InTheSnow Issue 31 - March 2013

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MARCH 2013 | inthesnow.com

nd so we reach the sixth and final edition of the season already, winter 2012–13 has flown by. But, of course, for most resorts there will be several months still to go where you’ll be able to keep skiing.

As someone who has skied Engelberg in May, and Riksgransen in June, I can highly recommend it – fewer people, lower prices, and warm afternoons to go hiking or biking, it feels very special.

But we mustn’t wish away winter, especially after this one has so far proven to be a great success. As you can see from our cover story, tour operators and travel agencies, as well as the resorts themselves, are all reporting business up, and it’s exciting to think that we could be seeing snow sports holidays from the UK returning to growth for the first time since the global economic crash.

This is probably not due to a sudden surge in disposable income in our tripledip recession, but more likely because the snow has been so good in almost all of the major ski regions, right since the start of the season.

So if you, like us, can’t face a snowless summer, and waiting 6–8 months until your next snow fix, don’t forget you can get news of next season, and indeed live snow reports from the glaciers and southern hemisphere, on skinews.com, as well as at the InTheSnow Facebook page and Twitter account.

And we’re already very excited about 2013–14, even if 2012–13 is not over yet! It will be, after all, Olympic season, when all eyes will be on Sochi, Russia; and although it may not be quite so big, we’re hoping all eyes will be on the Birmingham NEC in late-October when we launch our first ski show InTheSnow Live (inthesnowlive.com). It’s going to be an epic season, again!

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Splash Down!

PATRICK THORNE

t seems like a blink of an eye since the ski season started, but already, for most resorts, we’re into the last 6 weeks of winter 2012–13.

The official figures are not yet in (and indeed, the season is far from over), but so far it seems to have been a good season, with consistent snowfall in most of the world’s major ski regions, helping operators sell more holidays from the UK. “Wow, this season went fast,” said Marion Telsnig of Crystal Ski (crystalski. co.uk). “Before Christmas the enormous amounts of snow helped with the sales, Christmas and New Year weeks also sold well, January produced some high load factors and it also looks good for the rest of the season. The big three countries all performed well with France standing out and Austria and Italy are also up. All in all, it seems that we’re on the way back up.”

The positive stats have been borne out in resorts too. Austria’s Tirol, for example, reports an increase in arrivals of 10.9 %, and an increase in overnight stays of 5.6 % in the first month of the season.

“The early season snowfall was a huge blessing to the industry overall and gave the ski season a flying start,” confirmed Craig Burton, Managing Director of specialist travel agency Ski Solutions (skisolutions.com), who is among those reporting record-breaking January sales with bookings up 23%.

“There was the traditional booking frenzy between Christmas and New Year, however the biggest spike in sales came around 18 January – the weekend that snow brought UK airports to a standstill – instead of putting

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Publisher

DOMINIC KILLINGER dom@inthesnow.com Production Director

MATT NICHOLSON matt@inthesnow.com

people off making travel plans, the ‘alpine’ it will be very busy. The week of 23 March conditions merely reminded UK skiers that it is going extremely well as prices are very was time to get some proper powder.” low and there are many schools already It is possible, of course, to continue skiing on holiday in the UK. Equally the week when the main resorts close in April if of 30 March is doing extremely well and you like. Resorts like Tignes in France and availability is on the low side,” said Xavier Engelberg in Switzerland stay open into May, Schouller of Peak Retreats (peakretreats. and Hintertux in Austria and Zermatt in Switzerland never usually close all year. In the Arctic Circle, Riksgransen in northern Sweden is just warming up and will be offering skiing under the midnight sun by the start of June.

But the winter part of winter 2012–13 is definitely nearing its March end, and the spring ski season 17: St Patrick’s Day, Vermont, USA is nearly upon us, with a variety mountsnow.com of music festivals and fun snow 20: Snow Rugby, Paradiski, France events still to happen. peisey-vallandry.com Music festivals have become ever bigger news in recent April seasons, and this spring 27–28: Défi Foly Lake Crossing, France everyone from Kasabian and club-laclusaz.com Example (snowbombing.com) May to Brian Ferry (zermatt.ch) and 4: Bikinis For Breast Cancer, Lake Louise, Canada Deep Purple (ischgl.com) will skibig3.com be taking to slopeside stages TBC: Cushing Pond Skimming, Squaw Valley, USA across the Alps. squaw.com If skiing remains your priority as we move into May, the advice is as usual to aim high, although this season, at least as we go to press, conditions are looking co.uk), which specialises in holidays to good at lower elevations too. Many traditional French resorts in big ski areas. families can also benefit from one of the “The good deals will come out for departure earliest Easter holidays for several seasons on 6 April, I’m sure,” adds Marion Telsnig. (it will slip back to late-April in 2014).

“The main resorts to look out for will be “French school holidays end on 16 March Tignes, Val Thorens, Paradiski, Alpe d’Huez, so for the best deals it is probably best to Les Deux Alpes, as well as the Swiss resorts, avoid early March as prices are higher and St Anton, Ischgl, Obergurgl in Austria.

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It’s that time of year when we’ve reported all the major new lifts for the season, and are awaiting final details of what resorts around

inthesnow.com | MARCH 2013

Norway’s Back For Crystal Ski Next Season

the world have planned for next season, 2013–14. Therefore, here is a selection of ski lift stories in the headlines.

CLAVIERE The details of the accident that killed 13-year-old Poonam Bhattal from Slough were just starting to come to light at the time we went to press. The girl died after falling 6m from the lift just after boarding, however,

BEN CLATWORTHY

he UK’s largest ski company, Crystal Ski (crystalski.co.uk), is reintroducing Norway to their ski programme for winter 2013–14. The company has launched holidays to three resorts in the country.

Described as a traditional “chocolate-box” village Geilo lies at the heart of Norway’s winterland region, and offers 40 pistes to

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suit intermediate and beginner skiers.

The biggest ski area in Norway, Hemsedal, also features on the programme.

Famed for its excellent snow record, the resort offers a huge diversity of terrain.

The small resort of Beitostølen, with an English-speaking ski school and gentle, confidence-building slopes is also on offer.

Ian Davis, Crystal Ski’s Product Director, told InTheSnow, “Following the success of selling ski holidays to Finland this

winter, we decided to offer a similar product in Norway. [The] resorts are well known, with good, reliable snow, a wide variety of skiing and, best of all, a direct charter flight to Fagernes, which is only 45 minutes away from Beitostølen.”

Crystal is offering a number of special launch offers, including free and reduced rate children’s places in all resorts, if a room is shared with two adults. Prices start from £1669 for a family of six in Beitostølen.

it is reported the bar was closed at the time of the accident. "Before she fell down she was grabbing for the safety bar and the men [operating] the lift saw this, stopped the lift ... but it was too late," said Marco Steffanini, the ski school Director. "Now there is an investigation to understand how she could fall down with the safety bar closed." Bhattal was on a half-term school ski trip to the Italian resort. Italian police are investigating the accident.

SANTA FE A 17-year-old boy was filmed falling 14m from a chairlift at the New Mexico ski resort, at the beginning of February. The boy, who dangled for several seconds before plummeting to the snow, was airlifted to a local hospital. It is suspected that he was attempting to throw a snowball when the incident occurred. Luckily, he escaped

Ski Into April With Arosa Kulm

without requiring surgery, but did suffer several injuries, including a skull fracture, collapsed lung, and a lacerated liver.

LECHT Five children and an adult were taken to hospital after a chairlift derailed at the Lecht Ski Centre, Scotland, in February. An investigation into the cause of the accident has been launched. The resort released a statement saying they were “extremely upset that these people have been injured”.

kiing continues into April at the quintessential Swiss resort of Arosa, and the 5 Arosa Kulm and Spa (arosakulm.ch) is open until 7 April, with a special Easter offer for the last week of the season. The hotel is offering 7 nights full-board, from CHF1745pp (approx. £1230) in a double room. The hotel, which lies at 1850m, is surrounded by the impressive Swiss mountain landscapes of Aros and Graubünden. With its prime location in the quiet inner part of the village, this 5 Superior hotel offers a unique Alpine atmosphere, and is ideal for romantic weekends, family holidays, or even corporate events. The hotel houses 119 rooms and suites, six restaurants, and two bars. Once off the slopes, the Alpinspa is the perfect place to kickback and relax. Amongst its many features, there is a rockpool with built-in Jacuzzi, a sound and scent grotto, a mountain summer rain cabin, a pebble path, a sparkling glacier grotto, and a mist path – an alternative to a conventional cold plunge pool.

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Hôtel l'Heliopic Opens December The new Hôtel l'Heliopic (heliopic-hotel-spa. com) will open its doors in Chamonix MontBlanc next season. The stylish and sophisticated 4 hotel is located at the foot of the Aiguille du Midi lift in the resort and is home to over 100 rooms and two restaurants. Doors will officially open to the public on 16 December 2013, ahead of the Christmas and New Year peak weeks, when the hotel is expected to be fully booked.

