Guests visiting Scandinavia’s most popular resort this season, Åre in Sweden, can check out the brand new Experience menu offered by the company which runs the resort SkiStar.

Chemmy Alcott overcame sickness to grab joint 11th in the giant slalom at the latest leg of the World Cup in Sweden. With just two months before the Vancouver Winter Olympics, it was another respectable showing from Britain’s 27-year-old from Surrey.

The Finn, who won the season opener in Soelden, pulled her back in training in Aspen and did not compete in Lake Louise last week. And although the injury has improved, Poutiainen has decided to more on her conditioning.

Come summertime, when people want to feel the sun on their backs, they turn to the south, through instinct – like migrating birds – or just habit. Come winter, when they want to feel soft snow beneath their skis, they turn… to the south.

It’s a curious phenomenon. Everybody knows that the places where it’s always cold, and the snow is thick on the ground, lie in the opposite direction; but the bulk of skiers still head south to the Alps.