Sensational skiing meets glorious gastronomy on Alta Badia’s famous Gourmet SkiSafari

Ski, eat, repeat.

It’s the wonderful rhythm of life in Alta Badia, where the coral-tinged peaks of the Dolomites make for postcard-perfect vistas. The Cinderella of the ski world, skiing around Alta Badia’s 130 kilometres of beautifully groomed, cruise-friendly pistes is less about adrenaline and more about enjoying life’s finest pleasures. Accordingly, the slopes are peppered with dozens of inviting huts serving high-quality food and wine. Gastronomy is king in Alta Badia, and mountain lunches are among the finest anywhere.

My intention? Surrounded by stunningly beautiful mountains, the only thing I plan on conquering is a superb multi-course lunch, with a side of the prettiest views in the land. It’s all about la dolce vita here – skiing, eating, and repeating.

And the timing couldn’t be better.

Alta Badia’s glittering culinary season kicks off in December and runs through March, its renowned Gourmet Skisafari programme leading the charge. No lions or elephants on this safari: this one takes place on skis and snowboards, cruising from one mountain-top hut to the next, sampling a different gastronomic creation of its celebrated Michelin-starred chefs at each. On the winter’s menu are dishes made using top-quality ingredients from the South Tyrolean region. High atop the sparkling mountain tops of 2,000 metres and more, Alta Badia’s Gourmet Skisafari is a salute to all things buon gusto.

On this occasion, my culinary pilgrimage begins with the genius of Norbert Niederkofler, a Michelin-starred wizard and one of the founding members of Gourmet Skisafari. As the midday sunshine streams through panoramic windows of one of the region’s most beloved huts, Ütia Bioch, the ice and snow of the mighty Marmolada Glacier sparkle in the distance.

With the purchase of a simple Gourmet Skisafari bracelet at this first hut of the day, I’m equipped with a passe-partout to my first Michelin course with a glass of excellent local wine paired to the dish. Indeed, the wine cellar at the famous Ütia Bioch is legendary, containing some 11,000 bottles. The delicate tortelli stuffed with speck pâté and buffalo ricotta is complemented by a fragrant South Tyrolean white wine, grown in vineyards at the foot of the snowy Dolomite pistes that surround. A good mountain lunch doesn’t get any better.

Or does it?

The day, it seems, is only beginning. And just like that, after a glorious cruise down the smooth flattering slopes overlooking the pretty villages of Corvara and San Cassiano, appetites are high as the clear blue sky. Courses can be enjoyed in whatever order suits and the huts aren’t so far apart, allowing skiers to ski and dine at their own pace during the safari’s lunchtime hours.

I soon settle into my next course at I Tablá mountain hut. A gorgeously creamy cauliflower soup, teriyaki cockerel sauce and potato churros with mountain mushroom topping from Chef Simone Cantafio. His usual headquarters is the Michelin-starred La Stüa de Michil, located slopeside in nearby Hotel La Perla, so the opportunity to taste his refined yet simple dish at altitude is a treat.

Whichever dish you’re sampling, the character and stunning presentation reflect the individual personalities of chefs from across Italy, each with a passion for fantastic food as well as being advocates for ethical and sustainable cuisine. Internationally exalted chefs include the likes of Massimiliano Alajmo, the youngest chef to be awarded three Michelin stars, and Ana Roš, whose three-star achievements reflect what she considers a symbiosis of three elements: “the territory, the season and the personality of the chef”.

More than just elevated cooking brought to high terrain – there’s an even higher cause in play. Every winter, money raised by the A taste for skiing is pledged to important philanthropic causes. For every dish enjoyed during the 2023-24 season, €3 went to children’s charity. Thanks to the more than 6,100 dishes served, a total of €18,300 was donated to pediatric palliative care.

The Gourmet Skisafari is also part of the broader Alta Badia Brand programme called A Taste for Skiing – an entire ski season’s medley of tasty events and tours. From Sunrise Skiing with a hearty organic breakfast at dawn and first tracks down, to the Wine Skisafari which offers tastings at four of the area’s most beautiful huts, to a week of traditional Ladin dishes served in the charming hamlet of La Crusc/Santa Croce, there’s something for every palate.

For anyone curious about the South Tyrol’s fine wines, joining a day with Sommelier on the Slopes is a must. Both the skiing and the tastings are led by a professional sommelier who guides guests on a journey that begins with refreshing bubbles, travels on to white wines with a strong and crisp character, and culminates with a selection of fruity, full-bodied, and more structured reds. Skiing with one’s own sommelier is the ultimate blend of indulgence and fun, surrounded by the most breathtaking mountain views in the world.

The wine, the food, the mountains – it’s fusion at its best. More than just a ski destination, the Dolomites are a love letter to life, carved in snow and seasoned with all the flair of Northern Italy. One taste, one sip, one run… and you’re bound to be back.

Frankly, why wouldn’t you?