03.11.2018

Fun in the snow

by Dirk Baumgartl

The Gay Ski Week in Arosa, Switzerland, is one of the most popular gay winter sports events, seeing an ever-growing number of international participants every year.

If the mountain village of Arosa, located in the Swiss canton of Grisons, did not exist, it would have to be created. Arosa lies at a valley end, high in the Alps, at an altitude of 1,775 metres and surrounded by peaks like the almost 3,000 metre-high Rothorn. It is well connected to the canton’s capital Chur by road or by the narrow-gauge Rhaetian Railway that offers a scenic journey in all weather. At the end of the 19th century, the village got popular as a climatic spa but this changed in the 20th century when it turned more into a ski resort. It has become one of the most popular holiday destinations in Switzerland in these days. Thomas Mann can be considered one of the most famous guests spending several holidays here at the Waldhotel National and the first weeks of his exile in 1933.

Sunshine guaranteed

While the ski area around Arosa, comprising 70 kilometres of slopes, was previously considered mainly beautiful but small, the situation has changed in 2014. Arosa connected its skiing circuit with that of Lenzerheide with the 1.5-kilometre-long Urdenbahn. It links the mountains of Hörnli and Urdenfürggli and thus unlocks 220 kilometres of slopes, 50 kilometres of freeride terrain, a snow park and more than forty lifts, offering skiers and snowboarders a wide range of slopes of every degree of difficulty. Snow and sunshine are guaranteed throughout the winter season due to the special location.

Under the rainbow

The participants of Arosa Gay Ski Week, which will take place next year from January 19th to January 26th, also appreciate this. The event has become one of the most popular LGBTIQ* winter events in Europe after its launch in 2005, attracting guests from over thirty nations each year. The international queer visitors for the Ski Week have become a regular feature and a rainbow flag is up here throughout the entire season – right in the centre of the village. During the Gay Ski Week, rainbow flags can be found throughout the village and in the vicinity – from the main road to the ski huts.

Culture & Cuisine

Feeling bored during Ski Week should be difficult with plenty of sports on offer, fun, parties, culinary and cultural events. Daily ski and snowboard tours take you to different slopes each day. Lunch is served at Tschuggenhütte, a ski hut at 2,000 metres altitude that also non-skiers can access easily. Plenty of deck chairs on the large sun terrace for Ski Week pass holders only offer an area of relexation between skiing sessions or for après-ski.
Highlights of Ski Week are the Addicted Pool Party in the Altein Hotel’s salt-water pool, a classical concert in the village church, night sledging cum fondue dinner, White Snowball Party and Arosa Drag Race. Food is an important feature of Ski Week. The participants can choose between Alpine gourmet cuisine in the luxury hotel Tschuggen Grand, a Pink Kitchen Food Circus at Bullrian restaurant or Burger, Sushi, Mexican and Thai dinner. A fondue dinner and a dinner offering specialities from Grisons (Bündner Spezialitäten) are more traditional forms of meals.
The Arosa Gay Ski Week website offers accommodation from budget holiday apartments to 5-star luxury hotel rooms, in packages comprising accommodation, a ski pass and an event pass.