InTheSnow Issue 36 - February 2014 by InTheSnow

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ISSUE 36 | FEBRUARY 2014

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s I write this editorial on the last day of January, the start of the Sochi Winter Olympics is only a week away, but by the time you are reading this we should know who has won the big events, and whether Britain will have won our first skiing medal since Alain Baxter’s controversial bronze in the slalom at the Salt Lake Games 12 years ago. With our recent best-ever World Cup performances in some of the new Olympic disciplines, and perhaps a bit of London 2012 stardust still glittering, hopes are high. Less importantly, we’ll also know who won Channel 4’s The Jump. But one thing I do know as we enter February, however, is that we’re in the midst of another good snow year. This very day huge snowfalls are being reported, once again, in the Alps, the Dolomites, the Pyrenees and the Rockies. Even the two slow starters this season – lower-lying Austrian areas, and the Californian resorts – have received a snowy deluge in the past few days, and are looking much more ”normal“ for the time of year – while the slopes of Scottish ski areas, as we report within, are buried beneath the deepest snowpack they’ve had for at least 5 years. In contrast with the large swathes of Blighty that have been flooded since before Christmas, in Scotland the precipitation has been landing as snow on Highland peaks. If you still haven’t booked your ski trip this season fear not, there’s plenty of time left, and spectacular deals in March and April (it’s another late Easter) are arriving in the office daily. In addition, some tour operators are already offering deals for NEXT winter 2014–15 too, if you prefer long-term planning to last-minute booking. By then Sochi will be far behind us, and we’ll be looking to the 2015 Alpine World Championships, and, perhaps, beginning to think about the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, as well as wondering if the Games will return to Europe in 2022, as the International Olympic Committee will be about to make their decision. These big events come and go, but the snow keeps falling, and we’ll keep skiing and boarding.

Helmet? Why Wouldn’t You? PATRICK THORNE

he 20-year debate as to whether we should ski wearing a ski helmet, or not, has once again been thrust into the limelight with Michael Schumacher’s injury. With Mr Schumacher’s surgeons reporting that if he had not been wearing his helmet, even if it apparently did split in two when his head hit that rock, he would not have survived his fall at all, the argument as to whether wearing a helmet is, fundamentally, a good idea or not seems to have finally been laid to rest, and the question has returned to focus on whether helmet wearing should be compulsory as it is for riding a motorbike, or shouldn’t, as it isn’t for riding a bicycle or a horse. The only element of doubt remaining appears to be that the number of head injuries doesn’t seem to be going down as helmet use has gone up, although there are a growing number of studies showing helmet wearing has reduced injury levels – the logical conclusion being that there are more head injuries happening, and the consequences would be worse if fewer wore helmets. A more worrying conclusion is that people are being more reckless on the slopes, as helmet wearing makes them (inadvisably) feel ”invincible”. It’s now 10 years since the first law making helmet wearing compulsory for children was adopted in Italy in 2004.. Although this law was copied by some other European regions (and there was a surge of international interest following the death of actress Natasha Richardson when she fell when not wearing a helmet

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DOMINIC KILLINGER dom@inthesnow.com Production Director

MATT NICHOLSON matt@inthesnow.com

on a nursery slope in Quebec 6 years ago), quotes trauma surgeon Dr Adil H Haider, the momentum to make helmet wearing a co-author of a review of over 16 studies compulsory, for adults as well as children, on snowsports injuries, who concludes appears to have been lost. Most of us have helmets, “.…protect against serious, even just seen the sense in wearing helmets and fatal head injuries.." started to anyway. The latest statistics suggest that, on average, 80% of North Americans are wearing helmets, and 50% of Europeans. That’s not to say the move to make helmet wearing compulsory has gone away. More ski schools are requiring their students to wear helmets, and resorts are requiring their Ski Schools: Many require their students (and employees too when out on the their staff) to wear helmets. slopes. Sometimes this is about sending ‘the right message,’ Austria: Children aged under 16-years-old in all or because the resort’s liability provinces except Tirol and Vorarlberg must wear insurance provider insist upon a helmet. it. And last winter New Jersey in the USA and Nova Scotia in Canada: Everyone skiing in the province of Nova Canada, made helmet wearing Scotia is required by law to wear a helmet. compulsory for all. A similar Californian law is passing Italy: Children aged under 14-years-old must wear through the legislature without a helmet. quite getting the Governor’s final signature of approval– so far. USA: Everyone skiing in the state of New Jersey is In the UK, Essential Travel’s required by law to wear a helmet. ”Use Your Head” campaign (essentialtravel.co.uk) has been at the forefront of promoting helmet use, offering a discount on winter sports travel insurance for The Transport Research Laboratory those who commit to wearing a helmet, provided evidence with a study of helmet as well as offering further discounts on wearing using crash test dummies. It found services, including buying a helmet (from that “... skiers wearing helmets experience Ellis Brigham), once you have a policy. Its two-thirds (66%) less g-force than those ”Use Your Head” site is full offacts,figures without, meaning a greatly reduced risk of and advice . suffering a serious head injury.”

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Reporters / Contributors

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Seasonaire Columnist

Lorna McGachie

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Snowboard Skills Week PATRICK THORNE

RED MOUNTAIN Tucked in the southernmost area of the Kootenay Rockies, Red is an outpost of Canadian skiing, located within a few minutes drive of the American border. This season, thanks to the installation of a new fixed-grip quad on Grey Mountain, the resort has expanded its terrain by 405 hectares of terrain. This comes in addition to the 682 hectares it already

f you are inspired to improve your snowboarding by the performance of Team GB in Sochi, such as the likes of Jenny Jones and Billy Morgan, then you could sign up for the rudechalets Snowboard Skills Week at the end of the season, from 13–20 April (rudechalets. com), taking place in Avoriaz at the heart of the Portes du Soleil in France. In partnership with Mint Snowboarding,

the week will enable intermediate and advanced boarders to progress that little bit further, and nail all those tricks you’d like to master, before the season comes to a close. Participants will not only receive exclusive access to the rudechalets 2014 Burton Snowboard Test Centre, but will also get a sneak preview and the chance to test a selection of Burton’s brand spanking new 2015 snowboards. A different theme will be mastered each day, to include Airs and Grabs, Jibbing and Buttery Stuff, Spin Class, Rails and

Boxes, and Halfpipe and Handplants. Afternoons will be free to practice techniques, explore the parks, pistes, and soak up the spring sunshine The holiday costs £489pp, and includes 5 x 3 hours snowboard skills tuition, rental of a 2014 Burton snowboard, 7 nights’ accommodation at an über-cool rudechalet, return airport transfers from Geneva, half-board, unlimited wine, and on-mountain video service. The price does not include flights to/from Geneva, the closest city to the resort.

boasts. The resort, although relatively unknown, is now in the top 3% of North American resorts for amount of terrain. The new lift — which opens up a new mountain — allows access to all levels of terrain, including piste, chutes, and tree skiing.

TAOS The New Mexico resort of Taos has announced an expansion that will see the Kachina Peak area, with a summit of 3795m, lift-accessed for the first time. The new fixed-grip triple chair, and will increase the mountain's advanced and expert lift-service SKI AMADE

terrain by 50%, previously only accessible by hiking. The new lift will be one of the highest chairlifts in North America. The President of Taos Ski Valley has recently announced the sale of Taos Ski Valley.

LES MENUIRES Not a new lift, but certainly a worthy

Learn To Ski In 3 Days At A Low Price In Austria

entry for Lift Off. The French resort of Les Menuires is the latest ski station to install a downhill roller coaster course. Both adults and children can challenge “Boutky”, the resort’s mascot, on a 1200m-long track with twists and banked turns. Your speed is recorded three times during your descent, and screens tell you whether you’re travelling as slow as a snail (00.002km/h) or a marmot (17km/h), or as fast as a hare (65km/h) or a mountain goat (70km/h). It is open year-round, and is open to children from 3-years-old who can sit with their parents.

ustria’s giant Ski Amade region, which offers over 805km of ski runs shared between dozens of traditional Austrian villages on one lift ticket, has launched a special “Learn2Ski in 3 days” lowprice package deal, which includes accommodation, lift pass, tuition, and equipment rental. “It does actually work! After 3 days, just about everyone really can ski a blue run,” claimed a spokesperson from the area. But for the very rare instance of someone not managing to do so, there’s a money-back guarantee on the ski course, rentals, and lift pass, although not the accommodation. The 3-day ski course with ”success and fun guarantee”, includes 4 hours tuition per day, 4 nights’ accommodation, ski pass, and rentals, and costs from €373 (£318) to stay in a 3 guesthouse, or €533 (£453) at a 4 hotel. The Learn2Ski package is available for the following dates: 9, 16 and 23 March 2014.

Scottish Off-Piste Guidebook The first guidebook to off-piste skiing in Scotland has been published by SkiMountain (skimountain. co.uk). Scottish Offpiste Skiing & Snowboarding: Nevis Range & Ben Nevis by Kenny Biggin contains 91 routes detailed over 200 pages, and includes 170 full colour photos and diagrams. This new off-piste guidebook sets out to unlock the potential Scotland’s mountains have to offer. “Snow filled powder bowls, exciting corniced gullies, open faces, and narrow and twisting hidden couloirs ... On the right day skiing or boarding in this part of Scotland promises some of the best adventures you'll ever have! Perhaps it's the cameraderie, the fact that it's your own backyard, or the tricky conditions which make it all the sweeter when it comes together – whatever the reasons, there is some amazing offpiste on offer here and probably a lot more than you think!” says Biggin. The guidebook covers off-piste skiing and snowboarding at Nevis Range, on Ben Nevis and in the surrounding mountains. Available in the Nevis Range ski area, or by mail order priced at £18.95 (+ P&P).

FEBRUARY 2014 | inthesnow.com

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

California Celebrates Huge Snowfall Ending Drought DAVID BLACK

here were celebrations in California on the last day of January, when resorts received up to 40cm of powder snow, ending a horrendous drought, which in places had seen precipitation in December and January at less than 10% of normal levels – leaving ski areas battling to open even very limited terrain, and then only thanks to snowmaking. The lack of natural snow in a region famed for its powder, which usually has snow lying metres deep (Mammoth, pictured after the fresh snow fell, has been able to stay open to August in some years as it has taken the snow so

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long to melt), was highly unusual. There was below-average precipitation further north too, although less severely limited, at (officially) the world’s snowiest resort Mt Baker in Washington state, and at west coast resorts in Canada, with Mt Washington on Vancouver Island, another resort normally famed for its deep snow, unable to open until January. California was the last of the world’s leading ski regions to report significant snowfall this season, which is now seeing good snow pretty much everywhere. Low-lying Austrian resorts had limited cover over Christmas and New Year, but then had large falls in the middle of January; and Eastern European ski areas followed suit towards the end of last month.

high quality catered & self catered accommodation Two Of Canada’s Best Skiers Have Trails Named After Them s part of the festivities surrounding its 75th anniversary, Tremblant in Quebec has celebrated the accomplishments of Erik Guay and Jasey-Jay Anderson by naming two trails in their honour. Sports fans, families, and supporters alike, gathered for the homage paid to both athletes by Patrice Malo, President and Chief Operating Officer at Station Mont Tremblant; the two have acted as ambassador athletes for the famous Canadian resort for several years now. “As the winner of the 2010 Super-G

Crystal Globe, the 2011 World Champion in Super-G, and on the eve of matching the Canadian record for World Cup podiums, all honours are yours. That is why from today on, the Grand Prix will bear your name,” Mr Malo told Guay. “Jasey-Jay, your persistence equals the tenacity of Tremblant’s builders. And for this reason, the Géant trail, so named to commemorate the vision of Tremblant’s builders, will now be rebaptized in your name,” he added to Anderson, before handing both men commemorative versions of the trail signs.

