InTheSnow Issue 27 - October 2012 by InTheSnow

EE FR NOW ON NEWSSTAND

WE WANT YOU BACK! PATRICK THORNE REPORTS HOW BRITISH TOUR OPS ARE LURING US BACK TO THE SLOPES P.05

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ISSUE 27 | NOVEMBER 2012

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Watch the film Haglofs.com /vassi Film: David kvart

PROUDLY PRESENTING VASSI At the beginning of April, it really starts to get light again. Lifting the powerful silhouette of the 400 million year-old mountain known to the Sami as Vassitjåkka. The wind-sculpted landscape surrounding it is covered in cold, white, feathery snow. An instructive playground for generations of skiers. This is where we found the inspiration we were looking for to create our new clothes and ski backpacks, designed in collaboration with two of the most experienced freeskiers we know, Per Jonsson and Asbjørn Eggebø Næss.

S T EPH A N E G OD I N

Christened Vassi Jacket and Pant and the Skrå backpack.

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B A S I C L O G O T Y P E . TO B E U S E D A S N E G AT I V E W H I T E O N A B L A C K O R D A R K B A C K G R O U N D

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NOVEMBER 2012 | inthesnow.com

t’s that time of year again when the leaves start falling from the trees, and the pictures start getting posted on Facebook of the first snow sightings in the mountains. That must mean that the ski show season is upon us once again? And sure enough the annual mix of shows is back, with four events across the country now condensed into 15 days (not much longer than the lone former Daily Mail Ski Show used to last in London), and of course we mustn’t forget to add “and Snowboard” to all snow-based events nowadays. The run kicks off with Scotland's Ski and Snowboard Show, 20–21 October (scotlandsskishow.co.uk); London’s full-on Freeze Festival, 26-27 October (londonfreeze. com); The British Ski + Board Show at the NEC Birmingham, 26–28 October (globalsnowshows. co.uk); and finally the London Ski and Snowboard Show, 31 October–4 November (skiandsnowboard.co.uk) taking us from Halloween to nearly bonfire night. The number of people and exhibitors attending these annual shindigs has been in decline for some years, and with everything now online fewer people feel the need to venture out to the exhibition halls each autumn. That’s sad of course, but also a little shortsighted perhaps, because there’s no better place to really get to know the new season’s equipment and novelties first-hand, and chat to people who actually live and work in the resorts you’re considering visiting. The organisers lay on ever more shows, demos and talks, covering all aspects of the winter holiday experience, and it can be great just to get you in the mood along with fellow skiers and boarders. Whether or not you do make it to a show, there’s plenty of cause to get excited about the coming winter now! Pre-season snowfalls are still looking good as we go to press, with falls of up to 30cm in 24 hours reported on Europe’s glaciers even in late September. The number of areas now open for 2012–13 has passed 20, so you can go skiing or boarding tomorrow if you like, and from here on in more and morewwill be opening every week.

WE WANT YOU BACK! PATRICK THORNE

ith the number of people taking a ski holiday now down by around a third since the economic slowdown began, British tour operators are looking for ways to return to growth after four successive seasons of decline. The question is whether to try to attract new blood into snow sports, or to tap into the ”lapsed skiers” market, which the Ski Club of Great Britain estimates is more than 4m strong! The answer is of course, “Why not do both?” but there is, if anything, a greater onus on attracting the lapsed skier. “Skiing ‘in the old days’ was skiing on straight, long skis and it was hard work to turn those things, and on top of that new skiers might have endured limited teaching methods in ski resorts” says Ian Davis, Crystal’s Product Director. “All those issues are now a thing of the past as it is now much easier to learn with the new carving skis, you don’t need to be as fit as then and teaching methods have changed for the better quite considerably. The biggest problem really is how do we inform those lapsed skiers that things are much better now and get them to try skiing again?” One answer Davis believes is to make the most of the UK’s six indoor snow slopes, so that lapsed skiers can attend ”come-and-tryit-days” and see what has changed. They can then experience the fact that new skis are so much easier to turn, boots are more comfortable, and better tuition choices are available to skiers for an overall much more enjoyable experience. “Even people who have skied before will benefit from a lesson or two before their holiday. It’s good to improve your technique

Publisher

DOMINIC KILLINGER dom@inthesnow.com Production Director

MATT NICHOLSON matt@inthesnow.com

and remind yourself which muscles you amount of money as before. need to use!” confirms Pete Gillespie, Head Resorts also offer many other winter sports of Snowsports at The Snow Centre Hemel activities, including dog sledding, snow Hempstead, which has provided private shoe walks, as well as events like Christmas and group lessons to 45,000 people over markets, music and comedy festivals, and the past year. “Taking a few lessons on real much more, all of which can be enjoyed as a snow before your skiing holiday is the best family – no-one has to stay behind. possible way to boost your confidence and There are also plenty of deals to be had for give you the skills to ensure you’ll enjoy the mountains from day one. A qualified instructor will help ensure you can turn and stop with confidence in an environment that it is wholly safe and controlled.” For Inghams boss Andy Perrin, getting people back on the snow is about quality and value, “Regarding ‘lapsed’ skiers, added value is the key here. Esprit Ski and Ski Total each have a programme of ’Crunch-Buster’ added value and money-saving deals, whilst Inghams has a similar range of offers under the ‘Inghams Plus’ banner. These take the economic climate head Crystal: crystalski.co.uk on, and essentially say to skiers Esprit Ski: espritski.com that we know it's tough right now, Inghams: inghams.co.uk so we value their presence more Ski Total: skitotal.com than ever, and will therefore bend The Snow Centre Hemel Hempstead: over backwards to make their ski thesnowcentre.com holiday the best value we possibly Chill Factore (Manchester): chillfactore.com can, but without compromising Snow Factor (Glasgow): snowfactor.com on the holiday quality or service SNO!zone (Castleford): snozone.co.uk levels on which the reputation of SNO!zone (Milton Keynes): snozone.co.uk all our three companies has been Tamworth Snowdome: snowdome.co.uk painstakingly built.” Both Davis and Perrin believe that lapsed skiers should also be made aware that prices those booking this autumn; so this winter haven’t increased much, and you can 2012–13 should be the one to escape gloomy stay in far nicer hotels now for the same Britain and head back to the snow.

Editor

Sub Editor

Boot Room Sponsored By

Design By

PATRICK THORNE

MICHELLE SADLER

SKI BARTLETT

ROCKET BASE

Reporters / Contributors

Ski Tuition By

Olivia Parry-Jones Jon West Sally Brookes DAVID BLACK

JON WEST

patrick@inthesnow.com News Editor

BEN CLATWORTHY ben@inthesnow.com Public Relations

DEBBIE GABRIEL debbie@inthesnow.com

www.rocketbase.co.uk © Copyright 2012 No part of this publication may be copied, photocopied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in anyway or means, either by recording or otherwise, without permission of the publishers in writing.

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STUBAI GLACIER Two new chairlifts, one eight-seater and one quad, have been installed on the Stubai Glacier over the summer. A new 3.2km black run has also been created on the Glacier thanks to the new quad. Eightseater chairlifts are rare, with currently only 49 in the world. The new one, named Rotadl, has a length of 1355m and will have an hourly uplift of 3000 people. The Daunjoch quad, due to open later this month, will have an uplift of 1600 people per hour. Combined the two lifts have cost the resort €12m (£9.8m), and will have taken 4 months to install.

inthesnow.com | NOVEMBER 2012

Breckenridge Announces 23% Terrain Expansion PATRICK THORNE

he skiable terrain at Breckenridge, Colorado will increase by nearly a quarter for winter 2013–14, following owners Vail Resorts receiving permission from the US Forest Service for the 220 hectare terrain expansion. Peak 6 will include 162 hectares of lift-served terrain and 58 hectares of additional hike-to terrain. The company

expects to open the new terrain for the 2013–14 ski season, including adding a new high-speed, six-person chairlift and a new fixed-grip chairlift to access the Peak 6 area. “Peak 6 will be a tremendous addition to Breckenridge. The new terrain provides access to intermediate runs and high alpine bowl skiing that will be enjoyed by a wide variety of our guests,” said Rob Katz, Chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts. The idea of expanding onto Peak 6 has

been under consideration since 2007, and will be the first ski terrain expansion on US Forest Service land in Colorado since 2008, and the first at Breckenridge since the Peak 7 expansion in 2002. Breckenridge is the most popular US ski destination for British skiers and operates on 954 hectares, with five terrain parks, two half-pipes, eight bowls and the highest chairlift in the world. snowusa. com or breckenridge.com.

LES DEUX ALPES Les Deux Alpes iconic red egg bubble lift is to be replaced for the coming season. The infamous lift, named Diable (which means “devil” in English), was installed in 1973, and is much-loved by many visitors to the resort. The new six-pack chairlift will comprise 20 chairs, with a weather protection bubble, and will be able to transport 2200 people per hour. The old lift had an hourly uplift of just 600. The installation of the new lift, which will retain the name of the old lift, has cost the resort €7.5m (£6.1m). The old red eggs will be auctioned for charity on 3 November 2012.

New Company Offers Pre-Fit Rentals, Delivered

COURCHEVEL The busiest lift in the Bozel Valley, the Biollay quad, has been upgraded to a six-seater detachable chairlift. The lift, which carried over 1m passengers each season, was first installed in 1988. The new chair, which has an hourly uplift of 3300 people per hour (30% more than the previous quad), is said to be “faster, more secure and more comfortable” according to Thomas Thor-Jensen, Director of the ski area. The installation of the new lift cost €7m (£5.7m). An additional 58 snow cannons have also been installed on the resort’s slopes over the summer; whilst the Saulire cable car has been renovated, as well as undergoing routine maintenance. One car has been fully refurbished; the second will be completed in summer 2013.

Indoor Snow Centre Plans Abandoned lans for the UK’s most southerly indoor snow centre to be built in the city of Southampton have been scrapped. The original plans, announced by Southampton City Council in January 2010, envisaged a slope of at least 150m on a 3 hectare site in the city. At the time, SNO!zone, which operates two indoor snow centres, said it was considering bidding to build and run what would have been the south coast’s first indoor snow centre and the only such facility south of London. However, new Southampton Council Leader Richard Williams told local newspaper the Daily Echo that he had killed off the plan in favour of

developing marine activities on the waterfront. He said if a private operator came forward with plans for an indoor snow centre at an out-of-town site with motorway access, he would reconsider. The UK currently has six indoor snow centres, at Tamworth, Milton Keynes, Hemel Hempstead, Castleford, Glasgow and Manchester.

A new company has been set up which offers to fit your rental equipment for you before you leave the UK and then deliver it to you in resort ready for your arrival – with the aim of avoiding trips to the rental shop in resort, often with queues to contend with. The Pre-Fit Delivery Company (prefitdelivery. co.uk) is able to offer prices as low as £79pp to use the service, which includes the pre-fitting, ski equipment hire and delivery, and that price is based on groups of at least 20 using the service. For clothing, costs start at £39 per week for the hire of ski jacket and ski pants. “Last season’s trial run was massively positive for us and everything went like clockwork,” says Co-Founder Matt Petersen. "We have been blown away by the reception we have had with our service and the Pre-Fitting concept as a whole.”

NOVEMBER 2012 | inthesnow.com

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Stubai Glacier Opens New Lifts BEN CLATWORTHY

ustria’s Stubai Glacier near Innsbruck is already open for its autumn glacier ski season and is unveiling some new lifts for 2012–13, as well as a rare new black piste, and even more unusual, a mountaintop chapel! The Stubai has invested about €12m (£9.8m) in two new chairlifts: Rotadl, an eight-seater chairlift, and the quad chairlift, Daunjoch. The Rotadl chairlift

will have heated seats and a pull-down weather-protection hood. Stubai also plans to unveil a new black slope, Daunhill, which is scheduled for completion by mid-November, if not earlier. And finally, a new chapel has been built, anchored in ice and rock – the Chapel Schaufeljoch. The total investment in the summer of 2012 is approximately €15m (£12.2m). The resort now has 26 cable cars and lifts operating on Austria’s largest glacier ski area.

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Envirotrek 2012 Cleans Up or the fourth summer running, the Dutch environmental group Respect The Mountains (not to be confused with the Ski Club of Great Britain’s “Respect The Mountain” campaign) carried out a major cleanup of ski and other mountain areas across Europe – even in the UK! As a result of seven events this summer, the campaign generated over 1000 volunteer hours of cleaning by nearly 500 mountain tourists and locals who altogether collected 1750kg of waste, which included 350 garbage bags, scrap metals, car tyres, used oil

barrels and much more. “There are estimated to be 100 million visitors in the European Alps each year, which presents a huge challenge in preserving these mountain environments. There is a growing need to provide necessary awareness campaigns to ensure mountain tourists are aware of the pressures that these popular holiday destinations are under,” says Respect The Mountains. One hundred people took part in 2009 in the first of these cleanups, called “Envirotrek”, more than 200 participated in 2010. RespectTheMountains.com

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inthesnow.com | NOVEMBER 2012

Only Use the Same Lift Twice BEN CLATWORTHY

he Dolomiti Superski ski area, the famed huge ski region in north-eastern Italy that links the skiing of a dozen valleys, and about 50 villages, in an area with more than 1200km of piste, has published a review of its business in 2011–12. The latter figures – showing an overall decline in business of 5.9% – were not rosy, but the management put the decline down to unseasonable weather conditions at the start of the winter, when it was too warm for the area’s mighty snowmaking arsenal to fire up, and then so windy at times that when the snow did

fall, quite a lot of it blew away. However, sales of 5-day tickets did show an 89% increase, and has led to the region launching a new “Use 5 days out of 6” pass this winter. “This fact is difficult to interpret,” said the operator of a ski region with some of Europe’s most expensive lift passes, “… although a possible explanation lies in the fact that Sundays were often windy and therefore clients had waited until Monday to purchase their skipass.” Among other interesting statistics was that on average, skiers using a Dolomiti Superski pass only used the same lift 2.3 times in every 6 days of skiing. With 450 to choose from, pass holders are clearly making the most of the vast choice offered.

New Idea For 3 ValleÉs App he team behind the “Les 3 Vallées” iPhone app, a company called Lumiplan, has announced a key new feature for the app in 2012–13. The ‘live itineraries’ feature will help you plan your route around the vast area before you leave your chalet or hotel room, by suggesting the route that’s most suited to your profile, which will depend on the data you type in. The application can be downloaded from les3vallees.com or from Apple’s App Store (iPhone, iPad) and from Android Market, and is available in English or French. The app already includes a “Find

your friends” option (Les 3 Vallées, T’es où?), a video player, augmented reality, piste map with skier’s geo-location, live details of groomed runs, ski lift opening information, statistics of your day (Myski), a ski area 7-day weather forecast, avalanche risk, snow levels, 3 Vallées resort webcams and live cams.

World’s First Child-Safe 8-Seater ROCKER

ofer (lofer.com) in Salzburgerland, Austria will unveil what it says is, “the world’s first child-safe eight-passenger chairlift” this winter. This means the lifts have footrests, weather-protection hoods, heated seats and an automatic safety bar. The new lift

links a newly designed valley station near the centre of Lofer to the Schwarzeck plateau, where there is a new piste. It has a capacity of 2400 people per hour, which keep queues to a minimum. In addition, Lofer has a new 180m-long covered conveyor carpet at Loferer Almbahn II in the Kinderland area.

