I’m told it is the most exhilarating and rewarding sport but I have never been skiing. The thought of hurling oneself head first down a steep hill at a rather acute angle is as about as inviting as taking part in a bush tucker trial. I’m more of a water person myself and happiest near or under water. Scuba diving is relaxing but fast movement across snow filled plains is for penguins – if you’ve seen the wonderfully animated film Happy Feet then you’ll understand why and I don’t ever recollect Carrie and chums trading Sex and The City for Sex and The Aspen Highlands? Hmmm, but the idea of a cosy ski chic wardrobe and plenty of après-ski is rather lovely and I will try most things at least once.

I had numerous opportunities to go on my school’s annual ski trips but decided against it as most girls attending were the sporty types and crowned ski champions since the age of 3. To be honest it was best not to embarrass myself and so I opted instead for educational art trips to Italy where cappuccinos and cathedrals were a safer and warmer option. Regretful? No. I’ll take a Tuscan sunset, Italian vineyards and Roberto Cavalli jungle prints over sub zero temperatures, fleece and Lindt chocolate any day of the week. Mulled wine, however, is another matter.

Older and wiser I have decided I would like to enjoy a ski holiday and I quite like the notion of sitting on a comfy couch in a cabin surrounded by an open fire and mountain scenery scoffing cheese fondue washed down with mulled wine and brandy from the bar. Yes, my type of skiing holiday swaps the slopes in favour of après ski activity and holistic spa therapy.

Indeed, there is nothing more glamorous than visiting skiing resorts during winter and being seen on the social circuit. Cue the cosmopolitan atmosphere, champagne climate, glamour and nightlife just as much as the skiing, and I can see why so many of my friends and colleagues are avid ski fans – the adrenalin rush, the physical endurance, being at one with nature and the fresh mountain air. Surely the latter can be achieved with a ringside seat slope-side and physical endurance can be challenged in the day spa?

But if you are schussing down the slopes this year at St. Moritz, Hunter, Stowe, Aspen or Gstaad, you’ll need ski couture that’s equal parts glam and high tech. Who wants to be mistaken for the Michelin Man?  The more glamorous resorts require dressing in a spiffier manner than one would normally. Of course wrapping up in cosy cashmere, snuggly padded jackets and disappearing under a few layers needn’t be unstylish.

Thankfully luxury designer brands like Celine, Moncler, Pringle of Scotland and N.Peal have elegant knitwear and outerwear in fabrics worthy of stroking, while  state of the art sportswear labels Musto, Helly Hansen, The North Face and Tog24, (all with great seasonal offers at Bicester Village), ensure there is no reason not to embrace the cool crisp air in perfect style!

As my best friend tells me it’s about getting the balance right. She would know. She’s been skiing twice a year since she was two years old. When I told her my biggest dilemma was whether sunglasses are more chic than goggles, she gave good advice. Apparently sunglasses are positively dangerous in a whiteout and so best be sensible and invest in uber stylish over-sized and/or mirrored sunglasses for the terrace, plus top-notch all-weather goggles for speeding downhill. I rather like the way Charlotte Casiraghi looks so fabulous in hers, maybe I will goggle up and attempt a nursery slope, though I have visions of emulating Bridget Jones’s ski style which would be hideously unattractive.

My friend and I have been discussing where to go for my first (après) ski and spa holiday and his bi-annual pilgrimage to the slopes. There are hundreds of resorts in Europe and the US and there is no shortage of places to visit. He quite likes the Igloo Village in St Moritz while I quite fancy the Rosa Alpina Hotel & Spa in San Cassiano, Italy; the almost hidden ski resort where our lovely friends at Bicester Village have secured a holiday prize. Yet I have been informed (read: told firmly) we will be going to chic and fashionable St Moritz which apparently is also one of the places to be seen, and synonymous with elegance, class and sophistication. He decided on here because the resort is a high quality ski area offering extensive skiing, horse racing, golf and polo and wonderful hotels (snow is one thing, an Igloo Village is non negotiable). What bliss. While he is impersonating the Cadbury Milk Tray Man there will be plenty of time for self indulgent après-ski entertainment around the clock! I can hardly wait for those mountain restaurants with magnificent views, ski huts and chic bars, and of course a myriad of spa treatments.

Thank heavens for Celine.  I wonder if their boutique has their legendary fur trimmed boots and cashmere gloves? I know MAC at The Cosmetics Company has some delicious SPF tinted lip balm too! I’m enjoying getting prepared for this new adventure, after all it is a great excuse to buy some furry earmuffs from UGG.

Bicester Village and the Relais & Chateaux Rosa Alpina offer you the chance to win a four – night luxury escape for two people at the Rosa Alpina Hotel & Spa, The Dolomites, Italy. The prize includes deluxe accommodation, daily breakfast, treatments at the Daniela Steiner Spa and ski passes. There is a double Michelin Starred restaurant, and some of Europe’s best ski-runs and lifts. For your chance to win, enter here before Friday 26th February 2010.