January 2019: I was in Val Gardena, where I was spending an exhausting yet exhilarating day skiing the Sella Ronda circuit that skirts round some of the most majestic peaks of the Dolomites. As I skied through Alta Badia too early for lunch, I gazed longingly at the mountain restaurants, having heard of the resort’s reputation as the gourmet capital of the
Dolomites. Thinking of what I was missing, I doggedly carried on, wishing I’d timed things better.
Fast forward several years, and my timing has improved somewhat. In fact, I was in Alta Badia for the most eagerly awaited event of the December calendar: the Gourmet Ski Safari. It’s undoubtedly the most appetising way to kick off a new ski season, and the first of many foodie events throughout the winter.
It’s high-altitude haute cuisine, but not as we know it. Some of the region’s top chefs leave their Michelinstarred restaurants to set
