When I was invited to travel to Gstaad, Switzerland as part of a press trip, I was simultaneously excited and concerned – as someone who is around a month out from a marathon, every training session counts! But buoyed on by the knowledge that the trip would be an active one, I happily packed my bags for my first snow of the year. Please note – this trip was gifted by Gstaad tourism, but as always all views are my own.

After an early start, we landed in Geneva airport, ready to take two trains to Geneva. After around 2.5h we arrived in our destination. Gstaad is not easy to get to, but the views en route are spectacular, and its exclusivity is what makes it such an enviable destination for tourists and locals alike. It was great to have a tour of the town when we arrived to get our bearings, although unfortunately we weren’t staying in the town itself initially, something I would change if I were to return, as it is stunning!

Our first morning was spent skiing in the most perfect skiing conditions I have ever experienced, with few people on the slopes and fresh snow the whole way down. Lunchtime arrived and we skied to an igloo hotel/restaurant (reminiscent of the ice hotel). Thankfully there were vegan options on the menu, which sadly is a rarity while skiing! The bulk of the group ate cheese fondue while I had mixed anti-pasti, soup and fresh bread, which were all delicious.

That afternoon we travelled to the Ermitage hotel, a beautiful hotel with an even nicer spa. Unfortunately due to the packed schedule (and very snowy conditions) I had been unable to do any running since arriving (although of course skiing is excellent exercise!) and instead of heading straight to the spa, I instead went to the gym to complete 3x 800m sprints as part of my marathon training. My thinking is that giving 80% in your training consistently is far better than giving 100% sporadically when you know you’re at your best (i.e. in London on a track). So I got the workout done and headed to dinner at the hotel after a short (and much needed!) dip in the pool. Dinner at The Ermitage was great and one of the few places that offered full vegan meals (as opposed to salad leaves and copious amounts of bread). Satisfied and full, I opted for an early night.

The next day was significantly snowier than our first day, which was no problem as we were heading out to do a childhood favourite of mind – tobogganing! After a delicious breakfast at Charly’s (one of the best traditional cafes in town), we headed up the new gondola lift to reach the toboggan run. Sledding down the run was a definite throwback to my childhood and we all had so much fun!

Following tobogganing we moved hotel for the final night, heading to The Park in the town of Gstaad (previously we had been a short drive from the town). I was immediately blown over by the hotel with its mix of décor, from parts that were redone around 2010 (but that have a timeless chic feel), to the central hotel lift, which is from when the building was originally built.  The Park has 84 rooms and 10 suites, as well as 3 restaurants (a local cuisine, sustainable restaurant, an Argentinian restaurant and an Al Fresco pool-side dining area). The three pillars of the hotel are: sustainability, fitness and health, so you can imagine I was very excited to be spending an evening here. Needless to say, the gym was very pleasant, with plenty of equipment and a large studio, where classes take place. The hotel is open 6 months of the year – 3 within ski season, and 3 in the summer, when the hotel attracts half its clientele, and with good reason. The number of activities available to guests in the summer is astounding, and with the hotel being situated in the mountains, it’s the perfect place to set off for whatever adventure you’re looking for. I’m excited to head back in the summer to see more of what’s on offer, from mountain biking to golf club to trail running.

On our final we were set to take part in a glacier walk, on organised tour of the local glacier (which unfortunately is fast retreating). However, due to high winds and unpredictable weather, we were unable to go. Not all as lost though, as it means that I was able to head back up the mountain, skis in hand (and then on feet) for a final morning of skiing! Deterred by the weather warnings, the mountains were almost devoid of people, so it was incredible to ski on the fresh snow and freshly piste-bashed pistes. I have never encountered skiing conditions like those at Gstaad and despite the cost of getting there, would head back in a heartbeat to experience them again. After around 40 minutes of skiing in the snow and wind, the skies cleared to reveal a beautiful sunny day, fresh snow and not a soul on the mountains, which was a spectacular way to remember Gstaad.

TL;DR

• Would I recommend going to Gstaad? Yes, absolutely. Summer or winter, you’ll love it.
• Cons? It’s expensive and, unless you have a helicopter, a little time consuming to get to.
• Best parts? The skiing and tobogganing! Although I would also happily stay in a suite at The Park hotel for the entire time too.
• Worst parts? The lack of vegan/healthy food out, although this is to be expected anywhere you go skiing.

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