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Zinal and La Grave – skiing and snowboarding off piste holidays
Chalets Direct has recently added two world famous freeride areas to their list of winter holiday destinations.
Located at the end of the Anniviers Valley in the Swiss Valais area, Zinal nestles in an impressive mountain range which includes the Weisshorn (4506m), Zinalrothorn, Obergabelhorn and Dent Blanche. The north-east facing slopes ensure high quality snow throughout the season – the resort actually opens at weekends on November 8th until December 13th, when it opens fully. There are 70km of pistes and an extensive freeride area of 100 hectares, known as the Garde de Bordon. The resort also has an avalanche training centre.
La Grave has long been a favourite amongst freeride skiers and boarders, and a frequent venue for ski extreme videos. Located at an altitude of 1500m and dominated by the majestic summit of La Meije at 3983m, La Grave has been a well kept secret, shared by those in the know. It is a true mountain wilderness – reached by one cable car, or by a 20 minute hike from the top of Les Deux Alpes.
Both places are off the beaten track and offer a very different kind of wintersports holiday – pack your arvas, and to get the best out of the area book a mountain guide.
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Snowing in the Alps!
Waking up on Wednesday to a blanket of snow! A quick cold snap is crossing over the Alps as I write which has given the first big snowfall down to altitudes as low as 700m. Around 20cm fell in some places in the Haute Savoie last night and according to Chamonix Meteo another 20-25cm is expected tonight. Add to that the frequent snow showers during today and we're looking at around half a metre in some places!There's an old Savoyard farmer's saying "Snow before Toussaint, wicked winter to come" – Toussaint, November 1st, is the last French bank holiday before Christmas – so let's hope that this old tale holds true!
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Chemmy Alcott starts the World Cup in style
Saturday 25th October saw the first of this season’s FIS Alpine Ski World Cup races in Soelden in Austria. The Ladies GS was the first event of the calendar with Britain’s Chemmy Alcott giving us a pleasant surprise and achieving her best ever result in this discipline.
Coming down third on the first run, Chemmy became the early pace setter and hung onto first place until Germany’s Kathrin Hoetzl snatched it away 17 starts later. Chemmy’s second run however was the fastest of the competition and gave her 10th place overall. This will surely help the 26-year-old to find the confidence required to do well on the World Cup circuit this season and the World Championships in Val d’Isere in February.
Since 2006 Chemmy has been working with a team of professionals to help her make the leap from great British skier to world class with her hopes firmly set on a podium place in Vancouver in 2010. With input also from Sir Clive Woodward, she now has a team of five coaches including a sensory motor skills coach and a sports psychologist.
Chemmy has been skiing since a toddler with her family on the slopes at Flaine and has been racing on the World Cup circuit since she was 17. She is currently the only female British skier at that level. She has already competed in two Olympics, Salt Lake City and Turin, where she finished 11th in the downhill. Her hard work and dedication got her so far and now she has been working hard to put into practice the recommendations of “Team Chemmy”.
With yesterday’s result it looks like the hard work may be paying off and we hope that it’s just the start of great results for Chemmy. To find out more about the skiing blonde bombshell visit her website at www.chemmyalcott.com.
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The Latest & Greatest – Christmas ski holidays, December offers and discounts.
The Latest and Greatest newsletter from Chalets Direct has just been released, containing a selection of the ski and snowboard promotions and offers that are currently available.
For this issue we have concentrated mainly on December and early January holidays – and there are some fabulously tempting offers out there such as free lift passes for the 4 Valleys, excellent pre-Xmas prices in Nassfeld, and up to 20% off self-catered accommodation in Val Thorens on selected weeks.There are offers from resorts from Meribel to Morzine, and Grindelwald to Tignes.
These ski promotions are taken from the Chalets Direct promotions page which right now has over 500 promotions. With so many to choose from, you can search the list either by dates or by area, or simply browse the whole lot.
So if you haven’t yet booked your winter ski break and want some inspiration, just take a look at the Promotions and Special Offers – there’s sure to be something there to whet your appetite!
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Winter on the way!
The London Ski Show opens this Wednesday, 22nd October, and for many seasoned skiers and boarders this means that winter is not far behind.
Years ago the Ski Show was spread over 10 days, finishing at the beginning of November, and it was the sign that you would soon be packing up and shipping out. The army of ski show workers would spend these ten days bumping into last season's ski buddies, getting freebies at the various stands, swapping details of their forthcoming jobs and reminiscing at the Krazy Kanguruh. The excitement and anticipation that hung over the great hall in Olympia was almost tangible.
