Ski Blog | Self-Catered Holidays

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

A Different Type of Holiday

Gone are the days of tiny basic self catered apartments - now you can have luxury and still be independent.

Our new partners at Square Break have merged with OneFineStay and have some great accommodation to chose from - check out their apartments, chalets, villas & houses here.

They can also offer a catered option as well so if you want to choose your own place to stay you can then upgrade and by paying an extra 1000€ per person per week in France and 1500€ per person per week in the Swiss resorts.

This chalet can be offered with a fully-catered option by a team of winter professionals to create a magical holiday experience.

WHAT’S INCLUDED ?

• Breakfast prepared in the chalet every morning: Hot breakfast (for six mornings on seven) served in the dining room accompanied by a selection of local yoghurts, muesli, cereals, and fresh crusty bread and jams (7d/7).
• Afternoon tea / After-ski: Buffet available of tea, coffee, fresh bread, jams, and delicious home-baked cakes or opt for something savoury if that is your preference.
• Champagne and aperitives before dinner
• Dinner six nights out of seven: After canapés, a three-course dinner will be served, followed by a locally-inspired cheeseboard. Dinner is accompanied by the finest selection of European house wines.

MORE THERMAL BATHS IN THE PYRENEES - BAINS DE LLO

About a 15 minute drive outside Font Romeu are the thermal baths of Bains de Llo - pronounced yo - as in yo-yo.  We're clearly very close to Spain!

We'd spent the day skiing and I can't think of a better way to relax tired legs than a visit the hot baths. The Bains de Llo consist of a series of outdoor and indoor pools filled with naturally hot sulphurous water. The water in the pools is kept at a comfortable temperature above 35 degrees Celsius. There are also heated rooms inside including a sauna and steam room.

This area of the Pyrenees boasts numerous natural hot springs, some of which have been used to create the kind of apres ski relaxation and treatment offered here.

We were warmly welcomed and the series of pools was explained to us and we were even given a suggested order in which to enjoy them to maximise the benefiit.  In one pool they even have the unusual underwater music in the relaxation pool. There is a wide selection of massage jets, bubble benches and mini waterfalls to treat your muscles. The warmth of the outside pools felt particularly special on such a cold day.  The steam room was an especially quiet and relaxing environment. 

The natural waters are renowned for their health benefits which means the Bains de Llo really a perfect place to rejuvenate the body and soul.

Attached to the baths is a state of the art spa treatment area.

There are many rooms all boasting a different type of massage or treatment including water bed massage, water jet treatments and more mainstream wellbeing massages. Their ethos is completely natural so they only use natural products for all the treatments.

They also have apartments available for stays. The apartments are beautifully furnished and decorated to a very high standard. This would be dream getaway with skiing available a short drive away, thermal baths included and a huge array of natural wellbeing treatments available.

The Bains de Llo offer five and six day cure packages aimed at treating health problems, details are available on their website and over the phone - the staff here couldn't have been more helpful so don't hesitate to contact them with any questions.

DISCOVERING AX LES THERMES

We're on a weeks adventure in The Pryenees and are on the road to Ax Les Thermes..... read the whole weeks report here.

PART 1 - AX 3 DOMAINES

Then we start the descent into Ax Les Thermes – first impressions are that it is huge!  Expecting a small village, we were surprised at how large it was and we could see the telecabine rising up from the village the other side of the mountain – that was for tomorrow.

We checked into the Lagrange’s Chalets des Ax – a series of comfortable apartments with a reception area, ours was a studio apartment with a sofa bed, small kitchen in the corner and a bathroom – they have larger ones available and there is a free Jacuzzi to use as well and are just a ten minute walk from the town centre.

FOOD & DRINK…

And to food!  We soon discovered it is very different from the usual Alpine fare and over the next few days enjoy the distinctly Mediterranean flavour to it.   Apparently there are 25 restaurants in Ax and only two specialise in the typical fondue and raclette so common in the Alps. But tonight we ventured out of town, about a fifteen minute drive to eat at Maison la Cube and it’s well worth the trip.  There is friendly welcome and great service from staff who run the restaurant.  Their policy is organic where possible and if organic isn’t available then locally produced food (and local is better than shipping something that is out of season half way round the world) – a great ethos especially when we consider this season’s snow conditions have probably been affected by global warming!  The result is a fabulous meal that tastes good and you feel it is doing you good rather than the usual cheese soaked meals that you almost feel obliged to eat after a hard day on the slopes.  How refreshing to be fed healthily in a ski resort!  It was accompanied by a bottle of regional white wine from Domaine de Lastronques that was superb and then finished off with their local plum version of Genepi!

