When I first opened the Zai web site I was greeted by a poem written by Leo Tour "In the beginning was the mountain". I was sure that I was going to learn about a new bottled water from the purist of mountain springs or possibly even a zen retreat. I was in fact entering a kind of temple, a secular one, where the worshipers follow not a god, but snow and a the sport of skiing.

The word Zai means "tough" in the little know dialect of Sursilvan which is spoken in the mountains of Switzerland and specifically in the town of Disentis where the Zai skis are crafted. As seems fitting, the town lies below an ancient Benedictine monastery. The personal dream of Simon Jacomet, who insists that his skis be made by people who have skiing and the mountains in their heart and soul, the company produces some of the finest and most technologically innovative ski equipment on the slopes. The skis are produced in a small and tightly controlled production plant using state of the art machinery and assembled by hand.

All of the Spada skis are limited editions, only 111 pairs of each model are made. The newest innovation just out for this winter season is a special ski that uses a carbon-stone-technology with a rubber exterior. Zai was the first manufacturer in the world to use a stone core in their skis and is still trendsetting in their product development being the first to use a natural rubber surfacing. It is not just rhetoric that the skis are "of the mountain" as each pair has Grisons granite in the core of the ski. As with all carefully thought out designs the skis themselves are beautiful too, they will definitely not get lost in the pile on the ski racks outside the lodge at lunch.

Available in the United States exclusively at the high end winter sports retailer Gorsuch whose stores in all the nicest ski areas of Colorado, such as Beaver Creek, Vail and Aspen, sell the Zai Spada skis for $5,900.00 a pair.

The hotel, which is a series of linked pavilions, will have 170 guest rooms, 16 suites, each room with a gas fireplace. A gondola connects you to the bustling and lively Northstar village. The hotel's design, handled by Hornberger + Worstell, is meant to be a contemporary take on traditional great mountain lodges, like Oregon's Timberline Lodge. It was also designed to blend into the hillside, and to that end, the site was not clear-cut --- landmark trees were tagged, and worked around.

When Prince William took his girlfriend Kate Middleton on a skiing vacation last winter, there was little doubt about where they would go; Courchevel in the French Alps has a fair claim to the title of world's most exclusive ski destination, and it's become increasingly popular with Russian oligarchs looking to rub elbows with royalty as well. The luxe five-star Hotel de Charme Les Airelles (above), which recently unveiled a $50 million renovation, is the place to stay for those who don't have private villas. The elite resort has only 37 guestrooms and 14 suites, as well as a 7,000-sq.-ft. spa, an exclusive Valentino boutique, and three eateries including the sumptuous Pierre Gagnaire Restaurant. For the ultimate in luxury, the 5,900-sq.-ft. Apartment Suite on the stop floor features four bedrooms all with private baths, a private spa, screening room and a 1,600-sq.-ft. terrace with an outdoor Jacuzzi and a view of the coveted Courchevel 1850 (referring to the elevation) slopes.

Well, I might as well confess: I am not grace personified on the slopes. Forget snowboarding, my goal is (and has been) to navigate a green slope all by myself before I turn 40. If you're similarly situated -- and glare at impossibly skilled children as they schuss past you -- make your plans to visit North Lake Tahoe this winter. On December 12th-13th, it's the 10th Annual Learn to Ski and Board Weekend. It's a bargain at $25, and includes all-day beginner lift ticket, group lesson and gear rental at the area's nine resorts, including Alpine Meadows, Boreal Mountain Resort, Diamond Peak, Granlibakken, Homewood Mountain Resort, Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Squaw Valley USA and Sugar Bowl.

I had my annual ski lesson -- yes, only one a year, which may be why I've yet to really learn -- in South Lake Tahoe this year, at Heavenly, which was worth it for the view and the excellent lunch on the top and the itsy-bit of progress I made. If you need more incentive to visit the area this year, a new Ritz Carlton will be opening up at Northstar this season.

