Ski Weekends Summer Magazine 2019

Stories from resort Skiing with Eddie the Eagle Easy chalet recipes to try at home Spoil yourself Coming up next winter...

WIN a ski holiday

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Magazine Intro

Welcome to our first ever SkiWeekends magazine. In May we spend a lot of time looking back to the ski season just gone; lots of fun memories and gaining lots of inspiration for even more ski holidays. We have enjoyed looking back so we thought we would share the memories with you too, so you can enjoy reminiscing with your ski friends and family.

Our magazine (its not a brochure) is full of photos and stories from last winter, including what happened when Eddie the Eagle stayed with us in Chalet Monique. You can learn how to cook a few of our favourite chalet recipes, win a holiday and there are ideas to help you dream of skiing next winter.

WELCOME TO OUR FIRST EVER SUMMER SKIWEEKENDS MAGAZINE!

It was a great ski season; the snow kept coming right the way through to the end of April. Our wonderful team did a great job of looking after you all; we have had the best ever feedback and are very proud of our FeeFo customer service score too. We think ourselves very lucky to help thousands of people Be Happy and Ski More every winter. We have met many of you this year while staying in our chalets, and it has been fantastic to see so many smiles.

Wishing you a lovely summer and we look forward to seeing on the slopes, in the bar or at dinner next winter.

Dan & Sarah

WRITTEN BY

PATRICK THORNE AND THE SKIWEEKENDS TEAM DESIGNED BY

INTHESNOW AND SKIWEEKENDS

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Off-piste in La Ros

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Early mo

Blue skies a cross the be autiful tree-lined pistes

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Aperol Spr it a perfect z apres in the sun end to a b usy ski da y

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Bombardino on the Col du Pet St Bernard

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Sunrise

view ov er the

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Stunning v in F laine iew of our chalet M ar

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CREDIT SYLVAIN COCHARD

THE 2018 TEAM UK & OVERSEAS SKIWEEKENDS UK HEAD OFFICE TEAM

Our UK team work hard all year to make your ski holiday as enjoyable and as hassle-free as possible.

We recruit and support our staff who help guests feel at home from the moment you arrive in resort.

Between us we’ve got many years of experience, which is essential for your holiday to run smoothly.

CHARLIE ROBBINS

DAN FOX

Ski Expert

er Co-Own

TCHINS

ALEX HU

SIMON KNOWLTON

ert Ski Exp

Systems Manager

OX

SARAH F

AVIES IMOGEN D

er Co-Own ector / ir D s le Sa

pport Sales Su

LAURA ROBINSON Reservations Manager

an Products

rator Office Administ

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MARIA of Operations tor Direc

Y PAIGE WHITEWA

HELEN DAVIS

VICKI CHEAL

JENNIFER

ecutive Marketing Ex

Ski Expert

ADDAD r ER ESTHER Hd Contracts Administrato VLAD RYS ager

ERIKA DURWARD

STALL N A W NNE

Overseas Man

and Support Sales Admin

COTTON

ert Ski Exp

ABDOULAYE FOFANA Bookkeeper

THE SKIWEEKENDS OVERSEAS TEAM IS HERE TO MAKE YOUR WINTER ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! Meet some of our fantastic group of chalet managers, chalet hosts, resort reps and airport reps, all here and ready to make your SkiWeekends holiday the best it can possibly be! Check out some of their pictures from over the season and get a taste of what it’s like working overseas for SkiWeekends.

pped up in Abby wra d n a a ll e orms Anton kends unif e e iW k S their

mble on the Jen taking a tu in Les Gets fresh powder

Helen, Abbi and Shan no taking in the views n

Chalet fun with Abbi, Chester, Sean, Alex, Louise, Harriet, Luke, Helena and Callum

The SkiWeekends 2018/19 chalet team!

ce olie Dou F e h t t fun a Day-off

Kay enjoying the sun on the mountain lookout

Ella, Shannon and Steve sunbathing on the slopes

ng in Abbi skii d n a n le He hine the suns

Taking full advantage of après fun!

g the spring Megan enjoyin sunshine

ezue team sque Chalet Moniq e i tim ing in some sk

Callum knee -deep in the powder!

