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Bargain flights for March to ski airports in Europe.
The big three low cost airlines are all offering big reductions on flights for March and April – good news for any skiers and snowboarders looking to get some time on the snow.
Cheap Flights…
Easyjet's banner headline is "Best snow for 25 years" and is accompanied by prices to Geneva as low as £24.99. Prices for flights to Basel and Salzburg are also around the £24 – £25 mark. A quick search on Ryanair will give you flights at £12.99 each way from London Stansted to Carcassonne (for the Pyrenees) or to Salzburg in Austria. BmiBaby are offering Manchester to Geneva for an amazing £11.04 this coming weekend, and throughout March this route is on sale for less than a tenner!…and Special Offers on Accommodation
Couple that with some excellent reductions on accommodation and it does look like March skiing this year could be cheaper than ever.
Ski La Source for example are offering catered holidays in Chalet Mathilde, La Plagne for just £299 for the weeks beginning 7th and 14th March. The Barn in Morzine is giving 40% off for March on catered stays. Mont Fort Lodge, in the Verbier ski area, are offering a week fully catered for £380 with airport transfers included. These are just some of special offers available on our Promotions page.
So whilst the economic news is gloomy, and we're all aware of the daily news bulletins about the downturn, the recession, the credit crunch etc – there are lots of ways that you can escape to the slopes for less money this year. So why not get some spring sunshine and snow!
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Sunshine forecast across the Alps for Half Term
With Half term coming up the forecast is looking good. Heavy snow is forecast for the next 48 hours to be followed by a cold front from the North.
It is looking very likely that next week's half term week will be one of excellent snow conditions plus sun, but very cold. So get ready, wrap up and enjoy. There are some great bargains still to be had if you want to make the most of it.. See the Chalets Direct promotion section.
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Heavy snow in Austria, and more to come across Europe
http://www.Skiinfo.com reports that the ski season is now more than winter 2008-9 as it approaches its half way stage.
Across Europe many of the leading resorts are sitting on bases of two to three metres (7-10 feet) following spectacular snowfalls in the last six weeks of 2008 and more sporadic but still generally healthy falls during January, with clear sunny periods in between.
In short it has been one of the best snow seasons for many years for most resorts and despite media gloom and doom reporting on the economy, many ski resorts are reporting business is actually up, in good part thanks to the great snow. The cover is such that even if no more snow falls for the rest of the season (extremely unlikely), most now have plenty to see them through to the end in April or May.
The Alps:
Most of the world’s snow fans have their eyes on TV screens where the cameras are pointing at France this week for the World Alpine Skiing Championships at Val d’isere. There has been limited fresh snow in France over the past week with a dusting in the Alps last weekend, the most in the south with resorts Auron and Isola 2000 each reporting 20cm (eight inches) in the past week.
Much larger falls of up to 60cm (two feet) are expected in the next week on the main Alpine resorts, most of which currently have upper slope depths of two-three metres (7 – 10 feet).
In Austria more than 20 ski areas are now reporting more than two metres of snow on their upper slopes. “Slope conditions in many of the big resorts are reported to be very good, with skiers lucky enough to be in the Arlberg, Axamer Lizum, Hochzillertal, Ischgl, Kitzbühel, Silvretta Nova, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser, Sillian and the Zillertal Arena amongst those benefiting. A drop of temperature and more fresh snow is expected for the weekend.” says Pascal Bovée who reports on much of the German-speaking parts of the Alps for skiinfo.com.
Nassfeld received a huge fall of 60cm (two feet) on Feb 3rd, taking the week’s total to 95cm (Over three feet).
In Switzerland Zermatt continues to have probably the greatest snow depth of any ski resort in Europe and possibly the world with 671cm (over 22 feet) on its glacier. They must have a very long stick to measure it. However several other resorts have bases above three metres now including Andermatt and Saas Fee.
Pyrenees:
In Spain all of the country’s 20 or so Pyrenean ski resorts have reached snow depths of more than two metres, as the country’s sensational winter 2008-9 continues in to a third month of regular powder snow.
Baqueira Beret reports the most snow with 275cm (nine feet) on upper slopes although Sierra Nevada to the south of the country has the greatest snow depth in Spain with 350cm (12 feet).
Conditions also continue to be superb in neighbouring Andorra and on the French side of the mountains.
North America:
In Utah snow storms last week deposited another 120cm (four feet) at Snowbird lifting the resort’s January’s total to 2.6m (103 inches) giving a mid-mountain base of nearly two metres (95 inches).
“This recent parade of storms has made for the best conditions of the season and prime powder skiing,” said Snowbird President Bob Bonar. “As we head into the heavy snowfall months of February and March, the mountain is sure to only get better.”
In Canada, Whistler has reported nearly 30cm (a foot) of new snow in the past 48 hours at mid-mountain (1650m) taking snowdepths there to nearly 150cm (five feet).
