InTheSnow Issue 43 - March 2015

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THABTA No. V4138

If you... #loveski...then ski more often.Ski Weekends is the home of short break packages &tailor-made ski holidays to Europe's best ski resorts.With more choice of catered chalets, hotels & self-catering apartments, flying from 17 UK airports why only ski once a year?

If you... #loveski...then ski more often.

again & againwith Skiweekends.com

For the latest dealsand best prices

www.skiweekends.com

023 8020 6971or call

Ski Weekends is the home of short break packages & tailor-made ski holidays to Europe's best ski resorts.With more choice of catered chalets, hotels & self-catering apartments, flying from 17 UK airports why only ski once a year?

ABTA No. V4138





www.skiweekends.com

023 8020 6971or call


ABTA No. V4138





www.skiweekends.com

023 8020 6971or call


ABTA No. V4138





www.skiweekends.com

023 8020 6971or call


INTHESNOW

@INTHESNOWMAG

INTHESNOW

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FEATURES

LA THUILE GREAT SINCE ROMAN TIMES

La Thuile in Italy is a resort the many of us have skied over the border

to from La La Rosière in France; now a great new hotel means we might

want to stay there instead.

SKI STUNNING SLOVENIA DISCOVER A HIDDEN GEM

Not the best known ski destination for many of us, but despite being

on the far side of the Alps, its skis areas are so close to the airport

they’re actually among the quickest to reach from Blighty.

SPRING CALENDAR PLAN YOUR CLIMAX TO SEASON

The sun is shining, the days are long and its festival time in the

Alps as the World Cup season winds up to its climax too. Fear

not; there are still a couple of months of the season left!

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EXTENDED BOOT ROOM 031–036

This issue we’ve got an extended boot room section with

a bumper selection of the latest kit, along with features on

why buying is better than renting, and top tips on storing

your kit through the summer.

003 // MAR15

ABTA No. V4138





www.skiweekends.com

023 8020 6971or call


ABTA No. V4138





www.skiweekends.com

023 8020 6971or call


GEARREGULARS

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PICTURE EDITOR

ROSS WOODHALL

SUB EDITORS

NICK JONES MARION ADAMS

CONTRIBUTORS

SAM THORNEOLIVIA PARRY-JONESANDY BLEAKLEY ANDY TAYLORGABRIELLA LE BRETON

EQUIPMENT EDITOR

SALLY BARTLETT

COLUMNISTS

JON WESTPHIL SMITHLORNA MCGACHIEHEMEL SNOW CENTRE

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INTHESNOW.COM

10 MINUTES WITH JIMMY PETTERSON

Jimmy describes himself as a “ski bum”, but if so, he’s the greatest ski bum

of all time, moonlighting as one of the world’s greatest ski photo journalists

having almost certainly skied in more countries than anyone else.

BLOW THE BONUS ZAI SKIS

As with many things in life, there are skis … and then there are skis, and Zai

produce the bespoke pairs we all drool over (or would do if drooling over

skis was acceptable behaviour & didn’t cause potential edge rust issues).

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FREERIDE 010

ELEVEN EXPERIENCE 016

5 REASONS 040

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[email protected]

It’s hard to believe I’m writing the editorial for our

last issue of the season already, especially as with

its slow start, it seems like winter 14–15 is only just

getting fully underway!

Let’s hope that all the February snowfall means that

the supposition in our first news feature this issue –

that the season having started a month late, should

run on a month later into spring, with good conditions

through to May – proves to be true.

But even if it’s a “normal” end of the season (whatever

one of those is), I always enjoy spring in the mountains.

The days are longer, the lifts run later and the

atmosphere is relaxed.

Indeed the number of festivals, fun competitions and

themed weeks capitalising on this laid-back state of

mind on spring slopes just continues to grow. As you’ll

see from our diary page and several news stories, top

music acts, comedians and various other celebrities

are in the mountains over the coming few months

for the sun, fun and snow. If you’re in Mayrhofen this

month, keep an eye out for Bill Bailey and Sean Lock

on the Tirolean slopes, or at least streets.

March also sees the culmination of the 2014–15 ski

season for many of the world’s top sports stars, with

the World Cup Finals, where the overall winners are

due to be crowned, taking place in Méribel this month.

Then there’s Easter coming up, traditionally the last

hurrah of the ski season. For many schools, the

holidays start on the last weekend of March, with

Easter itself on 5 April, one of the three earliest dates

of the past seven years, and the ski industry likes an

early Easter.

If that snow has continued to fall through March, it

could be a particularly good one, so if you’ve not

planned a trip yet, or went at Christmas and were

disappointed and still want to feel you’ve had a proper

ski trip this season, this could be the time to go (again).

Although, now I think about it, any time is good for a

ski trip.

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Winter 2014–15 didn’t really get started until New

Year in the Alps. This was bad news for people

who had booked Christmas ski trips, but it also

fits with a pattern observed by many who have

been in the ski business for decades – the ski

season is starting later, and continuing longer

into the spring.

Things took a turn for the better in the last

few days of 2014 when heavy snow meant

January was at least “average” at most resorts;

then by the end of January waves of heavier

snow began, meaning February half-term and

subsequent weeks have been good to excellent.

Elsewhere in the world the Dolomites seem

(so far) to have had below-average but still OK

snow cover, it’s been a good winter in Scotland,

Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, and the

Pyrenees have had an epic winter with good

cover all season and now the world’s deepest

snow base at over 5m. Western North America

has had a fairly dismal winter with little of the

famed powder and instead warm weather and

little new snow, although there have been

recent improvements here too, and end-of-

season snow cover looks much more promising.

So with winter kicking into gear late this

season, does that mean we’re set for a bumper

spring 2015?

“It has been a crazy winter but it is looking like

a strong finish currently,” said Richard Sinclair of

ski holiday travel agency SNO.co.uk. “The big

story this year has been the huge mid-season

snow, which laid down a great base to make

everyone feel confident about great snow to

the end of the winter. March and April are more

popular than ever, with the prospect of a bit of

T-shirt skiing on decent snow. I’m taking the

family out for the second week in April.”

Low fuel prices and a feeling, for some people at

least, that the six-year recession is finally over, is

also being credited as reasons why more people

are considering booking ski holidays again.

Marion Telsnig, a spokesperson for the UK’s

largest ski holiday tour operator Crystal, also

thinks that, despite the lows, on balance it

looks like the season overall will be good.

“It was a bit of an odd pattern with no snow

at the beginning of December and it was dire.

But then the snow came and it’s been good

ever since,” said Marion. “Bookings in March

are really holding up well and we’ve nearly

sold out. I think this is partly due to resorts

organising events attracting skiers these

traditional low-season dates. All in all, unless

something drastic happens like a very bad

thaw, we should have a very good season.”

The big question of course is whether the

snow will indeed keep falling or whether the

season will end quickly after all.

Even with long-range forecasting, that’s

difficult to know for sure, but, at the time of

writing at least, things are looking good for

a snowy end to the season.

“All the current forecast models are

indicating that widespread and significant

snows will continue across the Alps and

Pyrenees into the next week, and there

is now a possibility that the effects of a

forecast move in the jet stream will bring

further cold and snow in from the East

in 10 days’ time. In other words, there’s

no sign of the snow stopping yet, and

late-season prospects are looking good

at this point,” confirmed Dave Pellat, boss

of long-established ski resort and snow

information portal J2ski.com, who added:

“A quick review of current snow depths

against the last two seasons (all available

on J2Ski’s snow history pages) shows after

a poor start some areas now have more

snow than last season, particularly in the

Pyrenees, while the French and Swiss Alps

have comparable snow levels at altitude.”

However, with British ski travel industry stats

not appearing until later and later each year,

we’re unlikely to know until next autumn whether

the turbulent 2014–15 snow season has seen a

return to greater growth, but anecdotal evidence

seems to suggest that if anyone decided not

to go skiing because of the poor early season

weather, it has just led to more pent-up demand

for next winter, for which holidays have already

been on sale for some months.

“Whilst we’re super busy booking late deals,

our biggest surprise is how many people

are bagging their fave spots for next winter

already,” added Richard Sinclair.

005 // MAR15

WORDS: PATRICK THORNE

CAN 2015 BRING US A ...BUMPER SPRING SKI SEASON?

SPRING SKIING STALWARTS

Arapahoe Basin (USA):

arapahoebasin.com (to June).

Banff (Canada):

skibig3.com (to 17 May).

Hintertux (Austria):

hintertuxergletscher.at (year round).

Levi (Finland): levi.fi (to 10 May).

Passo Tonale (Italy):

adamelloski.com (to June).

Riksgränsen (Sweden):

en.riksgransen.se (to 22 June).

Tignes (France): tignes.net (to 10 May).

Zermatt (Switzerland):

Zermatt.ch (year round).

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FULL MOON IN THESWISS ENGADINE

Several luxury hotels in the Swiss

Engadine region will be making the

most of the first weekend of April this

year, as – weather permitting – a full

moon will be illuminating the slopes.

On Saturday 4 April, the night of the

full moon, guests of the Grand Hotel

Kronenhof in Pontresina and its sister

property, the Kulm Hotel St Moritz,

will have the slopes of Corvatsch

exclusively to themselves from

6.30pm. As well as moonlit skiing,

guests can enjoy the slopeside

entertainment at the Hossa Bar,

where a traditional fondue, mulled

wine and a DJ will be on offer.

The Kronenhof’s (kronenhof.

com) “Full Moon in the Engadine”

package from 2–6 April includes

3 nights’ accommodation, daily

breakfast, two dinners in the Grand

Restaurant, Full Moon amenities in

the room, a new interpretation from

the Kronenhof Bar of the mystical

Soma drink that was traditionally

drunk at the time of the Full Moon,

a Full Moon Ritual in the Kronenhof

Spa and a Full Moon gift upon

departure. Rates start from CHF1005

(approx. £650) pp, ski pass CHF35

(approx. £22) pp per day extra.

In a new twist on the infamous “elevator pitch”

idea, entrepreneurs are being given the luxury

of 15 minutes to pitch their ideas to investors as

they ride up a new chairlift at Taos ski area in

New Mexico.

The resort’s new Kachina Lift opened last

month, accessing previously hike-to-only

terrain. The idea of allowing local entrepreneurs

to pitch to investors on a lift ride up was

conceived by a local business development

organisation ABQid, who said it was a way of

attracting investors into New Mexico with the

chance to experience a great ski holiday, with

spectacular scenery, and also to let local start-

ups share their ideas with them.

Twelve entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a

dozen investors from six states, with each

entrepreneur allowed three rides up with a

potential investor. The investors then vote

for the four best pitch ideas with a prize

of $10,000 offered to the pitch ultimately

deemed the best.

“Unlike traditional pitch competitions, the

ski lift venue allows participants to spend

more quality time together, hopefully

offering greater chances for bonding

among entrepreneurs and investors,” ABQid

Chairman Bill Bice told the Albuquerque

Journal. “It’s a unique experience that can

create much deeper relationships than what

happens at a typical cocktail party.”

006 // MAR15 // INTHESNOW.COM

With the Next Top Model TV

franchise proving popular around

the world, the Swiss resort of

Gstaad, which has a rather staid

reputation, surprised everybody

by deciding three local girls would

become their top models and are

now using their images on their

promotional literature.

Tessa, Alpenrose and Sina are

three local cows who are part of a

7000-strong bovine team (there’s

one cow per person in the Gstaad

valley). The cows have many claims

to fame including the fact that the

purple cow of legend, now used as

a popular chocolate bar brand, is

in fact the spotted Simmental cow

inhabiting the Gstaad region.

Speaking about the decision to

use cows in their marketing,

a spokesperson for Gstaad

Tourism commented:

“Following a successful casting

audition and a dignified photo

shoot, their images are now

helping to present the Gstaad

region’s key messages to the

world. As cover girls, they feature

prominently in the new brochures

with which we want to awaken the

desire of people all over the world

to holiday in Gstaad.”

TOP MODELS ARE COWS!

FREE SKIING

Crans-Montana in Switzerland is offering

free skiing to visitors at the end of the

season. “The principle is simple: spending 1

night in one of the partner hotels entitles the

hotel guest to 1 day of skiing,” said Christine

Schmidt, Head of Communications. This

offer, intended to boost the end of the

winter season 2015, runs to 19 April 2015

(crans-montana.ch/hiver/en/skiforfree).

MONARCH SELL 2015/16 SKI FLIGHTS

Monarch (monarch.co.uk) have released its

first swathe of destinations and 60,000 tickets

for its ski routes for winter 2015–16 for those

who like to book early. The route options

include two new routes from London Gatwick

to Geneva and Innsbruck. Also available

to book now are Birmingham to Grenoble

or Salzburg, Manchester to Grenoble or

Innsbruck, and Gatwick to Grenoble.

LA SCARA

The annual La Scara children’s ski racing

championships in Val d’Isère each April

was once for French children only but now

have over 300 foreign skiers joining in for

a nail-biting 3 days of world-class downhill

which the season runs from 7 to 10 April

2015. VIP SKI offer luxury catered chalet

accommodation from £1639pp based on two

sharing, departing 5 April (vip-chalets.com).

FIFTH OF INJURIES AREN’T ON SLOPES

A survey of 1200 people on behalf of

law firm Irwin Mitchell has found that

18% of injuries take place off the slopes,

while the respondents were on the

street, at a restaurant or bar, or at their

accommodation. 20% said they were

injured on lifts and 14% when they were

in the terrain park – less than half were

injured on regular ski slopes.

WOK RACING ON INDOOR SNOW

The Skidôme at Rucphen in the Netherlands

is set to stage a new type of sledging event

this month – wok racing. In partnership

with Oriental cuisine company Go-Tan, the

indoor snow centre will stage wok races on

its snow slope on 20 March. As the name

suggests, it is a race in a sleigh in the form

of a large wok. The fastest will be crowned

Dutch Wokslee Champion 2015.

@INTHESNOWMAG

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ALTA BADIA’S RETRO WEEKEND

Alta Badia in the Dolomites is to stage a “vintage party” on Saturday

11/Sunday 12. The South Tirolean centre expects the snow will still

be good and the sun shining for the festivities which will begin with

participating restaurants selecting a vintage period of their choice and

recreating it with their music and decor.

On the Sunday, skiers can take part in a vintage skiing competition

with bamboo poles on the La Para slope, where one of the last of

the old “J-bar” lifts is still operational. Everyone can take part in the

competition, but only old skis are permitted, not modern carving skis.

You can pre-register by e-mailing [email protected], or sign up for

the race on the day of the event.

Awards will be handed out at after-skiing retreat L’Murin, where a

“style contest” (NOT a modern slopestyle contest) will also take place

to celebrate the most original vintage clothing. All participants will be

asked to wear retro skiing clothing and use retro skiing equipment for

the entire weekend with the aim of creating a “vintage” environment.

INCREASE HAPPINESS& PRODUCTIVITYStudies have shown that you get a “happiness boost” from planning and

anticipating a holiday and that happiness also leads to greater productivity

in the workplace, benefitting employers as well as employees.

When you are happy your body produces more serotonin. Getting

progressively better at skiing produces a “feedback loop” that builds

self-esteem and creates an upward spiral of more serotonin making

you even happier.

“By booking several short breaks you increase your anticipation

levels and therefore increase your happiness levels,” said Dan Fox of

Skiweekends.com. “The French call it a ‘Bonne Fatigue’, that feeling

you have you’ve been on the slopes all day and have exercised then

returned to the catered chalet or hotel to indulge in an après-ski treat.