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Tignes Discounts For April/May Tignes, which boasts France’s longest ski season, and some of the world’s most snow-sure slopes, thanks to the Grand Motte glacier, has announced a raft of discounts and incentives for anyone booking a week’s family accommodation direct via tignesreservation. net, from 5 April right through to 10 May. Children will receive a welcome gift, and then a free Espace Killy lift pass, free rentals, and a free mountain restaurant meal when an accompanying adult buys the same.

The Stash Rated World’s Number 1 PATRICK THORNE

NN asked some of the world's top skiers, snowboarders, and winter sports journalists to name their favourite ski run, and most popular was The Stash in Avoriaz, in the Portes du Soleil on the French–Swiss border. Described as “part-tree run and part-terrain park” by the resort, The Stash is an ungroomed area in the middle of the forest, which caters for a mixture of freeride and

freestyle skiers and boarders. Wooden elements on the run, which were partially designed by Jake Burton, founder of the famed snowboard brand, include a wall for vertical sliding, logs and tree trunk obstacles, wooden tables for sliding on, jumps from paths and rocks, trees bent like rainbows, snow shock absorbers, toboggans, ramps, and other natural obstacles. Along with providing a lot of fun the aim is to “… provide messages of environmental protection”. "My favourite run in the world is

The Stash," says Becky Menday, a member of Great Britain's freestyle snowboard team. "It takes you through the trees and has fantastic natural wooden features for you to session all the way through it." All in all The Stash contains around 80 natural obstacles, with numerous routes suited to different ability levels. The panel, chosen by CNN, who opted for The Stash included: Andrew Weibrecht, Olympic medallist and US ski team member; John Stifter, Editor at US ski bible

Powder magazine; Mike Douglas, the godfather of freeskiing, and creator of the world's first twin-tip ski; and Nicola Iseard, Editor of Fall-Line magazine.

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BUILD YOUR OWN UNIQUE Igloo AT NEW Festival IN ADELBODEN PATRICK THORNE

ver since the Ice Hotel gained popularity more than 20 years ago in Swedish Lapland, more and more snow and ice accommodation has been built each winter at ski resorts across the northern hemisphere. Now Adelboden in Switzerland has gone a stage further. It is offering enthusiastic igloo lovers

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who want to not only stay in, but actually build their own igloos, the chance to come together on the local Engstligenalp mountain above the village, from 14–16 March, to create a unique village out of ice and snow. Adelboden Tourism, Alpine School Adelboden, Engstligenalp Mountain Transport, and Sherpa Outdoor, have joined forces to organise the igloo building event. Equipped with shovels and snow

saws, the igloo builders set about creating the shelters in which they will spend the night, surrounded by the spectacular mountain backdrop. “The Igloo Festival is certain to be a weekend full of positive experiences, with lots of fun and a great atmosphere for all participants. Igloo-building skills are required and all the necessary equipment is supplied by the organisers,” said a statement from the resort.

Participation costs from CHF139 (£93), and would-be participants must register their interest by 2 March via adelboden.ch.

ESF Offer Free Guiding Still embroiled in legal controversy with British tour operators over ski hosting (the next court case is due in the spring), the École du Français (ESF) is offering a free guided tour of the Les Houches ski areas in the Chamonix valley every Sunday and Monday. An ESF instructor will guide skiers and boarders giving tips, helpful hints, and generally entertain them with little anecdotes from the ski area, “… to help you relax into your holiday.”

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White Shapes In Ischgl FOR 50TH PATRICK THORNE

his year’s ”Shapes In White” snow sculpture contest in Ischgl took on the theme of celebrating the Austrian resort itself, which was celebrating the 50th anniversary of its lifts operating. Ten international artists worked their way through tonnes of ice and snow over 4 days, and the winning sculpture was “Die Pioniere” by Ivo Piazza and Reiner Kasslatter from South Tirol. In 1961, 73 business partners founded

the Silvrettaseilbahn AG at the Hotel Post in Ischgl. Since then the Alpine lifestyle metropolis has evolved from a mountain farming village, into one of the world’s most renowned winter sports resorts. In December 1963, the Silvretta aerial tramway went into operation, and since then the valley has invested €400m (£328m) in the maintenance and further development of the ski resort. To this day, the residents have waived their rights to dividends. Instead the profits flow straight back into the joint-stock company.

Courchevel Hotels Win Highest Eco Management Award wo more Courchevel hotels have achieved the hard to reach Gold award from the international organisation Travelife (travelifecollection.com), achieved for operating to very high ethical and environmental standards. The Hotel New Solarium, and the Hotel Des Neiges, in Courchevel 1850 join the Hotel Saint Louis, which was the first to get the award. Travelife Gold means that the hotel management must show that they lead the way and have an active environmental policy, publish regular reports on their sustainability actions, treat their staff fairly and with respect, as well as helping local people. “Our teams were already environmentally-conscious in their private lives, so taking it to a professional

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level was the logical thing to do,” said Sophie Roskam, Directrice Générale Lodges & Mountain Hotels, which runs both of the newly-awarded hotels. Travelife is a travel industryled scheme, launched in 2007 in partnership with tour operators like TUI Travel, Thomas Cook, and many others, and endorsed by ABTA. Crystal Ski (crystalski.co.uk) and Flexiski (flexiski. com) offer holidays to the two hotels.

Kicking Horse Unveils New Kids Zone icking Horse Mountain Resort in British Columbia, Canada, which has been trying to emphasise that it is not JUST about challenging terrain for experts ever since it opened a little over a decade ago, has added a new Kids Zone and childcare centre in its bid to cater better to skiing families. Located just steps away from the resort’s existing Learning Centre, and

adjacent to the snow school, the new Kids Zone is a huge haven to play and socialise in a fun environment. It’s a one-stop shop for parents looking to explore the more gnarly terrain of Kicking Horse, knowing that their skiers-to-be are in good hands. Kicking Horse also has the new Slopeside Coffee and Deli, as well as a new Kicking Horse Brand Store in the day lodge this winter.

Swiss quality. Now also from Gatwick. Enjoy Swiss quality and service on your way to the Alps with almost as much frequency as our cable cars. You can now enjoy Swiss quality from London Gatwick to the Alps three times a week beginning 14 December.

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British Boarder Hits Freeride High

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ritish snowboarder Sascha Hamm took the second place at the first stop of the 2014 Freeride World Tour (FWT) in Courmayeur, France, last month. It was Hamm’s first time in a FWT event, which is sponsored by Swatch and The North Face, having qualified via the FWT Qualifier (FWQ) system. "I am glad that I got to take my run

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before the skiers. The snow conditions were amazing! I had a blast doing rocks, and riding fluffy snow,” said Hamm (37), who works in central London as an investment property consultant from Monday–Thursday, and flies every Thursday night to the Alps to go riding and take part in competitions. “I ended up taking a completely different line than I had planned, and everything went well until a light slam at the finish line. At the next event I will concentrate more on the finish line."

The White Thrill For April t Anton’s ”White Thrill” race is scheduled to be staged on 19 April this year. The cult classic marks (almost) the end of the ski season at the famous Austrian resort, and sees around 500 participants from all over the world charging down the 1300m, unprepared descent from the Vallugagrat Ridge to the valley, 9km away. It’s not all downhill, as en-route they have to unbuckle their skis and contend

with a 150m-long, 37 altitude metre ascent, before getting back in their skis again to race towards the finish line.

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It’s The St Lary Pig Festival

lthough Klosters has its annual piglet race every New Year, there had been a lamentable lack of pigrelated events in Europe’s ski areas each winter. But that error in planning has now

been put right in the French Pyrenees, where the ski resort of St Lary (saintlary. com) staged a festival to celebrate the famous local black pigs – or ”Porc Noir de Bigorre” – a high-quality product for which the resort and the surrounding Vallée d’Aure are famous. Various workshops in the morning saw farmers showing their traditional working techniques, before an afternoon banquet with Porc Noir de Bigorre the key ingredient followed. Then in the evening, the menus in the village’s restaurants were adapted to the theme, with meals and tapas using Porc Noir de Bigorre.

Y R DIA RE OF A

I A N O S A SE BY Lorna

McGachie

nd on the fifth day, it began to snow. A lot. Thank God for that. My arrival into resort wasn’t exactly the plain-sailing fairytale I’d envisioned a million times in my head. It was also the exact moment I realised a nonworking phone was the most disastrous thing that could happen to someone

who had never visited the French resort of Tignes before. I got off the coach at an ungodly hour with no map, no phone signal for texts or internet, and even less of an idea of where to find my apartment. I’ll tell you this though seasonaires in Tignes are incredibly friendly, and I will be forever grateful to the chalet host who traipsed around with me, for what felt like hours in the freezing cold, just to see that I found my new home safely. During the first week in early-December the term ”bluebird” was thrown into pretty much every conversation I had about the ski conditions. In all honesty it was just like skiing in April. The mountains were growing greener every day, and the sunscreen had already earned its place on the list of necessary ski essentials. A much needed snowfall felt less likely than a snowboarder admitting that skiing is cool, and we’d started to convince ourselves that sunbathing on the balcony was a good way to spend December. The snow gods answered our desperate pleas however, and by mid-December a truckload of fresh pow was thankfully delivered to us, just in time for Christmas. After a 7-month hiatus, the first day out on

the slopes made me look more like Bambi on ice than a capable seasonaire. Me and my housemate Marcus shared our first Tignes-ski steps together and, in almost perfect synchronisation, wiped out once our skis were off the chairlift and launched onto the treacherous, snowy ground. It’s often said that getting back on skis is as natural as getting back onto a bike. I wholeheartedly disagree. I’ve already had my fair share of decent falls. Many thanks to my overconfidence, whereby my ski-racer alter ego emerges, convincing me that I can go a lot faster than what I’m actually capable of. These falls have taught me that I’m definitely not skiracer worthy, and Chemmy Alcott needn’t worry about losing her title as British number one anytime soon. Others can be blamed on the whiteouts that sweep in with the snow and blind you from every angle. There weren’t many skiers out to witness the first whiteout, only seasonaires crazy enough to brave the conditions because working hours very much dictate our ski time. I literally couldn’t see a thing, and had no idea of which way was up or down. On one occasion I unintentionally drifted off piste having lost the ski markers, only to find myself falling off a thin ledge into the powder below. Month one has consisted of epic skiing, après beers that never remain tame, beer pong tournaments at So Bar, where the

rules are simple – throw the ping-pong ball into the opposing team’s cups and watch them drink themselves into a drunken stupor. So far there are no significant injuries to report on. Let’s see what month two has to offer.

