Candy-stripe hot air balloon, Courchevel

Aloft in the Alps

This shot and its candy-stripe subject hover over Courchevel, an Alpine destination that's part of Les Trois Vallées, or the Three Valleys—the largest interlinked ski area in the world. If you're not the type to launch off ski jumps or strap yourself to a paraglider, the humble hot air balloon offers a chance to catch air in a chiller fashion. In this peak-strewn part of France, even getting airborne might not take you above the highest land elevations—but height isn't the point so much as the 360-degree view of this winter wonderland.