The Ski Blog

Honor Clissold - International podium place and off to a great start this season!

We thought we'd just post this update about the diminutive but talented, and extremely fast, Honor Clissold.

Now aged 14, Honor went to Andorra as part of the GB children's squad to compete in the international Trofeu Borrufa children's competition. There were twenty nations competing; she won silver medals in Giant Slalom, Super G and Super combined. To get podium places at international level is a tremendous achievement!

She then went on to the British Schoolgirls Races in Flaine, France, with her school team, Richmond school in North Yorkshire. She won the giant slalom and was Overall Champion in her age group and the school team was fourth out of 39 schools and 52 teams competing.
 
She has now gone to St Johann with Team Evolution to train slalom prior to the English Championships in Bormio at half term.

It's a fantastic start for this talented racer and we'll be keeping a keen eye on how she does for the next couple of months - well done Honi and good luck for the English Champs!

That was the month that was.....

So January has given way to February and the ski season is set to be one of the best ever! Whilst the snow came late - the first weekend in December was when most resorts in Europe saw their first big snowfalls - it came in abundance. Following a white Christmas and New Year, January provided massive snowstorms - including the big "snowmageddon" storm which trapped holidaymakers in Zermatt for a few days whilst roads were cleared and avalanche risk was at the maximum 5.

More snow during the month now means that resorts are boasting record snowfalls for this time of year. The Paradiski area were quick to point out in a recent press release that they have recorded the most January snow in the area since 1966 - and they're not the only ones!

February is starting with a very cold spell as Arctic air covers most of Europe. If you're heading out to the mountains this weekend make sure you have those thermal baselayers packed - and don't forget snoods, mitts, face masks even. Temperatures in most alpine resorts are going to plummet to around minus 20 at most and with wind chill it won't be unusual to have -35/-40 at the top.

At the moment the forecasts are not showing anymore snow on the horizon - at these temperatures it's probably too cold to snow! However the cold temperatures will keep the snow in excellent condition.

With snow depths over the 3 metre mark in most places - which for January is a fantastic amount - winter 2011-12 is shaping up to be tremendous - something we're all happy about, especially after Europe's drought of last year. So if you've not yet booked your ski or snowboard trip then get out there and enjoy it!

A very cold, but beautiful morning in the Alps - taken this morning in Flaine as the sun starts to come over the mountain and cut through the wispy early morning clouds.

In Tartiflette we Trust....

Tartiflette - one of those real wholesome alpine dishes. It up there with a cheese fondue as one of those ski holiday experiences not to miss. Just saying the name conjures up rustic alpine chalets, snowflakes falling, log fires crackling, genepi glasses chinking - get the picture?

If you're still to take your tartiflette baptism then we recommend you do so on your next ski holiday to France. Tartiflette is a hearty French peasant dish, originating in the Haute Savoie, but which has since certainly become more international.

It's main ingredients include potatoes and reblochon cheese - a rich creamy cheese first produced in the Alps of the Haute Savoie. The story goes that the alpine dairy farmers were taxed by the landowners on how much milk their herds produced. To reduce the size of the tax bill they would not fully milk their cows so the yield appeared smaller. The second milking, which they'd do after tax return day, produced a creamier, richer milk which was perfect for cheese production.

Over the years recipes for Tartiflette may have changed and become more anglicised, but whatever recipe you choose, you'll end up with a filling, comforting and delicious dish - perfect after a tough day outdoors!

We asked our Chalets Direct members to share their Tartiflette secrets - here's a couple of foolproof recipes to dazzle your friends and family:

From Claire of AktivExperience of Meribel:

"Fry off onions and lardons, layer sliced potato with the lardons pour over cream that has been heated through with crushed garlic, then top with a good cheese, (not rape emmental) try reblochon for a good cheese, it tastes great and cooks well. Then bake your tartiflette in the oven, we make individual ones so they are baked for about 25 mins. A large tartiflette will obviously take longer to bake."

You can sample Aktiv's Tartiflette at either of their two chalets - Chalet Himalaya or Chalet du Fruit.

Neil of Alpine Fanatic in Les Arcs sent us this:

"A foolproof though not strictly speaking traditional recipe from Ed at Alpine Fanatic.