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KI S E

O H A T

Graham Duffill

ome places make you want to visit just because of their evocative names: Sunset Boulevard; Yellowstone National Park; Martha’s Vineyard. … and Lake Tahoe. The lake sits like a huge flooded volcano basin, which is rimmed with peaks that are white with snow in winter and home to around a dozen ski areas. It is intersected from north to south on the map by a line that divides the states of California and Nevada. On one side are the blonde, gleaming toothsome-smiling, health-obsessed residents of the Golden State. On the other side, the dark sister, purveyor of

gambling and legalised prostitution. In between is the famous lake, which sometimes shines brilliant blue in the sunshine, and is sometimes steel grey and cold. We are staying at Harveys Lake Tahoe on the South Shore, temporary home of the desperate seeking salvation in the bottom of a slot machine. There has to be a very good reason to keep me here. The answer is just across the rainsplattered road, its cables stretching up into the grey cloud. Skiing has the power to transcend, and today the cable car ride up to Heavenly mountain resort, rising out of the rain to the sugar-coated world of fresh powder and sunshine, is like going to heaven.

If you collect famous world ski resorts Heavenly is a must-have stamp in your passport. The 1067m drop to the lake shore is so dramatic it almost feels as though you can jump in. The 30 lifts cover 1942 hectares of skiing for all standards, with wellgroomed runs cut through the trees. After a night of heavy snow, the tree skiing through thigh-deep powder is “awesome!” But, as we all know, a successful ski trip consists of two parts – the ski and the après-ski. The European experience of falling into the fug of a warm bar at the bottom of a slope rarely exists in American skiing. So why not kick off your boots and pull up a chair at the roulette table?

That’s the point about flying to California to go skiing – it offers more than just skiing. Tahoe is 322km east of San Francisco, which is an easy ½-day drive. The ultimate trip for me would be San Francisco to Tahoe by car, fly to LA (to avoid an 8-hour drive) then, after a stay in LA, hire a car to go up Highway 1 through Malibu, Big Sur, and Carmel back to San Francisco. I would strongly recommend a first night stopover in San Francisco to recover from the long flight through eight time zones before starting any trip, but an alternative is to take one of the hourly shuttle flights to Reno, the gateway airport for Tahoe. If South Lake Tahoe/Heavenly is your main ski destination, do not

COREY RICH AND HEAVENLY MOUNTAIN RESORT

Getting To Tahoe

overlook a few days stay in Reno to ski the handful of delightful resorts at the north end of Lake Tahoe. Squaw Valley, host of the 1960 Winter Olympics, is a quirky little resort where you can easily ski between the marked runs, creating your own variations. Northstar and Mount Rose are also each worth a day’s visit. Northstar is owned by Vail Resorts, who also own Heavenly and a third area, Kirkwood, to the south, and a joint pass can be purchased that is valid at all three. Northstar is a very pleasant family-friendly village, and, being in California, offers a refreshing escape from gambling and the smoke-laden air. Mount Rose is typical of the independent privately-owned

Crystal Ski (crystalski.co.uk) is offering a week’s stay (w/c 19 February) at the 4★ Peppermill Reno from £995pp (based on four sharing), departing from London Heathrow with American Airlines to Reno via Los Angeles.

American ski legs gave resort that does up, or things its own closing A week’s stay (w/c 19 February) in Heavenly on way. There’s time South Lake Tahoe at the Horizon Casino Resort no village, just arrived. costs from £1065pp (based on four sharing), also a parking lot, By the departing from London Heathrow with American restaurant, end I Airlines to Reno via Los Angeles. and lift-ticket felt I had office. A steep met and bowl called made the Chutes has buddies been opened with up, allowing ambitious skiers who everyone else who was skiing the find America’s carefully controlled Chutes that day. pistes too cossetted, to enjoy seriously There are so many small charming steep off-piste skiing. The day we resorts like Mount Rose in North went it was deep in fresh snow, and I America that define the American just wanted to keep going round and ski experience for me much more round the dozens of routes until my accurately than going to Vail, Aspen,

or any of the other ski-metropolises, including Heavenly. These resorts are 1-day ski destinations, with often little or no accommodation at the base. For Mount Rose it’s best to stay in Reno at one of the big casino hotels, and the Peppermill is probably the best choice. My suspicion is that the big hotels are subsidised by gambling you can also get great value for money, and in the case of the Peppermill a swimming pool, gym, and various restaurants. As you leave in the morning with your hat and goggles, board or skis in hand, and you pass the all-night gamblers in the forever twilight world of the casino, it’s hard to know who is living in the correct version of reality.

inthesnow.com | FEBRUARY 2014

The Cowboy Downhill Rides Again PATRICK THORNE

Enjoy A Free Lunch Pila in the Italian Aosta Valley is offering a free lunch to children aged under-6 when they’re accompanied by an adult who eats a meal at the resort’s Lo Baoutson, La Baraka, La Société, La Châtelaine, Grand Grimod, Leissé, or Hermitage restaurants. A discount card is also available to holidaymakers staying in Pila (as well as nearby La Thuile), which is valid in a wide variety of participating establishments (everywhere from bars to leisure centres).

he annual Cowboy Downhill in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, last month drew cowboys from across the world for this spectacular event.

Just as riding a bull takes a special breed of person, hopping on skis for the first time, navigating gates, flying off a 1.8m jump, and making it down in one piece seems rational for those rodeo types. The final bit of the race, lassoing a person and saddling a

horse is the easy bit, apparently. “When the cowboys come and we teach them to turn, they say 'We don’t want to learn to turn. Turning slows you down’,” says Billy Kidd, Steamboat's Director of Skiing. “They love adrenaline. They want to go as fast as they can all the time.”

After all the excitement, guests were treated to live music, and the soothing glow of hot air balloons lighting up the base area. If that wasn’t enough, it was also a chance for guests to take advantage of the resort’s new night skiing, which takes place every Friday–Sunday.

The Jump – Think You Can Do Better Than The Celebrities? nnsbruck was host to the Channel 4 reality series The Jump, which saw celebrities tackle winter sports challenges

from skiing to skeleton bob. The bobsleigh track is open to the public through the winter so you can try it yourself, with prices from €30 (£25), this allows you to take-up

position in a five-man bobsleigh behind a professional pilot. The bobsleigh reaches speeds of 100km/h on the 800m track, going through ten turns.

SkiWeekends.com has packages staying at the 4 Hotel Alpinpark from £474pp for 4 nights’ half-board, with return flights and transfers.

P AUGIER

FEBRUARY 2014 | inthesnow.com

Relive Olympic Action PATRICK THORNE

wo Olympic freestyle events – ski cross and ski moguls – will be brought together again after Sochi, at the Ski Cross and Moguls World Cup. Held each year at La Plagne, part of the giant French Paradiski region, this year’s finals take place from 19–23 March. For the first time ever, the moguls competition will

include a big air category, which the resort hopes will attract still younger competitors and a younger crowd. As well as being one of the world’s biggest ski resorts, La Plagne is a venue for many other Olympic sports, and prior to the Sochi Games international bobsleigh teams were training on La Plagne’s track, which was used for the Albertville Olympics in 1992. Under Technical Manager Alain Bessard, nine ice experts maintain

the track at La Plagne, and they have all been recruited by the Sochi Olympic organisers to ensure perfect ice preparation on the Sochi track. The track at La Plagne is also open to anyone (except younger children) to enjoy activities like luge (90km/h), priced €107pp (£89), for those aged 16 years+; bob racing sitting behind a professional driver (120km/h), priced €115pp (£95); and bob rafting – a self-piloted, self-

Ski Resort Adds Solar Array Berkshire East ski area in Massachusetts, USA, has added a 500kW solar array to its existing 900kW wind turbine installed 2 years ago, and is now 100% green energy powered on site. It cost nearly $3m (£1.8m) to install, but the resort received grants and other financial incentives from state and national government to cut that headline cost. The resort expects the system to pay for itself within the next 5–7 years – 5 years if fossil fuel continues to rise, 7 years if the price does not.

braking vehicle for four passengers invented in La Plagne (80km/h), priced €41pp (£34), for those aged 14 years+.

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20 Perched 1500m above the sun-drenched Rhone Valley, and set against the dramatic backdrop of the mighty Matterhorn and Mont Blanc, Crans Montana offers visitors space for play and relaxation like nowhere else in the Swiss Alps. With short transfers from Geneva (2 hours by road or rail) it’s an attractive resort for a long weekend or short stay, as well as a regular ski week, ensuring skiers can be on the slopes that much faster!

CRANS MONTANA

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Skiing For Every Ability

Hospitality Is A Way of Life

There’s 140km of piste to satisfy all levels and disciplines. Children and complete novices can enjoy instruction at the wonderful Snow Island with its nursery slopes and intermediates have many wide-open, gently carving pistes. More challenging skiing is available at the Plaine Morte glacier where slopes up to 3000m high are accessible by cable car. Runs down are up to 12km long with great panoramic views.

Hospitality is a way of life not just a catch phrase in the resort. Visitors can enjoy smaller, more intimate family-run hotels or establishments, which compete on service levels with the newer more cosmopolitan luxury hotels and sumptuous chalets, or guests can opt for a range of self-catering accommodation within easy walking distance to the key lift stations. A complimentary resort shuttle connects guests staying off the beaten track.

Thanks to the warm climate, agriculture continues to flourish in the Valais region and everything starts with local produce. Crans Montana boasts more than 150 restaurants and bars both within the resort and on the mountain where traditional delicacies still account for much of the cuisine and can be enjoyed with Valais wine, the pride of the Swiss vineyards.

WORLD Events

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Enjoy The Night of Your Dreams

Crans Montana is a feel good resort, effortlessly elegant, combining friendliness and a laid-back atmosphere with a reputation for world-class service. It is no coincidence that events as prestigious as the Omega European Masters Golf, World Cup Ski events and the Caprices Festival have chosen the resort as their home.

For visitors to the resort who would rather relax or soak-up the sun, Crans Montana boasts one of the largest shopping areas in the Alps to browse; a wealth of spas and wellbeing centres; museums and art galleries; including the newly opened Pierre-Arnaud Foundation, ice-rink; casino; 3D cinema; bowling; horse-riding; indoor golf centre; and much, much more!

… and Free Skiing. Take as much advantage as you can of the hotels and slopes of Crans Montana with the resort’s special offer “Enjoy the night of your dreams … and free skiing!”. Stay in a participating hotel and receive a ski pass for the duration of your stay. Free ski pass for every overnight stay and for every guest. The offer is valid from 17 March– 27 April 2014. Book now at crans-montana.ch

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FEBRUARY 2014 | inthesnow.com

Everyone Out For World Snow Day In 2014 orld Snow Day took place again around the world last month, when the FIS helped to coordinate events at hundreds of ski areas in more than 35 countries across Europe, North America, Asia, and even a dry slope in South Africa. The aim of the event is to encourage more children on to the slopes, with fun events and free or discounted activities – with hundreds of thousands taking part. Closer to home, there were events on at Scotland’s five outdoor ski centres, and on the indoor snow slopes of Snow Factor at Braehead near Glasgow, which offered free 90-minute ski or snowboard taster sessions. “Young or old, it’s hard to beat the fun and thrill of skiing, snowboarding or even sledging on snow,” said Jamie Smith, the centre’s owner.

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Expertise and Advice Since 1965... Circus Festival In La Clusaz This spring in La Clusaz, France, the Radiomeuh Circus Festival 2014 will be even bigger, the Lake Annecy Ski Resort promises. Staged over 3 nights inside a huge circus tent, concerts and DJs will play for capacity crowds of 900 people per day. They’ll also be live music over the week in different mountain locations, and a party atmosphere for après-ski all week from 1–6 April. Admission to the big top costs from €22 (£18), all other events are free.