The 500m2 spa is beautifully designed with an indoor swimming pool, steam room, ice grotto, ice bath and even a Japanese onsen. The hotel is currently running a competition to win a stay in Chamonix at the Hôtel l'Heliopic. To enter the competition and be in with a chance of winning the holiday, visit the website, or like the hotel on Facebook at Facebook.com/Heliopic.

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MARCH 2013 | inthesnow.com

m o u n t a i n h e a v e n

SKI REPUBLIC ASSISTS CHARITY DAVID BLACK

ki Republic, which operates 40 ski rental shops in top French ski resorts, has joined forces with ELA (www.elaasso.org), a European charity raising public awareness of leukodystrophies, funding research, and supporting those affected, and is itself supported by the world-famous French footballer Zinédine Zidanne.

Leukodystrophies are genetic diseases of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), where myelin, the fatty sheath isolating every nerve in the brain and spinal

cord, is affected. Some of Ski Republic’s employees have got involved with helping ELA raising funds, and now the company has decided to do something too.

Firstly, for every online booking made before 15 March Ski Republic will donate €1 (87p) to ELA. Secondly, it will also donate when anyone ”Likes” a picture of the ELA charity posted on Ski Republic’s Facebook page each week. Thirdly, skiers can support ELA in any of Ski Republic’s shops by purchasing selected pairs of goggles or helmets, with €3 (approx. £2.60) given to the charity for each item sold (ski-republic.com).

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Easter Deals In Cortina ortina d’Ampezzo in Italy has a number of special promotions to make Easter holiday breaks in the chic resort, which boasts eight sunny days in every ten, ever more affordable.

“Easter is the perfect time to come to Cortina,” says Marianne Moretti-Adimari of Cortina Turismo. “Daylight hours are longer, the sunshine warmer, spring snow abounds, sales are on in the ski shops and delicious home-made lunches are served on the sun-drenched terraces of the many cosy mountain refuges dotted around the slopes.”

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The Super Kids promotion offers free accommodation and ski pass for children aged under 8 years, on a one child per paying adult basis for a 7 night booking, plus 20% discount on group ski classes and equipment rental; or Super Sun gives one night free on bookings of 7 nights for two people. Details of both at cortina. dolomiti.org.

Packages are also available from Inghams (inghams.co.uk) from £767pp (saving £228pp) for 7 nights half-board at the 4 Parc Hotel Victoria, Cortina, departing 23 March, including return flights from London Gatwick to Innsbruck and resort transfers.

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Cruising In CransMontana April Tod

t wasn’t so long ago that half of Crans-Montana’s winter guests came from Britain.

However, according to recent statistics that has now all changed, and these days as few as 4% are British, which is a pity considering, historically, this Swiss resort owes much to the legendary British Lunn family, whose name is synonymous with Alpine skiing.

In the 19th century Crans-Montana attracted visitors suffering from tuberculosis to its sanatorium – founded

by Dr Théodore Stephani – but also opened its first hotel, the Hotel du Parc in 1896. Slowly the resort spread its wings, building Switzerland’s first golf course, and then developing skiing. In the early days Sir Henry Lunn was instrumental in bringing golf to the resort, and later his son Arnold pioneered downhill skiing initiating the resort’s first downhill race, the Kandahar Challenge Cup, creating precedence for British skiers.

In those days there were no lifts, and skiers walked up the mountains with “skins” attached to skis. The resort now has well over 140km of groomed slopes served by 27 lifts, plus a number of excellent mountain restaurants offering first-class food. Plus there’s plenty of good après-ski for those with enough energy to dance the night away. The resort is keen to attract younger skiers, and for the past 10 years has organised one of Switzerland’s most popular week-long music festivals, the Caprices Festival, which this year includes such luminaries as Fatboy Slim, Pete Doherty and Björk in their international line-up.

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This was my first visit to Crans-Montana, and I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to get there. We flew SWISS to Geneva, and then took a 2-hour train journey from Geneva airport to Sierre/Sion, where we changed trains to a quaint rack and pinion mountain railway for a scenic 20-minute ride up the mountain.

By late afternoon we were already ensconced in the 5 Hotel Royal (hotelroyal.ch), which has been recently refurbished to a very high standard. I couldn’t resist whizzing up to the resort’s popular après-ski bar, Zeradix (zeradix. ch), for a quick vin chaud. It’s here where skiers meet for drinks and dancing (if you can manage dancing in ski boots), before disappearing in various directions to prepare for the evening’s entertainment.

Clear blue skies but bitter cold conditions greeted us the next morning. The day started by taking the Cry d’Er cable car up to the Mont Lacaux ski area and skiing a couple of easy red runs to acclimatise ourselves, which also served as a good means of getting our legs back, particularly as this was my first ski of the season.

Most of the skiing in Crans-Montana is not difficult, and runs are well-groomed and signposted. The ski conditions were excellent, and most of the morning was spent skiing flat-out until finally stopping for lunch at the Les Violettes mountain restaurant, made famous by Franck Reynaud, its Michelin-starred chef who had prepared a most delicious threecourse meal, which we lingered over for a good couple.

Following lunch we skied the same side of the mountain for much of the afternoon, including a couple of 12km

runs down to by the hotel’s ski the village and mobile, but only back up the after the lifts have mountain, closed. Dinner before was another April Tod flew with SWISS (swiss.com) to heading over resplendent Geneva and stayed at the 5 Hotel Royal to Chetzeron, affair, and sitting (hotel-royal.ch). For more information on Crans-Montana visit crans-montana.ch a disused lift around the open or MySwitzerland.com. station that has log fire afterwards been converted reminded me of my into a fashionable past chalet days in mountain restaurant Zermatt. with a huge south-facing The next morning, after sun terrace. More recently, an early breakfast, we were soon construction started on a 16-luxury-room skiing on newly-groomed empty slopes, hotel, with five rooms being opened this making our first early morning tracks year with plans to complete the rest of the in near perfect, if not cold, conditions hotel within the next couple of years.

– what bliss. However, all good things Spending the night some 12,000m have to come to an end and in no time above sea level is quite an experience, we found ourselves heading home. Crans with nothing but stunning views of Montana is a resort that sweeps you up mountains and ski runs to look out on. and takes you away: the problem is, you Luggage is transported up the mountain never want leave.

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Vonn Crashes Out of World Championships PATRICK THORNE

indsey Vonn will be out of ski race action for the remainder of the season, after crashing out of the super-G at the start of the Alpine Ski World Championships in Schladming, Austria.

The American ski superstar, who is a four-time Alpine World Cup champion and is the current Olympic downhill skiing champion, was airlifted from the course and was said to have a “complex torn ligament knee injury” by doctors.

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Training had been cancelled before the race due to heavy snowfall, and the start of the race itself was reported to have been postponed 13 times due to poor conditions, including failing light.

The US team's website reported that while Vonn will be out for the rest of this season, it is expected she will return in time for the 2013–14 World Cup circuit and the Sochi Olympics in a year’s time.

The next Alpine World Championships in 2 years time are due to be staged in Vonn’s home resort of Vail/Beaver Creek.

French Court Bans British Ski Hosts s InTheSnow went to press, a French court had just announced that it was seeking to ban ”ski hosts” employed by tour operators from showing new guests around French ski slopes when they arrive in resort.

The disagreement between the French ski school and tour operators has been going on for decades in various forms, but has recently resurfaced with a new legal move, targeting the British tour operator Le Ski, which has been bringing skiers to the French Alps for 30 years. Le Ski is appealing the ruling, supported by other tour operators including the biggest, Crystal, who issued a statement, “Crystal Ski is disappointed … We have temporarily suspended our social skiing service in France whilst this process goes through the courts. We have never seen social skiing as a replacement for a ski school as social skiing is where a representative from the holiday company takes guests on familiarisation tours of the slopes, show them good lunch spots and how to avoid the queues. They do not go on black runs or off piste and stick to gentle slopes. No instruction is given.”

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The national French Ski School, the ESF, which has become the subject of increasingly negative comment on internet ski sites, the gist being that the move is more about protectionism of French ski school jobs than about safety, has sought to distance itself from responsibility for the French court decision.

An ESF statement reads, “This is not an ESF led court action, but the organisation has rightly shown its support for French law to be upheld and that for those organisations using hosting or other personnel to ‘guide' such people must possess valid qualifications to do so. ESF is committed to ensuring the safety of UK tourists using French resorts for winter sports. ”

Half-Price Skiing On New Canadian Public Holiday

Call: 01962 855220 Email: team@les3chalets.com

ritish Columbia (BC) joined a long list of Canadian provinces giving its residents a day off on Monday 11 February in celebration of the new ”Family Day”, public holiday.

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Many BC ski resorts encouraged residents of the province to make the new public holiday a snow sports day, by offering 50% off regular lift ticket prices as an incentive. Just about all the major resorts participated in the promotion.

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MARCH 2013 | inthesnow.com

Have You Ever Thought About Trying Snow Kiting? f you fancy something a little different, snow kiting offers the high-speed feel of downhill skiing, but it is the kite catching the wind that propels you instead of gravity.

