mountains

Branson's Latest Place to Play: The Lodge at Verbier

For many skiing is one of the saving graces of winter, one of the few things that make the snow and cold worthwhile. This time of year a trip to the Swiss Alps for great skiing, great food, and great comfort sounds like such a treat -- and it really will be if you're headed to Sir Richard Branson's latest resort getaway: The Lodge, Verbier.

The most expensive chalet in the Alps, it just opened last month. According to this review it's quite the haven of luxury and class, as well it should be considering costs will run you about £36,250/week.

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Tags: alps, branson, mountains, resort, sir richard branson, SirRichardBranson, ski, skiing, tourism, travel, traveling

Photo of Yeti Footprint Sold for �3,500

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Art

Do believe in the yeti? The infamous "Abominable Snowman?" I'm more than a little skeptical, but I can still get on board with this photo that sold at Christie's in London last week for £3,500 because it looks like a fun conversation piece.

The Abominable Snowman is in the same league as Bigfoot and the Lochness Monster, but art and photography don't always have to be about truth or some kind of deep meaning -- sometimes pure entertainment is reason enough to value something.

But I have to say, doesn't this look the footprint of a large teddy bear? Big round toes, no claws or anything...maybe it was just that friendly "Bumble" from Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer?

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Tags: abominable snowman, AbominableSnowman, foot print, FootPrint, legend, mountains, nepal, photo, photograph, snow, yeti, yetis

The Best Resorts With Artifical Snow

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Manmade snow is far better than it was when the technology was first put into use. A frequent skiier will be able to tell the difference between the natural and the less finely-grained machine-made snow, but it allows resorts to stay open longer into both fall and spring and provide better coverage all over the mountain even in the middle of winter. The manmade snow is also used for creating low-elevation "beginners areas" as well as advanced terrain parks for thrill-seeking snowboarders and skiiers. Many resorts, including big-name ones, spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars making snow each year. As a result, their slopes are more reliably and more evenly covered, which is better for business and better for skiiers. Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal (subscription req'd) compiled a list of some of the top snowmaking resorts and what percentage of their slopes are covered with the stuff to help give you some insight when planning a trip to the mountains this season: