Ski Blog | Half Term Skiing

Snow Report - 7th February 2018 from Mark at Huski

Rich met up with Mark from www.Hu.ski in the sunny snowy Alps and here he updates us on the snow conditions in the resorts they cover. 

Independent Ski and Snowboard Hire

Altitude's ski rental partner Skimium are one of the largest ski providers in Europe. But despite their size and market leading prices, they maintain a personal touch. And by booking with the code ALTIT17 you can save a massive 60%!

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

Skimium.com is a partner of Decathlon

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!

Where to ski at half term?

A family ski holiday can be one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences that you can give your children.  A break from the games consoles and TV to experience the stunning scenery and mountain air in their lungs that you simply can’t find at home in the UK. Taking a ski holiday can also be a great physical workout, but in a fun way.  Certainly more healthy than the kids playing Minecraft while eating Doritos.

A family ski holiday is also a great way to bring everyone closer together, away from the daily stress of work or school.  A chance to unwind without the usual distractions of modern family life.

Having said all this, as parents we are very limited to when we can book a ski holiday.  Unless you are a school governor or Head Teacher (so it seems!), we are not allowed to take our children out of school for a ski holiday and so we’re forced to go in school Holiday time.  Punishment for disobeying this rule is a heavy fine and receiving 10 lashes of the cat ‘o nine tails and banged up in the London Dungeon (okay - so that was a slight exaggeration, but you do get my point.)

Half Term is the obvious choice of the holidays as it is at the peak of the ski season so greater odds of snow.  Having made that choice, the next one is where to go?

The French Alps is the most popular destination for the Brits and that is not likely to change any time soon.  The French resorts are mostly easy to get to whether by air, coach, train or car, offer well organised ski schools, and great facilities.  Most of the French Ski Resorts have invested heavily over the last few years and many have super-fast ski lifts, fantastic snow making facilities and demonstrate a very slick and well run operation.

Morzine

Morzine is one of the easiest and quickest ski resorts you can get to from the UK.  With a short flight from Gatwick to Geneva, followed by an airport transfer that is around one and a half hours, I can go from sitting in the airport lounge to enjoying a drink at my hotel/chalet in Morzine in no time at all.

Unlike a lot of the purpose built ski resorts that are scattered across the Alps, Morzine has an authentic feel to it and has great character.  It is also great value for money and although an ever-increasingly popular resort to go to, Morzine has not succumbed to mass commercialism and remains very affordable for a family on a budget.

There is a good choice of British or French run ski schools in Morzine, including the popular Club Des Piou Piou for the little ‘uns  (from 3 years old) which is organised by the ESF school. There is a good choice of gentle and well sheltered slopes for the kids to progress on at their own pace. There are also plenty of childcare nursery options, so you can go and spend a few hours enjoying the mountains. 

Morzine is part of the Portes Soleil linked area, and with easy access to the Les Gets and Avoriaz, the area is vast!  There is something for everyone with runs for all abilities and equally enjoyable for snowboarders as well as skiers.

Overall, Morzine is fantastic for a family ski holiday that will not break the bank.

Paradiski

The linking of the two popular resorts of Les Arcs and La Plagne via the impressive Vanoise Express (a super-fast double decker Gondola that can carry 200 people) created Paradiski, one of the biggest ski areas in the world.

Both La Plagne and Les Arcs are fantastic for families with their purpose built ‘ski in, ski out’ resorts - perfect for ease of access.  What they both lack in the way of authentic village charm and charisma, these resorts make up for in being built for purpose.

There is a good choice of ski schools with beginner slopes, moving ‘magic’ carpets and safe zones.  There are also plenty of other activities to keep the whole family amused with climbing walls, toboggans and the chance to speed down on an Olympic Bobsleigh run.

Mille 8 is a new and exciting family entertainment and leisure development on the slopes.  Features include a Discovery Piste themed ski track through trees that has been designed to be an educational but fun experience for the whole family to enjoy.  There is also a Sledge Run, a kids play area, large restaurant, swimming pools, and for the more advanced, freestyle runs. 

Mille 8 cost 36 million Euros to develop and is an ambitious vision of creating experiences for the whole family to enjoy.

Meribel (Brides Les Bains)

If you don't want to fly then travelling by luxury coach would be a more affordable alternative.  Not only that, travelling through the night will free up some more slope time to enjoy!

If you do wish to travel by coach then you should consider Brides Les Bains, sited below the resort of Meribel, a quiet town that is ideal for families to use as a base to access the magnificent Trois Vallées ski area.

Meribel is only a 25 minute Gondola ride away and is perfectly central to explore the Trois Vallées.  Meribel is also great for beginners and families with gentle slopes including a long, wide green slope run at the Altiport.  There is also an impressive choice of ski schools to choose from at Meribel, many of them British run.

For those who are beginners, it may be more cost efficient to stick to the local area (Meribel) ski lift pass.  Of course, if you are more ambitious then the Trois Vallées offers endless terrain to explore.

As you might expect from one of the world’s top ski resorts, Meribel can be a little pricey, but Brides Les Bains is a lot more reasonable and although quiet, has plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from.