“Any level of skier can try this sport,” (say its promoters) and once you are kitted up with skis, a steerable kite and a harness all that is required is snow, a bit of wind … and a fair bit of courage.

Thanks to its favourable geographical position, Achenkirch in the Austrian Tirol, which also has 27km of ski runs, is perfectly placed for the sport. A 2-hour taster session costs €60 (£53). A 2-day beginner course, including equipment, instruction and learning manual, starts from €185 (£162). For more information, visit snowkite-achensee.com.

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However You Prefer_A4_ITS_Dec12.pdf

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22/11/2012

Steve Wells

22:02

However You Prefer To Ski...

Powder Tools Explained

Ski Bartlett Riders: Ed Drake, George Walton

...We’ve Got The Expertise & Equipment!

Bringing you the most comprehensive range of skis and boots in the UK. Custom boot fitting specialists.

With almost 50 years of advice and expertise and a reputation that has stood the test of time, our goal is to help you ski better everyday.

FREERIDE | FREESTYLE | TOURING | TELEMARK | RACE | RECREATIONAL

Fact: Snow conditions in Europe are better than good – they’re amazing right now!

Fact: To be safe in these amazing conditions you’ll need the right ”tools”!

These tools will depend greatly on how much deep stuff you’ll be skiing in and where, but as a basic requirement always carry a transceiver, shovel and probe.

Here we explain each item in turn.

Transceiver: probably the most crucial piece of kit when skiing off-piste, it provides a means of both locating and being located should you or any of your group be caught in an avalanche.

Shovel: some view that avalanche victim rescue is only possible with a shovel (as opposed to victim recovery), as it dramatically reduces the time taken to dig down into settled snow.

Probe: a probe is required for the fastest possible pinpoint location of an avalanche victim.

This may not seem too important given the technology of the transceivers, but it has been proven to halve the time it takes to rescue an avalanche victim.

Other considerations include: an Avalung, such as the Black Diamond 2 (£119.99), which takes in oxygen from the front of the system and then expels the CO2 breathed out through the back, ensuring a steady supply of uncontaminated air; and an ABS backpack, which, when activated, utilises compressed CO2 to inflate two integrated 85L airbags that keep the user on the surface of the avalanche, and speeds up rescue due to their visibility.

With a 95% success rate in realworld situations the ABS system, such as The North Face Patrol 24 (RRP £749.99), is proven to significantly increase your safety margin in the backcountry.

Now all that’s left to do is get out there and enjoy the remainder of what’s turning out to be an epic snow season.

Ski Bartlett, Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon, West London, UB10 0NP T:020 8848 0040 | E:info@skibartlett.com | www.SkiBartlett.com

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inthesnow.com | MARCH 2013

OFF-PISTE SKI ADVENTURES

IN THE ALPS AND BEYOND

Enjoy Year-Round Tropical & Snow Holidays Scan the code to find out more BEN CLATWORTHY

or the first time two German indoor holiday resorts are offering a joint ticket. Priced at €99 (£87), the pass gives access to both the indoor ski centre, Alpincenter Wittenburg near Hamburg (alpincenter.com), and the Tropical Islands indoor beach resort near Berlin (tropical-islands.de).

The pass, which can only be purchased through selected German NETTO stores and is valid to 10 March, includes an overnight stay at the Alpincenter Wittenburg’s on-site hotel, with indoor buffet breakfast, a day pass for the slopes – which are among the world’s most extensive

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VALLEE BLANCHE - AVALANCHE AWARENESS

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indoors covering 30,000m2 – and rentals, as well as access to the centre’s large adventure play area, with quad bikes and high ropes course among its attractions.

Tropical Islands, Europe's largest indoor tropical holiday world, 60km south of Berlin, was built within a huge hangar originally constructed for a project to recommence building airships in the modern era, which then failed.

The pass includes an overnight stay at Tropical Islands in a two-person tent furnished with a bed box with mattress, bed sheet, pillow and light blanket, including buffet breakfast and a day on the beach, with the option to wander through the tropical rainforest or visit the largest sauna landscape in Europe.

The Sonic Hybrid Poma T-Bar

ALL ACCOMMODATION ALL SKI RESORTS ALL WINTER

lthough most news on new ski lifts involves ever more spectacular and ever more comfortable chairlifts and gondolas, there can still be revelations with the humble drag lift occasionally, which remain, after all, the commonest ski lift in Europe, and often the fastest and most reliable in bad weather.

The new lift in the Kitzbühel Alps has the novelty of alternating double T-bar or single platter (“Poma”) lift types on the same cable, as well as the added innovation of a crystal clear sound system coming at you through the unit between your legs, rather than echoing

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French Alps and Pyrenees Be spoilt for choice this winter! Lagrange offer ski accommodation in over 80 resorts throughout the French Alps and Pyrenees, from big name domains to Alpine villages, from self-catered apartments and chalets to hotels.

around from tower-mounted speakers.

There doesn’t seem to be the option to change channels, or indeed turn it off, but the sound quality, manufacturer Doppelmayr assert is, perfect.

The 589m-long lift is operated by the 5 Lärchenhof Hotel.

photo credits : A. Périer

Headphones For The Slopes

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f you’re fed up with conventional headphones dying on you when used in a mountain or other active sports environment, the Klipsch S4i Rugged could be the answer (klipsch.com). Priced at around £80, the S4 Rugged is designed for outdoor sports use, with an all-weather design that resists moisture and harsh elements. More than this though, the design of the in-line controls allows users to control their music, or phone calls, without removing their gloves. There is a three button remote for easy control during outdoor activity, and they are available in four colours (red, yellow, blue, or orange), and all without compromising on sound quality.

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DAVID BLACK

lans by the International Ski Federation (FIS) to introduce airbags for ski racers are making good progress, the world governing body of Alpine snow sports reports.

Dainese, the company that is working on the airbags, is currently working to define the deployment algorithm required for the airbags to work when needed.

So far, the Dainese team has monitored 160 runs under different conditions and with different skiers. This has created a

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databank with enough information to define the first “release” of the deployment algorithm, which is the ”intelligence” the system needs to recognise the conditions surrounding a fall and to activate the airbag.

“It has not been easy to define the algorithm deployment strategy,” said engineer Alessandro Bellati, Technical Manager of the D-air Ski project. “After studying the data collected from inertial platform sensors and from comparing this data with video images of the actual runs, it has become abundantly clear that the line between normal race behaviour and a fall is, in many cases, very thin.”

The World's Steepest Funicular Railway Under Construction remarkable new funicular railway to serve the small ski area of Stoos (stoos.ch, population 152) in Central Switzerland is currently under construction.

The train will be built to a revolutionary new design, to cope with gradients as steep as 110%, which makes this funicular the steepest in the world.

Each of the two trains on the SchlättliStoos-Schlatto funicular has four cylindrically-shaped cabins, which

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• First class après ski facilities • Easy to access selfdrive ski destinations

Enjoy the best powder ski in France: • Meribel • Les Menuires • Val Thorens • Tignes • Les Arcs • La Plagne • Flaine Our specialist team will tailor your perfect ski experience

skicollection.co.uk 0844 576 0178

Le Grand Bornand French Alps

Under an hour from Geneva airport

Le Village de Lessy 

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are designed to compensate for the changes in gradient, and always remain horizontal regardless of slope angle. The funicular is scheduled to go into service at the end of 2014.

from only

£196 pppw*

New Suites At Geneva Stopover f you prefer not to rush through Geneva on your way to the slopes, the Mandarin Oriental hotel (mandarinoriental.com) in the city centre is a first-rate option for a stay in the city, especially as it has just unveiled brand new suites on the executive sixth floor, all elegantly designed by the highly-

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regarded interior designer, Sybille de Margerie, who oversaw the design of Mandarin Oriental Paris, which has won awards for its design.

A living example of Swiss hotel tradition, the 190-room Mandarin Oriental is warmly decorated, has art deco accents, stateof-the-art technology, and the largest bathrooms in the city!

And if you have a desire for an Indian meal, then the hotel’s signature restaurant, Rasoi by Vineet, is a most exciting venture, offering the cuisine of Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bahtia, who specialises in deliciously spectacular “evolved” Indian food.

Great value MGM built 4-star self-catering accommodation including private pool, Sauna, Jacuzzi & spa. Right by the slopes.

• One of the closest resorts to Calais • Family friendly, away from the crowds • Perfect intermediate snow sure skiing

peakretreats.co.uk/GrandBornand call 0844 576 0179 *Conditions apply

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peakretreats.co.uk • Traditional mountain villages • Backdoor access to main resorts • Quality self-catering chalets and apartments or family run hotels • Accommodation only/self-drive available • Ski extras can be arranged • Great mountain experiences both on and off the slopes Resorts include: Samoëns for Flaine, Les Gets for Avoriaz, Vaujany for Alpe d’Huez, Peisey for Les Arcs, St Martin de Belleville for Méribel & La Tania for Courchevel

Sean Hannah

GREAT VALUE FRENCH ALPS

Sunshine Opens A Third Terrain Park BEN CLATWORTHY

unshine Village near Banff, Canada, has opened a newly-designed Grizzly Terrain Park, the first time the Park has opened since the 2010–11 ski season.

