More Snow On Its Way

This week we have been eagerly awaiting he season and whilst some resorts are open, the general warm spell, at least in Europe anyway has limited the extent of the skiing. Early next week a colder spell has been forecast with around 40cm forecast down to around 800m.

In terms of preparation, certainly most resorts are now either ready or gearing themselves for the impending ski season and one of the peak Christmas weeks now less than three weeks away, you can feel the anticipation building.

In tewrms of ski availability, after a slow start to the season for many operators, November has seen a significant surge in demand and with more snow to fall, many chalets operators in many of the favourite resorts are already places the 'full' signs up already.

This Weekend

A milder week this week has left one or two of the slopes proposed to open this weekend looking a little heavy and whilst they are still likely to open, our view is one more week should do the trick. Next week temperatures are expected to drop dramatically and snow again is a strong possibility low down.

Whilst we have not personally ruled out getting on the 'planks' this weekend (the desire to get out again is strong), it may well be wise to put it on hold just one more week and use this weekend to get the Christmas shopping done before the real season starts!

Ski In Ski Out USA

This week Ski In Ski Out Chalets have added USA to the mix with the introduction of what is probably one of the best ski in ski out luxury villas, Casa Nova. Located in Deer Park in the ski area of Park City, Utah, this exclusive 'village' provides spectacular ski accommodation that really provides an exclusive feel.

Having been in the industry for many years, and skied across the world for over 20 years, there must be few ski properties that offer such outstanding ski accommodation. This is a luxury ski villa that will take your breath away, regardless of how well heeled and used to such luxury retreats you are.

Set next to the slope, what sets this ski in ski out villa is the attention to detail and the delicate way they have balanced this spacious villa accommodation, with an eye for warmth and that home from home feel. The large bedrooms all have Master Suites and the log fire in each makes for that cosy romantic ski in ski out vacation.

When Ski In Ski Out Chalets opened the USA wing, they certainly didn't do so in halves!!

Make The Most of The Early Snow?

Well it is true, by now you may well of had the newsletter telling you that the snow is falling in the Alps! Early days one might add but it is certainly probably not a bad sign we would guess in respect of what may or may not happen in respect of snow conditions for the impending season.

So does this mean that we are in for another very good season? Well we don't profess to be experts and the ones that are from our experience seem to struggle to guess this one anyway. But, if there is one thing that we have seen, and this is based on experience rather than being scientific and / or supported by significant research, that snow conditions do seem to be cyclical and that the pattern seem to follow a five to seven year cycle (we think closer to the latter). Good news one hopes for this season as conditions weren't too bad in 2003 but 2013 might be one to avoid after 2006!!! Metreologists will tell you about all sorts of reasons this may be so and the more recent talked about example being El Niño.

So if you are looking to book, our suggestion would be to take the plunge, not just because already conditions are pretty good, and hopefully will continually to be again over the coming months, but the industry needs you. The global recession is effecting us all and the ski industry is of course reeling from such as people cut back and despite us all loving this sport, some unfortunately just simply can't afford it and bookings are therefore down. Add to the fact that for many British operators the exchange rates aren't helping either as clients pay often in sterling yet the operators they visit have costs predominatly in Euros (many operators are selling at the same prices as last year yet costs have risen 30% due to exchange rate fluctuation). So with out your support, you may find the choice you have today isn't the same tomorrow

Skiing For Beginners (Part 1) – What, And When

So, you have had enough of your friends and family boring you with the latest snow reports in July, how great a skier little Jonnie is, and how many couloirs they skied in Bulgaria, and you have decided rather than to beat them (literally), that you are going to join them! So what next?

I guess the first two questions are what and when. Lets deal with the when, and move on after to the where. It used to be a rule in thumb that January wasn’t great for beginners, your first holiday after all needs to tie you in, and January can be a little chilly. Whilst still more prone to colder days, the changing climate has shifted this a little. So if cost is an issue, late January is a good choice as snow is generally quite good and days warmer. February, unless holidays dictate is probably best avoided as for your first time why pay premium rates to ski a nursery slope? March however is a great option, especially the first couple of weeks when the snow is typically still in good condition, the days are moving towards spring time (although it can snow a lot as a consequence) , and are therefore quite warm (great when you are stood around listening to your instructor) and prices are a little more reasonable. April, well with spring conditions, we suggest not. Typically pistes are hard and icy first thing, not ideal for learning, and heavy and sticky just after lunch, again not ideal conditions to learn and best left to the addicted skiers get in their fourth week of the season!

