The joys of the snowless ski slopes

I love skiing. It is fair to say that skiing and the mountains have shaped my life more than any other activity.

Without the immense pull of skiing I undoubtedly would not have quit Finance to head out to live in the Alps.

Without skiing I would not have met my ex, who is Norwegian, and therefore not moved to this wonderful country.

Being a Ski Instructor was my first proper job here in Oslo. The irony of a boy from Southwest London teaching Norwegian kids to downhill ski is not lost on me.

So why am I writing about skiing?

Well it is pretty simple. After a few sad days after learning of the passing of my doggie mate Tiki, I needed a reboot.

In my previous experience I know that this is achieved by heading to the ski slopes regardless of the season.

Most of the time outside of Winter the ski slopes are deserted. Large and steep expanses of slopes ready to be explored as you sweat it out battling the opposite way from usual.

Gone are the monochromatic shades of Winter to be replaced by the lush green, the remaining snow and the waves of coloured small flowers and bushes bursting to life.

In walking up ski slopes you only have to turn around at any point to enjoy the spectacular views. Of course the bonus is that on your walk down you will enjoy these the entire way.

So next time you fancy a bit more of a testing adventure, why not head to your local ski slope with your doggie. They will love it and you can rest assured that they will tire themselves out in no time.

Doggies: Kimba, Marmite, Haraka, Lucy and Sid