The Grizzly Terrain Park opens with one jump line including an uprail, plus an 8m and a 12m table. The new design was built with a more streamline feel, so you can hit every rail and table on your way down.

More lines and features will be added, and

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sits alongside Sunshine Village’s existing Rogers and Springhill terrain parks.

Sunshine Village’s latest addition adds to the full terrain park offering at Canada’s self-titled ”Big 3” resorts (skibig3.com), with Mt Norquay and Lake Louise also on the lift pass.

Lake Louise’s Showcase Terrain Park is now fully complete including a snow cross course, and Mt Norquay boasts small to XL jumps, the Acro Airbag, and everything in-between. All of Mt Norquay’s park features are open for both day and night skiing.

Voted ‘Best Ski Company’ 2009, 2010 & 2011

0844 576 0173

The White Thrill Returns he White Thrill will be happening again in 2 months time to close St Anton’s 2013 ski season.

The remarkable mass-start race sees 500 participants race the 9km down to the valley, and as well as rapidly reaching its quota for maximum participants each year, it attracts thousands of spectators.

The iconic race, which takes place at 5pm on 20 April, is open to skiers, snowboarders and telemarkers, amateurs and pros alike, and starts at 2650m above sea level on the Valuga Ridge. The race includes a 150m uphill climb over 37 vertical metres.

The record time top competitors will be trying to beat is 7 minutes and 40.6 seconds, set last year by Florian

When was the last time you skied in France?

Top reasons to ski in France with us this winter • 4-star self-catered apartments • Vast, snowsure ski areas for all abilities • First class facilities on and off the slopes • Best self-drive ski destination • Affordable ski holidays for your family

call us on 0844 576 0175

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Accommodation only or self-drive deals Book now with a UK specialist tour operator

Holzinger of Germany. For everyone else times of between 11 and 18 minutes are a good average. It is followed by a huge party that is thrown after the race to celebrate the prize-giving ceremony and heroes of the day.

The whole spectacle will be streamed live on the internet via stantonamarlberg.com.

HH Takes ”Odin” To Next Level f you’re looking for seriously functional skiwear, technical sportswear brand Helly Hansen has furthered the development of its professional, rugged, and lightweight Odin collection for 2013, to provide the ”next level” of exceptionally lightweight and versatile gear for outdoor professionals, venturing to some of harshest environments on Earth.

The company has rebuilt the Odin Guiding Light Jacket (SRP £400) in response to advice and inspiration from its North American guide partners, Mountain Madness and H2O Heli Guides.

Creating a brand new waterproof shell, with a breathability of 36,000g and waterproof protection of 20,000mm, the Odin Guiding Light Jacket is top of the Odin range, boasting full mechanical stretch, water-resistant zippers, minimal seam construction, and a helmet-compatible hood for unrivalled protection. Available for men and women (hellyhansen.com).

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St Anton am Arlberg TB / J. Mallaun

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Women Race In The Annual Afghan Ski Challenge he Afghan Ski Challenge, a now annual race staged by the high mountain village of Bamiyan, 230km northwest of Kabul and 2500m above sea level, returned for its third staging on 1 March. The race, sponsored by Arc’teryx who help provide skiwear for poorlyequipped locals, brings together local and international athletes in a ski touring race to promote tourism in the war-torn area. This year’s race included Afghan women for the first time.

The race takes athletes through the Koh-e-Baba Mountain range in central Afghanistan. Local participants train in a recently founded ski school for up to 3 weeks before the main event, lead by a Swiss ski teacher and a mountain guide. Previous races show that the local sportsmen hugely outperform international guests during the ascents, but there was significant potential for improvement in their skiing.

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More Stars In The French Alps More restaurants in French ski resorts have achieved extra stars in the prestigious Michelin Guide.

Emmanuel Renault, Chef at the Flocons de Sel in Megève, is the only chef in France and the Alps to be awarded a third star in the latest edition. Two chefs have received a second star: Mickaël Arnoult at Les Morainières in Jongieux, near Chambéry, and Jean-André Charial at Le Strato in Courchevel 1850. Million in Albertville, L’Auberge du Bois Prin in Chamonix Mont-Blanc, and L’Atelier d’Edmond in Val d’Isère all received their first stars in the new Michelin Guide.

Mobile Chalets In La Plagne We’ve heard of mobile homes, we’ve heard of self-catering apartments, and we’ve heard of chalets, but La Plagne (la-plagne.com) in the mighty French Paradiski region has managed to come up with a new variant, the ”mobile chalet”.

Located only 3-minutes’ walk from Montchavin in the heart of Paradiski, and 5 minutes from the slopes, the self-catering mobile chalets sleep 4–6 people, and come complete with a 10m2 terrace with views of Mont Blanc. Weekly rentals are from €46pp (£40)or €276 per chalet (£242).

Beware Your GPS OR G E T YOUR S UB S CR IP T ION AT

*TEXT MESSAGES charged at your normal NETWORK rate

Tignes is the latest resort to issue a warning to drivers who rely on their GPS systems to guide them to the French resort rather than checking routes. “Warning! Do not follow your GPS instructions if it advises you to go through the Petit Saint Bernard or the Iseran pass as those passes are closed during winter!” advises the resort in bold letters at the start of the ”Getting to Tignes” section of its website.

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pring may be upon us, but that’s no reason to wish away the rest of the ski season. Rather, if you haven’t made it to the slopes this season yet, this is your last chance, and if you have, then why not make the most of the great conditions so far and squeeze in a second sortie to the Alps? Or the Dolomites or Pyrenees for that matter? The latter is still enjoying its snowiest ever season, and coming into its own now with an hour more daylight than the Alps, as well as warmer temperatures.

But it’s getting lighter and warmer everywhere, which is thankfully not a problem at most locations this season thanks to the thick snowpack. And even more enticing is the fact that March and April is when resorts start offering

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serious lift pass discounts, and organise fun events in order to do their bit to encourage you to the slopes.

Along with events arranged by the resorts themselves, some of the biggest festivals are organised from the UK, and are easy to access with Monarch flights (monarch.co.uk/ski). They operate from various UK airports to the heart of the Alps and the Pyrenees and can include accommodation/lift pass, as well as (where there’s a cost – several are free) access to the festivals when you’re there.

Here’s our pick of five of the best:

John Bishop Altitude Comedy Festival, Mayrhofen Fly from London Gatwick or Manchester to Innsbruck monarch.co.uk/ski Now in its sixth year, the Altitude Comedy Festival (altitudefestival.com)

returns to Mayrhofen from 18–23 March, with John Bishop headlining a star-studded comedy line-up, which also includes Phill Jupitus, Marcus Brigstocke, and many others. Many more names are set to be added including, we’re promised, on 4 March a major international stadium-filling comedy superstar. They’ll join a long list of performers over the years that include most of the great, good and slightly dodgy in British comedy, with the bigger names including Jimmy Carr, Frankie Boyle, Ed Byrne, Tim Minchin, Kevin Bridges, Milton Jones, amongst others.

The Nextmen The BRITS, Tignes Fly from London Gatwick, Birmingham or Manchester to Grenoble monarch.co.uk/ski

The BRITS, which run from 23–30 March this winter, is one of the longest established snow sports and music festivals there is, indeed it turns 24 this year, older than many of those in attendance. The festival combines gigs and parties (check out the signature fancy dress theme night – moving from 80s last year to 90s this year) with world-class competition on the slopes.

The week-long festival has been staged in Laax, Switzerland, for several years, but for 2013 is launching in Tignes, France, which is also host resort for the European edition of the Winter X Games. The Nextmen are headlining this year. Packages, starting from £279 based on four sharing in a self-catering apartment, include 7 nights’ accommodation, 6-day lift pass, festival wristband, and an official BRITS Funi beanie (the-brits.com/tignesaccommodation).

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Monarch Ski Flights: monarch.co.uk/ski John Bishop, Mayrhofen, 18–23 March: altitudefestival.com The Nextmen, Tignes, 23–30 March: the-brits.com Roses Gabor, Arinsal, Vallnord, 22–28 March: snowboxx.com BB Brunes, Portes du Soleil, 20–24 March: en.rockthepistes.com Deep Purple, Ischgl, 30 April: ischgl.com

Roses Gabor Snowboxx, Arinsal, Vallnord Fly from London Gatwick or Manchester to Barcelona monarch.co.uk/ski Andorra has long been known as the party capital of the Pyrenees, if not the whole of the ski world, thanks to sunny slopes, duty-free prices, and a relaxed atmosphere. This year there’s especially abundant snow too, after some of the biggest falls for a decade in January and February. The Pyrenean principality has hosted a long list of fun music festivals, including the recent Big Snow Fest, which latterly moved east, but is now replaced by Snowboxx, aka ”Ibiza on Ice” (snowboxx.com). The festival will touch down in Arinsal (Vallnord) from 22–28 March. The event is being organised by independent travel firm

Mainstage Travel, a young company formed by two Manchester graduates whose previous successes include the Magaluf Takeover. The aim is for festival-goers to ride all day and dance all night, and it was all but sold out as we went to press.

