Let’s go bogganeering! How I invented a winter sport on my trip to South Tirol, Italy

A snowy cross-country walking break is even more beautiful – and fun – when you combine the hiking with tobogganing

I have invented a new sport, one that will almost certainly catch on and become a Winter Olympics classic. And it is one in which Team GB can narrowly grab fourth place, over and over again. It is wonderful to leave something behind, a legacy that will benefit humanity. It is called “bogganeering”.

It begins with a trip to Italy, the German-speaking part. That is an important factor. Südtirol has not always been an enthusiastic member of the Italian republic. Tucked up in the extreme north-east of the country, its snow-capped mountains are dotted with farms where the old men still wear Tirolean hats and greet strangers with a cheery “Servus!”, like Bavarians do. This is hybrid country par excellence, a rugged amalgamation of the best of northern and southern Europe, the perfect place to blend, meld and weld.