Ski Blog

Surprisingly good snow in Flaine!

A couple of days on from a not very snowy Les Carroz Rich has gone up to Flaine to find out what the skiing is like there and has found some surprisngly good skiing! 

What’s the snow like in Les Carroz in December?

So what is the snow like in the Alps at the moment?  Here's Rich from a not so snowy Les Carroz on 18th December.

CAN YOU SKI ON YOUR BIRTHDAY?

I’ve always envied people who can ski on their birthday – I learnt to ski when I was 8 years old and yet have never been able to ski on my birthday. 

One of my sisters has a March birthday and has regularly skied on her birthday – including her 40th in Whistler!

My girlfriend only learnt to ski two years ago and has already skied on her birthday – celebrating in St Anton!

She did ski as well as apres!  

Me – I have a November birthday so it’s not as easy as it may sound. 

I mean it’s easy if your birthday is between December and April – the European and North American season are underway and you’ll have lots of opportunities.

If you have a summer or autumn birthday June to October and you’re prepared to travel you’ll find some options in Argentina, Chile or New Zealand and if you’re lucky Australia!

Even glacier skiing in somewhere like Tignes you could have skied from 2nd July to 28th August this year.

So it’s really only a couple of months that it gets a bit tricky! Yes I know a glacier will be open somewhere in Europe if I really wanted to but even Deux Alpes was closed on my birthday this year being open from 22nd October 2016 to 1st November 2016 and then again from 3rd December.

So this year after 30...er...ahem... something years I finally got to ski on my birthday!  I was on a road trip in the US and right at the end managed to get to Mammoth and get a days skiing in! With a visit to a ski outlet shop and hire kit I cobbled enough together to ski!

They only had about 6 lifts open and the conditions weren’t great and the lift pass still cost a whopping great full price 99US$!  Well unless it’s your birthday and they give you 50% off!

Nice birthday present and I SKIED ON MY BIRTHDAY!!  

So is November the worst birthday month to ski or are there other months that are as bad? 

Skimium, the exclusive ski hire partner of Altitude Holidays. Save over 50% off ski hire this winter

WHO ARE WE?

Skimium.com is a partner of Decathlon

The stores that are affiliated to skimium.com are independent stores located in the heart of the ski resorts. At these winter sports specialists, who all have a great reputation, you’ll find a wide range of the highest quality material that is available for either sale or rent. You can also find a variety of technical clothing and accessories and the men and machines that provide a highly professional workshop service. In the true mountain spirit, you’ll be looked after and advised by professionals that are passionate about their sport! 

skimium.com in a few words: it’s EASY, it’s the COMFORT of ordering from your own home and the BEST PRICE advantage through ordering on the internet (up to 20% discount off the public prices that are communicated in the stores), but it’s not only that...  

SKIMIUM IS EVEN MORE:

·       A wide selection of all the different categories of equipment in order to satisfy the requirements of all types of people, all types of ability and all types of desire.

·       An on-line Advice Guide enabling you to select the material that is the best suited to your ability, your desire and to what you want to do.

·       Only 25% deposit required, no administration fees.

·       Get the most of your skiing holiday with your family and friends with at least a further discount of 5% off the store prices for any reservation that includes at least 4 (or +) pairs of skis or snowboards.

·       Benefit from the Professional Advice to get the most out of your equipment.

·       A Commitment to guaranteeing your Safety, through our on-line advice service.

·       A Direct and Personal Contact with your rental store.

THE STORES THAT ARE AFFILIATED TO SKIMIUM.COM ARE COMMITTED TO:

Operating a Transparent Pricing Policy:

·       Benefit from the most advantageous prices by reserving on the internet

A Technical Charter:

·       A selection of the most reputable brands

·       Up to date material (no more than 3 seasons old)  

·       Equipment that is checked and prepared before each individual rental (sharpening, repairing of bases and waxing of boards; shoes are dried out and treated) 

·       The equipment is adjusted by professionals according to what you are going to do, your ability and your size  

A Customer Services Charter:

·       A friendly and personalised service 

·       Expert advice 

·       A product range dedicated to Women 

·       Your kids treated like little Champions 

·       Comfort for the duration of the rental period

HOW DOES IT WORK?

RESERVING YOUR SKI EQUIPMENT ON SKIMIUM.COM IS VERY EASY AND ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES: 

Today:

·       Select a skimium.com store in the resort where you will be heading to and indicate the date of your first skiing day along and for how many days you want to rent the equipment for.

·       Choose your material from a wide selection of skis, snowboards, shoes, boots and helmets.

·       You can consult our ‘How to choose the right equipment’ guides to help you find the material that is best adapted to your ability and to what you want to do.

·       Validate your selection and enter the personal details about yourself (height, weight, sizes...) and your preferences so that your material can be personalised just for you.

·       Confirm your reservation by paying a deposit of only 25 %. A confirmation email with the reservation form (with all the details concerning your order and other practical information) will be sent to you immediately.

·       Print and retain your reservation form and start getting ready for your holidays with peace of mind that your equipment will be waiting for you when you get there.

When you get there:

·       With your reservation form and a proof of identity, go along to the skimium.com store to settle the balance and collect your material that has already been prepared for you, once the adjustments have been checked.

·       Your skimium.com advisor will be extremely happy to welcome you and advise you on the use of your material.

·       Get your skis on and make the most of your holiday!

For further information, feel free to refer to our General Rental Conditions

Start saving now with Altitude Holidays and Skimium!

Chamonix’s Sweet Spots

Sweet Spot - an optimum point or combination of factors or qualities

Chamonix - a resort area near the junction of France, Switzerland and Italy 

People often ask us “so, what's your favourite place to ski in Chamonix?”. The answer is that neither Breezy nor I have a favourite domain or even a favourite run. Yes, the Vallee Blanche is an fantastic run and has so many variations it can challenge any level of skier. Yes, Grands Montets has some amazing terrain for off-piste skiing and boarding. And Yes, the Vieilles Luges in Les Houches is probably the best mountain restaurant in the whole valley.

The truth is that in different snow conditions and weather conditions every domain in Chamonix has its advantages and disadvantages which either makes it the best place to go or a place to avoid. Then you have the factor of individual ability. So here is a few ideas for you all.

When it's dumping snow head for Les Houches or St Gervais but get there early to avoid the queues and find a parking space!

Les Houches has loads of tree line skiing and boarding. When you wouldn't be able to see Jack Mullarkey out in the open you will at least be able to see which way is up when surrounded by trees. Having said that, wrap up warm as there are a lot of chair lifts. If you do get cold swing by the Vieilles Luges for a great hot chocolate from Claude and Julie, the ambiance is fantastic.

St Gervais came on to the MBU ski pass last season and also has a load of tree line stuff to shred up. It also has the advantage that fewer people go off-piste in St Gervais so you are more likely to find some freshies to play with. Something about powder snow sticking to fur.

Find your feet at Domain de Balm.

Also known as Le Tour, this domain has some wide open pistes with fairly gentle gradients and is ideal to get your legs going for the first run of your season. It also has some of the best off piste terrain in the valley however you can't see most of it from the lifts so it's difficult to learn and sometimes downright dangerous without a guide. If you have a vehicle or fancy taking the train, head over to Vallorcine to access the domain. It's so much quieter at the lift, a beautiful ride to get there and sets you up straight away for a great day. Do check the lift situation before heading over as the Vallorcine lift does get closed for avalanche risk.

Fresh trackin' Flegere.

A couple of days after a fresh dump you can often find freshies at La Flegere. From the top of La Floria drag lift you can access some awesome terrain and as long as it stays cold. Your best bet is to use the Brevent lift from the valley floor and ski over to La Flegere. The Flegere uplift is really slow and goes even slower when it's windy. The Brevent lift is super quick so even if it looks busy the queue will move quickly.

Saturday Chicken

Have I mentioned the Saturday Chicken? Every Saturday there is a brilliant market in the Place Mont Blanc, Chamonix. Loads of really nice local produce and a trailer doing the best roast chickens. Grab some fresh bread and a chook or two to take up the hill for a picnic; some mayonaise and a pocket knife and you are sorted. All of the ski domains in Chamonix valley have an indoor space called an “Hors Sac” where you can take stuff to eat or if it's nice you just pick a spot with a view by the piste. A couple of tips – ask for some juice when buying the chook and they will ladle it into the bag (for dunkin' bread) - double bag the chook before putting in a rucsac – rose or white wine goes really well with it.

In short, wherever you stay get chatting with your hosts to get the right information to make the most of your precious hoilday time. It can make the difference between having a good ski trip and a great one.

Why Chamonix?

Chamonix has something for everyone no matter what ability; you can get in a lift to ski a piste with some people wearing harnesses or even wing suits, but there are no edges and anyone will chat to you. It's inspiring! Oh, and then there's Courmayeur, Verbier, Les Contamines... all included on the MBU ski pass.

This ia guest blog from Ski Breezy This is the 17th year Breezy and Alun have been in Chamonix running their chalet in the winters. They ski 5 days a week and love exploring. Breezy is on downhill skis and Alun telemarks and snowboards.

Our Spanking New Shiny Website!

How things change!  It's a long time since AltitudeHolidays.com was first launched - way back in 2000 in fact with a couple of chalets in Courchevel.  Give us a shout if you stayed with us back then! 

The business has evolved a lot since then as has technology and it is surprisinging how quickly websites can look dated! So ahead of this season we have updated our site to make it look a bit more with it!  

We are also excited to announce a great new link with J2Ski as well as their exclusive chalet accommodation partner - we're really looking forward to developing that over the next year!

We'll be out in the Alps as much as we can this winter skiing as many resorts as possible - hey we may even bump into you - not literally but if you see an Altitude Holidays jacket then do say hi!  

Back to the website - as ever with new sites we may have missed something even with all the hours of testing we have done so if you do find something that isn't working as it should be please do let us know - you'll earn some lovely Altitude bonus points!

You can find out all about the people behind Altitude Holidays on the About Us page here. Our background and who thinks he is the best skier! 

The 6 Big Benefits of Midweek Skiing

Whilst some skiers and indeed some travel companies may still be living in the past, the days of the fixed week-long ski holiday are thankfully now long behind us.

The growth in low cost airline services and other transport improvements, coupled with more flexibility from hotels and chalets, means it’s much easier to ski smartly – travelling when you like and doing so two or three times, or even more, each season, perhaps taking advantage of favourable snow reports to fit in a quick trip on top of a longer planned excursion.

A weekend ski break is one way to do this but increasingly people are taking midweek ski breaks too and taking advantage of lower prices and more stress-free travel as a result.

Here are six reasons why you should consider a mid-week ski break:

Quiet Airports and Roads

The traditional ski holiday used to run from Saturday to Saturday until someone noticed that the airports and roads to the resorts were empty on Sunday, so quite a few companies switched to offer less stressful travel.

Now as Sundays get busier too, the next step is obviously to avoid traveling at the weekend altogether and either already be in your resort at the start of the weekend, or travel mid-week.

Everything about the experience is normally better – quieter airports so less queuing at bag drop, security and getting on the plane, then emptier roads for your transport to resort from your destination airport.  In short it’s all much more pleasant.

Fit in Four Days from Three Nights

It’s perfectly possible to fit a four day ski break into a three night midweek ski holiday.  Time your flights well and thanks to those empty airports and roads you can be on the slopes on the Monday morning after the weekend crowds have headed back to the cities.  Then time your return flight equally well and you can ski all day on Thursday before getting an evening transfer and flight home, ready for a long weekend of post ski break relaxation.

Pay Less

With most people still wanting to travel at weekends, airlines and other travel operators are keen to encourage more people to travel midweek when they have lots of empty planes and coaches but no one to fly/drive anywhere.  The result, thanks to the miracle that is our supply-and-demand economic system is that travel is much cheaper for the much quicker, quieter, pleasanter experience than for the weekend crush and queues.  Odd isn’t it?

Have Someone Else Manage It For You

Organising all the logistics of a ski trip can be complicated and time consuming so it’s usually simpler to take advantage of expertise when it’s available. SkiWeekends.co.uk have not bothered to set up as new company called SkiMidWeeks.co.uk but they do organise midweek ski breaks, with flights out of Mondays to a big choice of hotels – right up to luxurious five-star options - and catered chalets in the 3 Valleys (Courchevel, Les Menuires, Reberty, Meribel, Val Thorens and Brides les Bains), Paradiski (La Plagne) and the Portes du Soleil (Avoriaz, Les Gets and Morzine).  

Get Everything Included

To maximise the pleasure of your stay and minimise the time you spend on ‘stuff’ that isn’t fun – like getting your lift pass or rentals organised, or finding somewhere to eat, it can be a good idea to have everything organised for you before you arrive. Staying at the Hotel Verseau below Meribel in the 3 Valleys you’ll be provided with chalet board catering, meaning you can rest assured of a good breakfast, afternoon tea when you get in and a big three-course dinner and there’s a ski hire shop which runs from the hotel, so you can pre-book your equipment and have it ready for your arrival.

Ski Longer

By taking advantage of the ever growing range of low cost flight options through the week you can use mid-week travel to extend a one week ski holiday if you like, and make it in to a 10 or 11 day trip. For example go out on a Monday one week and return on a Thursday the following week – much more skiing, including taking in the quietest day of the week on the slopes in the big destination resorts – ‘change-over day Saturday’ (when everyone one else is stuck in traffic or at airports) all for not a lot more cost.

So there you have it. This could be the season to ski smart and pay less to travel when it’s quieter and enjoy more days of the slopes this winter, without breaking the bank.

Patrick Thorne

Why A Ski Weekend?

There are many people I’ve known over the years who’ve caught the ski or snowboard bug and went off on a few ski holidays during their late teens or early twenties, but then suddenly stopped going.

There are a few factors involved, including financial ones that often involve starting a young family; but another major reason is time.  Now this of course is completely understandable.  With the fast paced work culture that we now live in, we are working longer hours and having less time off.  Our Holiday allowance from our employers is treated more sacred than a cow in a Hindu temple - and is used wisely.

With summer holidays taking centre stage and a contingency plan put in place for any days needed for unpredictable events such as weddings and elaborate, over the top stag or hen do’s, a ski holiday for some can be lower down the list than they would ideally desire.

For most, the perception of a ski holiday is a week’s long trip to Europe, or at least ten days spent across the big pond in Canada or the US.  But what about a long weekend?

With increased air links, budget airlines, fast roads, Eurostar and the Channel Tunnel, Europe has gotten smaller and it is now virtually as easy to pop over to the Alps as it is to take a weekend’s break in the UK.

For example, you can fly out to Geneva from Gatwick in just over an hour and then it can take less than two hours drive to get to some of the main resorts in the French Alps from the Airport.  Can you imagine looking out across the runway from the airport lounge, dark grey clouds blanket the sky and driving rain pounding the tarmac?  Then, only within a few hours, breathing in that Alpine air and looking across the snow covered mountains!  The vast ski areas of Three Valleys and Paradiski are also very accessible and easy to get to.

Spending a long weekend at a French ski resort is a quick and affordable way to spend a few days out on the slopes, getting your ski or snowboard fix like an adrenalin needle to the heart.  Combine this with a spot of Après ski straight off the slopes, then that really describes the perfect weekend.  Just a tad better than getting a Saturday night take-out while watching the X-Factor or I’m A Celebrity!

To make the most out of the weekend, flights are on a Thursday evening and you return on Monday.  Lift passes are pre-booked and handed out on arrival so no hanging around in a long queue at the Ski Lift pass centre in the morning; just head straight out onto the slopes after breakfast.

Of course, time is not the only issue and for many a ski trip seems like an extravagant expense and hard to justify while juggling finances.  This is another reason why a ski weekend should be considered.

With the cost of flights being heavily reduced over the last few years, flying has become very accessible for those on a budget.  Another alternative is to travel by luxury coach.  For those of you who are on the wrong side of 40, the words ‘ski trip’ and ‘coach’ may stir the feeling of fear as memories flood back from a school ski trip back in the eighties.  I know I spent 17 hours travelling to Austria in a coach that looked like it was a relic from the soviet eastern bloc.

Times have moved on and modern Luxury coaches are now an enjoyable and relaxing way to travel. The coaches travel through the night so you can kick back and relax watching a film before putting your chair back and having a snooze.

Imagine waking up as you arrive at Brides Les Bains in the Three Valleys!  Brides Les Bains is situated just under Meribel and is an ideal base to explore one of the biggest ski areas in the world.

Now, because you have travelled through the night, here is the best part, when you arrive at the resort in the morning, check in, throw your stuff in your room, get changed, collect your hire equipment (if you need it) and head out on the slopes!

In traveling by coach, not only are you saving loads of cute penguins and polar bears by cutting down on your carbon footprint, you actually have more time to enjoy on the slopes.  This is an important factor as you will want to squeeze every last blissful minute out of your couple of days on the slopes.

Another thought to leave you with when considering a coach trip is because it is overnight travel, the whole trip is only over three days and best of all, only one work day.

If we go right back to the initial question of why a ski weekend, surely the question should be ‘Why not?’  Even if you have spent a week sliding down the mountain already this season, you do not need to stick to the stigma of only having one ski trip a year.  There is no better way to unwind than sneaking off for cheeky ski weekend to breathe in that mountain air and shred the white stuff.  If doctors prescribed a ski or snowboard trip to everyone who was over stressed, all the shrinks would be out of a job!

So, no more excuses about ski holidays costing too much, you don’t have enough holiday days allowance to justify it, or that you simply haven't got enough time. I don’t even want to hear that you have already been skiing a week; go dust down your skis or snowboard, find your ski clothes from the back of the wardrobe (they will probably be in Narnia by now!) and book yourself a ski weekend.

If I was a shrink then this advice would have just cost you more than the total price of a ski weekend! 

Mark Barber

Tailor Made Premium Ski Weekends for the Time Poor

You’re working hard, you’re earning well, but you want to go skiing (or indeed, boarding!)

It can be frustrating – you can’t afford to take much time off and you don’t want to spend the time you do have waiting around in airports (however nice the lounge may be) or queuing for your lift pass and rentals.

The final issue – planning, when do you have time to actually sort and book this all?

The answer is to get the experts to create a premium snowsports weekend for you.  SkiWeekends.com know flight times, departure airports, when the traffic is going to be bad between airport and resort and how to avoid that.

They know which resorts can be reached the most quickly from the UK (combining flight times, likely airport delays and transfer times) and of course they know how to get you on the slopes quickly once you’re in resort – ensuring rentals, tickets and even an instructor or guide are all ready for you as you arrive.

In short all the things you can spend hours researching and still risk getting wrong through some unforeseen gap in the information you’ve compiled are done for you by a company with years of experience in providing just what you need – a short trip to the slopes with your time on skis or board maximised in the time you have available. 

Plus of course if you do have limited time you want it to be quality time so having a booking in a gourmet restaurant on the Saturday evening and a first class spa in your hotel to have a soak or perhaps a massage treatment in after the slopes and before that great meal only add to the perfection. 

Ski Weekends are famous for offering affordable, efficient holidays to the Alps, but the company also specialise in luxury short breaks and have a wide selection of a premium 4 & 5 star luxury ski hotels in their portfolio.  In fact the company has an entire Premium Sales division set up to cater for just this market sector.

Ski Weekends have used their years of experience and expertise to source hotels that not only provide luxurious facilities, gourmet dining and five-star service but also spacious, high quality accommodation and all importantly - easy access to the slopes.  It’s no good turning up at some luxury pad only to find it’s miles from lifts and runs!

The company can organise trips to stay in top quality ski hotels right across Europe, but many opt for the most popular choices including Courchevel 1850, Val Thorens, Chamonix, Val d'Isère and many more. The choice is vast and the premium sales team are always on hand to help you narrow down your search.