So where, well if money isn’t an issue, Courchevel has to get a vote, with wide open pistes at 1850, and snow sure pretty much all season. It has a great centre and good bars and restaurants, and you won’t find it difficult to get in to après skiing in any one of the many chic bars and restaurants, an important part of your introductory vacation. But if your budget is a little more price conscious, the Milton Keynes of Europe, without the cows, La Plagne is one of our recommendations. It is higher enough to have good snow at most times of the season, and whilst it isn’t the prettiest of resorts its convenience and excellent English speaking instructors will take the pain out of the first introduction on snow. It is also reasonably snow sure resort, and has gentle pistes that won’t leave even the most nervous of skiers a petrified mess! Others iworth considering in our book nclude La Clusaz, Megeve, Obergurgl, and for that little bit of Swiss glitz – St Morritz.Gastro fans will love Megeve (claims the most Michelin Star restaurants outside of Paris - but not sure if this is the case but judging by the number of Parisian diners it may be true(!)), and St Morritz for the swiss equivalent. Oh, and yes, they aren't the cheapest places to learn as a consequence!

Our 3 Favourite Ski Resorts

Well being in an office with male and female skiers, this created some real debate! Many names were thrown into the hat for the favourites category, with Aspen, Chamonix, Meribel, St Anton, Val d’Isere, Val Thorens, Verbier, and Whistler the main culprits.

Whistler was one of the first to be added, with generally good snow conditions , awesome back bowls, and a great lift system, especially now Whistler and Blackcomb have been linked, so it was soon pencilled in.

The second consensus was St Anton, if you haven’t been you are missing out, big time, as this resort has it all. Great snow record, awesome skiing (the mogul fields off the Valluga mean that even the macho skiers won’t leave disappointed), but all this is only half the story. St Anton is a skiers place, not pretentious (ignoring of course Lech and Zurs) and like Chamonix attracts great skiers by the day, but leaves Chamonix miles behind with its social side (Compagnie du Mont Blanc take note). Somehow Visitors to St Anton can not only drink a ‘yard’ for breakfast (generally on the way home from the night before actually), they can do so at lunch, on the way down the slopes, pre-dinner (assuming they even bother with dinner) and after It is this that sticks out in St Anton, it is all well natured, but from the moment you hit the mountain bar on the way down, you just know its going to be painful in the morning! But this is probably why it is so mesmerising, like a drug, the following day you say no, but there you are again, enjoying its captivating atmosphere.

So the third, Chamonix, well no actually, a huge bias in the office of course towards this resort, with probably the best off-piste in the world and a great ski town, but this is a ski in ski out site and we all acknowledged, that despite huge investment recently, the lift system still isn’t quite there yet. Also the spread out nature of the resort means that mixed abilities can end up skiing in very different areas. Verbier was also discarded, surprisingly easily in fact, another great resort but doesn’t quite offer enough ‘skiing’, and the cost of the nightlife makes one’s mortgage payments seem a ‘walk in the snow park’! So Val d’Isere then? Afraid not, too pretentious was the verdict, great skiing but more a place to be seen than to ski! Meribel did however come close, and so did its brother Val Thorens, with some of the most extensive skiing in the world, but none of which we felt was that memorable (old age possibly creeping in and becoming forgetful) . So Aspen it is, well nearly, if the town had more character it would have probably been there, but there was a distinct unease that we were forcing a third and we weren’t really quite convinced. That was until someone through Chatel into the mix and there we are. It is worth noting here that this might be a wind up as I can occasionally be a little disparaging towards this region, so not my choice as never skied Chatel to be honest, but what I am told is that this is a beautiful resort with great treee line skiing and on powder days offers some of the best untracked powder trails through the trees you can experience. Still not convinced, well nor I am quite yet so I’m now off to ski it in December so as not to be the only one in the office that thought anything in the Portes du Soliel should be confined to the ‘resorts for others’ file!!