011

NOVEMBER 2012 | inthesnow.com

Winter StartS WITH WHITE START PATRICK THORNE

aprun will officially celebrate the start of the 2012–13 ski season with The White Start Games on 10–11 November 2012 on the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier. The event will include 2013 ski testing from Atomic, Blizzard, Fischer, Head, Salomon, Rossignol and Völkl, plus the latest helmets from Alpina. There’ll also be live music at the Alpincenter and a competition to win a new Audi A1 Sportback car that’s open to all. Competitors will take part in four novel snow sports, beginning with “snow surfing” on fresh powder (hopefully).

Second, the Flipper Snowrun – described by the resort as, “Anyone can walk on snow in skiing boots, but only the most skilful manage it in flippers.” Then third is Freeride Sweating in the sauna at the Tauern Spa, mostly where naked participants will need to survive 3 minutes wearing a thick woolly hat. Finally, deep snow diving will involve diving to hunt for various objects. Everyone who successfully completes all four challenges will have their names added to a draw. Twenty people whose names are drawn will then take part in a quiz, the winner of which wins the Audi. Entry is free, but anyone wanting to take part must register at: whitestart. zellamsee-kaprun.com

Beautiful Ski Chalets in Méribel Choose from our range of ski chalets… whether it’s a high-end chalet close to the centre of Méribel, an authentic Savoyarde chalet in the village of Les Allues, or almost anything in between…the choice is yours!

Mmmmm ... La Bouitte’s Biscuirons he 2 Michelin restaurant, La Bouitte (+33 (0)479 089 677), located in Saint Martin de Belleville in Les 3 Vallées, is putting its famous Biscuirons on sale this winter. René and Maxime Meilleur have invented a new cake concept based on the local Savoyard biscuit, “the Biscuiron”. To create their perfect Biscuiron, the pastry is

gently worked with a spatula, then drawn into a curved tray and baked in a moderate oven for 10 minutes. Deliciously soft and melting, the Biscuiron is treated like a mini culinary work of art. It’s available in numerous flavours, including chocolate mousse/absinthe, creamy vanilla olive oil/ lemon supreme, coffee ganache/orange supreme ... enjoy!

Skiing Holidays For Singles eading singles holiday company Friendship Travel (singlesskiholidays.com) has launched its 2012–13 ski and snowboarding programme featuring holidays in Méribel, Tignes, Val d’Isère, Courchevel 1850, Les Deuz Alpes, Courmayeur and St Anton – with guests enjoying single room accommodation in a choice of 2, 3 and 3plus properties. New for 2012–13 is the Chalethotel Moris, a 2 property in a central location in Val d’Isère, just a short walk from the Solaise and Bellevarde lift stations, where prices for a seven-night holiday lead in at £599 in January, inclusive of return

Gatwick flights, transfers and chalet board accommodation in a single room. Regional departures are available and early season packages start at £495pp for seven nights in Tignes for 9 December departures.

Call: 01962 855220 Email: team@les3chalets.com

inthesnow.com | NOVEMBER 2012

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he Swatch Freeride World Tour, the Freeskiing World Tour and The North Face Masters of Snowboarding series will all merge this winter to create one unified global 5 championship series. The new six-stop world tour, with the catchy title the Swatch Freeride World Tour By The North Face, will include freeride skiing and snowboarding at each stop. Confirmed tour locations include Revelstoke, Canada; ChamonixMont-Blanc, France; Kirkwood, USA; Fieberbrunn PillerseeTal, Austria; and one more European stop still to be

confirmed, before the World Tour finals take place in Verbier, Switzerland. “The union of the three tours is a major step in the sport’s growth,” said Nicolas Hale-Woods, Freeride World Tour Managing Director Europe, “not only at World Tour (FWT) level, but also at qualifying level, with events happening in New Zealand, North and South America, and Europe, all counting for one unique Freeride World Qualifiers (FWQ) ranking, enabling riders from all active areas to qualify for the following season’s tour.” The first event in the Swatch Freeride World Tour By The North Face will take place from 7 to 12 January in Revelstoke, with a men’s and women’s ski and snowboard event. freerideworldtour.com

New Red Pistes At Cervinia wo new runs have been created ready for the coming winter at Cervinia in Italy’s Aosta Valley. Located in the north-west of the country, Cervinia and its neighbour Valtournenche share one of Europe’s biggest and highest ski areas, with 360km of piste stretching across the Swiss border to Zermatt. The new runs are located in the Pancheron and Cretaz sectors, overlooked by the south face of the Matterhorn. New red (intermediate) run Gran Roc (run number 62 on the piste map) accessed by the high-speed sixseat Pancheron chair, descends parallel to the “slow ski” run (9B) and ends up in the area of Cretaz, from where you can carry on along the legendary run

“5”, which finishes in the resort at the base of the Cretaz chairlift. The new run provides another route through a unique area known as the city of rocks, where huge boulders rise up out of the white snow. The second new piste, “Vallone 5” (5b), also a red, and above run 5 in Cretaz, is located in a sunny position and offers 300m of vertical descent.

Quick-Dry Lightweight Towels ith the need to get warm and dry fast on the slopes sometimes essential, but wanting to keep pack weight to a minimum, Lifeventure’s (lifeventure.co.uk) new SoftFibre Trek Towels could be the answer. Incredibly lightweight and compact, the brand’s biggest travel towel yet is the

same size as an extra-large bath towel, and is treated with a permanent antibacterial formula that ensures it stays cleaner and smelling fresher for longer, as well as being capable of absorbing up to nine times its own weight in water. After use, the SoftFibre Trek Towel also dries up to eight times quicker than a standard towel. RRP: £29.99, buy online at cotswoldoutdoor.com

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BOLLÉ KING SUNGLASSES RRP £89 The King is extremely strong, yet lightweight and flexible, making it perfect for skiing. The Thermogrip nose pads and temple tip inserts with moisture absorbing properties provide a solid yet soft fit at all times. The optically superior polycarbonate lens is made from lightweight, premium grade resin, which is 20 times more impact-resistant than glass – and three times lighter. Polarised grey lenses eliminate glare on extra bright days and also provide 100% UV protection.

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BOLLÉ GRAVITY GOGGLES RRP £99 This high-spec goggle, with its Vermillion Blue, category 1–2 light reactive lens, is designed to provide the widest field of

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St Anton Hotel Gets Interior Design Makeover he historic Hotel Montjola in St Anton, built in 1932, is specialist ski company VIP SKI’s (0844 557 3119; vipchalets.com) first foray into St Anton. The property has been treated to a total overhaul

Steve Wells, Hardware Buyer at Ellis Brigham, talks about the anatomy of a ski. The skis you see in shops this winter are very different to skis of just a few seasons ago. The choice of widths, shapes, cambers and constructions create models that all do different tasks exceptionally well, but what do these terms mean and how do they affect a ski? The wider the ski, the bigger the surface area, and the more it will float; the narrower it is the quicker it goes from one turn to the next. Skis that have a lot of shape (a deep curve along their edges) will feel as though they turn quickly; straighter skis prefer longer turns but feel very stable. The camber traditionally refers to the arch of a ski when it is placed base down, the tip and tails touching the surface and the centre elevated. The recent rocker trend sees this camber reversed, which creates a more forgiving and manoeuvrable ski, ideally suited to soft snow. Rocker and traditional camber can be blended together to create very versatile skis. Finally, the construction affects the stiffness. Stiffer skis, often with the aid of extra wood or metal, provide more power and are best suited to hard snow. Softer skis are suppler, and are ideal for slower skiers or for use in softer snow. Got a question for the Ellis Brigham team? Then email it to marketing@ellisbrigham.com, tweet it to @ellisbrigham, or post on Facebook, and if your question is featured next month you could win a £100 Ellis Brigham gift voucher.

and massage suite, and a new wraparound outdoor hot tub. Along with the full VIP catering service, a complimentary ski hosting service as well as an 8am–8pm chauffeur service, two nannies are also on hand to assist with your children’s needs.

by interior designers over the summer to give the hotel a special “VIP twist”. The 33-bedroom hotel now has all contemporary comforts, including flat screen TVs, sound docks and signature hot tubs. There’s also a sauna, steam room

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inthesnow.com | NOVEMBER 2012

Sir Steve Redgrave Becomes New BASI President he British Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI) (basi.org.uk) has announced that former British rower, five-times Olympic gold medallist and keen skier, Sir Steve Redgrave, has accepted an invitation to become its new President. “I have always enjoyed my skiing since my first trip as an 11 year old. In theory I wasn’t allowed to ski whilst I was a competitive rower, but sneaked away on an annual basis. Since my retirement at the 2000 Olympics I have been able to ski a lot more. I also have taken my BASI 1 instructors, so am extremely honoured to be asked to become President of the British Association of Snowsport Instructors. I am looking forward to the role,” said Sir Steve. Formed in 1962, the association currently has over 6000 members who are actively involved in delivering instruction to recreational ski and snowboard enthusiasts at snowsport centres and dry ski slopes in the UK, as well as at ski resorts in 24 countries worldwide.

Leisa Gibson

Landmarks_A4_ITS_OCT12.pdf

12/09/2012

15:48

Wherever You Prefer To Ski... Keystone: More For Families Keystone in Colorado’s new and improved “Kidtopia” – the centre of its operations for families – will debut for 2012–13 with what the resort believes may well be “the best family oriented activities and events in the industry." Headquarters will become the mecca for a plethora of children’s activities, and other excitement will be generated in activities and events such as Kids Apres, the Kidtopia Parade and Freda’s Incubator – a miniature terrain park located in Keystone’s Area 51 Park. Other evening activities include mountaintop fondue dinners complete with the chicken dance, sleigh-ride meals and medievalthemed Kidtopia feasts.

New Gondola For Flaine Flaine, at the heart of the French Grand Massif ski areas, has announced a new gondola lift is under construction for winter 2012–13. The new eightseater gondola lift Aup de Veran replaces an old four-seater lift in the same area and will be faster as well as doubling capacity on the route. It’s the latest in a line of recent improvements at the snowsure resort that’s one of the closest to Geneva.

Revolving Ski Slope Planned A company called Skiplex has submitted plans to build a conveyorstyle indoor ski centre in Woodley, Berkshire. The facility would be located within a 600m2 warehouse, which has been unused for 3 years. The centre would include two 9.5m-long, 5m-wide slopes, which could be tilted at different angles to increase the challenge depending on the ability of the skier or boarder using it. skiplex.co.uk

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VALLEY & MONTEROSA AOSTA SKI HOLIDAY SPECIALISTS MAYEUR COUR MONT BLANC CHAMPOLUC

MONTE ROSA

SSONEY GRE MONTE ROSA

Franz Walter

GNA ALA MONTE ROSA

ZUBA SKI Specialists in Aosta Valley and Monterosa Zuba Ski for many years has worked closely with the local communities, offering our clients the

The "Harbin Roadshow" Hits The Road ith breathtaking photos from Harbin, China, and an impressive multimedia lecture, world-renowned climber Ines Papert is touring Europe this autumn with her Harbin Roadshow sponsored by Canadian skiwear brand Arc’teryx. The show unites an exhibition of the photographic work of Franz Walter, who accompanied Ines on her spectacular ice-climbing venture in the “City of Ice” in the Manchurian city of Harbin in China, with Ines Papert’s 90-minute presentation about her spectacular climbs in the world’s

most remote places. The city of Harbin has been presenting the international Ice and Snow Festival since 1985. The megacity in the Chinese north-east region is frozen for the whole winter at temperatures below -25°C. It took Papert and her team more than a year to finally obtain permission to climb this unique artificial world of ice. The professional mountaineer talks about conquering summits as well as about failures, about friendship and loneliness, hardships and moments of pure bliss – a capturing presentation illustrated by spectacular imagery and video. UK dates are 17 November at

options in all resorts. Self-Catered Apartments, B&Bs, 2* 3* 4* Hotels Zuba Ski Provides a complete bespoke service at local prices, handling all your arrangements. Ski Passes, Rental Equipment, Ski School, Mountain Guides, Heliskiing, Airport transfers

the Kendal Mountain Festival; the Epicentre, Ambleside on 18 November; the 19 November at Outside, Hathersage; and finally, 20 November at Snow & Rock in London. ines-papert.de/roadshow

LOCAL

PRICES

AOSTA VALLEY Something for all skiers and budgets A wonderful and traditional Italian region with the resorts Franz Walter

BEN CLATWORTHY

widest possible range of different accommodation

of: Courmayeur, Champoluc, Gressoney & Alagna. A haven for children, couples and groups. Zuba Ski’s diverse range of mainly family run accommodation, along with delicious food, local wines and an Italian love of great hospitality, assure you of a special time. Surrounded by some of Europe’s most famous mountains, including Mont Blanc, the Monte Rosa and many others, this region rich in history and tradition will most definitely inspire you.

The Zuba Ski Promise We provide responsible tourism, working and developing close relationships with the community; we pass on our warm, friendly and hospitable relations directly to our clients who then enjoy a richer, more traditional experience. We do not import our own reps, ski instructors or guides. Everything we offer is via local people at local prices so you enjoy an authentic time in the mountains. Contact us today www.zubaski.com adventures@zubaski.com

MORE READ ABOUT ZUBA SKI

+44 844 893 0833

www.zubaski.com

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inthesnow.com | NOVEMBER 2012

Crystal Ski Sales Continues Move To Where Skiers Are n August 2010, Crystal Ski (crystalski.co.uk) opened its first information point at Chill Factore in Manchester, followed by shops at four more indoor snow centres. This month the company is going a step further by opening brand new info and booking desks inside Snow+Rock superstores (snowandrock.com) at London Covent Garden and Romford in Essex. The move is part of a wider strategy to develop information points where skiers and snowboarders are. People will be able to gather information to help them plan their next ski or snowboard holiday, and take advantage of special offers and book their holiday there and then. “This year we are increasing our presence in ski and snowboarding superstores across the UK to be available for potential customers to ask questions and book with us. These desks should provide value to customers and will support the travel agents in the area,” said Managing Director Simon Cross.

New VIP Service In Niseko SkiJapan (skijapan.com), a specialist travel provider in the country’s leading destination for international guests, Niseko, is launching a new VIP service for 2012–13. NisekoVIP.com will include private airport transfer, priority concierge and private tours, and a personal greeter on arrival at the New Chitose airport. In resort customers will receive, private village transfers and a VIP mobile phone providing a 24-hour link to the Niseko VIP concierge desk.

Mürren: 100 Years Of Winter Sport

Let the train take the strain. MySwitzerland.com A flat-rate return ticket allowing one-day transfers from point of entry to any destination in Switzerland and back. Only available in the UK. And children under 16 travel for free. Contact the Switzerland Travel Centre on MySwitzerland.com/rail or call us on: 020 7420 4900.

