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Ski Chalets

Posted on: November 5th, 2022 by SkiGB

Going on a Ski Holiday and staying in a Ski Chalet is one of the nicest ways to enjoy the mountains.

Whether you and your group fill up the whole Chalet or join other holidaymakers the results are the same, relaxing, comfortable and enjoyable.

We have gathered together some of the best quality Chalets which are located in convenient locations within the resort.

SkiGB.com specialise the Ski Resorts that are favourites with British snow worshipers.

Ski Chalet Food

Staying in a Ski Chalet is like home from home, but with more cake!

Your private chef will not only create sumptuous breakfasts and dinners but will also bake you a cake ready for when return from Apres Ski!

Breakfast includes hot and cold options and the evening dinner consists of a 3-course feast.

If you have any dietary requirements you will need to inform the Chalet at the time of booking.

Wine is usually included which doesn’t stop until at least the end of the meal, sometimes longer.

Chalet Layout

Most Ski Chalets are individual buildings consisting of a number of bedrooms most likely with ensuite bathrooms. A communal lounge and Kitchen area. A Ski and Boot room to store your, well, ski boots and Skis. Then additionally more luxurious Chalets could have Saunas, Steam rooms and even private swimming pools.

How big are Ski Chalets?

The size of the chalets ranges from small 6-person properties to large 20+ person chalets. If you are interested in Chalets that are larger we recommend also looking at Chalet-Hotels which are a mixture of the two.

Can I book the whole Chalet?

Yes of course. If this something that interests you recommend booking as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Are Ski Chalets suitable for Children?

Some Chalets are for adults only, you will be able to use the filters in our search but most are child friendly.

What are the local drinks for Val Thorens?

Posted on: October 30th, 2022 by SkiGB

Every holiday destination has its own drink that visitors swear tastes better in its country of origin than when they purchase it at home. The only explanation we can give for this is the atmosphere plays a big part in it so Ouzo tastes better in Greece, Sobrado better in Spain, etc etc.

Few people realise that ski resorts thousands of feet in the air nestled amongst mountains have their own local drinks, but anyone who has ever visited Val Thorens will know this winter playground boasts more than its fair share of local fire water. For the purpose of this piece, we are going to concentrate on the main 3 Chartreuse, Génépi and Marc de Savoie. The reason for this is simple. As serious reviewers, it is only correct that we sample what we are writing about and if some of the stories are anything to go by, especially the third one, three is enough; especially on a school night!

You should be able to get anyone of these drinks in any bar in Val Thorens so don’t be shy and try one, two or all three of them out!

Chartreuse

This French liqueur has been made since 1737 according to the ancient recipe given to them in 1605 by François-Annibal d’Estrée. The Ingredients are distilled alcohol which has been aged with 130 flowers, plants and herbs, the drink takes its name from the Grande Chartreuse Monastery located within the Chartreuse Mountains in France’s Grenoble region.

The liqueur itself is produced at the monk’s distillery in the nearby town of Voiron (Isère). One of the few liqueurs that continues to improve with age in the bottle, there are two types of Chartreuse; green and yellow. The former is 110 proof, or 55%, and gets its colour naturally from the infusion of plants and herbs during its creation.

The yellow variety is 80 or 40% proof and has an altogether sweeter and milder taste and aroma. There are also several other versions including a white variety but the green and the yellow are the most well-known and by far the most produced and drunk. Chartreuse has a very strong and distinctive flavour in that when first tasted it is very sweet but then becomes much spicier and pungent. A popular way to drink Chartreuse in ski resorts is added to hot chocolate to make Green Chaud.

 

Génépi

The aperitif or liqueur known as Génépi is very similar in its make-up to Absinthe. A member of the Chartreuse family, its name comes from the Alpine plants from the genus Artemisia which are added to the brewing process to give Génépi its colour and flavour. As with many European herbal liqueurs of this kind, Génépi is also used as a digestif and it too has an acquired taste. It is less sweet than many of its contemporaries and the flavour the herbs have imparted into it is reminiscent of fever-few and chamomile.

While pale gold is its natural colour you will see some with a tinge of green due to the wormwood flower. This is in stark contrast to some of the varieties you will see for sale which is a vivid green thanks to the addition of food colouring.

 

Marc de Savoie

As mentioned above there are a few local drinks in the Alps however none taste as vile as Marc de Savoie, be warned!
A little history on this drink, way back in the 18th century when standard drinks like Beer and Wine were only within reach of the employed, the landlords devised a way of selling to more people without costing them any more money. Like modern draft beer taps back then there were drip trays below the taps to catch any spillages. Once the spillage trays got enough liquid the landlord would pour it into a glass and sell it very cheaply to the less fortunate.
Well, that’s the story behind it, whether it is true or not due to Health and safety they clearly can not sell it like that any more.

Marc de Savoie is a type of brandy also known as Marc Brandy de Savoie, Savoy Wine Brandy or simply Hooch. Created using red grapes, the best way to describe this drink is as an ‘acquired taste. It doesn’t undergo the ageing process typical of brandy but is kept in oak casks before bottling.

This drink is served in a shot glass and we recommend having a chaser drink ready as it is as rough as a 5 o’clock stubble. Often used as a forfeit to a drinking game or given to someone you just don’t like.

 

The Best Sledges in the World!

Posted on: October 23rd, 2022 by SkiGB

 

Ever thought how Santa manages to deliver his gifts to ski resorts?

Of course you have! 😉

You would think he would just land his sledge on the snow and get to work, oh ho ho ho no he doesn’t!

 

The James Bond Snow Crawler

James Bond pay attention we have the latest snow vehicle from Q branch!

 

 

James, we like to call it a Snow Crawler and for once 007 please bring the equipment back in one piece this time!

If you are a budding secret agent or just want one of the coolest snow gadgets money can buy then here it is.

Fully enclosed in a very stylish cockpit protected from the elements and Spectre and their evil henchmen.

 

 

To the public the Snow Crawler is just a concept, however, we all know undercover agents get all the cool new toys so they probably have this already!

We have not seen anything to back this up (which doesn’t mean it is untrue!), but we think it is bulletproof, can turn into a helicopter with a flick of a switch and has 2 cup holders!

So either sign up here MI6 Jobs (remember you only click once 007) or hope that one day this cool vehicle makes it into production.

 

This message will self-destruct in 30secs…….. (oops wrong film)

 

Did Mercedes design the best sledge in the World?

 

So once again we have two more new designs of sledges, this time from Mercedes. If you are familiar with their vehicles past and present you will probably guess where they got their inspiration for these!

 

 

Mercedes Builds Santa a new Sleigh

Mercedes built him a nice fancy sledge to skip up and down the pistes whilst every one was asleep. And thank god they did too!

 

 

Or Maybe Pagani has made the best Sleigh?

Could this be the best snow vehicle ever? It might be the fastest!

The Pagani Huayra, snow edition!

 

The Equinox Snowcoach

Every so often we spot a new toy for us snow freaks to talk about, this time we have come across the Equinox Snowcoach.

Let us set the scene, you get the snowmobile for Christmas that you always wanted and now would like to take passengers. With only room on the back for one, it would be a problem if you wanted to take more than one person

 

Not anymore!

 

With the Snowcoach there IS extra room being towed behind, and in from the snowfall too!

It’s kind of like a small caravan for your snowmobile, hook up and off you go!

The Snowcoach can fit two people and is strong enough for a payload of 350 pounds.

If this is your next purchase it will cost you $2000. Sadly Snowmobiles are not really allowed in Val Thorens (only licence holders are allowed,  ie: local businesses), I guess you could use it as a sledge?

 

 

The Skiing Lamborghini!

Feast your eyes for 1 minute and 3 seconds of some lucky guy driving a Lamborghini UP and DOWN a piste. Check out the touring skier, he doesn’t know what’s going on!

 

Team GB: More investment across more Ski and Snowboard sports

Posted on: December 23rd, 2018 by SkiGB

It has been announced by the British Ski & Snowboard Team that after concentrating their funds on their “Park and Pipe” programme they will be spreading future investments over more sports.

 

For the last couple of Olympics Team GB have concentrated their efforts on the park sports which have seen them securing three Olympic medals.

 

Quote:

“Our aim is to be one of the top five snowsports nations by 2030, and we need to be competitive across a range of disciplines if we are going to get there. Over the course of the next four years we’re going to see more investment across more sports, while ensuring our park and pipe programme remains right up there with the best in the world,” said Vicky Gosling, CEO of British Ski & Snowboard.

 

UK Sport have increased the funding for British Ski & Snowboard by 31% to £6.75 million. This was decided due to the successes of recent Olympics.

Is this the end of Ski Waxing?

Posted on: December 4th, 2018 by SkiGB

Could this be the end of yearly ski servicing?

Skiers that have their own pair of skis know all too well the yearly “tax” of ownership, the ski servicing. Depending on where you go and what you need to be done this can add up over the years with a standard service around £50 or nearer £70 in the resort.

So you might like to know this could be coming to an end!

A Salt Lake City based ski company have developed a new liquid ski wax that only needs to be applied once, ever!
No more having to go to your ski specialist to get your skis waxed every year – or more often if you spend lots of time in the snow.
This new technique – is a 1 time forever treatment – is called Phantom and it forms a chemical bond with the bottom of your ski and soaks into ski base, all the way to the wood core or graphite core in some cases.
The makers say Phantom will last the whole life of the ski saving a considerable amount for the ski owner as well as being green – we all know waxing isn’t exactly good for the planet.

The University of Utah helped create the product and introduced it into the market in late 2017 for testing by a select few professionals, this season however some Aspen ski companies are now starting to use it on their rental skis.
Phantom will be available to buy by many online retailers in time but at the moment we have only found one, EVO.com.

Testing by the professionals who have been putting the product through its paces are all talking it up, very positive indeed!

A big advantage with Phantom over a standard wax is that it will last all day every day and not just a few runs in the morning – we have all been there haven’t we? Staying up all night waxing the planks for it only the wax to stay on them for a few runs.

Looking for a BUT?

There is a little one, Phantom costs $99 which isn’t a small amount of money but less than a couple of services! So, in fact quite cheap.

We’re not sure how ski service rental companies will feel about this, although you will still have to get your skis edged so it’s not the end of the world.

Meribel Snow Report – The last snow focus

Posted on: February 12th, 2016 by SkiGB

Welcome to our last episode for this week leading up to half term week in Meribel.
We hope you have enjoyed our focus for the run up to the busiest week of the season in Meribel.
If you missed yesterday’s or in fact the whole weeks worth of our reports you can find them HERE.

 

Friday 12th February 2016

 

The forecast for today suggested that the morning would be the best time for visibility as more snow is expected in the afternoon. However even before first lifts the snow was already falling and the cloud had come in. Visibility wasn’t great.

If you have never been to Meribel before then we have some good news for you, there are lots of trees. Although very beautiful and make the whole area stunning, to a skier this means something completely different.
Skiing in or near trees breaks up the cloud and makes the visibility much better, a handy thing to remember in a white out or fog!

 

We skied all over the valley today, up high to down low and although the cloud was thicker at the top there wasn’t a huge difference.

The snow is actually very good, the resort does a good job of looking after the pistes. With the new fresh stuff falling, next week should be very nice!
Keep an eye out on the weather forecast and get out there early when the blue sky’s back.

 

The 3 Valleys have a great App, it includes a piste map and live stats on which lifts are open. We highly recommend you download to your smartphone.

 

I have had a great week reporting back to you all about the snow conditions as well as my drinking schedule (although I don’t think my boss had that in mind) for the week. I’m not leaving Meribel as my ‘normal’ job of customer services for the SkiGB.com network (which includes MeribelGB.com) is based here. If you see me in my SkiGB.com jacket say Hi!

 

I would love to hear what you thought in our comments below, I will reply as quick as possible. We will be doing this again in the future and include holidaymakers blogs too! If you are interested in writing the odd blog about your days skiing email info@skigb.com with the Subject: Snow Reporter Blogs. I have been told you will get a nice gift! 🙂

 

Before I go, we did finish the day in the Folie Douce and I can confirm alcohol was consumed!

 

 

Latest Snow & Ski Report – Day 5

Posted on: February 11th, 2016 by SkiGB

It’s our second to last posting session for this week, welcome to day 5 of our silly but factual build up to half term week here in Meribel.
If you missed yesterday’s or in fact the whole weeks worth of our reports you can find them HERE.

Thursday 11th February 2016

 

The forecast for today looked stunning, the typical bluebird day with little to no wind so an early start was needed to attack the hill and make squiggles in the snow. There is something really nice and calming in ski resorts just before the lifts open and Meribel isn’t any different. It wasn’t too busy either, the main traffic on foot or skis were seasonal workers heading for work.