It’s bound to make you feel happy,” he added.

“Getting a regular fix of mountain fresh air, activity and hopefully sunshine

is bound to make you feel better! At Ski Weekends we have many return

customers and some take up to five holidays a season with us.”

Urs Eberhard, Vice Director and Head

of Markets at Switzerland Tourism, has

acknowledged that Switzerland needs to work

even harder following a jump in costs for skiers

arriving from almost everywhere else following

the Swiss Central Bank’s decision to abolish

the euro minimum exchange rate on 15 January

2015. The country suddenly became more

expensive not only against the euro, but also

in relation to the US dollar, British pound and

other currencies.

But Mr Eberhard says Switzerland is a “premium

destination” and can distinguish itself on other

assets, rather than price.

“If you want the original winter tourism country,

you have to come to Switzerland. Everything

else is a copy,” said Mr Eberhard. “We are a

premium destination and we have to differentiate

ourselves not on price but on the highest ski

areas, snow guarantee, authentic villages, short

distances, excellent public transportation system

and last but not least in being the original winter

tourism destination.”

Mr Eberhard added, “Recent developments in

the Swiss currency market show that Switzerland

has to work even more on delivering the best

service and quality, more convenience, seamless

travel and a premium experience.”

Mr Eberhard was speaking ahead of the second

annual International Ski Travel Market (ISTM)

organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions, which

takes place in the InterContinental Davos hotel

over 23 and 24 March, 2015 where he will be a

keynote speaker.

“EVERYTHING ELSE IS A COPY,” SAYS SWISS TOURISM BOSS

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008 // MAR15 BANFFLAKELOUISE.COM

BANFF LIFE IN PICSSome ski resorts close in March, most in April, but a select few have such reliable snow

conditions and dedication to the cause that they soldier on later into spring. Of these few

stalwarts of snow, the list of those that offer stunning scenery and a vibrant resort community

is shorter still. For scenic grandeur, imaginative terrain design and sheer size, the Banff ski

region is very difficult to beat.

The region’s three ski areas at Mt Norquay (the smallest hill – just a few minutes from

downtown Banff), Sunshine and Lake Louise are open through to May – Sunshine right

through to 17 May this year.

With slopes facing in all directions, Sunshine is one of North America’s oldest

resorts, boasting Banff’s only ski-in/ski-out hotel and terrain to suit all abilities. For advanced

skiers and snowboarders there’s Delirium Dive, the ultimate front country adventure with

pitches of 40º and a vertical of 585m.

The stunning ski area of Lake Louise encompasses 11 square miles. Spread over four

separate mountain faces interconnected by a lift and trail system that is comparable to the

European ski circuit concept, this is the largest ski area in Canada.

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VISITORS UP IN SCOTLANDLargely stable weather conditions in February, with most runs open

throughout much of this year at all five northern Scottish ski areas, have

led to visitor numbers being up so far this winter.

“We’re already well ahead of last season at the same point – in fact,

almost 19% ahead – and also marginally ahead of 2012–13, which was

itself a great season,” said Heather Negus, Chair of the joint marketing

group Ski-Scotland. The snow-sports areas reported that the staggered

half-term in Scotland, coupled with good snow and some real bluebird

days, has really benefited them.

“We’re delighted with these results,” continued Heather. “Last year we

had brilliant snow in huge quantities but lost many days to storms. This

year, we have good snow, have had some excellent overhead weather,

but have still lost a lot of days to storms – and we’re still marginally

ahead of 2012–13!”

NEW LIFT FOR MAYRHOFENWork will begin on an all-new, state-of-the-art, high-tech 3S gondola lift

on Mayrhofen’s key route to the Penken ski area as soon as the season

ends in April.

Plans for the new lift were announced in 2013, and the design for the

bigger, faster lift has been confirmed for over a year, but a dispute with

a local landowner, now resolved, delayed the construction.

The new Doppelmayr-built lift, which should open in time for next

winter, will make the more than 1150m vertical ascent in just 8.2

minutes and have cabins each capable of seating up to 24 people for a

world-class queue-gobbling hourly uplift capacity of 3840 passengers.

Among numerous innovations will be separate entrances for ski

schools, and the lift will feature an extra two independent back-up

drives which will kick in if any technical failure occurs, to ensure the lift

keeps operating.

ISCHGL TOPS POLL OF SKI PARTY TOWNSIschgl has dominated a vote on which is the most

popular party resort in the Alps.

The Tirolean village took 24% of all votes cast

by 4600 winter-sports enthusiasts from ten

European nations in a survey carried out this

January on behalf of holiday company SnowTrex.

Two other Tirolean villages – Sölden (12.1%) and

Mayrhofen (8.9%) (which will host the Altitude

comedy and Snowbombing music festivals as

usual this spring) – ranked second and third.

The highest-placed ski area outside the Austrian

Tirol, a region where the ski resorts took more than

half of the total vote, was Livigno in Italy, famous for

its 200+ duty-free bars, which won 8.4% of the vote.

Val Thorens in France ranked fifth with 8.1%. 56% of

respondents said après-ski was an important factor

when choosing their holiday destination.

On average, the survey found, European winter-

sports fans will spend 3 evenings during their ski

holiday week out partying, with Dutch travellers

heading out the most – 3.6 evenings per week

for après-ski.

When only British votes were taken into account,

French resorts came top, perhaps reflecting the

fact that the majority of younger Brits choose to

ski in France.

Les Deux Alpes was the top choice for British

skiers and boarders (21.6%), followed by Val

Thorens (20.4%) in second place. Austrian

Tirolean areas made up the remainder of the top

five again though, with traditional party capital

of St Anton (11.7%) in third place, followed by

Mayrhofen (10.5%) and Kitzbühel (8.6%).


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SNOWORKS.COM010 // MAR15

Every year, hundreds of maverick

off-piste skiers armed with the

latest guidebook head

off-piste in search of

powder snow.

“Abiding in the midst

of ignorance, thinking

themselves wise and

learned, fools go

aimlessly hither and

thither, like blind led

by the blind.”

Our final article

on freeriding this

winter is about those

unforgettable skiing

experiences that will

stay with you for a

lifetime, where the

first rules are – know

where you are going,

get yourself a local

guide or an instructor,

and don’t be led into

thinking it’s easy.

With that in mind, here are four

of my favourite off-piste routes

where the experience will last you

a lifetime.

The Vallée Blanche,

Chamonix, France

Accessed from both the Italian

and French sides, the Vallée

Blanche still remains an iconic

off-piste route. The scenery

is spectacular and in the right

conditions even adventurous

intermediates can manage the

descent. It’s one of the longest

off-piste routes in the world at

20km and, although used by

thousands of skiers, it still has

to be high up on the list of great

off-piste routes that include a

number of variations for stronger

skiers. Taking the ride in the

Aiguille du Midi cable car to the

start is worth the trip alone, and

the Arête de l’Aiguille du Midi

at the commencement of the

run builds the adrenalin as the

guide normally chooses to rope

the group together. Once off the

arête it’s a fairly easy descent

with stunning scenery, but you

can get caught out – crevasses

are numerous and the weather

can turn very quickly.

North face of the Valluga,

St Anton, Austria

One to get the heart pumping.

The tiny Valluga cable car in St

Anton takes you up to 2811m.

Access only permitted with

qualified mountain guides

and off-piste instructors.

Then it’s on to the north

face and into the NFZ,

more commonly known

as the “No Fall Zone”,

for about 300m; a fall at

this point is definitely not

recommended. After the

initial descent the terrain

opens up and it’s all the

way down to Zürs. Experts

only.

Tarentaise Tour,

Tignes, France

A classic off-piste route

that links two of the

largest ski areas in the

world, the Espace Killy and

Paradiski. The descent

begins at the top of Palet

(Col du Palet). ski lift in

Tignes with an off-piste descent to

the resort of Champagny through

a stunning valley. From here, head

up to the Bellecôte glacier and ski

the north face to Piesey-Nancroix.

Then onto the lift system through

Les Arcs and the Aiguille Rouge

cable car, where you can select

numerous off-piste routes back

down into Villaroger. A final stop

at La Ferme for a well-earned beer

and a taxi back to Tignes. Three

incredible off-piste descents in

one day. Other than the first off-

piste descent to Champagny there

are countless options of routes

depending on your level of fitness.

Helidrop on the Monterosa,

Gressoney, Italy.

One of my favourites. Book into

the Jolanda Hotel in Gressoney

where Annamaria and her family

will welcome you. A superbly run

Italian hotel with the lift literally

connected to the hotel. You

can organise a helidrop on the

Monterosa with the local guide’s

office or book one of the many

off-piste courses that have the

helidrop as an optional add-on.

The helidrop on the Monterosa

is followed with a stunning

off-piste descent into Zermatt,

Switzerland. Then take the Klein

Matterhorn to the top of Zermatt

and head into the Cervinia ski

area. From here take the Cime

Bianche, a further off-piste

descent back to St Jacques.

Enjoy a late lunch in the little

restaurant at the foot of the Cime

Bianchi where the owner will

then cram you into his 4x4 and

give you a lift into Champoluc

where it’s back on the lift system

into Gressoney.

FREERIDE

PHIL SMITHSNOWORKS

Phil Smith is founder of Snoworks

All-Mountain Ski Courses. Snoworks

run Off-Piste and Backcountry courses

throughout the winter along with Off-

Piste Adventure trips to destinations

around the world. [email protected]

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PEAK2PEAK IN GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS

ore than 6 years after it opened, the

famous Peak2Peak gondola that links

Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains

in Canada has been officially

recognised for being the “highest

cable car above ground” and also

boasting the “longest unsupported

span between two cable car towers”

having been included in the 2015

Edition of the Guinness World

Records Book.

“Since the Peak2Peak gondola

was conceived we knew we were

attempting something that had

never been done before. Having

Guinness recognise our efforts is

proof of the feats we accomplished

and just seals the fact the gondola

is a must-do experience in Whistler,”

said Doug Forseth, Vice President of

Government Relations and Special

Projects at Whistler Blackcomb.

The lift crosses at up to 436m above

Whistler’s valley floor, suspended

between two towers at the record-

breaking distance of 3024m apart.

Not only does the lift transport guests

between Whistler and Blackcomb

Mountains in only 11 minutes, it also

allows guests of all ages and levels

of mobility to access a unique alpine

experience. More than two million

people have used the lift since it

opened in 2008.

Want to share Marilyn Monroe’s suite or

sample a Death in the Afternoon cocktail in

Ernest Hemingway’s suite? Or is his friend

suave Gary Cooper more your style? These

three, plus famed skater Sonia Henie and W.

Averell Harriman, US Ambassador to Britain,

friend of Churchill and the man who created

Sun Valley (itself famed as the originator of

chairlifts and hot tubs), all have celebrity suites

featuring classic photographs in the totally

renovated Sun Valley Lodge, which will reopen

in June 2015. Sun Valley, Ketchum, in central

Idaho, was founded as North America’s first

destination resort and is now turning 80. The

legendary Lodge will now have 94 much larger

guestrooms, plus a 20,000ft2 spa, fitness

centre, yoga studio, a glass-enclosed outdoor

pool and totally redeveloped restaurants,

lounges, lobbies and event space.

For skiing and snowboarding, Sun Valley

retains its uniquely shaped mountains, giant

natural pyramids with consistent fall lines from

peak to base. The greatest vertical, 3400ft

of similar pitch from Mount Baldy to Warm

Springs, can be lapped on the fast Challenger

lift, as long as legs can cope. This is a mountain

resort without queues. There are gentler trails

elsewhere on Baldy and an excellent separate

mountain, Dollar, for beginners and parkies.


St Anton’s infamous “White Thrill”

free-for-all, end-of-season race

has been scheduled for 18 April

this year. A total of 555 skiers,

snowboarders and telemarkers

assemble on the Valluga Ridge for

the mass start which sees the racers

descend 1300 vertical metres,

including the 150m “pain mountain”

uphill section, over 9km of mostly

ungroomed terrain.

Germany’s Florian Holzinger set

the current race record time of 7

minutes and 40.6 seconds in 2012,

which is now the benchmark to

beat. Times between 11 and 18

minutes are a good average, but for

most competitors the main thing is

just to get over that finishing line.

Spectators can also look forward to

the flamboyantly attired participants,

who roll in around half an hour after

the serious racers.

The race kicks off when the lifts

close at 5pm with the mass start

described as “utter carnage” by

some previous British competitors.

The resort is in party mood (even

more than usual) during the evening

after the race.

WHITE THRILL RETURNS TO ST ANTON

10,000 EASTER EGGS HUNT

Easter at Courchevel has been getting

bigger and bigger each year. “Last year we

organised a raffle and the top prize was a

giant egg weighing 11 kilos,” said Aymerick

Mermoz, Director of Entertainment. After a

Saturday night firework show, this Easter

Sunday the resort will hide 10,000 chocolate

eggs dotted over the ski area. Then there’s

the traditional Easter mass when everyone

gets together.

THE 250MSKI JUMP

A Slovenian ski jumper, Peter Prevc, has

become the first person to ski jump more

than 250 metres. Making his historic jump in

Norway, Prevc was in the air for more than 8

seconds, travelling at more than 100kph, to

cover the distance equivalent of nearly two

and a half football pitches.

SNOW FOUNTAIN FOR DUBAI

Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Bin

Rashid Al Maktoum, has launched a

project that will see the world’s first “snow

fountain” operating in the emirate, famed

for its man-made wonders including Ski

Dubai. The year-round snow fountain will

be located in the 47-acre Zabeel Park, one

of Dubai’s largest.

NEARLY HALF A $MILLION DAMAGE

Partying students from Michigan University

caused damage amounting to $430,000

(£275,000) over a spring break weekend

at the state’s Treetops ski resort. Resort

management said it had paid $230,000

to contractors to repair the damage

and was seeking a further $200,000 in

damage to its business. The Sigma Alpha

Mu fraternity will “not be recognised as

an official body” by the university for four

years, its strictest sanction.

EASTER FAMILY TIME AT SKIPLEX

Skiplex Reading and Skiplex Basingstoke

are offering a special deal for up to 11 family

members who can all ski together on the

indoor Skiplex slopes for £125 for an hour

(it’s usually £155). The price includes all

equipment and a fully qualified instructor for

the hour and is available until 19 April 2015

(skiplex.co.uk).

@INTHESNOWMAG

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100% PASS RATE AT SNOW TEACHER SCHOOLStudents studying to become ski instructors with Basecamp at

Lake Louise in Canada this winter scored a 100% pass rate on CSIA

(Ski) and CASI (Snowboard) Level 1 Instructor Courses. Basecamp

(basecampgroup.com) provides students with a gateway into the

instructor world through their new qualifications and a guaranteed

post-graduation job interview with the Lake Louise Ski School. To date,

Basecamp students make up 15% of all Lake Louise resort staff.

“You’ve trained in our resort, you’ve been trained by our staff; why

wouldn’t we want to hire you?!” said Kevin Eaton, Ski School Director.

After successful completion of CSIA and CASI Level 1 Instructor

Courses, a large proportion of students will remain in resort and train

towards Level 2 qualifications.

Established in 2002, Basecamp is a leading provider of ski and

snowboard instructor courses worldwide and was the first organisation

to offer BASI ski and snowboard qualifications in France.