Travel from Swiss airports to ski resorts and return with the Swiss Transfer Ticket. Buy now: adult 2nd class £ 85, 1st class £ 140 (price increase for bookings made after 1 January 2013)

On 16 December it will be exactly 100 years since the beginnings of winter sport in Mürren. This significant contribution to the development of tourism is largely due to the British, who were the first to bring winter sports to the Alpine village. It was also in Mürren that the famous Kandahar Ski Club, the Swiss Academic Ski Club and the British Ladies Ski Club were founded. The 100-year anniversary will be honoured with a celebration on 16 December.

The Drinks Are On Inghams Inghams (inghams.co.uk) is offering couples a €150 bar credit for ski holidays booked to select chalet hotels, including the 4 Chalet Hotel du Montet in Val d'Isère or the Chalet Hotel de Verbier, as well as the 3 Les Cimes in Alpe d'Huez, Le Dôme in Tignes or Atlanta in Zermatt, where package prices start from £399pp for seven nights, including catered accommodation with full skiers buffet breakfast, free daily afternoon tea and cake, five-course evening meals, pre-dinner aperitif, choice of complimentary wines, return flights and resort transfers. 205_12d_06_ins_inthesnow.indd 1

27.08.12 11:33

VALLEY & MONTEROSA AOSTA SKI HOLIDAY SPECIALISTS MAYEUR COUR MONT BLANC CHAMPOLUC

MONTE ROSA

SSONEY GRE MONTE ROSA

E Lantelme

GNA ALA MONTE ROSA

The World Military Winter Games 2013 PATRICK THORNE

he World Military Winter Games will be staged in Annecy, France, from 25 – 29 March 2013. There’s a long history of association between snow sports and the military, with military training being a major factor of the growth of the sport in the early 20th century, and ex-military personnel were leading players in the building boom of new ski resorts like Vail in the USA and Méribel in France. More recently, 56 of the 258 medal winners at the last Winter Olympics in Vancouver had military training. The World Military Winter Games will see nearly 1000 athletes from 40 countries, including some of the world’s top competitors in their respective disciplines, gather for this celebration of sporting excellence and friendship between peoples. It’s only the second time the Military Winter World Games has been staged after the first in Aosta in 2009. They

now take place every 4 years and precede the Olympics by 1 year. Six major sporting disciplines will be showcased at the Games. After the official kick-off at an open-air ceremony on the shores of Lake Annecy, the action will move to venues in Annecy, ChamonixMont-Blanc, Le Grand Bornand and La Clusaz. Competition will be fierce, for the 1000 athletes from 40 countries who gather in HauteSavoie will be among the world’s best in their specialties. “The idea of promoting friendship through sport made eminent sense, and we had no hesitation about getting behind the initiative,” says Christian Monteil, President of the Haute Savoie. “It’s also an opportunity to showcase the history of our region,” adds Monteil. “The region was a stronghold of the French Resistance and has strong ties with the military as the historic home of several elite combat units.” French specialist tour operator Peak

Retreats (peakretreats.co.uk) is offering special packages to anyone wanting to get to the Games, with seven-night self-catering holidays beginning on 23 March 2013, including Eurotunnel crossings for one car and passengers with a free FlexiPlus upgrade. To be right in the heart of the action, Peak Retreats has an apartment called Les Châtaigniers on the outskirts of Annecy and another, Le Royal, in the resort centre – prices on request. But you can also stay in one of the main resorts hosting events and enjoy them as part of your ski holiday. For example, stay in La Clusaz at the 4 Grande Alpes for £409pp (based on four sharing a two-bedroom apartment) or in the 5 luxury hotel Au Coeur du Village for £1250pp (half board basis) for a family of four (two adults and two children 12+). The company also has packages at nearby Le Grand Bornand, and sister company Ski Collection (skicollection.co.uk) offers holidays in Chamonix, Mont-Blanc.

ZUBA SKI Specialists in Aosta Valley and Monterosa Zuba Ski for many years has worked closely with the local communities, offering our clients the widest possible range of different accommodation options in all resorts. Self-Catered Apartments, B&Bs, 2* 3* 4* Hotels Zuba Ski Provides a complete bespoke service at local prices, handling all your arrangements. Ski Passes, Rental Equipment, Ski School, Mountain Guides, Heliskiing, Airport transfers

LOCAL

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AOSTA VALLEY Something for all skiers and budgets Ski this entire exciting and wonderfully traditional Italian Alpine region including: Courmayeur, Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna on multi resort ski passes. Fantastic adventure for children, couples, groups, from beginners to experts One of Europe top locations to enjoy days of professionally guided mountain adventure. Ski at altitude in vast wild open

Wastewater Snowmaking System Near Completion

mountain terrain. Off-Piste Skiing, Ski Touring Ski Mountaineering and

plan to make snow from wastewater, which the Arizona Snowbowl ski area has been trying to progress for more than a decade, finally seems set to go into service this winter. The snowmaking system, for the southern state that does not have abundant water for snowmaking, caused controversy with native American tribes, who argued for a decade through a long list of court cases that spraying the slopes with snow made from recycled wastewater on a mountain they hold sacred was an insult. However, all legal obstacles finally seem to have been surmounted by the resort, for whom recent rulings have been favourable, and the system

Heliskiing offer unbelievable

skiing with descents from over 4,000 metres.

The Zuba Ski Promise

is now under construction. “The last legal battle has been settled and we started constructing our snowmaking supply line along Snowbowl Road last summer. This summer we will need to finish our

connection with the City of Flagstaff. We still have quite a bit more to do before the season starts, but we will be making snow this coming winter, our 75th anniversary,” confirmed resort spokesman Dave Smith.

We provide responsible tourism, working and developing close relationships with the community; we pass on our warm, friendly and hospitable relations directly to our clients who then enjoy a richer, more traditional experience. We do not import our own reps, ski instructors or guides. Everything we offer is via local people at local prices so you enjoy an authentic time in the mountains. Contact us today www.zubaski.com adventures@zubaski.com

844 893 0833 +44 CALL ZUBA SKI TODAY

+44 844 893 0833

www.zubaski.com

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NOVEMBER 2012 | inthesnow.com

inthesnow.com | NOVEMBER 2012

British Racers In The Wind Tunnel BEN CLATWORTHY

Why spend hours on the details that will make your ski holiday perfect? When you book with Move Mountains, it’s all part of the service.

As an ATOL-bonded operator, with us you’ll get top accommodation and all your travel arranged. But that’s just the start. You’ll also have your own personal Man Friday to organise all the extras - from booking mountain guides, to supplying your chalet with enough bum-boards for a serious race event.

Whatever you want, our experts will move mountains to arrange it, so you don’t have to.

ast summer, Team Evolution Alpine Racing athletes were invited to use the wind tunnel alongside members of the British Speed Ski Team at Cambridge University, where research was conducted into drag created by different aerodynamic positions. Team Evolution Junior Team athletes Max Baggio, Max Moss and Darcie Mead, along with British Senior Team athlete

and 2010 Olympian Ed Drake all benefited from this opportunity. The equipment set-up, in terms of catsuit material, helmet shape and back protection used, makes far less difference in terms of aerodynamics than the drag created by the body position – so the main benefit of using the right gear is to allow the athletes to achieve the correct position, which means the most important factor is that their equipment has to be comfortable and allow them to move freely into this “ideal position”.

Les 2 Alpes Replaces Gondola With New Six-Seater Chairlift n an unusual move in the ski industry, the leading French resort of Les 2 Alpes has announced plans to replace a gondola lift with a chairlift this season. The glacier resort’s Diable Gondola will be replaced by a six-seat high-speed chairlift, called le télésiège du Diable, which will be able to take 2200 skiers per hour and links the slope base to Les Crêtes. At the same time, the Crêtes ski lift for beginners, situated at an altitude of 2100m, will be replaced by a 250m-long carpet lift, with a transparent weather-

Exclusive offer Receive a £100 Snow+Rock voucher on every booking made before 30.11.12*

protection tunnel cover. Les 2 Alpes will open from 27 October – 4 November 2012 and then reopen from 1 December 2012 – 27 April 2013.

Did you miss your gap year? 01753 463 400 www.movemountainstravel.com welcome@movemountainstravel.com www.facebook.com/movemountainstravel twitter.com/move_mtns *Voucher issued upon payment of the balance. Only valid on bookings made before 30.11.2012. No cash alternative. One voucher per booking.

mages of students with backpacks, in youth hostels, sharing beers and life-changing experiences are beginning to look outdated. 50 year olds with suitcases in condos, sharing hot tubs and life-changing experiences are the new poster children for timeout-to-travel adventure. Snow Rehab (snowrehab.com), has had so much interest from older age groups, that it has tailored several of its improvement and instructor courses to their needs. “I had my own gap year experience later in life and it’s the best thing I ever

did,” Managing Director Gordon Hodge said. “It’s never too late to meet new people and get a new qualification. There’s no need to slum it either – after a hard day on the snow there’s nowhere better to celebrate than in your own hot tub.” Participants can opt to sit their CASI/ CSIA snowboard or ski instructor exams at the end of the longer holidays or take a shorter “improvement” course. All courses take place in Canada in the Big White or Revelstoke resorts, and include five hours daily instruction from top Canadian coaches and seven-time North American champion Edith Rozsa.

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BEN CLATWORTHY

t's 8.57am and I'm already blasting down the third run of the day. Countless more will follow, but I won't be using the same pair of skis twice. I quickly learned: ski testing is no holiday. I'm in Stubai, Austria, with Ellis Brigham (ellis-brigham.com), the UK's biggest ski retailer, at their annual staff ski test. Taking employees from their 24 shops across the UK to the Austrian Tirol might seem extravagant, however the aim of the week is clear: core staff test the new brands and equipment so that when it comes to selling, they have invaluable first-hand experience. It may sound like fun, but ski tests can be laborious (I know, your heart bleeds!). Days spent fiddling with bindings and DIN settings, only to ski one run on each pair, no matter how much you love them. Steve Wells, Ski Hardware Buyer, who runs the Ellis Brigham tests tells staff on the first night, "Really one run should be plenty to get a good feel for the ski, but don't ski along with your head in the clouds, make turns, ski on and off piste, and think critically." The programme for the week took me back to my days of ski racing: your Ben Clatworthy stayed at the 3 Hotel Medrazerhof alarm clock ringing (medrazerhof.at) in Fulpmes, with prices from before the sun first €38pp (£31pp) on a B&B basis. During the winter glimmers onto the season Innsbruck is served daily by Easyjet (easyjet. mountains, wearily com) from London Gatwick, and twice weekly from eating breakfast, Liverpool and Bristol. British Airways (ba.com) flies and queuing at the five times a week from London Gatwick. New this turnstiles waiting for season Monarch (monarch.co.uk) will fly three the gondola to open. times a week from Manchester. For the Ellis Brigham team this was just the Stubai Valley: stubai.at start of the story. Once Austrian Tirol: visittirol.co.uk off the mountain Ellis Brigham: ellis-brigham.com the focus of the day turned to talks and seminars; boot fitting, ski selection and customer service all under the spotlight. The Stubai Glacier, Austria’s largest, is already open for the 2012–13 winter season, and won’t close until at least June next year, making its season one of the longest in the world. Skiing in the Stubai Valley is split between four main

resorts: the Glacier; Elfer (accessed from Neustift, the nearest major town to the glacier, 20km down the Valley); Schlick 2000 (from Fulpmes); and Serles (from Mieders). Altogether the four resorts offer 147km of skiing, with 45 lifts. We were based in the small village of Fulpmes, which sits at the foot of the Schlick 2000, the most extensive of the lower resorts. There is a regular bus shuttle (half-hourly) from the traditional Austrian village to the Glacier, which also stops in Neustift. Fulpmes is a traditional Tyrolean village, without the touristy feel of many ski areas. Sadly I didn’t have a chance to explore the village properly, but I can thoroughly recommend a walk around the nearby countryside and wooden huts. Over dinner one evening I talked with Bob Brigham, Co-Managing Director of the company, and brother of Ellis Brigham (their father, who shared his brother’s name was the Founder of the company). He told me how Fulpmes has a long history with the business, “We bought our first ice-axes and crampons from this little village. The company, ‘Stubai’, is still in operation; they presented me with a 6ft ice axe many years ago – there are matching crampons of the same scale, which can be found in the [Fulpmes] museum.” Whilst in Stubai, Ellis Brigham take the opportunity to film staff on, and reviewing, the new equipment for their website. The company shoot their ski catalogue (known as The White Book) in Steamboat, Colorado, in March, but there is no time for filming then. On the last day Mark Brigham, the company’s Marketing Director, asks if I’d like to ski a few pairs for the camera? “Yes please” I respond excitedly – I’d always fancied myself as a ski model; however, I think I might be waiting a while before they ask me on the transatlantic shoot. You’ll be able to see the outcome of my ski film debut on their website this autumn. There’s no question, ski tests are an exciting part of the season for winter sports fanatics. Speculating over what’s going to be hot, and what will flop, is the lifeblood of diehard skiers, and there is no better opportunity than at ski tests. At the end of the week the Ellis Brigham staff sat at dinner mulling over their “favourite pair”, the new kit, and sharing anecdotes from the week. I know where I’ll be going for my new season equipment.

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InTheSnow.com

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PATRICK THORNE

onarch’s (Monarch.co.uk/ ski) services to Innsbruck bring some of the best known resorts in the Austrian Tyrol closer to you than any other airport can. In some cases the combination of a short flight, small airport, and short transfer mean you can be on the slopes within 3 hours of taking off from the UK! Which is about the same length of time as the coach transfer alone from Geneva to Val d’Isère on a good day, and that’s after you’ve made the flight and battled through giant Geneva.

Seefeld Only 25km (40-minutes drive) from Innsbruck, Seefeld is one of the easiest ski resorts to reach in the Alps. The famous resort has a wonderful ambience, with its old centre and picturesque mountain scenery. Horse-drawn carriages depart from the pedestrianised heart of the village, by the Gothic-style pilgrimage church of St Oswald. Seefeld boasts a huge range of activities, as well as great skiing with runs up to 6km long. The resort sits on a sunny plateau, open to the south, and its higher than average elevation for an Austrian resort means that good snow-cover is the norm, with 90% snowmaking backup

if Mother Nature fails to produce the white goods. Apart from downhill skiing the region has a strong reputation for Nordic sports, and was the venue for the cross-country skiing in the 1964 and 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics.

A New Ski Jewel Monarch’s Innsbruck flights also allow you to be among the first and the fastest to reach Europe’s new Ski Jewel! The only ”new” ski area in the Alps this winter, created by the gondola and piste liftlinking for 2012–13 between the iconic village of Alpbach and its neighbouring Wildschonau Valley. The two ski areas have each operated

separately for more than 50 years, but the new Ski Jewel area linking the two, with nearly 150km of piste, has shot into the Tyrolean top 10 for size, but remains among the most affordable passes in the Alps on price. The area is just 70km (less than an hour’s drive) from Innsbruck.