BB Brunes Rock The Pistes, Portes du Soleil Fly from London Gatwick, Birmingham or Manchester to Grenoble monarch.co.uk/ski With most ski music festivals the idea is that you go to gigs in the evening after a day of fun on the slopes, but Rock The Pistes (20–24 March, en.rockthepistes.com), which takes place in the vast Portes du Soleil region (en.portesdusoleil.com) straddling the French-Swiss border, with 650km of piste linking 12 resorts including

The Top of the Mountain concert is the biggest music event on snow each winter, with A-list stars performing in a spectacular venue located high on the slopes above the cult Austrian resort of Ischgl.

The gigs help highlight the fact that Ischgl (ischgl.com) is still buzzing right to the start of May, and is a good snowsure choice if you’re planning a trip anytime in March or April.

The list of stars to have rocked at Top of the Mountain include: Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Pink, Kylie, Mel C, Katy Perry and Elton John (twice). This year it will be Deep Purple performing to at least 20,000 fans on 30 April. You need a lift pass to get up there, but the gig, part of a full weekend of season-ending celebrations, is free.

Check out airport, event and resort websites for info on low-cost transfers to ski centres, and discounted spring packages in resort.

Champéry, Châtel, Les Gets and Morzine, is a little different. At Rock The Pistes the main gigs are staged at lunchtimes in spectacular locations around the vast area and you ski to them each morning for the free show, then back to your base resort in the afternoon where the festivities should continue. There’s an eclectic mix of performers, and the free concerts take place at 1.30pm each day.

Deep Purple Top Of The Mountain, Ischgl Fly from London Gatwick to Friedrichshafen monarch.co.uk/ski

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ALTITUDE Val Thorens is high: in fact, sitting at 2300m it’s Europe’s highest ski resort. Unsurprisingly, skiing in the resort is as snow-sure as you can get – without skiing on a glacier – and Val Thorens (or VT as it is known by locals) boasts one of the longest ski seasons in the Alps, opening in mid-November and not letting up until May. The resort also offers the highest skiing in Les 3 Vallées, the world’s largest ski area, with the highest chairlift reaching 3230m.

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WHO NEEDS SKIING? There is one issue with VT: it’s above the tree line, which makes for tough skiing conditions when it’s a whiteout day. But fear not. There’s loads to do in VT when the weather is against you. Head to the sports centre, which has a huge children’s play area if you have little ones in tow, or the bowling alley if it’s teenagers you need to please. And for adults looking for a thrill, why not head to the ice-driving circuit on the outskirts of the resort to get an adrenaline fix.

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STAY IN STYLE There has been a stream of new and refurbished hotels opening their doors in VT, most notably the resort’s first 5 hotel, the Altapura (altapura.fr), which opened last year and houses a branch of the famous Parisian restaurant “Les Enfants Terribles”, as well as two other eateries and several bars. Last summer the 4 Hotel Val Thorens (levalthorens. com) underwent a full refurbishment, and is now a stylish place to reside in the resort.

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GET SET TO PARTY! Nightlife in the resort is lively, by French standards. Après starts on the piste at the infamous Follie Douce, where the live jazz band has people dancing come rain or shine from 3pm. Once darkness falls, British skiers often frequent the Frog and Roast Beef pub, which is open late, before heading to the underground Malaysia nightclub.

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DIVERSITY VT may have a reputation that precedes itself — yes, it is ever popular with university groups — but in reality it offers real diversity. As a resort, VT caters equally for all nationalities, diehard skiers, families, and those looking to party. It’s an attribute few resorts can boast, especially in Les 3 Vallées.

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BEN CLATWORTHY

Ben Clatworthy was a guest of Val Thorens.

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Ligety Skis Into THE Record Books PATRICK THORNE

ki racer Ted Ligety has become the first man in nearly 50 years to win three golds at the Alpine Skiing World Championships.

Ligety, aged 28, completed his hat trick by winning the giant slalom competition by a convincing margin of 0.81 seconds at the Championships in Schladming, Austria, following on from his victories in the super-G and supercombined competitions.

Only four other people have ever managed to win three golds at the biannual event, and with racers increasingly specialising in one or sometimes two disciplines, the chances of doing so is perhaps harder in the modern era than it once was.

The last person to complete the

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achievement was Jean-Claude Killy, who won four golds 45 years ago in 1968.

Ligety is the first-ever American, and first ever non-European, to achieve this.

Ligety now has five World Championship gold medals overall, equalling joint US record holders Bode Miller, Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Vonn who each have the same total. But Ligety is the first skier of either gender to win all in one world championships.

The three other men to have won at least three golds in one championships are Toni Sailer (Austria) who won four in 1956 and three in 1958; Eriksen (Norway) who won three in 1954; and Emile Allais (France) who died last autumn, who won three in 1937.

“This hasn’t sunk in yet,” Ligety said.

“It’s just really cool to have your name mentioned with Jean-Claude Killy’s. You dream about it as a little kid, but I don’t know if you ever really think it can happen.”

Record-Breaking British Success At Special Olympics even skiers from across Britain who were chosen to represent their country at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in South Korea, which took place in Pyeongchang, South Korea, from 26 January–6 February, have returned home with a remarkable 13 medals between them – which includes six gold, four silver and three bronze, a record haul for the GB team.

Over 100 nations took part in the event in South Korea, involving 2800 athletes with intellectual disabilities.

The ”magnificent seven” Special Olympics GB (sogb.org.uk) skiers, who were chosen from 73 skiers with intellectual (learning) disabilities who qualified at Special Olympics GB’s National Alpine Ski Championships in Pila, Italy, last year.

The individual skier results were: Elizabeth Allen (Llanelli), two gold and one silver; Jane Andrews (Tunbridge Wells), two gold; Robert Holden (Rossendale), one gold and two silver; Clare Lines (Redditch), two bronze; Wayne McCarthy (Biggin Hill), one gold

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Off Piste Ski/Snowboard Action Outd oors is Low Budget All-inclusiv e Ski and S n o wboard Holidays to the French Alps: Accommod ation All Meals Evening En tertainmen t Ski/Snowb oard & Boo t Hire Lift Pass Instruction or Guiding Always inc luded in the price!

£532

Utterly Ridiculous Student Price Any week of the 2012/13 season to: – Val Thorens – Les Deux Alpes – Flaine

£386*

*Only available with a valid student card

Many more great value trips on: www.action-outdoors.co.uk

Weekly coach service from the UK to the French Alps The greenest, cheapest, easiest way to over 40 great French Ski resorts Free and reasonable luggage policy Free ski/snowboard carriage Increased leg room

and one silver; Luke Purdie (Aberdeen), fourth, seventh and eighth place ribbons; and Mikael Undrom (Cobham), one bronze.

"I would like to thank our seven skiers for representing Great Britain in South Korea at the World Winter Games with such pride, passion and honour,” said Special Olympics GB CEO Karen Wallin.

The year-round sports coaching and events provided by Special Olympics in Great Britain is clinically proven to positively change the quality of life of our athletes. Almost 1.2m people in Great Britain (2% of the population) have an intellectual disability.

Val Thorens; February, March & April Val Thorens has a huge amount of From accessible Off Piste with a wide variety of terrain.

Departs from London and Folkestone Free on-board magazine Group discounts available

Tignes • Val d’Isère • Les Arcs Val Thorens • Meribel • 3 Valleys Chamonix • Flaine • Morzine... and many more!

www.snowexpress.co.uk – for full list of resorts and prices

Ticke t

s from

£65

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Sally Brookes

ne of the paradoxes of making travel more pleasurable, and at the same time less damaging to the environment is that, typically, the more efficient the transportation and the accommodation, the better. So a full bus or charter flight to the Alps will see much less CO2 emitted per passenger than a seat in business class on a scheduled airline. Similarly with accommodation, suites and spas are likely to require far more energy and, again, create far more CO2 than simple accommodation with limited facilities efficiently filled with skiers.

So in other words, the more comfortable and spacious your ski holiday, the more likely that you’ll be doing greater damage to the planet.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, most of the more innovative green

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accommodation providers that have emerged over the past decade have been at the upper end of the star rating.

And none has been more highly starred than Switzerland’s Hotel Ferienart Resort & Spa in Saas-Fee, a family-run luxury hotel with a green ethos running right through its core.

The Ferienart’s environmental initiatives, which go above and beyond the norm, are largely down to the efforts of proprietor Beat Anthamatten, who has spoken of his concern at seeing the local glaciers recede 400m in the past two decades, a figure that is typical across the Alps and further afield.

Whether one hotel or ski resort can make a difference is open to debate, but Anthamatten is determined to do his bit, encouraging his staff and the wider community to always try to think of better ways to minimise their environmental impact, as well as taking many initiatives himself.

It should be stressed, however, that these initiatives in no way impact on the Ferienart’s ability to deliver a first-class holiday experience. The meals served in the Ferienart’s five restaurants clearly benefit from the proprietor's concerns over organic ingredients and ethical local sourcing wherever possible, and the vast and spectacular 1200m2 Paradia Spa with indoor pool, solarium, steam baths, saunas, and much more, is among the best in the Alps.

