Around the World in Analogue: Skiing in Verbier

As winter nears this holiday season, nothing beats more than taking advantage of the snow landscape of nature. Nearly a year ago, Lomographer Chloe Ellison a.k.a.chjellison and her friends visited Verbier, an Alpine village known for holiday resorts. Chloe joins us for our Around the World in Analogue edition today with her own experience in Verbier, taken with the Lomo LC-A, preloaded with the Kodak Ultramax 400.

While 2020 has seen a pause on travel, I was lucky enough to visit Switzerland in early February, just weeks before most of Western Europe was thrown into lockdown chaos. Staying with friends in Verbier, I was treated to pristine powder-skiing, magnificent mountain views, laughter over mulled wine, and a preposterous amount of cheese. I brought along my Lomo-LCA, which is the perfect size for my ski-jacket pocket. I was working so hard in the powder that my body heat kept my camera warm enough to function.

We had both bluebird and blizzard ski days, which were enjoyable in their diversity. Under blue skies, we ascended the tallest peak and carved swooping turns down the face of the glacier. When caught in a snowstorm our best bet was to head for the trees, where the branches cut the fog and showed us what bumps may lie in our path. Whether out in the great wide open or picking a path through the forest, each day offered a unique adventure, followed of course by the beer and pulsing euro-beats of apres-ski.

On the last night, my hosts had something special planned: as the sun sank, we strode up the side of the mountain, dragging orange toboggans behind us. We climbed up into the stars, eventually reaching a small but cheerful lodge nestled into the ski field. After a hearty dinner of raclette, rosti, and mulled wine, we pulled on our mittens and climbed into our toboggans. With only a headlamp to light the way, we sailed down the slope towards the glitter of the town below. It was a wonderful punctuation mark for such a special trip.

I have often recalled the adventures of this last trip during these days spent away from friends and family. This winter I will be making new snowy memories close to home, but I look forward to someday returning to the snow-capped majesty of the Alps.

Want to take us Around the World in Analogue? Drop a line to ciel.hernandez@lomography.com with the subject Around the World in Analogue and share your unforgettable travels with the rest of the community! Read the guidelines here. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are hoping everyone's taking the necessary measures to remain safe and healthy.

written by cielsan on 2020-12-25 #places #around-the-world #switzerland #verbier #around-the-world-in-analogue