Bed called and we turned in for an early night looking forward to discovering the ski area tomorrow.

SKIING IN AX 3 DOMAINES

Apparently there is only 40% of the area open and nearly all of that thanks to the snow canons that cover the runs in artificial snow. We learn later that the chief snowmaker is well known for being one of the best in the business – who knew there was a ranking in snow makers?

We join Stefane from the ESF who spends the morning guiding us around the three areas of Ax 3 Domains – all of which are open and can be accessed. Even with the limited snow all are very different.  It is easy to see that there is something for everyone from a new beginners area that is strictly only for beginners (they even have a special pass for that area) and as you progress, plenty of blues and easy reds. 

The thing that excites me most is the potential of the off piste – the tree line is much higher here than the Alps so you nearly always have cover in bad weather and there is a huge variety of off piste that would keep any powder hound happy if you timed it right.

Unlike the big household name resorts that get skied out in half an hour after a big fall we are reliably informed that you can find fresh tracks for days as few people ski off piste and the resort is quiet outside of holidays and weekends.

And then you find out that on all skiable sides of the mountain at the bottom are long green runs traversing around the mountain that always bring you back to resort! So wherever you ski off piste you pick your line, keep skiing until you hit the green run and then cruise back to resort to do it all again. No hiking out of hidden valleys here!

Damn you weather gods of 2016-17 – please deliver soon.  Oh well I guess I’ll just have to come back another time.

THE BEST APRES SKI!

A great day on the slopes and then we find the best après ski!  It doesn’t get much better than this and doesn’t even involve beer!

We head to Les Bains du Couloubret.

Thermal baths that are all created from naturally heated spring water.  You can even buy a combined ski and thermal pass on the same ticket – straight off the slopes and into the baths to soothe those aching legs!  You really don’t need loads of beer for après ski here!

Though the ones we washed a great pizza down with at The Grand Café tasted good!

What a day!

OFF THE SLOPES...

The following day we take off to discover a couple of other off slope things to do in the area – we retrace our steps back to the Col du Chioula which is usually a hive of activity for snow-shoeing and cross country skiing but this season is only suitable for a walk – but it’s a spectacular one with 360 degree views over the mountains and across the valley to the ski area we were cruising around yesterday.

We follow this with a local’s tip and explore a nearby thermal bath – this could not be more different than the baths yesterday – this is a 10 minute drive and then a 10 minute walk up a path into the trees and mountains in the direction of Merens (ask a local!) and we find the most perfect natural hot baths with a source of hot water running into them that even on this coldest of days make it worth stripping off and taking the plunge!

A couple of cocktails in the fabulous Grand Café before eating and then a ten minute stroll back to our apartment.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR ADVENTURES HERE....

PART 2 - FONT ROMEU

PART 3 - LES ANGLES

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!

Go for a Ski Weekend and Save Your Holiday Days for a Summer Vacation

This is a guest blog by Mark Barber from Ski Weekends.

I hate February!  With Christmas decorations boxed up and packed away in my loft long ago and the New Year’s Day annual hangover being all but a distant and fading memory, the days are short, nights are long and it is cold!  Not that I have ever been a morning person, but getting up from my warm, snug, duvet for work in the midst of winter requires more will-power than bending spoons.

It is always at this time of year that I want to get away from it all and being a keen snowboarder, I have a yearning (or is it a spiritual calling?) for the mountains.  But, the problem is, and I am sure this is the same for the majority of people, my holiday days allowance from work are at a premium with spare ones rarer than magical Pixie gold dust, or silverware in the West Ham Trophy Room.

It goes without saying that the bulk of the allocation of days will be for the summer vacation with spare days needed for those unknown circumstances such as weddings, funerals and those excessively long stag/hen weekends in Las Vegas or Barcelona (what is wrong with a weekend in Bournemouth?).  With all this in mind, quite often a week skiing or snowboarding can seem like a luxury that your holiday days allowance will not permit.  Even the office king of taking ‘sickies’ could not hold off with pretending to have the flu all week, especially if calling from the airport with flight announcements being a complete giveaway.

