Skiing the Planet

"Mongolia is kind of close, right?" Story about an attempt to ski everywhere in the world where there's snow. And in some places where there isn't. On and off-piste skiing on all continents, skiing into craters of live volcanoes, climbing, photography, and travel.

The blog about skiing around the world. The most recent blog articles can be found in Blogspot. This page lists all the skiing-related articles from this blog series.

Make the trip to the airport count
Conference is over, time to head to the airport. How about an early wakeup, and trying to make the trip count as something interesting? I headed to the hotel sauna, then hit slopes in Semmering (one hour away), climbed and lidar-scanned a couple of caves, and still had time to check the apres ski in St. Corona ski resort :-) There was none.
Full story
Alternate link

March 2022, Hilton Vienna Park, Vienna, Austria; Semmering, Austria; St. Corona, Austria; Semmeringhalbhöhle, Semmering, Austria; Schrägaufzughöhle, Semmering, Austria
Sauna (Normal); Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Rock, Basic, Surveying, Rock-Limestone); Climbing (Mountain)

Cyprus Smuggling White Powdery Stuff over the Border
More countries. I am standing at the parking lot of Mt. Olympus in Cyprus, having just skied it. There's plenty of snow in the snowbanks by my car. North Cyprus is an hour and half's drive away. Sadly, there are no high mountains or ski resorts in North Cyprus. But could I pack snow in the trunk of my car, take it across the border, and ski somewhere? Let's try!
Full story
Alternate link

February 2022, Field, Özhan, Northern Cyprus
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

Wurmberg Busy Skihill in Harz
I've never heard of this place. But, it is a cozy national park, relaxing, forest, some caves around... and it is also a 971 meter high mountain, the highest in Lower Saxony. So obviously there's a ski resort with lifts. Including a gondola! The views are nice, the weather like sunny, and to my luck there was also some fresh snow on the sides of the ski slopes. Can't complain.
Full story
Alternate link

February 2022, Wurmberg, Harz, Germany
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Skiing Mt. Troodos in Cyprus
In February 2022, I felt like I wanted to ski in a new country, a destination that had been in my mind for a long time. I booked Lufthansa flights to get there, and wow, was it worth it! The biggest snow dump in a decade had just arrived on Mt. Troodos even though they don't get snow at all on some years. I skied forest powder all day long... and the atmosphere was relaxed and happy. Very happy that I got here. A wonderful mountain!
Full story
Alternate link

February 2022, Mount Olympus, Troodos Mountains, Cyprus
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Fischen Small but pretty
Stinesser Lifte is a ski hill near our hotel near Obertsdorf on our January visit to German and Austrian ski resorts. A maybe a "hill", it is just a small hill. Maybe even smaller than my local hill back home. Ah, no, according to skiresort.info it still has 130 meter vertical difference, three times as much as my local hill :-)
Full story
Alternate link

January 2022, Stinesser Lifte, Fischen i. Allgäu, Germany
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Knee testing
Today is the first time I'm on skis, after starting to have knee pains since the beginning of the year. A test on the local hill. Wish me luck!
Full story
Alternate link

January 2022, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Hörnerbahn gelbe Kugeln
We were going to ski in Oberstdorf. Seven kilometers outside Oberstdorf we had spotted a medium-size ski area, Hörnerbahn. It seemed inviting, so before heading to Oberstdorf slopes, we wanted to try it as well for an hour or two. Their main lift cabins looked like yellow eggs, quite striking :-)
Full story
Alternate link

January 2022, Hörnerbahn, Hörnerdörfer, Germany
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Eduskuntatalo fail
I have long wanted to ski the Parliament House stairs. And I thought today's "Valtteri" winter storm was the perfect opportunity to do that. However... when I got to the chairs, it turned out they are being heated, and snow-free even in a once-in-a-decade storm. Sigh. What a letdown. And maybe also waste of energy :-)
Full story
Alternate link

January 2022, Eduskuntatalo, Helsinki, Finland; Temppeliaukion kirkko, Helsinki, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

More ski training for the twins
I just love the colours of night skiing. And in Finland, we only have night skiing, because usually there's either no light or very little light. And I also love taking my sister's twins for skiing, this time in Talma, Sipoo's great ski resort, 30 minutes outside Helsinki.
Full story
Alternate link

December 2021, Talma Ski, Talma, Sipoo, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Santa Claus skiing
Time for the traditional Xmas eve ski run. Maybe the best one ever was on the steps of the cathedral in Helsinki, but skiing my local hill in Santa Claus costume and a bag of presents was also nice!
Full story
Alternate link

December 2021, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

First fall of the season!
My first time this season on the Kauniainen ski hill. With my crappy, duct taped skis because, well, no need for the better skis in potentially rocky conditions. But the conditions were not rocky. It -8, solid ice blown from the new "snow" machines, probably meter or two thick at places. My skis did not have the edges to stick to the ice, so I fell... and fell further... and further. Had even difficulties to get back up to fetch the pole I left in mid-slope :-)
Full story
Alternate link