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British boarder Billy Morgan was the first ever person to compete at the Sochi Winter Olympics and the first ever person to compete in the new Olympic discipline on Snowboard Slopestyle too. Morgan and teammate Jamie Nicholls were competing the day before the opening ceremony of the 2014 Olympics and progressed to the finals. "It was pretty cool, I didn’t realise until one of the other athletes told me at the top. I didn’t think about it until the last minute. I had fun and it was really good," said Morgan.

Ski Fit Bootcamp A Skiplex Ski Fit Bootcamp week concentrates on ski fitness on the piste over a 90-minute session, which takes place on the centre’s artificial surface slope with the aim of getting you holiday fit within a week (skiplex.co.uk). Beginners will progress from snowplough to parallel skiing, and stronger skiers can perfect their long and short turns. Qualified instructors offer real-time feedback, and the use of a giant mirror at the base of the slope enables the skier to see their progress immediately. The Bootcamp costs £180, and runs from 3–7 and 17–21 March, each weekday night from 8–9.30pm.

inthesnow.com | FEBRUARY 2014

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Get ready for Altitude 2014 in Mayrhofen, Austria. We have TWO TICKETS* to give away to a lucky reader to go to the funniest show on snow. Running from 31 Marchâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;4 April, this event brings you some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest comedians including: John Bishop, Tommy Tiernan, Daniel Sloss, and many more! We will also throw in FREE lift passes* and ski hire*. (*The winner will be entitled to two standard Altitude festival tickets, which will allow entrance to every show, two 5-day lift passes, and ski hire for two for 5 days. The prize is non-refundable.) To view the full line-up, and find out more visit altitudefestival.com. Closing Date: 14 March 2014. Terms and conditions apply. Votes cast after the closing date will not be counted. Travel and accommodation is not included. One entry with the correct answer will be picked at random to win the competition. Incomplete entries will not be counted. By entering the competition you agree to receiving mailings from, or on behalf of InTheSnow Ltd, however, your email will not be sold or passed to third parties. One entry per person.

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Les 3 Vallées Enduro Race Returns DAVID BLACK

es 3 Vallées Enduro Race, claimed to be the world’s largest amateur ski race, will return this spring. The race has a simple concept, teams of three, on Alpine or Telemark skis, or snowboard, have to complete a loop around Les 3 Vallées by taking part in special races across the ski area: freeride, skicross, freestyle (big air bag), parallel

slalom, descent, freestyle descent, freestyle, super-G, and speed skiing. Each team can choose their own route and the different challenges they wish to take part in, and the goal of the competition is to spend an exceptional day enjoying the (hopefully) ideal spring ski conditions in the world’s largest ski area – this year on Sunday 6 April. The race is open to all ability levels, and there’s even a family category so everyone can take part.

• 7 nights accommodation • All meals • 6.5 days equipment hire • 6.5 days lift pass • 12 hrs instruction

£534

CHAMONIX – OFF PISTE 1th Mars 2014 – 8th Mars 2014

• 7 nights accommodation • All meals • 6.5 days equipment hire • 6.5 days lift pass • 23hrs instruction

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Every week, all season – full details on:

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Is It A Backpack? Is It A Sledge? British ski enthusiast and entrepreneur, Mike Rhucroft, has created PACCA – a child’s travel backpack that unfolds to become a fullsized sledge. This innovative UK made backpack has a suitcase quality outer shell, which is light, and compact enough to be carried onto a plane by a child as approved hand luggage. Available in three funky colours (pink, blue and green), it can be used to conveniently carry everything needed during a flight, then unfold in resort to be used as a sledge. This sledge/suitcase meets all stringent safety guidelines and is CE marked, and

is robust and durable. What’s more, the shoulder straps and handle mean no more dragging sledges back up the hill – simply clip it shut, and put it on your back. Chief tester George (7) is reported to have given it ”a strong thumbs up” (£34.99; paccaworld.com).

The cheapest and easiest environmentally friendly way to over 40 great French Ski resorts Free and reasonable luggage policy Free ski/snowboard carriage Generous leg room

Lake Louise “World’s Most Scenic”

ake Louise ski resort, near Banff in Alberta, has been named the most scenic ski resort in the world by USA Today, which described the famous centre in the Canadian Rockies as, "unsurpassed with postcard perfect beauty".

Weekly coach service from the UK to the French Alps

Located in the Banff National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lake Louise is renowned the world over for stunning panoramic views of endless, towering mountain peaks, sparkling glaciers, and the shimmering lake itself. "It is an honour to be recognised for something that truly distinguishes our resort from those around the world. Every day our guests and staff are treated to some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere, and the fact that we have an amazing ski resort nestled in the heart of it all is a special bonus," said the resort’s Dan Markham.

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

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any people make the mistake of booking a low cost flight and thinking they’re going to have a cheap ski holiday. The truth is that these days flight costs come some way down the list of items taking the largest share of your ski holiday spend – almost always below accommodation as you’d expect and the lift pass, but also often bellow the cost of equipment hire and even the cost of getting from your destination airport to your resort and back. Here’s some advice on not spending any more than you have to on your ski holiday.

Choose A Less Well Known Resort We Brits tend to go back to the same 50 or so names we know in the

Alps, but the reality is that there are hundreds and hundreds of resorts, many of the perfectly adequate for our needs, with the added bonus of being much more affordable. If you take a look at monarch.co.uk/ ski/ you’ll find a list of recommended ski areas that are less well known on the British market but just a short hop from the airport and much more affordable than some of the big names. If you don’t know the difference between the famous and less famous resorts in the skiing world, we’d recommend BrandnertalKlostertal only 70 minutes from Friedrichshafen airport (fly from Gatwick or Manchester); Neustift, 90 minutes from Munich (fly from Luton or Manchester), or snow-sure Passo Tonale, just over 2 hours from Verona (fly from Manchester).

From Airport To Resort One of the big factors that many people overlook in planning their ski trip is the cost (and convenience) of getting from their destination airport to their ski resort. The cost for a taxi each way – often the most convenient answer – can be hundreds of pounds (much more than the flight), so it’s important to look at this before you book a flight or accommodation. An increasing number of resorts – particularly those that are looking to grow business, and those that are big enough to warrant competition between private operators to drive down price – offer low-priced bus services timed to connect with flights. Livigno in Italy, for example, has a new service running to/from Innsbruck in Austria to connect with Monarch flights from Manchester (livignoexpress.com/_eng/), and a

good many other resorts offer similar services. A wide range of transfer services can also be booked via Monarch’s Ski Extras (monarch.co.uk/ ski/extras). If you’re a couple or a family, car hire can be the most affordable option and Monarch offer car rental from as little as £9 per day through its Ski Extras service, with snow tyres or chain rentals also available.

Time Your Trip Choosing the right time of the season is essential for the best prices for flights, accommodation, and often for other requirements of your ski trip like lift passes. February is usually expensive, particularly in France, because of the school holidays on both sides of the Channel driving up demand, but March and April are generally more affordable,

ION Monarch flies to Friedrichshafen from London Gatwick and Manchester; Grenoble from London Gatwick and Leeds Bradford; Munich from London Luton and Manchester; Innsbruck from Manchester; and Verona from Manchester. The airline also flies from London Gatwick to Barcelona for ski areas in Andorra and the Spanish Pyrenees; and from Manchester to Venice for Cortina d’Ampezzo.

with usually only a small increase in prices around the Easter fortnight. If you’re already looking ahead to 2014–15 then pre-Christmas week at the start of the season is good, and early-January (after New Year week) to early-February (before the school half-term holidays) may well be half the price of those peak weeks.

Pick A Package One of the best ways to cut your costs in resort is to go to the accommodation section on the official resort website and look for bargains (or just email the resort and ask what it can offer). If you’ve avoided peak dates you’re almost certain to find one offer or another, which may well be tailored to your party type (family, group, beginners). Examples include ”buy two nights get one free”, ”free lift pass with your booking”, or similar deals that can

save a packet compared with buying each element of your ski trip separately. These kinds of deals are often the best way to book into a famous resort if you need to reduce costs – St Anton for example is easy to reach from Friedrichshafen (served by Monarch from London Gatwick and Manchester). Monarch also offers low cost accommodation options when you book (monarch.co.uk/hotels).

Lower Priced Lift Passes It is wise to consider how much you need to ski when you can now pay anywhere between £100 and £300 for a 6-day lift pass. It goes without saying that going low season, or to one of the ”less famous” ski areas is going to put this cost nearer to the £100 than the £300. Families should be particularly wary of resorts where lift pass prices for

For more information, latest deals and to book slopes before children visit: monarch.co.uk/ski. you confirm is the full and pre-pay. adult price Just Google from aged your preferred 10 or 12, resort name and ski rentals. and almost full price from aged 4 or 5. Monarch works with Skiset, which Discounts tend to be more generous operates 800 hire shops where in Austria and Italy –in the Austrian Monarch customers can receive a 5% Arlberg, for example, children don’t discount, details again via monarch. pay at all until age 9, and then halfco.uk/ski/extras. price until age 16, so you can quickly So to sum up: find your affordable save hundreds of pounds if you have more than one child on your booking. Monarch flights; seek out a less famous nearby destination that meets your Save On Rentals needs and is affordable to reach, then look for special deals through the resort’s There’s a lot of competition between own website, or a specialist British tour ski rental companies, each offering a operator; and finally look for the best lift variety of deals from big discounts to pass and ski rental deals online before BOGOF specials. As tempting as they you arrive in resort. Get all these elements sound it’s hard to know the reality nailed down and you’re on your way without comparing two or three – it is to saving a small fortune on your trip, wise to check the convenience of the compared with just booking a cheap location to the accommodation and the flight then hoping for the best!

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OFF-PISTE SKI ADVENTURES

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he Carlton Hotel in St Moritz, popularly regarded as one of the world’s greatest hotels since an extravagant 18-month rebuild was completed in 2007, leaving it with 60 spacious suites and junior suites, and a luxurious three-storey spa, celebrates its centenary this winter. The prestigious staircase, the stucco decoration on the ceiling of the Bel Etage, and the historic brick walls visible around the hotel, recall the glittering

times witnessed at the beginning of the 20th century, while the suites offer a wide range of colours, a high level of comfort, and state-of-the-art technology. Special “100th anniversary” 2 night’ packages are available, which include luxurious breakfasts and dinners, plus 100th anniversary themed gifts that include a 100-minute wellness treatment in the Carlton spa, a 100g jar of caviar, 100 minutes in the private spa suite, 100 tips and tricks from the butler, and a 100-year-old whisky tasting. Prices from CHF1200pp (approx. £800).

Freeride Map App For Android & iPhone company that makes special off-piste maps for freeriders has launched six new regions this season: Montafon; Glacier 3000/ Alpes Vaudoises; Les Arcs; La Clusaz; Serre Chevalier; and Pic du Midi/Grand Tourmalet. Furthermore, Freeride Maps (freeride-map.com) can now also be used with smartphones, by means of the Scout app (for Android and iPhone), with 23 of the company’s 36 maps loaded, and the rest due to be added soon.

The practical maps, at a scale of 1:25,000, display all the information required for planning and carrying out a tour in the terrain. “More and more freeriders plan out their routes on the computer at home, and then use GPS devices and smartphones for orientation and navigation out on the terrain,” said a company statement. “When the Scout app is used in conjunction with the tour planning software Tour Explorer LIVE from MagicMaps, there are no more limits to route planning, navigation

across terrain, and tour analysis back home.”