Quick b re shovel ak from ling sn ow!

Rosco – Cha le France – Av t Jean oriaz

The team e Christmas njoying on the slo pes

ean m and S u ll a C , e n, Luk Alex, Be

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The Story

of an addicted seasonnaire Katie Kemp

Over the years, SkiWeekends have had many committed seasonnaires living their ski dreams while making our customers happy. Hosting our incredible chalets and cooking delicious meals for our guests as well as keeping them comfortable and skiing as much as possible! Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a seasonnaire? Well, Katie is here to tell you what it is like working for SkiWeekends as our longest-serving seasonnaire of five years!

Tell us about your first season?

What do you do in the summers?

It was an adventure! It was everything I expected and nothing like I expected all at once. I think your first season leaves you with a sense of nostalgia that you always long for a little bit but that can never quite be repeated.

I made amazing friends, improved my snowboarding more than I ever expected – and probably made my liver hate me a little more than ever before with the amount of toffee vodka consumed!

I’m usually doing something with cooking! I spent four summers working at a sleepaway camp in the USA as the cooking activity head, last summer I was travelling around Europe as an on-road chef for a tour company, and this summer I’m staying in the UK and working at a cookery school, teaching next season’s chalet hosts all they need to know!

What do you love about working as part of the SW team?

We’re not a massive team, so everyone gets to know each other so well during training and stays well connected with each other throughout the winter, even across all our different resorts. I love snowboarding, I love my job, I love how well SkiWeekends look after and value us as staff, and the small, friendly community in ski resorts.

What’s the best thing about doing ski seasons?

The people, the snow and the fun! You get to spend five months in a community of people who have the same interests as you and are all there to enjoy life and have fun. Most people only get a week per year to enjoy the mountains, and on a season we’re lucky enough to get to ski or snowboard more in five months than many people get in a lifetime. You work hard, but play harder; what more could you want in life?

Fancy working for SkiWeekends this season?

Make your ski dreams come true this winter and apply at www.skiweekends.com/general/careers for more information!

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SKIWEEKENDS’ easy chalet recipes!

These are two of our favourite and most popular RECIPES – both easy to do at home!

Baked camembert with red onion marmalade Serves 8–10 – Preheat oven to 200°C

1.

To make the marmalade, heat oil on low-medium heat Add all remaining marmalade ingredients, and simmer to reduce liquid, around 15–20 min.

3.

1 Bag lettuce or rocket

Place one camembert in the centre of each pastry, prick the centre of each and egg-wash the surrounding pastry.

4.

MARMALADE 2 Tbsp olive oil

INGREDIENTS

in a large frying pan, and gently soften onions.

2.

2 Camemberts 1 Egg, beaten

Wrap each cheese completely with the pastry, rolling

ugh to fill a issant/brioche, eno Stale baguette/cro large baking dish.

4 Eggs 200g Caster sugar 200ml Single cream 100ml Milk 2 tsp Cinnamon pped 100g Chocolate, cho

the excess sides to decorate. Brush with egg wash.

5.

Place on a lined baking tray and bake for around 30 min

3 Red onions, finely sliced

until golden brown and cheese is melted (this can be

2 Tbsp brown sugar

checked using a skewer into the centre).

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

oven to 180C Serves 8 – Preheat

METHOD

INGREDIENTS 2 Rolls puff pastry

Bread and butter pudding

6.

To serve, place on a bed of lettuce or rocket, and

175ml red wine

surround with marmalade. Serve it to the table; guests

2 Tbsp redcurrant jelly

can cut it and serve themselves.

METHOD 1.

2.

lay in diagonals in a Slice the bread and h. dis large baking redients and pour Mix the remaining ing

over bread. turnleave to cool before Bake 25 min, then s, are squ o int h. Portion ing out from the dis then s, ter cut ar cul cir or cut rounds using eat ing tray ready to reh place on a lined bak g. vin ser for 10-15 min before cream, and me anglaise or ice 4. Serve with crè h. raspberries to garnis

3.