First boil potatoes (ratte or charlotte are ideal.) Whilst potatoes are cooking fry off lardons, pancetta for preference, drain on kitchen towel. Sweat off some sliced shallots with crushed garlic,season carefully with salt, add a splash of white wine and reduce to a trickle.Add cream and a handful of grated gruyere, sprinkle in a little parmesan. Slice potatoes in half add to a saute pan pour over cheese/cream mixture sling in the lardons and some ground black pepper, stir, check consistency and seasoning, at this stage can add some roughly chopped flat leaf parsley if desired. Then transfer to a suitable baking dish top with thickly sliced reblechon and bake for approx 25-30 mins at 180C/ gas mark 4. Serve with green salad and hard liquor :) Always goes down a storm with our guests at Alpine Fanatic."

Find their tartiflette and more at Chalet Les Sapins in Nancroix, Les Arcs in Paradiski.

Do you have a great recipe for Tartiflette? Is there a special ingredient in your tartiflette which leaves the others behind? Let us know about it! Or if you have top recipes for ski and snowboard specialities why not post them on our Facebook wall at facebook.com/ChaletsDirect

Pre-Season Equipment Check

With your cardiovascular and core strength work-outs well under way, it's that time of year again to start thinking about the dreaded commute to the airport with all your luggage and equipment. Before it all gets packed away in the ski bags though, it's well worth a check over so as to not let you down when you're skiing and spoil your holiday.

via skiblog.chaletsdirect.com

With many people about to set off for their first ski holiday of the season we thought it a good time to re-post this great blog from Mark Gear, Chamonix ski guru from All Mountain Performance.
How to make sure your gear is in shape for hitting the slopes!

To see the full post click here!

Snow, Snow, Snow

Meribel - La Chaudanne at 1400m - http://livecam.meribel-alpina.com/

Yes it's been a warm, dry autumn in the Alps - but it's not the first time and it more than likely won't be the last. But now snow and cold, wet weather has descended across the Alps and, with maybe a brief respite here and there, it looks set to stay for a while.

Whilst the European ski industry was holding its breath and it's certainly come late this year, the late snowfall means that many resorts will be able to stick to the plan of opening this weekend 10th December.

Forecasts are also looking great - lots of snow across the whole alpine region today and tomorrow, a slight lull for the later part of the week and then a possible return after the weekend.

The reports in some of the UK press yesterday were certainly ironic - as they were spreading the gloomy message of sunshine and barren pistes, snow was dumping. Across twitter and facebook snowy photos and weather reports were being posted almost hourly. So to celebrate we've rounded up a few webcam pics from this morning that are sure to brighten up everyone's day!

Tignes - see the latest webcam at: http://www.tignes.net/en/skiing-in-tignes/webcams-290.html

Verbier http://panorama.simwatch.ch/index.php?id_webcam=3

 

 Argentiere at 1200m - http://www.chamonix.com/webcam,12,en.html

Pic sent to us by Heather at Ice and Fire - from Plagne Village, La Plagne

As Heather from Ice and Fire told us today:

"It’s often a bit of a gamble booking early season but get it right and you will have empty pistes and freshly groomed snow that stays nice and firm.....Over the last few days we have seen heavy snow falls down to the resorts and the temperatures have been dropping steadily. Over the next few days we are expecting a huge 40-50cm of fresh snow and it is currently snowing all the way down to Bourg Saint Maurice which is at the bottom of the valley. The piste bashers are hard at work preparing the pistes and the final preparations are being made by the lift company to get ready for the opening on the 10th December."

Thanks for the great news! It's looking like it could be a very white Christmas!

All.I.Can movie from Sherpas Cinema now on iTunes

You may remember a few months back we Facebooked the first teaser trailer of the awesome ski movie All.I.Can. Made by the creative Sherpas Cinema the movie takes the extreme ski genre and turns it into something even more beautiful. With fantastic photography, gorgeous time lapse shooting, fantastic music and some of the best skiers in the world, there really is something for everyone.

The latest teaser features a street skiing segment with J P Auclair which takes the idea of freeride to a whole new level - even if it does make you wince a little for his bases! It's a great film and is now available to download on iTunes - take a look!

Setting the Slopes alight - the Top Ten ski accessories for this Winter

Snow in the Alps, the Ski Show in London - the Relentless Freeze next week (more about that to come) - the ski and board world is just buzzing right now. It's now just weeks till Winter 2011-12 kicks off and we're jumping for joy!

So maybe you'd like to treat yourself to a few new gizmos and gadgets, or update that faded one piece for a fresher look? We asked Michael of great online store Simply Piste for his take on what's hot for this season!

"You may be wondering what to wear on the slopes this season, I know I am. As always the ski and snowboarding world gives brand designers the license to break the barriers of exuberance with some rather spectacular colours and radical techie integration systems. Here's what in our opinion are the best garments and gadgets to hit the slopes this season, including the much acclaimed Zeal goggles with head up display.

The Simply Piste Top 10

What do you call an Elephant on Ice Skates........? An Ice Breaker, and that’s where we’ll start.

10: Flexi-Chute Neck Gaiter

New from Icebreaker is their flexi chute neck gaiter. For those of you that find style a compromise of practicality, this is a lovely garment that allows you to keep warm whilst also looking on trend. It’s made with Bodyfit 200, so it’s perfect for the winter conditions on the mountain. We personally love the practicality of neck gaiters. They’re zero fuss and look great. 

 

9: E-Gloves

At number 9 we have a set of E-gloves. Not the newest gadget to hit the market. However e-gloves are a genius and practical piece of Kit. They’re invention cuts out the problem of answering phone calls whilst out on the slopes. This removed fuss allows the experience to become more comfortable, convenient and reduces the risk of dropping your device. They work on an array of touch screen devices, so if you’re lucky enough to have an ipod touch, ipad or a touch screen phone, e-gloves are worth considering when you need a new set of ski gloves. The North Face offer a good range of e-gloves, however if price is a factor, you may be willing to give F3 ski a go. 

 

8: Heli Pro Re Gen Backpack

Number 8 brings us to the Heli pro Re gen from Dakine, who have for an added benefit of public relations decided to manufacture this bag solely out of plastic bottles. So for the eco conscious out there this bag will go some way in giving you peace of mind, whilst also looking cool. The backpack has the same features as the Heli Pro 20 litre, including a ski and snowboard carry plus many pockets, including a goggle pouch and laptop sleeve. 

 

7: Giro Link Audio Drops

Powered by skull candy, Giro’s link audio drops are applied throughout the Giro ski and snowboarding audio range. They feature 40mm speakers that produce a crisp and clear treble with a deep and pokey bass. The system is easy to use, their speakers drop into the latest designed Giro ear pads, which be integrated into your helmet. The latest 2011 range can feature a Bluetooth link up, allowing you to answer your phone wirelessly.  If you have the pleasure of owning a Giro Helmet, please make sure it’s audio compatible before purchasing link audio drops.

 

6: Scott Zuri Jacket

One for the ladies out there, the Scott Zuri Jacket looks fantastic and has some cool features. It’s completely reversible, allowing you to alter the design of the jacket into a stylish puffy jacket, allowing you to mix up your look a bit. It also comes with an invisible chest pocket, fully taped seems, adjustable hood, hand warmer pockets and adjustable Velcro cuffs. Check out our Scott product video for more information.

 

5: Wesbeach Alibi Peacoat

The Westbeach Alibi Peacoat is a stylish alternative for this season. The jacket shares many of the same features as your standard jacket, however it’s smart and stylish appearance allows you to wear this whilst out on the slopes or stood in the local bar. It also boasts an impressive range of practical features, including pockets for lift passes, goggles, music and also hand warming.

 

4: Men's Root Jacket

The Mens root jacket by Eleven is a brilliant new snowboard jacket to hit the market this season.  Having looked at personally buying one for myself I found the jacket to be very comfortable but also has an amazingly simply design. I think the denim style is quite cutting edge whilst refreshingly pulling away from the everyday flashy design with exuberant colours. The jacket comes with a full list of features including, Insulated standard lining, single hand hood adjustment, climate control vents, stash pockets and EZ track zippers. 

 

3: The Dry Guy

The “dry guy”, I think this bit of kit is great. Priced at a very reasonable £50, these allow your trip to become all the more enjoyable and organised. The machine gently dries items placed upon it within an hour whilst also working to eliminate odours. The design allows you to dry up to four garments simultaneously and will not harm any liners or stitching. This unit gives you peace of mind and makes the next morning on the slopes that much more comfortable.  

 

2: HD Summit Video Goggles

The penultimate piece, the HD Summit video camera Goggles. For £250, these goggles are the toast of gadgets for ski geeks. Replacing the need for an external camera that attaches to your helmet, these goggles integrate the camera within the goggles, perfect for capturing POV action on the slopes in stunning 720p HD. Capture footage as your see and hear it, the ability to take snap shots and a no-wind noise mic adds to an already boastful spec. 