If you still hadn't found your job it was a great place to network, and you could be sure of having a job in the Alps by the end of the show.
It was a great arena for the public, to come and find out about ski holidays, resorts, and buy clothing and equipment, but the Show was also an important landmark for hundreds of ski and snowboard junkies. It was the herald – it meant that just a few short weeks later they would be in the snow!
And whilst it's not quite the same as yesteryear – it's now just five days - the buzz and excitement can still be found. This year's London show promises to be the "largest ski and snowboard show in the world"! Amongst the attractions this year are the Land Rover Alpine Climb – where you can take a ride in their newest hardcore 4×4 up a 36 degree slope, the 40ft Spine Jump – with demonstrations on how it's done by top British and international athletes, and the Trespass Ice Kingdom, complete with ice rink and ice bar.The Metro Ski and Snowboard Show runs from 22nd – 26th October at Olympia. Adult entrance starts from £9.00 for a weekday ticket, (bought in advance).
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Les Deux Alpes – high altitude ski and snowboard holidays!
Situated on a sunny balcony at 1650m Les Deux Alpes is a purpose-built resort with snow sure, glacier skiing. In recent years the resort has developed a reputation as an upbeat and lively destination for ski and snowboard holidays, with events such as the Mondials du Snowboard and Freeski, two pre-season events where the public and professionals alike can test all brand new equipment for the forthcoming season. The glacier means that skiing goes on throughout much of the year, and in late October and November Les Deux Alpes is a popular venue for ski and snowboard training camps.
Located in the Southern French Alps, Les Deux Alpes is just an hour from Grenoble, in the area known as the Oisans, between Alpe d'Huez and Serre Chevalier. The Italian border is also a little over an hour's drive, which accounts for the large numbers of Italian visitors, particularly at weekends.
The skiing is located high above the village and it takes around 45 minutes to get to the top – going up to 3600m. At the top you will find the gentle blue slopes on the glacier, with the steeper, more challenging runs heading down from the glacier itself. So the ski area is, in effect, reversed. This means that from very early on beginners can appreciate the high mountain scenery and snow quality, rather than having to spend days on a shady, nursery slope in the resort.
For advanced skiers and snowboarders there is La Grave-La Meije, reached by a 20 minute hike, with legendary off piste and a favourite amongst professional freeriders.
Although purpose-built, you will not find the concrete blocks common in other French resorts developed around the same time. Instead this large village sprawls along a wide main road, with a massive choice of bars, restaurants and shops. Nightlife is lively but there is enough choice to avoid the crowds if you're looking for something more intimate. There are restaurants to suit all budgets and tastes, including Italian (of course), Mexican and local alpine specialities. -
What makes a great….Ski Short Break?
It's a gloomy Thursday afternoon in January, it's been cold and rainy for as long as you can remember, the Christmas and New Year festivities have already receded into distant memory. So what better way to relieve the British mid-winter blues than to grab a few days on the slopes
Short sharp ski and snowboarding breaks have become more and more popular. Budget airlines, good off peak prices and flexible accommodation have all contributed to the growth of the ski weekend, or the mid-week break. What better way to recharge the batteries and liven up those dull winter months?
So here are our top tips for a quick getaway:
1. Choose your resort: Less time spent getting there means more time being there, so a resort which is reasonably close to your arrival airport is a bonus. Remember too that transfer times on a busy Saturday in February will be different to a Thursday evening in January. Geneva to Meribel in a couple of hours is do-able when there is little or no traffic!
2. Book a transfer beforehand, so you can be out of the airport fast, ATS provide transfer services from most European airports, and many of our weekend/short break operators can also provide transfers.
3. Prebook passes and equipment: Getting these sorted before you arrive will save you time when you get there. Most companies will get this organised for you – some such as Huski, Alpine Chalet Weekends, and Mountainsun, will have equipment and passes waiting for you at the chalet so that you can be out on the slopes with the minimum hassle.
4. Catering: Do you really want to spend precious time in the local supermarket, especially when you know that you'll only get through a quarter of the stuff you buy? There are some excellent catered packages available, so you can relax and enjoy the skiing – after all that's why you're there. Twin Peaks in Morzine, offers breakfast and 4 course evening meals with wine, starting at just £45 per person per night, and Ski Villaroger, in the Les Arcs part of Paradiski, have fully catered, flexible packages from just £65pp per night in their lovely chalet with hot tub.