But already well known for its green initiatives for more than a decade, in November 2008 the Ferienart achieved the first Swiss Milestone for sustainable development, the most important recognition of environmental initiatives in the Swiss tourism industry.

Then in 2009 the hotel received a new special prize for the first time, for the country's best progress in sustainable development, subsequently achieving

the ISO 14001 global environmental management certification.

Some of the Ferienart’s practical green measures include a VRS (Value Recovery System) machine that recycles organic waste to create fertiliser, which can be used to grow organic food. They also use a recovery plant, which takes the energy from the “heat waste” of the refrigerators to heat the pool in the hotel’s wellness area.

Saas-Fee itself is open for snow sports for around 10 months of the year, with 100km of varied runs over a snow-sure 1800m vertical, surrounded by 13 peaks over 4000m, with yet more terrain at neighbouring Saas-Grund and SaasAlmagell included on the valley pass. The resort can also boast a long list of ecofriendly credentials in its own right, using 100% natural energy for its needs, with the power coming from hydroelectric power production in Valais.

As long ago as 1951, when the first

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road to the village was completed, the citizens of Saas-Fee decided that when it arrived it should remain carfree and banned motorised transport from the streets of the village – you can drive to the giant car park on the outskirts, but not into it. However, at the same time none-polluting small and nearly silent electric vehicles were introduced, so getting around the village is not a problem.

Today, more than 60 years later, more and more people appreciate the peace and quiet and the clean air of a car-free resort, and Saas-Fee has taken their clean green ethos across the resort to ever higher levels, thanks in part, once again, to the enthusiasm of Beat Anthamatten.

Among policies for the whole resort Anthamatten has driven forward, is a CHF1m (approx. £700k) initiative to make the air, which feels more pure already than most other resorts, the first

in the world to be “free of fine dust”.

“The problem of fine dust, often known as fine particulate matter, may not yet be on everyone’s lips, but its effects are clear to see. That’s why Saas-Fee is waging war on these carcinogenic soot particles,” said a resort statement.

That “war” involved fitting the village’s 250 wood-burning heating systems and other chimneys with special filters, reducing fine-dust pollution by around 95%.

“Saas-Fee is already a holiday destination of unparalleled natural beauty with clean mountain air and a car-pollution-free village, but we now want to go one step further,” said SaasFee’s Marketing Director when the project got underway in 2009.

However, while Saas-Fee’s stance to be one of, if not the purest, the most environmentally-friendly ski resorts on Earth, offering a wholesome, tranquil

and truly relaxing ski holiday base for discounted lift tickets, and free use of its visitors, the resort still has to move the bus connecting the four villages: with the times. As with all the classic Saas-Grund, Saas-Almagell, SaasSwiss resorts, the strong Swiss Franc is Balen and Saas-Fee. impacting visitor numbers, and Besides increasing value, a Saas-Fee is faced with the second answer is improving usual pressures – to infrastructure too, with innovate and expand a spectacular gondola in order to attract connection over to new business, Saas-Fee’s neighbour while at the same Zermatt planned, time trying to although so far with Hotel: ferienart.ch maintain that a fluid timetable. This Resort: saas-fee.ch Tour Operator: inghams.co.uk unspoilt, pure would create one of the Airline: swiss.com nature that appeals world’s biggest lift-linked so much in our ever networks, a long imagined more frenetic world. plan which, following a To battle the effect municipal vote in favour, may of the strong Swiss Franc, possibly happen by winter 2014–15. the village has declared itself a ”Free Hopefully, the development will allow Republic” and invented a “citizen Saas-Fee to retain all of its highly passport”, which is issued to everybody appealing assets, while still being able staying a night in the town. Among to claim even more truly world-class the benefits for passport holders are 21st century ski area stats.

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Ski Wax Poses Health Risk Pollution in wax rooms has long been recognised as both a problem and a challenge. Smoke was originally the dominant factor, and may cause problems even with fairly low waxing temperatures.

Organisers of snow sports competitions must ensure proper conditions of work for the personnel involved in doing the waxing work.

Safety guidelines can be found at bit.ly/12VIHn5, and you can read more at bit.ly/Xpevg4.

Fancy Yourself As A Coach?

Sochi British Hopefuls amela Thorburn Originally on the British Alpine team, Thorburn decided to make the switch to freestyle and enjoyed a successful first season last year. She is now aiming for a place at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics as Britain’s chance for a ski cross medal.

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Chemmy Alcott After a spell out of competitive skiing to focus on the healing of her injuries, and her much enjoyed television career, she’s back on her skis and gearing up for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Alcott describes herself as “a fiercely determined

and courageous sportswoman”, and with that combination Snow Sport England can’t wait to see the results of her Sochi skiing.

James “Woodsy” Woods Woods results speak for themselves; he was Britain’s first slopestyle medallist in a major competition when he won a bronze medal at the Euro Winter X Games 2011. Since then he’s gone on to win two consecutive World Cup titles, making him the first British skier to lead world rankings and win back-to-back World Cups. His recent triumphs (including another welldeserved bronze at the X Games

in Aspen, USA) leave him in very good stead for a secured place at Sochi 2014, and make him an exciting prospect of British podium domination for seasons to come.

Ethan Davis Interview Whilst Woodsy is flying the flag for British snow sports, he’s also inspiring a younger generation to do the same. Davis is an 11-year-old freeski champion on Nottinghamshire County Council’s ”Rising Star” scheme.

Davis’ father, Johnny, says the scheme is a great help: “we get £400 this year, which is such a big help with equipment,

The cost of becoming a coach or instructor can be a barrier.

However, this should not be the case; as long as if you are a member of a snow sports club in England there is funding available for this via Sport England’s Small Grants Scheme. Why not take a look at what courses are available via the UK Snowsports website: uksnowsports.co.uk. If you see something you like contact the Development Team at Snow Sport England, who will be able to tell you how to apply for your funding.

training and coaching.” The funding is definitely working because Davis is achieving top rankings; proven with his best result to date coming first at the Indoor British Championships in September 2012. Davis said: “I look up to James Woods and Paddy Graham. I train with them sometimes, they’re really supportive and they never say I can’t do something, they always believe I can do it. I want to be in the Winter Olympics and definitely the X Games and World Tours. I want to make a career.

I love telling people the cool things I’ve done and that I’ve won competitions.”

4 May 2013 Pendle GBR Outdoor Race 1 SSE

SSE England Staff

5 May 2013 Pendle GBR Outdoor Race 2 SSE

Tim Fawke CEO Julia Parker Operations Manager Kirsty Nicol Administrator Jan Doyle Development Officer, North Susie Moore Development Officer, South Ian Poynton Development Officer, Central Ian Findlay Talent Development Officer

SSE Funding Success ust before Christmas, Sport England gave Snowsport England’s (SSE) CEO Tim Fawke a present he and everyone in his team had worked very hard for. In order to keep the 2012 Olympic fever alive Sport England announced a £493m 4-year investment, £1.5m of which has been awarded to SSE. This funding has been ring-fenced for use in two areas:

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participation (£1.3m) and talent (£200k).

“Participation” means SSE working with English clubs and slopes to support them in delivering programmes such as Go Ski Go Board, and increasing new interest.

The “talent” investment will allow SSE to develop talent pathways, which will help deliver more English athletes to GB teams, and change more world-class snow sports men and women, so watch this space!

11 May 2013 Chill Factore Manchester GBR Indoor Race 2 Snowsport Wales 12 May 2013 Chill Factore Manchester GBR Indoor Race 3 Snowsport Wales

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InTheSnow Live to Broadcast World Cup Skiing Action BEN CLATWORTHY

nTheSnow Live organisers have announced a host of new features for the national snow sports show, which takes place from 25–27 October at the NEC Birmingham.

To help celebrate the 20th year of a snow sports show at the NEC, live World Cup action will be shown on a cube of four 5mx3m giant LED screens, which will hang over the centre of the show. It will also be used to broadcast skiing and snowboarding films, as well as live footage from around the show with former Olympian Graham Bell providing minute-by-minute commentary.

“Having a live feed from the World Cup racing in Sölden will bring an exciting dynamic to the show and will undoubtedly create a buzz. This has never been done at a UK snow sports show before and it

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will be great to commentate in front of a live audience and draw them into the excitement,” said Graham Bell.

Also announced is a large multipurpose ski slope with rotating activities, including ski and snowboard lessons, races and tubing. The show will also feature a Winter Wonderland, with a real snow play area for children and visits from Father Christmas himself.

For adults, there will be the chance to enjoy après-ski in authentic style at the twostorey après-ski bar – the first of its kind at a UK snow sports show. The bar will feature live music, Thunder Toffee Vodka, and a unique viewing platform across the show.

Tickets can be booked at inthesnowlive. com and start from £7. There will also be the chance to take advantage of a multishow ticket offer to gain access to Top Gear Live and The Dive Show.

