EVERY year, as December 31 looms and the weather gets greyer and chillier, I find myself in urgent need of some clear skies and mountain air to mix in with my New Year festivities.

NASSFELD has got to be Austria's best hidden treasure. They spent millions producing the most hi-tech slopes in the Alps - but left little cash for advertising, so hardly anyone knows about it.

EAGER to get a few more runs in before the snow melted, Paul Rhodes headed to Ziller Valley for a little end-of-season skiing and the excellent Snowbombing music festival...

FORGET resorts like Val d’Isere or Klosters – A-listers in the know head to the hip village of Ischgl in Austria for their ski breaks. Felix Milns drops by.