Overall, travelling to Brides Les Bains by coach is a great way for a family to experience the impressive Trois Vallées area and in particular Meribel, without paying the usual extortionate prices usually expected from the neighboring resorts.

Mark Barber

Our new website….

It’s been a long time in coming – there’s been some false starts, a lot of frustration but now a lot of excitement as we launch our new website!

We have what we think is the best tool for organising a group ski or snow boarding holiday.

You know how you’ve had a couple of beers or a glass of wine too many and you stick your hand up and agree to organise that next trip to the mountains!  It’s going to be great fun looking for the right ski accommodation, the perfect resort to suit everyone and then…… John wants to change the date, Jo doesn’t want to go there but Jerry does and Joanne can’t get that week off work and asks can’t we go the week after but that clashes with Jamie’s work do and so it goes on as you get more frustrated as the email threads get longer and longer, the language on the Facebook discussion would embarrass your Mum – good job you’re not friends with her on Facebook.  You are?  Oh!  What’s that all about?  Anyway I digress, you now have access to the best group organising facility on the web with our new group booking tool!

Head over here to check it out and you can watch a short video of how it works as well.

You just pick a shortlist of resorts and dates and your mates vote on their preferred ones and you search our site for the ski accommodation that suits.  Holiday booked!  Easy!

Ski Deals – looking for the perfect deal?  These are all listed on our Ski Deals page, it could be an early booking discount, free transfer, peak week availability, you’ll find something to tempt you onto the snow!

Search by different categories for your holiday whether you are looking for a catered chalet or self catered apartment, a weekend trip, family holiday or want to find a luxury holiday you can find it easily.

Resorts – know which resort you want to go to? Then search by resort and check out all the ski accommodation in that resort, find links to the resorts website, Facebook page or if you have already booked then check out that all important snow report and webcam! We are also continually adding resort services to this so find the best deals for ski hire or snowboard hire, clothing and many other in resort services!

Travel - Booked your holiday but not sure how to get there?  Check out our Travel page for links you need whether you are driving, flying, training it or just need an airport transfer.  How to get to resorts are also listed on each resort page.

We have some great competitions lined up starting with 50 family tickets to the In The Snow Live ski show at the NEC on 25th – 27th October, half price deals on tickets to that if you aren’t one of the lucky ones.

If you find anything on the site that isn’t working then please do let us know (it is all new after all so there maybe a few glitches) or would you like to see something that isn’t on the site?  Again do get in touch!

We hope you love our new site as much as we do – we’re nearly as excited about it as we are that the new season is only four months away….. do we sound a little obsessed?

14th February - Snow Report from Le Grand Massif

Wow! The snow has been amazing!

I have been lucky enough to be staying in Les Carroz for the last couple of weeks and it has barely stopped snowing!

Half Term is next week and there are still some February Half Term deals available - take a look at our Ski Deals page to find out more and click here for specific half term ski deals.

There is 4.5 meters of snow at the top of Flaine and this is pretty much the same across the Alps.  I have been to visit chalet owners in Morzine and Verbier in the last week or so and they are all reporting exactly the same!

We made a video of us having some fun in the powder last week - if you haven't seen it then do take a look at it here and you can see how much snow there has been!

It really is turning into an epic season!  The snow keeps falling and whenever you have booked a holiday you should be up for some great skiing!  If you haven't booked yet then keep an eye on our ski deals page for some great offers!

Watch a video of our latet snow report here...

Snow Report from & Luxury Chalets in Verbier!

I was lucky enough to go on a little road trip to Verbier yesterday where I met Nathasha from CK Verbier and she showed me round their luxury chalets.

Wow!  They really are luxurious with swimming pools, saunas, 24 hour on call drivers! Really impressive and lovely places ranging in size from 6 beds up to 31 so they can accommodate small families and large corporate groups as well.

Each chalet comes with a dedicated staff team of four:

• 24-hour in-resort chalet chauffeur with brand new top of the range Volkswagen Caravelles or a Range Rover Vogue. Just ask and you'll be driven.
• A professional chef trained to Michelin star standards to prepare breakfast, teatime treats and gourmet dinners. We offer four course fine dining with an emphasis on high quality, locally sourced ingredients. We can also offer rustic sharing platters, one of our culinary concepts designed by top chef Jamie Oliver's team. All of this served with our ample selection of delicious house wines. We are also happy to prepare children's tea or simple suppers. Just let us know what you like.
• The chalet hosts, attentive when you need it invisible when you don't. They'll be there to ensure that your boots are warmed, your glass is filled and that you always come home to a roaring fire.

I worked in Verbier a couple of years ago and it's a great resort with some superb skiing and fabulous apres ski bars, restaurants and clubs - I'd love to be able to go back and stay in one of CK's chalets and enjoy the luxury, I don't think I'll be doing that for a while unless I win the lottery!

I do know that their staff are 100% discreet and all bookings are taken in 100% confidence so if you are looking to escape the hassle and want to stay somewhere incognito then this is defintiely the place to go! 

Watch Natasha's snow report....