| In the early 1890s, Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the mega-popular Sherlock Holmes stories, decamped from his native Britain and took up residence in Davos, a town in the Swiss Alps. The change of scenery had medicinal motives, as his wife, Louisa, suffered from tuberculosis. In a world before antibiotics, doctors suggested fresh mountain air as a remedy, which Davos had plenty of. It was during his time in this alpine town that Conan Doyle became increasingly interested in ski-running (as skiing was then known). His interest was kindled in part by stories of two brothers who had recently conquered the snowy Maienfelder Furka Pass, which separated Davos from another Swiss town, Arosa. Soon Conan Doyle was determined to make the same impressive trip. He bought a pair of Norwegian skis and, with one of the brothers as an instructor, learned the ropes of the sport. (Conan Doyle later wrote of first strapping on his skis, "You put them on and you turn with a smile to see whether your friends are looking at you, and then the next moment you are boring your head madly into a snowbank.") Next, Conan Doyle convinced both brothers to retrace their Maienfelder Furka adventure with him in tow. The group ascended the 8,000-foot peak and skied to Arosa in what many consider the first guided ski tour. Conan Doyle wrote about his experience for The Strand Magazine in London in a December 1894 article titled "An Alpine Pass on 'Ski.'" The article introduced skiing to Britain, and the winter sport eventually found its way to America. Today, some of the best skiing in the world can be found in the Swiss Alps, and Davos remains one of Europe's most beloved (and historic) skiing spots. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment