British snowboarder James Stentifird took third place in the final round of the Freeride World Tour. Footage of the his run can be seen on the BBC website.
It’s always great to hear of British success in skiing or snowboarding events. Well done James.
The women’s Odlo Cubic short sleeve shirt uses the Cubic structure to give a highly breathable fabric to ensure a pleasant body climate. Women’s Odlo S/S Crew Shirt Features: Of the all-year-round Cubic quality material.
Womens/Tops/Base £22.99 – Click to Buy
Mark Warner currently have some great Christmas and New Year ski deals available, we’ve picked our favourites.
Christmas deals:
50% off Christmas in Les Deux Alpes – saving of £472 off the brochure price
If you fancy spending Christmas on the slopes, Mark Warner is offering seven nights at Chalethotel Berangere in the picturesque Dauphine region of the French Alps, Les Deux Alpes for only £473. The chalethotel Berangere is south facing and situated in a superb position at the foot of the slopes with an unimpeded view over the surrounding mountains. Flights depart on the 19th December 2010. Customers can call 0871 703 3888 or visit www.markwarner.co.uk/ski for more information and to book online.
39% off Christmas in Val d’Isere – saving of £350 from the brochure price
Why not skip the hassle of Christmas at home and head to France for a fantastic week skiing. Mark Warner has a great offer over Christmas staying at the very welcoming Cygnaski which is only minutes away from the centre, Val D’Isere. This resort is great for families with the convenient location, spacious rooms, many of which take cots and large crèche and colourful nursery. The Cygnaski also runs four children’s clubs
and cater from children aged 4 months to 12 years. Flights depart on the 19th December 2010 from a mere £545 for adults. Customers can call 0871 703 3888 or visit www.markwarner.co.uk/ski for more information and to book online.
New Year Deals
£500 off selected resorts will help you Celebrate the New Year on the slopes
If you fancy welcoming in the New Year on the slopes, Mark Warner is offering up to £500 off their ski holidays over New Year. Flights depart 26 December 2010 and prices are as low as £675pp for 7 nights. Alternatively families can choose 2 for 1 on kids prices where the cheapest child goes free. This can save families up to £700. To see all Mark Warner New Year holiday offers, visit Mark Warner.
It’s been a promising start to the season in the Austrian Tirol with great snow conditions throughout the region. Many resorts opened early and with forecasts indicating even more snowfall to come, it will surely be a white Christmas across the region. Daily flights to Innsbruck with easyJet.com commence this week on Friday 10th December and British Airways are already operating five times a week into Innsbruck. Find ski deals to the Tirol with Crystal Ski.
Bored of the usual chalet format and want something a bit different and tailored to your own needs? Well how about giving the fabulous Chill Chalet a try. We came across these guys whilst looking for accommodation for a short break in March….
Chill Chalet was set up in 2000 by Chris Cracknell and Lucy Hughes. They didn’t like the large Tour Operator format, so set out to do something different. They’ve managed to put together a service that’s both tailored to the individuals needs and affordable. The chalet is in Bourg St Maurice, only a 5 minute walk from the funicular that takes you up to La Plagne. The service they offer includes the following:
* bookings on a nightly basis
* breakfast whenever you want it (boy do we like the sound of that!)
* no fixed arrival or departure times
*walking distance from lift and all ammenities
* the ability for you to make hot drinks when you want them
* AND… unlimited biscuits and cakes available all day
Usually to get this kind of service you’d need to break the bank but amazingly their prices start at just £50 per night. We also particularly like the fact that Teachers get a discount since they ‘don’t think it’s fair that teachers get penalised because they have to travel in the school holidays’ and that they offer a ‘Green incentive’ discount if you travel by train!
This fantastic chalet is obviously very popular and gets booked up quickly so if you fancy giving it a try this season check out the website and get in touch with Chris asap!
I recently spent a lot of time trawling the internet trying to find a present for a friend’s birthday. She’s a mad keen skier so I thought i’d try to find her a ski themed t-shirt and I found a great site – Cafe Press.
Cafe Press is an american site that has a huge selection of ski and snowboard themed gifts, from t-shirts to tote bags and from bibs to thongs! Don’t hang around though if you’re thinking of buying something from this site, standard delivery is pretty reasonable at about £3 per item but if you need something in a hurry it’ll cost you nearly £30 for speedy delivery! Go to http://shop.cafepress.co.uk/ski for more details.
If you haven’t got time to take a full week skiing, then why not consider a ski weekend. You can often get nearly as much time skiing as you do in a week with only 2 or even 1 days holiday from work. The problem often is that ski weekends in France can cost nearly as much as a weeks skiing. But…… if you are happy to go with budget options a ski weekend in France needn’t cost a small fortune.
We’ve listed a few good options for ski weekends in the area around Moutiers / Aime La Plagne and Bourg St Maurice, so perfect for a rail ski weekend or with budget flights into Geneva. All these hotels / chalets are available to book for any number of nights.
Ski Weekend Val d’isere
Hotel Les Chardons - ski weekend in twin rooms from €62pp per night including half board. Centrally located in Val d’isere
Hotel La Toviere – ski weekend quadruple rooms from €62pp per night including half board. Prices get more expensive for 2 person rooms. Located on the piste in La Daille (5 mins bus from central Val d’isere, but straight on the La Daille lifts.)
Hotel Relais du Ski – ski weekend with two levels of comfort, ensuites with half board from Euros82pp per night including half board. Budget from €57pp per night with half board. 500 from Val d’isere centre, but 50m from the regular ski bus.