5. Little extras: It's worth seeing what other services are available too, such as transport to the slopes and ski hosting, which again will save you time, especially if you don't know the resort. Independent chalet operators can often provide flexible and far more personalised services than the big tour operators, so the holiday can be tailored to suit you. Chalet des Cimes in Ste Foy, for example, as well as accompanied skiing, can design a whole ski safari for you – so that you can ski in different resorts on each day, inlcuding Tignes, Val d'Isere and La Rosiere.
So if you can't manage a whole week, or want to supplement your ski time with a few short trips, then take a look at Chalets Direct's ski weekends page for lots of ideas and very tempting packages!
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Snow in the Alps – in October!
Many European resorts have had their first snowfalls last weekend. With temperatures dropping, some resorts recorded depths as much as 25cm at 1600m on Saturday morning.
It's unusual to get that much snow this early, and it's unlikely to stay around for long – temperatures are set to rise during the week. But many of us hope that this is a sign of things to come.
It certainly looks like autumn skiing on the glaciers could be good – Tignes is already open, les Deux Alpes and Saas Fee are due to reopen this month for pre-season skiing. Keep an eye on resort webcams for more signs of the white stuff!
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Les Carroz for ski holidays and summer breaks – the Haute Savoie at it’s best!
Just a little over an hour from Geneva Airport is the traditional village of Les Carroz, part of the Grand Massif ski area, with links to Flaine, Samoens and Morillon.
Up until recently the village has been less well known than it’s “ugly sister”, Flaine, around 12km further up the road and 500m higher in altitude, but Les Carroz has been flourishing in recent years, and is certainly a worthy destination in it’s own right.
In 2004 a new telecabine replaced the main bubble out of the village, at a cost of 12 million euros, and a further 15 million are being invested over the next 4 years to make the skiing more accessible, and the experience more enjoyable. Developments include replacing old chairlifts with new high-speed 6 packs, improving the snowmaking network, and enlarging and enhancing reception areas and parking.
The village itself stretches across a limestone shelf and has wonderful vantage points over the Arve Valley below and the Aravis mountain range opposite. The central area has pavement cafes, delightful shops with typical alpine souvenirs, and there is a weekly market selling local produce, including superb saucissons and cheeses from Haute Savoie producers.
There is a good choice of restaurants; the Michelin rated Les Servages d’Armelle for example is an excellent choice for a special night out, and the charming Aux Petits Oignons, just off the central square, has a varied menu and super friendly service – it’s often busy so it’s best to book. Whatever you’re looking for there’s something to suit most tastes and budgets.
The village has a year round life – in the summer traffic is diverted around the central area which becomes the focus for village entertainments, with live music, theatre events, even a travelling circus rolls into town. There are numerous festivals and sports events throughout the summer months, including the VTTticime – a punishing weekend for cycling enthusiasts and professionals alike – with both mountain biking and road racing on the agenda.
So Les Carroz has a little bit of everything – great skiing, village atmosphere, and certainly enough to entertain you. Plus it’s a short hop from Geneva Airport, and one of the closest ski resorts to Calais if you’re driving. There are ski chalets, hotels and apartments on offer for catered and self catered breaks throughout the year.
If you’ve been to Les Carroz, why not tell us what you think of it – or better still add a review about your stay in the resort.
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Ski holiday promotions – money saving offers, and great extras available!
The build up to the ski season is well and truly underway. The kids are back at school, there’s a real autumnal feel in the air, the first Christmas cards have been spotted in the shops – all the traditional signs that winter is on it’s way.
Take a look at the Promotions area on Chalets Direct and you will find well over 300 great offers for this ski season in resorts all over Europe. The promotions include offers such as specialised ski coaching in Tignes, aimed to get intermediate skiers to ski “confidently, easily and effortlessly.” More high quality coaching and instruction is available with the Warren Smith Ski academy in Verbier during January 2009.
Money saving offers include offers on flights, free group places, discounts for booking soon, free lift passes and free child places. Discounts are available from 10% off in Morzine, Les Menuires, St Gervais, and 15% off in Grindelwald.
If the idea of a white Christmas is tempting, then there are some attractive festive offers, with traditional turkey dinners and all the trimmings, Brown Bear Lodge for example has availability for their truly special White Christmas in the Portes du Soleil, or Chalet Algonquin in Les Arcs has a fully catered Xmas week, including a 5 course Christmas dinner and present from under the tree at just £550 per adult.
There are also some great short breaks and long weekends available. A long weekend catered ski break, Wednesday to Sunday, in the Grand Massif, just an hour from Geneva airport, for example will set you back just £230.
So if you’re wondering where to spend your ski holiday this winter the Promotions and Special Offers could help you make up your mind.
Get the Latest and Greatest Holiday Offers!