NAVAJO MAKE NEW APPEAL

The Navajo Nation, the largest native American tribe, has filed a

petition against an Arizona ski resort’s snowmaking system, saying

that it violates their religious freedom and human rights.

The move is the latest stage in a disagreement that has rumbled on

for 15 years surrounding the Arizona Snowbowl’s decision to install a

snowmaking system which uses reclaimed waste water as the source

for its snowmaking. Waste water uses recycled human waste as part

of its constituents, although those who support its use say the water

has been so cleaned and purified it is cleaner than most tap water;

however, the Najavo Nation, who hold the site of Snowbowl’s ski slopes

as sacred, say the snowmaking system insults their religious beliefs.

They were one of a number of groups who fought the snowmaking

system for ten years before it was finally installed in 2012.

The appeal was made to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights,

which has no legal power, but whose decisions hold symbolic significance.

FB.COM/INTHESNOW 013 // MAR15

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GIVE YOURSELFCARTE BLANCHE

014 // MAR15 @INTHESNOWMAG

WORDS: ANDY BLEAKLEY

Beautiful, affordable and easy to reach,

Slovenia has a long ski history but is

not well known to British skiers and

boarders, because we tend to either

stop too soon and ski in the Alps or

Dolomites, or fly over and land in

Bulgaria. This could be a mistake!

Slovenia is a largely mountainous country

with a long history of skiing. The average

height of land in the country is 600m

above sea level, there are around 50 ski

areas dotted around the country and the

world-famous Elan skis are made there.

But from a ski holiday point of view, the

top-selling points are as follows: first, it’s

easy to reach on low-cost Wizz Air flights

which operate three times a week from

London (making short breaks as well

as full-week stays an option); second,

once you land at Ljubljana Airport the

ski areas are very close – in many cases

only 30 minutes away; and third, prices

are much lower than in the Alps, and in

some cases lower than Bulgaria.

The cherry on the top of the Slovenian

snow cake is that three of the country’s

best ski areas – Krvavec, Vogel and

Kranjska Gora – have gotten together to

offer the Slovenian Alps Ski Pass which

costs only around £120 for six days.

KRVAVECLocated only five miles and 15 minutes

transfer from Ljubljana Airport, Krvavec

markets itself as the “closest resort to

London” … and there’s some truth in that

marketing claim, as if you add the flight

time and transfer time together, it is indeed

much closer than resorts in the Alps –

even the closest of which involve longer

transfers after marginally shorter flights!

The centre has over 30km of maintained

ski slopes, served by 11 lifts, ranging from

1450m to 1971m above sea level, and on

a sunny day there are some of the best

vistas in Slovenia of the Ljubljana valley

and the nearby Alps.

There are snow sports for all ability levels.

For experienced skiers and boarders

Krvavec is famed for its freestyle and off-

piste terrain when conditions are good,

and there is the opportunity to ski on a

giant slalom course used by professional

racers and get your descent electronically

timed. There’s also a good 800m-long

terrain park complete with jumps and a

selection of rails.

For first-timers, Krvavec’s ski school has

its own dedicated beginners’ area, and

there’s a children’s park complete with

two slides, waves and two low jumps, set

in a fairy-tale-style woodland. The park

can also be used for other activities such

as sledging, snow-biking (bikes with

skis instead of wheels) and air-boarding

(inflatable sledges!).

When you’re staying in Krvavec it’s

worth making an après-ski visit to Dvor

Jezeršek, a restaurant where guests can

“taste Slovenia”, located just a couple of

miles from the slopes. The cuisine here

is typically Slovenian and it is ranked

among the 20 best Slovenian eateries.

VOGELOne of Slovenia’s original resorts, Vogel

is in a beautiful location on the edge

of the Triglav National Park (the only

national park in Slovenia and one of

the oldest in Europe) with its slopes

overlooking Lake Bohinj. The area just

celebrated its 50th anniversary and has

had a bit of an upgrade to celebrate.

Perfect for beginners and intermediates

(advanced skiers can cover the whole

22km of piste at the resort quite quickly),

good ski rental equipment is available

at the top station of the gondola,

which accesses the main slopes. For

freestylers, Snow Park Vogel covers

two hectares and is home to a variety

of kickers and other modules such as

boxes and rails. Adventure seekers

also have the option to try paragliding,

airboarding and snow rafting.

KRANJSKA GORAThanks to its World Cup races each

winter, Kranjska Gora, which is located

right up on the Austrian border, is one of

the biggest and best-known Slovenian

resorts. Perfect for young families, it’s

the only one of the three ski areas which

has hotels located right at the foot of

the slopes. Up above, the runs progress

from blue to black grading across the

mountain face, which means that the

beginners’ slopes are easy to reach and

for more advanced skiers the central

slopes are less busy.

BESIDES DOWNHILLThose who follow winter sports on

Eurosport will be aware of several

famous snow-sports sites in Slovenia

besides the country’s Alpine centres.

The Pokljuka plateau is well known for

its winter-sports facilities, which are

open to all abilities from total novices to

international racers – and it’s a World Cup

venue for the exciting sport of biathlon.

Located in the Triglav National Park it

has 20km of cross-country trails plus the

biathlon range to test out and enjoy.

The Planica ski jumping centre is

perhaps even more famous, being home

to the world’s biggest ski jump, which

until recently held the world record

for the longest jump in the special “ski

flying” discipline at 239m (the record

was broken just last month at Vikersund

in Norway and now stands at 251.5m). A

new, longer ski slope now being built at

Planica may get the record back. Each

year, around 10,000 fans gather to watch

the FIS World Cup Ski Jumping Final

competition here.

Ice climbing is another possibility,

offered at Mlačca Gorge, 5 minutes’

drive from Kranjska Gora. This artificially

created frozen waterfall, 45m high, is

staffed by friendly, helpful staff who

welcome all ability levels from first-timers

to experts, and have all the gear you

need available on site.

And Slovenia isn’t just about winter

sports. The Aquapark waterpark, linked

to the Bohinj Park Eco Hotel through an

underground corridor, offers indoor and

outdoor swimming pools, saunas and

fitness services that are free of charge to

hotel guests. The 38,000ft2 facility also

boasts water slides and water attractions

for children.

The 5★ Bohinj Park Eco Hotel is the first

eco-friendly hotel in Slovenia, which is

powered through a combination of a

deep energy well and energy station,

and the infrastructure is designed to

recycle as much energy as possible, for

example through heated floors and an

air-to-water heat pump.

BLEDSlovenia’s best-known destination resort,

on the shores of Lake Bled, popularly

regarded as one of the world’s most

scenic, does not really have ski slopes of

its own other than a small beginners’ hill.

Open evenings and weekends are not

included in the multi-area pass.

It is however one of the best places to

base yourself for a holiday in Slovenia

thanks to its extensive shopping and

dining opportunities, as well as the fact

that buses run the short distances from

there to the three ski areas.

So for a small country, Slovenia packs a

lot in – and pretty much all of it is within

an hour of the airport, and many parts

only 10 or 15 minutes away.

Could it be time to fly over the Alps, but

not go as far as the Balkans, for your

next budget snow-sports trip?


SLOVENIA INFORESORTS:Bled: blejski-grad.si/en

Kranjska Gora: kranjska-gora.si/en

Krvavec: rtc-krvavec.si/en

Mlačca Gorge: kranjska-gora.si/en/

attractions/natural-sights/mlacca-gorge

Planica: planica.si/home

Pokljuka Plateau: center-pokljuka.si

Vogel: vogel.si/winter

Dvor Jezeršek:

jezersek.si/en/dvor-jezersek

Elan Skis: elan.si

TRAVEL:Shape Sports Slovenian Ski Holidays:

shapesports.co.uk

Wizz Air: wizzair.com

Bohinj Park Eco Hotel:

bohinj-park-hotel.si/eng/

Hotel Jelka (Pokljuka): hotel-jelka.si/en

Ramada Kranjska Gora: hitholidays.si/en/

hotel/ramada-hotel-suites-kranjska-gora

016 // MAR15

WORDS: DEBBIE GABRIEL

ELEVENEXPERIENCE.COM

Accommodation options in the Alps have got better

and better over recent years, but that sense that the

customer is king and nothing is too much trouble

that you can find on a North American ski holiday still

hasn’t quite made it across the Atlantic; it’s probably a

cultural thing.

So I was intrigued by the prospect of a visit to Chalet

Pelerin in Le Miroir, a small hamlet near the cult

French resort of Saint Foy, between the Espace Killy

and Paradiski (Les Arcs and la Plagne).

The first thing that makes Chalet Pelerin different is

that it is run by American company Eleven, based in

Crested Butte, Colorado, so this is where American

high-energy enthusiasm and “no problem” attitude

meets and frankly obliterates the Gallic shrug.

Eleven isn’t the bland American “have a nice day”

business model either. The company has created a

seriously cool portfolio of holiday properties around

the world – a Patagonian lodge in South America, an

Amsterdam town house and even a farm in Iceland.

They’re not just about winter sports but any outdoor

activity – rafting, kayaking and kite surfing are on the

agenda.

But when it comes to winter sports, helicopters are

the order of the day because they’re the easiest way

to reach virgin slopes – because if you want to make

your guests happy, well, what else would you offer?

Chalet Pelerin is very comfortably furnished with four

en-suite double rooms and a bunk room for children.

There’s a lot of attention to detail in the rooms with

the overall feel – rustic with a hint of contemporary.

Downstairs there’s an Endless Pool and hot tub, and

the chalet has an ultra-high-tech media system.

The chalet’s resident chef again does not go down

the normal Alpine route but instead brings in seafood

and other contemporary dishes that make you think

“That’s different.”

Things really start to get interesting in the boot room,

the best equipped I’ve ever seen and complete with a

barrel of beer on the side. Each chalet guest has their

own “open” locker choice of top-of-the-range Wagner

skis, and there are backpacks complete with avalanche

safety airbags sat ready for you to hit the snow.

But the real Eleven difference from the Alpine norm

are their people. Our group was hosted by the

most enthusiastic guides I’d ever met, making us

believe anything was possible and really getting your

adrenalin pumping.

Alas, because of conditions, we never did get to

heli-ski during my stay, and while heli-skiing is banned

in France, it is possible to take off from there and

pop into Italy. We did that the conventional way to

La Thuile from La Rosière by ski lift, but determined

to get us and skis in a helicopter whatever Mother

Nature might have been thinking, Eleven did send

a helicopter to pick us up after we lingered too long

over lunch and missed the last lift back.

The team knew their skiing (we skied all seven of

the resorts mentioned in our 4-day stay, somehow

managing to get fired off a bungee ramp above

Tignes at one point too), and snow stashes, they also

know how to party. One special experience involved

a 40-minute hike through the woods to the Chalet’s

outpost the “Alpage” (no other way to get there!)

where a cheese fondue and big drinks menu meant

the laughs were plentiful and our hosts’ many talents

turned out to include stand-up comedy, polished off

with a firework display especially for us.

The conclusion? Combining North American

enthusiasm and service standards with traditional

European skiing can work, and Eleven work very hard

to make sure it does. It’s all about the experience.

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FREERIDE | FREESTYLE | TOURING | TELEMARK | RACE | RECREATIONALSki Bartlett, Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon, West London, UB10 0NP

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WORLD’S DEEPEST SNOW BASE PASSES 5M MARKHuge snowfalls in the Pyrenees in the last

week of February led to a ski area on the

French side of the southern European

mountain chain reporting the first 5m+ snow

depth in the world this season.

Piau Engaly reported its base had reached

5.4m (18 feet) on 1 March. It had received over

2m of snow in the previous 5 days.

Typically the snow depth builds through the

winter at ski areas around the world, some-

times reaching 5m before the rate of thaw

starts to overtake the rate of accumulation in

late winter or early spring, occasionally even

reaching 6m (20 feet). The areas that report the

biggest snowfall most seasons, such as Niseko

in Japan or Mount Baker in Washington State,

USA, are not normally the areas that also report

the biggest snowbases – although sizable, their

bases do not usually pass the 5m mark.

Grandvalira (Pas de la Casa and Soldeu) in

Andorra reported 166cm of fresh snow in the

last week of February, but its reported base

remained little more than it was before all the

snow fell, at 2.4m.

A number of resorts in the Alps, including

Madesimo in Italy and Andermatt in Swit-

zerland, have been reporting snow depths

around 4.7 to 4.8m for most of this year, but

they had not quite climbed to pass the 5m

mark as we went to press.

Jasmin Taylor, 21, has won

Great Britain’s first FIS Telemark

World Championship medal in

Steamboat Springs, USA.

Jasmin had arrived in Colorado

just a few days ago from her

training base in Les Houches,

France, and was competing

against the world’s fastest

Telemark ski racers at the World

Championships.

Following official training on

Monday, racing commenced

yesterday with the Telemark

Sprint race – the shortest of the

three FIS Telemark disciplines

with each run typically lasting

45 seconds.

Starting with bib number 7,

Jasmin skied into third position

after the first run, just seconds

behind Argeline Tan-Bouquet of

France and Switzerland’s World

Cup leader Amélie Reymond.

During the second run Jasmin

skied well in the GS gates

before storming through the

skating section at the bottom

of the course and finishing

with a combined time of

2:03.35 for the two runs.

“It’s great to finally ski the way

I know I can ski,” said Jasmin

after the race. “I felt so solid

on the jump and went long.

I’m so pleased to have won a

significant medal at this level –

feels awesome!”

Telemark skiing originated in

Norway in the 1860s, around

40 years before alpine skiing,

practised by the majority of

downhill skiers, came along.

“I am so very proud of Jaz; she

has given it her all since starting

her journey with Telemark,” said

FIS Telemark Chairman and ex-

British athlete, Andrew Clarke,

adding, “What a transformation

from the unsteady Telemarker

myself and Jack Harvard Taylor

took for a trial ski in 2010. She

deserved that today! When

you put it into perspective

considering the competition

and see they all come from

countries where skiing is almost

second nature, it makes it all

that much sweeter.”

www.jaztelemark.com

BRITISH BRONZE IN TELEMARK WORLDS


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DEUX ALPES New Year week 27th Dec. 2014 – 3rd Jan. 2015


CHAMONIX Christmas week 20th – 27th December 2014


SPLITBOARD WEEK Argentiére. Various dates – see our website for more info

•7nightsaccommodation•6.5daysequipmenthire–incl.transceiver,shovel,probe•Allmeals•6.5daysliftpass•23hrsinstruction

HAUTE ROUTE Ski Touring. Various dates – see our website for more info

•6DaysTouringskis,boots,poles transceiver,shovel,probe•6Nightsaccommodation•6daysguiding•Fullboard•ReturnfromZermatt

£399

£491

£901

£626

£820

From

“Action Outdoors All Inclusive – as featured in the best ski

holidays for 2014/15”

The Telegraph,

9th Sep 2014

Every week, all season – full details:www.action-outdoors.co.uk

Now that you’ve learnt the basics

of how to ski and are well on your

way to becoming an Olympic

superstar, one week a year in the

glistening pow may no longer be

enough to satisfy you and it may

be worth considering a move to

the Alps to do your first winter

season.

Typically lasting from late

November to early May, moving

to the Alps for this length of

time allows you to experience

an entire spectrum of seasonal

conditions, from the biting

December blizzards to summery

April. You’ll also have plenty

of time to improve your skills

and you’ll meet some of the

coolest, like-minded individuals

from all over the world. All you

need to survive a winter season

is a heavy tolerance to early

mornings, a strong, sturdy liver

and most importantly, a love for

the fluffy white pow.

