In Search of the Pure Joy of Nordic Skiing
Jim and JoAnn heading onto the trail in Seefeld; Photo: JoAnn Hanowski and Jim Fredricks
Lumi Experiences guests JoAnn and Jim from Greensboro, Vermont recall their self-guided skiing adventures in Seefeld, Austria and Seiser Alm, Italy last winter: “All we had to do was show up.” Read more about their adventures below!
Also, if you’d prefer to ski in Austria & Italy with the support of our expert, local trip leaders, check out our 2025 Seefeld & Seiser Alm Sight-Skiing Trip. Right now we’re offering an early booking discount of $300 off any 2025 Lumi trip when you save your spot before March 31.
Article and photos by JoAnn Hanowski and Jim Fredericks (Greensboro, VT)
We have a few fall traditions to get us in the mood and ready for the ski season: getting out our roller-skis, doing more ski-oriented workouts and planning a winter ski trip. Last fall, looking for a change from our usual Silver Star trip in early December, we researched options for a trip to Europe. We knew that Lumi Experiences offered group trips to the classic Worldloppet races, but we were hoping to travel in January and wanted the trip to be focused on the pure joy of skiing rather than enduring the hassles of preparing for a race.
We contacted Garrott, first by email and then after a few phone conversations, we took his advice to visit two of his favorite ski destinations: Seefeld, Austria and Seiser Alm, Italy. Garrott presented us with an itinerary for a self-guided trip and all we needed to do was get to Munich and back from Venice. We opted for the private transfer option since we felt the possibility of contacting Covid on our trip was lessened. This worked out great. Our driver and tour guide met us at the Munich airport for our drive to Seefeld. He was very knowledgeable and gave us a wonderful history lesson on the two hour drive.
The ski stadium in Seefeld -- even in a low-snow year
Unfortunately, after early season snow in Seefeld, the snowpack had diminished to less than 10 km of artificial snow, about half of which was on the World Cup courses. We were at first disappointed in the snow situation but made the most of the skiing on the flatter loops with some World Cup hills to spice it up. Seefeld was also the US Ski Team’s choice for the post-Tour de Ski camp. We had a good time visiting with our friend and head US Ski Team (USST) coach Matt Whitcomb along with technicians Eli Brown and Jason Cork. We also had a personal tour of the USST’s impressive wax truck and listened to the inside scoop of the previous week’s Tour de Ski challenges with Covid stricken staff and athletes. We skied every day from the trail head across the street from our very nice hotel. Due to limited snow depth, we missed skiing from town to town, but were able to do some hikes up to the huts that served food and drinks.
The hotel accommodations and food were amazing, and the staff was super friendly and helpful. We arrived at our room and found fresh fruit, local liquor, chocolate, and supplies for Covid testing and Kleenex. We were able to meet with Garrott and his wife Catherine in Seefeld and had a nice apres-ski hot chocolate.
Jim and JoAnn enjoy a hot chocolate trailside in Seefeld
After five days, it was time to move to Seiser Alm. The drive to Italy was quick and although our driver was not fluent in English, we enjoyed the scenic drive before being deposited at the bottom of the gondola that would take us up to the village of Seiser Alm. After a hectic gondola boarding, with skis, bags and wax gear, the trip up was beautiful, and we arrived in snow within fifteen minutes.
After a short walk we checked into our hotel in this small resort village. Again, great accommodations within a three-minute walk to the trail head. The spa at our hotel was amazing, as were the views of the towering Dolomites from our room. We had seen beautiful pictures of Seiser Alm, but skiing there was among the best that we have experienced. Perfection was the name of the game for the superb Pisten Bully daily grooming throughout the 100 plus kilometers of trails. We skied close to 30 km on most days and the only reason for not skiing more was our energy level. The weather was sunny every day, the wax was blue and the trails were extensive enough that they were never crowded. There were options for skiing down into the next town and taking a short bus ride back to the top. The trail system accommodated terrain for every level of skiing ability and the scenery was eye candy wherever you skied. And all of our car transfers, ski and gondola passes were included in our package. All we had to do was show up.
JoAnn strides in Seiser Alm with the Sassopiatto and Sassolumgo -- the Dolomites Flat Top and Long Top peaks -- in the background
The five days at Seiser Alm flew by and soon we were on our way down the gondola to meet our driver who would take us to Venice. We spent an afternoon and evening there, walking and sightseeing at a time of year when there are few tourists. With a wonderful pasta meal and gelato on board, it was time to head home.
Jim enjoying fresh classic tracks on the Seiser Alm plateau in Italy
We highly recommend a self-guided Lumi trip. Every detail was attended to and we had nothing to think about but skiing, relaxing and enjoying the experience. Thank you, Lumi Experiences, for seeing to every detail (including the complimentary bottles of wine) and creating a memorable trip for us.
JoAnn Hanowski and Jim Fredericks
Greensboro, VT
Wherever and however you want to explore on skinny skis next winter, we have you covered:
Our Sight-Skiing trips to Italy, Austria, Norway or Slovenia are for the skier who wants beautiful skiing, delicious cuisine & cultural experiences during their vacation, without any ski racing.
The Trondheim World Champs (2025 only!) and Tour de Ski trips are opportunities to catch your favorite World Cup racers in iconic regions like Norway and Italy (site of the 2026 Olympic Games).
All of our guest favorite Worldloppet trips to ski the Dolo, Marcia, King, Jura, Eng, Birken, and Fossa are back. Plus! New trips to Estonia and Finland launch next month…
And of course our self-guided trips, like Jim and JoAnn’s — popular for couples, families, groups of friends, companies and ski clubs.
We would love to hear from you: info@lumiexperiences.com! Reach out to reserve your space, see a detailed itinerary for a trip, and we’re always happy to answer any questions.
See you on the trail,
Garrott Kuzzy
garrott@lumiexperiences.com