The Ski Blog

What makes a great....Beginners' Week

Are you hoping to take the plunge this year and have your first ever wintersports holiday? Take a look at this post from 2008 - great advice then and now ( even though we say so ourselves!)

Your first ever ski or snowboard holiday is an introduction to a sport that will keep you coming back for life. Wintersports holidays are fun, outdoor experiences which you can share with friends and family, you can meet new people, explore fabulous mountain landscapes and enjoy breathtaking scenery.  

via skiblog.chaletsdirect.com

SLASiBones

 

Ski Like A Ski instructor But don’t won’t to be one

I bet your ‘gonna’ remember that name now!

SLASiBones is the crazy name for latest brainwave from the Alpinemojo team.

Chuck in your day job or maybe your day job has already chucked you in? There is no time like the present to check out of the ‘Real World’ and check into Verbier for the winter ski season and learn to ski like an instructor. If this is ringing some sort of bells in your head then keep reading. Here are the seven easy steps to being a part of the Alpinemojo SLASiBones program.

1. Check out of the ‘Real World’

2. Find your winter residence in Verbier (Check out Chalets Direct)

3. Be in Verbier for first weekend of season – the last weekend of November

4. Buy your Verbier season pass early to qualify for a discount

5. Get all your gear

6. Sign up for SLASiBones and get an idea to go with the gear

7. Hang out in Verbier for the winter and have the time of your life

More details about the SLASiBones program

The program starts on the last weekend of November 2010 for a two day intensive warm up program getting your ski legs and sowing the seeds for your new skiing skills. Then there is time to digest and rest and maybe party. Then we start again on the following Wednesday and carry on the good work each week with one day intensive training per week. In each coaching session you will be pushed to new levels and leave each session with a clear training goal for your skiing over the following week. So if this is for you? Why not make contact with Alpinemojo now.

If the ‘Real World’ has left you skint and your budget doesn’t stretch to a full blown Gap Year Instructor course this winter in Verbier? Then maybe sign up for with The Alpine Cookery Course, find a chalet job and use your weekly day off to bring your skiing up to speed with the SLASiBones program. Probably cheaper than a few Tuesday nights in Casbah!

SLASiBones – Live like a seasonaire – Ski like an instructor – Book like a Hero!

Womens ski courses

Women's All Mountain ski courses in Chamonix with Claire Summers

Ski manufacturers have developed equipment specifically for women. So why shouldn't there be ski coaching available that is specific to women as well?

It is probably no secret that in general women learn skiing in a different manner to men. Women will want to fine tune something before really putting things into full action. Men however, are generally more inclined to just have a go and then fine tune. So women will be keen perfect their technique to avoid falling down - men will learn by falling down.

So we felt that girls only courses could really help the dynamics of the learning environment for a small group of women.

This season women keen to learn off piste and all mountain skills can join our courses in Chamonix specifically for women. This allows women to learn at their own pace, and to develop their skiing and understanding.

The courses are with Claire Summers who is one of Britain’s leading ski instructors (BASI level 4 ISTD). Claire has vast experience coaching skiing across Europe for all levels, particularly coaching groups for off piste skiing. She is patient and understanding with a real talent for passing on her number 1 passion. In her spare time Claire competes in international freeride skiing competitions around Europe - with some impressive results!

Claire Summers

The courses are structured the same as our mixed All Mountain ski courses with the aim of developing confidence through control, versatility and expression. Claire will help you to improve your technical, tactical, psychological and physical skills in a relaxed, non-pressured atmosphere.

If you would like more information such as dates, levels etc, please see our website.

Building your chalet from a different kind of wood - Part 2 - Skiing Emotions

 
It is a crisp sunny winter morning; fresh snow has fallen making the mountains all white and beautiful, a reminder of why I choose the route of eternal ski bum! The real world where ever that might be has slipped of the horizon and I am left there in my own little world of bliss – ‘Excuse me is your name Roddy’ – ‘Ah Yes’ – ‘You must be my client for the today?’ And so I jump into super instructor mode – Interesting how we can choose a response appropriate for the moment? It is also interesting to think about where we get those responses from? How did I move from a bit of day dream, wondering how great the mountains looked, to choosing what I hope is the right response for the client in front of me?

After a brief chat with my client, she tells me that she has never skied before and is really scared! Now if you jump back a sentence you’ll notice that I noticed that it is interesting where we get our emotional responses from?