1 - Into the Air: Freestyle Skiing
It's a little strange to watch a person in skis shoot up into the air, execute mind-boggling flips and tricks and then land in a swimming pool, but that's the set-up at the Utah Olympic Park. And because anyone who's belly-flopped knows that landing in water can hurt, the pool is set up with special air jets that break up the surface tension and make for a softer landing. First, make sure you take in the Flying Aces Aerial show to see how the pros do it. Then, you can sign up to learn to perform these tricks yourself. There are organized camps for kids, but adult lessons can also be arranged.

You can also take a tour of the Nordic ski jump venue -- this is the tallest of its kind in the world -- and peer down from the top and just imagine yourself careening down that thing on skis. You can get some of the sensation by taking a zipline down the K120 ski jump hill. This is billed as the steepest zipline in the world, and you reach speeds of up to 50 m.p.h., which filled me with adrenaline for at least a couple of hours.


2- Through the Woods: Mountain Biking
Deer Valley has 55 miles of mountain biking trails, ranked from "easier" to "expert only", which you access via a chair lift ride. But even the "easier" trails are challenging, so the best bet here is to sign up for a private lesson or a clinic.

Another option for the more nerdy intellectual types is to ride the same chair lift and go for a three-hour guided history hike, which focuses on the mining history of the area. When Park City first became a ski destination, skiers were brought to the top of the slope via an underground mining trolley, and often came out covered with soot.

3- Under the Water: Scuba Diving
It's true, one doesn't often think of the mountains as a great place to learn to scuba dive. But the Homestead Resort has the Homestead Crater, a limestone rock hollowed out by melting snow and filled by water bubbling up from below. The water is warm -- 90 to 96 degrees -- and it's 55 feet deep, making Midway, Utah, the only warm-water diving destination in the continental United States.

None of these activities lighting your torch? Check out the gallery for a few more ideas.

With Southern California set for another storm it seems like ski season will last a bit longer. For those who get their winter jollies at Mammoth there is another new real estate option. Altis IV is one of the last slopeslide, ski-in/ski-out spots on Mammoth Mountain. Altis residences are located on a three plus acre site adjacent to Mammoth's Bridges Run. Each unit has two master bedrooms, a guest room with sitting area, four- and-a-half baths, and a media/entertainment room and is set into the slope for maximum view on all three levels.

The property is being built with an eye toward becoming LEED Silver certified by summer. Green features include using renewable wood and kitchen cabinets created from Forest Stewardship Council materials. There are just 24 homes and each is under 3,000 square feet. An additional amenity building includes a fitness center, owner's lounge and lobby. The residences are priced from the low $2 millions.

Flagging bookings at many of the finest winter resorts in the country have created a boon for skiers in search of bargains. As the New York Times reports, enticing deals are to be found at such popular -- and typically pricey -- ski areas as Aspen, Vail, Jackson Hole and Lake Tahoe.

Vail Resorts is providing three nights' lodging and three days of lift tickets for the cost of two at its four ski areas in Colorado (Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Keystone) and Tahoe's Heavenly Mountain Resort. In Jackson, rates for the four-night Skier's Dream package at Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa have been reduced by $100 per night. Aspen/Snowmass has partnered with Frontier Airlines to offer a free flight, among other incentives, to group and family travelers. For a blizzard of more special offers, check out ski.com.

While many luxury labels are in the dumps these days, luxe French sport line Moncler is bucking the trend and opening new stores instead of shutting them. They recently opened their first freestanding US boutique in Aspen, and also just opened an impressive new shop in another ritzy ski resort, Gstaad. The Gstaad boutique features a luxurious alpine chalet theme with bluestone floors, pinewood ceilings and walls designed to evoke downhill skiiers in motion. Moncler, founded in France in 1952 and now based in Milan, has collaborated with the likes of Balenciaga, Yohji Yamamoto and Fendi, and is a favorite with stars such as Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Victoria Beckham and Kanye West. It's high-end Gamme Rouge line (above) is designed by Italian fashionista Giambattista Valli. Last summer we reported that private equity firm The Carlyle Group acquired a 48% stake in the company.