Eddie the Eagle Ski Weekends “It was the first proper ski holiday I’ve had in 30 years. I even had a bath, which was wonderful.”

Rob Stewart caught up with the famous ski jumper, Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards, after he travelled out with SkiWeekends on a ‘proper ski holiday’.

Lucky guests of SkiWeekends had the pleasure of spending some time with the Eagle in flagship Chalet Monique, Courchevel 1650, this winter when the well-known ski jumper and subject of Hollywood blockbuster ‘Eddie the Eagle’ took an extended holiday in the French resort.

“I met so many interesting people and the staff were all lovely and the food was great.

I particularly enjoyed coming back for tea, coffee and cake in the afternoon – I never got that as an Olympic ski jumper!

“I’d forgotten how nice it was to be on a real ski holiday and come back at the end of the day and be fed! When I was jumping, I certainly didn’t have that level of comfort, and nowadays I do spend a lot of time travelling around and skiing, but the schedule is often very busy, it’s hard to relax. Chalet Monique was perfect for that.”

Skiing with Ed die mad to remember - e this a holiday thank you.

Mark A Courchevel 1650 bbott - Chalet Moniq ue

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N O I T I T E P COM

! o w t r o f y a d li o h WIN a chalet 3 4 7 4 8 9 0 8 3 2 0 n o te o u q a Just call for

It really is that simple! Contact us for a quote in June or July and win a chalet break for two!

The prize includes your flights, transfer and a stay in one of our catered chalets; of course, you get cake and wine too!

To WIN a catered chalet break for two, just get in touch for a quote on your next ski holiday, and we will pop you in the prize draw! Call our experts on 02380 984 743 or email us at sales@skiweekends.com T&C’s apply, subject to availability.*

Get the top resorts, best accommodation and the lowest flight prices before they sell out.

*Terms & Conditions *Prize includes a three-night stay for two adults; the booking confirmation of the chalet accommodation is subject to availability. Board basis is chalet board, which consists of continental breakfast each morning, afternoon tea, coffee and cake and a three-course evening meal with wine on two evenings; flights and return transfers for two people are included to a maximum value of £120 per person. *The prize trip must be taken in 2019/20 winter, outside of peak dates and subject to availability. *To enter, entrant must submit an enquiry for a ski break with SkiWeekends and be sent a quote from our team. *Please note: Your data will only be used for the purposes of this competition and to provide you with a quote. * Skiweekends.com assume no responsibility for any costs associated with the prize and not specifically included in the prize, such as spending money, other living expenses, insurance and taxes; further, SkiWeekends will accept no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury or disappointment incurred or suffered by the winner or their guest. *Prize cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion and no cash alternative is available: prize is non-exchangeable, nonrefundable, non-transferable. *Competition closes on the 31st July 2019, 5pm – the winner will be selected at random and notified within five days.

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CREDIT PORTES DU SOLEIL MATTHIEU VITR+®

Be Happy,

Ski More The problem with most packaged ski holidays is that, from a skiing perspective, they’re not time-efficient.

How many times have you got up before the crack of dawn, trudged to the airport, made your flight, waited for other flights to come in, finally got your transfer coach, dropped off fellow skiers at half a dozen different properties in a few resorts en route, then finally arrived at your destination late afternoon – frustratingly, just too late to get on the slopes, in fact?

Well the good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way!

Ski Weekends really look at the logistics from a skier’s perspective, finding ways to make travel simple and efficient for you so that if you wish you can get at least half a day on the slopes on your arrival day. Then you can ski all day on your departure day too, and still make it home in the evening.

You’ll get a most efficient, personalised travel itinerary to and from your resort, with the top priority being to maximise your time on the slopes.

Brilliantly, this also means you can actually fit in more ski days to your days off work!