Getting Ahead With Some Early December Skiing

Reminiscing back to last year we recalled that on 10th November 2008 we were lucky enough to be skiing some great snow in Cervinia. Will we be so lucky this year? Probably not, but in 4 or 5 weeks time it is still a likely possibility with the snow line at just above 2,000m and the weather getting noticeably colder by the day.

So where should you ski if you fancy getting away for an early December ski, a time you are sure to probably get a great deal. The obvious pointer is somewhere high, but this shouldn’t be the only driver, as high depends on many things, is the high mountain prone to high wind this time of year (exposed and not sheltered) , is it rocky mountain that will need a metre and half of snow before the rocks are covered, is it predominantly north facing and therefore likely to be unbearably cold in December (November and December can be some of the coldest months in the mountains), etc.and if you aren’t sure, ask the operator is our advise before you book.

Once you have crossed off the resorts that aren’t ideal, the final pointer should be the weather and where the snow has fallen most. December won’t be too busy so booking too early isn’t essential for the early weeks before the festive surge. Assuming an equal spread of snow some obvious candidates are going to shine such as Aspen, Banff, Cervina, Courchevel, Meribel, and Val d’Isere, Mammoth, Tignes and Verbier, and Zermatt are just some of the big name resorts that stand out year after year.

What Ski Operators Really Mean!

We thought we would take a lighter look at what owners are really saying in our Top 5 quotes:

1. We’re just overlooking the main village – which means: get the oxygen tent out if you are walking back after a night of apres ski as you’ll have a 2mile walk and a 1,000ft ascent!
2. We should have the new photo’s on the site next week – which is code for: basically the chalet is an absolute mess, being totally gutted, debris everywhere, and if we're finished by March we'll be lucky!!
3. More snow is forecast next week and the slopes are holding up well – which translates: it hasn’t snowed once this season, the pistes looks like a mud wrestlers paradise with a sprinkling of artificial snow, so bring your wellies!!
4. Can I call you back I’m just in a meeting – which politely means bog off primarily, but also: don’t want to rub it in, but whilst your in a stuffy office in a polluted city, I’m getting first tracks in bright sunshine and fresh alpine air, so leave me alone (pleeeaaassse)!
5. Yes you can ski in ski out conditions permitting – we couldn’t refuse to get on our soap box with this one at number five (we are afterall a ski in ski out blog), and it of course really means: if the chalet up the road hadn’t put that damned hedge in their garden, the snow plough decides not to clear the main road, and someone can get a piste basher between the chalets we have a good chance of keeping 5cm of snow and mud and you skiing back at least!

What Makes A Holiday Ski In Ski Out

For those of us that deem a great ski holiday to include the convenience of being able to ski from the door, and then back again, without having to jump over fencing, ski across gardens, roads, and mud patches (sounds familiar) may therefore want to add their thoughts to the mix on our first blogger blog?

Research certainly suggests that there is a large ski in ski out market, and you will therefore not be surprised to know that many operators claimed that they can offer a ski in ski out property. Well, sort of, when we started delving a little further, things however looked quite different in our view.
Much of the information reading the small print seemed to add ‘snow conditions permitting’ or that the chalet is ‘500m from the slopes’. I guess this is open to debate, but shouldn’t a ski in ski out property be by the slopes and if it is, shouldn’t the piste be maintained and permit skiing back (unless it isn’t via a piste - excepting the end of the ski season such can’t always be guaranteed)?

Strangely not, the term ski in ski out seems to some to mean, just another catch all phrase along with the word ‘luxury’ when you can just tell from the pictures it is 2 star accommodation at best! 

Our view, and I guess it is open for debate, is that ski in ski out should really be a slopeside property. On the http://www.skiinskiout-chalets.com/ site there is a 20m tolerance, but ideally slope side, with the slope that the accommodation is actually next to being part of the regions main network. It is questionable I guess whether 20m still counts, but at least it goes a long way to sieving at least some of the more spurious (in our opinion) claims that many come across.

Of course if you disagree, or have some interesting experiences on this, why not drop us a line and we’ll post the interesting ones here at the Ski In Ski Out blog.