There are two routes to choose

from . The most popular for

young seasonaires, is

to go through a

company and

work as either

a chalet

host, resort

rep, chef

or transfer

driver/

maintenance

man. If you

have a limited

budget and

don’t want the hassle

of finding your own work or

accommodation, then this is a

fantastic way to do it. Seasonaires

in these roles typically don’t

earn much more than pocket

money, but tips can be good and

importantly your accommodation,

lift pass, meals and transport are

all arranged and paid for by your

company. These roles are very

demanding and require a strong

work ethic, but it’s as they say –

you work hard to play hard!

TOP TIPS: If you’re looking for a chalet host

role, it may well be worth investing

in an approved cookery course to

improve your skills and get a feel for

the food you might be cooking.

Check out

natives.co.uk

for the latest

jobs in a

variety of

resorts.

They

advertise

on behalf of

all the leading

tour operators

including Crystal,

Neilson and VIP SKI as

well as the smaller companies.

Most companies take

applications from June, so get in

there early to secure a position.

The early bird catches the worm.

The second route is to find work

and accommodation yourself

which requires more effort,

but it is ideal for seasonaires

looking to get more time on the

slopes without work completely

dictating their skiing hours.

It’s important to secure a flat and

some housemates before you go.

If you need flatmates, try writing a

forum post on natives.co.uk, and

email the property management

websites asking for prices for flats.

It’s risky arriving in resort without

a job secured but restaurants

quite often have glass-collecting

or snow-clearing jobs to get you

started, and there are normally

Saturday cleaning jobs, plus some

seasonaires will quit, leaving job

openings, but take enough money

to tide you over if needed.

TOP TIPS: Be careful who you choose to live

with. Try to arrange a meeting with

them, even if it’s on Skype – you’ll

be in their company for a long time.

Read all contracts carefully,

including the small print. You don’t

want to be sprung with a hefty flat

deposit that you’re never going to

get back.

Many businesses are able to

secure half-price lift passes. If

possible, wait until you secure a job

before you purchase your pass.

BEGINNER’S GUIDEWORDS: LORNA MCGACHIE

NO.5 BECOMING A SEASONAIRE


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What do Switzerland, bespoke skis and a

Benedictine monastery have in common?

In one Rhaeto-Romanic word: zai. Meaning

“tough” in the original Sursilvan language

of the Swiss mountain village of Disentis,

zai is a boutique ski manufacturer founded

by local man Simon Jacomet. After years

spent designing skis for major global brands,

Jacomet returned home in 2003 to set up

an artisanal ski workshop, determined to

“transcend mass-produced designs in quality,

materials and handling.”

With a starting price of £3,000 per pair of

handmade and individually numbered skis,

Jacomet’s babies certainly transcend the

cost of most skis. But his determination

has paid off: at just over a decade old, zai

is recognised by those in the know as one

of the world’s finest artisanal ski makers.

Jacomet’s extensive (and expensive)

materials list now stretches to include items

like Swiss green granite, patented carbon

fibre and natural rubber. His list of design

and business partners includes major luxury

players like Hublot, Bentley and Loro Piana.

However, he does largely remain true to his

mantra: “A zai ski consists of everything a

good ski needs – and nothing more.”

To incentivise people to join the 5,000-strong

club of loyal zai ski owners, Jacomet and

his band of merry workmen offer free tours

of their workshop in Disentis. Wedged into

the Rhine Valley at the point where the

Oberalp and Lukmanier mountain passes

meet, Disentis is a sleepy town that counts

its locals at just over 2,000. While most are

rather elderly, there’s a small gang of young,

freeriding Swedes among them, who have

set up a couple of hotels and bars (Lodge

SAX and Nangijala) over the past few years.

As those familiar with off-piste ski havens

like Engelberg and Andermatt will know,

the presence of Swedes is a pretty failsafe

indicator of epic freeriding and, sure enough,

Disentis is an off-piste gem, making it the

perfect testing ground for ski buyers.

The shopping trips generally start with

a helicopter ride over from St Moritz, or

somewhere equally glamorous, and land

in the (less glamorous) cow field opposite

zai HQ. Prospective buyers spend a day

on Disentis’ slopes testing the zai range to

select their favourite model before Jacomet

walks them through the finer details at the

workshop: bonded cedar-wood stave or

carbon-fibre-wrapped granite core? And what

colour vulcanised natural rubber top surface?

(One customer had zai create a green to

match his Bentley.)

Then it all gets a bit transcendental.

Jacomet, who employs the old dears from

Disentis’ retirement home to knit zai’s £80

woolly hats, has known the monks of the

town’s Benedictine Abbey (Switzerland’s

largest) all his life and offers clients the

unique opportunity to enjoy supper with

them in the Abbey before spending the

night in a monastic cell. Relieved of your

phone for total “reduction to the essential”,

you can meditate on whether you’ve got a

spare £4,000 or so for a cassacca ski suit,

carbon helmet and goggles to complete the

zai package.

020 // MAR15

BESPOKE SKIS

ZAI.CH

WORDS: GABY LE BRETON

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HELLY HANSEN TO PROVIDE ESF UNIFORMSHelly Hansen will be the official uniform provider for the instructors

of the famous French Ecole du Ski Français (ESF), now the world’s

largest ski school with more than 2.3 million students taught each

winter, over the next two seasons. Helly Hansen will outfit more than

15,000 instructors at 250 resorts across France, beginning with next

winter 2015–16.

“Beyond the iconic red colour, the ESF teams, suited up on the

mountain, are style icons and leaders in performance and technique.

At Helly Hansen, we share that same concept – we call it Scandinavian

Design, and we adhere to the notion that we should never compromise

between style and performance,” said Erik Burbank, Helly Hansen

Senior Vice President. Already the official uniform partner of more

than 70 ski resorts and mountain guiding operations around the world,

clothing 33,000 ski and mountain professionals. hellyhansen.com

BRITISH SKI TEAM SET NEW WORLD RECORDA British team have set the official world record for the fastest mile

on roller skis by a linked team. They set their record at Hyde Park in

London, coming in at 6 minutes and 28 seconds. Adam Libbey, Chris

Brooks, Max Willcocks, Richard Gibbs and four-time Olympian Chemmy

Alcott, calling themselves The Arctic V Team and sponsored by travel

insurer Columbus Direct, were determined to achieve their first official

Guinness World Record title after they unofficially broke the record for

the farthest distance travelled on a static cross-country machine in 24

hours last November.

The Arctic Challenge takes place from March 20–22 where they will be

skiing for 3 days, covering 160km in Greenland, where temperatures

can drop to 30 degrees centigrade below freezing at night! They’re

aiming to raise over £30,000 for Ski4Cancer – a charity committed to

cancer research and patient respite. www.ski4cancer.org

MOST SEASONAIRES ON CAREER BREAKThe majority of gap-year seasonaires are

increasingly mid-career breakers rather than

pre-university gallivanters, according to ski

operator Powder White (powderwhite.com),

who say the average seasonaire recruit has an

increasingly older profile, with many applicants

now in their thirties.

Of the 98 seasonaires the company has employed

for the 2014/15 season, 9% are career seasonaires,

22% are pre-university gap-year students, 32% are

on a post-university gap year, but the largest single

sector – 37% – are career breakers.

“The job market is becoming increasingly

flexible with individuals seeking to diversify their

experience,” said Powder White co-founder

Claire Freeland. “These days the largest group

among our applicants are professionals seeking

time out from their tough jobs.”

Among Powder White’s current employees is

Gretchen Lennon (29), the company’s Resort

Manager in Verbier who managed to build in a

six-month delay before starting a new position

as an associate at a law firm in order to fit in the

ski season.

Another Powder White employee, Paul Meechem

(60), a chalet host in Chalet Appaloosa in Val

d’Isère, decided on the lifestyle change after 42

years of working as a loss adjuster.

“Once our daughter went to university, it was the

ideal time for my partner and I to exploit our shared

love of skiing and cooking. Since we both had a lot

of experience in handling clients face to face, the

position of a chalet host was the perfect fit,” he said.


16-22 MAR World Cup Finals: The big ending

celebration of the World Cup season

takes place at the heart of Les 3 Vallées

this year when the most successful

racers wind up the competitive season

and decide who’s top dog.

15-21 MARRock The Pistes returns to the Portes

du Soleil with afternoon outdoor gigs

performed free of charge at resorts

around the huge Franco-Swiss ski region.

rockthepistes.com

3-6 APRILBlack Weekend: Wild off-piste skiing,

gear testing, tartiflette or a “hot dog” (a

dual track of mogul skiing) organised by

the brand Black Crows skis, it has to be

Chamonix’s infamous Black Weekend.

20 live performances and DJ sets.

6-11 AprIlSnowbombing, Mayrhofen: The

biggest music festival returns to the

Austrian Tirol for its annual takeover

of Mayrhofen, always one of the best

bets for the biggest acts and parties.

snowbombing.com

28 MARXtreme Verbier: The much anticipated

final of Freeride World. Competitors

descend treacherous narrow passages

and extreme slopes; the Bec des

Rosses is the ultimate playground

for the best freeriders on the planet.

freerideworldtour.com

18 APRILThe White Thrill: This end-of-season

free-for-all spectacular sees 555

participants race down 9km of

unprepared slopes, over 1300m of

vertical, including 150m uphill.

21-28 MARThe Brits, Tignes: The longest-running

winter festival, staged since 1989, is

back with its successful mix of world-

class freestyle competition and fun

partying. The 2015 line-up will include

resident DJs Kommissar and Tony B.

Spring

23-27 MARAltitude Comedy Festival: What better

stage for this perfect mix of boarding,

comedy and music than in one of Tirol’s

leading resorts, Mayrhofen. This year’s

headliners are Bill Bailey and Sean Lock.

altitudefestival.com

21-28 MAR Snowboxx, Alpe d’Huez: The affordable

and laidback festival (accommodation,

lift pass and festival ticket from little

more than the cost of a lift pass at £229)

moves from Andorra to the excellent

Alpe d’Huez this season. snowboxx.com

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PAIN MCSHLONKEY BACK IN SQUAW VALLEYModestly entitled “the greatest ski competition known to man or

woman”, the “Pain McShlonkey Classic” or “PMS” race returned to

Squaw Valley, California, at the weekend. Celebrated for his playful

spirit, Shane McConkey was the mastermind behind the original Pain

McShlonkey Open that debuted in 2003, a behind-the-scenes late-night

race between competitors at the 1998 Winter X Games. The current

event, with skiers competing on snowblades (mini skis), has raised over

$186,000 for charity. The main snowblade race saw 30 of the world’s

top winter athletes including Olympians like Daron Rahlves taking on 30

amateurs in an anything-goes Hot Dog Downhill. Amateurs earned their

spot in this snowblade banzai by submitting an “Awkward Selfie” online.

“The best way to keep Shane’s legacy alive is to remember to laugh at

yourself and live life to the fullest,” said Sherry McConkey. “Even if you

can’t be here, you should still do something outrageously silly or show

random kindness to a stranger in honour of this amazing man.”

PAY WHAT YOU WANT PASSWhile a number of resorts have been trying to outdo each other

to offer the best deal on a lift pass when you book a hotel stay,

Davos Klosters in Switzerland have turned the question of “How low

can you go?” on its head by offering people who book a stay in a

selection of resort hotels on certain low-season dates the chance to

pay what they want.

The “Pay what you want” campaign runs from Monday to Friday over

the latter half of the month up to 31 March and can be booked in

conjunction with selected hotel accommodation only in a double room

for a minimum of 2 nights.

The offer is valid on a 2-day midweek pass – normally priced at

CHF139 ( just under £100) on most of the 350km of the ski area,

except the Schatzalp area. Hotel guests receive a voucher with their

booking confirmation which they can use to “negotiate” the price for

a 2-day lift pass when they check into their hotel.


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On the verge of ordering a couple of beers

in the local après-ski bar, La Buvette, my

boyfriend and I realised that neither of us

had any Euros on us and credit cards weren’t

accepted. Kicking ourselves, we apologised

and made to leave but the bar lady casually

waved off our lack of cash, insisting that we

simply return the following day and pay then.

Pouring our beers, she also dished out a vast

bowl of crisps for us before returning to her

conversation with her only other guests, the

lift operators.

This kind of trust and hospitality is rare

anywhere in the world but I’ve certainly

never experienced it in a ski resort. However,

La Thuile surprised me on many levels

when I visited it earlier this winter. Despite

its French name, its location 5 miles from

France as the crow flies, its shared ski area

with France’s La Rosière (the Espace San

Bernardo) and the fact that it’s known among

Italians as “little Siberia” for its frequent

snowstorms, La Thuile is quintessentially

Italian. The grand old buildings are hewn

from great pieces of rough stone and timber

with traditional Aosta Valley stone roof tiles,

the pizzas are feather light, the ski instructors

are nut brown and the lifts could do with

updating. There are even Roman ruins to

inspect and a resident Master Chocolatier,

Stefano Collomb, whose sweet creations are

so famous that La Thuile has been an official

“City of Chocolate” since 2009.

La Thuile basked briefly in 1980s ski glamour

when Italy’s glitterati flocked to what was


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then the fabulously modern Hotel Planibel

at the base of the ski slopes. As heydays go,

it was shorter lived than neon onesies: the

VIPs quickly migrated to the less Siberian

Courmayeur, replaced by families and budget

travellers for whom the now faded Planibel

complex and utilitarian base village may not

be glam but are convenient and inexpensive.

However, thanks to MPS Puri, CEO of the

Nira chain, it would appear that La Thuile is

set to return to those glamorous days, having

welcomed its first 5★ hotel, Nira Montana, in

December. Unashamedly stubborn, Puri likes

to select off-the-beaten-track locations for

his stylish boutique hotels. Thus, Nira Alpina

in St Moritz is huddled against the base of

Corvatsch mountain in the hamlet of Surlej –

the resort’s only ski-in/ski-out hotel, it’s also a

10-minute drive from central St Moritz.

Happily, you stand to benefit from Puri’s

stubbornness: aware that La Thuile is no St

Moritz or Courchevel, the definitively 5★ Nira

Montana is (currently) available at distinctly

4★ prices.

For a man who doesn’t ski, Puri has an

excellent nose for great places to ski. There’s

little doubt that Corvatsch is a better ski

hill than Corviglia, the mountain at whose

feet St Moritz’s other luxury hotels lie. And,

if you don’t mind the odd storm, La Thuile

offers some superb skiing. If you do mind

the weather, you can usually nip across the

border to France to find warmer conditions.

Together with La Rosière, La Thuile lays claim

to 150km of pistes, including two storming

black pistes, numbers 2 and 3. The latter,

which reaches a gradient of 73% in places

as it plunges 800m into town, will test the

world’s best from 20 to 21 February 2016,

as it welcomes the Women’s World Cup

Downhill and Super G.