 

1: Zeal Optics GPS Goggles:

No surprises then. These amazing things have been around since last year but they still fascinate us here in the office, I’d absolutely love to get my hands on a pair. Prices in the UK starting at £399, the goggles featured a colour LCD display that is projected in the right side lens, showing real-time stats such as, speed, altitude, temperature and more. Questions have been posed at the designers of this gadget, about the safety issues. 

To clarify, the experience is likened to that of driving. The head up display is an estimated perception of 5 metres away and non invasive. Similar to driving and a dash board, you have the choice whether to look down to view your gages as and when you need to or feel is appropriate. The goggles are also USB compatible, and allow you to upload, share and compare stats. Finally a full integration with Google maps allows you to map out your journey on the slopes."

Thanks to Michael and the guys at Simply Piste - hopefully this little list will get you excited too. If you'd also like to see his "what's not hot" list take a look at their blog.

 

It's Ski Show Season!

As we get into the second half of October everything starts to hot up in the ski and snowboard world as the UK ski shows get underway. As every seasoned ski bum will tell you, that's when it starts to get really exciting.

The ski shows give you the chance to enjoy the buzz, you can hear all the gossip, see and touch the latest gear, find a job, discover holiday destinations you might never have considered, even try out the apres ski. There's also loads of entertainment such as live demos, bands, competitions, and the chance to see pro-riders and skiers go through their paces. There's lots of action and loads of fun. So here's a quick round up of the main shows.

Scotland's Ski & Snowboard Show - 15-16th Oct 2011, SECC Glasgow:

The Scots traditionally are the first to get their show on the road - maybe it's because they have their own mountains. This year's Show also gives you free entry to the Scottish Outdoors show which is taking place at the same time. Pre-booked tickets cost only £10 and will also get you a free day pass at one of Scotland's ski resorts. This year's attractions include a live freestyle show featuring some of the UK’s best free-style skiers and snowboarders. More info...

Ski & Snowboard Show, London - 19th-23rd Oct 2011, Earl's Court:

A new venue for the London show this year where you will find 160 ski resorts, 22 different retailers, a 50ft hip kicker, fashion show & brand arena, live music, 4 bars, 230 shops and stands plus loads more. Events over the 5 days include the 3 Valleys Cook Off - a competition to show off your culinary skills and maybe win a week's holiday in a gourmet chalet this winter. Judges include Michelin starred chefs from the 3 Valleys and Heston Blumenthal! Plus there's all the usual thrill and spills - freestylers, fashion shows, apres ski sessions and even petanque. Tickets start at £10 for adult weekday pre-booked entrance, discounts for students, kids and family entrance available.  More info...

The British Ski & Board Show, Birmingham - 28th-30th Oct 2011, NEC Birmingham:

Highlights of the Brum show include; Big Air freestyle and aerialist shows with international World-Cup and Olympic stars, tops tips from experts on ski fitness, ice climbing, cross country skiing courses, plus talks, films, offers, and lots of information and advice for beginners to experts. Adult entrance is just £6.50 on Friday and £10 on the weekend. Kids get in for £2.50! More info...

See what it's all about - highlights frm last year'sLondon show at Olympia!

Why a Christmas Ski Holiday is a Great Idea!

Chestnuts roasting, sleigh bells, snow glistening - you'll find all those traditional Christmas trimmings and more on a ski holiday!

With only four months to go before the first of the keen skiers heads out to get a taste of the white stuff, we take a look at the first of the popular holiday weeks – Christmas – and ask Heather from Ice and Fire about spending Christmas in the Alps.

What’s it like spending Christmas in a chalet?

Having the Christmas cake made, the turkey cooked and the washing up all done for you is probably the main reason why guests return to Christmas chalet holidays year after year. There is so much work involved in organising a family Christmas at home, but in a chalet all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy yourselves.

Isn’t everything closed on Christmas day?

Everything that you’d normally use in a ski resort is open on Christmas day. Lifts, hire companies, mountain restaurants and ski schools operate as normal, albeit often with a Santa hat and a few carols!

I like to go to midnight mass - can I do that in a ski resort?

Most ski resort churches are open to visitors and are extremely welcoming but you should check with your chalet hosts before you go. Midnight mass is a popular service across France and it’s a great opportunity to sample a bit of real French life. Be prepared for a long service though – most Christmas services incorporate carols, nativity plays or sometimes even both.

What if the whole family doesn’t ski?