Here is a person who is perfectly sound of mind, who has never skied before telling me she is scared of skiing! How has she got to this point? What is she basing her fear on? She has no previous knowledge or mental map of skiing or snow - However she has managed to find a mental map of fear and then over-laid her map of fear onto skiing?! So, it could be said we have mental maps for all our emotional responses? If this is the case do we have the power to choose our emotional responses?

You Know the other day I went to a café and asked for two espressos – Which, when they arrived on the table were fantastically smooth with those lovely brown bubbles on the top. All in the world is good - I enjoyed the coffee with my companion, then I asked for the bill and paid. However the waiter had not given enough change! Well as you can imagine at this moment it is very easy to find my mental map of being cross and firm and to ask the waiter for the correct change? Can you? You see you probably have the ability to choose your response in this situation?

So back to my lady is it possible for her to choose a different response and make the most of her day? If she can reach into the chart room of her mind and choose the mental map best suited to achieving the most from her skiing, which map should she choose?

Whatever your sport and level only you are in control of your emotions. It is your personal choice how you see the world and also your choice how you respond to events in the world. The key is knowing how to allow yourself to take control of your emotions.

If you need help with finding your mental chart room then contact: roddy@alpinemojo.co.uk

The Chalet Holiday - a peculiarly British institution

In the UK there are roughly 1.3 million people who take wintersports holidays each year and around 37% of them - a sizeable percentage - choose to stay in catered chalets. (Source: Ski Club of Great Britain)

Ask a keen French, Dutch, American, Swiss or Austrian skier about what they think of chalet holidays and you'll be met with a blank look at best, sheer incredulity at worst. Why would you want to go on holiday and share your dinner table every night with a bunch of strangers, or sit and have pre and post dinner chats with them, have breakfast with them, maybe even share a bathroom with them?

The chalet holiday is a particularly British invention - and whilst other nationalities might dip their toe in the water to test it, it remains one of those curious British exports that we do best. So just what is it that makes the chalet holiday so popular and so unique?

Personal Services:

The chalet holiday first appeared in the 60's when enterprising Brits would rent a chalet for a week or two, install the daughter of one of their business associates in the city to cook and clean, and invite their friends over. It was an extension of the shooting weekend, when the gentry would congregate at country houses to shoot wildlife and chat over dinner.

As the idea took hold and developed throughout the 70's and 80's it remained largely an upper class concept - chalet girls were often keen skiers just out of Cheltenham Ladies College or Roedean. These Camillas, Lucindas and Samanthas didn't need to be paid much more than pocket money and their ski season would arm them with important skills for later life when hosting dinner parties for their stockbroker, lawyer or banker husband.

They would happily cook, serve and pour the wine whilst charming and chatting with their guests, probably collecting a few marriage proposals as well as tips along the way.

Since those days the chalet holiday has become mainstream - your chalet host is just as likely to be called Stacey as Samantha, or even Gavin - but the idea of the charming chalet host lives on. They will make your bed, pour your wine, serve you wonderful gourmet food on a budget, and help smooth the way for you as you get your feet.

It's the personal touch - you'll be sharing your chalet with just a few other guests - so you will get to know your chalet host and he or she will be able to tell you where's best for apres-ski drinks, where to ski on the first day, how to get to the lifts, the best way to get back to the chalet - and all those little tips which might take you a couple of days to work out otherwise. 

The services offered are often extended nowadays to include ski guiding, packed lunches, English newspapers, a lift to ski lifts. In many cases you can pick and choose the level of service you want.

Food:

At the heart of the chalet experience is the food. There's no need to traipse round a supermarket buying basics or going to a cafe everytime you want a coffee. English tea is on tap.

Cooked breakfasts, afternoon tea and cakes, good homemade meals - this is what you'll find in a chalet holiday and what gets people coming back for more. 

What's not to like? Many chalet companies will take pains to get English ingredients too - mincemeat for mince pies, Marmite, bacon and more. Part of the experience is also the "mucking in" - earn points with your chalet host by stacking the plates and helping out a little.

As the chalet holiday has evolved so has the catering on offer. Chalet food can range from gourmet to hearty and wholesome. However it will always be freshly prepared. As every chalet company worth their salt knows their reputation hangs on the talents of their hosts.