Mayrhofen Mayrhofen, another of the world’s top ski resorts, located in the stunning Ziller Valley, is just 70km from Innsbruck airport. More than 50 state-of-the-art lifts serve 161km of piste, topped with one of the world’s two year-round ski areas on the Hintertux Glacier. Any pass for 3 days or longer is valid at all the ski

027 InTheSnow.com

Monarch: monarch.co.uk/ski Alpbach: alpbach.at Alta Badia: altabadia.org Altitude Festival: altitudefestival.com Innsbruck: innsbruck.info Obergurgl: obergurgl.com Pitztal: pitztal.com Seefeld: seefeld.com Ski Jewel: skijuwel.com Snowbombing: snowbombing.com Solden: soelden.com Stubai: stubaier-gletscher.com Wildschonau: www.wildschoenau.com

areas in the Ziller Valley – the Zillertal Superski Pass has more than 750km of piste on the ticket. All in all it’s no surprise that the biggest annual festival in the Alps, Snowbombing, is staged here each spring, just after the Altitude Comedy Festival in late-March. The resort has more than 100 shops and 70 restaurants.

Sölden For snow-sure skiing you can’t do much better than Sölden and Obergurgl, 75km from Innsbruck, in the Ötztal. Obergurgl is one of the highest traditional villages in Europe, and the ski lifts open from mid-November each season – among the first in the Alps

for a non-glacier resort. Larger Sölden, with which it shares a lift pass, opens earlier still, from September, thanks to its twin glaciers. One of the top party towns in Austria, this is also a great choice for anyone looking to ski or board all day then dance all night.

Innsbruck Innsbruck itself, like London, has hosted three Olympic Games, most recently in 2012 – although admittedly for Innsbruck the Games last winter were the new Youth Winter Games. Innsbruck has an over-capacity problem in the winter, and as a result high-quality hotels have bargain

priced beds and a very affordable ski pass is offered, the Olympia World Ski Pass, covering nearly 300km of slopes, available at eight ski areas dotted around this capital of the Tyrol. Each morning a bus will take you from your hotel to the ski slopes of your choice. These might be the Olympic pistes of Axamer Lizum or Igls, or the glacier runs of the Stubai, already open for 2012–13 – the choice is yours. In the evening, or if you like on a day off, explore this historic university city, with its hundreds of shops and vast choice of restaurants, as well as numerous cultural and historic attractions – it really is a wonderful choice for a ski and city break.

The Rest And these are just the start – Innsbruck is also the gateway to many more top Tyrolean resorts, and also the closest airport to some north Italian ski areas in the Dolomites, such as the famous Alta Badia region. Back in Austria, Kitzbühel is 89km away; Austria’s largest ski area, the Skiwelt, with is 100km away; and Innsbruck is also the closest airport to St Anton (105km away). Also nearby is the Pitztal glacier at 3440m, Austria’s highest ski area, which is 80km away; and finally another of Austria’s top party towns, Ischgl, is 100km away. All in all, if you can think of almost any Austrian ski resort, it’s likely to be closest to Innsbruck, and all accessible with Monarch.

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inthesnow.com | NOVEMBER 2012

Jeremy Swanson

French Alps and Pyrenees

Snowmass Gets EVEN Bigger!

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

BEN CLATWORTHY

nowmass will add 93 hectares of new terrain on Burnt Mountain this season, bringing the total skiable acreage to 1361 hectares – the second largest ski area in Colorado. The resort says that the terrain on Burnt Mountain features rolling low-angle meadows, glades and spectacular views into the valleys between Snowmass and Buttermilk. The total skiable area for Aspen/Snowmass (aspensnowmass. com) for winter 2012–13 will be 2239 hectares, all available on one lift ticket. “This is a powder skier’s dream,” said Steve Sewell, Snowmass Mountain

New Year in La Plagne, ski in/ski out from £270/pp/wk 020 7371 6111 I www.lagrange-holidays.co.uk

photo credits : A. Périer

Manager. “Burnt Mountain has beautiful terrain that will offer skiers and riders a super fun experience in an area that was formerly skied, but unpatrolled backcountry. Now it will be patrolled and controlled, opening up this amazing experience to more of the skiing and riding public.” The area will be marked as advanced black diamond level of difficulty, primarily because of the narrow, quite steep traverse from the area, returning to the bottom of the Two Creeks lift. The area is located to the east of the Longshot run, accessed by a short hike from the top of the Elk Camp lift, and is scheduled to open before the Christmas holidays, conditions permitting.

Le Grand Bornand French Alps

Scorpions For Ischgl

Under an hour from Geneva airport

Le Village de Lessy 

schgl (ischgl.com) has announced its festival opening week details from 23 November. The famous Austrian party town makes a big deal of its opening in lateNovember, and closing in early-May, by bringing in pop and rock stars to play free concerts for ticket holders. Stars that have performed include Rihanna, Kylie, Katy Perry and Elton (twice). It’s all designed to highlight just how snow sure Ischgl is. That was a challenge a year ago during the ultra-warm autumn 2011, but Ischgl spent a reputed €1 million (approx. £0.8m) on snowmaking and opened on time, while Europe’s highest resort, Val Thorens, had to postpone their

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planned November opening. So this year, the highlight of the festival opening week is the Top of the Mountain Opening Concert on 1 December, featuring the veteran German band The Scorpions, who with 47 years of history, are the most successful German rock band ever.

Free Snowboarding For Skiers ude Chalets (rudechalets. com) is offering skiers the chance to give snowboarding a go for free. On chalet holidays for the weeks from 20 January – 24 March, the company is offering the services of a snowboard instructor and the rental of a brand new 2013 Burton Snowboard for free to any of

their skiing guests who would like to learn to snowboard. Also new for next season is a Splitboard Intro Week from 6 April in partnership with a top mountain guide in Chamonix. The Intro Week gives competent snowboarders the chance to learn to ride a Splitboard at a price point which, Rude Chalets say, will not break the bank.

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EARLY Group BIRD OFFE R lesson s 10% discou nt*

A Crash Course In Skiing Olivia Parry-Jones

rriving in a snowy Verbier at the end of last season, I wasn’t sure what I’d got myself into. I’d had a few goes at an indoor slope in the UK, but my friends who were all competent skiers insisted that I should have lessons at the resort. As our group arrived midweek, I thought it might be difficult to start a course, but the Adrenaline (adrenalineverbier.ch) 4YOU programme allows you to start on any day of the week, and have as many lessons as you want. Groups have a maximum of four people, so you know you will receive personal attention. On the first morning I met up with the rest of my group, three other nervous looking adults, wearing expressions similar to a child left by their parents on the first day of school. After a few greetings, our instructor Nick arrived. Nick, as it turns out, is from a little village in Dorset – not necessarily known for its mountains, but he certainly knew his stuff! As we were all feeling less than confident, we decided to head to the nursery slope and quickly run through the basics to check we weren’t doing anything “funky”, to coin a phrase. After a brief refresher and some demos from Nick, we were all sliding down the nursery slope making lovely snowplough turns. As there were only four of us, it was easy to get to know everyone, and it was good to have

others around of the same ability. Next morning, Nick decided we were off up the big hill, so now feeling confident we had fun swooshing down the real mountains, with pointers and guidance on how to improve from Nick. He showed us the best place on the hill for a hot chocolate, and we got to queuejump using the ski school priority lanes. I must admit we felt rather like VIPs.

Olivia skied with Adrenaline ESI Verbier Ski and Snowboard School (adrenaline-verbier.ch) on their 4YOU Adult Coaching for 6 days. Courses are available for all levels from beginner to expert, with a maximum of four in a group. Courses can last any number of days, from single days to full weeks. Early Bird Deal – book before 30 November to receive 10% off.

My friends were amazed how much I had improved during the week. I met some great people, had a really enjoyable time, discovered some secret places to ski, and progressed far quicker than I thought!

Polo On Snow Returns To Courchevel he BMW Polo Masters returns for 2013, once again visiting three of the Alps’ top ski resorts. The dramatic game, played on horseback, is more commonly played in British country estates than on the snow. The game has been nicknamed the “sport

of kings”, and consists of between four and eight chukkas, all of which last for 7 minutes. The BMW Masters Tour visits Val d’Isère first from 16–19 January 2013, before stopping at picturesque Megève (24–27 January 2013) and then Courchevel (31 January–3 February 2013).

* Valid until 30 Nov 2012

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Norway’s Trysil Opens For Season In September he Trysil ski area in Norway opened a run on 29 September, using snow it had saved from last winter. The snow had been stored below a thick layer of bark chipping through the summer at the base of the Kids’ Adventure Hill at the resort. “This is the first time we’ve tried this and it worked as planned. Our guests are happy, that’s the most important thing,” said Wegard Matsson, Snow and Land Manager at Skistar Trysil. Guests came from as far as Oslo and Sweden to take advantage of the opportunity for September snow fun, which was offered free of charge by the resort. Trysil is one of the first non-glacier ski areas in the world to open each season, and plans to officially open on 3 November. Until then, the stored snow will be available for snow fun for free as long as it lasts.

New Chocolate From Courchevel Piste Noire, the artisan chocolate factory in Courchevel, not only works with the best chocolates in the world, but is launching its own varieties. The brand is launching two new products this winter: a milk chocolate made with milk taken from local summer mountain pastures, and a 74% dark chocolate made with cocoa beans from Santo Domingo, Tanzania and Ecuador. Once a week, starting in February, Piste Noire will also organise tastings by appointment, where they will demonstrate the fine art of chocolate making.

Engelberg Adds “Ultimate Kick” At an elevation of 3020m and with a 500m drop, the new Cliff Walk on Mt Titlis (titlis.ch) in Engelberg, Switzerland, which is scheduled to open this December, will require nerves as strong as the steel cables that support it. The 150 steps of the new Titlis Cliff Walk will include crossing a spectacular hanging bridge – officially Europe’s highest – which spans from the south face at the peak of the mountain to the Ice Flyer chairlift station located on the glacier.

Start Them Young Les 2 Alpes in France has introduced the Babysnow, developed by a local ski instructor, which is like a snow scooter for children aged as young as 1 year – not to actually learn to ski, but to get the experience of being out on the slopes under parental control. It can be used while snowshoeing, walking or skiing. It can be used on the seven free lifts at the bottom of the slopes (where you could also learn to ski without needing to buy a lift pass) and hired from the resort’s ski shops for €15 (£12) for a half day.

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Rossignol Launch New iPHONE App BEN CLATWORTHY

ossingnol, the ski equipment manufacturer, has released a new iPhone app to tie-in with the launch of their new 2012–13 Pursuit ski range. The new Ski Pursuit app is the perfect tool for all skiers and snowboarders looking for fun and challenges while out on the mountains. The new app enables skiers and snowboarders to track and record all their runs during the season, as well as sharing stats with friends on Facebook and Twitter followers. Special technology also stops the tracker once the user's’ speed falls below 1km/h. At the

end of the day you’re able to view everywhere you’ve skied, visualised on a map, as well as your maximum and average speeds, total vertical metres, and the duration of skiing. The app also allows you to view stats for each individual run. The new app comes as Rossignol’s new range of Pursuit skis hits the shelves. The new range has been designed for optimum ease of use on the piste, aiding the skier throughout the turn. Perfect for an advanced skier looking to rack up the kilometres in the morning, but still have an easy ride home after a leisurely lunch in the sun. For those looking for a slightly stiffer ski, the Pursuit 16

Titanium works in exactly the same way, but requires more effort in the turn, rewarding the skier with faster carves through the turn. The new Rossignol app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store by searching “Ski Pursuit”.

Custom boot fitting. Your comfort, our focus.

“Facebook” For Ski Instructors Launches omeskiwith.me (comeskiwith.me) is a new service for ski schools and ski instructors to enhance their online profile and also engage with clients before and after lessons. The website aims to change the way people find ski instructors and make bookings, and also enables clients to “review” the teacher after the lesson, in a similar way to TripAdvisor. With profiles of instructors and ski schools across the globe, featuring their qualifications, work experience and independent reviews, Comeskiwith.me is hoping to become a leading service in ski lesson booking. Comeskiwith.me profiles show what ski schools and instructors do best. The instructors can customise their profiles with information including their qualifications, sponsors and how much a lesson costs. BASI will also be working closely

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Rivington Alpine The North West’s largest independent winter sports shop.

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with the new site to ensure all instructors signing up to the Comeskiwith.me site are “verified” and hold the level of qualification they state. Ski schools and instructors

can create their profiles free of charge up until February 2013; thereafter a charge of £5.99 month for instructors and £19.99 a month for ski schools will apply for “premium membership”.

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Why Wouldn't You?

PATRICK THORNE

t Moritz has a reputation for excess that, for some people, doesn’t sit well in these challenging economic times. Those jet-set skiers in their après-ski furs sipping champagne as if it were lemonade appeals to some, but makes others think St Moritz is not the place for them, on cost alone and perhaps on image too. I thought that way for almost 30 years, as I went around the world ticking off the great resorts on my ”must ski” list. I only finally ended up in St Moritz when I was sent there on an assignment by a magazine to check out some of the 5 hotels – or rather, 5 Superior hotels, of which the resort boasts five – regular 5hotels aren’t good enough (a nightmare job I know…!). I began my visit with the mountain

railway climb up to St Moritz. This is a very high resort, and in the early years of winter sports holidays was particularly difficult to reach. As a result the train journey is spectacular, so much so that it has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in its own right. It’s a good start. Rolling into St Moritz I was not prepared for the beauty of the place and the scenery. The resort is divided into two, with one part rising above a magnificent lake, the other part lying across on the far side. Spectacular mountains tower above – there’s skiing all around. So far, so good. It’s short walk up into the heart of the village. There are exclusive boutiques and spectacular grand hotels, yes, but there are also ”normal” cafes, restaurants, shops

and hotels. A quick check of the lift ticket cost and I see it is actually cheaper than many other ski areas in Switzerland and the Alps, and there are 3540km of piste on the pass. So, although many guests are, you don’t have to be rich to enjoy St Moritz. And enjoy it I did. There is talk of a champagne climate, of more than 300 sunny days a year, and that’s partly it, but for me, without wanting to get too airy-fairy, there’s something spiritual about St Moritz that transcends any glitz. This is THE home of ski holidays, and has been for almost 150 years. Many people know the story: it was in the winter of 1864–65 that a comparatively poor hotelier bet some English Victorian grand tourists staying the summer in St Moritz for health reasons, that if they stayed the winter

they’d find it sunnier and much more pleasant than smoggy, damp, cold London. They did, he won his bet and they told their friends, and winter sports tourism was born. That hotelier, Johannes Badrutt, went on to build the mighty Kulm hotel, which remains there still. The main events of the 1928 Winter Olympics were staged in its grounds, and the top of the Cresta Run departs from just outside. But the most exciting thing for me was that the original farmhouse where those original English visitors stayed is preserved in a corner of the building. The manager took me in. I could sit at Mr Badrutt’s desk, see the rooms where that first holiday took place, something no one could recreate. I like the ski slopes too. There are complaints from diehard skiers that they

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are too easy, maybe they are, I’m just an average British skier, but I like wide sunny slopes that are indeed pretty empty most of the morning, as it’s not fashionable to get up early in St Moritz. There are fast lifts back up, and superb mountain restaurants offering surprisingly good value and high-quality cuisine. On more recent visits I have stayed in The Carlton Hotel (carlton-stmoritz. ch; +41 81 836 70 00), which takes your visit to St Moritz to another level. In my experience of more than 250 ski areas this is the best ski hotel in the world. This truly spectacular hotel reopened in 2007 after many, many millions of Swiss francs were spent on an 18-month renovation, which saw the nearly 100-year-old hotel taken right back to its bones. Beautifully designed by Carlo Rampazzi, the

number of rooms nearly halved so that an all suite hotel could emerge, blending the best modern design with century-old aspects of the hotel that were worth preserving. The transformation has turned this luxury establishment into a true gem. Resplendent in its new look, with 60 spaciously appointed junior suites and suites, two restaurants, and an incredible 1200m2 spa extending over three floors, which includes the only indoor/outdoor swimming pool in the resort. Winter 2012–13 sees the opening of the Carlton Penthouse on the top floor of this 5 hotel – with a total surface area of 386m2 it’s the largest suite in St Moritz. Add to this backdrop the hotel’s remarkable service, the complete respect of guests' privacy, the bliss

of having along with your a liveried wonderful suite, member of staff amazing daily Guests staying in over 100 hotels, meet you at the breakfast and in all price categories, in St Moritz station to carry unlimited spa and the wider Engadin region for a your skis to the access. minimum of two nights will receive car, and drive Wherever a ski pass, including free travel on you the short you stay, you’ll all public transport for just CHF25pp distance to the find St Moritz per day (approx £16) for the entire hotel, plus the continues to duration of their stay. daily return go quietly from engadin.stmoritz.ch/skipass-inklusive private shuttle strength to to the lifts. strength. The Of course, it next milestone is not cheap, is the World but you can Alpine Skiing live like royalty for (comparatively) very Championships in 2017, and there’s talk little if you take advantages of one of of a joint bid with Davos to host the 2022 the package specials you’ll find on the Winter Olympics, 94 years after the first website, some of which include gourmet time. St Moritz remains the only ever meals, massage services and lift pass Swiss Olympic host. Not once, but twice.

