PHOTOS: Mainz gives 'winter training' a whole new meaning

Bundesliga side Mainz has bucked the trend of football clubs seeking sun and sand during the winter interval, deciding instead to hit the slopes in advance of the club's visit to Ingolstadt on Jan. 23.

While league leaders Bayern Munich chose to romp in the arid heat of Qatar during the winter break, the Rhineland side's pilgrimage to the Swiss Alp village and ski resort Belalp served the same purpose, mixing rest and relaxation with some slightly colder team-bonding activities.

Mainz currently sit eighth in the Bundesliga table on 24 points, five points adrift of fourth-place Borussia Monchengladbach, and a Champions League berth.