HD Action Cameras Get More Affordable

www.skipower.co.uk ivitar has released a waterproof, remotecontrolled HD camcorder, complete with helmet mount ready to record extreme firstperson point of view video, and costing less than most other quality brands. The rugged new DVR 787 HD Action Camera is one of the most versatile, readyfor-action HD camcorders available, able to capture every on snow adventure

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in dynamic, full 1080p at 30 frames per second. The remote enables you to capture only the footage and still shots you want with the touch of a button, without having to stop or fumble with the camera. “With its lightweight and compact size, rugged chassis and waterproof case, the DVR 787 can go anywhere you go, with zero impact on performance or movement,” said Jeff Saka, President of Sakar International, which produces the Vivitar brand.

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FEBRUARY 2014 | inthesnow.com

Skiing In An Austrian Atmosphere In Holland DAVID BLACK

he company that operates the largest indoor snow slope in the world (by area), SnowWorld Landgraaf in the Netherlands (snowworld.com), and which also operates another Dutch indoor snow centre, has recently announced plans to build more indoor snow centres in Barcelona and Paris, as well as its takeover of SnowPlanet near Amsterdam, providing the company with a third location in the Netherlands. “I am extremely happy with this

takeover, because SnowWorld Amsterdam is a wonderful addition to our product and strategy. We are planning to create the same Austrian atmosphere which we already have in our domes in Zoetermeer and Landgraaf and expect to create a lot of synergy,” said SnowWorld CEO Koos Hendriks. The Netherlands has more indoor snow centres than any other country in the world, with seven, and the 550m-long slope at SnowWorld Landgraaf, complete with indoor six-seater chairlift and 4 hotel on site, is around three times longer than the biggest British slope.

Keela’s Zenith Softshell oft shells are becoming increasingly popular in the outdoor community as they’re more breathable than traditional outer shells. The Keela range of soft shells provide windproofing and high water resistance, and can allow for a lighter waterproof outer shell to be used increasing comfort and reducing weight, as well as the bulk that has to be carried. They can be used as a protective outer shell, or as a thermal midlayer in

more extreme conditions. Keela's Zenith softshell (RRP £79.95; ) is completely windproof, and maintains the balance between lightweight, breathable midlayer, and weather defensive outer layer, and has been constructed with the company’s redeveloped AirXtream fabric with fleece backing. Redeveloped to provide the ultimate in soft shell performance, AirXtream is constructed using a durable ripstop outer fabric, with a breathable fleece

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Stowe Announce Improvements new state-of-the-art Children’s Adventure Centre, with ski/ride school, daycare facilities, and a children’s activities centre, as well as more shops and restaurants, are to be built around a new ice rink at Spruce Peak in Stowe, Vermont, USA, this summer. “As with everything we do at Stowe Mountain Resort, this new phase will adhere to the development principals

that guide the Resort,” said Sam Gaines, VP of Spruce Peak Realty, adding, “It’s a collective vision that will serve our families for years to come and will ultimately be a preeminent part of the Stowe legacy.” Over the past decade, Stowe Mountain Resort and Spruce Peak Realty have created the 4 Stowe Mountain Lodge and Spa, various other accommodation, a new base lodge, and a Performing Arts Centre.

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Heading to the Slopes?

Over 15,000 locations around the world - ski airports and resorts! Quick & easy price comparison Compare Alamo, Avis AutoEurope, Budget, Holiday Autos, Hertz, Sixt and many more

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Remarkable Snow Cover In Scotland PATRICK THORNE

he Scottish ski areas started February with amazing snow conditions, with one of the country’s five areas, Glencoe, reporting even more snow than in the record-breaking winter of 2009–10.

While the rest of Britain was reporting floods and mild temperatures in January, in the Scottish ski areas phenomenal amounts of snow led to staff having to dig out ski lifts, and even huts and cabins.

At Glencoe Mountain Resort, Nevis Range, and CairnGorm Mountain it has been snowing almost non-stop since December. Staff at Glencoe report more snow than they’ve seen for at least 15 years. Glenshee also already had

excellent snow cover at high level, and then in the last 7 days of January had an amazing dump, which has also filled in lower level runs and features. Everywhere winds whipped the soft powder snow into drifts, which helped transform the jumps and natural gullies into even better features for skiers and boarders, and has made CairnGorm’s half-pipe “massive”. “Season 2009–10 was the best in recent memory, both in terms of the amount and quality of snow, and also in the numbers of customers visiting all the ski areas,” said the Chair of Ski-Scotland, Heather Negus. “That successful winter provided a huge boost for the ski areas and all businesses near them, and also raised awareness in Scotland and the rest of the UK of exactly what the Highlands can offer, at a fraction of the price of travelling abroad for a snowsports holiday.” All five mountain ski areas were open for business as we went to press, including The Lecht, which initially missed out on the incredible amounts of snow that swept in from the southwest, leaving it temporarily

in the rain shadow (or snow shadow!) of the Grampians. “It can be hard for customers to believe we have good snow when there is rain and even snowdrops flowering in the Lowlands and by the coast,” continued Negus.

“We therefore suggest skiers and boarders check out the webcams on the official website and look at the ski areas’ Facebook pages, where they’ll see just how much snow we have and the excellent sliding we can offer.” Ski-Scotland advises everyone to check snow, weather, and road conditions before leaving on the official mobile- and tabletfriendly website (ski-scotland.com/ conditions), and to wrap up warmly – despite the forecast low wind speeds, wind chill could still be significant.

MySkiStar Kids Launched Online kiStar, the leading Scandinavian resort operator, has created a new version of its online platform tied to its hi-tech lift passes, and designed especially for children. The free to use MySkiStar Kids

aims to follow on from the success of MySkiStar, which has been used by 125,000 people so far, accessing a variety of functions, statistics, and fun challenges, by connecting their lift passes to computers, mobile devices, and social media.

MySkiStar Kids connects the whole family through the website, and children up to 8-years-old in Sweden, and 7-years-old in Norway, get their own free ski pass. SkiStar operate in Åre, Salen and Vemdalen in Sweden, and in Hemsedal and Trysil in Norway.

FEBRUARY 2014 | inthesnow.com

Gourmet Food Card Offering For Skiers In Alta Badia lta Badia (altabadia.org) in the Italian Dolomites has built a reputation for its gourmet cuisine, and is being evermore innovative in connecting skiers with affordable dining in the resort and on the slopes, with none of the pretention often associated with this level of dining, nor the price. This season sees a new slant on the Slope Food concept in the region, with 14 mountain huts taking part in a scheme to offer gourmet cuisine, by showing off their best finger food ideas to lunchtime diners. This season the food can be sampled using a Slope Food Card, priced at €30 (£25) for three dishes accompanied by wine. You can get one dish each at three different mountain restaurants with the card.

Ischgl €40m Spend For 2015 Ischgl has revealed details of a further €40m (approx. £33.3m) investment for the 2014–15 season. The existing four-seater Pardatschgratbahn gondolas are to be replaced by a luxury 28-seater tri-cable gondola system, which will be the world’s highest height difference tri-cable gondola, with a 1251m height difference from the base station in the village up to the Pardatschgrat peak at 2624m. In just over 9 minutes, skiers and boarders will be transported from the village to the top station.

Weston Snowdome Still Happening The man behind the proposed £50m 210m-long indoor ski centre at Weston-super-Mare, in the southwest of England, has told local media that he is “100% confident” it will be built, he is just uncertain when it will happen. Originally the complex was due to be completed by early-2013, having received planning permission back in 2011, and early last year a Director of OpalTec, the company behind the plan, said it should open in early-2014.

HIKE

US Areas Closed In Extreme Cold

AND

RIDE Photo © Dan Ferrer

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Several US ski areas were forced to close during the Arctic blasts the country received last month, because they said it was too cold for safe snow sports. Resorts in Wisconsin reported temperatures of −33°C, with a wind chill meaning it felt as cold as −47°C. The closed ski areas, which included Granite Peak and Sunburst ski areas, were not just concerned about the dangers of skiing or boarding in such low temperatures on the slopes, but also that chairlifts might breakdown leaving people stranded in the frozen air.

inthesnow.com | FEBRUARY 2014

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ighteen teams have returned to the UK after competing in the SnowCamp Alpine Challenge 2014, which took place in perfect powder snow conditions at Morzine in France.

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The Challenge, now in its fifth year, involves attempting to reach 21 checkpoints across the huge Portes de Soleil ski area, with teams clocking up GPS-tracked kilometres as they go. Besides having fun, the endurance event raises money to support SnowCamp’s work with young people.

“We added even more checkpoints this year, and on top of the mountain hike, a sledge relay ensured this year’s Challenge was the toughest yet!” said Snow-Camp Director, Dan Charlish. “As always the atmosphere was fantastic, with all the teams enjoying the level of competition and experience of navigating around 15 resorts and hundreds of kilometres of pistes.” Local team Morzine Source Magazine were crowned Alpine Challenge Champions for 2014, with a staggering combined team ski and hike total of 316km, whilst hitting all 21 checkpoints over the 2 days. Second place went to Mountain Maverick, with a total of 312km; and third went to team MASS, with 306km. Over 80 people took part in this year’s Challenge, representing companies including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Delancey, Ernst & Young, eBay, and EA Sports. Combined fundraising across all teams is still coming in, but the event has already raised over £30,000. The Alpine Challenge 2015 will be launched soon: snowcamp.org.uk/ alpinechallenge.

British Olympic Team Presented With Slide2Sochi Snowball he last 4 months has seen hundreds of people sign Snowsport England’s (SSE) Slide2Sochi snowball, with good luck messages to the skiers and snowboarders competing for Team GB at the Sochi Olympics. The Slide2Sochi snowball was presented to the athletes, represented by Murray Buchan, Rowan Cheshire, Katie Summerhayes, James Machon, and Ben Kilner, pictured opposite, ahead of the Games. The snowball has been touring England with the Slide2Sochi roadshow, which has so far visited 20 indoor snow centres and outdoor ski slopes, from Pendle to Southampton, attracting thousands of people to these facilities. After the Olympics, and indeed after the ski season ends, the Go Ski Go Board campaign (goskigoboard.org. uk), England’s largest ever snow sports

participation campaign aimed at getting more people into and return to snow sports, will continue. Run by national governing body SSE, and supported by the Austrian Tirol as exclusive destination partner, it has brought together a network of the UK’s indoor and artificial snow slopes to offer value for money taster sessions, aimed at recreational users, beginners, and improvers; it aims to harness the interest generated by our skiing and snowboarding stars.

Rosie Fuller.

OFF-PISTE in

KLOSTERS Abigail Butcher

t’s nearly −20°C, snowing hard, and I have no choice but to batten down the hatches and use a T-bar. With little ability to withstand cold, I’d normally be moaning, but this is worth it. I am in Klosters, which offers some of the best bad-weather skiing in the Swiss Alps, and some incredible – accessible – off-piste, too. The lifts here are archaic. Klosters should actually be ashamed of itself for not re-investing more of the revenue from its fairly pricey lift passes on modernising its lift system. Most are T-bars, practically all of them are slow, and the weekend I visited in early-January, without exception, they were all very cold – make that, freezing. Normally, this is not something to celebrate, and certainly not what I expected to find in a resort so well known for its connection with the royal family. But, having a shoddy old lift system helps keep down the numbers of skiers visiting this area, even better news because the off-piste is fantastic. It’s early-January, and it’s snowing so hard the visibility is near zero. Our guide, Jorg, from the Klosters Ski School can barely keep us all together, but he has a big grin on his face. “There is 1000 vertical metres of tree skiing here,” he explains, leading us to the Gotschnagrat cable car, up to the Parsenn area for a dip into the snow beside the Schwartzseealp piste.