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he British Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI), the UK body responsible for the training and licensing of snow sports instructors celebrates its 50th year this winter season. Its history goes way back to 1962, when meetings

took place amongst a group of passionate ski enthusiasts who recognised the need and the opportunity to formalise a structure to service the needs of aspiring ski instructors. The Association grew in tandem with the growth in the British public taking up snow sports, as artificial ski slopes mushroomed and Scottish ski areas developed throughout the 1960–70s,

fuelling the demand for qualified instructors to teach the skills to an enthusiastic public. This was followed by a boom in the winter holiday package tour, providing more opportunities for instructors to follow that UK market abroad. With no British snow sports teaching heritage of its own, BASI looked to those who had that alpine sports heritage – the Swiss, Austrians, Italians and French. It then adopted and adapted the best bits from the various Alpine countries teaching methods, as well as developing and adapting with its own teaching philosophy, to create a BASI coaching system that is now internationally recognised and respected throughout the world. Currently, BASI instructors can be found in over 27 countries, and include Olympic athletes through to volunteer club instructors. The foundations for an instructors organisation were laid in November 1962, when the pioneers behind establishing the new Association held an inaugural meeting at Fishers Hotel in Pitlochry,

Scotland. This was followed up in January 1963 where the structure of the new Association was formalised. The founding father was a brash Glaswegian called Frith Finlayson who had learned his skiing skills in Switzerland. He got together with the original founders – Jack Thompson, an outdoor instructor at Glenmore Lodge, and settlers to Strathspey, Austrians Karl Fuchs and Hans Kuwall. They set about founding the British Association of Professional Ski Instructors or BAPSI, as it was initially known. As Hans Kuwall said, there was “a huge demand growing for ski instructors and we simply didn’t have enough of them so we needed to train up our own.” BAPSI was accepted as a member of the International Ski Instructors Association (ISIA) in 1964, improving relations with other ski teaching nations. This helped to develop and create employment opportunities for BAPSI members all over the world. The Association dropped ”Professional” from its name in 1967, and developed its own teaching methods that were closely aligned with the American system. It published and printed its first training manual in 1973, and the reputation and credibility of BASI grew enormously within international circles. This was partly due to the conduct of British instructors, and the efforts made to form relationships with Alpine nations, gaining respect from representation at the Interski

events in Korea, Japan and Austria, amongst others – a forum for ski nations to explain and present their different approaches to ski teaching methods. BASI appointed a full-time administrator in 1979 and membership grew to 500. With the appointment of a Chief Executive came a BASI office at Glenmore Lodge at the foot of Cairngorm. Today, BASI boasts an active membership of over 6000, and has qualified over 15,000 candidates through its training courses. Not bad for a nation with a handful of ski resorts and only a few mountains over 915m! When asked to reflect on the success of BASI, current Chairman, Gareth Roberts commented “I believe BASI’ resilience and strength lies in its repeated ability to adapt and change over the decades responding to the needs of a range of stakeholders, which include the snowsports market, its operating environment and its Members. The journey to date has not been without disagreement or debate but the real strength of the Association has been driven by the passion that lies within it. Focusing that passion and managing the drive has been a key to past success and will play a key role in the future success of BASI.” BASI will be present with a stand at all the UK ski shows this autumn. Be sure to visit their stand and wish them a happy birthday! Visit basi.org.uk for further information.

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Buy The Best From Hardnutz Auto Chrom from HardnutZ (hardnutz.com) is their best selling ski and snowboard helmet. This shiny creation has been dipped in chrome to produce a seamless mirror look and has been finished to automotive standard, making it less prone to chipping or tarnishing. The helmet comes with a cleaning cloth to help keep the product shiny. The helmet also features 12 vents to keep you cool, a dial-fit adjuster, removable and washable ear pads and skullcap liner.

New Journey Planner Helps Skiers Make Tracks BEN CLATWORTHY

nowcarbon (snowcarbon. co.uk), the website specialising in train travel to the Alps, has just launched a new Journey Planner which is set to revolutionise the way skiers and boarders plan travel journeys to winter destinations. The planner shows recommended train travel itineraries further in advance and more easily than

anywhere else online. Powered by a unique database, assembled in conjunction with leading rail companies, the Journey Planner enables skiers to view and compare the best daytime and overnight journeys for 32 ski resorts in France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Andorra, up to 12 months in advance, and includes transfer information from train station to resort. “We’ve designed it so that ski

resorts, tour operators, travel agents and accommodation providers, who want to proactively communicate train options to clients, can now do so, because the Journey Planner can be used as an iFrame within their website travel sections,” says Snowcarbon Director Daniel Elkan. “Skiers can view train schedules, powered by an accurate, updated, comprehensive central information source, without needing to leave the

travel page of the ski website that they are on.” Eric Chevalier, Director of Les Arcs ski resort in France, one of the first resorts to pioneer the Journey Planner, says: “Les Arcs is the perfect resort to travel to by train, with both direct and indirect options from the UK. Rail access is one of our important strengths and we’re really pleased to be able to communicate this to the British market with Snowcarbon’s Journey Planner.”

Ski Boot Repairs Without Hassle Anything Technical (equipmentuk. com) is offering a unique service to British skiers looking to fix problems with their ski boots. Whether it’s ill-fitting boots, damaged buckles, worn-out shell or inner, or loose ankle rivets, the company is able to repair or replace them. The company can deal with any boot manufacturer and is also available to offer boot advice to skiers.

Scottish All-Area Season Pass Launched he first fresh snow was reported on Scottish peaks in late summer, and SkiScotland (ski-scotland.co.uk) has released their new All-Area Season

Pass, valid at all five of Scotland’s mountain snow sports areas from December 2012 – October 2013. “This is the only ticket that keen skiers and snowboarders need. It not only gives the freedom to

follow the best snow and weather conditions, but also means any queues for tickets can be bypassed – you can find the best snow and hit it first!” said Chair of Ski-Scotland Heather Negus.

The ticket, which offers unrestricted skiing on any day at any of the five centres, costs £465 for adults, £270 for children aged 5–17 years, with sales finishing when all tickets are gone or at the end of November.

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Quality “Snotels” For Epic Adventures BEN CLATWORTHY

he world’s first “alpine only” member hotel collection, Snotels (snotels. com), launched last month online. With 25 hotels over four countries in Europe and expanding fast, Snotels makes finding and booking a great ski or alpine hotel simple. With the popular ski resorts of Lech, Filzmoos, Saalbach and Seefeld in Austria; Chamonix, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Megève and Tignes in France; Voss in Norway; and Disentis, Engelberg, Grindelwald, Lenk, Mürren, Saas-Fee and Verbier in Switzerland already covered, Snotels offers fantastic hotels in slopeside, ski in/out, and village locations. CEO Michael Metcalfe said: “We are excited to introduce Snotels, our member hotels cater for all skiers, boarders and

mountain lovers who demand the best of both worlds: booking a ski hotel they can trust for more exciting, flexible and independent adventures.” Hotels can become a Snotels member by adhering to strict location, quality and service standards, which include flexible stay options, free Wi-Fi and more. Appealing to savvy, independent alpine travellers looking for freedom and genuine local hospitality, Snotels stands for trust and assurance versus “hit-and-miss hotels”. Many of the Snotels members offer early arrivals, late departures, and unique local extras. With simple online self service, guests can make bookings, changes and upgrades fast, plus access ski rentals, search for flights, insurance and additional ski options. Guests can book now at snotels.com for the 2012–13 winter season.

Peak Retreats Boss Honoured eak Retreats, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, has helped thousands of British skiers discover the French Alps, taking them to resorts generally overlooked by the bigger name operators. Peak Retreats, which won the “Best Ski Company” category at the Guardian & Observer Travel Awards for the third consecutive year in 2011, was announced as runner-up in 2012. Xavier Schouller, Managing Director, says: “Congratulations to the Ski Olympic crew. As the Guardian themselves said, how could they not win with a name like that? We are very proud to have been runners-up.” However, despite being beaten by Ski Olympic at the travel awards, Xavier

Schouller has received a special award from the French government for service to French tourism. Schouller received the award at the Atout France winter launch in September. Also honoured is Nathalie Soma, owner of the company, who will receive her award from Jean Pierre Courteau from the French Tourist Office in November.

Mile-Long Terrain Park Opens partnership between Alpine Meadows in California and Snow Park Technologies means skiers and riders can look forward to continued terrain park improvements and what the Tahoe resort describes as “an enhanced park experience” throughout the winter season.

Snow Park Technologies is renowned in the terrain park business, with 15 years of experience designing parks for major resorts and events including the Winter X Games. Snow Park Technologies will expand the medium and large parks, which combined offer an entire mile-long park run, the longest in the Tahoe region.

offers visit For great holiday fo/ukoffers .in ol www.suedtir

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BEN CLATWORTHY

It was said to be the worst snow for years in America, and the season to stay home and ski in the Alps. In fact, as I look at the snow overviews for Colorado from last season, they unanimously confirm the worst snow since 2001–02. Snowfall the previous season had been exceptional, so two bumper years might have been too much to ask. Knowing they needed more, I certainly couldn’t restrain my excitement when caught in a blizzard en route from Denver to Steamboat, “You’ve come at the right time” the mini-van driver tells us ecstatic skiers in the back. We awake to almost a foot of fresh snow, and are all eager to get our skis on. Guiding me around the mountain is David Moon, a member of the Steamboat Ski and Snowboard School,

and the go-to man when it comes to skiing for visitors to the resort. He tells me how he’s skied with the rich and famous, among them, Bill Jensen, the CEO of Intrawest (the company that owns Steamboat, along with eight other ski resorts). I ask him to take me to his favourite places on the mountain – what follows is a morning skiing trees, chutes and little time on the piste. Moon takes me off-piste to ski Steamboat’s infamous Champagne Powder, trademarked by the resort in 2010, and so-named because of how light and dry the snow is, making it exceptionally easy to ride or ski. The exact science behind the snow is complex, but simplified; the snowflakes freeze in the cold atmosphere at 4000m and, therefore, remain dry. The resort’s 18 lifts offer access to 165 pistes of varying difficulty: there’s something for everyone and the piste

skiing is an intermediates heaven. The slopes near the base (served by a highspeed chairlift) are ideal beginners territory, and there are also designated zones for those making their first few turns. The steep chutes (1 and 2 having the highest gradients) at the top of the mountain are great in the days following a big snowfall; or for some tree skiing, hike up from Storm Peak Express to Christmas Tree Bowl, or head down the Shadows trail. The next day we rise early (to another foot of powder – was I in heaven?) to ski the first tracks in the fresh snow. A “first tracks” pass allows access to the gondola at 8.00am, 30 minutes ahead of the crowds, and provides the perfect opportunity to track-out any fresh snow, or make carefree carves on the corduroy snow. The pass costs $29 (£18), and must be purchased in conjunction with a normal lift ticket. Breakfast on the mountain is a must: Stokers is the more

informal option with its signature Storm Peak waffles, whilst Hazie’s is the pricier option, serving more delicate food from dawn until dusk. This winter Steamboat celebrates its 50th year of operation, having opened for business in January 1963 – a peculiar month to start. The delay was caused because some parts of the first chairlift failed to be delivered, leaving only one option: Founder, John Fetcher had to drive his own truck to California to pick up the remaining pieces. The lift finally started turning on 12 January, a bitterly cold day, however only one person paid to ski Colorado’s newest ski area. Once off the mountain, you should take a trip to the nearby Strawberry Park Hot Springs, with its three pools, all filled with natural mineral water at varying temperatures. Once darkness falls it’s clothes off, adult-only bathing. The springs are certainly the place to

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biodegradable and compostable. The resort of Steamboat is located a few miles from the old cattle town of Steamboat Springs, which to this day is typically Western. Make sure you pay a visit to FM Light & Son’s, a Western mercantile store that has served the town since 1905, to really get a feel for the character of the place. If you’re looking to experience a 1950s-style American diner then Jonny B Good’s is a must. Open from 7am–9pm, the restaurant is famed for its delicious ice creams and milkshakes, as well as their (American-sized) burgers and fries. And what about the lack of snow? There was certainly ample whilst I was in town. I restrained from buying a cowboy hat, just, but I left the resort craving to ski more Champagne Powder, although for the time being all I can do is raise a glass of bubbly and say ”Happy 50th Steamboat!”

Ben Clatworthy flew with British Airways (ba.com) from London to Denver, and stayed at the Steamboat Grand (steamboatgrand.com). A 6-day ski pass for 1 December costs $420 (£262) when purchased at least 7 days in advance. Children aged under 12 ski for free with every adult lift pass purchased. Tuition can be booked on at steamboat.com.