November 2021, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

First time in movies again!
October 2021 -- my first time in movies since the beginning of the pandemic. I joined the Banff Mountain Movie Festival in Helsinki, with many interesting ski and other adventure movies.
Full story
Alternate link

October 2021, Savoy Theater, Helsinki, Finland
Skiing (None, Social, Media)

Namco's Alpine Racer
I visited Tampere's game museum -- maybe the best museum of this kind that I've seen anywhere. Many. interesting things, displayed and playable in the setting of the time. But for me the jewel of the museum was Namco's Alpine Racer arcade game. I wish I had one at home...
Full story
Alternate link

October 2021, Suomen pelimuseo, Vapriikki, Tampere, Finland
Skiing (None, Media)

It's dark, we're wearing sunglasses, and ski season just opened
It is pitch dark. Raining heavily. The whole place is closed. But I'm on a mission, so I grab my skis and walk to the bottom of the hill in my boots, as there's a rumour that there's some snow in the hill. And when I get to the bottom, what I find is a group of teenagers with just a couple of flashlights -- skiing, jumping the jumps, riding the pipes and rails. Wonderful!
Full story
Alternate link

October 2021, Hyvinkään Sveitsin hiihtokeskus, Hyvinkää, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

Swinghill Season's Opening
It is snowing in Swinghill, the lift is running, and I opened the season. Cool.
Full story
Alternate link

September 2021, Swinghill, Espoo, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

Birthday trip, full of fun!
How much fun can you pack into one birthday trip? I started with a drink ... non-alcoholic, of course. And then things starting going faster after that: a sauna at the Oberstegen, continued with skiing on the Hintertux Glacier, went for a SUP paddling tour in an ice cave river under that glacier, and ended up climbing to the Grafenloch and Rossstall caves, and doing a 3D model of them. Not bad, and that was just the first day! Maybe for my next birthday I'll try to come with an active program.
Full story
Alternate link

September 2021, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria; Hintertuxer Gletscher Eispalast, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria; Grafenloch, Oberaudorf, Germany; Rossstall, Oberaudorf, Germany; Gasthof Oberstegen, Stockach, Söll, Austria; Gasthof Oberstegen, Stockach, Söll, Austria
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Basic, Boating, Surveying, Ice); Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Limestone, Surveying); Hiking; Sauna (Normal, Infrared); Travel

This is the 6th set of articles. The previous sets were set 1, set 2, set 3, set 4, and set 5. The next sets are set 7, set 8, set 9, set 10, set 11, set 12, set 13, set 14, set 15, set 16, set 17, set 18, set 19, set 20, set 21, set 22, and set 23.

See also the Planetskier blog articles about caving, urban exploration, climbing, cycling, flying, swimming, and saunas. There is also a full list of all articles regardless of topic, a list of services "approved by the Planetskier, and a world map of all skiing related destinations from the blog series:

	Make the trip to the airport count Conference is over, time to head to the airport. How about an early wakeup, and trying to make the trip count as something interesting? I headed to the hotel sauna, then hit slopes in Semmering (one hour away), climbed and lidar-scanned a couple of caves, and still had time to check the apres ski in St. Corona ski resort :-) There was none. Full story Alternate link March 2022, Hilton Vienna Park, Vienna, Austria; Semmering, Austria; St. Corona, Austria; Semmeringhalbhöhle, Semmering, Austria; Schrägaufzughöhle, Semmering, Austria Sauna (Normal); Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Rock, Basic, Surveying, Rock-Limestone); Climbing (Mountain)

	Cyprus Smuggling White Powdery Stuff over the Border More countries. I am standing at the parking lot of Mt. Olympus in Cyprus, having just skied it. There's plenty of snow in the snowbanks by my car. North Cyprus is an hour and half's drive away. Sadly, there are no high mountains or ski resorts in North Cyprus. But could I pack snow in the trunk of my car, take it across the border, and ski somewhere? Let's try! Full story Alternate link February 2022, Field, Özhan, Northern Cyprus Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