Skiing with the larger-than-life local ski

instructor, Carlo Ceffa, I came to share his

passion for the skiing off the Argillien Express

chair: a web of red runs in a secluded,

ruggedly beautiful valley tucked away from

the main slopes. Another favourite is the red

piste 7, an 11km-long descent from the top of

the resort, Chaz Dura (2579m), which winds

gently through the San Bernardo bowl down

into forests all the way into La Thuile – a stop

for a drink and/or lunch on the sunny terrace

of the Lo Riondet mountain hut along the

way is a must. Heading across to La Rosière,

around the San Bernardo Pass, there are

fabulous high-Alpine powder bowls and

couloirs to play in, and the fun of being able

to pop over to France for lunch (go all-out

Savoyarde at the cute L’Ancolie at the base

of Les Eucherts). Furthermore, you can treat

yourself to some reasonably priced heli-

skiing, with prices starting from just €50pp for

one heli-drop (based on a group of four) with

HeliSki La Thuile.

While Ceffa concurred that the arrival

of Nira Montana is superb news for La

Thuile, he also echoed what several locals

mentioned: that their brand spanking new

5★ is disappointingly unpretentious. Built in

traditional Aosta Valley style in a residential

area a 5-minute walk from the centre of

town, the unobtrusive three-storey timber

and stone building blends in pretty subtly.

Once inside, it’s all about low-key luxury:

timber reclaimed from local farmhouses

lines the walls, chunks of tree trunk serve as

tables and oversize leather armchairs lit by

hand-crafted Foscarini copper lamps beckon

by the intimate bar.

Silver birch trunks separate a cosy trattoria,

which serves delicious pizzas fresh from a

wood-burning oven, from the smart, double-

height dining room. The 55 bedrooms

and suites are warm and stylish, each with

a private balcony or terrace, espresso

machines and free wi-fi. The spa features

two saunas, a heated pool with various water

massage stations, a hammam and a crack

team of therapists. Best of all, however, is the

Thai lady who takes up residence in the boot

room as guests return from a day’s skiing to

bathe and massage your feet. Although the

edelweiss gin and tonics served up at the

bar come a close second …

I have little doubt that Nira Montana is the

first step in an exciting new direction for La

Thuile. The presence of a 5★ hotel can’t fail

to encourage local properties to pull their

socks up, although I hope that it won’t result

in too much jazzing up of

local restaurants like Lo Tatà, Pepita and

Taverna Coppapan, which are heart-

warmingly rustic, authentic beauties. For

the moment, however, I say just enjoy an

authentic Italian town with great skiing,

inexpensive restaurants and a fabulous, 5★

hotel at 4★ prices.

FURTHER INFO

One night’s B&B at Nira Montana

(niramontana.com) costs €200 per double.

Travel to La Thuile by flying to Turin (160km

from the resort) or Geneva (134km from the

resort) with airlines including BA, easyJet

and SWISS. From there hire a car or take a

transfer (FindTransfers.com).


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GREEN THINKING EMBEDDED IN SKI

RESORTS

It’s a decade since the saveoursnow.com website

was created with the intention of trying to track

what ski resorts were doing to minimise their

environmental impact and publicise holiday

accommodation in ski resorts that went that extra

mile to help the environment.

Back then the ski industry was (rather unfairly

and illogically) under attack and somehow being

slated as the cause of climate change, rather than

a victim of it.

How things have changed over the past

decade. Ski areas have between them invested

hundreds of millions of pounds in lower-energy

snowmaking systems and lifts on the slopes,

where there are also groomers running on

biodiesel or even just clean electricity. Two-fifths

of the world’s top 250 ski areas are now 100%

green fuel powered, a substantial number of them

generating that energy themselves on site and

exporting excess to the grid.

Some of the big multi-million projects by

individual resorts have included a hydro system

to meet all Whistler Blackcomb’s power needs,

a carbon-negative power plant using reclaimed

methane gas from old mines working to meet all

Aspen Snowmass’s needs and, new this year, a

planned solar power plant to meet all the power

needs of the Pitztal ski area in Austria.

In ski resort buildings, energy efficiency has

constantly improved, so in many cases they

use less electricity than summer holiday

accommodation use of air conditioning.

Most of us will still be responsible for generating

less CO2 on our ski holiday than in our day-to-day

lives back home; therefore, the only problem with

that is the CO2 we produce actually getting to

and from the ski resort – if that’s a concern to you,

then rail, coach or full-car overland travel to your

preferred resort is the best option. Thankfully

these modes of transport all continue to get more

efficient, and in the case of rail ever faster and

more comfortable too.

GreenBY PATRICK THORNE

POUND REGAINS LOST GROUND ON SWISS FRANC

The ski resort that regularly scores the

world’s biggest snowfall each season,

averaging over 19m of the stuff, Mt

Baker in Washington State, in western

North America, has had to close

temporarily for lack of snow.

The ski area is one of a number from

southern California up to British

Columbia that have been forced to close

for periods in recent months, among

them Cypress Mountain near Vancouver,

a venue at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The lack of snow and warm conditions

are down to a Pacific weather system

which, although most keenly felt

closest to the coast, has at times led

to unusually warm periods and rainfall

rather than powder snow in areas

famous for it, including Alberta, BC,

Colorado and Utah.

Californian areas have again been hit

hard by the lack of snow, although

after a dry, warm January and

February, March had seen up to 3ft of

snowfall at Tahoe resorts, dramatically

improving conditions.

“This winter has not gotten the best of

us. We remain optimistic and hopeful,”

said Gwyn Howat, Operations Manager

at Mt Baker.

WORLD’S SNOWIEST SKI AREA CLOSED FOR LACK OF SNOW

@INTHESNOWMAG026 // MAR15

The value of the British pound has almost

recovered the value it lost against

the Swiss franc 6 weeks ago when

the Swiss Central Bank decided to no

longer tie its exchange rate to the euro,

causing the franc’s value to soar against

most other currencies.

At that point on 15 January the pound

dropped from buying CHF1.55 to a low

of buying only around CHF1.3 overnight.

Coming soon after a change to Swiss law

had put the cost of employing chalet staff

in the country up dramatically for British

operators, it was feared that this sudden

increase in costs could be the death knell

for mainstream ski tourism to Switzerland.

As we went to press, however, the

value of the pound had rapidly

regained lost ground and had

recovered by more than 12% back up

to buying CHF1.47 – virtually the same

as its value 12 months ago.

“Exchange rates have been a pertinent

subject for Switzerland Tourism since

15 January 2015 when the National

Bank decided the discontinuation of

the minimum exchange rate of CHF1.20

per euro,” said Sara Roloff, Manager of

Media and Communications UK & Ireland

at Switzerland Tourism, who added,

“The euro will remain a challenge for

tourism in Switzerland this summer, but

we’re happy to see that the pound has

recovered quickly and the exchange rate

CHF/£ is almost back to where it was a

year ago.”

Despite fears expressed by some in

the industry that British tourism to

Switzerland was doomed even before

the currency fluctuations, the country

reported a 1.7% growth in overnight stays

by Brits in 2014, thanks in part to a jump

of 7.1% in December at the start of the ski

season. The UK is Switzerland’s second

biggest market after Germany.

ATOMIC.COM

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AND SOLE FLEX.

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1 IN 8 AVOID SKIING ON THEIR SKI HOLIDAY

A new survey has discovered that 13%

of Brits who have been on a snow

holiday avoided snow sports during

their holiday.

The company asked 490 people

about their ski holiday habits which

also revealed that 50% of skiers

only aim to get on the snow for 3–5

hours a day and 68% would take at

least 36 hours out of their ski week

for activities like shopping and

sightseeing. Other findings were

that 44% of those surveyed would

sacrifice a summer sun holiday in

order to go skiing.

“Many Brits heading to the slopes

do not partake in any snow sports

or activities. Instead, people are

happy enjoying their surroundings,

the culture and facilities,” said

Myles Stephenson, CEO of my

Travel Cash which organised the

research, who added:

“Overall, snow holidays are

currently more achievable than

previously thought. Pound sterling

has recently experienced its biggest

high since 2008 against currencies

including the euro meaning holiday

money can stretch a lot further than

people might think, especially in

European destinations.”

A service called Piste of Mind (pisteofmind.com),

which collects your ski holiday baggage from your

home a week before you travel and has it waiting

in resort on arrival, then reverses the process for

your return leg, is becoming increasingly popular

and increasingly cost-effective, the company say.

Unlike airport baggage handlers, they claim a

100% successful delivery rate.

Baggage prices for cases and for skis are

extremely complex and vary from airline to

airline; however, they have risen dramatically

in recent years and are now often much higher

than the cost of the passenger ticket.

The great variety of pricing makes comparisons

difficult, but Piste of Mind say a party travelling

with two ski bags weighing 20kg and three

cases weighing 15kg each could expect to pay

at best £254 in baggage fees for a return trip

on Flybe, or at worst £400 with Ryanair. The

Piste of Mind equivalent cost was £307.50.

Those taking two flights from the UK region to

the Alps pay double for most airlines and have to

collect and re-check in at London, but that hassle

is avoided at no extra cost using Piste of Mind.


Waterville Valley ski resort in New

Hampshire USA has announced

a new twist on the gruelling but

addictive sport of biathlon – which

involves cross-country skiing

and shooting on a target range –

Biathlon Paintball!

The weekend of Paintball Biathlon at

Waterville Valley Nordic Center took

place last weekend (14–15 March)

and saw biathletes aged 6 and older

first go through a safety clinic before

setting off on the biathlon course,

which could be tackled on cross-

country skis or snowshoes.

Unlike normal biathlon where

competitors shoot at walnut-sized

targets from a distance when lying

down in the prone position, or

apple-sized targets when standing,

the paintball biathlon competitors

have to aim at cartoon characters

and bingo boards as well as

traditional biathlon targets.

The context included three loops

with two shots after the first two

loops, and competitors were

divided into under-18s, over-18s

and families of four or more.

PAINTBALL BIATHLON USA

END-OF-SEASON BARGAIN

For the week commencing 11 April, Mountain

Heaven (mountainheaven.co.uk; 0151 625

1921) are offering selected catered chalets

in a number of French resorts for £299pp

(was £399), including shared transfer from

Geneva. Resorts on offer include La Plagne,

La Rosière, La Tania, Les Arcs, Courchevel

and Morzine. Usual high standards of food,

wines and accommodation, just a great end-

of-season price. Please ring for availability.

SPEED DAY

Les Deux Alpes will stage a “Speed Day”

on Saturday, 28 March. All are welcome to

take part and see how fast they can ski on

the Fee piste (2600m) accessed from the

top of the Sautet lift. It costs €5 for two runs.

The day will also see the pros take part in

the Gold KL, with the current record 251kph

held by Simone Origone.

ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL

Sölden, in the Austrian Tirol, hosts the

popular Electric Mountain Festival, which

this year will be staged on 10/11 April at the

Fun Zone Giggijoch. Free to enter for all lift

pass holders, the event begins on the Friday

with performances by Klangkarussell from

Austria, Netherlands’ DJ Fedde le Grand

and The Avener from France, followed by

DJ Nicky Romero from the Netherlands and

Canada’s DVBBS on the Saturday.

SKIERS CYCLEFOR CHARITY

Last year, ski tour operator Zenith Holidays’

overseas team raised over £300 to

support the charity Matthew’s Friends

(matthewsfriends.org) by cycling up the 21

bends to Alpe d’Huez. This 7 April, they hope

to raise even more by attempting the greater

challenge of cycling from Alpe D’Huez to

Serre Chevalier – approximately 75kms with

a vertical climb of 1.9kms, taking around 7

hours ( justgiving.com/coldulosttheplot).

SKI FOR £1

The Easter Bunny is bringing gifts galore to

The Snow Centre (indoor snow centre north

of London) this Easter Sunday and Monday (5

and 6 April) with 15-minute Ski or Snowboard

Taster sessions for £1 offered to first timers

from 4pm to 6pm each day, including rental,

tuition and access. More experienced skiers

are offered 10% off a variety of lessons.

@INTHESNOWMAG

BAGGAGE DELIVERY ON THE RISE

TRIS

TAN

SH

U

THESNOWCENTRE.COM

Just returned from a fantastic

week in the mountains?

Maybe you saw them as

you skied past the resort

freestyle park or as they

landed a 360 spin on the

way down the piste, or

perhaps you’ve just heard

about those skiers and

snowboarders whose snow-

sports tricks amaze and

astound the rest of us!

Known as freestyle skiers

or snowboarders, the trick-

landing snow enthusiasts

among us can often be

found practising their tricks on jumps, rails and

boxes in freestyle parks on the mountains, on

dry slopes and at indoor real-snow centres. And

while their moves are inspiring, if you’d like to

try freestyle tricks yourself, it’s difficult to know

where you should start! The Snow Centre Hemel

Hempstead’s Freestyle Coaches Nick Lark and

Kris Amstutz gave us their top tips for landing

your first freestyle trick!

Kris, The Snow Centre’s Snowboard Coach says:

If you’ve never tried freestyle snowboarding

before, what’s the first trick you should attempt?

Straight air over a small kicker.

On your snowboard, head straight down the

fall line towards the kicker/jump, keeping your

shoulders in line with the board. As you reach the

flat bit of the jump (before it starts to go upwards),

sink down, bending your knees more, and as the

nose of the board reaches the top of the jump,

pop up (slight jump) and you will take off into the

air! Then spot your landing, and as your board

meets the snow, relax and compress the impact

by bending your knees, before riding off.

What snowboard ability do you already need to

have to try this trick?

Before trying a straight air over a small kicker,

you should be able to make little jumps while

travelling across a standard slope. Your board

posture should also be very strong!

How and where can you practise or warm up for

a straight air over a kicker?

Before attempting this on a jump, try making

small jumps on your heel edge and toe edge on

the piste abroad or on a clear slope at an indoor

snow centre. If you come across a roller on the

mountain, you can try a straight air over the roller

before you try it on a jump.

Once you have landed a straight air, how can

you make it more interesting?

Try an Indy Grab! Once you have popped, simply

add style to the trick by bringing your knees up

in line with your body, while reaching down with

your back hand to grab the board behind you,

between your bindings. Hold then release, spot

your landing and as your board meets the snow,

compress before riding off!

Nick, The Snow Centre’s Ski Coach says:

If you have never tried freestyle skiing before,

what’s the first trick you should attempt?

Assuming you’ve jumped off a little side hit or roller

before, I would start with a 180. If not, work on

getting comfortable using small jumps and rollers.

To try a 180 spin, start by establishing the

correct speed for the jump! Practise a few times

just going straight over the jump until you feel

balanced in the air. Then try a 180! The trick can

be broken down into four parts.

- Approach the jump with a low, wide and centred

stance and keep your eyes straight ahead.

- When you reach the lip of the jump, extend your

ankles and knees and “pop” into the air.

- Once in the air, turn your hips, shoulders and

head at the same time to face back up the hill.

- When you land, absorb the impact by bending

your knees and ankles; once balanced, turn your

head to see where you’re going and raise a fist to

show how stoked you are on your new trick!

What skiing ability do you already need to have

to try a 180 spin?

You should be confident skiing on a wide range of

terrain, happily skiing the whole mountain, as well

as being confident with speed.

How and where can you practise a 180 spin?

Try starting with sliding 180s on the snow, followed

by adding a small pop, and perfect the trick on flat

ground before you take it to a jump. You can do

this on the mountain or at a snow centre!

LANDYOURFIRSTFREESTYLETRICK!