The company has mastered the art of combining good flight times with short transfers via efficient and direct private connections (no waiting around for the group bus and going around the houses before it reaches your hotel) to get you to the closest resorts as quickly as possible. They have a huge choice of more than 40.

So a SkiWeekends long weekend break gives you four and a half days on the slopes on a four-night stay, a much more efficient use of your time off work than the traditional six days of skiing during an 8 day holiday.

A SkiWeekends midweek break offers the same benefits, with three and a half days’ skiing on a three night trip, and if you do opt for a full SkiWeekends week you’ll get seven and a half days on the slopes rather than the standard six – that’s 25% more slope time for the same time away.

NT BLANC AMONIX MO CREDIT CH E HENRY PH O ST E AND CHRI IC FF O ST TOURI

It’s worth considering too that several short breaks over weekends can actually use less of your annual holiday for more days on the slopes.Lift passes are pre-booked and handed to you, so no queuing. Ski hire, likewise, is pre-booked so the hire shop know you are coming and have your details, you won’t have to shop around and fill in forms when you get there. Finally your accommodation knows to expect you and that you’ll want to ski to the last moment.

“Be happy, ski more isn’t our strapline, it’s our mantra,” explains company director Dan Fox. “We simply offer more flexi-ski options than anyone else!”

LEIL RTES DU SO CREDIT POVITR+® U IE TH MAT

“First-class service from start to finish” Dean Tiller - La Clusaz - Hotel Beaulieu CREDIT PATRICK PACHOD

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“I Want a Short Transfer!”

We all like to get to the ski slopes as quickly as we can, as getting tantalisingly close to the mountains then finding you have to hang around in the airport for the transfer coach or knowing it’s a four-hour journey ahead and that you’ll arrive just after the lifts close for the day can be supremely frustrating.

But it’s not always about the length of the transfer; it can be about travelling smart and considering the options in full before you book.

WHEN DO YOU FLY? If you’re aiming to get an afternoon of skiing in then even when travelling to a resort with a short transfer it’s important to ensure you’re on an early flight out of the UK. Ideally 7am or earlier. Taking off then, with the hour ahead that Europe is you’ll hopefully be leaving the airport in Europe sometime after 10 European time and arriving in resort between 11 and 12.

If you have your ski gear with you or booked and waiting at your destination, along with your lift pass, there’s then the potential to be out on the slopes by early afternoon.

If you do want a short transfer, recommended destinations include: Innsbruck (10 mins), Sierra Nevada (35 mins); Avoriaz, Chamonix, Flaine, La Clusaz, Morzine (all about an hour), St Anton (70 mins), Ax-Les-Thermes, Isola 2000 or Engelberg (80 mins).

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COUNT THE MINUTES NOT THE KILOMETRES

Don’t assume that just because the ski area you’ve chosen is less than 100 kilometres from the airport you’re flying in to, you’re going to be in resort in about an hour. If you’re straight out on to a fast, empty road most of the way there then maybe, but there are so many factors to beware of…

First there’s the transfer you’re booked on to.

A lot of tour operators and indeed transfer companies will wait for several flights to come in, including sometimes somebody else’s delayed flight, before you even set off. So that hour can be spent just hanging around at your arrival airport.

In the worst cases big tour operators sometimes have a mid-way point where coaches from different airports arrive and some skiers switch coaches from one airport heading to one resort, the result being diversions and delay. Then finally your coach may go via several resorts, and if you’re the last to be dropped off, well your hour’s transfer could be three or four (and the same on the return run).

Another factor to consider is the traffic – weekend, particular Saturday travel is notoriously busy, and throw in an airport which involves some city centre driving to depart from, such as Geneva, and there’s the unfortunate likelihood of a traffic snarl-up.

The answer? Travel midweek and with a company like SkiWeekends that ensures you get a direct transfer so that as soon as you’ve cleared security and arrived in Europe you’re into your transfer vehicle and on your way direct.