From the window of my hotel that morning the conditions looked amazing, so I was surprised to find the snow wind-blown, hard-packed and crusty. “It’s a test,” he said at the bottom, “the snow is always difficult here, I just wanted to make sure you are all up for what I have planned for the day.” We passed muster, which meant enduring said horrible, cold T-bar, before heading on to ski Drostobel, a beautiful, north-facing run, formally an unpisted black. The markers were removed 10 years ago, so now it’s just an off-piste run and – ta da – we were the only ones on it, skiing in thigh-deep, beautifully light powder. Next on to Chalbersaas, or “calves meadow” because livestock graze this area all summer, for yet another solitary run through the trees. It was magical and a complete surprise. If we had been in Bruson, Verbier, it would have been a bun fight for first tracks. Handily, at the bottom of Chalbersaas is the Serneuser Schwendi restaurant and touring hut — a great place for a warming stew. Unpack yourself, and warm up on the sheepskin seats, and you won’t want to leave. Unless, of course, you’re hungry for more powder. There’s a surprisingly big backcountry movement in Klosters, with tours and steeps everywhere you turn. Only no one shouts about it. The most famous, off the backside of Madrisa, is Kammerastaga “stairway to the moon”, or Rätschengang, with a 45° pitch from the summit of

the 2703m shining, and we Rätschenhorn. did the same run From the time and again, highest point of each time taking the ski area, the a slightly different Weissefluhgipfel, line, each time there’s another offgetting fresh piste run known tracks. The pitch well to locals, the wasn’t steep, but it Diritissima. Or try didn’t need to be. the 7-hour day The powder was tour – 6000m feather-light and vertical – dipping snow untouched. Abigail Butcher stayed at the 4★ into Austria to The pistes on Silvretta Park Hotel in Klosters the towns of St Madrisa are mainly (silvretta.ch), which costs CHF375 Antönier and short, cruisey (£252) per night. A week’s package Küblis. Or you can reds, and with the to Klosters, including flights, with Ski tour to Arosa, or absence of black Safari (skisafari.com) at the Silvretta St Moritz – the runs comes the Park Hotel costs from £920pp, based possibilities are more adventurous on two sharing, with Easyjet flights to endless. intermediates, Zurich and second-class rail transfers. I’m listing them, eagerly spotting because I didn’t those easy free ski them, but powder runs. Arc’teryx athlete, Klosters resident, and Being Switzerland, there is no shortage guide Peter Guyan described them to me of fabulous lunch spots. We stopped in the in great detail. He counts Davos-Klosters as Zuggenhutli for raclette — what else would his favourite place to freeride in the world. you choose after an invigorating morning With the sun showing its face on day two, skiing powder? The Zuggenhutli has we headed away from the trees of Parsenn disabled access, and is host restaurant for to the south-facing slopes of Madrisa, Klosters’ Skiing With Heroes project. taking the lift and then hiking a short way Exhausted, and rather too full of cheese, up the Rätschenjoch (2600m) to access a we called it a day, but despite this lift beautiful, marked off-piste back to the base. system (that I might have mentioned one The scenery is spectacular, you feel on too many times), I’ll be back — though next top of the world here when the sun is time with touring kit.

FEBRUARY 2014 | inthesnow.com

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Dynastar Cham 87 skis + Lange XT Ski Boots Double Stage For Rock The Pistes Rock The Pistes in the Portes du Soleil ski area, which straddles the French–Swiss border, runs from 26–30 March, and will be bigger this spring as the organisers have announced that instead of one big event each day, there’ll now be two. Every day during the festival, skiers can see a total of four concerts on the two stages, the first starting at 1pm, with an established headline act + DJ to close, followed by two more gigs at the foot of the slopes from 5pm, in whichever resort is hosting the day’s headline act.

Snowhill Biking The spectacular Glacier Bike Downhill race over snow, above Saas-Fee in Switzerland, for the 11th time. Always exciting to witness, with 300 competitors descending 1700 vertical metres over ice and snow to the village from the top of the lifts 3500m up. Along with spectating, there’s always the chance for all-comers to take part. The time to beat set by last year’s winner, Charly Di Pasquale, is 7 minutes, 50.3 seconds.

InTheSnow has teamed up with Ski Bartlett, Dynastar and Lange to bring you one of the best allmountain setups for this year. Dynastar Cham 87 skis, including bindings and Lange XT Ski Boots, with custom-fitted insoles

best products to suit your skiing style. Our staff experienced in all winter sports, includes ski instructors, coaches, backcountry and freestyle skiers, telemarkers, and ski racers, whose passions for skiing and the mountains always come across when advising their customers. With their reputation for expert boot fitting, combined with the largest selection of boots and skis anywhere in the country, Ski Bartlett has become renowned for always giving people the correct help and advice. Nearly half a century of skiing passion and They strongly believe it is their care for specialist expertise lies behind the success of customers, their expertise, variety, and quirkiness family-run British that set them apart from ski shop Ski Bartlett. other ski shops. Go and What industry award has Ski Its great range of see them to find out Bartlett won? See skibartlett.com specialist products why they have not just are carefully selected customers, but visitors. To enter visit and put through Answer this question www.inthesnow.com/competition their paces each year, and win a complete and only the best Dynastar Lange setup products are chosen. of the following – To bring you such a strong range of products they Dynastar Cham 87 skis and bindings + Lange XT have to rely on specialist brands, like Dynastar and ski boots, with free custom ski boot fitting, and Lange. With their heritage in the Chamonix valley, custommoulded footbeds. Prize to be collected and and the real skiers that are behind the brands, they fitted in-store. know from first-hand experience what you need to Closing Date: 21 March 2014. be able to enjoy your own skiing. Terms and conditions apply. Votes cast after the closing date will not be At Ski Bartlett, their superb team of friendly counted. One entry with the correct answer will be picked at random to win the competition. Incomplete entries will not be counted. By entering the and knowledgeable staff has the same approach, competition you agree to receiving mailings from, or on behalf of InTheSnow Ltd, however, your email will not be sold or passed to third parties. One entry always keen to help and advise you on the per person. Cash alternative is not available.

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Work Underway On NZ Six-Seater PATRICK THORNE

e’ve still got months of winter to go in the northern hemisphere, but preparations are well advanced south of the Equator on new facilities for the coming 2014 ski season. At Queenstown’s The Remarkables ski area, in New Zealand, work has started on a high-speed chairlift, snowmaking, and a trail and car parking development programme. Following years of planning, the new 1.2km Curvey Basin lift will begin at the

bottom of the expanded learners’ slopes, at 1600m, and rise to a top terminal at 1900m above sea level, just below the ridgeline at the south head of the Rastus Burn, known as Curvey Basin. “A six-strong Leitner-Poma crew will remain on site until the lift is fullytested and commissioned by June 1st,” said The Remarkables Ski Area Manager Ross Lawrence, adding, “It’s such an exciting project though we’re all happy to be working away over summer up there in our stunning alpine environment to create the ‘wow’ factor for guests when they come up for their first ski or snowboard of winter.”

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New Glade Skiing In Quebec s we went to press, unusually it’s not the resorts of Alberta and British Columbia in Western Canada, famed for their light powder and deep bases, that are claiming the country’s deepest snow bases, but Mont-Sainte-Anne in Quebec with more than 2.5m lying. That’s especially good news for visitors this season as, along with a new detachable quad chair to get up the slopes, Mont-Sainte-Anne’s skiable terrain keeps expanding, with the developing of two new glades on the south side of the mountain, increasing the total number of trails to 69.

P R I V A T E

One is rated intermediate and named “La Palette”, and the other for experts is “La Yahoo”, both accessible via La Montmorency piste, and each end near the wonderful sugar shack of the La Pichard trail. Previously, the resort’s south side had only one glade run: La Rigolo.

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was the bestseller at après-ski time. French licensing laws did not allow bottles to be sold for offsite consumption, but when a well-heeled British customer came into the bar and asked to buy three bottles of Thunder Vodka, and offered €250 (£205), Jon and his business partner Brian had their eureka moment, realising there was a market for Thunder in the UK. The rest is history, and the remarkable vodka is now for sale online in the UK via: thundervodka.com.

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ALTITUDE COMEDY FESTIVAL Join some of the biggest names in UK comedy: John Bishop, Marcus Brigstocke, and Daniel Sloss, for a week of high altitude giggles. The now established Altitude Festival takes place in Mayrhofen, and offers a more relaxed alternative for those seeking spring skiing combined with evening entertainment, and a whole lot of laughs. But for those wanting to party they won’t be disappointed – the festival takes place in the home of après-ski, Austria. 31 March–4 April | altitudefestival.com

THE TIROL

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SNOWBOMBING There is no festival that can match Snowbombing, and there are few resorts that can rival Mayrhofen when it comes to a party. A perennial favourite of Alpine partygoers, this year sees The Prodigy headline the festival, joined by the likes of Chase and Status, Rudimental, and The Chemical Brothers. If there is one ski festival you have to experience at least once, it’s Snowbombing. 7–12 April | snowbombing.com

ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL The setting for the thud of euphoric beats reverberating around the mountains this spring is Sölden, “the hot spot of the Alps”. The Electric Mountain Festival finale takes place at 1.30pm on the Wednesday and Thursday, and at 4pm on the Friday. The finale schedule is yet to be released, but expect big beats from whatever acts are chosen. 2–4 April | electric-mountain-festival.com

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN CONCERT Famed for its all-star opening and closing concerts, Robbie Williams will this year take to the high altitude stage in Ischgl to round off the season. A 30,000-strong crowd is anticipated to travel up 2300m to party along with the pop sensation. After the gig, head down to the resort – the party capital of the Alps – for a night like no other. 3 May | ischgl.com

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THE WHITE THRILL This demanding ski race, which takes place on the mountains above St Anton, has earned cult status, with both participants and spectators, and is fully booked well in advance each year. Around 500 participants charge down the 1300m unprepared slope, from the Vallugagrat Ridge to the valley, in what is known as The White Thrill race. En-route, they must unbuckle their skis, and battle with a 150m ascent, before clipping back into their skis, and racing towards the finish line. At the end of the 9km race, all that counts is getting over that finish line! 19 April | stantonamarlberg.com For more info on events in the Tirol go to visittirol.co.uk.

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02 | BOOTROOM

Norrøna Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro JACKET + Trousers  £459 + £429 One of the most technical and functional outfits you can buy. Waterproof and breathable, whilst being super light and very packable. A great tailored fit, with no restricted movement, it’s no wonder this Norrøna jacket and trouser combo sells out every year!

Sweet Igniter MIPS Helmet  £179 A really versatile helmet, with superb ventilation for all day comfort. The shell is a rubber-toughened ABS Superlight Shell, and the unique Impact Shield technology gives premium impact protection. Super safe, super vented and looks super cool!

Salomon X Pro 100  £249 The performance X Frame chassis, and oversized pivot, makes this boot one of the strongest contenders to direct performance to your skis. With custom shell technology, the plastic can be heated and custom-shaped to fit even the widest of feet, so you won’t even need to compromise on comfort.

