The Ski Resort That Disappears

Visit the site of the Whitepod ski resort in the Swiss Alps between April and November and what you’ll see of it is . . . nothing.

You’ll see no roads. No electrical wires. No place to stay. Just a 19th century farmhouse and a pristine alpine meadow that’s begging for some von Trapp kids to twirl around in it Sound Of Music style. The views of the snow peaks from this place 1,700 meters (5,600 feet) above the oceans might be the grandest untouched mountain vista in Europe. “Untouched” being the key word.

Whitepod is an eco-resort in the truest sense of the term, a place one can spend the night where the preservation of nature is the first priority.

Every autumn, shortly before the snow starts, Whitepod builds wooden platforms and places upon each a geodesic-dome “pod” (that’s akin to a smaller version of the increasingly popular yurt). The pods have no plumbing and no electricity. But they do have oil lamps and a fireplace that keeps the pod toasty warm. Each pod also has a full bed and stellar south-facing views of Mount Blanc. It is all very romantic in a primitive, middle-of-nowhere sort of way.

All the pods are clustered around the aforementioned 19th century farmhouse. This is where Whitepod guests can use the facilities and enjoy a solar-heated shower or spa treatment. It is also where intimate meals are served and where guests congregate when they aren’t in their pods or out hitting the slopes. The farmhouse gets a few hours of generator-provided electricity each day.

Every spring the pods are then taken down, their platforms are removed, and this area of the Alps returns to its natural state. At least for a few months, when snows begin to fall and the Whitepod resort reappears.

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