Welcome to the Lumi Experiences blog, where we share stories and tips related to our trips. It’s more than just a collection of stories though. Scroll through the posts or click the dropdown menus below to search by country, topic, and year for updates about upcoming trips, travel tips or just to check out the photos. Enjoy!
This has been a big week in international travel news. First, the US announced on Monday that it will allow fully vaccinated Europeans to enter the US beginning in November. This may not matter to most Ski Post readers who are based in the US, but it does mean that the EU will likely keep its borders open to vaccinated travelers from North America. Second, Austria announced on Tuesday that they plan to be open for all vaccinated travelers for the ski season this winter.
Read MoreFinally! We just wrapped up the first Lumi Experiences trip since Covid cancelled the Minneapolis World Cup in March 2020. Our travelers spent the past week touring the Fischer and Salomon ski factories, rollerskiing and hiking in Ramsau am Dachstein, Austria, skiing in the ski tunnel in Planica, Slovenia and rowing on beautiful Lake Bled. We’ll be sharing a few highlights over the coming weeks. This week? Skiing in the Planica ski tunnel…
Read MoreOn August 15, the US was added to Germany's list of High Risk Areas. What does this mean?! Considering I had a flight from Minneapolis to Munich on August 16, I was a little apprehensive when I read the news. Fortunately for vaccinated US travelers, the new High Risk Area designation doesn’t mean much. In fact, I found out after getting a $100 Covid test that a negative test isn’t even required to enter Germany. Hopefully, my mistake helps save our travelers on next week’s Lumi trip to Austria and Slovenia.
Read MoreI was practically born in the air. My mom worked for Northwest Airlines and within weeks of my birth, I was on my first flight to visit grandparents.
This week, I took my first flight in over a year -- by far the longest period in my life I’ve gone without flying. What would it be like to fly over the ocean and cross international borders for the first time since early in the Covid pandemic? Based on what I had read in the news, I was expecting hurdles at every step. But in the end, I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience.
Read MoreThat’s right. Tucked away in the back of an artisanal wine and cheese shop in Riva del Garda, Italy, I was surprised -- and thrilled -- to find gas pumps dispensing wine. The microclimate around Lake Garda, just south of the Dolomites, is particularly suited for vineyards and olive trees.
Read MoreYesterday, restaurants in Austria reopened to indoor dining. For the past 6 months, a common dinner conversation has been, “where will you go when restaurants reopen? What will you order?”
Read MoreFall is my favorite season. Hands down. The snow starts to fall, trails begin to reopen, race season is impending and the excitement on the trails is palpable. At the same time, daylight wanes quickly, loops are small and often on artificial snow and there’s a rigid training plan to follow. These are all strong cases for the benefits of spring skiing…
Read MoreAfter our article last week about the amount of energy it takes to prepare ski trails, we were sent an article about the amount of energy used to produce an alpine ski. How much, you ask? About 23 kg of CO2 or about 60 miles driven in a car. Those 23 kg of CO2 are almost equally divided between energy used for (1) materials, (2) production and (3) packaging and transport.
Read MoreIn honor of Earth Day, we are taking a look at the sustainability of skiing and ski travel. Like little canaries, Nordic skiers see and feel the impacts of climate change on our sport. What is our impact? How might we ski more sustainably?
Read MoreWinter continues in Seefeld, Austria. This week marks 5 months of daily grooming since the trails opened last November. Huge thanks to the grooming team for providing impressive consistency in such an uncertain year. The combination of an extensive snowmaking system and excellent snow conditions have made for a great base that has lasted to (and through!) April 15.
Read MoreFrom the “Wait, that’s a sport?!” desk, we bring you … Figln.
That’s right, folks: Firn Gleiten. Firn describes snow as it transforms from early morning crust (harsch) into wet, sugary afternoon Firn, warmed by the sun. Gleiten is the German word for “gliding.”
The sport of Firn Gleiten, or Figln, evolved in Tyrol from spring hikers putting very short skis in their backpacks, then strapping the skis onto hiking boots in order to glide back down the mountain on the firn snow.
Read MoreSunny spring days and cold, clear nights. Assuming there’s still snow on the ground, this is the perfect season for crust cruising. Pack your skate skis and arrive at the trail shortly before sunrise. If the groomer made it out last night, you may find some icy corduroy on the trail. Today though, you’re heading away from the groomed trails to explore the snow-covered landscape.
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