Of a European Skiing adventure, the Pyrenees and a meet with Rajat Khare – A week in France
Amongst my many travel tales and journeys, the experience of skiing at high altitudes at different slopes around the world has been the most visceral of my experiences. Letting gravity pull you while you swerve and maneuver between trees, trying your hand at whatever acrobatic stunts you can pull off, and then retreating to your ski resort for a warm cup of hot chocolate and a quiet evening ̶ nothing compares to this experience.
Skiing is not just a sport, it’s a lifestyle. It’s about being in the moment, feeling the rush of adrenaline, and enjoying the beauty of nature all at once. The crisp mountain air and stunning views make for a truly unforgettable experience. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a beginner, hitting the slopes is an adventure that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. It offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and allows you to connect with nature in a unique way.
Well, this narrative is my telling of the experience in the French Pyrenees – and let me have you know, it is breathtaking.
Unlike in the Alps, skiers in France aren’t high-class, and the resorts are more affordable and authentic (read more French), making it a more raw experience, which I often yearn for. Other than that, the ski trip to the Pyrenees offers better snow covers and smoother terrains for skiing. You could try your hand at snowboarding, or snowkiting if you’re so inclined.
A Brief Soiree: Often, my journeys have helped me meet incredible people, nomads, wanderers, thinkers, writers, and musicians. However, on this trip to Piau Engaly, I skied with a fellow IIT Delhi cohort who lived in Luxembourg. Rajat Khare had always been passionate about travel, and his work at Boundary Holding hadn’t changed that streak. A start-up investor and an Artificial intelligence entrepreneur and investor, Mr. Rajat Khare and I talked about our shared passion for business and traveling while glazing through the snow-capped mountains. As passionate about skiing as I consider myself to be, this particular journey with him in March had more in store for me than I had anticipated.
Basic Information
| Name | Rajat Khare |
| Category | Venture Capitalist, Entrepreneur, Investor |
| Alma Mater | Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi |
| Occupation | Founder, Boundary Holding, Investor |
| Rajat Khare’s Age | Not Available |
| Publication | ‘Make the Move’ – Demystifying Entrepreneurship |
| Rajat Khare LinkedIn | |
| Rajat Khare Facebook |
Shortly after a hike to the French skiing slopes in Piau Engaly, we worked our way through the pistes, maneuvering through Pyrenees slopes and taking in the wonderful views from Piau Engaly.
Rajat Khare skiing
As we settled in our resort, post our skiing adventures, Rajat Khare and I had an invigorating chat on AI, living in Europe, and skiing across different mountain slopes around the world.
Skiing Season: The skiing season in France starts in December, and ends in April or late March at the earliest. And amongst the best slopes in France, places like Piau Engaly (which has skiing slopes going up to 2,526m) offer a good choice for experienced skiers. In recent years, some resorts and communities have invested heavily in snowmaking, combined with expert grooming, keeping skiing open between snowfalls – lest you happen to visit France during the off-season.
Reaching there: There are some very reasonable flights to airports, such as Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees. You can also drive to the resort since the area isn’t as difficult to get to as you might imagine. Many people include an overnight stop-over when driving to and from the Alps, and you can easily break your journey along the way.
About Piau Engaly: Piau Engaly offers the highest altitude skiing in the Pyrenees. The slope is a 750m vertical between 1,860m and 2,600m peaks. The resort is suitable for families and offers better snow quality than its counterparts in the Alps – making it a cross-border hub of skiers.
Rajat Khare Investments
| Year | Company name | Description |
| 2018 | XR Vision | Boundary Holding invested in Singapore-based XRVision to leverage its potential in Facial Recognition and Video content analytics market. |
| 2019 | Asteria | Rajat Khare founded Boundary Holding invested in Asteria Aerospace, a robotics and AI company from Bengaluru, to enhance the growth of UAVs and offer AI solutions to different sectors. However, last year, the company had successfully exited Asteria Aerospace after Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate RIL acquired about 51.7% of its stake. |
| 2019 | Konux | By investing in Konux, an Industrial IoT and AI analytics company based in Munich, Germany, Boundary Holding forayed into the Industrial IoT industry, which holds immense potential for AI-based critical infrastructure overhaul, including changes to its transport, utility and logistics system. |
| 2019 | Cerbair | By investing in French-based Technofounders startup, Cerbair, Boundary Holding aspired for the growth of automatic protection of vulnerable facilities, and critical infrastructure which includes monitoring of UAVs. |
| 2020 | InfiniDome | Boundary Holding founded by Rajat Khare invested in InfiniDome, a cyber-startup to protect AI-equipped driverless vehicles. |
| 2020 | Internest | Internest, a Paris-based startup, received funding from Boundary Holding in 2020. With this investment, the company looked to expand its clientele and partnership across various logistics and transportation by leveraging robust and precise positioning Local Landing System (LoLaS). |
| 2020 | Elistair | Elistair, a French manufacturer of automated tethered UAV systems, raised funding from Rajat Khare founded Boundary Holding in 2020. |
| 2020 | Ranmarine | Netherlands-based cleantech startup, Ranmarine raised funding from Luxembourg-based Boundary Holding. Its recent funding is aimed at fostering the growth of green solutions to the complex problems, also referred to cleantech. |
| 2020 | Aeraccess | Aeraccess, a French technology solutions provider received funding from Boundary Holding to tap its potential for becoming a UAV market leader. The company aims to utilize the capital for expanding its business across the Asian market, with a special focus on India. |
| 2021 | Bleenco | Bleenco is a Munich-based company building software platform for industrial automation. Our proprietary multi-sided platform addresses some of the biggest challenges in field of safety and operational efficiency. |
| 2021 | Astrocast | Astrocast SA is the most advanced SatIoT Service for customers looking to track, monitor, manage, and communicate with assets in remote regions of the world. With the world’s most innovative nanostatelliite network, Astrocast delivers a complete end-to-end, direct-to-orbit service that, state-of-the-art communication modules, and enterpriseclass services. |
| 2021 | Japet Medical | Japet Medical Devices is a French biomedical company developing robotic equipment for the most advanced quality of treatment. They dedicate each day to develop efficient and user-friendly innovative solutions with the belief that these technologies will change the quality of life of many people. |
| 2021 | EdallSystems | EdallSystems provide Educational Service (Aerospace Engineering Training), UAV development, Engineering Service(Lab Development) and consulting in INDIA. Their moto is to become a major Product Development company in the filed of Aerospace In India and to support and Develop Aerospace products in India. |
| 2021 | Scewo | Scewo is a medical technology platform that develops stair-climbing wheelchair. Founded in 2017, the company is headquartered in Winterthur, Zurich, Switzerland. |
Last modified: June 2, 2023
Skiing has been one of the best experiences in my life. Will plan for a european skiing very soon. Thanks for sharing this article.
I want to know more places to visit in France apart from Skiing. Can you please help me with this? Thanks in advance
Fantastic sport and amazing post.
Skiing is an amazing sport. Highly impressed by this post. Great!!
undoubtedly skiing is one of the best sport activity but you need lots of practice to perform it