On the east Mont Tremblant in Quebec received more than 20cm (eight inches) of new snow overnight, adding to the 3.3 metres (130) inches since the opening of the season.
Report from http://www.skiinfo.com
PS. It’s snowing right now!
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World Ski Championships open in Val d’Isere
The 40th Alpine World Ski Championhips opens today in Val d'Isere with what promises to be a spectacular opening ceremony at 6.45pm this evening.Preparations for the event, which goes on until 15th Feb, have been underway for five years. Held every 2 years, the World Championships is a major fixture in the ski world, second only to the Winter Olympics – and this is the first time it has been hosted in France since Chamonix had the honour in 1962.
The opening show, named Pistes Royales, includes all kinds of street entertainers, artists and musicians, and has been orchestrated by Transe Express, the company responsible for the celebrations for Year 2000 in Paris. Included in the parade are 150 children from Val d'Isere and surrounding villages, who will be carrying the flags for the participating nations.
During the 12 days of racing there are 11 races scheduled on Val d'Isere's two famous mountains – the Solaise will host the ladies speed events, and the Bellevarde the Men's races. Due to the geographical formation these two mountain faces are opposite each other and in the heart of the resort. The first race tomorrow (Feb 3rd) is the Ladies Super G. Around 350 world class athletes will be competing over the 12 days.
Every night a variety of evening entertainment is on the schedule with all kinds of live music – folklore choirs, jazz bands, rock concerts, and even a set by DJ David Guetta on Friday 6th Feb. All events, both day and evening, are free. Each day's victors will be awarded their medals at 6.30pm in a medal ceremony taking place in the "Place des Medailles"!
For more information on the event and to download a full programme go to vwww.valdisere.com
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Big snowstorms on the way for the Alps and Pyrenees
Many alpine resorts have enjoyed a good dump of fresh snow this week – and the prospects for the week ahead are exciting. Some areas are expecting a metre or more of snow to fall over Friday and Saturday, and yet more snow is expected for the early part of next week. Great news if you're heading out to the mountains soon! Fresh snow brings the anticipation of powder days and off piste exploring. With fat skis and snowboards it is much easier now for the less experienced and less informed to venture into terrain that was previously reserved for mountain experts.
Have you ever been tempted to duck under the rope because you've seen others doing it? Or watched from a cable car as a small group sped through a sheer, sparkling powder field below and thought you'd like to try it? How often have you gone "just off-piste" – just a few metres beyond the boundary to see what it's like?
For many expert skiers, and snowboarders, the joy of getting first tracks is true nirvana. However the less experienced will not be aware of the risks involved – not just from injury but from the mountain itself.
The Perils of Powder:
With heavy snowfall comes increased avalanche risk. Piste safety patrols will be watching the weekend's weather very closely - the amount of snow that falls is just one of the factors they have to take into account.
Temperatures will dictate whether the snow that falls is wet and heavy or dry and light. Snowfall accompanied by strong winds will produce wind stripped and wind loaded slopes, where snow will have been blown off one to the other, transforming the ice crystals on the way. These factors and many more will determine how well the fresh snow layer will bond with what's already there. Neither does the avalanche risk disappear when the snow stops falling.
All ski resorts will publish the avalanche risk for the day – in Europe this is usually graded on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is the lowest risk and 5 the highest. Always be aware of the avalanche risk for the day if you're heading off piste.
Top Tips for the Off-Piste:
Henry's Avalanche Talk is a group of ski professionals, instructors and off-piste guides who have been helping keen skiers and boarders to discover the off-piste for over fifteen years. Based mainly in Val d'Isere during the winter season, the team gives weekly talks on avalanche awareness and how to have fun off- piste and stay safe.
As well as talks they also provide on-snow training including how to use a tranceiver, where to go, when to go, what to look out for, slope selection and loads more useful advice.
The website also provides lots of free information, including a weekly ezine which covers snow reports on off piste conditions in some key French resorts. You can also sign up for a free introductory pdf file which gives some basic pointers for safety and risk management.
"Our mission is to help all people to have fun and be safe" says Henry. Included in the top tips are some of the basic rules, such as never skiing directly above other skiers, or always skiing a slope one at a time so as not to overload it. These rules are considered common sense, but many newbies are completely ignorant of even the most fundamental precautions.
Play it Safe:
Henry's top 3 safety tips are:
1. Never go alone: If anything happens, there is a good chance no-one will discover you. Pistes are busy with people and even when they are quiet, they are patrolled. In the off-piste, there is no patrol and you might be the only person there. So this is one of the few absolutes in off-piste skiing: never means never.
2. Know what you don't know and take a guide: If you're at all unsure about how safe an area is it is it's worth booking a professional to show you the way.