DO THE MATHS Obviously if you have to travel a long way in the UK to get a direct flight to the airport that’s just a short distance from your chosen ski resort at the other end, you may end up increasing your overall journey time by spending longer travelling in the UK to leave Blighty than you save on the shorter transfer once you’ve arrived at the other end. I know, it’s obvious, but it can be easy to forget in the excitement of finding that mystical short transfer!

“Great chalet hosts could not have done more for us guests. Great holiday.”

Jon Reynolds - Les Menuires/Reberty Chalet Anthony THE BOTTOM LINE As noted at the start, everyone wants to get to the slopes as quickly as they can, but you need to weigh up whether you want to just relax on the way out and just get there as quickly and efficiently as you can, but maybe have a lie-in rather than getting up at 4am, in order to get an afternoon on the slopes, or whether for you it is indeed worth getting up early to fit in that extra afternoon.

Keep in mind that most SkiWeekends holidays allow you to ski until late afternoon on your departure day, so you win then anyway.

In other words, if you want to go to Val d’Isère (a three-hour transfer from Geneva and you probably won’t make it on to the slopes on your arrival day), just relax and go to Val d’Isère!

Where

CAn I DAnce

Ski Boots?

The après-ski scene in the French Alps has been transformed over recent years with dancing in your ski boots as the ski day ends now the norm in an ever-growing list of superb slopeside dance bars in many French resorts.

The transformation has been led by the Folie Douce group in France, which began life in Val Val d’Isère but now runs bars in Les 3 Vallées (between Courchevel and Méribel as well as up at Val Thorens), as well as in the Portes du Soleil at Avoriaz, in Megève’s ski area, above Alpe d’Huez and their newest outlet in Chamonix.

CREDIT DAVIDANDRE

in My

Of course there are plenty of other good party bars in the Alps. The Rond Point in Méribel , known locally as ‘Ronnies’, is a good example.

Famed for its ski-in sun terrace, exuberant staff, great DJs and live bands it’s open all day through to 7.30pm.

In Zermatt the Hennu Stall, a piste-side bar on the last run-down of the day, gets lively, especially when the weather’s good and a live band appears on the terrace. In resort the Brown Cow is the classic après-ski bar within the Post hotel complex.

In Morzine the Tremplin is one of the most popular spots with great DJ sets and a brilliant atmosphere.

If you’re looking for somewhere a little different, perhaps consider Sierra Nevada in Spain, located above the university city of Granada. There’s a vibrant bar scene and, best of all, free tapas with your drink, so you may not even need to buy dinner!

Verbier’s Les Ruinettes is the closest thing to La Folie Douce with dancing on the mountain before the final ski down, perhaps stopping at the equally popular Pub Mont Fort which has a terrace, a happy hour from 4-5, live bands, and is invariably heaving.

They’re amazing on-mountain party bars where skiers and boarders can dance through the afternoon once they’ve tired of skiing, find great food to eat, and be entertained by outrageous cabaret acts. All of the resorts where they’re located are offered by SkiWeekends and you’ll find similar venues now at many other resorts too.

Most of the Folie Douce bars require a ski or lift ride back down when you want to leave, but SkiWeekends does have four chalets offering up to 50 beds between them located within 100 metres of the Avoriaz Folie Douce, and can arrange private rooms for groups.

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This is the Season to

Discover La Rosière Sitting high across the Tarentaise Valley from Les Arcs, La Rosière has always been an intriguing ski destination.

investment (apparently this was all part of the original plan when the resort opened 50 years ago, it just took a while to get there).

Known as a great choice for families for many years, with a compact centre full of childfriendly cafes and safe slopes right above the village, it’s easy for other skiers to overlook as they head to the nearby Les 3 Vallées or drive past heading to Tignes or Val d’Isère.

It’s unusual for ski areas in the Alps to add new terrain these days, and totally unheard of for an expansion to also add 400 metres of vertical to a resort’s stats, as was the case here.

But then there is a lot of skiing there (150km) and there has always been that unusual selling point of the piste connection over the Italian border to the resort of La Thuile. What could be cooler than skiing over to enjoy a real Italian pizza for lunch then heading back in to France for the night?

