I was always dreaming about spending the winter in a motorhome, following the forecast and travelling from one competition to another, and to be able to jump in the skis straight from the bed. So, this year I started collaborating with Sun Living where they understood my needs and so I got a Sun Living A 70DK motorhome for a trip in the middle of January. Before we left, I checked weather forecast and the same evening Masa and I were on the way to Austria where it was snowing for the last couple of days.
I was instantly impressed with the automatic transmission combined with the cruise control, which was really convenient. We made it to Saalbach (where the most of fresh snow was expected) in a blink of an eye, and the next day bad weather gave us time to rest and to be productive, read: writing emails, thesis, photo/video editing, etc. In the evening we were joined by Mark and Lovro who were on the way from home from Switzerland, but were seduced by the thought of fresh, fluffy snow and the warm shelter of a motorhome.
Usually, it is quite tight for four skiers in a motorhome in the winter time, but we easily put all the equipment in place, cooked dinner without any problems and ate it very comfortably, thanks to superb layout of A 70DK.
Masa: “Our original plan was to ski in Saalbach for two days and then head to France, to the Les Arcs ski area, where the second freeride race of the season was scheduled, and then return to Slovenia, where Maj would board a plane for Georgia, where next competitions will take place”.
Of course, life would be too simple if it went according to plan. Due to bad snow conditions in France, the competition was postponed for a few days, which ruined our entire plan and cancelled flight to Georgia. Well, luckily, we were on our way with the motorhome, so we did not depend to any booked accommodations and therefore the last-minute change didn’t bother us too much. After all, we were able to stay in snowy Austria even longer.
After a few days in Saalbach, the water tank emptied and the battery voltage dropped, so we spent one night at a winter camp to be ready and free again for the next few days. We continued on towards the Weißsee ski area and later to the Gerlos pass, where we took advantage of the excellent conditions before continuing our way towards Innsbruck. There we switched ski boots for climbing shoes and visited one of the largest and newest climbing gyms in the world. Yes, considering that for most of the time the two of us travelled alone (in a motorhome that offers as many as seven beds), we had really unlimited space and so we could easily take climbing equipment with us in addition to eight pairs of skis and ski junk, which allowed us to make the most of bad weather days or those days when your feet want a day without ski boots.
The path led us on to more fresh snow and so we landed in our home St. Moritz, where fresh snow was waiting for us. Another two powder days ended too soon and we were joined again by Mark, who accompanied us on our way to France.
And here we are again with the competitions and surprises… just as we crossed the French border, I received an email that the race in Les Arcs was cancelled because the last front did not bring enough new snow to allow safe conditions for the competition. We had no choice but to stop along the way, prepare breakfast in peace and study the situation. “Luckily we are on our way with a motorhome and we didn’t have an expensive hotel booked in France” we thought together and tried to find some positive things in the situation. We took advantage of pleasant 20 degrees near Turin and for the first time this year climbed a few routes in the rock.
1000 kilometers and 24 hours later we were back under the Maloja pass where it was snowing heavily. The motorhome turned out great and we managed to get across the pass without the use of chains, and the next day we were rewarded with plenty of fresh snow in St. Moritz. That was totally worth the long drive that had plagued us the day before! A new flight for Georgia was booked, so we said goodbye to Mark the same evening and set off on a night drive to Slovenia, which we spent reliving the events of the last two weeks.
One gets used to all the advantages of a motorhome very quickly, especially if you are used to ascetic winter camping in a car or van that is not specially adapted for winter. A warm shower after skiing, a fully equipped kitchen, refrigerator, large bed, standing height, heating, dry ski boots and gloves, large table, electricity, and plenty of space were not exactly self-evident things on most of my car or van trips in recent years. So, this time I deeply appreciated the comfort offered by the motorhome and I hope to set off on a new adventure with one of the Sun Living motorhomes soon.