Black Crows Nocta  £599 Don’t be put off by the width of this award-winning ski. Although designed for off-piste, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at its edge hold on-piste. Super solid and stable at speed, yet surf like in the off-piste. Help your off-piste skiing with this award-winning ski.

Sweet Rooster Discesa Race  £599 MORE AT skibartlett.com Serious about racing protection? This is a unique carbon fibre With over 40 years of history, Ski Bartlett is one of the

racing helmet engineered to meet the new FIS standard. As well as

UK's most popular independent specialist ski shops.

Impact Shield technology, it also includes detachable earpads for

With a massive range of products, they can guarantee

emergencies, ear vents for hearing, and a Coolmax liner. WOW …

you the right kit and the best prices.

that’s what we call safety!

BOOTROOM | 03

Scott Soft Actifit Backprotector Jr  £74.99

Ski Glider  £25.00 Ski Glider rolls effortlessly due to the integrated leg set that supports 100% of the weight of the travel cover when the legs are extended, and the 360º rotating caster wheels make

The soft moveable D3O impact-resistant

it a breeze to manoeuvre. The retractable legs and folding

material makes this back protector

mechanism means it can be easily stored when not in use.

comfortable to wear, but its stiffening

Made from 1200 denier nylon making it robust and hardwearing,

properties on impact makes it super

and the dense foam padding throughout will keep your

safe. It looks cool, feels great, and offers

equipment safe in transit.

premium protection. Children will want to wear this.

VOLKA PYRA  £299 This may look like a freestyle ski, but this is a great all-mountain ski, full of life, performance, and so much fun to ski on. Whether you’re flying down the pistes, or shooting into the park, this ski will not let you down.

Nee Mist/Shadow/ Carbon Bindings  £269–£309 With unique PureLateral heel release, this patented mechanism can release directly sideways at the heel – before the force injures your knee. Knee ligament injuries are now the number one medical issue in skiing, don't let it happen to you. Love skiing? … Then look after your knees!

Scott Rove MIPS Helmet  £139.99 Safe, lightweight, and a superbly thought out helmet, the added MIPS technology makes this safer on impact. With the venting above your goggles, and active head vents, at least you won’t steam up in the heat of the moment!

Scott Light Sensitive Goggles  From £90 Fed up with not being able to see in different light conditions? Tried changing lenses, but want an easier option? The Scott light sensitive lens is a superb option, and is available for various models in their range. The lens lightens and darkens without you even noticing the difference in sunshine and shadows. Used by a number of our staff for a reason.

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04 | BOOTROOM

Burton Restricted Custom Flying V  £469.95 This is a great upgrade to a classic model. The twin shape really gives it a more playful style, and the Flying V gives you that extra forgiveness whilst messing around. A great board for a seasonaire, or for someone looking to do everything on one shred stick. Put simply, the great classic just got a whole lot better.

Burton Prowess Snowboard Jacket  £194.95 This jacket marries fashion-forward fabrics and design, with rider-driven features, to create a jacket that's as nasty as it is nice. Team-requested extra length adds style and seals out the cold. Inside, toasty 3M Thinsulate insulation is tucked away underneath a multi-material lining, which is mapped to enhance warmth, breathability, antimicrobial, and even antibacterial performancebased on your body’s biology.

Nike Hazed Men's Jacket  £169.95 With contrast sleeves and striped trim, just like the legendary Nike Destroyer, and equipped with lightweight insulation, and tough fabric that repels the elements, this jacket blends cold weather functionality with timeless style.

Union Binding Co Milan  £154.95 sputniksnowboardshop.com 01628 478 660

For all-day comfort, these snowboard bindings offer fusion highback, shift-on-the-fly forward lean, symmetric 3D directconnect strap system, an all-new female specific toe cup design, and a lifetime warranty base – what more could you ask for from an all-mountain/freestyle binding?

Sputnik sells online and in-store in Marlow, Bucks. Customer service is our number one priority taking great pride in custom building you the perfect blend of board, boots and bindings to suits your exact needs.

ThirtyTwo Lashed  £194.95 Comfort, support, and style make this the number one selling snowboard boot worldwide! A great advanced to intermediate boot.

BOOTROOM | 05

Nikita Penrose Pants  £129.95 This skinny fit, fully sealed, 10K waterproofing and 8K breathable pant will keep you warm and dry, while the weave fabric performs well. It has inseam vents to keep you from overheating, and also features leg gaiters.

Burton Anon Raider Helmet  £49.95 This is a stripped down skate-inspired helmet. ASFX audio compatible – you can listen to your tunes whilst on the mountain. Awesome.

Burton Restricted Better Half Snowboard Pant  £159.95 This pant covers up your critical components with two full layers of Dryride Durashell waterproof/breathable performance, not to mention a zonal mapped and extra smart lining. Test-I-Cool venting prevents overheating in the most important area of all.

Dragon Advanced Projects XS  £164.95

Smokin Vixen  £439.95

Nike Zoom Force 1  £209.95

One for the girls, the multiple Good Wood award-

This women’s snowboarding boot has a profile

winning Vixen is their premium all-mountain

inspired by the legendary Air Force 1, and takes

freestyle funvee for the ladies. The shape and flex

to the slopes and half pipe in iconic style. Made

pattern has been specifically engineered for the

with premium materials, the boot provides a

most demanding ladies out there, and the Clash

supportive, cushioned fit, which grips the board

Rocker provides a powerful response and catch

with complete control, this durable boot is made

free float. The PoP Gnarley and VDFLU give the

for the mountain.

snowboard loads of lively feel.

With an ionised lens for sunny conditions, and a yellow blue ion lens for cloudy and flat light condition, these are quick and easy to change. With Super Anti-Fog technology, Polar Tech Micro Fleece, optically correct lens, uni-directional flow, helmet compatibility, and 100% UV protection this goggle is a must-have.

Burton Malavita EST Snowboard Binding  £244.95 Burton’s top technologies blended with a freestyle focus. Need we say more?

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Staying at the 3 Hotel Verseau, Brides les Bains. Special offer includes free tickets to the comedy night on the Tuesday.

Canada, Banff

7 nights from £925pp Saves £400pp Staying at the 4 Rimrock Resort, with its own indoor pool and spa, on a room-only basis. Price includes return flights from London Gatwick, departing on either 22 February or 1 or 15 March, and transfers. bit.ly/1etTTxi

Saturday 5 April £339 for 6 days

Luxury SkiWeekends Chamonix from £564

4 Premium Hotel l’Heliopic, Chamonix, from £564 (3rd April). Brand new this season, the hotel is close to town and boasts amazing spa facilities including pool, sauna, and ice grotto.

Italy, Cervinia

7 nights from £1201pp Saves £125pp Staying at the 4 Club Med Cervinia, with all meals and drinks, lift pass, tuition, childcare, open bar, snacks, and entertainment included within the price. The price also includes return flights from London departing 23 March and transfers. bit.ly/MuSiev

mountainheaven.co.uk 0151 625 1921

10th Anniversary Offer £299 - £399 - up to 60% off

skiworld.co.uk 08444 930 430

To celebrate 10 years Mountain Heaven is offering exceptional value for the anniversary week, commencing 22 March. A week in a fully catered "Classic" chalet, including transfers, is just £299pp, or £399pp in a Premium/ Flagship chalet (normally £499 and £999, respectively)

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Late Ski Deals

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Make huge savings! Grab a Late Ski Deal in one of our catered chalets, hotels, or self-catered apartments in France, Austria, and Switzerland.

Stay in the Chalet Yogi on the 23 February departing from Lonon Gatwick. Price includes catered chaletboard with 4-course dinners, with complimentary wine, and free use of chalet’s wi-fi.

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Val d’IsÈre

£718pp (was £838pp) Save £120pp Stay in the Chalet Hélène on the 2 March departing from Lonon Gatwick. Price includes catered chaletboard with 4-course dinners, with complimentary wine, and free use of chalet’s wi-fi.

InTheSnow.com

Jon (AKA WESTY) AT ALTITUDE

Jon is one of a handful of instructors working in the Alps to hold the top qualifications from France, Switzerland and Britain. In his role as Ski School Director, Jon is on hand to manage the different parts of the Altitude company portfolio, including the ski and snowboard school, the instructor training programs, and the off-piste courses (+41 277 716 006).

SKIING VARIABLES ather than talk about offpiste skiing, in this article we going to look at what instructors call variables. This term really covers all conditions that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t groomed pistes. You can guess that there is no one way to ski all these changeable conditions, however, there are things you can do on your skis to manage the variations, and perhaps even enjoy them.

1. Stay Centred

2. Bend Zee Knees

It is very tempting when things feel uncomfortable to seek the safety of the back seat on your skis. However, as with most times on your skis, the best way to stay in control when the conditions start to change is keep your fore-aft weight centred. To see where your weight is positioned try this drill off-piste: doing some very basic medium-sized turns try to jump up and get your skis off the snow at the end of each turn. If you find this very difficult to achieve, or even only the tips are lifting off the snow, chances are you are a little sat back.

Often off-piste the snow you are travelling over is not even and consistent. There can be many lumps and bumps that are hidden under fresh snow. These bumps will do their best to throw you off balance. To handle this you have to use your legs like suspension to absorb the bumps. When you hit a lump you should let your legs bend through all the joints (ankles, knees and hips), and then straighten out again. By doing this your upper body remains in roughly the same position. Try traversing over a rough area, and by using your legs as suspension focus on keeping your head in the same position.

ow To Keep Beginners Interested We all want our children to enjoy their time on skis, but also learn as much as they can. It’s a tricky balance, and one that every instructor is toying with in any lesson. Of course, children learn the most when they are engaged and having a good time, so what are some of the ways that we can keep our little ones interested in skiing when they are just starting out.

3. Pole Plant

4. Rhythm & Flow

A lot of skiers have well-timed and strong pole plants during their piste skiing when the going is predictable, but when they step out onto the variables it’s one of the first things to go. The irony is that the pole plant is perhaps even more useful in variable conditions than on-piste. A strong pole plan helps you initiate turns in crudey or heavy snow, it keeps you balanced with another point of contact with the ground, and it helps keep you moving from one turn to the next, which leads to the last point.

Skiing off-piste is tiring work. It often feels like you are forcing your skis round each turn. If this is the case, it could be that your performance isn’t flowing or rhythmical. If you just do a turn then traverse across the slope for a bit, then have to start a whole new turn, you’re not using the moment and speed that build up from one turn to help start the following one. Next time you’re in variable conditions try focusing to keep a consistent and flowing rhythm. Pole planting can really help with that!

Story Telling Children love a good story. Almost any story told well can keep them entertained. With enough imagination this can be incorporated into their learning to ski. I’ve

Have fun!

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04/10/2013

heard a thousand different ways to describe making a snow plough, and then advancing this up to turns, from pieces of cheese being eaten by mice, up to elaborate tales involving cowboys and Indians. These stories can be woven all the way through each stage of their skiing tuition. Toys & Props Often not thinking too much about skiing is exactly what a child needs. There is little point in telling a 4-year-old that he/she turn a snow plough by rotating both their legs from their hip sockets. But give them a hoop, tell them it’s a steering wheel and they have to drive round a series of bends, and they’ll just start turning. There are tons of fun toys

and props you can integrate in your child’s skiing. Cones to make a “slalom” course. Balls to chase. Even just ski poles to duck under or hop over. Get creative. Games Changing a basic “drill” into a game is great way to keep children engaged. For example, rather than just practising stopping using a snow plough, we can make it into a game like traffic lights – red means stop, green means go. Then add orange for slowing down. Or purple for disco dancing! White for making a snowball, and so on, as long as we want. Telling stories or using toys are the best ways to keep children interested, so goahead use your imagination.