But have you ever considered going skiing or snowboarding for a long weekend?  Although we do not have the ease of passage to the Alps that our continental friends enjoy, where all they need to do is throw their skis, snowboard, cheese and salami sandwiches, and a bottle of Red in the back of a car and head to the mountains, it is a lot easier than you probably realise!

With Geneva Airport your gateway to a white snowy paradise, the majority of French Alpine resorts are easily reachable.  For instance, the flight to Geneva from a London airport will only take about an hour and a half.  From Geneva, it is possible to be sipping a glass of wine while sitting in a hotel bar at the ski resort of Morzine, in just over an hour (I have tried and tested this theory with success!).

Morzine has grown in popularity over the years and, with its neighbouring ski resorts of Avoriaz and Les Gets, makes an ideal location for a ski weekend.  Quick and easy to get to, it is ideal for both skiers and snowboarders of all levels.  Morzine also has a lively après ski scene that is not as expensive and damaging on the wallet as some of its French cousins such as Val d’Isère.

Also, a hop, skip and jump away from Geneva are the two heavyweights of the Alps, The magnificent Three Valleys and Paradiski ski areas.  Paradiski is the joining of forces of Les Arcs and La Plagne by the giant Vanoise Express double-decker cable car.  Paradiski is vast and is mainly built up of purpose built ski in - ski out resorts that are well designed for skiing and very convenient.  For those in your group that would like to explore other activities, the new Mille 8 complex should keep them busy with toboggan runs, themed ski areas, cinema, restaurants and themed swimming areas.

One of the biggest ski areas in the world, the Three Valleys offers something for everyone of any ability.  The endless terrain of slopes would keep you busy for months, let alone just for a weekend!  An ideal base to explore the Three Valleys is the beautiful resort of Meribel.

If you do not fancy flying then a coach journey is an ideal budget friendly alternative as it will take you to the resort of Brides Les Bains, which is situated in a valley just under Meribel and only a chair lift away.

Not only is travelling by coach easy on the pockets and more environmentally friendly than flying, it will also give you more slope time because you travel and sleep through the night, picking up your ski lift pass when you arrive at the hotel early morning.

If you think coach journeys are like those old school trips with coaches that looked like they were designed by bored soviet engineers with dusty flowery patterned curtains across the windows, then think again.  Luxury coaches are comfortable, have on-board toilets and tea/coffee making facilities, and are an ideal way to travel and take the usual stress out of the journey - just sit back and relax!

For those who do choose to fly, the trip starts on a Thursday, returning on the Monday. Ideally designed to save the amount of work days you need to take off while maximising slope time.  Ski lift passes are pre-booked and handed out on arrival so you can catch that first ski lift in the morning, without the hassle of long queues to get your lift pass.

So here is the perfect scenario; don't worry about having to book a whole week off work to get your ‘ski’ or ‘snowboard’ fix out on the slopes.  Book a long weekend which will give you plenty of time to shake off those winter time blues and relax, take the stress out on the mountain and enjoy a touch of après ski.

Leaving you with enough guilt-free holiday day allowance to enjoy that summer vacation that you spend all year looking forward to.  Go soak up some sun and laze on a beach, go surfing, or go on an African Safari.  Whatever you do, enjoy yourself, knowing that by going on a ski weekend, you really can have the best of both worlds.

Mark Barber

Where’s the snow?

Are you panicking yet?  Have you got a Christmas ski holiday or New Year ski trip booked and been scared by the media that you won’t have any snow when you go skiing?

Yes it’s the usual annual media free for all - writing scare stories, overhyping, sensationalising and making things up!  Really? The press do that? Surely not I hear you say!  Afraid so I say!

It seems to happen every year – either at the beginning of December or nearer Christmas depending on what they have to fill up their grubby pages with.

Right now if you believe the press you’d think it was a disaster but there are loads of resorts opening early.  How does that work then?

It will snow – it always does.  It’s just a case of when does it arrive? Sometimes it comes early and sometimes later – last year for example Christmas skiing wasn’t great but over one weekend it dumped and New Year week was powder snow heaven!

Not so great if you were out at Christmas of course but the panic and concern for New Year skiers was gone overnight – well unless you were stuck in a snowy traffic jam for 12 hours!  You can’t win can you?

Anyway we can’t control it and if you skied at a certain time last season it doesn’t mean that the weather and snow will be equally good or bad at the same time this season!

