A Sweet Swap in Switzerland

Here's a ski house that could be just perfect for a Valentine's Day ski trip later this month:

I recently found this very sweet ski chalet on an interesting website that was new to me (although it's been around for several years)...Snow Swappers.  They way it works is that owners of ski houses join in order to "swap" with each other.  This way owning a ski house doesn't keep them stuck skiing the same mountain all the time. There are simply swap agreements between members -- no rentals, no sales, just a system of  "I'll let you use mine, if you let me use yours."  What a great concept!

Assuming that I'd find less-than-desirable ski houses here, I was pleasantly surprised when I actually browsed through to see what kind of places were being listed for swaps.  Ski houses of all types, all over the world, in some fabulous ski resorts, and many that were highly desirable...just like this one.

First, I'll say that when a ski house is in a location like this, I don't know why anyone would need to ski anywhere else because you can ski 400 miles (650 km) of trails right from the front door of this chalet!  It's in Morgins, Switzerland, and is connected to the expansive Portes du Soleil which is Europe's largest linked-together ski area:

The chalet itself looks adorable, and it seems pretty roomy with three bedrooms and two baths, plus the all-important heated ski boot room!

There's even comfy leather living room furniture for resting up after hitting all those trails:

So, for those lucky enough to own their own ski house...this is something to have a look at...and maybe swap for a cute chalet like this for a cozy Valentine's Day ski holiday.  Sweet swapping!

Fun at Chalet La Couronne

The Ski House of the Day is Chalet La Couronne in La Tzoumaz Switzerland (part of  Les 4 Vallees Ski Area which links it to Verbier, Bruson, and more, to total 410 km of trails!).  La Tzoumaz is a family-friendly ski area on the north-facing side of the steep mountain area.  This lovely, spacious chalet is nestled up against the mountain cliff:

Chalet La Couronne has a bright and beautiful interior with a stone fireplace and an abundance of woodwork:

The kitchen is modern, sleek, and bright:

...and the custom wooden dining table is a lovely handmade feature:

With five bedrooms (plus 5 + bathrooms) there's room in the chalet for a big family:

And the view from Chalet La Couronne is pretty spectacular:

Here's what I think is the most unique feature...the chalet has a private funicular (...think inclined plane meets elevator and mini cog-railway) that takes you right to the ski trail, making this a ski-in ski-out chalet!  (I know how wimpy this must look to all those back-country skiers who hike and skin up miles of steeps...but for the rest of us, it's pretty cool). Check out this photo of skiers exiting the private funicular and arriving at the piste:

Looks like fun, as in FUNicular!

Igloo on the Ski Mountain

With World Environment Day tomorrow, I thought it would be a good time for an environmentally-friendly ski house...and here's a totally unique one...The Ski House of the Day is Iglu-Dorf, a fascinating ski igloo!

According to their sustainability statement, Iglu-Dorf is completely CO2 neutral...with all of the electric used here coming from hydro and wind power.

Rather than an actual "house," I think I'd describe Iglu-Dorf as a cross between a frozen luxury hotel, a snow-cave and a tiny mountain-top village.  It's an interconnected series of igloos / rooms all built out of the snow and tucked into the ski mountain!

Inspired by his quest for first-tracks, and equipped with just snow and a saw, the inventor constructed his own tiny igloo to spend the night in...but he had so many people ask if they too could spend a night in his igloo, that he decided to make one to share and thus built his business out of the snow in 1995.

Inside Iglu-Dorf there are some incredible public areas...

...including a very cool, open-air snow-surround hot-tub:

 ...plus several private igloo "rooms"...including some standard igloos for families / groups:

...and some romantic igloos / rooms for couples:

.....some of which even include private hot-tubs!

There are actually seven locations of Iglu-Dorf in the Alps and Pyrenees (most in Switzerland) in places such as St. Moritz, Davos and Zermatt.  Incredibly, all of it melts away each spring and is re-built the next winter, with about 3,000 tons of snow each.  Initially they constructed them from blocks of snow piled like bricks...but because that was so time-consuming they now use a quicker method whereby they inflate giant balloons, cover them with snow, then deflate the balloon.  The annual work of rebuilding is also a massive annual work of art, with new designs each year...

...and impressive artwork snow-carvings throughout the igloos:

Part of Iglu-Dorf's energy efficiency is the result of the temperature -- the interior temp hovers at the freezing point (fluctuating only from about 0C to 5C).  They provide guests with sleeping bags and sheepskin rugs to place on top of the snow-beds:

(I know that you back-country skiers sleep on the snow regularly...ok, but for those of us who want a roof overhead, this place is the luxury version!).

 In the igloo's "ice bathrooms" (which do not have showers), you even wash with snow:

.....a unique experience, for sure!

Wait a minute...unique is an understatement.  Sleep on an elegant ice bed, in an candle-lit igloo, with a private hot tub, on top of the ski mountain...and get first tracks at sunrise...wow!

Not only unique and environmentally-friendly, but also in the words of one guest (in a TSR interview on their website) who spoke in French but made it clear that in any language...Iglu-Dorf is "super-cool."

Smart Swiss Chalet

Today's ski house is chosen in honor of  National Pi Day (today's date is 3.14) and Albert Einstein's birthday.  Although born in Germany (on 3.14.1879), Einstein was educated and lived much of his early life in Switzerland (University of Zurich, and then in Bern where he developed his theory of relativity).  I can't help wondering whether he did any skiing during his time in Switzerland (the ski doctors apparently think so).  And I wonder if Einstein ever made any connections between skiers speed / time relative to the stationary Swiss chalets on the mountains?  (Student of physics?...Check out this computation of energy transformation for downhill skiing).

So today, relatively speaking, the smartest place for a ski house is Switzerland.  The Ski House of the Day is Chalet Guybin in the Swiss Alps.  This house is a 5-bedroom traditional Swiss design chalet, close to the ski slopes in Champery/Portes du Soleil:


This chalet brilliantly combines rustic and plush elements to create one warm, inviting and smart ski house:


I love the slate kitchen floor, wall of glass doors, and those furry, comfortable-looking stools...


...and the rough wood timbers and stone work...






So, on 3.14.12 -- the Swiss Alps still look like a pretty smart place, indeed.  But, it doesn't take a mathematical genius to figure out how nice this ski chalet is!

Snow Pod in Switzerland

Here's a ski house that I consider to be part igloo, part tent, part luxury hotel room, and part ski house perched in the mountains of Cerniers, Switzerland.  The Ski House of the Day is Pod 13 where you can sleep practically on the snow and under the stars at the eco-friendly White Pod Resort.

The Pod is one of 15 similar pods situated right on a ski slope (part of a private ski area).  Accessible only by ski (or foot), the "houses" that comprise White Pod resemble a collection of giant snowballs perched on the mountainside.

The ski house is a one-room (plus bathroom) energy efficient geodesic dome, with a sitting area, luxury bedding, wood-stove, and an outdoor deck with seating:

According to 1kindesign, the pods have no electricity, but they are kept cozy with an efficient wood-stove.



The interior decor is different in each pod:







And to top it all off, the view from this snowy igloo-like pod is spectacular!