3. Have the right kit – and know how to use it: The right kit includes a shovel, tranceiver and a probe. Make sure you know how they work and of course that all the people in your group have the same equipment and can use it.
The mountains provide a fantastic playground – that's why we love them. The adrenaline, the views, the great outdoors, the wilderness, the vin chaud - whatever your reasons – make sure you ski or snowboard safely, so you can get the most from one of nature's most spectacular environments.
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For more information on Henry's Avalanche Talks, training, ezines and newletters please click here.
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Skier Cross World Cup underway…
If you’ve been on a ski holiday in Les Contamines last week or in Flaine this week, you might have noticed large numbers of cat-suited racers skiing around – and generally a bit of a buzz about town as the TV crews rolled in.
Both resorts have just played host to the latest stages of the Skier Cross World Cup – the newest Olympic discipline, which comes under the umbrella of freestyle skiing. Four skiers are let out of the gates simultaneously onto a course of high speed jumps, banked turns, and other assorted obstacles.
Since 5th January, until Sunday, 19th January, the first four Freestyle FIS World Cup ski cross events are being held in three nations on two continents. Over half of the points in the ski cross World Cup are up for grabs in early January. These competitions will also be used to qualify for the 2009 Inawashiro FIS Freestyle World Championships and also as part of the qualification for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. In 2010, this exciting and risky sports discipline will for the first time be an Olympic discipline at the Winter Games in Vancouver.
If you’re in a resort where you can see one of these events it’s definitely worth taking some time out to see the racers come down and feel the adrenaline rush – the courses require both technical and tactical skiing, and this relatively new discipline has attracted some big names from other areas of the sport – such as Daron Rahlves, former World Cup downhill champion, who has competed in three Winter Olympics.
The competition now moves to North America, with events in Lake Placid, USA, and Cypress in Canada. It returns to Europe in February. For the full calendar take a look at the FIS site. -
Kylie in Chamonix!
It’s hot news – much loved pop diva Kylie Minogue saw in 2009 in style on a snowboard break in Chamonix.
Chamonix has long been regarded as the birthplace of mountain sports, and one of the coolest places on the planet for serious mountain lovers, but until now has not really attracted the celebrity glitterati, who have tended to favour more glamorous destinations such as Courchevel 1850 and Klosters.
But we always knew that Kylie was cool, so what better place to take your new squeeze snowboarding. Kylie was celebrating the New Year with her new beau in No Escape, in the centre of town. More pictures and the full story is in this week’s Hello magazine.
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easyJet’s ski lifts!
As previously mentioned easyJet have announced their "biggest ski lift" – with cheap flights on sale to major ski airports such as Geneva, Grenoble, Innsbruck and Salzburg, to name just a few. For full details take a look at: http://www.easyjet.com/en/book/our_biggest_ski_lift.htmlWith credit crunching and the strong euro making an impact on many British holidaymakers, the cheap flights are welcome news. Plus there are still many places with availability and great snow. January has always been one of the best months to ski – with quiet pistes and good conditions. For bargains, special offers and promotions take a look at the Chalets Direct Promotions area.
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New Year sales on air fares!
Ryanair is offering a million seats for sale at £15 each across its network in an aim to cut winter fares overall by as much as 20 per cent. The latest seat sale is on until Monday 5th Jan, and includes routes from the UK to popular ski airports including Grenoble, Turin and Carcasonne.
And according to officials at the airline, easyJet will also be publishing its seat sale in the coming week.
This move by low-cost carriers follows the fare war started by British Airways and Virgin last week, when they slashed prices on some of their flights by as much as 25 per cent.
A spokesman for Ryanair, Stephen McNamara, noted that the carrier appreciated the impact that the recession was having on air passengers and was looking forward to a battle over fares. “Let’s hope there is a price war,” McNamara added.
Earlier in December, industry body IATA warned that aviation is up against its worst environment in decades largely due to an erosion of consumer confidence. As increasing numbers of consumers choose to not travel abroad in 2009, the recession is expected to impact carrier sales.
Thanks to http://www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quotes.
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New snow for the New Year!
What happens when it snows on New Year's Eve in a ski resort? Well for the majority of people the partying goes on into the early hours and the revellers see in the New Year in much the same way as anywhere else. But….for a dedicated few, last night's surprisingly big dumps of snow – around 30cms or more in some areas – meant an early night and a curtailment of the late night celebrations. This is so they could catch the first cable car on New Year's Day and spend at least the first hour or two on uncrowded, immaculate pistes or in the untracked powder. What a way to see in 2009 whilst the world woke up bleary-eyed beneath!
If you're planning a ski holiday this January you can look forward to great conditions, quiet pistes and great value offers on accommodation – see the Chalets Direct Promotions page for some ideas.
From all of us at CD HQ we'd like to wish you all a Happy 2009!
The view from the top!
