WHEN NATURE IS AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING YOU DO

Nowhere feels more like home for Estelle Peretto, than the outdoors. “As soon as I'm in the mountains, I feel good,” she enthuses. Fortunately for the 28-year-old multi-sport athlete who grew up - and is based in the Beaufortain mountain area in Savoie, France - she is surrounded by beautiful scenery in which to pursue her passions: alpine skiing, yoga and hiking.

A qualified instructor, Estelle’s first love is skiing, but it was her discovery of yoga that inspired her business and unique retreats offering a mix of yoga and mountain sports. From snowshoeing and trail running to ayurvedic cooking and mountain biking, there are a range of activities to choose from in Estelle’s retreats. All are combined with yoga, which she’s found to have a beneficial effect in many aspects of her personal and athletic life.

“[Yoga] is a philosophy of life and not a sport for me. With yoga nothing is ever taken for granted, there is always something new to learn about yourself, both physically and mentally,” she explains. “I like this softer approach to understanding myself, it's very complementary with all the other sports I practice.”

Although in the winter, you’re most likely to find her deep in powder either skiing, ski-touring or snowboarding, in the summer she’s been out on her bike exploring the mountains. Her boyfriend is a keen mountain biker so it’s a sport she’s been enjoying giving a try. From chatting to Estelle, it’s clear that for her the outdoors can both energise and provide a calmness, sometimes even at the same time. “Today I went for a walk in the forest with my dog and it was time I could use to focus and meditate, without any distractions,” she says. Having adopted a border collie, she can’t wait for when the pup is a little older and can fully join her on her tougher outdoor adventures and trail walks.

Another love of Estelle is her van, which she renovated into a dreamy camping companion. She’s a fan of the simplicity and freedom it offers: “Being in the van reminds you how little you need to live and you can wake up with a new view every morning.” A simple scroll of her Instagram, @Yoga.mountains, shows Estelle practising outdoor yoga in the most beautiful of spots and she is keen to make yoga as inclusive as possible. That’s why on her retreats, there is no division by level in the activities. The only time this happens, she explains, is during the ski touring she teaches, given the dangers disregarding experience would have in the unforgiving mountains.

She credits her parents for sharing their appreciation of the outdoors with her from a very young age. “I’ve always loved nature,” she says. Her own enthusiasm for adventuring in the great outdoors is infectious. You’d be hard pressed to spend a moment in her company without walking away with a renewed love for nature and a long list of activities to try. If all else fails, following her scenic explorations from afar is a great inspiration.