UCPA – the Val d’isere UCPA is great for ski weekends, when they are available. It’s a great weekend, the prices start from €300 but include full board, ski hire and lift passes for Espace Killy! Bargain! You are probably better off booking through Action Outdoors, the UK reseller. FOr some reason they don’t always list the weekends on their website but a phone call to them will find out what they have available.
Ski weekend TIgnes
Chalet Chardons – budget ski weekends, in fact any days available. Situated in Tignes Les Brevieres, the lowest point in Tignes but good links into central Tignes, and a shorter transfer!
Mountain Sun – ski weekend again based in Les Brevieres, but a higher standard of accommodation. Still relatively cheap though! Prices from £63 pp per night, including half board (with wine I think.) Watch out for supplements though
UCPA – ski weekend at the UCPA in Tignes Val Claret is about 50m from the piste, and there’s a drag lift to the nearest lift so you don’t have to walk uphill. We’ve been on ski weekends early and late (late) season and can guarantee that it’s fab. Read same note about ski weekend deals and booking the UCPA on the Val d’isere entry above.
Ski Weekend Meribel - there’s not many options, but here’s two!
Ski Weekends – do what they say on the tin. Get a ski weekend based in Bride Les Bains from £219 including coach travel from London and half board hotel. Only a 20 minute lift ride from central Meribel.
Activ Experience – get the chalet experience for your ski weekend. Phone them for availability.
Hotel Croix Jean Claude – prices from €86pp per night including half board.
Ski weekend La Tania
Hotel Telemark – run by Ski Inns, it’s a budget hotel that can be booked for any dates. Prices start from £60pp per night including half board with wine.
Ski Weekend La Plagne
UCPA – on the piste in La Plagne 1800. Better comfort than most UCPA’s, rooms for 4 all ensuite. On the piste, literally. Great place to stay. Read same note about UCPA’s from the Val d’isere entry.
Ski Weekend La Rosiere
Auberge du Val Joli -Ski weekends from Euros46pp per night including half board. Week night stays from only €39pp per night including half board.
Whatever you do on your ski weekend in France, make sure that you have everything organised before you go and maximise your time on the slopes. Our top 3 tips for the perfect ski weekend :
The Cresta is the only natural ice run in the world; it measures three quarters of a mile long and winds its way from above the ‘Leaning Tower’ in St Moritz – not far from the Kulm Hotel St Moritz - down a steep gully through ten testing corners, past the tiny hamlet of Cresta, to the village of Celerina. The total drop is 514 ft and the gradient varies from 1 in 2.8 to 1 in 8.7.
Rooted in tradition, the first Run was completed in January 1885 and took nearly nine weeks to build. Only the three upper banks received detailed work. The Cresta Run is still built from scratch every year using the natural contours of the valley and earth banks to provide a framework on which to pile the snow. The Run from Junction is built first, the upper banks second.
The Cresta has two starting points: Top and Junction. The current record from Top is 50.09 seconds, held by James Sunley. This means an average speed of over 53 m.p.h. ending at Finish at a speed close to 80 m.p.h. Riders from Junction begin opposite the Clubhouse, about one-third down the Run from Top. The current record from Junction, held by Johannes Badrutt, is 41.02 seconds.
Beginners start from Junction and are encouraged to go down in a time of between 65 and 75 seconds. Riders brake using the rakes on their boots and if they are out of control they are certain to go out at Shuttlecock, the most famous corner of the Run. Fallers at Shuttlecock automatically become members of the Shuttlecock Club and are entitled to wear a Shuttlecock tie.
There is only one Cresta Run; it is unique and remains one of the last truly amateur sports in the world.
The five-star Hotel Aurelio in Lech, Austria, begins this winter season with its exclusive offer: “Pure Luxury“ – a special three day package offering a helicopter transfer, two nights in an Aurelio Suite, a horse-drawn sleigh tour and Segway rides, from € 8,000 per couple.
Hotel Aurelio’s winter season starts this year on November 26 – and the Pure Luxury offer is perfectly timed to experience this stunning spa chalet found on the ski slopes of Lech. Guests will be picked up from Zurich or Munich airport by private helicopter, and upon arrival welcomed with a glass of ice-cold champagne before checking into one of the hotel’s huge Aurelio suites. In the evening, a five-course dinner at Aurelio’s, (the hotel restaurant) awaits, designed by Executive Chef, Christian Rescher, (renowned for spoiling guests with his internationally-acclaimed creations). The next day guests are picked up by their own private ski instructor to explore Lech’s slopes. For those who want pure relaxation, a soothing massage at the award-winning Aurelio spa is just one option to end an unforgettable day of active outdoor pursuits. The evening then turns romantic: tucked warmly into a horse drawn sleigh, guests can experience a winter wonderland by night – perfect to build an appetite for Aurelio’s special candle light fondue dinner, perhaps. On their final day guests are invited to try out a new winter sports experience: ride a Segway on snow and ice and explore the awesome winter scenery in a whole new way.
Price of the Hotel Aurelio Luxury Package for two guests, including all above services and ski pass, half-board, and accommodation in an Aurelio Suite: starts at € 8,000 – valid for stays from the middle of December to end of April, high season not included, subject to availability. There is a heli-pad near the Hotel and key airports include: Altenrhein, Friedrichshafen, Innsbruck and Zurich. Visit www.aureliolech.com.
