At the start of January, Traverse were joined by a group of 30 content creators from all around Europe and the world on an extra special 10 day event focusing on capturing action and wellness, in some of the Dolomite’s best winter sports and ski resorts.
In this blog post, we’re going to let you know about some of the activities we took part in and shed some light on this brand new event in Trentino, Italy.
We were joined by influencers from the UK, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden, Germany, Finland, and China to create epic content of the breath-taking region of Trentino!
Madonna di Campiglio
The first part of the trip took us to Madonna di Campiglio, about an hour and a half from Trento where we had been this summer for our annual flagship conference Traverse 19. The first night saw everyone collect their ski rental equipment for the following 10 days and settle into their hotels nestled in the mountains and meet one another, over the first (of many, many) four-course dinners – delicious!
Skiing and Snowboarding in Madonna di Campiglio
The first day began on the slopes for the day one of the trip. Madonna di Campiglio itself is a quaint little ski resort, bustling with people ready to hit the slopes. Groups were divided into their abilities as we set off for a morning of skiing (hello nursery slopes for me). We were all reunited for a lunch at Rifugio Boch and a cable car back down.
Macca, from An Adventurous World, has written an in-depth review of the where to stay, the best ski runs and the amazing activities on offer in Madonna di Campiglio, which you should definitely check out here. If you’ve never been on a ski trip before, then we recommend taking a look at this blog post from Alexandriah: ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Ski Trips.’
That evening, we tried our hand at snowshoeing, a special type of hiking shoe with spikes to help power us up through the snow. We hiked up what looked very much like the face of a mountain to a frozen lake and a secluded wooden hut, Lago Nambino, where we had a delicious and well-deserved dinner, followed of course by a very fun hike back down.
Visiting the Nardis Waterfall
The following morning, we split into two groups, one group trekking to the Nardis waterfall, while the others who hit the slopes once more. The Nardis waterfall was stunning and the drones were out in full force as we visited a small Church perched on one of the hills there with stunning views over the valley.
That evening we were in for a treat as the Trentino team had secured us press passes to watch the final of the Night Slalom of the Ski World Cup 3Tre Day – it felt really surreal being so close to the action as the competitors travelled at such a speed and the atmosphere was electric.
The following couple of days saw attendees try their hand at more skiing, taking a trip to the beautiful LeFay spa and resort and an extra special dinner at the mountain hut Chalet Fiat. For a more in depth review (and some beautiful images) make sure to check out Carmelatte’s blog post ‘5 Reasons To Choose Trentino As Your Next Winter Destination’.
The stunning views from the restaurant provided the perfect opportunity to capture some night shots, with vistas unspoilt by any light pollution – see below for Michael’s photo (which looks like it could be a green screen)!
Val di Sole
After an amazing day of skiing for some and going through the town of Pellizanno on a horse drawn carriage for others, we all re-convened at lunchtime where we kicked off the first of our Traverse conference sessions, led by the amazing Manuel (manueldietrichphotography) on capturing epic landscape photos on your mobile. Using the Lightroom App, Manuel showed us how to adjust the white balance, the best settings for different lighting and situations, and reminded us of the importance of shooting in RAW.
After another jam-packed day, it was time to have a well deserved rest in the luxurious Chalet Al Foss (just check out the amazing hot tubs below with front row seats of the mountains). This beautiful hotel really was the height of relaxation, with saunas, spas, hot tubs, jacquis and views to die for!
Mini conference – round table session
While having lunch at Rifugio Solander, we kicked off our first round-table photography skill swap session of the trip. This gave creators the chance to share information about the type of photography or videography they were already capturing and what they felt they could benefit from having some help. It turned out that many people wished to improve on their night photography so this is definitely something we are looking to implement for future conferences – stay tuned! The other really popular option was getting more candid, action shots that weren’t so staged and in front of a tripod.
After this round table chat, we took a gondola to witness an ice concert in an igloo, where the instruments were actually made out of ice. If this day had not been epic enough as it was, the Trentino team proceeded to top it by putting on snowmobiles for us to get to our hotel for the night – Capanna Presena.
The following day we had lunch and heard a short presentation on the mountain hut’s Lo Scoiattolo Plastic Free Project. While we were here it was also time for another workshop, this time focusing on creating cinematic Instagram Stories.
Our teacher, Manuel, showed us his favourite app on which he creates his Stories ‘Splice’ and gave his top recommendations for making even the most mundane tasks appear epic… Creators proceeded to partake in an informal Q&A with Manuel, asking for advice on their own Instagram Stories and how to take these to the next level.
Paganella
Our third and final local region was the beautiful Paganella where we split into two hotels. We ate yet another delicious lunch at the incredible La Roda, with misty views all the way out to Lake Garda in the distance. This provided attendees with the perfect opportunity to capture some content in one of the most Instagrammed spots of the whole trip – search #WinterInTrentino to see what we mean!
The following day saw the first batch of lucky attendees take to the skies for a spot of paragliding. Make sure to check out this blog post by Charlie’s Wanderings on where to go paragliding in the Dolomites and watch the video below by The Life Of Jord to get a taste of what the experience was like.
It was then time to watch yet another stunning sunset over the Brenta Dolomites from the mountain hut Dosson, while some of the group took part in a spot of night skiing!
Wednesday was, sadly, our final day all together so in true Italian style, we opted for a cooking class where we made some delicious (if I say so myself) pasta. We visited bio bistro le chicche in the heart of town to cook up a feast and were joined by the other attendees to sample the fruit of our labour.
After an incredible closing party at Montanara (which you could only access by snowcats taking you to the top of a secluded road) it was time to wave goodbye to the Dolomites and the wonderful content creators we had spent the past 10 days with.
To check out all the content produced so far simply head to the Trentino Winter Wonderland hub page or search the #WinterInTrentino hashtag.
If you would like to be considered for any future campaigns we work on, simply pop your details into this form and we’ll be in touch should any suitable opportunities arise.
Charlotte has been a Marketing Executive for the past year now. Prior to this she spent three years at Bristol University studying English Literature.
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