We decided that we wanted to go up high right away and get the big slopes before they got tracked out, so big = Grand which must mean we should ski the Grand Couloirs for the first run of the day.
But don’t worry we did our stretches and warm up exercises beforehand.
Guess what? We had first tracks!
In fact our first tracks stayed there on their own for a number of hours so we didn’t need to hurry in the end, oh well.

Next we skipped up to Mont Vallon where it was a little tracked from yesterday but still plenty to keep us happy.
Then my favourite, under the Cote Brune lift. If you like skiing powder get there quick as the guys from Val Thorens will also be heading there.

A quick lunch then we just hit the pistes hard, the snow is great, very grippy and a dusting of powder (or POW if you are younger than 20 years old) if you want to play. It was only lower down that the pistes got a little icy in shadows and where ski schools had scraped the nice snow off.

More snow is heading our way too so it is looking really good for next week!

It started to get a little cloudy around 3pm so the light got a bit flat, I don’t care though as it was blue sky for the most of the day.

We finished off as per normal with a couple of drinks to celebrate the days events.

Tomorrow being our last post for the lead up to half term we are going to do something extra cool!

 

 

Main Belleville road blocked by large Rock from landslide

Posted on: February 28th, 2015 by SkiGB

* Update 28th Feb 2015 – 17:15 *
The authorities think the road will now be open at 17:30 both directions.

* Update 28th Feb 2015 – 17:00 *
The RD117 road up from Moutiers to Les Menuires and Val Thorens is still currently shut. A diverted route is in place using the RD96 village road. This road is very thin in places so trucks and buses are not allowed.
The RD117 road is still due to open at 18:00 with priority traffic given to vehicles leaving resorts.
The buses from the connecting trains will also be given priority.
It is still recommended not to join the traffic to try and clmb the mountain road until tomorrow.
More information here or on our social media accounts once we know more.

 

* Update 28th Feb 2015 – 12:00*

The very earliest that the road will be passable is 18:00 however there are many vehicles wishing to travel up and down the road so there will be a large delay.

 

The main road in the Belleville valley has been blocked by a landslide which includes a 50 tonnes bolder.

A landslide has covered the main road up to ski resorts Les Menuires and Val Thorens with lots of rocks including the above mentioned huge bolder.

As you can see from the photos below the rock is so large it will take many hours (possibly days) to remove. Saturday is of course the main transfer day for tour operators and this landslide is far from ideal. The authorities are trying to move the rock as quick as possible however they don’t think the road will be open again until Sunday 1st March.

We will update this blog post as well as our Twitter, Facebook and Google+ pages to keep you up to date.

Avalanche Risk Increases with more deaths

Posted on: February 2nd, 2015 by SkiGB

With the recent large snow fall over the Alps it has put a lot smiles on a lot of skiers, however with such a large amount of snow falling in such a sort time frame there is sadly a high risk of avalanches.

At the time of writing this (2nd February) there have been 49 deaths due to avalanches in the Alps this season. This might sound a lot, well that is because it is a lot!
It’s only the start of February and there have been 49 deaths, this is far more than recent years.

On the 31st January there were 8 fatalities in 4 separate avalanches.

So why are we seeing so many avalanches and more importantly why are we seeing so many deaths?

When the large amount of snow fell the snow it didn’t have a good anchor for it to join too. When nice fluffy snow crystals fall onto compressed snow or no snow at all they don’t tend to connect well. Imagine trying to tongue and groove a basketball with a hedgehog, it’s just not going to work!

Throw in a change of temperature and some wind and you have a very unstable layer.

From what we have read most of the avalanches were started by skiers or snowboarders themselves. I’m sure anyone reading this who skis off-piste has seen a stunning untracked slope which would be the best vertical you would have ever skied. But for safety have decided not to ski it. Sadly it looks like some of the deaths were due to just that, but the draw of the powder was just too much or they simply didn’t think it was dangerous.

Other avalanches look to have been started by a group of skiers, it is often the case that the first couple of the group down are OK but others in the group were just too much for the slab and set off the avalanche.

It’s quite dangerous off-piste at the moment all across the Alps.

In Meribel a 35 year old man is currently missing who was last seen near the top of the Olympic chair lift. The rescue team are still looking for him, we hope he doesn’t join the statistics and is found safe and sound.

We have spoken to local mountain guides and rescue services and they are strongly recommending not to go off piste.

