Meet Our Team

I left university with a degree in Archaeology, however I soon realised that there was not much you can do with that so I headed to the mountains and went skiing: spending a few winters in Austria, summers in Switzerland and a year or so in New Zealand. When the money ran out I turned around, came back to Scotland and started at Ski Independence.

Interesting fact:

Skiing and snowboarding are pretty much the only sports (that I can think of) that can be enjoyed at any age, and are also enjoyable no matter how proficient you are at them. How many other sports can children and grandparents enjoy together?

What inspires you?

I love travelling to new places and I try to ski somewhere different each year. It's great to try the local specialties and experience different cultures too. I like to come up with fun ideas to add an extra dimension to my ski holidays. In recent years this has included taking in a 6 nations match in Rome; catching up with friends in Seattle and shopping in Dallas. Chances are, if I'm not planning holidays for Ski Independence customers then I'm planning my own next adventure. It's a big world out there and I want to see as much of it as I can.

What's your favourite resort, and why?

Too difficult to answer! Ask me on 10 different days and I'll give you 10 different answers! My top 5 (in no particular order..) are Avoriaz, Palisades Tahoe, Snowbird, Montgenèvre and Aspen... but even thinking about that is making me consider a whole heap of other places. I'm pretty easy to please: give me stunning scenery, lots of fast (uncrowded) slopes, a local delicacy involving melted cheese, and a decent margarita... and I'll be delighted!

My next trip:

I fancy something European and pretty – maybe Les Carroz - this winter. It’s been many years since I’ve skied in the Grand Massif so it’ll be nice to rediscover the slopes there, and revisit one of my favourite restaurants in Les Carroz: Le Refuge.

Get In Touch with Karen

[email protected] / 0131 243 8097

Resorts skied in Canada:

Banff, Fernie, Jasper, Kicking Horse, Kimberley, Lake Louise, Panorama, Tremblant, Whistler

Resorts skied in USA :

Arapahoe Basin, Aspen, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Deer Valley, Heavenly, Keystone, Mount Washington, Mammoth, Park City, Snowbird, Snowmass, Palisades Tahoe, Steamboat, Stowe, Sunday River, Vail

Resorts skied in France:

Alpe d’Huez, Avoriaz, Chamonix, Chatel, Courchevel, Flaine, La Plagne, La Tania, La Toussuire, Les Arcs, Les Carroz, Les Coches, Les Deux Alpes, Les Gets, Les Menuires, Les Saisies, Megève, Méribel, Montgenèvre, Morzine, Peisey-Vallandry, Samoens, St Martin de Belleville, Serre Chevalier, Tignes, Val d’Isère, Valloire, Valmeinier, Val Thorens, Vaujany

Resorts skied in Austria :

Fieberbrunn, Galtur, Kaprun, Kirchberg, Kitzbuhel, Lech, Leogang, Maishofen, Maria Alm, Mayrhofen, Neukirchen, Obergurgl, Ramsau, Saalbach, Schladming, St Anton, St Michael im Lumgau, Solden, Zell am See, Zell am Ziller

Resorts skied in Switzerland:

Champery, Engelberg, Saas Fee, Verbier, Villars, Zermatt

Resorts skied in Italy:

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Madonna di Campiglio, San Cassiano, Arabba

Resorts skied in New Zealand:

Coronet Peak, Cardrona, The Remarkables, Treble Cone

Resorts skied in Scotland:

Cairngorm, Glencoe, Glenshee, The Lecht