Pippa Middleton loves an adventure – the little sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, has taken part in a gruelling charity cycle ride across America, a 56-mile cross-country skiing race in Sweden and the Highland Cross Challenge, running and cycling 50 miles coast-to-coast, over recent years. So it's no wonder the 31-year-old recently opted for an adventure holiday in Norway, which saw the sporty brunette head to the nordic country's beautiful western region, where she got to hit the stunning Sunnmore Alps, stay in a "dream Norwegian mountain ski lodge", experience a snow spa, ski, sail and fish to her heart's content.
Pippa Middleton with UKSA sailors during The Aberdeen Asset Management CowesWriting about the account of her whirlwind holiday in The Telegraph, Pippa reveals that the first stop was the chic boutique Hotel Brosundet in the sea port of Alesand, which was previously a "packing house for the busy klipfish trade".Dinner at the hotel's restaurant, Maki, was a highlight, she writes, with, "fresh crayfish that melted in the mouth, …mussels, crab and crispy potato skins, followed by krea, a local dish of meaty cod on a bed of creamy mashed potato, with ox and truffle jus, celeriac and caramelised onions."
Hotel Sagafjord, where Pippa stayed a nightAfter a traditional Scandi breakfast, Kate's sister enjoyed the breathtaking Norwegian landscape dotted with sun-capped mountains, and salty air, during a boat ride to Hjorundfjorden, which, she says, is "renowned for its lovely hotels, and often voted one of the most beautiful places to ski in the world".It seems the holiday went from strength to strength – the next night on the itinerary saw Pippa stay at the remote Sagafjord Hotel, which she calls "the dream Norwegian mountain ski lodge".
Pippa Middleton is an avid skiier; pictured here during the Vasaloppet Cross Country Ski RaceThe "whistlestop tour" saw the pretty brunette indulge in one of her favourite sports, skiing, as well as try her hand at cod fishing, and experience a snow spa at the Hotel Union, situated by the famous Geiranger Fjord, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
She also stayed in the first landscape hotel in Europe, the Juvet Landscape Hotel, which is set in a forest wilderness by the River Valdolla and designed to appreciate the surrounding raw nature – artificial lights are not encouraged.
Unesco World Heritage Site, the Geiranger Fjord
Pippa concludes her travel diary with a recommendation she was repeatedly given by the locals throughout her stay: "The fjords and Sunnmore Alps are breathtaking in winter, but I was told, over and over, 'Come back in summer', when a different beauty takes hold. "She adds: "It is a place to which, if you love the outdoors, you've simply got to go".