FB.COM/INTHESNOW

JOINUS

FORTHE RIDE

OFYOURLIFE

030 // MAR15

A NIGHT AT THE TOP OF A SKI JUMP

Following the success of their “spend

a night in a cable car” promotion in

which Airbnb, which describes itself

as “the world’s leading community-

driven hospitality company,”

converted a Courchevel cable car

cabin into a homely hotel room for

1 night only, the company is back

with the chance this time to win

1 of 2 nights’ accommodation at

the end of March, staying at the

top of Scandinavia’s most famous

ski jump, the Holmenkollen, with

spectacular views over Oslo.

The very top of Holmenkollen,

where the ski jumpers prepare

for flight before their jump, will be

transformed into a glass-walled

penthouse apartment with private

rooftop terrace. The next morning,

guests can, if they wish, check out

via zip line.

The temporary Airbnb listing

will be decorated with Nordic

contemporary design and will boast

some of the best views of Oslo,

including the fjord and the snow-

capped mountains surrounding the

Norwegian capital.

Melissa Hegge was in charge of

decorating the temporary penthouse

with contemporary pieces from

established and upcoming

Norwegian designers, such as the

Saddle Chair, the Vang dining chair

and the table lamp, Lune. She also

found space for a picture from 1922

of the Norwegian Crown Prince Olav

jumping off Holmenkollen.

“The view takes my breath away.

This is the perfect place to showcase

Norwegian design,” she said.

@INTHESNOWMAG

FIFA have announced that the

2022 Football World Cup will

take place in November and

December 2022, at the other end

of the year from the 2022 Winter

Olympics and Paralympics which

will be staged in February/March

of that year.

After it was decided that the

tournament would be moved to

the winter, the IOC expressed

concerns of a dates clash with

the Winter Games, citing issues

with sponsors and television

rights. This scenario now appears

to have been largely avoided,

with the two tournaments

actually being staged further

apart in the year than normal.

The IOC will decide on 31 July

this year whether China or

Kazakhstan will host the 2022

Winter Olympics, after Norway,

Switzerland, Germany, Ukraine,

Sweden and Poland pulled out

of the bidding process due

to lack of popular support, in

some cases partially blaming

excessive demands by the IOC

for their decisions.

This means the 2022 Winter

Olympics will be the third in a

row to be staged on the Asian

continent, although Sochi was

technically in Europe, just.

NO CLASH FOR 2022 WORLD CUP & OLYMPICS

FIFA

FOTO

GR

AF FELIX

OD

ELL

BO

OT

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MIN

THE

SNO

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FREE

IN TH

ESN

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FREESponsors of Boot Room

BO

OT

ROO

M

Sponsors of Boot RoomSALI

CE

/ NIC

K W

EBST

ER

ANATOMDYNAFIT KHIÔN

Dynafit’s new award-winning Freeride

touring boot, the Khiôn, is a game

changer. It combines the rigidity and

stiffness of a downhill-oriented 4-clip

Alpine boot with the lightweight

comfort of a modern uphill ski-touring

boot. The contoured fit and sleek

snow-dynamic design is unique in the

marketplace.

£450-£570

ANATOMFOOTWEAR.CO.UK

MAMMUT ALUGATOR TWIST SHOVEL

When performing an avalanche

rescue, every second counts. Two

possible blade positions make it

easier for you to scoop or cut the

snow. Extendable handle and

T-grip means you can dig faster

and maximise your effort. When

you need to use a shovel in

an avalanche situation, you

need to make sure it works as

efficiently as possible!

£49.95 | SKIBARTLETT.COM


SHREDSLAM CAP HELMET

A lightweight revolutionary helmet.

Embedded in its EPS core is a layer of

SLYTECH NOSHOCK™ Honeycomb,

that dissipates impact forces multi-

directionally, to minimise forces

transferred through the helmet to your

head. Lightweight, comfortable, suitably

vented and impressive impact dissipation

due to the cleverly imbedded SLYTECH

material. It’s no wonder riders like Tom

Wallisch are now choosing SHRED ...!

£139 | SKIBARTLETT.COM

SMARTWOOLWOMEN’S PHD® SNOWBOARD MED

SmartWool’s medium full-cushioned foot and leg in this

sock keeps the rider comfy as they rock in the park all day.

Specifically designed for a woman’s foot. WOW™ technology in

high-density impact zones reduces shock and abrasion.

£21.99 | 0800 0326499 | SMARTWOOL.COM

BLACK DIAMOND EXPEDITION 3

A touring pole that looks

the part and won’t let you

down when you’re using it! A

3-section adjustable pole, with

reliable solid dual FlickLocks,

and a comfortable, extended

foam grip, the Expedition 3

offers maximum versatility and

maximum adjustability, whether

you’re skiing on-piste, off-piste

or ski touring.


ATOMICAUTOMATIC 109

These skis really are a true all-

conditions, all-mountain ski ... A

fun, agile feel over bumpy terrain.

Superbly stable when you let

them run. Get them on-piste and

you’ll be amazed at how easily

they turn. A very special ski that

you won’t find everywhere!


FISCHER ALPATTACK - TRANSALP SKIS

Excess material has been milled out from the core,

reducing the weight of these touring skis by 25%.

Now weighing only 650g, these will give you a

more effortless skin up to the top. With their clever

construction you’ll have no compromise on the

downhill section of your ski tour either.


ELLIOT BROWN CANFORD WATCH COLLECTION

Rugged outdoor credentials along with honest good looks.

Designed to be worn every day, even in harsh conditions,

it can cope with just about anything you throw at it on the

slopes. With Swiss-made movement, incredible shock

absorbency and Superluminova detailing on the hands,

dial and bezel for outstanding legibility in any conditions,

this really is a go-anywhere watch. Classic good looks

without the smart-phone gadgetry.

£325 | SNOWANDROCK.COM

ZAINI HATS

Zaini hats are still the leader of headwear when it comes to

snow sports and with a whole new 2014/215 range they can’t

be missed on the slopes! Like this NEW ‘Falkland’ beanie.

£20.99 | ZAINI.COM

MORE AT SKIBARTLETT.COM

With their renowned reputation for

specialist expert advice, combined with their

carefully selected and tested range of products,

it’s no surprise that Ski Bartlett’s word-of-mouth

reputation over the last 50 years has made them

the UK’s most popular independent ski shop!

BLACK CROWS FREEBIRD ORB SKIS

A lighter-constructed version of the popular Orb ski, but still with

Black Crows’ no-compromise ski performance. Whether you’re

touring or all-mountain skiing, this lightweight ski will grip on hard

pack and steeps, cut through the powder and carve up the pistes.


INTHESNOW.COM // MAR15 // 033

PERILLA SOCKS

Fabulous 75% alpaca ski socks

with soft cushioned sole and

ribbed sides, these socks wick

away moisture, repel odour and

bacteria and can happily be

worn for a week. Longer socks

also available for those who

prefer a thinner sock.

£18.00 | PERILLA.CO.UK

FISCHER PRODUCT NAME

With a Freeski ROCKER for perfect floating, this all-rounder

is the perfect powder friend. The new Air Tec core gives a

25% weight reduction yet maintains performance but with

less weight. Confidence inspiring both on- and off-piste, the

ladies’ Koa 84 is a joy for all mountain fun.

£470 INCL BINDING

SNOWSHEPHERDLEATHER SKI GLOVES

The off-piste equipment specialists Snowshepherd

sell avalanche equipment, skis and specialist clothing.

They are well known as the only ski retailer to sell these

famous ski worker gloves as used by instructors, guides

and lift workers across the French Alps. They also stock a

wide range of other leather ski gloves.

£14.99 | SNOWSHEPHERD.CO.UK

SMARTWOOL PHD® SKI LIGHT PATTERN

The PhD® Ski Light keeps feet warm and dry without sacrificing boot

performance. SmartWool-placed cushioning where skiers need it

most: on the shin for protection against the boot and on the bottom of

the foot for warmth and impact protection. Made with our 4 Degree™

elite fit system for a sock that never bunches, slips, or binds. And the

patented ReliaWool™ technology provides superior durability to make

sure the socks are ready to go, run after run.

£20.99 | 0800 0326499 | SMARTWOOL.COM

MAMMUT NIVA JACKET

A technical fit with fashionable freeride looks.

Soft and flexible fit for comfort in action whether

you’re skiing piste or floating in powder, the Niva

will make sure you look and feel great.


SCOTT THE SKI

Based on a 70s designed all-

mountain ski, the ultimate ski

of choice in its day. Its founder

Bobby Burns inspired Scott to

develop “The Ski” into a modern-

day, one ski quiver, brought to

life with original retro graphics!

Super-smooth and easy turning

on all terrain and conditions.

Whether you’re skiing on-piste,

off-piste, touring or telemark ...

“The Ski” will deliver you great

performance in a wide range of

ability levels, this really is “The

Ski” to have this year.


SWEET IGNITER ALPINISTE

Engineered to meet the demands of professional

mountain guides and freeride tourers. Including 26

vents, headlamp attachment point and one of the

toughest impact protection constructions out there.

If your adventures take you off the beaten track and

into steep rocky terrain, you’d be crazy to not have this

strong and lightweight helmet on your head!


MARKER KINGPIN

The biggest game changer in binding technology. A releasable tech-pin

binding. Smooth flow of movement while you’re going up, with unrivalled

alpine-style response and perfomance on the descent. Combine this with

its safety aspects and ease of use and you won’t want anything else!

FROM £375 | SKIBARTLETT.COM

Hardware Winner:

ATOMICBACKLAND BOOT

Backland boots make touring more efficient.

They offer an impressive range of motion

thanks to new Free/Lock 2.0 mechanism that

frees the cuff from the shell for 74° mobility.

Plus a Frictionless Pivot for a super-smooth

movement and a removable tongue for

climbing. They are super light, weighing just

987g but packed with our mountain boot

technology like Memory Fit and a Carbon Spine.

Software Winner:

DARE 2BBOUNTIFUL JACKET

Adorned by beautiful badge detailing,

premium faux fur and metallic gold trims,

the womens’ Bountiful Jacket combines

ultimate luxe style with top performing

features. Its ARED V02 15,000 stretch

fabric together with ribbed collar and

cuffs will undeniably keep you protected

against cold weather conditions, keeping

you slope and style ready.

Accessories Winner:

SCOTT ALPRIDE PRO 12 AIRBAG

The new SCOTT Air Free AP 12 Pro is the

preferred airbag of professional freeskiers.

A light and compact avalanche pack with

standalone Airbag System and integrated

D3O® back protector. The pack provides

ample space for shovel, probe and extra

items, while a trail-running inspired

harness shoulder strap system ensures a

tight fit and comfort.


HESTRA UTSJO GLOVE

A gorgeously soft elk leather glove that you will not want to

take off. With its pre-curved fingers, supple Nordic elk leather,

warm primaloft down-like filling and fleece lining - these really

are the riccardo seat version of leather gloves!


SCOTT TEAM ISSUE POLE

The SCOTT Team Issue features the tried, tested, and super

strong aluminum shaft that all Scott athletes believe in. New

for this year is the innovative Strap Release System (SRS), that

releases the strap from the pole in sketchy situations, preventing

injury if you fall or get your pole caught around a tree! This is the

world’s most popular freeskiing pole for a reason.


LEVEL WORLD CUP MITTEN

Warm, comfortable with outrageous graphics - what

more could you want. They’re the glove to have on

the WorldCup circuit this year and we can see why.

Super Fabric to give you durability. Ceramic coated

Pittards leather for flexibility. Custom Fit for heat

mouldable extra comfort! Bring out the lion in you...


K2SHREDDITOR 102

Whether you’re ripping the piste or

cruising the powder, K2 have hit the

sweet spot with these. Combining

adequate width under foot and user

friendly powder shaped tip with

powerful sidewall construction. A

great ski if you want to progress into

more powder skiing, but still want

the performance on piste.


SALAMON QUEST AIR

Auto custom air, sounds like those Nike trainers from

years gone by!! The Quest helmet has integrated

airbags inside the helmet that aids to the fit and

comfort on your head. Put it on, move the helmet

around on your head and the air escapes leaving

just enough space for your head. A great fitting and

superbly comfortable helmet.


LEKIPOLE HOT SHOT

Lightweight aluminum shafts can be

filled with drinks! What an amazing

hip flask to always have with you

and a great party trick on the slopes!

Not compromising performance,

they also utilise the popular Trigger

S Safety Release System on the

wrist strap to make sure you don’t

get caught in your poles!


Remember your ski gear is for life (well,

hopefully a few seasons at least) not just

for one holiday, so it’s important to store

it correctly in the summer if you want it to

keep performing winter after winter.

So rather than just chucking it

unceremoniously in a shed or garage,

it’s worth taking a few minutes to check

everything’s in good shape before you

store it and to ensure you store it correctly.

So here’s that annoying ‘to do’ list:

STEP 1CLEAN IT!You probably gave your skis or board

and boots a cursory wipe before

chucking them in their bags for the flight

home, but it’s important you don’t just

leave them in there damp and fusty all

summer. Get them out and give them a

proper clean down then leave them in a

warmish, dry place to totally dry out.

TIP: Use good old clean water as

cleaning fluids can damage the

lubricants on the bindings, in fact, try to

avoid getting the bindings wet at all.

STEP 2 SHARPEN YOUR EDGESIt may seem a bit weird to sharpen the

edges of your skis or board before

putting them away for nine months or

more, but it’s a worthwhile, a five-minute

job with multiple benefits for you for next

season; chief among them being that

smooth, sharp, dry edges are less likely

to pick up any rust.

If you don’t have sharpening or other

ski maintenance equipment, they’re

easy and affordable to obtain (along

with advice on correct usage) from any

reputable ski shop.

STEP 3 CHECK YOUR BASES Any deep gouges will not only affect

your equipment’s performance but may

also allow water to penetrate the ski or

board. Whilst you can repair this yourself,

it is time-consuming & the results are

not always perfect. Summer is the ideal

time to get your equipment serviced at

your local ski shop as there will be no

queue and the techies can take their

time to do a perfect job. So if you want

to save yourself a lot of effort, and be

well prepared in advance of next season,

why not pay a few quid to have it done

professionally?

STEP 4 GO WAX CRAZYIt’s worth waxing your skis (once you’ve

cleaned and sharpened them) to help

keep away any signs of the dreaded

rust and to prevent the base drying

out A softer wax is best. Leave a good

thick layer of wax covering both base

and edges. Don’t worry about scraping

the base smooth as you would on a ski

day: you can always scrape them to

perfection just before you want to use

them again next season.

Again, ask your friendly local ski shop

for advice and equipment should you

need it.

STEP 5 BOOTSYour boots need a bit of a care too. Wipe

them clean and pull out the liners to

be stored, or at least dried, separately.

Make sure everything is completely dry.

For hard boots it may be worth checking

there are no puddles lurking under the

plastic footbeds! Check buckles for any

damage or for snowboard boots check

laces are in good shape, if not, now’s the

ideal time to replace them. Do it while it’s

fresh in your mind!

TIP: a touch of WD40 on the buckles

will keep them moving freely and help

avoid rust.

STEP 6STORAGEOutbuildings are rarely ski or board

friendly – a dry, cool place inside the

house is likely to be better. Keep your kit

out of direct sunlight.

TIP: You should ensure that there

is minimum pressure on your skis

or board, so don’t strap skis tightly

together but leave them to take their

natural shape.

STORING YOUR GEAR IN SUMMER


VOLKL BMT 94

With a full carbon-fibre construction, lightweight wood

core and a full rocker shape, the BMT 94 is agile and

manoeuvrable in all snow conditions but sacrifices

nothing on edge grip or stability. It looks light, it feels

light, but wow does it pack a responsive punch!