	Wurmberg Busy Skihill in Harz I've never heard of this place. But, it is a cozy national park, relaxing, forest, some caves around... and it is also a 971 meter high mountain, the highest in Lower Saxony. So obviously there's a ski resort with lifts. Including a gondola! The views are nice, the weather like sunny, and to my luck there was also some fresh snow on the sides of the ski slopes. Can't complain. Full story Alternate link February 2022, Wurmberg, Harz, Germany Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Skiing Mt. Troodos in Cyprus In February 2022, I felt like I wanted to ski in a new country, a destination that had been in my mind for a long time. I booked Lufthansa flights to get there, and wow, was it worth it! The biggest snow dump in a decade had just arrived on Mt. Troodos even though they don't get snow at all on some years. I skied forest powder all day long... and the atmosphere was relaxed and happy. Very happy that I got here. A wonderful mountain! Full story Alternate link February 2022, Mount Olympus, Troodos Mountains, Cyprus Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Fischen Small but pretty Stinesser Lifte is a ski hill near our hotel near Obertsdorf on our January visit to German and Austrian ski resorts. A maybe a "hill", it is just a small hill. Maybe even smaller than my local hill back home. Ah, no, according to skiresort.info it still has 130 meter vertical difference, three times as much as my local hill :-) Full story Alternate link January 2022, Stinesser Lifte, Fischen i. Allgäu, Germany Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Knee testing Today is the first time I'm on skis, after starting to have knee pains since the beginning of the year. A test on the local hill. Wish me luck! Full story Alternate link January 2022, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Hörnerbahn gelbe Kugeln We were going to ski in Oberstdorf. Seven kilometers outside Oberstdorf we had spotted a medium-size ski area, Hörnerbahn. It seemed inviting, so before heading to Oberstdorf slopes, we wanted to try it as well for an hour or two. Their main lift cabins looked like yellow eggs, quite striking :-) Full story Alternate link January 2022, Hörnerbahn, Hörnerdörfer, Germany Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Eduskuntatalo fail I have long wanted to ski the Parliament House stairs. And I thought today's "Valtteri" winter storm was the perfect opportunity to do that. However... when I got to the chairs, it turned out they are being heated, and snow-free even in a once-in-a-decade storm. Sigh. What a letdown. And maybe also waste of energy :-) Full story Alternate link January 2022, Eduskuntatalo, Helsinki, Finland; Temppeliaukion kirkko, Helsinki, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

	More ski training for the twins I just love the colours of night skiing. And in Finland, we only have night skiing, because usually there's either no light or very little light. And I also love taking my sister's twins for skiing, this time in Talma, Sipoo's great ski resort, 30 minutes outside Helsinki. Full story Alternate link December 2021, Talma Ski, Talma, Sipoo, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Santa Claus skiing Time for the traditional Xmas eve ski run. Maybe the best one ever was on the steps of the cathedral in Helsinki, but skiing my local hill in Santa Claus costume and a bag of presents was also nice! Full story Alternate link December 2021, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

	First fall of the season! My first time this season on the Kauniainen ski hill. With my crappy, duct taped skis because, well, no need for the better skis in potentially rocky conditions. But the conditions were not rocky. It -8, solid ice blown from the new "snow" machines, probably meter or two thick at places. My skis did not have the edges to stick to the ice, so I fell... and fell further... and further. Had even difficulties to get back up to fetch the pole I left in mid-slope :-) Full story Alternate link November 2021, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

	First time in movies again! October 2021 -- my first time in movies since the beginning of the pandemic. I joined the Banff Mountain Movie Festival in Helsinki, with many interesting ski and other adventure movies. Full story Alternate link October 2021, Savoy Theater, Helsinki, Finland Skiing (None, Social, Media)

	Namco's Alpine Racer I visited Tampere's game museum -- maybe the best museum of this kind that I've seen anywhere. Many. interesting things, displayed and playable in the setting of the time. But for me the jewel of the museum was Namco's Alpine Racer arcade game. I wish I had one at home... Full story Alternate link October 2021, Suomen pelimuseo, Vapriikki, Tampere, Finland Skiing (None, Media)

	It's dark, we're wearing sunglasses, and ski season just opened It is pitch dark. Raining heavily. The whole place is closed. But I'm on a mission, so I grab my skis and walk to the bottom of the hill in my boots, as there's a rumour that there's some snow in the hill. And when I get to the bottom, what I find is a group of teenagers with just a couple of flashlights -- skiing, jumping the jumps, riding the pipes and rails. Wonderful! Full story Alternate link October 2021, Hyvinkään Sveitsin hiihtokeskus, Hyvinkää, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Hiking)

	Swinghill Season's Opening It is snowing in Swinghill, the lift is running, and I opened the season. Cool. Full story Alternate link September 2021, Swinghill, Espoo, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)

	Birthday trip, full of fun! How much fun can you pack into one birthday trip? I started with a drink ... non-alcoholic, of course. And then things starting going faster after that: a sauna at the Oberstegen, continued with skiing on the Hintertux Glacier, went for a SUP paddling tour in an ice cave river under that glacier, and ended up climbing to the Grafenloch and Rossstall caves, and doing a 3D model of them. Not bad, and that was just the first day! Maybe for my next birthday I'll try to come with an active program. Full story Alternate link September 2021, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria; Hintertuxer Gletscher Eispalast, Hintertux, Zillertal, Austria; Grafenloch, Oberaudorf, Germany; Rossstall, Oberaudorf, Germany; Gasthof Oberstegen, Stockach, Söll, Austria; Gasthof Oberstegen, Stockach, Söll, Austria Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Caving (Basic, Boating, Surveying, Ice); Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Limestone, Surveying); Hiking; Sauna (Normal, Infrared); Travel