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head if you’re looking for a romantic escape, especially when there’s snow falling all around. The spa at the Steamboat Grand hotel also offers a range of treatments, including massages, as well as a heated outdoor pool and fitness centre. I stayed at The Grand where, despite its size, the staff are welcoming, the rooms are tastefully decorated and the service is second-to-none. There’s even a Starbucks within the hotel, which means (and I did) you can have a “proper” coffee in the bath! Steamboat’s commitment to the environment and waste reduction is unprecedented in comparison to many resorts across the globe. Two years ago the resort produced ten trucks of waste per day, now with a 75% landfill reduction, it sends just three trucks every 2 weeks. All the cups, utensils, plates and straws used by the resort in their restaurants are

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Iconic New Porsche Lift Seats For Laax "Revolution" he slopes of Laax are undergoing what the resort managers call “a revolution”, with a 3-year plan to install six new lifts at a cost of more than CHF50m (approx. £34m), five of them highspeed, detachable, six-seater chairlifts, the first of which was installed last winter, with two more due to open this season. Although this colossal spend is impressive enough as it is, Laax have decided to go one better by hiring the Porsche Design Studio to come up with some iconic seating for its latest new lift. Not content with that, they’re reported to have also had the chairs designed so that they can rotate at an angle for a better view of the slopes and to work with solar energy. The two new six-seater chairlifts this season will run from Treis Palas to Crap Masegn, and from Plaun Lavadinas to Fuorcla da Sagogn.

The Big Snow Festival Cancelled The Big Snow Festival, which had been due to run in Sauze d’Oulx, Italy, next March, has been cancelled. A spokesperson for the Festival said, “For a number of reasons the Big Snow event in March 2013 wasn’t going to be the scale of event we wanted it to be for our customers, so we’ve taken the decision to cancel it.” It has not been decided yet if the Festival will return in 2014.

TRAVIS RICE

New Falke Comfort Fit Base Layer Falke (falke.com) has launched a new technical, synthetic base layer for skiers of all abilities that utilises an ingenious Thermo Cool plush 'inner. The company states that this improves thermoregulation, helping wearers stay cool during fast-paced down hills, but nice and warm while riding the chairlift back up. The plush inner makes use of Advansa’s patented Thermo Cool fabric, designed to warm the wearer during periods of low activity whilst facilitating enhanced moisture transpiration during exertion so as to keep the wearer cool. The tops and leggings have an RRP of £60 each.

Head Torch With SOS Function A new head torch from Lifesystems (lifesystems.co.uk) not only provides the hands-free visibility needed when making your way through the snow in a resort at night, but also has a flashing SOS function that offers increased visibility in the case of an accident or emergency. The Intensity 80 head torch retailing at £24.99 offers bright, high performance using X-RC CREE White LED bulbs, and is easy to switch on and off with just the wave of a hand. It weighs in at 206g and has three different modes.

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NOVEMBER 2012 | inthesnow.com

£8Million Spa For World’s First Winter Sports Hotel he Kulm Hotel St Moritz (kulmhotel-stmoritz.ch), where the first ever recorded winter snow holiday took place in 1864, will open the CHF12m (approx. £8m) 1500m2 Kulm Grand Spa this winter. Although a world-famous ski resort, St Moritz owes its original fame to its healing spas, dating back almost 3500 years, so the new spa combines the resort’s two best known assets in its original hotel, now one of five 5 hotels in the resort. The spa, which opens on 6 December, will offer panoramic views over Lake St Moritz and the Engadine Valley from an outdoor heated pool, with internal swim-out access and water jet features, as well as from the indoor pool area, Jacuzzi pool, relaxation room, some of the treatment rooms, the private spa suite, and many of the other spa attractions.

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Learn To Ski Or Your Money Back Carinthian ski schools (www. kssv.at) in southern Austria are offering everyone the chance to learn to ski in just 3 days, or get your money back. In 3 days, beginners learn to ski well enough to tackle any blue slope without difficulty, and if you really cannot manage your first descent after those 3 days, your course fee will be reimbursed. The course costs €129 (£105), including tuition and equipment rental. Who decides on the rebate? “The ski instructor, who is officially trained by the KSSV, assesses if you can ski well enough or not.”

North America For Under £700 Crystal Holidays’ best ski price for ski holidays in North America this winter is to Tremblant (crystalski.co.uk/tremblant) in Quebec, eastern Canada. Prices are from £695pp, and the resort close to Montreal is just under 7 hours’ flight from Heathrow. The holiday price includes flights, transfers, seven nights’ bed and breakfast at The Country Inn and Suites, including all airport taxes, departing on 23 January 2013.

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Ski Apache Replace 3 Lifts Ski Apache in New Mexico, North America’s southernmost ski area and run by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, has spent $15m (£9.3m) on building three new lifts for the coming winter. Although the biggest development in North America for this winter in terms of the number of lifts, the new triple and quad chairlifts and eightpassenger Doppelmayr gondola lifts do not mark an expansion, but are replacements for lifts destroyed in a summer wildfire.

inthesnow.com | NOVEMBER 2012

Big 5-0 For Steamboat BEN CLATWORTHY

t’s the 50th birthday ski season for one of the world’s best known resorts, Steamboat (steamboat. com) in Colorado. Storm Mountain officially opened on 12 January 1963 with a double chairlift and an A-frame warming house. The day's total cash receipts were just $13.75 (around £8), and the temperature hovered at –32°C. Fifty years on, powder hounds from around the globe will be celebrating with cake galore, and toasting the founding vision of Jim Temple, son of a local ranching family, and all the individuals along the way that have helped shape Steamboat into what it is today – a world-class resort still in

touch with its Western heritage. Season-long celebrations will begin with an opening weekend concert on 24 November, after which there will be 50 days where the resort will be handing out special prizes, including free lift tickets, in the lead up to the official birthday on 12 January 2013. It’s not just Steamboat’s 50th that is to be celebrated, as the Winter Sports Club affiliated to the local cowboy town of Steamboat Springs also celebrates its 100th annual Winter Carnival from 6–10 February 2013 – the oldest surviving Winter Carnival west of the Mississippi. For several days, the entire town is given over to racing, ski jumping, a parade featuring Steamboat’s skiing high school band (the only one in the US), and the famed ski jöring events down Lincoln Avenue.

Les 3 Vallees / David ANDRE

Larry Pierce

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Learn To Ski – But Chill n the good old days, skiing was all there was on a ski holiday, but in the modern era people want more! Resorts have been adding more and more facilities and activities to suit a diversifying market, but this winter Les Menuires in Les 3 Vallées has had the idea of making learning to ski part of a diversified winter holiday package right from the very start. “First time on skis” is a new tailor-made holiday for novice skiers designed to encourage beginners to discover the joys of snow sports as part of a get fit or relaxation programme. The holiday includes a week’s accommodation for two in a ski in/out

comfort studio, six afternoon ski lessons for beginners, a 6-day Les Menuires/Saint Martin “beginners” ski pass, and a choice of one of either a 6-day aquapass, giving unlimited access to the Sports Centre’s aquaclub (swimming pool, balneo, steam room, jacuzzis, Turkish showers, relaxation area, solarium and aquagym lessons), or a 6-day fitness pass, with unlimited access to the weight training and cardio training facilities + fitness lessons, plus an aquaclub entry and 6 days of personal advice. There’s also a third option – a well-being package which includes a variety of body treatments and two free aquaclub entries. Cost is from €334pp (£272pp) per week (+33 (0)479 007 979).

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inthesnow.com | NOVEMBER 2012

An Easier Way To Carry Your Equipment BEN CLATWORTHY

ortaSki (portaski.com) is a revolutionary device that takes the stress out of carrying skis. A neat, lightweight and compact design, the PortaSki features a patented wheel-sled, allowing skis to be effortlessly transported on any terrain. Transporting skis with young children can be a challenge and the company behind the PortaSki look to

tackle this issue head-on. Family ski holidays have grown in popularity during the last few seasons whilst other sectors have declined. Marion Telsnig, Head of Public Relations at TUI Ski said: “as school ski trips have declined, during the last 15 years we have increased our family offering and it is now 25% of our program.” Taking a family skiing is a fantastic experience, but anything that makes your life easier can only be a good thing.

The New Way To Manage Bookings haletManager (chaletmanager.com) is a new website designed to aid accommodation bookings for small–medium-sized companies. The system, which was launched last month, is aiming to change the way bookings are managed by chalet owners. Larger companies all have comprehensive bookings systems; however, these are costly, leaving many small operators working from a spreadsheet or diary – both of which can only be accessed in one place

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

at a time. By using ChaletManager, bookings, transfers and invoicing can be managed using one system. A key feature allows guests to access their own booking whenever they like, which means they don’t have to contact the provider to check their holiday details. Information can be accessed easily and viewed from multiple locations at the same time, for example in resort and an office in the UK. For a 3-month period, ChaletManager is available free of charge to trial for new users. The system starts at £69 a month.

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Hal Williams Photography

NOVEMBER 2012 | inthesnow.com

Aspen Spends $15m On Restaurant PATRICK THORNE

spen Skiing Company (ASC) will open a new midmountain restaurant, Elk Camp, located adjacent to the top of the Elk Camp Gondola at Snowmass this winter. The $15m (£9.4m) project will provide a restaurant with seating for up to 300 guests, and include evening event space. The building will feature advanced heating systems, used in conjunction

with sustainable materials to beat local energy codes by an estimated 30%, and is scheduled to be LEED certified (an environmental building standard), making it ASC’s fifth LEED certified building. The restaurant will boast a rotisserie station; pizza station with custombuilt oven serving a combination of individual specialty pizzas, as well as large New York style pizza by the slice; a salad and soup bar; and a patisserie serving freshly-baked artisan breads, pastries and desserts.

Alta Badia Launch ”Slope Food” Italy’s Alta Badia region in the spectacular scenery of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has built a reputation over recent years for the great cuisine served both in its hotels and restaurants, as well as on its ski slopes. This reputation is centred on a group of Michelin-starred chefs working in the area, and known collectively as the “DoloMitici”. The latest idea for the coming winter is ”Slope Food”. This is to be a very special version of finger food or street food, with an array of tempting treats to be created

by a group of culinary experts, including Michelin-starred Italian chefs and upand-coming young stars. The food will be available in twelve locations on the slopes of Alta Badia throughout the winter. Norbert Niederkofler of St Hubertus restaurant, which boasts two Michelin stars, will play host at the Bioch Refuge. Arturo Spicocchi of the Michelin-starred La Stüa de Michil will create for I Tablá refuge, and Fabio Cucchelli of the Michelin-starred La Siriola will be at the Ciampai refuge for the first time.

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Levels 1 and 2 Training Courses 3-Day UK Training Course, 6-Day Training Course Entry-level skills for this course include already competent skiing or snowboarding skills; all participants must be able to make linked turns over a variety of terrains. It’s a great way to meet new people, work on your skills and get started on a coaching career. Level 2 is a slightly longer course, which includes completing a logbook of tasks, and finishes with a coaching assessment that will hopefully lead to a licensed status as a Level 2 Coach!

The Freeski Pathway ritain has recently had a great deal of success in the freestyle skiing world. Just a few weeks ago, the Sheffieldborn James Wood became World Champion at the World Cup in Argentina, and earlier on in the year Katie Summerhayes (also from Sheffield) had made a great impression at the Youth Winter

Olympics by achieving fifth place in the Freestyle final. Off the back of this success, it’s only natural that more young people are becoming interested in freeskiing, especially slopestyle, and luckily enough it’s never been easier or safer to start training for those big air and slopestyle competitions. Many of England’s dry slopes and indoor snow

domes are now catering for every adrenaline junkie’s desires, with rails, jumps and big air bags, and the training doesn’t just happen on skis. The reason why British freestylers are improving so much is, Snowsport England believes, down to the amount of training that is happening off the slopes, as well as on. Freeski coaches are now turning to the

sports of gymnastics, diving and trampolining to better improve a freestyle athlete’s chance of success and to keep injuries at bay, in fact, Head Coach Pat Sharples won’t let any young athlete try a trick on skis that they have not mastered on the trampoline first. So have no fear and get down to your local ski and snowboard centre to try freeskiing today!

Development Coach - Level 3 24–29 March 2013, Itter, Austria, course fee: £450 After completing your Level 1 and 2 courses the only way is up (the mountain!) with Level 3. This course is intended for those who harbour ambitions to instruct over an extended time frame in a snow centre, or for a club programme. The added value of attending this course abroad is the amount of time you will spend on the snow, which will give you the chance to explore and develop your own skills.

Development Coach - Level 4 24–29 March 2013, Itter, Austria, course fee: £450 This course builds on the Level 3 award and covers skilful sporting technique, the use of tasks, athlete profiling, peer coaching and optimising feedback. It is ideal for ski centre and club coaches wanting to develop their knowledge, achieve greater outcomes for their athletes, and gain accreditation to coach in a mountain environment.

6 October ESKKIA (English Schools Ski Association) Finals 13 October Moguls coaching course Chill Factore

Get Into Coaching Now With Snowsport England t’s generally agreed that getting fit can be very personally rewarding, but helping others discover the fun of getting fit through skiing or snowboarding, whilst staying active yourself, can double that feeling of satisfaction. Clubs and snow centres are always on the lookout for new instructors, and with Snowsport England (SSE) you can become a fully-qualified instructor in your chosen snow sport discipline. Go online to snowsportengland.org.uk/gettingstarted to find out how you could gain qualifications and awards to help others learn and improve.

SSE manages and delivers the United Kingdom Snowsports (UKSS) Coach Awards Scheme in England, and provides a training and qualification programme for aspiring alpine or snowboard instructors and coaches wishing to work in UK clubs, ski facilities, as well as on an individual basis. The courses are recognised throughout the UK. SSE also delivers its own Coaching Award Scheme for aspiring instructors and coaches in a range of other disciplines, which include cross-country skiing, roller skiing and telemark skiing. These awards are based on the UKSS alpine model, and are the premier Nordic development awards in the UK.

14 October Snowsport England AGM 26–28 October British Ski and Board Show VIP SSE members lounge Birmingham 17–22 February English Alpine Championships Bormio, Italy

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

snowsportengland.org.uk

inthesnow.com | NOVEMBER 2012

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CHARMING & TRADITIONAL The best-known resort of the Maurienne Valley, Valloire, is a traditional rustic French village with small shops and restaurants set around the bustling market square. The narrow streets add to the charm of the resort, especially during the festive season or after a dusting of snow.

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PLENTY FOR NON-SKIERS Valloire is well-suited to non-skiers, and those looking for a relaxing mountain holiday in the snow. Facilities and activities in the resort include an ice rink, adventure park, spa, cinema, dog sledding and paragliding.

JUST RELAX With over 20 restaurants, 19 bars, six mountain eateries and two nightclubs, there are plenty of options for those looking to sample the local cuisine or enjoy a few drinks after a day on the slopes. Après-ski is traditionally French (you won’t find people dancing on the tables here), but there are some relatively lively bars in the town.

PLANES, TRAINS, AND... The closest airport is Chambery (118km; 1h), served by British Airways (ba.com), Jet2 (jet2. com) and Flybe (flybe.com). EasyJet (easyjet. com) fly to Grenoble (179km; 1.5h), as do Monarch (monarch.co.uk). The nearest train station, St Michel-Valloire, is 17km away and is served by French TGV, direct from Paris at weekends during the winter holidays, or from Chambery everyday. There is a shuttle from the train station to the resort. The village is just 17km from the A43 motorway junction.

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The skiing in Valloire is extensive, given the relatively small size of the resort. 31 lifts, including two gondolas, allow access to 150km of slopes, spread across the three sectors of the resort. There’s vast skiing for intermediates seeking easy cruising pistes (21 green runs, 25 blue, 31 red and 6 blacks), however experts may find the terrain slightly limited. For those looking for a challenge off-piste, there are opportunities in Valmeinier – another small resort sharing the lifts and pistes of Valloire. Together 70% of the skiing is above 2000m, making for snowsure skiing, whilst Valloire also boasts over 200 snow cannons.