£750 | VOKL.COM

HEAD VECTOR 115

A high-performance boot with

a user-friendly fit. With its heat-

mouldable liner and new “Perfect

Fit” heat-mouldable shell, you can

achieve a superb fit combined with

comfort. Why compromise when

you can have a “Perfect Fit” … ?

£290 | HEAD.COM

NORRONALOFOTEN ONE-PIECE SUIT

Whether you’re heading to the powder of Japan, the

off-piste in Chamonix or you just want to be warm

when the weather closes in, this has to be the ultimate

tech onesie. Gore-tex shell for uncompromised

performance and a freeride fit for uncompromised

movement – functional, fashionable, warm and pretty

damn good looking!

£999 | NORRONA.COM

DRAGON APXS GOGGLE

Oversized frameless goggles are where it’s at …

why compromise on having such an amazing field

of vision? Make sure you can see obstacles around

you, and make sure you enjoy the view; that’s what

the mountains are for. Now also available in APXs to

suit smaller face shapes.

£175 INCL SPARE LENS | DRAGONALLIANCE.COM

HESTRAGLOVE HANDCUFF

Attach a pair of these economical

handcuffs to almost any glove and

you’ll never drop them again. The

elasticated cuff slides on your wrist

(also keeping it warm) and the other

end to the glove. Available in Unisex,

Ladies and kids sizes.

£4.99 | SKIBARTLETT.COM

It’s one of those battles that

have raged since the very

early years of human existence

(possibly even earlier),

chicken or egg? Man U or

Man City? Rent or buy your ski

equipment?

To this day, no one truly knows

the answer to any of these

questions, but in terms of

whether to rent or buy your ski

equipment, the battle has never

been more intense!

In recent years the rental sector has

raised its game, driven in part by intense

competition between larger rental shop

chains and aided by sky-rocketing

carriage fees for skis on planes, but there

remain very strong advantages to buying

your own equipment in Blighty, and

taking it with you.

The number one key to a successful ski

holiday is skiing on skis that are right for

you and being comfortable in a fitted

pair of boots. When either of those

ingredients go wrong, what should be a

seriously fun, cool and enjoyable holiday

can become a bit of a nightmare.

When I land at my destination airport I

feel an overwhelming sense of urgency

to get on the slopes; what I really don’t

want to be doing is faffing around in a

shop in a queue of people who frankly

don’t seem bothered whether they get to

ski that day or not!

And that’s not all, being told ‘these are

the only ones we have left’, or chopping

and changing boots and skis mid holiday

is no fun and results in yet more time off

the slopes. So whether it’s skis, board,

boots or helmet, seeking expert advice

in the UK and having the peace of mind

that you’re getting the gear that’s perfect

for you is unbeatable.

Many stores offer a boot comfort

guarantee and for independent retailers

your recommendation is essential, so

their sole purpose in life (excuse the pun)

is to ensure you get the right boot every

time. This all equates to maximum time

on the slopes…land, get to resort and

you’re ready to go, hassle free.

There are some that argue that the hassle

of carrying skis and even the cost of airline

carriage outweighs the benefits, but frankly

these just don’t stack up for me. Fly some

major airlines like BA and you can check-in

a pretty hefty ski bag (with enough clothes

for five days in as well as skis) as normal

checked luggage, often meaning the

combined cost is cheaper than a low cost

airline like Easyjet, while skis and boots

are carried free of charge on many Swiss

flights (be sure to check conditions in

advance of travel). And when it comes to

hassle, surely the majority of the carrying

is done by planes and cars? All you have

to do is drag a bag on wheels from the

car to the check-in desk…after all, we are

energetic life loving people, surely this

won’t put us off!

So why risk getting equipment that isn’t

perfect for you on that one winter blast

of the year?

036 // MAR15

WHY BUY YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT?

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ANON RAIDER HELMET

Amazing price without any compromise on

safety. This helmet conforms to high safety

specifications meaning you can use it on

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gives you all the features you need.

£54.95 | SPUTNIKSNOWBOARDSHOP.COM

YES JACKPOT SNOWBOARD

Easy to ride all over the mountain due to it’s mid flex and true twin

shape. Performs well in all conditions and on all terrain. The Camrock

profile gives you camber between the bindings for response and pop,

and rocker outside the bindings for presses and a looser board feel.


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For the skier whose playground

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float, grip and of course fun, then

these are definitely it. Their playful

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THIRTY TWO SESSION SNOWBOARD BOOT

Stiff flex all mountain snowboard

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offer the best custom fit on the market.

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BURTON WHEELIE DOUBLE DECK BAG

A bag to last a lifetime. Big enough

for a week away to the mountains

and light enough not to push you

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double deck construction allows

easy access for packing and the

hard base offers great protection for

your belongings.

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K2 PINNACLE 130

One of the best-selling boots for

a reason, integrating freeride

performance with touring features in

one boot! Lightweight construction,

great range of movement on the up,

pin binding compatible, hike and ski

mode, no-compromise performance

on the downhill – what more could

you ask for …!

£399 | K2SKIS.COM

CELTEK TRIPPIN PRO MITT

Warm low profile mitt with trigger finger. It

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PORTSMOUTH RUBBISH DUMP COULD BECOME SKI SLOPEEarly-stage plans to create Britain’s seventh

and most southerly indoor snow centre at

Portsmouth have met with mixed reactions from

locals. After it was announced that the city’s

council has had talks with Land Securities, cur-

rent owners of the Snozone indoor snow cen-

tres at Milton Keynes and Castleford to discuss

the possibility of creating an indoor snow facility

on part of a rubbish dump at Horsea Island, lo-

cals were divided between those who thought it

was a great idea that would help regenerate the

city, and those who feared it would be a white

elephant and bad for the environment.

Portsmouth council is also reported to be

looking at whether to create a less expensive

dry ski slope on the site as an alternative

option. Both ideas are at an early stage with

no details of the proposals available. A sizable

proportion of the world’s existing indoor snow

slopes and dry slopes was built on former

rubbish dumps and quarry or mining sites.

Tory councillor Luke Stubbs said it was impor-

tant to make imaginative use of the limited

land available and that the snow centre could

create work, attract leisure visitors and bring

millions of pounds into the local economy.

“This would be brilliant news for the area and

would allow us to add a practical skiing test

to our recruitment procedure!” said Xavier

Schouller, MD of Portsmouth-based ski com-

pany Peak Retreats. “All our staff would also

definitely love the opportunity to keep up their

skiing during the summer months.”

Austria’s Brixen im Thale, part

of the giant Skiwelt area in the

Tirol region, has announced

it will be installing what it

claims will be the world’s

fastest chairlift in time to

begin operation next winter in

2015–16.

The new Jochbahn, a

detachable eight-seater chairlift,

will operate on the resort’s

Sonnseite (“Sunny Side”) and be

nearly two and a half times faster

than the lift it replaces, travelling

at a world-beating 6mps (metres

per second) compared with the

2.5mps of the older lift.

The Jochbahn, which comes

with a €12m price tag and

an impressive hourly uplift

capacity of 3,000 people,

deploys the very latest

technology, as all 75 chairs

on the 2km-long lift will

be equipped with comfort

suspension, heated seats and

weather-protection hoods.

The route will be extended

too with the new valley station

situated at the same level as

Gasthof Nieding, so the lift

is now more than double its

previous length, but thanks

to its high speed, the journey

time is considerably less

compared to the old lift.

The lift will also incorporate

a solar panel farm covering

180m2 (on the south side of the

chair garage) which will help

provide the energy supply for

the chairlift.

“With the construction of the

extended Joch lift and the new

Joch piste, which has already

opened this winter, Brixen

now has a very attractive,

varied, sunny and snow-

assured (constantly machine

snowed) piste paradise, which

appeals not just to families

and beginners, but also to

dedicated skiers,” said a

SkiWelt statement.

With 90 cable cars and lifts,

and 280km of ski slopes

to suit all abilities, SkiWelt

Wilder Kaiser-Brixental is the

largest interconnected ski

area in Austria.

WORLD’S FASTEST CHAIRLIFT FOR 2015–16



I’ve always loved the

Italian Dolomites and

particularly the Alta Badia

region – the mountains

are so spectacular and

stunningly beautiful, the

atmosphere so relaxed,

the food so good and

the prices so reasonable.

What’s not to love?

Often overlooked is how

extensive the terrain on

your doorstep is too.

Whichever ski village

you choose to stay in,

you’re likely to find the

local slopes covered

by the vast Dolomiti

Superski pass which for 40 years now

has covered hundreds of lifts, and

1200km (750 miles) of piste, all on one

remarkable ticket. Indeed the area was

a pioneer of linking ski areas together

on one computer-chip-embedded lift

pass – something we take for granted

these days but was considered

revolutionary not so very long ago.

And while those 1200km of runs are

divided between numerous valleys, at

the heart of them is the Sellaronda, an

incredible network of around 40km of

pistes and lifts that circle the

towering Sella Massif.

For me, like the Vallée

Blanche at Chamonix or the

Sarenne run, the world’s

longest black at Alpe

d’Huez, this circuit is one of

the “must ski” (or board) trips

to be made during anyone’s

life on the slopes. But it’s

less well known that as

valleys like Badia, Gardena

and Fassa radiate off the

Sellaronda, linked by lifts

and pistes, in total more than

500km of runs are all interconnected,

the second biggest ski area in the

world in fact after Les 3 Vallées.

But it’s not just the scale of the skiing,

nor the sense of being able to travel

from village to village without having to

retrace your ski tracks, it’s equally

about the awe-inspiring scenery of

giant granite cliffs with a pinkish hue

(particularly impressive at sunrise

or sunset when they glow red) that

makes the experience very special.

Apparently the whole area once lay at

the bottom of the ocean and the pink

hue to the rock is down to ancient

corals. The fact that the slopes are

dotted with dozens of cosy, traditional,

family-run hostelries

serving up home-cooked food at

fair prices from local ingredients only

adds to the experience. No

surprise that the whole area

is now a UNESCO World

Heritage site.

Alta Badia is chock-full

of all kinds of interesting

accommodation options

alongside more usual hotels

and apartments. I was lucky

enough to be staying in the

Lagaciò Mountain Residence,

a boutique-style B&B hotel.

The hotel is located in San

Cassanio, one of the smaller

but most perfectly formed of

the half-dozen villages that combine to

make up Alta Badia. The largest and best

known in the area is Corvara.

Although small, the village is home

to San Cassiano Ski School where

friendly but professional instructors

can teach all

ability levels from complete

beginners to experts in a relaxed

environment.

The region’s reputation for good food

is evident everywhere, from affordably

priced but perfectly homemade

meals in the mountain restaurants

to gourmet-level Michelin-starred

restaurants like the St Hubertus, part of

the 5 Rosa Alpina.

Here Head Chef Norbert Niederkofler

invited me into his kitchen to see

it in operation, so I could witness

firsthand the quality and skill of the

chefs working in his team. The taste

and presentation of the food was

exceptional, with local, seasonal

produce at the heart of the meals.

The Lagacio describe themselves

on their website as offering,

“unpretentious luxury, natural comfort

MORE INFO

Alta Badia: alabadia.org

Dolomiti Superski: dolomitisuperski.com/en

Lagazuoi: rifugiolagazuoi.com

The Lagacio Mountain Residence: lagacio.com

Rosa Alpina: rosalpina.it

San Cassiano Ski School: scuolascisancassiano.it

WORDS: DEBBIE GABRIEL

and the sincere cordiality in a place

away from the hustle and bustle of

everyday life” and this was exactly the

experience I got from the moment I

arrived at the Lagaciò.

Tastefully furnished from materials

sourced locally, the Lagacio is all

about natural living in the Dolomites.

Everything is catered for with excellent

attention to detail by the team running

the hotel. The breakfast is truly amazing

and, if you had the physical capacity,

you could comfortably eat for at least

an hour over breakfast enjoying all

locally sourced foods – including

wonderful local butter and honey. One

nice touch was a juicer with a huge

choice of fruit and veg available so you

can create your own healthy morning

pick-me-up ready for your day on the

slopes – which were easy to reach

thanks to a private shuttle bus to the

base station.

Thanks to that great breakfast I was

fully fuelled up for the highlight of

my trip on the slopes – skiing the

Sellaronda – a great experience

(possibly the afternoon cakes at the

Lagacio were the overall highlight of

the whole trip). I was lucky enough to

have perfect weather conditions to

take in the stunning view, making it

one of my best ski days ever.

The Italian slopes were perfectly

groomed wide motorways – ideal for

the recreational skier, but there are

also several classic descents in the

region for more advanced skiers.

One particularly exciting option is to

take the ski bus around to Lagazuoi,

a separate Dolomiti Superski sector

on the far side of the Sellaronda and

actually a separate outpost of Cortina

d’Ampezzo’s ski terrain.

A cable car whisks you to the top

(where there’s a great mountain

restaurant and interesting cliff-top

tunnels created by solders during

World War 1 to visit. But the skiing main

attraction is the amazing hidden Valley

run which descends back

towards Alta Badia round the back

of the mountain: a wonderful long run

that intermediate skiers can tackle

that takes you past frozen waterfalls

and stunning scenery that feels a

million miles from the rest of the world.

As a final treat at the bottom of the

run, a horse-pulled drag lift will tow

you across the kilometre or so of flat

terrain to make the connection back to

the Sellaronda for just a few euros.

Another run, starting slightly closer to

home, is the Val de Mesdi, which drops

down from the top of the Sella Massif

around which the Sellaronda circuit is

circulating and descends through an

initially narrow

crevasse which then widens

out for a glorious powder descent

arriving close to the village of Colfosco,

a neighbour of San Cassiano in Alta

Badia. This run is accessed via lifts up

from the other side of the Sellaronda

near Arabba and then a traverse and

should only be tackled by very good

skiers making the trip with a local guide.

I truly loved being in the magnificent

mountains of the Dolomites, feeling

like I was able to reach out and touch it

when skiing. Everyone must do this at

least once. I will be going back.


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People are beginning to realise that spring skiing in April

has an amazing amount to offer. The days are longer, the sun

on the terraces is warmer and the ski area can be enjoyed in all its

glory by experts and beginners alike. Après-ski has a really happy vibe with

a host of special events to round off this season’s adventure. The spring

skiing season in Val d’Isère this year lasts from 11

April to 3 May. It’s idyllic.

REASON 1RELAXED SKIINGIn April, you will be grinning from ear to ear in

Val d’Isère! In the morning, feel the thrill of skiing

on perfect morning snow down to your favourite

sunny terrace. Dress code for lunch: T-shirt and

sunglasses. It’s time for maximum relaxation

and really enjoyable skiing! The “Derby du

Signal” opens spring skiing on 11 April in the

idyllic valley of Le Fornet where people aged 13

to 100 come together to celebrate snow sports

from morning until night. Skis, snowboards,

telemark skis, skwals and monoskis, everyone

comes together to enjoy a special itinerary in a

wonderful atmosphere.

REASON 2 2016 GEAR TESTINGWhile relaxing at the end of this season, you

can also get a head start on next season!

That’s because from 13 to 30 April you can try out next year’s kit at the

Val d’Isère 2016 ski tests taking place on the snowfront where you can

pick up next season’s equipment to head up onto the slopes and test

out. Some of the biggest and best ski and snowboard manufacturers in

the world will be in town showcasing their 2016 equipment.