Well, last winter La Rosière widened its appeal dramatically, now making it a ‘must ski’ for serious skiers as well as families. A longstanding plan to build lifts to the top of local Mont Valaisan at 2,891m, the highest peak in the area, finally went ahead after a €15m

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But for serious skiers it’s the fact that the new two-stage, eight-minute chairlift ride, ascending more than two kilometres over 864 vertical metres, opens up a vast new area of off-piste terrain, totally transforming the scope of what La Rosière offers, that’s perhaps the most exciting result of the development.

The terrain isn’t just extensive; the high altitude and slope orientation due to its location on the San Bernardo Pass bringing snow from both the west and the south means it tends to stay powdery for longer after each snowfall, so the chances of you finding some unforgettable descents when you visit are that much higher.

Spoil Yourself CREDIT CHRISTIAN PERRET

Perhaps there’s an extra reason for spoiling yourself on your next ski trip too? A special event, a significant anniversary or a big birthday to celebrate perhaps? You might even be planning a proposal, or you may just want to treat yourself.

Whatever the reason, any special trip should start feeling special before you even get to your ski resort. Perhaps you might splash out on an airport lounge in the UK, a flight upgrade on a scheduled flight and then, the crucial bit, a private transfer waiting to whisk you from your arrival airport in Europe up to your ski hotel.

Now, what would make your stay in the mountains that bit closer to perfection? A lovely big, spacious room with a balcony that gets the morning sun and an equally impressive bathroom perhaps? Maybe even a suite? Then a magnificent view out over the mountains so you get to take in the full wonder of where you are from the moment you open the curtains each morning? Staying slopeside, or if not, having a private transfer to the slopes is a given.

Cuisine will be a big part of your stay; having a great breakfast spread to start the day right is always a plus, and a highly regarded à la carte restaurant for dinner with the option of room service again sets your luxury ski break on a different level to the run-of-the-mill ski trip.

CREDIT ROB STEWART

Your time is precious. You work hard for those few cherished trips to the Alps, so why take risks on a below-par ski holiday when luxury has become much more attainable in recent years?

Most luxury ski trips will also involve some spa time (if you can squeeze it in); you’ll want swimming pools, saunas, steam rooms, Jacuzzis, solarium and an all-singing, alldancing ‘experience shower’ of course; but do you REALLY need the salt wall and ice fountain?

Well, if you must. And while you’re here it would be wrong not to book a spa treatment; the tricky bit is always deciding which massage to go for from the menu.

The only thing to be wary of, if you do plan to upgrade next winter, is that others are having the same thought and there’s limited availability in luxury ski accommodation, particularly at busy times or if you are aiming for a specific date you wish to celebrate, so it’s the usual advice: book early.

The only other advice is that when you’re busy scoffing that gourmet cuisine and relaxing in the luxury spa, don’t forget to go skiing!

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Marvellous chalet and very friendly.

Informative staff. Great location for ski lifts and restaurants. Lovely views from chalet and great hot tub. A very memorable ski break.

Lydia Owen - Courchevel 1650 - Chalet Monique In the same way that you’ll think carefully about your weekly shop, at SkiWeekends we have to do some really serious planning ahead of each winter to make sure all of our chalets are fully stocked to meet our guests’ requirements.

This was our shopping list last season and with five new chalets this coming winter, we’re going to need a bigger trolley for winter 2019/20:

• 3,700 croissants • 6,130 sausages • 6,974 bacon rashers • 301,320 baked beans* oats • 78 kilos of porridge r for cakes • 300 kilos of icing suga ed up to Christmas er liv de es pi ce in m 3 31 • • 22,000 tea bags • 5,000 litres of wine c) (3,075 rouge, 1,925 blan

just not bean count every bean as we’re (* to be honest we didn’t beans in every tin out there were around 465 counters, but we did find then did some maths…)

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Menus We have been very happy with our chalet menu and have had loads of positive feedback, but with so many returning guests we thought it’s time for a change!