Yes I do really get phone calls asking to go the second week in March as last year the snow was…… anyway that’s a different story!

Whenever and wherever you go we hope you get a load of snow!  

And if you don’t then remember you are on holiday and get out and explore the resort and fill your days with all of those off slope activities you keep meaning to do every year but never do because you don’t want to miss a days skiing. Enjoy! 

Flexible Catering for your Ski Accommodation!

 This is a guest blog by Chez Toi.

So everyone who has ever skied knows about the traditional ‘Catered Chalet’ holiday which has been around for decades.  You probably also know that you can stay in self-catered accommodation, be it an apartment or chalet which is rented as a whole.  But did you know that you can have the best of both worlds?  That’s right, in a few selected ski resorts you can now have the luxury of a catered chalet, combined with the freedom and flexibility of renting your own self-catered property.  Morzine and Les Gets are two of the these ski resorts.

Why not just book a package holiday?

In recent years people have started to look at options to tailor make their own ski holidays.  Of course this has been helped along by the advent of the ‘budget airline’.  The likes of Easyjet and Ryanair now supply airports across the Alps and from many regional UK airports, making it easy and cheap to travel.  Resorts such as Morzine, Les Gets and Chamonix benefit from being situated close to Geneva airport.  This means short transfer times and plenty of well priced travel options available. 

With more and more people booking their holidays piece by piece on the internet, there are now so many different types of holiday available in these resorts.  Individuals based in these ski areas have answered the demand for more flexibility and it is now possible to book pretty much everything before you arrive in resort.  From different catering options, to skis delivered to your chalet, to private ski lessons, childcare, pre-booked lift passes and so much more.

So how does flexible catering work?

Flexible catering has come about as the result of people demanding more choice between dining options in resort.  Of course many people are happy with the six nights catering that you receive as standard during a one week chalet holiday.  And some are still happy to go to the local supermarket and cook for themselves for the week.  However a growing number of people are looking for a mixture of both.  Perhaps you would like someone to cook for you on three evenings, eat out in a local restaurant for two and buy a frozen pizza for the other two.  Well now this is not a problem. 

At Chez Toi we aim to provide the catering package to suit you, in Morzine and Les Gets.  We can provide a one off evening meal- maybe for a special occasion, or up to a full week fully catered package.  Our chefs are flexible in what they offer and we will liaise with you before arrival in resort to agree menus.  We will come to your chalet or apartment at a pre-agreed time to prepare and serve your meal.  And the best part is we will clean up the kitchen and do the dishes afterwards so you won’t need to lift a finger!

For more information about the different packages on offer please take a look at our website or contact us by email.

The Ski Season That Doesn’t Want To End!

Wow what a season that was!  Well when I say was perhaps I should be saying is, as it isn’t really over if you look at the snow that is still around!

Ok it is over in terms of the majority of the resorts now being closed but there is still a load of snow and if you are into your hiking and touring this will be a great touring season – take care of avalanches etc though as when things warm up it can be dangerous out there!

A was very luck to get a lot of skiing in this year and had trips to the Alps in December / January a couple of weeks in February and then again in March/April and each time I was there it snowed!

If you haven’t seen our YouTube channel then head over here and have a look at some of the videos that we put together. You can see snow reports and some skiing videos that we put together.

Everywhere we went there was great snow and tales of great skiing! 

We were lucky to visit Le Grand Massif (Flaine, Les Carroz, Samoens & Morillon), Avoriaz and Morzine, Verbier, Megeve, Chamonix, Courchevel and La Rosiere through the season.

The best skiing we had was probably in February – watch it here and see me nearly ski into a tree!

So now the resorts are all winding up and we have a summer to endure before the winter comes back!  Don’t worry we’ll make the most of it and enjoy the sunshine and maybe get a bit jealous of the powder days in New Zealand and other southern hemisphere resorts!

New Year’s Day Snow and Ski Report

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We hope you had a great 2012 celebrated in style last night, are not suffering too much today and have a fantastic 2013 planned!!

We have not had any snow since Santa brought us some at Christmas - we must have been good!!  Maybe!! 

However the conditions have been superb - superb snow on piste for carving it up or learning and even off piste is holding up though you do have to hunt that out to find it!

Find out more by watching our snow report - we think he may have had a late night, see how many (deliberate?!) mistakes he makes!! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR - have a great 2013 we hope you get all the snow and ski and snowboard holidays you want!!