Be safe out there!

 

PS: Sadly since starting this post we have heard of two further avalanches in Tignes close to the piste which were started by off piste skiers. We are not sure if anyone has been caught up in them.

 

British Pounds exchange rate better than last year

Posted on: January 17th, 2015 by SkiGB

Sometimes the British skier lucks in, “What are you kidding!” i hear you say. No really we do sometimes get somethings our way, take now for example. At the moment the currency exchange rate between the British pound and the Euro is 9% up compared to this time last year.

 

£500 gets you £37 more!

 

This means if you change £500 you will get an extra £37 or €48. Obviously if you going skiing in a non-Euro country like Switzerland then this exchange rate does not apply. In fact the British pound compared with the Swiss Franc is worse off compared to last year (£80 worse off when converting £500) so it does make sense to ski in a Euro country like France at the moment.

 

Val Thorens being not only Frances highest ski resort but also Europe’s is a resort high on the skiers ‘places to ski’ this season. Not only due to the exchange rate but Val Thorens has also just had a large dump of snow, more than many other resorts, making it a perfect time to ski.

 

To help reduce costs even further staying in a self catering apartment can save a family of four hundreds of pounds. Here is a link to show you the savings you can have on self catering apartments in Val Thorens.

Will the return trip be as bad?

Posted on: January 2nd, 2015 by SkiGB

And so the week for the holiday makers who had to endure the transfer from hell getting to the resorts is coming to an end and we are all sure the thought of the return journey is playing on their minds.

A lot can happen in the Alps in a week from completely different snow conditions to the organisation of traffic management, we don’t think a repeat of a week ago will happen tomorrow.

That said several tour operators have made the decision to leave the ski resorts earlier to be out of sync with other traffic on the roads and hopefully not get caught up with any jams that may arise.

This is a good idea and very sensible, this weekend the traffic will mainly be going down the mountain road instead of climbing up as per last weekend. It is much more difficult to drive on snow/ice going down than up and more accidents happen in this direction.

However the snow level isn’t too low so the snow on the roads should only affect high resorts like Val Thorens.

The only negative we can see is that the guests will have to get up earlier to leave the resort and wait around in the airports for longer time for their flights.

We think you might as well stay up and not go to bed at all and keep the bar man company. 🙂

Monarch Launch New Ski Route!

Posted on: December 15th, 2014 by SkiGB

Monarch have announced that they will start a new winter ski programme to help us skiers get out to the Alps. The new route will start on the 27th December and will continue until 11th April 2015 flying to Lyon from Gatwick Airport.

This will provide another option for you to get out to the main 3 Valleys ski resorts of Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens as well as all the other smaller resorts in the ski area.

Lyon is more or less about 2 hours drive from the resorts so quite handy really.

What is also very good news is that the flight leaves Gatwick at 7:10am so you could get an afternoon extra on the slopes.

Prices start from £29.99 one way and they are already for sale!

Here is a link to their site to help you alone the way: http://www.monarch.co.uk/offers/flights/new-destinations-w14

 

Val Thorens Wins World Best Ski Award AGAIN!

Posted on: November 23rd, 2014 by SkiGB

For the second year running ski resort Val Thorens has won Best Ski Resort in France and Best Ski Resort in the World.

Every year the ski industry awards ski resorts accolades for doing well. It could be that they promote the sports well or they invest and maintain their patch of the Alps the best. In fact there are many criterias to be judged on.

For a French ski resort to win the best ski resort in France is obviously the one they want to win. So quite rightly they are very happy to win it twice in a row.

But to win the big one, the best ski resort in the World and to win once again twice in two years must be something they have only dreamed of.

From all of us here at SkiGB.com congratulations Val Thorens!!

 

3 Valleys Enduro – Sunday 6th April

Posted on: April 4th, 2014 by SkiGB

This Sunday the 6th April the 3 valleys plays host to the annual 3 Valleys Enduro!

The What?

In case you haven’t heard about this fantastic day, the resorts of the 3 Valleys from Courchevel to Val Thorens plays host to individual events. Whether you would like to try Slalom skiing, have ago at producing shapes on the big air or feel inspired by the Olympics and want to try the Downhill, all are available.

It doesn’t matter what age you are, all are welcome!

How does it work?

Each of the resorts play host to one or more event, you register by this SATURDAY for the events you wish to enter.