Five star hotel options include the modern Hotel Au Coeur du Village in La Clusaz which has a fabulous spa and is perfectly located right on the pistes or the recently renovated Hotel Mont-Blanc in the heart of Chamonix which is today one of the finest resorts in the alps and only one hour from Geneva – so you could be checking in in a little over three hours from taking off from the UK.

In Val d’Isère, Les Barmes de l'Ours Hotel & Spa is a firm favourite with its three restaurants and many other attractions, as well as a prime location backing on to the slopes whilst in Courchevel 1850 the Alpes Hotel Pralong is known for its high service standards and again has excellent wellness facilities and a slopeside location.

But if not just any luxury ski break will do and you need to feel like a real VIP then you have the option of the ‘rock star’ package ….because sometimes it’s not what you do but the way that you do it!

You don’t have to be able to sing like a superstar or indeed have as much money in the bank to be able to indulge in this unique ski holiday option which involves travelling through the night on a luxury sleeper tour bus which has previously hosted the likes of Coldplay and Lily Allen before you climbed on board to add yourself to the A list celeb line up.

Your destination in this portable palace is Val d’Isère (although other destinations available on request, although probably not en-route, should you have some crazy whim…), …for two days on the slopes. You’ll spend Saturday night in a luxury five star hotel, before  your return trip delivers you back to the office bright and early on Monday morning, fresh faced and well skied.

The Rock Star Tour Bus really has to be seen to be believed – it can sleep up to 14, each with their own large bunk (at least 6 4" in length) and there’s leather seating throughout.  It features a spacious lounge area and a full kitchen with two coffee machines and you’ll get some free drinks as part of your rock star package.

Your Saturday night in Val d’Isère is based in the luxurious five star Avenue Lodge, which has a great spa, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a first class restaurant and an excellent pro shop ready to kit you out with the latest gear.  In short it’s the most sublime ski weekend money can buy.

Patrick Thorne

Is Chamonix the perfect ski town?

Chamonix has been synoymous with skiing and snowboarding since the early 1900's and the first ever Winter Olympics - held in Chamonix in 1924 - put it firmly on the map as a premier winter sports destination. More than 90 years on, it still has a place in most skiers 'top 10'. But unlike some of the other mega resorts, Chamonix has kept a charm and sense of history, not to mention more accommodation options than almost any other ski resort. ranging from small self catering apartments up to 5* hotels.

The reason for this is the unique layout of the town, the Chamonix Valley encompasses 16 little hamlets and villages with a variety of accommodation unmathced by most other ski areas.

Earlier this season we visited and stayed in Vallorcine, lying to the east of Chamonix town close to Switzerland, Vallorcine is a pretty hamlet with some excellent restaurants, and direct access to one of the main 5 Chamonix ski areas - Le Tour. Crucially there is also a train station with direct access to the town, so staying here and skiing the multiple Chamonix areas without a car is perfecrtly possible, though personally we enjoyed the flexibility of a rental car, and saved the train for one atmospheric ride to town.

We stayed at the 5* Vallorcine Residence and Spa. Perhaps a surprising find in a small hamlet, this impressive property combines apartment accommodation with a large spa complex with indoor pool, gym, massage and other spa services and a stunning ice rink lying in the brooding shadow of Le Tour. 

Although there is no restaurant on site there are several excellent options within a 5 minute walk. Breakfast can be DIY in your apartment with fresh bread and croissants from the excellent on site bakery, who also offer a good value breakfast buffet. An on site ski hire shop is well stocked and friendly staff will arrange liftpasses and anythng else you need.

Snow conditions were best described as 'variable' but one of the beauty's of Chamonix is even when there is a lack of snow the sheer size, variety and layout of the ski areas means good snow can always be found somewhere, and boredom is never an issue as each area has its own distinct character. We skiied Brevent and Les Grand Montets over a 3 night stay and despite sunny skies more in keeping with Easter than Christmas skiing, we still had a great time with a mix of cruising pistes and more challenging terrain. Chamonix has a reputation as an 'experts resort' but really that's due to the extensive off-piste, for which you must have a guide, rather than the variety or marked pistes which offer plenty of options for intermediates.