After years of evolution we want to reinvent our menu. Katie, back with us for her fifth season, will be playing a big part in the new menu. You’ll find more about Katie elsewhere in this magazine, but she is a qualified dietitian and is working as a trainer at Orchard Cookery School this summer, so couldn’t be better placed to mastermind our new menu. Not only will it be new but portion sizes are going up, and as we’re further enhancing breakfast too, you might not even need lunch.

Protecting The Environment We try hard each winter to reduce our environmental impact in our chalets, and we’re looking to do even more next winter. We’re also looking for suggestions for ways in which we can improve.

Our team are passionate about looking after our planet, both overseas and in the UK head office, but if you can spot any changes you think we could make within our chalets please send your suggestions to marketing@ skiweekends.com and let’s make the planet greener together!

Among the steps we’ve taken so far are: •

•

• •

We’ve trained our chalet teams to think about minimising waste, and maximising recycling where this can’t be done.

We’ve placed organic, refillable soaps in most of our chalets already, saving over 5,000 plastic bottles last winter. We’re also trying to cut down our use of plastic yoghurt pots.

We’ve retro-fitted low-energy but still bright LED lighting in many chalets.

We’ve updated our SkiWeekends cookbook with recipes that are not only more delicious but even more environmentally friendly in terms of ingredients and avoiding plastic wrapped foods.

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NEW CHALETS FOR 2019/20 Staying in a SkiWeekends chalet with your partner, friends and family is a great way to escape to the mountains and an experience you’ll never forget! You can ski as much as you want, then sit back and relax while we take care of you. Delicious breakfasts, scrummy

afternoon cakes and a yummy three-course dinner with wine. Many of our chalets are ski-in/ski-out or have saunas and hot tubs! We have five brand new chalets for next season, making it 18 SkiWeekends chalets for you to take your pick of!

CHALET PERCE NEIGE, AVORIAZ

CHALET VIOLETTA, AVORIAZ

Great for groups and access to the slopes

These sister chalets share an entrance so can take 18 guests

NEW

• • • •

Sleeps: 14 in single or double beds Ski-in/ski-out All rooms include en suite – open fireplace – sauna Close to resort centre with easy access to restaurants, bars and shops

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NEW

• • • •

Sleeps: 14 in 7 rooms All rooms include en suite – open fireplace – sauna Mirror image of adjoining Chalet Perce Neige 2-minute walk to Folie Douce & the Yeti Bar

CREDIT COURCHEVEL TOURISME

(Quotes from guests?)

CHALET ELLEN, MORZINE

CHALET LAUZES, AVORIAZ

This charming converted farmhouse has all mod cons and gives great access to the slopes

This cosy chalet is a home from home, with snow on your doorstep!

• • •

• • • • •

NEW

•

Sleeps 10/12 5 rooms all with ensuites – sauna Great access to lifts, just 5 minutes by bus Just a 10-minute stroll to town

NEW

Sleeps: 10 5 rooms with private bathrooms – sauna Traditional Ski-in/ski-out Enjoy après bars, 3 minutes’ walk Ski & boot room with warmers

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CREDIT JEREMY BERNARD

COMING UP NEXT WINTER

One of the most exciting developments in the French Alps will be the resort of Avoriaz spending €15m on a two-stage lift connection up to the Swiss border in the huge Portes du Soleil ski region it shares with resorts like Les Gets and Morzine.

Up to now the choice for skiers wanting to ski over to Switzerland’s usually emptier slopes for a quick fondue or hot chocolate usually requires a long ride on an elderly chairlift that’s prone to queues and wind-closure, or descending the fearsome ‘Swiss wall’ black mogul fields (or suffer the ignominy of riding the chairlift down above it), but these two fast new six-seat chairlifts will whisk skiers and boarders up to an all-new boarder crossing

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point, that’s more sheltered from the wind, from where there are good intermediate runs descending down the Swiss side.

Elsewhere in the Alps, Kitzbühel is shouting about the fact that they’re making their biggest ever single-year investment (€27.5 million) on a super-luxurious gondola that will carry hardly any more skiers uphill than the 40-year-old lift it replaces but will be faster and much more comfortable (forget benches, think personal heated seats…). After all, who wants more people on the slopes in front of you?

