Kassondra Cloos’s piece on a singles ski trip to Val Thorens made me nostalgic for the many European ski trips that I did in my 20s—to a point. Now that I am in my 40s, there is no way I could keep up with the amount of debauchery and skiing she manages to fit into a week. It’s a wild, fun ride, and you will enjoy bouncing along with her in this exuberant essay that superficially looks at dating culture but, really, is all about the après.
“I’m not talking to the press,” a ski-trip alum posts in the trip WhatsApp chat when he sees on Instagram that I—a journalist—have been deployed to report. “What happens on ski trip stays on ski trip.” (Later, he’ll demand to be in the headline.)
Getting busted is probably for the best: I’d been reluctant to out myself as a writer because I didn’t want to end up playing wallflower, but I suppose journalistic ethics should apply even in the hot tub. I resolve to make some ground rules that mainly boil down to “Do no harm.” I won’t hide that I’m here as a journalist, but I won’t shout about it either. I won’t name anyone or share identifying details without permission. Meanwhile anything that I do, or that happens to me: fair game.
More picks on skiing
The Olympics Are Ditching PFAS Waxes—and the ‘Ridiculous’ Speed They Gave Skiers
“After years of concern over so-called “fluoro” waxes, the Milan Cortina Games will be the first Olympics without them.”
A Middle-Aged Dad Visits Downhill Skiing’s Rowdiest Party. What Could Go Wrong?
“Our writer endured boozy days, sleepless nights in a hostel, and edge-of-your-seat racing at Kitzbühel’s legendary Hahnenkamm.”
Slippery Slope
“How private equity shapes a ski town.”
Precipice of Fear: the Freerider Who Took Skiing to its Limits
“Jérémie Heitz has pushed freeriding to breathtaking, beautiful new extremes. But as the risks get bigger, the questions do, too”
I Spent 7 Straight Hours On a Chairlift. Here’s What I Learned About Why We Still Ski
“Despite rising costs, surging crowds, and shorter winters, people still flock to the mountains. What keeps us coming back?”
How to Throw Bombs, Save Lives, and Raise a Family in Paradise on $22 an Hour
“The dust has settled on negotiations, but the conversations about what ski-industry workers deserve may just be getting started.”