The latest offering from timeless men's London luxury outfitters Dunhill is a super-stylish set of skis specially commissioned from racing experts Speciale. The Dunhill Skis (above) are available in either teak (bottom) or carbon fiber (top) finishes with tough titanium bases. Available in two sizes, the $2,100 skis feature Vist bindings, handmade in Italy, which "fuse innovation with security." The speed lock can be adjusted with the use of a simple lever "moving the center of gravity of the skier depending on his skill or angle of slope." The Dunhill and Speciale logos are engraved on each ski, and owners can also have their names, initials or even their favorite resort - no doubt Aspen or Gstaad - engraved there as well.

The first-ever Aspen Fashion Week, a five-day event celebrating the "Mountain Lifestyle", has been slated for March 1 - 5. Aspen Fashion Week will serve as "a consumer showcase and industry marketplace for winter sports products," a fast-growing sector that took in nearly $3 billion last year, organizers note. Combining "the stunning backdrop of the Rockies with Bryant Park glamour," the week will feature nightly fashion events, in-store presentations, and après-ski soirees. An estimated 15 designers will showcase their Winter 2009/2010 collections to fashion buyers, media, and customers from around the world; full-scale runway productions are slated for the following year. Confirmed sponsors for the inaugural event include W magazine, Veuve Clicquot and the St. Regis Aspen Resort.

I'm not saying you're wasting time at your desk but if you just happen to have a wee bit of free time on those long, slow days before Christmas check out the Longines Ski Challenge. It's a neat little skiing computer game in which you can try your luck on some of the world's best and most attractive downhill courses. Ski Lauberhorn, Streif or Saslong - all the courses are modeled 1:1 on the original pistes. And the best part is that Longines will reward the best competitors. Top prizes include 12 Longines HydroConquest diving watches.

It looks like it is going to be a good ski season at Mammoth Mountain in California. A powerful storm hit the Eastern Sierra over the weekend dropping up to 18 inches of snow on Mammoth Mountain. Resort operators made the decision to open the slopes for skiing and riding on Monday, November 3, a full 10 days ahead of schedule. A combination of natural and manmade snow will greet skiers and riders and special early season lift tickets are priced at $52 for adult, $39 for teens and $26 for children and seniors. First Tracks packages including lift tickets and lodging start at $99 per person per night based on double occupancy.

Great Canadian Heli-Skiing in British Columbia is now offering a Platinum Heli-Skiing Season Pass for CDN $100,000, or about $80,000 US, making it quite literally the world's most expensive lift ticket. The Platinum Pass from GCH offers unlimited "vertical access" to the world's best deep powder skiing in the heart of British Columbia's Purcell and Selkirk mountain ranges.

The pass absolutely guarantees the holder a seat on one of GCH's A-Star B2 helicopters - forget about ski lifts or gondolas in this extreme terrain - every single day of the heli-skiing season, from December 26 to March 28, overriding all other bookings. The $80,000 also gets you a personal "powder concierge" to keep you up to date on conditions and forecasts and advise you on getting the ultimate heli-skiing experience.

[via JustLuxe]

Those skiing in Whistler this winter will have a new to ski both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. The Peak 2 Peak gondola will offer an eleven-minute trip that spans the two mountains. The gondola will link 8,171 acres of terrain into one continuous lift system so that skiers and riders can move across the valley to the best snow and weather in each area.Each gondola cabin can hold 28 people and can transport 4,100 people per hour. Two of the 28 gondolas will have glass bottoms allowing a birds eye view of the Fitzsimmons Valley below. The gondola will also be open during the summer months. Whistler Blackcomb's Unlimited Adult Seasons Pass is available for $1879. The Peak 2 Peak gondola opens on December 12.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming vacation destination extraordinaire, has added a new convenience for its guests and residents alike!

The new tram, currently under construction and opening December 20th, will carry 100 passengers from 6,311 feet to 10,450 feet up in the mountains in just 9 minutes.

The views from the tram promise to be astounding, as with the old tram which has been there since 1966. A beautiful, "visually inspiring" new base terminal will replace the old clock tower base.

The opening of the new tram will feature live music, fireworks, and all kinds of Jackson Hole festivities. Click here for more information.

Whether you head to Jackson Hole for the skiing, the scenery, or just to get away from it all, the new tram, 100% funded by resort ownership, will make your stay more convenient. You can book a Tram-Slam Package this winter for a stay at Teton Village and be one of the first to ride!