Skiing jet set style

"Are you off skiing, madame?" The man asked.

Given I was kitted out in ski gear, with my helmet under my arm, my poles over my wrist and a ski in each hand, I would have thought the answer obvious.

But the question was asked courteously and with so much grace, that I replied likewise - confirming, politely, that yes, I was indeed off to the slopes.

"Then please, let me run you there."

I was ushered to a shiny 4x4 with large, tinted windows, and swept to the Corviglia ski area of St Moritz in Switzerland, or to be exact, to the very entrance of the funicular: a journey that was all of two minutes.

The driver carried my skis, poles and helmet to the turnstile, stood patiently while I got myself sorted, handed me everything back (all neatly organised), then wished me a pleasant day.

This was skiing St Moritz-style - and it was going down very well indeed.

"It's all about service," the manager of the Kulm Hotel explained, when my ski buddy, Tom, and I checked in. We told him five star service sounded just fine.

The Kulm is the place to stay in St Moritz. Opened in the 1850s, on a hill overlooking the lake, its values are traditional, as is its style. A portrait of its founder, Johannes Badrutt, hangs in the lobby. He's a bearded, shrewd-looking fellow credited with creating Alpine winter tourism in 1864.

The story goes that he did so with a wager – challenging his summer guests to return during the winter with the promise of a free stay (and the reimbursement of travel costs) if the weather failed to impress.

The Upper Engadine Valley, which enjoys around 300 days of sunshine a year, didn't let Badrutt down. His guests, largely British, fell in love with the region and returned year after year, bringing their friends with them, along with a passion for polo and cricket.

Today, St Moritz hosts snow polo and White Turf horse racing on the frozen lake every winter, while people go sailing, hiking and mountain biking in summer.

Tom and I had come for the skiing, and although the weather was variable, the dry, cold conditions meant we were blessed with the kind of powder found only in the Canadian Rockies. The pistes were a delight.

At lunchtime on our first day we took a peek at the menu of Mathis, St Moritz's famous mountain-top restaurant. Beef carpaccio with truffles, smoked salmon and caviar appealed, although we couldn’t say the same for its price. It cost around £300. A mixed hors d'oeuvre platter was only £50 cheaper.

We decided a small bottle of water was all we really needed. We bought one to share, with barely any change from a tenner.

Back at the Kulm the £8 million pound spa – free to guests - suddenly seemed good value. We had a dip and a massage, then got dressed for the hotel's Chef's Table dinner.

It was served at a beautifully laid table in the kitchen where the chef presented us with seabass carpaccio, fillet of veal and an orange souffle the size of a birthday cake. Luckily it shrunk once we dug our spoons in.

The next day, we strapped on snow shoes, explored the Corvatsch mountain range and had lunch in a cow shed. Yes, really. But being St Moritz this wasn't any old cow shed – this was where the jetset partied – often for entire weekends. Prince Edward and Sophie had been recent visitors.

Karen Bowerman in her snow shoes

We sat at a huge wooden table beneath a loft stacked with champagne. Freddie, the owner, who served us, looked a little worse for wear. He explained he was recovering from a "bit of a bash" that had only finished a few hours before. An evening party had turned into an all-nighter.

We'd spotted Freddie earlier while we’d been snowshoeing. He'd whizzed past on a snowmobile laden with supplies.

"We'd run out of spirits," he explained. "All 120 of them."

On our last morning,Tom and I squeezed in a couple of hours skiing before it was time to leave. In the driveway of the Kulm, the 4x4 had been replaced with a limo. Our bags sat neatly in the boot.

"Are you leaving us madame?" the chauffeur asked, as we approached.

I shot Tom a glance and smiled.

"Yes, we're off to the station," I replied.

"Then, please, let me take you there."

I told him that would be very nice indeed.

For more information on St Moritz: engadin.stmoritz.ch

The Kulm hotel: kulmhotel-stmoritz.ch A five star hotel and member of The Leading Hotels of the World. 
Prices from £380 per night for a double room including breakfast . 

Swiss air flies to Zurich from London Heathrow swiss.com from around £300 return. 

It’s a four hour journey by train from Zurich airport to St Moritz

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