BEN CLATWORTHY

Peak Retreats (peakretreats.co.uk), the French Alps specialist, has a choice of nine accommodations in the resort, with prices starting from £107pp per week. This price includes Eurotunnel crossing for one car and passengers with free FlexiPlus upgrade.

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NOVEMBER 2012 | inthesnow.com

More Tax For 2nd Home Owners PATRICK THORNE

ecent changes in Swiss and French property laws might have an important impact on many second homeowners in Alpine resorts. Earlier this year a Swiss referendum voted for a new law to restrict the number of second homes in each commune or municipality to no more than 20%. The reasoning behind the change is not to keep out foreign buyers – 60% of second homeowners in Switzerland are Swiss nationals – but more about restricting the expansion of secondary residences in tourist locations, especially in the Alps. There are over half a million second homes in Switzerland, equivalent to approximately 12% of the overall housing stock, and in the Alpine cantons of Valais, Grison and Ticino the proportion of second homes is between 60% and 80%.

For anyone that owns property in neighbouring France, the recent news about changes in tax laws there could send a shiver through any non-resident Alpine property owner. The rise from 20% to 35.5% in tax on rental income from applicable properties has been backdated to 1 January 2012, resulting in unexpected bills on rental income accrued. The rise means property owners in France and Switzerland are looking for alternative ways to use their properties to avoid unnecessary tax charges and comply with new legislation. Snow Swappers (snowswappers.com) is a holiday swapping club for owners of property in ski resorts. By arranging a swap with another property owner, you could be skiing in Whistler, Verbier or Chamonix without paying anything for accommodation costs. And because there is no money changing hands, there’s no tax deductible. Annual membership to the website is £39.

You can now find us on the



OT Menuires/ Pascal LEBEAU

Newsstand

More New Snowmaking es 3 Vallées, the world’s largest ski area, which already has more than 2000 snow cannons pointing at a third of its 600km of slopes, has been spending more on snowmaking over the spring and summer ready for this winter season. Last autumn, alas, it was too warm in November for Val Thorens’ mighty snowmaking arsenal to work, and it had to postpone opening for a few days, but hopefully this autumn the cold will come sooner. At Les 3 Vallées the minimum altitude

level for skiing is 1300m and the maximum is 3230m, with 85% of the ski area located above 1800m. There are 25 accessible summits, ten of which are in excess of 2500m. Snowmaking facilities have been installed on Les Creux run (46 machines) and on the Cospillot run (12 machines) in Courchevel. At Val Thorens the Plein Sud run has been widened as much as possible, and 15 new silent snowmaking machines have been installed at the foot of the resort to provide easier access to Val Thorens’ ski area.

Simply open Newsstand on your iPad or iPhone, click 'Store' and search for 'InTheSnow'

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InTheSnow.com

Jon (AKA WESTY) AT ALTITUDE

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

eing physically in shape can make the difference between a week spent smashing powder or cruising slopes, and a week spent nurturing aches and pains or worse. But what can you do to get fit for skiing, reduce your chances of injury, and get the most out of your holiday? In this article I’ll be looking at some basic information to start you on the road to ski fitness. Be aware your first steps to making a fitness programme are tailoring it to your current fitness levels.

Think Long Term

Sprint for Skiing

Fitness, despite what many magazines try to tell you, does not happen in a week. The longer you have to train towards your goals, the better your training and end results will be.

Sprinting on a treadmill or bike is a very effective way to train both anaerobic fitness and power and prepare yourself for a skiing. Rather than jogging for hours, you can do five to ten sprints of 15 seconds to 1 minute, with rests as you need in-between. This will train your ability to work without oxygen (if you’re not out of breathe you’re not sprinting yet!), while also training your legs for power and power endurance (your legs are doing lots of big quick extensions when you run). Some say having the ability to work without oxygen can also be important in the powder snow.

There is no point in a sprinter running for hours nor a marathon runner training to bulk up their upper body. Likewise you need to train the right areas for skiing. The main aims are anaerobic fitness (the body’s ability to work without oxygen for short periods of time), strength and power. If you like hiking mountains on your ski holiday then it might also be worth preparing yourself with some endurance training too.

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Terms and conditions: from £399pp is based on 4 adults sharing a standard apartment for 7 nights on a self-catering basis at the Chamrousse Apartments in Chamrousse, France departing on 12 January 2013 from London Gatwick Airport. Under occupancy or holiday supplements may apply for alternatives. The quoted price is available direct with Crystal via our website, call centre or the Crystal Holidays desks or shop and may vary by other sales outlets. All prices and offers are available for new bookings only and are subject to availability and change. Offer ends 30 November 2012. Payment by credit card will incur a 2.5% fee. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays in this advert are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate visit www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate.

Crystal Ski_In_The_Snow_Mag_180x262_12OCT12.indd 1

08/10/2012 13:53

When Can Your Children Start Skiing? Train Those Pegs

Core Strength

The main muscles in your body we need to consider are in the legs (as anyone who has spent a long day on the slopes can tell you). If you are aiming to build up strength, power and endurance in your legs, how can you do this? The basic exercises are some of the best – squats and lunges should be an essential part of a skier’s workout and this will definitely help you to power through the bumps! For the more experienced athletes, one of the best ways to train your legs for skiing is to include plyometric exercises. This involves explosive movements and controlled landings, for example, jump squats.

Balance and stability are important skills for skiing. These originate from our core – the muscles around your abdomen and spine. A great ways to focus on your core is through the plank. This exercise involves holding your body still and straight in an altered push-up position, with the elbows and lower arms on the ground. The brilliant thing about the plank is that you can vary it according to your fitness needs. Beginners can start by just holding the position for 10 seconds and then gradually extending the time. A strong core you will help you to maintain your balance when skiing in hard and variable conditions.

We all love skiing, and the experience of descending a beautiful snow-covered mountain is one that we'd all love to share with our families. So when can your children start learning to ski and enjoying the mountains? In general some of the younger skiers on the slope will be around 3–4-yearsold. Most ski schools will begin to accept children into group lessons at 3 years, and private lessons at 2, although this may differ from school to school. However, I have taught a 2-year-old, who was linking turns in 1 day, and a 4-year-old that could

barely stand on their skis after 1 week. So, other than age, what are the more important guidelines for when to start your child skiing? Even for adults, skiing is not easy on the body. While the little ones have the advantage of more flexible joints, which are far less likely to break than us unfortunate grown-ups, they also have much less muscle and less ability to get those muscles to do what they want. A key sign of how ready your child is for skiing will be how strong and co-ordinated they are for their age. A bigger 3-year-old can get more out of ski school than a slighter 4or 5-year-old child. Do you have older children skiing? This can be big

motivation for a child – seeing their older siblings coming back after ski school excited and happy after a hard days skiing will push them to want to try it themselves. We see this a lot in the families that use our ski school regularly, where many of the younger siblings grow up to be the stronger skiers. Other important factors to consider are clothing (a cold skier is an unhappy skier!), weather (a bad weather day is best avoided), and finding a resort with a gentle and safe beginners slope. Hopefully with these things coming together, your children can start off on a long and happy time out on the mountains, with some great family memories!

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Carrying on from the great success and popularity of the Snowpulse backpacks, now comes the R.A.S. (Removable Airbag System). Just as the name implies, the avalanche safety airbag is removable so you can use the backpack at other times, and also integrate the R.A.S. into different size packs. A must in avalanche safety equipment.

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SOLE FOOTBED

£37.99

Fed up with sore feet, aching arches, and pressure on the sides of your foot? Replace your existing footbeds with a heat mouldable custom footbed, giving your foot support and stability. With your foot held in the correct position in your ski boots, you'll get improved performance and more comfort to enjoy skiing all day long.

UVEX TAKE-OFF GOGGLES £139.99 Easily alter your lens when the weather changes with these Take-Off goggles. A mirrored lens for bright sun is magnetically secured over the top of a lens suited to duller conditions, just simply lift a tab on the side of the mirrored lens and ”take-off”. A clever and practical way to adjust for changing weather.

SALOMON PHANTOM CUSTOM AIR HELMET £99.00

One of the most comfortable helmets Ellis Brigham has ever sold, this fits so many people thanks to the Custom Air pads inside the helmet. Pump up the air pads that sit around the back of the helmet, and the fit becomes snug but comfortable – no pressure points and a safe secure fit.

ICECUT QUICK TUNER EDGE SHARPENER £18.00

A great pocket-sized edge tuner for easy touchup edge sharpening, whether at home or in resort. The precision racer file will sharpen even the roundest of edges, and the file will stay sharp for years. The Quick Tuner can sharpen at either 88° or 89° edge angles.

MONS ROYALE

From £59.99

Jossi Wells agrees that his Mons will always be “first on last off”! Super soft, non-itch Merino wool makes Mons so comfortable you won't want to take them off. Great for keeping you warm on the slopes, and cool for après-ski, they don't even retain smell. Finally, base

Visit skibartlett.com to see more With over 40 years of history, Ski Bartlett are one of the UK's most popular independent specialist ski shops. With a massive range of products, they can guarantee you the right kit and the best prices.

layers you're not embarrassed to strip down to on the slopes – silky soft and sexy!

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When was the last time you skied in France? Top reasons to ski in France with us this winter • World’s most renowned resorts and ski areas • First class facilities on and off the slopes • Best self-drive ski destination • Top quality self-catering accommodation • Affordable ski holidays at the best prices

call us on 0844 576 0175

SkiCollection.co.uk

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

www.avoriaz.com

Lux Chalet Has Glass Sauna And Wine Cave BEN CLATWORTHY

uxury chalet company Consensio are offering a new property in Les Gets, France, this winter. Along with a state-of-the-art glass sauna from which guests can enjoy 180° views of the valley, Grande Corniche has six ensuite bedrooms, all with stunning views across the Vallée de l’Arve. The chalet also comes with delightful quirks such as a slide which whizzes guests from the bar area down to the wine cave on the lower ground floor, and a snooker table which, at the flick of a switch, morphs into a dining table big enough to seat 22.

“We’ve always been on a subtle quest to feature the finest selection of superchalets in France and, up until now, all of these have been found in Méribel, Courchevel and Val d’Isère,” said Ceri Tinley, Founder of Consensio. “We were on the lookout for a chalet of Grand Corniche’s calibre in a resort closer to Geneva, with a shorter transfer time.” As with all Consensio chalets, Grand Corniche comes with a chef, chalet manager, host, chauffeur with 4x4 and daily housekeeping. It costs from £14,500 to stay at Grand Corniche for seven nights, which includes all food, and house wine and champagne.

First Indoor Snow Centre For Africa he first indoor snow centre for Africa looks set to open in 2015 following the awarding of a $400m (£249m) construction contract by MAF Properties, the company behind Ski Dubai. The Mall of Egypt in Cairo will house the ski slope as its main attraction. Construction is expected to begin within the next few months, with a scheduled opening date of June 2015. The slope will be part of a mall spread over a 400 hectare site on the edge of the Egyptian capital. The mall will house 380 shops, a multiplex cinema and a Carrefour hypermarket. “Egypt’s strong economic

A Car Free Resort | Ski-In/Out

Avoriaz is the only car free resort in France. Every residence and chalet is accessible on skis and our taxis are horse drawn sleighs!

The Biggest Ski Area In Europe With guaranteed snow cover, Avoriaz is ideally placed right in the middle of the Portes du Soleil, with 650 kms of high altitude slopes in France and Switzerland offering panoramic skiing between Mt Blanc and Lake Geneva.

A Unique Tropical Water Paradise

Aquariaz has been designed as an aquatic paradise in the mountains featuring lush vegetation and rocks: a river with variable gentle current, a slidewinder (a kind of aquatic halfpipe), a water playhouse, a paddling pool, a large pool with climbing walls, massage benches and the must: an open-air spa heated to 34°C surrounded by snow! This type of water park is found nowhere else in the mountains and features a 'hybrid' concept with natural tropical vegetation in mountain surroundings.

Avoriaz Ski & Music World

Avoriaz is the only ski resort in Europe planning full seasons of ski and music events. The resort becomes the biggest snowdance floors. Among other events for this season : Crazy Apres ski ( 12 January - 9 february ) Rock The Pistes Festival(20 -24 March)//Jazz Up festival ( 6-13 April)

fundamentals, such as its young and growing population, make it an attractive growth market,” said Peter Walichnowski, Chief Executive of MAF Properties, who run Ski Dubai and who has already invested $410m (£255m) in Egyptian malls, including Maadi City Centre and Alexandria City Centre.

Mammut Creates Mega-Glove ammut has created a new ultra-warm, highperformance snowsports glove – Eigerjoch. Retailing at £170, the gloves use special Gore-Tex technology to ensure that the warm three-fingered glove remains tactile. Eigerjoch gloves also feature a highly abrasion-resistant nylon outer

material and waterproof robust Pittard leather, which guarantees withstanding the harshest of punishment. In addition, the top side of the glove is lined with warm Primaloft One insulation, which protects against cold even when wet. The three-section division for fingers combines the warmth of mittens with the diversity of a glove.

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NOVEMBER 2012 | inthesnow.com

“...a clever little energy-saving gadget”

“I think it's a bargain”

“...the Portaski was invented for you”

“...it's ideal for adults and kids alike”

Hank de Vre

“...it should be compulsory on the slopes!”

5 £1IN9C P.9 &P PURCHASE

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Big Blue 1 Of 3 New Lifts For Squaw PATRICK THORNE

quaw Valley in California is installing three new lifts for the coming winter to improve “skier flow” around the mountain, particularly in the beginner area and terrain park. The Big Blue Express, a new high-speed six-seat chairlift, replaces the old High Camp chairlift and ascends to a new point, providing better access from the Shirley Lake ridgeline to the Shirley Lake, Solitude and Granite Chief chairlifts. This new alignment also gives users access to beginner and intermediate terrain that was previously inaccessible via the old High Camp chairlift.

CMY

Take a Weight off Your Shoulders This Ski Season

The new Park Pulley telecord, a modern-day version of a tow lift, is also being installed to provide easy access to the Belmont terrain park, removing the need to traverse there as previously. In addition, the Links double chairlift will be removed and replaced with a triple chairlift named Mountain Meadow, which will be realigned to bring users up to the ridgeline near the top terminals of the Solitude and Silverado lifts. “These lift improvements combined with Squaw’s $2.6m (£1.6m) snowmaking improvements will provide more efficient and convenient flow on the upper mountain – and a better overall experience this coming winter,” said a resort statement.

Portaski makes the strain and struggle of carrying skis a thing of the past. With its ergonomic design and patented wheel-sled, Portaski allows your skis to be effortlessly transported on any terrain. Portaski carries up to 70% of the weight of your skis and takes just seconds to attach in three easy steps.