It is a team event of 3 people and 3 categories, Pros, Amateurs and Families.

You can race in many of the events but do not need to race in all of them.

If you are interested go to your resorts Tourist office by Saturday (inc) and put your name down, you will love it!

 More info found here on their website!

 

New Black Diamond Avalanche Airbag Doesn’t Use Gas!

Posted on: March 11th, 2014 by SkiGB

Black Diamond have released a new avalanche air bag which doesn’t use gas but batteries instead. This really sounds like a brilliant idea.
We all know how important it is to practice using new equipment, especially emergency equipment to ensure you are familiar with what you need to do when you REALLY need it.

In case you are not aware of avalanche air bags, they are essentially a large rucksack which has a packed away inflatable bag. If you are unlucky enough to be caught in an avalanche and you have time to do so you can pull a toggle and WOOSH!! the bag inflates faster than Matthias Mayer out of the starting gates. The idea is whilst you are being thrown all over the place by the avalanche the large amount of air attached to your back keeps you near the top which makes it easier to be rescued.

These bags all use a gas canisters with compressed air (we think air anyway, a gas of some kind) which empties when you use it. You can only use them once and they can be quite expensive to replace and in some resorts hard to find a replacement.

Using batteries instead of the expensive gas canisters it allows you to inflate the air bag and deflate it as many times as you like.

An interesting development with this bag is that because it is using a fan to inflate it, after 3 minutes of inflating and keeping the bag inflated (I think we have used the inflate word enough now) the fan is turned in reverse and sucks out all the air from the bag. This might sounds like a silly thing to do but there is a reason for this. The idea is if you are buried, by deflating the bag you all of sudden have room (200 litres) to move some of your body around. When the snow sets after the avalanche it is like concrete and you can hardly move at all so having this room should help considerably. Not only will it provide more room but there will be more air to breath.

Our only concern with this is we are not sure that 3 minutes is long enough, but I guess they have done the sums.

Each bag can deploy the air bag 3 times per charge so there isn’t any problem pulling the cord if you are concerned with the slope you are on. There is also a self-tester when you switch it on so you know all is well before you leave the apartment.

As you would expect there is a cost to this bag but it isn’t any more expensive than an ABS type bag, they will range from $1000 – $1200 with 11L, 28L and 40L sizes.

As with the probe, transceiver and other avalanche equipment you should practise as much as possible and this new bag could help save lives. Around 15 minutes buried in an avalanche and your life expectancy reduces considerably.

If you are thinking of buying an air bag check this one out, video below with the guy from JetForce who can explain the benefits much better than me! We don’t think it is available quite yet in the UK or Europe but it won’t be long.

The Airbag in Development:

French Rail Strike to Hit Ski Resorts

Posted on: February 28th, 2014 by SkiGB

SNCF (the French national rail service) have warned that they plan to strike tomorrow (1st March 2014) and Sunday (2nd March 2014). This could affect many ski resorts including ones in the 3 Valleys.
This would be a great disruption to skiers travelling to and from ski resorts on one of the busiest weekends of the season, but I guess that it why they have picked this weekend!

 

It is not 100% for sure to happen, we will keep you informed what they decide. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for updates.

 

50,000 skiers will be travelling this weekend to the Alps so we do hope they don’t go through with it.

 

Chloé Trespeuch returns to Val Thorens

Posted on: February 27th, 2014 by SkiGB

At this years Sochi Olympic games Chloé Trespeuch battled and won to win bronze in the Snowboard Cross competition. Chloé is part of the Val Thorens Ski Club and trains in the resort. If you are in the resort and would like to meet or have a photo with Chloé then come down to the Place de Caron (by Tourist Office) this Friday 28th February at 17:15.

There will be:

  • A replay of Chloé winning the medal on the big TV screens
  • A guard of honour from the local ESF ski school instructors
  • Photo session and book signing

Later on around 18:15 there will be more activities at the bottom of Castor carpet which includes:

  • Another opportunity to meet Chloé and Jean-Frédéric Chapuis the Gold medal winner!
  • Showing of the RBS 6 nations Rugby

We will see you there!

Val Thorens Ski Cross World Championship – January 2014

Posted on: January 9th, 2014 by SkiGB

Due to the cancellation of the two heats of the Ski Cross World Cup in Megeve and Bischofswiesen due to bad snow conditions the FIS have decided to host these in Val Thorens instead. Val Thorens is the highest resort in Europe and Guarntees snow therefore it made sense to mode it there.

