Hope everyone had a wonderful new year! I know I promised a post about my recent snowboarding trip to Switzerland so what better way to kick off 2014 on the blog than with a post packed with epic pictures from the Alps?!
We started off the trip with a gorgeous drive from the Zurich airport to pick up the keys to our chalet in Laax, Switzerland. Every ride was simply stunning in and out of the ski resort, and it made us extremely excited to see the ski resort lodging where we would be staying for our trip. This shot is from our first ride leaving the airport. Clearly we couldn’t have been greeted by more beautiful scenery.
This was the view from the chalet we rented for the weekend. It was an adorable little apartment with a gorgeous wooden balcony just outside the living room. We overlooked part of the town and of course the mountains. Waking up to this view each morning was truly amazing. Seeing the Alps mountain range like this totally gave me that feeling of, “Yep, checking ski the Swiss Alps off the bucket list!” I’m already planning my next trip to Switzerland actually. One of my friends told me to use Rental Cloud to book my next holiday apartment and I’ve found a few in Lugano that I’d love to stay in. Switzerland is a beautiful place and if you get the opportunity to go, take it!
The first day we spent abroad was sans skiing. So instead, we took some time to drive around in our rented car and get familiar with the local town of Chur. Loved the ski-town vibes and picturesque scenery as we drove between each valley. It was also the perfect place to pick up some groceries, fuel the car, and relax a bit before the strenuous days of snowboarding ahead.
After popping some champagne to start our second day off right, we headed toward the Laax base of the ski resort. This is an epic shot from the top of the gondola ride of our first trail. We were already at an altitude above the clouds! The skiing on this first trail down the mountain was a little nerve-wracking, but so fun. Snowboarding is like riding a bike and although this was my first time back on the mountains this season, I started to regain some confidence pretty quickly.
La Vacca was a restaurant I had been dying to try because I read so many great reviews online of this tepee style steak house right on the mountain. Ironically, I attempted to convince everyone we should try driving here the first night (obviously impossible) but it ended up being closed so early in the season anyhow. We decided on lunch at a few other spots on the mountain which were also very tasty. All the food was cooked pretty differently from American style but there were plenty of comparable options on the menus.
The trails were so soft and we had a blast snowboarding. There are also some fantastic parks to practice tricks – whether you’re a beginner or expert. This photo is from our ride home to the chalet. The towns nestled in each valley of the mountains were so darling. What I would give to live in a place like this! It was an incredible trip and I can’t wait for another sick winter wonderland vaca like this one.
If you want any more specific recommendations on skiing in Switzerland or the trip planning process in general, feel free to leave a comment. Also, here is a link to the Laax Youtube Channel. Not only is it super informative about the resort, but the feature footage of some really amazing riders. Very entertaining.
xoxo,
KMK