Learn more at inthesnowlive.com

Avalanche Safety On The Piste company called Cambridge Ski Safety (cambridgeskisafety.com) has launched a brand new device that aims to bring avalanche safety technology to recreational skiers who stay on the piste. Although avalanches are more likely off-piste, they do sometimes cross groomed slopes too.

The device is called an On-Piste Emitter, and is similar to an avalanche transceiver, but has no search facility; however it does automatically send a radio signal on the international avalanche distress frequency of 457kHz. It also costs a lot less at £49.50, but unlike a transceiver is not for off-piste use.

Cambridge Ski Safety was established in 2011 by James Aubrey Robson. Aware

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of ever-increasing avalanche risks faced by his 7-year-old daughter, Robson was looking for a cost-effective way to maximise her survival prospects and so designed the emitter. Children wear a simple harness housing the emitter under their ski jacket. It should be turned on in the morning and off at night so that the child need not touch it.

Deals On Easter Private Transfer Inclusive ne of the drawbacks of finding a cheap flight to Geneva, and high value accommodation in France, is that the transfer from the airport to the resort can be very pricey. The good news this Easter is that Peak Retreats

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(peakretreats.co.uk) has secured packages, including private Geneva transfers to the French Grand Massif region, from £259pp self-catering for 7 nights from 30 March, staying in the great 4 La Reine des Prés, based on five sharing a two-bedroom apartment, with private pool and spa.

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INFO@ADRENALINE-VERBIER.CH

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InTheSnow.com

Jon (AKA WESTY) AT ALTITUDE

Jon is one of the few instructors in the world to hold the top qualifications from France, Switzerland and Britain. He can teach on- and off-piste skiing throughout the Alps, and as Ski School Director, Jon helps manage the ski and snowboard school, the instructor training gap programs, the Verbier freeride camps, and also the winter and summer kids camps. altitude-verbier.com; +41 277 716 006

or many of us bumps, or moguls, are the ultimate nemesis on the mountain. We’ve all spent at least one afternoon being beaten up by awkward shaped piles of snow, and limping home defeated. There is a good reason for this though; many of the “rules” we have for good skiing have to be abandoned in the bumps. We spend our lives learning to ski in a particular way, only to find out that this form of skiing maybe what is making life in the bumps so hard. In this article we’ll try and help make bumps skiing easier, and hopefully more enjoyable.

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Turn In the Right Place

Get Off Your Edges

There are many different paths you can take in the bumps. For this article we'll assume you want the path to be slower paced, and the most simple to execute . For this you’ll want to think about turning your skis on the top of the bump, and sliding down the hill at the back. This way you’ll skid and stay in control down the part of the bump that is steepest and, thus, where you’ll travel the fastest. This brings us neatly onto our second point.

While your edges may be your friend on the piste, they’re not going to help in the bumps. Having your skis tilted at an angle (also known as being on your edges) will cause the skis to travel faster in the direction they are pointed. In the moguls this often means faster into that massive bump in front of you. Instead, you need to keep your skis flatter than you normally would. This will result in a more skidded turn, and as a result a slower speed of descent.

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Summer Camps Keep Your Body Still

Fore-Aft Balance

In stark contrast to piste and powder skiing, the terrain in the bumps is by definition bumpy. All these lumps are going to try to force you off balance and flailing around. However, you have to fight this and keep your upper body as still as possible. This will have the effect of keeping you more balanced, and as a result more in control. Try keeping your core muscles engaged and using a strong pole plant to assist this.

It's ok not to be right on the front of your skis in the moguls. Unlike piste skiing, with the ground constantly moving about under you, it's important that you adjust your balance to stay as centred on your skis as possible. While I'm not advocating sitting right back on your skis, the moguls are one of the few places it's ok not to be constantly on the front of your boots. You have to be reactive and adjust to the terrain under you.

As always, have fun!

For those of us, like myself, that didn’t go to a summer camp when we were younger, the idea of sending children away during their school holidays can be a slightly odd one. However, since working with Altitude International Summer Camps here in Verbier, Switzerland, I can tell you first-hand that a summer camp can be an amazing experience for your children. While each summer camp is different, I can tell you a little about what we do here at Altitude.

Summer camps in Switzerland roughly fall into two categories for the activities: sports/outdoor

education and languages.

The latter involves learning a second language (often English or French). The former is less common, but equally as valuable, and involves learning many outdoor mountain skills, such as map and compass reading, fire building, shelter building and other survival skills.

Also, camps generally split into two formats, either day camps or residential.

Day camper, as the name suggests, just come for the day. While residential campers stay for a set time with other campers. With Altitude, the residential campers stay in a chalet altogether in Verbier. These residential camps are fullycatered by in-house chefs, with evening activities

taking place after the day campers have left.

Summer camps are a great place to learn new skills, experience new things, and make new friends. But, perhaps more importantly they are a place to build other lifelong skills. Being away from home, learning, and meeting people from all over the world can allow your child to become more independent in a safe environment.

Secondly, a summer camp experience is a great place to learn and develop the many transferable skills that can’t be taught in the classroom.

It's not learning a language or how to read a map that are the valuable skills, but realising that with effort and practise they can learn and do anything.

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Try Bruson Before The Lift Arrives The Bruson ski area is to be linked to the rest of the Verbier ski area by a gondola from Le Châble to the slopes of Bruson, opening in time for winter 2013–14 (verbier.ch). However, on the 2–3 March the area is to be host to special events including food and beverages from the local area and music with (the area is included in Verbier area passes). It will give skiers a chance to ski the quiet slopes of the area and familiarise themselves in preparation for easy access in the coming season.

inthesnow.com | MARCH 2013

Study Published On Potential Climate Change In Andorra BEN CLATWORTHY

he results of a study into the potential issues of rising temperatures on ski resorts in Andorra have been published.

The study, compiled by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the Andorran Sustainability Observatory, looked

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at what is likely to happen if temperatures rise by 2°C, or rise by 4°C by 2100, and how snow cover would be affected at 1500m, 2000m and 2500m.

"We have employed these temperature increase figures based on two of the scenarios from the SRES report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which are predicted as plausible for the

Pyrenees at the end of the 21st century," said Marc Pons from the Sustainability Measuring and Modelling Laboratory of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and is co-author of the study.

The authors believe that some of Andorra’s ski areas, notably Arcalís, are better placed to withstand global warming, whereas a 2°C rise would cause

operating problems for the lower sectors of Pal-Arinsal. A 4°C rise would cause serious operational difficulties to Andorra’s lower resorts, even with snowmaking, although higher centres like Pas de la Casa should still be OK. The authors estimate that overall there could be a 15% decrease on business, leading to a reduction in sales of around €50m each season at current rates.

Ultrasun Protection As spring arrives on the snow the level of UV exposure reflected off the slopes only gets higher and one brand of sun cream, Ultrasun, claims to offer better protection than any other. The Swiss-made Ultrasun range claims to offer a unique, technologically-advanced and revolutionary formulation that’s hypoallergenic and free of preservatives, emulsifiers and perfume. The extensive range, which includes everything from an Ultralip care stick (£5) to SPF30 anti-ageing formula cream (£19), with many other variants including a sports clear spray formula (£26), is available in Waitrose, John Lewis and duty free, among other retail options.

Need For Speed Eighty skiers from 15 nations descended on the resort of Vars, in the Southern French Alps, for the 2013 FIS Speed Ski World Cup. The Chambrieres piste there is renowned for being the steepest, and possibly one of the fastest in the world. Benja Hedley of Speed Ski GB competed in Speed 1, the fastest category, with rubber suits and 238cm skis. This was Hedley’s first race in this category and he came eighth.

Record Snowfall In The Pyrenees

Arlberg To Cover 340km With New Lift new funitel lift with ten giant gondola cabins will extend the ski slopes in the Arlberg by some 64km, and connect in several more resorts to the Lech sector for 2013–14.

The 2km long, €12m (approx. £10.5m) Doppelayr-built Auenfeldjet cable-car, will cross the Auenfeld pass to the Geissbühel Alpe, creating a link between Lech-Zürs and the resorts of Warth-Schröcken.

As a result, a ski area of 340km2 will be established on one pass.

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With 340km2 the Arlberg will be one of the world’s seven largest lift- and piste-linked ski areas, and the largest in Austria. However, the links are slightly tenuous with the connection between the St Anton and Lech sectors of the Arlberg only skiable over fairly extreme terrain with a guide and no lift connection and the new connection being lift-only.

Crystal Ski (crystalski.co.uk), who broke the news, is already offering 2013–14 ski holidays to Lech-Zürs, with prices including flights and transfers from £695 at the catered Chalet Hilde.

Cauterets in the French Pyrenees has leapt to the top of the 2012–13 snow depth tables, after around 10m of snow fell over a 4-week period, taking snow depths up to 6m as we went to press, and burying some lifts to the tops of their support towers in snow. The resort moved past US resort Mammoth, Japan’s Niseko, and Engelberg in Switzerland – all with around 5m bases. The snowfall in Cauterets repeats a similar huge accumulation in the winter of 2008–9. Other resorts in the French and Spanish Pyrenees, as well as Andorra, have enjoyed large snowfalls too, and report excellent conditions and deep snow – just not quite as deep as at Cauterets. Baqueira Beret in Spain reported 11.5m of snowfall to date – the biggest snowfall it has ever received in the first 10 weeks of a ski season.