 

Here is the schedule for these heats of the Audi Ski Cross World Cup now hosted in Val Thorens (Times are local time):

 

Tuesday 14th January 2014
10:45 – 13:45 Training

 

Wednesday 15th January 2014
Women
08:15 – 08:45 Inspection
09:00 – 09:30 Training
09:45 – 10:25 Qualification

 

Men
10:40 – 11:10 Inspection
11:25 – 11:55 Training
12:15 – 13:30 Qualification

 

Thursday 16th January 2014
10:15 – 10:45 Inspection
11:00 – 11:30 Training
12:00 – 13:40 Final races for Women and Men
13:45 Prize Giving Ceremony

 

Friday 17th January 2014
Women
08:00 – 08:30 Inspection
08:45 – 09:15 Training
09:30 – 10:10 Qualification

 

Men
08:00 – 08:30 Inspection
10:35 – 11:05 Training
11:20 – 12:35 Qualification
12:45 – 13:00 Training
13:30 – 15:11 Final races for Women and Men
15:15 Prize Giving Ceremony

 

Val Thorens Club Med Village (Hotel)

Posted on: January 8th, 2014 by SkiGB

Val Thorens is lucky enough to have a Club Med Hotel in the resort. It is located at the lower end of Val Thorens and boasts one of the nicest balcony’s in the resort. However this will all change very soon as Club Med are now building a brand new Hotel. It will be located just behind the current one and is well on the way as you can see by these recent photos. The Hotel is due to open its doors to the 750 beds in December 2014, as you can see by these photos they have a long way to go!

The new Val Thorens Club Med Hotel will be called “Club Med Village”.

 

Avalanches – Val Thorens, Courchevel, Serre Chevalier

Posted on: December 29th, 2013 by SkiGB

The Alps have seen several avalanches over the last few days in several resorts from France to Switzerland. Sadly many people have been caught up including five people who have died and two people who were seriously injured.

For the last week we have had warnings of very unstable conditions when this dump finally appeared. If you would like to be kept up to date with future warnings follow SkiGB on Twitter, Facebook or our RSS feed from our blog.

A total of 6 avalanches have happened (update: more since writing this), 4 in the French Alps and 1 in Switzerland.

We know this is a morbid subject and can scare holiday skiers and boarders, but it is a fact of life if you go off piste skiing. As far as we can tell (from early reports) all the skiers were off piste and had been warned of dangers by signs put up by the resorts.

 

It is VERY rare to be caught up in an avalanche skiing on-piste, so for non off piste skiers please don’t worry and obey the signs.

 

We can’t help to think though that a sign is not enough. After all how many times do drivers on the UK roads ignore warning signs. I think there needs to be more pro-active safety messages from the pisters or/and ski resorts. Something that people don’t take as a challenge or young lads use as a badge of ‘extreme skiing’. Some resorts in America take away your lift pass if found off piste, this looks to do the job and certainly stopped the skiers we have met. European resorts please take note, it’s not right to just say ‘We put up warning signs’ and wash their hands of it. We are not saying that off piste skiing should be banned (far from it), just enforce when in times of danger.

We just think better policing by the resorts may help reduce the number of deaths on our slopes.

Until that happens we urge off piste skiers and snowboarders to follow reputable websites that cover the area you will be skiing. Many ski resorts own websites are completely useless (unlike Val Thorens and the 3 Valleys which are very good) so find local based sites and follow their posts.

We of course will be on the case for the 3 Valleys as per our tweets for the last week have been reporting. If you would like more in depth information please let us know and we will add in future reports.

So back to the recent avalanches, the 3 Valleys have had two areas which have been affected, Courchevel have sadly reported a death of an experienced local man who had been skiing with his son. Fortunately the son managed to survive. The other area was in Val Thorens in the Bosmint area where several people were buried waste deep. Fortunately all survived, we have spoken to several people who have been buried waste deep in other avalanches and it can take many hours to dig yourself out. Then there are the injuries, broken bones to being mentally effected.

One thing we have learnt over the years is that you can never be too experienced, it doesn’t matter if you have skied all your life and skied off piste safely many times, respect the mountain and keep learning.

The best thing is not to be caught up in the first place.

 

Our condolences go out to the families effected by these deaths.