which can arise when buying a new pair of ski boots.
Always a challenge, as feet change with life and modern technology is proving new is better…maybe? I ordered mine last year after agonising over conflicting thoughts and aspirations. Now a Super Senior my first decision was Race or High Performance, what brand, what features, and especially where is my future skiing heading? Done!
It was another pair of Lange RS race boots, wide toe box and the lighter 110 flex (me being 70 kg). read more…