Social Interaction:

Another key ingredient of a chalet holiday is the way that it throws you together with people you have never met and by the end of the week you could be ski buddies or more for life.

Whilst it's certainly not unusual for a group of friends to take their own chalet, you can always book a room in a chalet for you and your partner and see what happens. On the first evening there will be a little awkwardness as you meet your fellow guests at the dinner table for the first time. As the week pans out the awkwardness will gradually disappear. It could be replaced by much joviality as you gradually get to know your fellow guests. You're all bound together by the ski experience - so it's an easy way to open up a conversation.

Of course it's not guaranteed that your fellow guests will be the kind of people you'd invite to your home - but in a way that's also part of the charm of the chalet holiday. The pot luck - will it be life-changing, will you hate them all, or will it just be a little dull?  This is all part of the experience.

So if you have yet to try a chalet holiday we can certainly recommend it - convenient, comfortable, personal and fun!

Have you had a chalet holiday? Why not let us know your opinions or experience. Leave us a comment or contact us at info@chaletsdirect.com .

Introducing Chalets Direct's technical ski gurus for Winter 2010-11

An ounce of steering is worth a ton of rowing someone once said. This is never more true than in the world of wintersports. One tip from a good instructor can save you hours of pain and help you use your body more efficiently and effectively, and so reduce the risk of straining muscles and possible injury.

Used well, the equipment beneath our feet are fabulous tools which can get you to places you never thought you'd see or experience. Sadly, for many of us, our skis and snowboards are cumbersome planks which can lead to humiliation, frustration and a lot of time spent horizontal on the snow.

Well help is at hand. Last winter we were fortunate to have regular blogs from the two directors of All Mountain Performance, a premier Chamonix-based ski training school which specialises in courses for intermediate skiers and above. During the winter they posted regular bulletins to give you tips and tricks - how to tune back in on your first ski of the season, how to ski bumps and basic guidelines for carving turns for example. Mark and Simon will be contributing again this season.

They will be joined this year by Roddy Willis of Alpine Mojo in Verbier. Alpine Mojo is a team of fun and inspirational ski instructors and coaches who want to help you make big changes to your skiing. Roddy has already written a piece for us this summer on the mental aspect of ski instruction.

Read on to find out more on the Chalets Direct Ski Gurus.

Mark Gear

Director/ coach for AMP  
BASI ISTD level 4 Ski Teacher
Alpine performance coach
Full French equivalence
European speed test holder

Mark made Chamonix his home in 1996 to become the first British qualified instructor to work for a Chamonix ski school. A few years on he is now one of the few holders of the highly regarded French equivalence and is one of the UK’s leading ski instructors.

He has also competed in International FIS ski racing just for fun! and now likes to compete in freeride comps. He has also trained and helped many ski instructors to pass their exams. Mark founded All Mountain Performance in 2004 to offer skiers a fresh approach to modern ski tuition, specialising in all terrain performance courses. His fun and innovative ski teaching philosophies have earned him a renowned reputation for excellent results.

Simon Halliwell

Director/ coach for AMP
BASI Level 4 ISTD
Alpine Performance Coach 1
European speed test holder (Eurotest)
Full French equivalence
BSc (Hons) Science of Sport and Exercise

Simon’s passion for skiing started at the early age of 3 as a result of ski crazy parents. Since then he has skied all over Europe, with two seasons in Park City, Utah, and moved to the Chamonix Valley in 2002.

He has gained a wealth of experience and the highest possible international qualification. His energy and sense of fun on his skis shines through. Simon is gifted with excellent teaching skills and enjoys seeing client’s enthusiasm build as their skiing develops.

Roddy Willis

Roddy tried an office job in the 80's and quickly realised it wasn't for him.

He decided to head for the Alps in 1988 and has never really looked back, working in a number of different jobs from hotel dish washer to ski school technical director, and managing to do nearly three full ski seasons whilst getting a degree in furniture design.

The common thread running throughout the past 22 years is Roddy's love of the mountains and skiing. Roddy is a born communicator and combines this with his love of skiing and vast experience to help his clients achieve goals beyond their expectations.

We're very excited to have these guys on board. They all share a tremendous skill, knowledge and passion for skiing which comes accross the moment you speak to them.

We hope you enjoy reading their bulletins and hope it inspires you to learn and develop your skills on snow.