Hi Johanna!
You are our colleague from Bavaria and you’re an absolute mountain expert.
What is your favourite winter sport and why?
If you grow up in the Allgäu region, you’re practically born with skis strapped to your feet. So that makes classic alpine skiing one of my all-time favourite winter sports. This year, though, I want to go cross-country skiing more often to improve my technique and build my stamina. My friends often get me to join them on trendy sports like ski touring ☺.
How do you get ready for an active winter?
With seasonal sports, you usually need a few days to adjust – and you usually have really sore muscles in the first few days. To keep this to a minimum, I try to prepare myself by doing strength training, such as squats or lunges. But the best thing to do at the start of the season is simply to “warm up” slowly.
Care to share your favourite winter destinations? Your top 5?
There are so many beautiful winter sports regions. My favourite places are in my home region around Oberstdorf, for example in Kleinwalsertal, Balderschwang or other areas with natural snow. My absolute dream is to explore the winter landscape in Norway or Lapland.
Where is your favourite place to take a break? Outside or in a hut?
When I’m skiing alone, I’ll take short breaks outside. But when I’m out with friends at the weekend, we like to stop off at the huts.
Do you know any huts that also serve tasty vegan dishes?
Most of the huts I know do not, unfortunately, serve much in the way of vegan food (apart from chips, which you can get everywhere). But now at least there are vegetarian alternatives everywhere, which are also very tasty.
Which snacks do you take with you?
I always have a RAWBITE bar in my ski jacket pocket. As a quick snack on the gondola, a reward at the top or as fuel to get you back to the bottom, a RAWBITE always tastes delicious, whatever the temperature. My favorite is the Smooth Cacao.
And, last but not least, what is your advice for a sustainable, environmentally friendly winter holiday?
As a rule, I recommend picking an environmentally friendly ski resort and region when you’re choosing a winter holiday destination. Try to avoid places that use artificial snow, and make sure there’s a good public infrastructure and the region or resort uses green energy. In many countries, holiday resorts are joining forces to standardise sustainability aspects, like the Alpine Pearls. There are also hotels which have pledged to save energy and water and avoid waste. They are audited by independent institutions and receive a seal, like the German Viabono certificate, TourCert or the Austrian Ecolabel, the Swiss ibex fairstay label or the Blue Swallow.
Finally, I have one really simple tip: always clean up on the piste. Please don’t leave any rubbish behind; keep the environment clean. After the snow has melted, the dirt and rubbish becomes visible – and that’s horrible.
Thank you very much for your tips for a good winter holiday - we wish you a fantastic season on the slopes.
Pure Taste. Pure Joy.