10:18

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ANDI ROBERTSON

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British National Alpine Champs Head To Méribel PATRICK THORNE

upported by Delancey for the fourth successive year, the British National Alpine Championships will take place in Méribel this spring, with Senior and Junior racing from 30 March–7 April, followed by the Under-16 and Under-14 Championships from 8 April–11 April. The Championships is the biggest event on the British Alpine Ski calendar,

and provides an opportunity for young British athletes to race and train on the same pistes recently chosen by FIS to host the finals of the Alpine Ski World Cup in 2015. The finals of the Alpine World Cup next year is an important event for Méribel, as such an event has not taken place in France since 1982, when Montgenèvre organised the finals. Méribel was a venue for the Albertville Olympic Games in 1992, and staged a leg of the Ladies Alpine World Cup last winter.

Zermatt Funicular Reborn the

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here was a full LED dance show for the relaunch of Zermatt’s famous Sunnegga funicular this season, following a record-breaking 2-month renovation. Local ski racer Fränzi Aufdenblatten was appointed the new railway’s ”godmother”, although she was unable to attend the ceremony in person because of World Cup racing commitments. Speaking in a video message, she said, “I am very proud to be asked to act as godmother to the Sunnegga funicular. I see this honour as recognition for what I have tried to achieve over the last few years.” For 32 years, what was hailed at the time as Europe’s first Alpine metro

took visitors up to Sunnegga, until it was replaced by a new, ultramodern funicular in summer 2013. Today, passengers enjoy greater comfort in the more spacious compartments, and an almost silent trip, which takes less than 4 minutes at speeds of up to 12m/s. No other funicular in Switzerland is as fast. The Reverend Stefan Roth concluded the ceremony by blessing the railway, and wishing it a long and happy future.

Go Greener In Les 3 Vallées he world’s largest ski area already powers its 180 lifts and 2000 or so snow cannons with renewable hydroelectricity, but this winter you can go the whole hog, and stay in a 100% green mountain refuge too. The Refuge du Christ (lerefugeduchrist.com) is a new ecofriendly mountain refuge, located below Les Allues in Méribel, and built to be entirely energy self-sufficient. Equipped

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0845 021 0222 | simplyvaldisere.com

with solar panels, rainwater supplies the toilets, and a mini treatment plant located nearby ensures the treatment of wastewater. Finally, a wood pellet boiler provides heating for the building. The refuge offers comfortable accommodation, with 13 beds in two dormitories, and two double bedrooms. Each room has a bathroom, and linen is provided. Half-board inclusive of dinner, B&B is €75pp (£62), or B&B only for €55 (£45).

JANUARY 2014 | inthesnow.com



chalet de la Cloche  VAL D'ISÈRE

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's top ten chalets in the Alps.

+41 (0)27 966 7171 | info@the-omnia.com | the-omnia.com |

+44 (0)20 3432 8446 | info@ski-base.com | ski-base.com |

HOTEL Avenue Lodge  VAL D'ISÈRE

HOTEL FIREFLY ZERMATT

The luxurious Hotel Avenue Lodge is a superb base in one the world’s great ski areas, the exceptional Espace Killy. You’ll feel welcome from the minute you arrive with valet parking and the concierge service taking care of your luggage. The Hotel Avenue Lodge’s entire team is at your service to make your holiday in our resort an unforgettable stay.

The Hotel Firefly is the first address in Zermatt for travellers who expect luxury and lifestyle of the highest level. In the midst of the breathtaking scenery of the famous glacier ski area, the hotel is only 3 minutes from the Klein Matterhorn cable car and from the centre of Zermatt. Each suite is individual, spacious and luxuriously furnished.

Chalet Fourmiliere in Morzine is a boutique, owner-run, catered ski chalet, which is quickly gaining a reputation as a gastro-chalet. When you stay here your every need will be accommodated and no request is too small for the wonderful hosts and their staff, whose sole intention is to ensure you feel at home in their splendid abode.

+41 (0)27 967 7676 | firefly-zermatt.com

+33 (0)45 075 4625 | info@chaletfourmiliere.com | chaletfourmiliere.com |

+33 (0)47 900 6767 | contact@hotelavenuelodge.com | hotelavenuelodge.com |



Résidence du Mont-Blanc CHAMONIX Mont-Blanc 

Chalet Zibeleine La Plagne 1800

Set in the heart of the Chamonix Mont-Blanc valley, in the French Alps, the Résidence & Spa Vallorcine Mont-Blanc offers a cosy atmosphere and a warm welcome. Surrounded by mountains and forests, this newly-opened 5 residence is an ideal place for relaxing and exploring the Mont Blanc region.

Chalet Zibeleine nestles in the trees above La Plagne 1800. The chalet is only a few minutes' walk from the centre of the village where you will find the local bars and restaurants. Another bonus is that just above the chalet on the main road you have a free bus stop (about 20m away). Sleeps eight people and is ideal for small groups.

+33 (0)45 054 7520 | chamonix-vacances.com | contact@chamonix-vacances.com |

+41 (0)151 625 1921 | info@mountainheaven.co.uk | mountainheaven.co.uk |



Chalet Fourmiliere  Morzine

 Hôtel l'Héliopic CHAMONIX Mont-Blanc

Located in the Mont-Blanc valley, in the centre of Chamonix, the 4 L'Héliopic Hotel Sweet and Spa is set at the foot of Aiguille du Midi lift. If you come as a couple, family or group for a special event, our 4hotel will take care of your well-being. Whatever the season, on an exceptional setting in the heart of Chamonix, our hotel offers a new level of comfort.

+ 33 (0)45 054 5556 | reservation@heliopic.com | heliopic-hotel-spa.com |

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

THE OMNIA Zermatt

SNOW CARBON

BEN CLATWORTHY

nTheSnow’s Ben Clatworthy spent 10 minutes with Daniel Elkan, Co-Founder of Snowcarbon (snowcarbon.co.uk), the definitive guide to ski resorts by train.

Daniel, firstly, congratulations on your recent win at the World Snow Awards for the best transport innovation, it must be great to be recognised for your work promoting sustainable travel? DE: Thanks Ben, it is great to be recognised for travel innovation, but the only thing that really counts is making real change on the ground – so that more skiers are able to travel to the Alps by train, and have more enjoyable and more sustainable journeys to the Alps. The award is great in that the industry recognises the progress we are making, but there is still a massive imbalance that trails behind the demand for train travel. What was the initial idea behind Snowcarbon? DE: Quite simply to help more skiers travel to ski resorts by train instead of having to spend all day in airport queues, waiting for transfers, or on long drives. When some friends first invited me on a ski holiday 15 years ago, I didn’t have a clue about winter sports. Like many others perhaps, I imagined that it didn’t take long to reach the slopes by plane. Two holidays later I was beginning to realise that flying to the Alps

takes about 9–10 hours, door-to-door, spent moving from one tedious queue to the next. I didn’t like it, and the glum faces around me told the same story. So when I spotted a railway track close to Sauze d’Oulx, a resort in Italy, I wondered whether we could have travelled by train instead. I researched the journey, and discovered it would have taken around the same time as flying! From then on myself and friends travelled by train, and we began to really enjoy the journeys. At that time there was a massive lack of information about train options to ski resorts. I started writing about it for newspapers and magazines, and then launched Snowcarbon to try to create a useful information source to help other skiers do the same thing – make the journey part of the holiday, and reduce pollution while doing so. Since its launch in 2009, you’ve constantly updated the website with new tools, guides, and features, most notably your Journey Planner – how does that work? DE: We really want the site to be somewhere you can find out exactly what it’s like to travel by train to the Alps, and how best to do it. The Journey Planner is a unique tool that shows the best train schedules to great ski resorts, including transfers from station to village. It is powered by a unique, hand-researched database. Skiers are finding it really useful for planning journeys, and the really exciting thing is that it can be given to hotels and chalets to use on their websites, so they can communicate train

options easily too. The Journey Planner links to guides to describe what each train is like, and soon will link to reviews of the journeys by other skiers. What’s your biggest gripe about travelling to the Alps by train? DE: We need more tour operators to be able to offer train packages, and rail companies, like Eurostar and SNCF, need to get their act together and start making it much easier for tour operators to include the train as part of their packages. The solution is really simple: the train companies just make some train tickets on key routes available at a fixed price for participating ski tour operators. Voilà. Do they currently do this? No. That’s why so many skiers end up flying when many would rather travel by train. The way that train operators deal with travel companies is a big problem. Snowcarbon is working to create solutions to this – because the status quo is madness, forcing skiers to fly. Also, every skier going by train should be given a bottle of bubbly at the start of the journey. Why isn’t that train company policy? What new routes might train companies launch to help skiers travel to the Alps? DE: A direct service from London, or indirect via Lille, down to St Gervais. This route would service so many fantastic resorts, including Les Gets, Morzine, Avoriaz, Samöens, Flaine, Megève, Les Contamines, St Gervais, and Chamonix. Considering Eurostar launched a service from Lille to Swiss resorts in the Valais,

this route to St Gervais should be a nobrainer, because it reaches more popular resorts with a simpler journey. What do you wish more skiers understood about travelling to the Alps by train? DE: Three things: firstly, if you need to change station in Paris, you can do it easily by pre-booked taxi. The driver meets you at the end of the Eurostar platform with a name card, and whisks you across to your onward station, pretty seamlessly. Second, going by train really is as fast as flying in many cases, and so much more fun and sociable – you can make the holiday start on the train, not in resort. And thirdly, in many cases it doesn’t even cost more than flying, if you book in advance. And finally, what’s next for you, and Snowcarbon? DE: We’re creating a series of new films that help show what the journeys are like – both daytime and overnight ones. And we are bringing together skiers, snowboarders, and ski industry companies, as well as forward-thinking organisations, to create a movement with the aim of improving the possibilities for skiers by train – including a new Snow Train – with a disco at one end, and family area at the other. One day, soon, people will look back and wonder why so many skiers used to fly. Real change does take time, but we are battling to speed it up – for everyone’s benefit.

Ski holidays

550

from

GET YOUR SKIS ON! The season’s in full swing and there’s no better feeling than being back on the slopes. Take advantage of our online offers and choose from our portfolio of hand-picked chalet hotels in some of the finest snow sure resorts in the Alps.

ATOL1176 protected. *Courmayeur only. Price shown is per person based on two people sharing, apply to 7 nights at Chalet Hotel Moris Val d’Isere departing 20/04/14, is subject to availability, cannot be combined or offered in retrospect and can be withdrawn at any time. Facilities & inclusives vary between resorts. See website for full terms & conditions.

High-tech 100 g/sqm wadding Quilted hood Storm cuffs with thumb loop

5000mm membrane 100% taped seams Silicone-coated zips

Breathable material "Air Venting System"

Cuff fastenings Adjustable hem Adjustable collar with magnet clasp

3 secure pockets 1 ski pass pocket 1 goggles pocket Wristwatch opening

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RRP:

J159