Winning tip: Snow trails, Valmalenco, Italy
This is a stunning area of Lombardy, high in the Alps. From the top of the Valmalenco cable car we followed snow trails through the woods to the enchanting Lago Palù, where we walked across the frozen lake to a little igloo with ice table and stools. Fifteen minutes further on we reached the cosy Rifugio Palù overlooking the lake below, where we stopped for a hearty lunch in the sunshine before jumping aboard its motor-sledge, which whisked us back to the cable car station. All three generations enjoyed the winter adventure.
Martha Hales
Snow tubing, Kyrgyzstan
Having no skiing skills, the best fun I ever had was snow tubing in Kyrgyzstan. The resort, Kashka Suu, a short drive from the capital, Bishkek, is not busy, has beautiful powdery snow and offers great runs for the whole family. The hotel is warm and the food wholesome. We went as a group of families and had a wonderful weekend under blue skies, whizzing down slopes in inner tubes, which the resort provided. And from £25 a night it offers great value for money.
Karen
Tobogganing, French Alps
The Roc’n Bob in Les Menuires, part of the Trois Vallées, is a 4km tobogganing run. The price includes use of the cable car that takes you to the top of the course, where you will pick up your toboggan, equipped with brakes used for slowing down and steering your way around the course. There are breathtaking views as you skid and slide around multiple turns and banks. Despite the three valleys being notoriously expensive, at just €11 a run (€40 for family of four) this is great value for money.
en.lesmenuires.com
Jameele
Andorra’s box
Andorra has some great cheap skiing (Arinsal) and eating (oh my, the croquetas at Bar Xenius in Sant Julià) but if you fancy something different in the snow, there are 90-minute igloo-building classes (rewarding but knackering), ski-biking, indoor ice go-karting, tubing, a speedy zipline over a frozen lake, and an epic toboggan-style rollercoaster, Tobotronc, dodging through the snow-covered pine forest for over 5km (from €8). Many of the activities operate after dark, too.
Antony T
Lapland adventures, Finland
Saariselkä in Finnish Lapland is superb for all kinds of winter adventures. With 200km of ski trails (30km floodlit for short winter days), some running into Urho Kekkonen national park, and snowshoeing hikes, there’s plenty of opportunity to explore the fells (an Old Norse word, so not just for northern England), where you might spot reindeer, red squirrels, golden eagles and wolverine tracks. Dogsledding, snowmobiles, reindeer-drawn sleds, and the longest toboggan run (adults €25, including skating and snow-tubing) in the country are the best ways of getting about. I took an ice-fishing trip (€80 including drinks, gear, transport) and caught some magnificent Arctic char, cooking them over a wood fire on the edge of the forest.
Vicky Inglis
Snowshoeing in the Balkans
The Accursed Mountains form the border between Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro – a limestone bulk that glows white and blue on winter days. Snowshoeing is the way to go at a human pace to hear this landscape’s human story – of inspiring adventures, such as the first Albanian woman to climb Everest, who formed the Butterfly Outdoor Adventure tour company that organises snowshoeing here (€200 for two days including guide, B&B, food and gear). Ancient stories of hospitality were shared with us during long evenings warmed by conversation, wood fires and raki brandy.
Elizabeth
Engadin valley, Switzerland
The Swiss paradise of the Engadin valley offers a host of snowy adventures and isn’t so dear. The string of frozen lakes in the valley bottom are laced with walking trails; we love hiking there in the winter. Sils Maria is our favourite Engadin destination, a cute and ancient village backed by the romantic Val Fex, where there are plenty of winter hiking trails and a couple of lovely places to stop for hot chocolate or a meal. Braver souls than us can also enjoy the toboggan run that snakes down to the lakeshore at Sils.
Matt Thurstan
Go bonkers in bin liners, France
In Méribel, we noticed small children having a great time sledging down the nursery slope at the end of the day. After a few après ski drinks, we thought we’d like to try but didn’t have a sledge. However, we found black poubelle (dustbin) liners. We stepped into the bags, made holes for our feet, pulled them up and off we set, haring down the slope at a rapid rate of knots. Having marched back up the slope, we formed a train – when we derailed, I laughed so much I nearly wet myself. What cheap fun entertainment.
Helen
Winter Park, Colorado
Just before leaving for a family holiday to Colorado, my wife found she was three months pregnant. So instead of skiing, as planned, we rented snowshoes and hiked around the trails. We walked the Fraser River Trail and in the Arapaho national forest – true backcountry wonderland. It was all so scenic and picturesque, and pregnant woman-friendly. My retired parents, who are keen skiers, joined us instead of hitting the slopes that day, and snowshoeing was a revelation for them – the highlight of their trip.
I Greig
Demons in the snow, Austria
It’s almost a year away now, but it’s well worth a trip in December to Austria’s east Tirol to see Krampuslauf – a slightly scary tradition with pagan origins in which horned demons (krampus) run through the streets punishing those deemed naughty. In Matrei In Osttirol each year in early December a mad rush of Krampuses crash through the streets, driving all before them. Stay at Hotel Hinteregger (doubles from €90 B&B) and drink enough jägertee (a rum/tea mix) to obliviate the pain if they catch you. The ski resort of Mallnitz, a 90-minute drive from Matrei, has a similar tradition called Perchten just after Christmas.
Tylaar haran
Glen Nevis, Highlands
Camping in the snow is fine as long as you’re warm. With lots of layers and lots of warm socks, a snowy break in Glen Nevis can be great fun. I have a butane gas heater and an air mattress, which helps. There’s nothing more wonderful than a winter wonderland that you don’t have to share with anyone you don’t choose to.
Sian Burns