Although the excessive snowfall has caused logistical problems, the resort remains open, and tour operator Ski Collection (skicollection.co.uk) features 3 accommodation in Cauterets in the Balnéo Aladin apartments.

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St Moritz Launches Chinese Website BEN CLATWORTHY

nd the fourth language of choice for the Engadin St Moritz website is ...

Chinese.

The world-famous Swiss ski region has just launched a website in Chinese, to expand its appeal in the potentially vast and rapidly-growing market.

The main website is available in German and long established English and Italian versions. A full French language site, Switzerland’s other major language, is not yet available, although it should be released later this year, nor is a site for the Russian market, which is a key one for St Moritz.

However, the resort does say that a full Russian version of the site, along with versions for the growing Brazilian, Arabian Gulf States and Indian markets.

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“The Chinese website is totally new – it’s not a translation of the German one but totally adapted to the market: regarding content, navigation, storytelling and pictures,” said Sara Roloff of Tourismusorganisation Engadin St Moritz. “We want to be very specific with these sites regarding the needs of those markets.”

The site also promotes the famous St Moritz sunshine logo, but rather than using the usual promotional phrase "Top of the World" St Moritz has opted for ”The Alpine Legend”.

The resort found that the phrase ”Top of the World” generally made Chinese people think of the Himalayas rather than the Alps.

The company has also launched a presence on "Weibo", the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

Scottish Ski Pioneer Wins Award yrtle Simpson, who pioneered skiing and guiding in Scotland, has become the sixth recipient of the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture (mountainfestival.co.uk).

This prestigious annual award recognises and celebrates the achievements and accomplishments of one inspiring individual, and their outstanding contributions to Scotland’s mountains.

Simpson was selected for this award for her massive contribution and devotion to mountain culture in Scotland and throughout the world, and her involvement in the development of skiing in Scotland; having had a key role in the setting up of Glencoe, CairnGorm and Nevis Range Ski centres.

Among her many achievements

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 Work in the Alps!  Full Season Vacancies (Dec-April)  Peak Season Vacancies (1-2 weeks)  000’s of Resort Rep, Childcare & Hospitality Roles

Simpson was the first woman to ski across Greenland, and has had numerous journeys to Arctic regions on ski or canoe.

She also attempted to ski to the North Pole, and reached the most northerly point by a woman unsupported at the time. She can also add explorations of New Zealand, China, and further expeditions to Peru to her many adventures.

Simpson still skis and competes on the Scottish Masters circuit.

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he World Health Organisation warns that fresh snow can reflect as much as 80% of the UV light that hits it, much more than the 15% reflected from a sandy beach. Combined with wind and cold, this can have a detrimental effect on eye health, causing them to be irritated and watery, according to Chris Miller of Cambridge-based Altacor, a specialist ophthalmic products company.

“We recommend wearing protective glasses or using lubricant eye drops without preservatives. The multi-use 0.5ml vials of Clinitas Soothe (RRP £6.62), are perfect to carry alongside your lip balm on a cold day,” says Miller (clinitas.info).

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Swiss Image And Christof Sonderegger

inthesnow.com | MARCH 2013

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MARCH 2013 | inthesnow.com

THE OMNIA Zermatt

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The Omnia is perfectly situated in the centre of Zermatt just off on a hidden back street, giving you the bustle of beautiful Zermatt right on your doorstep, but the peace and quiet you would expect from an escape to the mountains. The warm and friendly welcome is simply hard to beat.

Chalet de la Cloche is in the heart of Les Brevieres, Espace Killy, considered to be one of the greatest ski areas in the world. The Ski-Base team has created a wonderful chalet described by Harpers Bazaar as a “haven of sensual indulgence”. It is one of Condé Nast Traveller top ten chalets in the Alps.

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Holiday Whistler Accommodations, skiing holidays à la carte, offers an extended range of chalets, apartments and condos to suit every taste and budget. Beautiful log homes just feet from the piste, spacious and luxurious chalets on the golf course, sumptuous apartments right in the village, expansive views of the mountains, private hot tubs on your deck or nestled in the trees.

Stunning mountain views in every direction, The Cambrian offers the kind of location that desk huggers the world over spend their days dreaming about. Located in the leading resort of Adelboden in the Bernese Oberland, the hotel provides authentic local colour, cosmopolitan comfort and inspiring cuisine backed up by superb service.

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One of the great hotels of the Alps, with more than 150 years of simple warm hospitality. The original hotel, which opened in 1852 is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World Association.

The 5 Mont Cervin Palace offers 150 charming rooms and suites. Throughout summer 2012 major renovation works were undertaken at the hotel.

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ED

Dan Smye-Rumsby

DRAKE

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A Skiing Lesson with Ed Drake!

Fancy learning to ski like a champion? We’re offering BEN CLATWORTHY

nTheSnow’s Ben Clatworthy spent 10 minutes with Ed Drake, Britain’s former number one Alpine ski racer and Olympian, to talk about his decision to move to ski cross, as well as Sochi 2014.

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Ed, it’s been 2 years since you last raced Alpine, and now you’ve made the leap to ski cross, what is the thinking behind the change – was it a decision linked to your ankle operation?

ED: No, it wasn’t a direct result of my ankle, but as a result of the operation I did miss a lot of pre-season training in terms of Alpine racing. I was ready for something different and exciting.

I wanted a fresh take on skiing, and I felt it was time to move away from the Alpine side of racing. Moving to ski cross restored the hunger that I had when I first started doing Alpine. It has been really nice and exciting to be in a new environment and a new discipline.

Presumably you had been planning the switch for a long time? Was it always what you intended to do?

ED: The move to ski cross had been going through my head since the end of last winter, especially as I felt I was starting to fall out of love with Alpine.

The continuous budget cuts and lack of funding didn’t help the situation, which

was becoming more and more draining and ended up with me becoming less and less motivated. So I thought it through over the summer, but with new sponsors I felt I should give Alpine another shot, but it just wasn’t right and I decided that ski cross was definitely the way forward.

I’d spoken to lots of racers and coaches already involved in ski cross, and they agreed that thanks to my background and skills set that the discipline would suit me.

My sponsors all agreed and supported my move as well, especially my main sponsor, The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead, and Ski Bartlett, who were both equally as excited about my change of direction. I’d been doing downhill, which has jumps, and the head-to-head aspect of the sport excited me, so it seemed like a natural progression given my skills base. There’s also the fact it looks like a great sport.

How have you found the transition to the new discipline? You’re results indicate it’s not as easy as Alpine racers might imagine?

ED: I wouldn’t say I find it easy at all.

I didn’t understand it until I gave it a go. Skiing downhill or super-G I didn’t really have to concentrate that much on turning – it becomes natural after so many years – it was more about the line and terrain, and, in fact, a lot of my Alpine skiing when I was racing was autonomous. That’s all different with ski cross. I need to think of lots of

one lucky winner (and a friend!) the chance to enjoy a private lesson at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead North London with Ed Drake. The closest real snow to the centre of London with 160m main slope and the UK’s largest indoor nursery slope, The Snow Centre regularly welcomes Ed Drake for training when he’s not overseas.

What better way to improve your technique than working with the UK’s current number one Alpine skier!

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for the World Championships. Once I’ve finished there I have a few more World Cup races planned, but really that’s as far as I’ve got when it comes to planning.

Sochi is less than a year away; do you think The prize of 1 hour’s private lesson for two people at The Snow Centre must be taken to you’ll be up to Olympic fit in with Ed Drake’s training schedule (date and time by arrangement), before 30 September 2013. Prize includes ski and clothing hire, and a drink at the alpine-style standard by then?

Schuss Bar on the slope. Prize cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer and no cash alternative is available. Closing date: 17 March 2013 ED: Yes I would love to go to Sochi, but I’m not doing ski cross just to go to the Games. things at the same time, which is when I’m doing it because I want to be good at mistakes start to creep in. Even though it. I’ve already been to the Games once, so it is skiing, it’s very different to what I I've had the experience, therefore, I only was doing. The jumps, or features, are want to go again if I know I’m going to be vastly different to Alpine racing. There good, and vying for the top spots. For me in are corners and high jumps, whereas ski cross it’s about being competitive at the downhill is fast, long jumps. ”sharp-end”, and along with that will mean qualification for Sochi. But we shall see.

What’s on your agenda for the rest of the season?

In 2010, when you represented the ED: I crashed in Grasgehren, Germany, country at the Vancouver Games, what do at the beginning of February and needed you feel was your defining moment? an operation on my thumb, so I have ED: Going to the Winter Olympics was been recuperating at home for a few unbelievable – a real privilege. I remember weeks, but I will be heading back out to standing in the downhill gate and having the Alps shortly. I’m competing in some to take some extra breaths, remembering International Ski Federation races in what a long road it was to get there, and the Germany next week, and doing some sacrifices my parents and I had had to make. training, before heading to Scandinavia It was an amazing experience.

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