The surrounding snow bowl within the ski area means the runs are tailor-made for novice skiers: long, gentle and wide with few trees to crash into. We managed to get to grips with the turns fairly quickly, which allowed us to think about the food to come instead of whether we’d be falling over every few minutes. After two runs on the slopes through the fresh powdered snow, we reached the first hut – Ütia I Tabalà – where Angelo Sabatelli showcased the flavours of Puglia with a dish of spaghetti with garlic, oil, chilli and scallops with wild turnip sauce. It was only 10am but skiing does make you hungry, and there is nothing better than pasta to keep your energy levels going. But this was no ordinary pasta dish; Angelo brought incredible Puglian ingredients such as strong garlic, large scallops and wild turnip tops bursting with strong aromas and flavours. He spoke to us afterwards and explained why he focused on these stronger notes: ‘Tasting my food at this altitude has given me a new impression of flavours and the intensity of taste. You notice the difference; everything is cleaner, sharper and faster.’

After one course and a quick chat we were back on the pistes and heading towards the next hut, still hungry and curious about how each chef would showcase their cooking on the slopes. Chef Pino Cuttaia created a comforting dish of Sicilian ravioli that even captured the attention of the locals who ski through these areas regularly.

Moving on, we reached the delightful hut of Ütia Col Alt to meet Norbert Niederkofler who served a wine soup with herb croutons and marinated char on potato bruschetta. Afterwards, we sat on the benches overlooking the mighty Dolomites and thought about how special South Tyrol is. Gourmet Skisafari is an amazing event, and could only come about through a combination of Norbert’s enthusiasm, the extraordinary work done by the Alta Badia resort and the hut owners themselves. ‘I want everyone to experience South Tyrol and the incredible collection of chefs we have in this region,’ Norbert told us. ‘This is a unique offering and we are lucky to have such a beautiful place in which to host Gourmet Ski.’

With three dishes down and one more to go we took to the slopes once more, wondering which dish would greet us next. We visited the charming Matteo Mettullio who greeted us with his dish of tortelli stuffed with goat’s cheese, beetroot purée, peanuts and a suckling pig ragout. He said the dish was full of his own nostalgic memories of visiting the mountains.

We hopped back on our skis to head back to the Hotel Rosa Alpina full, content and a little wiser about the region of South Tyrol and its gourmet treats. We did not get a chance to try all of the chefs’ dishes (we couldn’t ski that far!) but there were some incredible dishes on offer. Marianna Vitale was cooking spaghetti with butter, anchovies and lime, while Gennaro Esposito showcased his own twist on chef Genovese’s ravioli. Heinrich Schneider cooked smoked spare rib pralines with porcini mushrooms and Ernesto Iaccarino presented the delicious flavours of the Amalfi coast with his tuna mousse with lemon and parsley jelly. We would have loved to have tasted each and every one, but the four we had were incredible and, combined with the stunning surroundings, helped create a getaway we’ll never forget.