For more details visit www.portaski.com

GREAT VALUE FRENCH ALPS

Bulgarian Ski Area Open Again itosha, the ski area close to Bulgarian capital Sofia, should be operational again this winter according to its operators. The area, one of the four largest in the country, was closed last winter, as the operating company said they could not meet environmental standards and carry out maintenance work. Environmentalists said this was a ploy to encourage the relaxation of

environmental standards for ski areas in Bulgarian law, a hot issue in the country involving UNESCO, the EC and, by their staging of the World Cup in Bansko, the International Ski Federation. The Vitosha lift operators have met recently with Sofia’s Mayor and the Bulgarian environment and agricultural ministers to agree terms to operate the area again this winter, and they hope to agree long-term development plans according to Bulgarian media reports.

peakretreats.co.uk

• Traditional mountain villages • Backdoor access to main resorts • Quality self-catering chalets and apartments or family run hotels • Accommodation only/self-drive available • Ski extras can be arranged • Great mountain experiences both on and off the slopes

Austria’s New Highest Lift ustria’s highest ski area opened with fresh snow for winter 2012–13 in midSeptember (even though it was the last week of summer). It will open the Wildspitzbahn eight-seat gondola this month. The new lift will access the 3440m-high Hinterer Brunnenkogel, the Austrian Tyrol’s highest glacier. Built by Doppelmayr, the new lift makes the ascent in just under 6 minutes, travelling at 6m/s, carrying up to 2185 people per hour over its 2008m length.

Resorts include: tirolgletscher.com

At the top station a breathtaking view awaits, as well as the start of the glacier ski run down, with the 3774m-high Wildspitze peak visible from a suspended sun terrace or from the wide panoramic windows in Café 3,440, Tyrol, Austria’s highest café.

Samoëns for Flaine, Les Gets for Avoriaz, Vaujany for Alpe d’Huez, Peisey for Les Arcs, St Martin de Belleville for Méribel & La Tania for Courchevel

Voted ‘Best Ski Company’ 2009, 2010 & 2011

0844 576 0173

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inthesnow.com | NOVEMBER 2012

LOW BUDGET ALL INCLUSIVE TRIPS TO THE FRENCH ALPS SOME GREAT OFFERS: Utterly Ridiculous Student Price Any week of the 2012/13 season to: – Val Thorens – Les Deux Alpes – Flaine

£386*

*Only available with a valid student card

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

A White Christmas in Val Thorens Brand new ski in/ski out centre in a world class resort

£490

A New Ski From A British Inventor

New Year in Flaine An undiscovered ski resort that offers something for everyone

£594

Many more great value trips on:

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BEN CLATWORTHY

n his first ever ski trip several years ago, inventor Rony Shirion had an unfortunate accident that resulted in a twisted knee ligament. He could not ski for the rest of his holiday. On his return home, Shirion visited an aquarium where he saw a shark swimming through the water and

was struck by the idea that if a fish uses its tail to swim through water, then why does a ski not do the same thing? So the RS1 ski (rs1ski.com) was born, and after starting with some initial ideas, Rony slowly improved the skis with a collaboration of experts. “The RS1 makes turning easier and really helps to steer the inside leg through the turn,” says Shirion.

Lighten Your Load...

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

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

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

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

t’s new, lightweight, sturdy, practical and big enough to accommodate ski gear. Part of Ospreys (ospreypacks. com) new Ozone range, the Ozone 80 breaks boundaries by being super lightweight without compromising on durability or features. Built on the new lightweight HighRoad chassis, Ozone combines a smooth rolling action with a retractable handle for extra comfort and innovative storage solutions.

Zermatt Only Ski Resort In Europe’s Top 25 Destinations

Ticke t

s from

£65

The new bag is available in light grey or green, for a suggested retail price of £130. The large panel zip to the main compartment allows for easy access whilst the lockable zip provides safety and security. The external rear panel is ideal for magazines or travel documents that need to be kept separate from the main load and accessed easily. The Ozone range also includes the ultimate ultra-light Ozone 36, ideal for a carry-on bag and the Ozone 46 for general use.

ripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel portal, says that Zermatt is the only ski resort and the only Swiss destination in the 25 most popular travel destinations in Europe. “This superb result is clear evidence that the people of Zermatt practise a distinctive level of hospitality,” says Resort

Director Daniel Luggen. Zermatt ranks 22nd among the 25 most popular European destinations, which is headed by major cities such as London, Paris and Rome. TripAdvisor has published its ratings yearly since 2008. The ratings are based on the millions of entries and opinions expressed worldwide by travellers. “The inclusion of Zermatt in the TripAdvisor ratings shows not only how popular the destination is, but also how active Zermatt’s guests are on the Internet,” says Carsten Rath, Germany’s 2011 Hotel Manager of the Year, who believes in the future such ratings will be more important than conventional hotel star ratings.

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NOVEMBER 2012 | inthesnow.com

Hi-Tec Mailshot Promotes Ski Flights PATRICK THORNE

o promote its brand new ski routes, Monarch Airlines has launched a rather innovative direct mail campaign with mobile image recognition platform Blippar. A total of 55,000 snow sports fans will receive a supersized foldout mail pack featuring British Triple Olympian and Monarch Brand Ambassador Chemmy Alcott. The pack unfolds to reveal an impressive die-cut mountain range, with images and action shots of the new destinations available to Monarch customers through

its new routes to Innsbruck, Grenoble, Friedrichshafen and Munich. What’s particularly novel about the promotion is that recipients will be able to download and open a free Blippar app on their smartphone or tablet, hover it over the pack and instantly explore the resorts, and view a 3D mountain and an engaging video introduction from Chemmy Alcott, including footage of her training on the slopes. Customers can zoom in and out of the mountain by moving their device closer or further away from the pack, and can click on the destinations to view more information and a "Top Trumps" style rating of 12 key resorts.

New Recyclable Base Layer Range or the environmentally conscious, Odlo (odlo. com), the inventor of functional sports underwear, has unveiled a new collection of base layers for winter 2012 that is 100% recycled and 100% recyclable. The “evolution warm greentec collection” is the first and so far only seamless underwear made from 100% recycled and recyclable polyester. Available for men and women, the range “...delivers the highest eco-credentials without compromising on style or performance,” say the manufacturers. Comprising a range of base layer long pants (RRP from £50), as well as long- (RRP £65) and short-sleeve (RRP £60) tops, the collection is based upon the superior technical and performance specifications of ODLO’s “evolution” range, which features “effect”, a functional fabric that includes silver ions to prevent the development of unpleasant odours.

SkiWelt Spends €9.3 million ustria’s Skiwelt (skiwelt.at) has announced a €9.3m (£7.6m) spend on upgrades. The country’s largest fully liftlinked area, with 280km of piste, is spending on upgrading lifts, new terrain parks, a floodlit toboggan run and better grooming and snow making. Three new “Fun Slopes” are being created at Hochsöll for freeriders on boards or skis. These have a combined surface area of over 5 hectares, and 40 kickers and rails of all degrees of difficulty from beginner to expert. Beginners will have

their own Funslope at the Salvenmoospiste, and there will be a beginners and mediumlevel run at the Rinnerabfahrt. For evening fun, the 4.5km-long Astberg toboggan run in Ellmau/Going will get its own snowmaking system and flood lighting.

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inthesnow.com | NOVEMBER 2012

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17/10/12 09:09:50

The Mountain Collective Launches BEN CLATWORTHY

he North American resorts of Alta, Aspen/ Snowmass, Jackson Hole and Squaw Valley/ Alpine Meadows have joined forces and launched a new ski pass for the coming season. The Mountain Collective (themountaincollective.com) pass includes two free days at each of the four destinations, plus a 50% discount on unlimited lift tickets at each of the destinations, once the complimentary

days are used. The new lift ticket is priced at $349 (£217). Christian Knapp, Vice President of Marketing for Aspen Skiing Company, said: “This is a completely new concept for a ski pass and gives winter enthusiasts the freedom to access some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the world.” The pass will ultimately benefit native “destination” skiers more than British skiers, but the pass is an interesting collaboration between the four resorts. The pass costs $229 (£143) for children under 12-years-old.

Val d’Isere Gears Up For Yet Another Great Winter fter last year’s amazing snowfall, Val d’Isère is preparing itself for yet another bumper winter, whilst accommodation specialist Simply Val d’Isère (simplyvaldisere.com) has just launched its new website. Kim Rippin, owner of the company, says: “The season started quietly, then once the snow began to fall on 10th December it didn’t stop until right through to the end. Skiers who were concerned after the previous winter’s disappointing weather in the Alps were delighted.” Val d’Isère and the Espace Killy have some of the highest skiing in Europe from 1850–3456m, ensuring good snow

Ski Weekends Expands pecialist weekend ski break tour operator SkiWeekends.com is dramatically expanding its holiday selection this winter. For 2012–13 the company is offering holidays to 23 leading resorts, 14 of which are new, including the company's first Austrian options thanks to new flights to Innsbruck and Munich. St Anton, Zell am See, the city of Innsbruck and Fugen. Options include 23 hotels (4 and 5), short chalet breaks, and new apartment

Fleecy, furry hats, for Birds, Blokes and Brats

offmyhead.com

07989414136 mel@offmyhead.com

options in nine resorts including Courchevel and Tignes. Midweek and weekend breaks are also available. There's a bigger choice of flight routes too, with 16 UK regional airports to choose from, and flights scheduled on a Thursday or a Monday, avoiding the hectic weekend crowding at airports. Prices from just £322pp. "Bookings can be made right up to the week of departure, although the earlier the weekends are booked the less expensive they are" said a company statement.

Office du Tourisme Val d'Isere

is always guaranteed, something resorts of a lower altitude cannot hope to offer. Rippin is enthusiastic about the number of bookings coming in for this winter. With the launch of the new website there now are 100 chalet holidays, 100 apartments and 30 hotels to suit all budgets available.

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NOVEMBER 2012 | inthesnow.com

THE OMNIA Zermatt

chalet COLE RIDGE GRIMENTZ



Chalet Cole Ridge is a magnificent premium chalet located in a stunning position directly on the piste and overlooking the historic village of Grimentz in the Val D’Anniviers. Sleeping up to 10 people and with a south-facing sunken Jacuzzi with stunning views overlooking the mountains, this chalet is exceptional.

+44 (0)151 625 192 | 1info@mountainheaven.co.uk | www.mountainheaven.co.uk |

THE PENTHOUSE La Rosière



chalet de la Cloche  VAL D'ISERE

The Hotel Alex is perfectly situated in the centre of Zermatt just off on a hidden back street, giving you the busyness 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 have created a wonderful chalet described by Harpers Bazaar as a “haven of sensual indulgence”. It is one of Condé Nast Traveller top 10 chalets in the Alps.

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

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

lES CHALETS DE PHILIPPE Chamonix

THE CAMBRIAN ADELBODEN

A cluster of eight chalets with spectacular views of Mont Blanc, located in a quiet corner of Lavancher. Alpine Antique furniture mixed with contemporary features such as flat screen TVs and WIFI access throughout and spa services include hammam, hot tubs, sauna and massage. A chauffeur is also available as well as Michelin-starred food!

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

+ 33 (0)607 231 726 | contact@chaletsphilippe.com | www.chaletsphilippe.com |



+41 (0)33 673 8383 | info@thecambrianadelboden.com | www.thecambrianadelboden.com |

mont cervin palace  Zermatt

MATTERHORN FOCUS Zermatt

A stunning chalet in the Les Eucherts area of La Rosière at 1850m. The Penthouse is a large chalet set over two floors with stunning views down the valley from the beautiful lounge / dining room with six en-suite bedrooms, three are doubles and three twins.

One of the great hotels of the Alps, with more than 150 years of simple warm hospitality. The original hotel, which opened in 1852 is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World Association. The 5 Mont Cervin Palace offers 150 charming rooms and suites. Throughout summer 2012 the hotel has undertaken major renovation works.

Here you can enjoy privacy, outstanding design and a unique stay in 30 individual rooms. Situated in the most fantastic position with unrivalled views of the Matterhorn, the modern, elegant architecture blends in beautifully, elegantly and somewhat obtrusively but perfectly into the mountain around.

+44 (0)151 625 192 | 1info@mountainheaven.co.uk | www.mountainheaven.co.uk |

+41 (0)27 966 8888 | mcp.reservation@seilerhotels.ch | www.montcervinpalace.com |

+41 (0)27 966 24 24 | info@matterhorn-focus.ch | www.matterhorn-focus.ch |



InTheSnow.com

Jennifer Osborne BEN CLATWORTHY

nTheSnow’s Ben Clatworthy spent 10 minutes with Jennifer Osborne, a member of the British Snowboard Cross Team. Jennifer is one of the smallest members of the team, measuring in at 155cm. Jennifer has successfully qualified as a BASI Ski and Snowboard Instructor and has taught Snowboarding at the Glasgow Ski and Snowboard Centre for the past 2 years part time. At the British Universities Snowsports Championships in Saalback and Hinterglem last season she won gold in all three events, beating the male competitors by 5 seconds in the Giant Slalom. This season Jennifer hopes to compete in her first Europa Cup event. At InTheSnow we wish her the best of luck.

Jennifer, it’s November, the snow is falling in the Alps, what’s on your agenda for the coming season? JO: I’m hoping to be doing between three and four International Ski Federation (FIS) races a month, building my experience and moving up the international rankings. Then, there’s the British Snowboard Cross Championships at the Brits, where I’m hoping to improve on this year’s placing of sixth and reach the final. That’s my biggest goal for the season. I’m also aiming to qualify for the World University Championships in December 2013.

And you’re hoping to make your Europa Cup debut as well this season? JO: That’s the plan. I was hoping to take part in a couple of races last year, but my coaches and I decided I wasn’t quite ready for that level yet, and I’d be better to learn by watching the races rather than risk seriously injuring myself. I feel I’m more prepared for them this year, so will be giving competing in them my best shot. Given snowboard cross has been dropped from the 2013 Winter X Games programme, do you still think the future is bright for the sport? JO: I believe so. Obviously it’s a big loss for the sport, but there’s now a chance for other races to step up and fill the gap. It must have been an amazing feeling for those who were invited to compete, but saying that, there are plenty of other competitions out there, and at the end of the day, the X Games are not the be-all and end-all of our sport. You dominated at the University Snowboard Championships last season; that must have been a great end to the season? JO: The Championships were a brilliant way to end the season. Finishing first in all three disciplines (Snowboardercross, Dual Slalom and Giant Slalom) really made me feel like my training had been worth it,

and that I can do it. Given that I had been training harder than ever before, I would have been worried if I hadn’t been able to improve on previous results. How did you end up competing as a snowboard cross racer? JO: The short answer is through University. I didn’t start to compete until I went to Strathclyde University [in Glasgow] and started to race for them. It was this that made me realise how much I did enjoy competing. Then I was lucky enough to be racing at the University Championships when the British coaches were scouting for new talent. I had a trial, ended up

being selected, and haven’t looked back since! It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Finally, I noticed on your blog you competed in Tough Murder this summer – are you mad? JO: Ha, I think so. My friend made me agree to it before I really knew what it was all about. I enjoyed the thrill of doing it, and I’m glad I completed the challenge, but I’m yet to decide if I’ll be returning again next year. It takes a lot of mental strength to run through electric wires!

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