And also in Austria, a new lift connection between Saalbach and its neighbour Zell am See will create what’s believed to be the fourth biggest ski area in the world with its 345km of slopes placing it fourth in the world behind Les 3 Vallées, Paradiski (La Plagne and Les Arcs) and Italy’s Sella Ronda, and overtaking Austria’s existing biggest, the Arlberg region of St Anton and Lech, which has 305km of runs.

CREDIT O RELI.B

It may seem like last winter only just ended, but the new ski season is just around the corner and resorts are busy, busy, busy building ever better lifts and making 101 other improvements before the snow starts falling in the autumn. They have to move fast!

Introducing the Warren Smith Ski Academy the legendary ski guru, you may have seen him on

“The Jump”

We are passionate about our skiing and decided to invest in ourselves to push us forward!

Our Story – Dan & Sarah

We were both delighted with what we got out of the course; for me I just wanted to iron out those bad habits and really refocus on my skiing. The tuition and group structure was so good, enabling all to develop, achieve and enjoy, I even rediscovered my passion and desire to renew my instructing qualifications… a story for another day. For Sarah, it made a season-long difference, significantly increasing her solidity of platform and confidence on and off piste.

We are recommending the Warren Smith Academy to our friends, so thought we would share it with all our SkiWeekends friends too.

SKI THIS SUMMER! If you can’t wait until winter, Warren and his team run some great five-day courses in Cervinia in the summer sun and snow, plus Italian food – what’s not to like!

For the past 20 years these courses have proved to be the perfect option for anyone wanting to deconstruct their technique and achieve the step change in their skiing they have been searching for.

Last December Sarah and I went along on a “SuperGroup” course in Verbier, with over 50 people we were quickly split into groups of a maximum of 6 people. Make no mistake this is “coaching” not follow me instruction; over 5 days we covered the whole mountain, even the intermediates were hitting the off piste in great snow by the middle of the week. Everyone we spoke to really enjoyed it and many come back time after time. We stayed at the lovely family run Hotel Mirabeau just 2 minutes from the main gondola.

Mention SkiWeekends when you book and you’ll be well looked after.

NEXT WINTER...

We already offer holidays to Verbier and can now arrange a full package including The Academy for a weekend or a week. We will also be launching Warren Smith with SkiWeekends in France next season, with three days of training and video analysis, based in a French resort. Call on 02380 984 743 to register your interest or email us.

Slope Style

Get yourself the best kit for the mountain without paying the world We ask a lot from our ski gear. It needs to keep us warm and dry, enable us to perform well and of course needs to look the part. Online sports retailer SportPursuit has the answer. They work with the best ski brands across the globe to bring exclusive deals to their community. Members can save up to 60% on kit from top brands including Marmot, Spyder, POC and Helly Hansen.

Join SportPursuit for free on www.sportpursuit.com and get access to their great savings now. Plus, SkiWeekends customers get 10% off their first order with an exclusive offer – use code SP-SKIWEEKENDS10 at the checkout.*

That’s not all… you can WIN a new ski or snowboard outfit from sustainable snowsports brand UNTRAKT! All you have to do is tag @skiweekends on Facebook or Instagram in a picture of your favourite or craziest ski outfit and use the hashtag #SWMag2019 to be in with a chance of winning! Check out UNTRAKT at www.untrakt.ski.

T&Cs apply* *Prize will be a choice of jacket and trousers, male or female, for the winner only. Subject to availability on sizes and styles at the time of the prize draw. Winners will be chosen based on best images sent through and will be contacted promptly.

*Single use per member. Full terms and conditions available at https://www. sportpursuit.com/10-offfirst-order-terms

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Helping you ski where, when and for as long as you want.

17 chalets in 7 resorts 170+ hotels from 2 to 5 stars Fly from 16 UK Airports Over 300 flight options per day 41 resorts 8 countries

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