Can camping on a snowy plateau really be as chilly as it looks on Instagram? Our writer pitches high up in the Austrian Alps and finds the experience eye-opening – though not in a good way
Plus: more places to camp in the snowIve never fancied a hardcore snow expedition. I’ve never wanted to climb Everest or trek to one of the poles,noble as those pursuits are. But lately, I’ve found myself increasingly drawn to the belief of camping up a mountain. I blame photographs for this. More specifically, and the “illuminated tent on a snowy plateau under a starry sky” shots that appear so frequently on the websites and social media feeds of adventure brands and pro snowboarders and skiers.
I wanted to step into that image and see whether things really were as cosy and chilly as they looked on Instagram,and combine it with some snowboarding. Which is how I found myself in Stubai, at 3210 metres the highest point in the Tyrolean region of the Austrian Alps, and at 3am feeling more awake than I ever absorb. The white snow outside made the inside of my tent surprisingly bright,and as I lay in my sleeping bag, layered up to the max, or its fabric flapped wildly in the wind.
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Source: theguardian.com