Christmas is a great time for non-skiers in the Alps with lots of things like Christmas markets and carol concerts as well as the skiing. Granny coming with you could be a win-win situation as she gets quality time with the kids, whilst you go up the hill!

My top tip if you’ve got non skiers would be to think carefully about what you are going to do on Christmas day before you go. If younger children are in crèche or ski school during the week, you might want to consider a family activity for Christmas day instead. You could book a husky ride or a snow shoe walk, have a snowman building competition or sledging races, or ski together as a family for the day.

What about packing all the presents?

Plan your present buying before you go as there often isn’t a great selection of shops in resort. Pick small, packable items and wrap them up before you travel so that no-one can take a sneaky peak! Once in resort pick up one or two ski themed items to bulk out the pile – sledges go down a treat especially if you can let the kids use them straight away!

Christmas falls on a weekend this year – will the travel be difficult?

No, most chalets are running an alternative schedule over the festive season. Typically you’ll arrive on the 19^th or 20^th and depart on the 26^th or 27^th.

Isn’t a Christmas ski holiday really expensive?

If you’re normally constrained to school holidays, I think that you’ll find Christmas prices a nice surprise cost wise as they usually work out as a cheaper alternative to New Year or Half Term. You get plenty included for your money too with many chalet companies like us also offering a whole selection of extras from decorated trees to complimentary champagne included in the price.

Ice and Fire are offering a £100 per person reduction on all their Christmas holidays – check out this offer at Chalet Campanules in La Plagne, Paradiski for more details.

 

School's Out - but the hard work resumes for Chalets Direct's skiers!

The end of the school year doesn't necessarily mean summer holidays for teenage ski racers. Sam and Honor Clissold, Chalets Direct's sponsored skiers, will be spending the summer training hard both on and off the snow. You might be unaware of the commitment and focus required for young athletes with lots of ambition, so as we've been given an insight into their training schedules over the next few months - we thought we'd like to share!

Fitness, Fitness and more Fitness

Firstly Sam: since ending the ski season he's had to get back to school and sit his GCSE exams. Like thousands of other 16 year olds he's still waiting for the results, but all being well he's hoping to start 'A' level courses in Maths, Chemistry, Biology and English when he returns to school in September.

In the meantime Sam has a rigorous training schedule and has been doing loads of work on his fitness. His trainers at Team Evolution have fine-tuned his programme to fit his needs so his regular gym sessions can be more efficient. Three days after finishing GCSE's, Sam left for Landgraaf for a five day technical camp. This was quickly followed by more technical work and training in Austria at St Johann, and onto the Hintertux glacier for slalom training this week.

In August his summer training will be on snow in Chile for three weeks, again with Team Evolution, where much of the focus will be on GS and speed training. The selection for the 2012 Youth Olympic Winter Games will take place later this year. Sam represented Britain in this year's European Youth Olympic Games but he's not taking anything for granted and very much wants to be part of the squad for next year.

Honor, in the meantime has kept fit for skiing with a multitude of activities. She has taken up tetrathlon (riding, swimming, running, shooting) and qualified to represent Northern England in June. She attends five hours of gymnastics a week and is now competing at Novice level. She just passed her Grade 4 Modern Dance exam with Highly Commended.

Honor has also joined the Team Evolution stable of athletes and attended their 3 day camp in Hemel where she won the fitness test.

After school breaks up this week she will be going onto the Area Tetrathlon. Then she too goes to Chile which takes up the rest of her holiday.

Both Sam and Honor realise how lucky they are to have these opportunities - but these opportunities are only available because of the hard work they have put in over the past few years.

The level of fitness required for top skiers is possibly not widely recognised by the general public. However just take a look at the likes of Lindsey Vonn, Alain Baxter, Bode Miller (both of whom were champions of  Superstars in their respective countries), and it's obvious that going fast downhill can't just be left to gravity.

Team Evolution

Great athletes can't be built without good training and mentorship - and Sam and Honor are both part of Team Evolution, a British-run training academy.

During the winter season the team are based in Austria and provide an excellent training set up for aspiring racers. They also provide an educational programme which runs alongside the athletic training with regular liaison with the student's school back in the UK to ensure that their time as an athlete does not impact on their education.

There's also a lot of emphasis on learning - wherever they are - in different environments and countries, both on and off snow. Team Evolution want to build not just great athletes but confident and passionate individuals.

You can follow Team Evolution's summer adventures on their blog.