REASON 3 PARTY TIME

The fun continues at après-ski parties throughout the

village where concerts, pre-dinner drinks and DJs go up a gear to create

unforgettable spring memories. For a map with the best skiing hour by hour,

entertainment and events, special offers for

accommodation, lift passes and ski instructors,

go to: valdisere-hotice.com.

REASON 4 TAKE IN A MOVIEFrom 20 to 23 April, some remarkable men and

women will be staying in Val d’Isère: their films

explain everything, but meeting with them is

truly inspirational. Welcome to the International

Adventure and Discovery Film Festival, attracting

9000 spectators over 4 evenings and featuring

a film competition celebrating amazing accounts

of human and sporting adventures – this is

extraordinary entertainment.

REASON 5STAY ZENTo bring the season to a close, why not enjoy

3 days of complete relaxation at the Congress

Centre: 40 yoga sessions, discussions, an

Om Market and an organic bistro alongside

other relaxing activities. From 1 to 3 May, the

Val d’Isère Yoga Festival will include more than 35 yoga, pilates and

wellness classes, some of them staged outside yoga classes with the

fabulous backdrop of the mountains, as well an Om Market with organic,

eco products including clothing, pendants and meditation cushions. It will

ensure you leave the resort feeling wonderfully calm.

FURTHER INFO

Spring Snow Sports & Fun: 11 April – 3 May 2015

Main site: valdisere.comSpring site: valdisere-hotice.com

11 April: Derby du Signal13-30 April: 2016 Ski Testing20-23 April: Adventure & Discovery Film Festival1-3 May: Yoga Festival

VALDISERE.COM040 // MAR15

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FUN, BRIGHT AND ETHICALLY

MADE IN NEW ZEALAND

COLORADO SKI TRAIN RUNS AGAINRail access to ski resorts in the early years was often only really possible

by train, as roads were blocked and in any case many people couldn’t

afford cars. This was the heyday of the “ski train” service to many of

the world’s leading ski areas, particularly those which were within a

reasonable commute of major cities.

One of the most famous was the Winter Park ski train service which

allowed the population of Denver to reach the famous ski resort (which

was actually owned by the city) via a spectacular 56 mile route.

The service ran for almost 70 years until finally ending in 2009 due to

rising operating costs and falling demand.

But Amtrak decided to run the train again, for one Saturday only, earlier

this month to commemorate Winter Park’s 75th anniversary. Around 400

people quickly bought tickets at $75 return and a second train had to be

laid on, which also quickly sold out.

Winter Park Resort President Gary DeFrange was quoted in the Denver

Post as saying he hoped the one-day train could show the potential of a

return to a regular rail service between the city and the ski area.

30 YEARS OF SNOWBOARDINGBreckenridge in Colorado, one of the first major resorts in the world

to adopt the then cool new sport of snowboarding, is to celebrate 30

years of staging boarding competitions later this month.

The Breck Throwback half pipe competition on 28 March will showcase

just how far boarding has come over the last three decades by asking

30 pro-boarders to compete both on a specially constructed six-foot

mini-pipe that is an exact replica of the first one built at Breck in 1985,

and on the resort’s current state-of-the-art 22ft superpipe.

In homage to the 30-year anniversary, tricks with no more than 540

degrees of rotation will be allowed, so each rider, competing for a

$17,000 prize purse, will have to get creative with straight airs, alley-

oops, huge slow spins, and handplants.

Breck was one of the first major resorts to allow snowboarding in

the 1984–85 season and to host one of the initial major snowboard

competitions in the industry, The World Snowboarding Championships,

or “The World’s,” in 1986, and then became the first-ever resort to have

a permanent half pipe.

SKI IN COLOUR AT LES GETSWho hasn’t wanted to ski down a slope and be

blasted with coloured powder, turning you into a

skiing work of art (not that you’re not already …)?

That was what happened in Les Gets in France

recently when the French resort organised its

first Ski Colour festival – it proved to be such a

huge success it seems set to be back next winter.

The unique new concept took place on the

slopes of Mont Chéry and saw skiers and

boarders wearing protective white ski suits while

“literally diving through an explosion of colour,”

said a resort spokesperson.

Ever-aware of its environmental footprint and true to

its “eco village” values, the coloured powders used

were 100% natural and environmentally friendly.

“What’s not to love … the contrast of brightly

coloured powder against the pure white snow,

a thrilling atmosphere with organised children’s

activities and live DJ, and the breathtaking

backdrop of the Mont Blanc mountain chain?”

said a resort spokesperson.


TUITIO

N INTRODUCTION

Learning to ski off-piste can seem quite

daunting; however, there has probably

never been an easier time to learn to ski

off-piste. The latest fat skis, comfy boots,

easy-to-use avalanche equipment, and

experienced and skilled off-piste coaches

mean that your first off-piste adventure

should be a very enjoyable experience.

The best time to learn to ski powder is

on a piste directly after a fresh snowfall.

Choose a coach who will take you to

some gentle beginner off-piste terrain,

and this expert advice, combined with the

latest skis, should help to make your first

time skiing powder fun and memorable.

TECHNICAL TIPS

If it’s your first time off-piste you should

expect to be taken by your instructor on

some nice gentle slopes and perhaps

just the sides of the pistes. These

areas are relatively safe and not prone

to avalanches; however, it’s still very

important to understand how to use your

equipment. In case of an emergency you

will need to know the number of whom

to call for help, and also how to search in

the snow and locate any people caught

in the avalanche.

Tip – Make sure your insurance

covers skiing off-piste as well as

helicopter rescue.

FRESH TRACKS

Unlike on the groomed runs where we

have a solid piste to work against, the off-

piste snow under your skis will be soft and

moving. To start your turn in fresh snow try

extending your legs, as this will put some

force on the skis and, combined with some

active leg steering, will help the skis to

turn. Start by linking some turns together

on a gentle slope and when confident try

to increase the tempo and make some

shorter turns. The lines you create in the

snow should look like a series of linked

semi-circles or “C” turns in the snow.

Tip – Try to avoid long traverses or

dead spots between the turns.

POSTURE & POSITION

It is a common misconception that in

powder you sit back to get your skis out

of the snow.

There are times when we may need to

sit back (such as when we’re straight

running along a flat in heavy powder),

but in general don’t do it; it’s much

better to have a centred position, on top

of your skis and in control.

If you do sit back it puts you in a tiring

position, and from here it is difficult to

control and turn the skis.

Tip – Narrow your stance width a little

compared to skiing on the piste.

LESSON #06SKI OFF-PISTE

AlTIT

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FROM £ 849 (€1159)FOR 7 NIGHTSIncludes Bed & Breakfast, “Espace Killy” Ski Pass,

30Min Spa Massage, and Welcome Drink.*

*Offer is subject to availability and only available for direct bookings.

Altitude Ski School welcomes

back many “polar bears” to ski

with them year on year. Their

instructors love teaching the

same children and seeing their

skiing progress each year.

For Polar Bears (aged 3–5), it is

often their first time on snow, and

the beginning of their journey

as a budding skier. Recently

we caught up with one of their

specialist team, Chris, to see how

some of their novice skiers have

been getting on this week.

“Today was our fourth day with

the Polar Bears, which started

by meeting at 9am, jumping on

our private coach with our skis

stashed underneath, and once

everyone had their seatbelt

fastened we were off!

We spent the morning skiing

in Altitude’s Kids’ Garden. The

garden is put together on an

area of the slope perfect for

learning, and the Polar Bears

can walk up and ski down which

makes learning much easier.

In the group today we had two

different focuses. Some children

were working on stopping

independently, and some were

starting to move onto turning.

The lesson was lots of fun and

we did some runs where we

were jumping on our skis, trying

to pick up lots of speed, going

faster and then stopping. The

lesson taking place in the Kids’

Garden is lots of fun, as we can

high-five the reindeers and the

penguins as we zoom past!

Using different games and

exercises can also really help

improve the children’s technique.

For instance, Mia was really

good at stopping, but when

going a bit faster she always fell

over backwards, so jumping on

her skis really helped her get a

better body position.

Everyone was a complete

beginner at the start of the

week, so there’s been fantastic

progress made by all of the

children, and we’re only halfway

through. Half of the group can

now stop independently, and the

others are close. Some will be

linking turns by Friday.

For me the highlight of teaching

this age/level is the speed of

improvement and the satisfaction

that it gives the children. It’s

also great for the parents, who

often ski with their children

in the afternoon and can see

improvements.

There are also lots of funny

moments enjoyed by both

instructors and children. Today,

Birdy skied the entire length of

the nursery slope backwards

– completely by accident and

without falling over!

TIMING/POLE PLANT

It’s very important to make a strong and

enthusiastic pole plant. The pole plant

helps you to maintain the rhythm of the

turns down the whole descent and leads

to a more flowing performance.

Remember to keep your hands away from

the body and out in front. When planting

the pole (as when on the piste), there

should be no elaborate arm movements

that are likely to throw you off balance.

The action of the pole plant should come

from the wrist and not the whole arm.

Tip – Practise your pole plant on the

groomed run to build consistency, and

try using a pole with a powder basket.

JON (AKA WESTY)AT ALTITUDEJon holds the top qualifications from

France, Switzerland and Britain, and

we can say firsthand that he is an

inspirational coach. His ski school Altitude

is known worldwide for employing a team

of fantastic ski and snowboard instructors

who are very passionate about helping

people improve. Each month Jon or one

of his team will provide us with a few tips

and words of wisdom to help improve

your understanding of how to ski.

[email protected]

+41(0)27 771 6006.

+33 (0)4 79 06 18 [email protected]

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The Omnia is perfectly situated in the centre of Zermatt just off on a hidden back street, giving you the bustle of beautiful Zermatt right on your doorstep, but the peace and quiet you would expect from an escape to the mountains. The warm and friendly welcome is simply hard to beat.

THE OMNIAZERMATT

+41 (0)27 966 7171 // [email protected]

The Hotel Plein Sud is situated close to the Écrins National Park, the mythical Cols du Lauteret Galibier and Izoard made famous by the Tour de France, and very close to the old town of Briançon, which now boasts UNESCO World Heritage status.

HOTEL PLEIN SUDSERRE CHEVALIER

+33 (0) 492 24 17 01 // [email protected]

The Hotel Firefly is the first address in Zermatt for travellers who expect luxury and lifestyle of the highest level. In the midst of the breathtaking scenery of the famous glacier ski area, the hotel is only 3 minutes from the Klein Matterhorn cable car and from the centre of Zermatt. Each suite is individual, spacious and luxuriously furnished.

HOTEL FIREFLYZERMATT

+41 (0)27 967 7676FIREFLY-ZERMATT.COM

Perfectly located on the slopes of Vaujany, Chalet Saskia features two separate large lounges with log fires, two sun terraces, a big TV and games room, 10 en-suite bedrooms all with balconies and a hot tub. The cuisine is simply inspiring and complemented by the impeccable service and excellent wine selection.

CHALET SASKIAVAUJANY

01428 608070 // [email protected]

The luxurious Hotel Avenue Lodge is a superb base in one the world’s great ski areas, the exceptional Espace Killy. You’ll feel welcome from the minute you arrive with valet parking and the concierge service taking care of your luggage. The Hotel Avenue Lodge’s entire team is at your service to make your holiday in our resort an unforgettable stay.

HOTEL AVENUE LODGEVAL D’ISÈRE

+33 (0)47 900 6767 // [email protected] HOTELAVENUELODGE.COM

Quality B&B accommodation offered at great value. Evening meals available most nights. Prices from CHF72 per room. All rooms en-suite, free wi-fi, parking, heated ski room, full UK TV channels. 2 hours from Geneva. 10 min drive to Crans-Montana ski lifts with 140km of pistes. Situated in the small picturesque village of Lens, owned and run by British couple.

CHALET DES ALPESCRANS-MONTANA

+41 (0)27 483 23 09 // [email protected]

4 hotel with spa in central Chamonix, by the Aiguille du Midi lift, offering a new level of comfort including a 500m2 spa (with pool, onsen, hammam, banya, ice cave and tepidarium), restaurant, bar, ski shop, four conference rooms, take-away shop, free wi-fi and a covered car park.

HÔTEL L’HÉLIOPICCHAMONIX

+33 (0)4 50 54 55 56 // [email protected]

Nesteld in the charming village of Vallorcine, in the Chamonix Mont-Blanc valley, Vallorcine Mont-Blanc offers a relaxing atmosphere.The 5 Residence gives guests a choice of 50 cosy apartments with services. Facilities include an indoor heated pool, two saunas, a SPA, a tea-room, a ski shop and a private ice-rink. Less than 10 minutes from your breakfast to the ski slopes !

RESIDENCE & SPA VALLORCINECHAMONIX

+33 (0)4 5054 7520 // [email protected]

@INTHESNOWMAG044 // MAR15

WOUNDED EX-SERVICEMAN AT IPC ALPINE SKI CHAMPSA wounded ex-serviceman, who is supported by Help for Heroes’ Sports

Recovery programme, represented Great Britain at the IPC Alpine Skiing

World Championships, which took place earlier this month at Panorama,

Canada, attracting competitors from 30 countries. Former Staff Sergeant

Mick Brennan from Doncaster was injured in a suicide bomb attack in 2004

while serving in Iraq with the Royal Signals. Hurled 25ft by the force of the

explosion, Mick lost both legs above the knee and suffered a serious brain

injury. With the support of Help for Heroes, Mick took part in Exercise Snow

Warrior, an annual military ski training exercise involving adaptive sports,

which is where he got hooked on skiing in 2008 and went on to represent

Britain at two Olympics.InTheSnow went to press with half of the nearly 50

events completed in the World Championships, with Millie Knight, guided

by Jen Kehoe, having won silver in the Women’s Giant Slalom for Visually

Impaired Athletes. The remainder of the GB team at the championships

were sit-skiers Ben Sneesby and Benji Millard and “Standing Class” racers

James Whitley and Chris Lloyd. helpforheroes.org.uk/sports-recovery

SIX SKI HOTELS RECEIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDLast year two ski hotels received the first gold awards from the

Travelife organisation, and now four more hotels have been presented

with this highly regarded environmental and social accolade.

The hotels in question are the Hotel Banyan in St Anton, the Hotel

New Solarium in Courchevel, Hotel Cachette in Les Arcs, Hotel Diva in

Tignes, Hotel Terra Nova in La Plagne and Hotel Viking in Morzine. All

are offered by Crystal Ski Holidays.

To gain Travelife Gold certification the hotels must meet 150 different

sustainability criteria. This includes environmental issues, and taking

positive action on social issues, including employee welfare and

working with the local community. They must also demonstrate support

of local businesses and protection of local traditions.

“We have a carbon management strategy in place to reduce greenhouse

gas emissions, covering aviation, major premises, ground transport and

flagship hotel properties. Congratulations to the hotels for this huge

success,” said Gordon Ritter, Purchasing Director of Crystal Ski Holidays.

GRAB A LLAMA AT VALLOIREChildren’s Week is coming up at Valloire from

11 to 17 April, the final week of the French

resort’s season.

It’s the Easter holiday week in France (the second

week of the Easter fortnight for many UK schools)

and children under 16 years old will be able to ski

for free at the resort (normally children pay from

age 5), which is also home to 2015 Slalom World

Champion Jean-Baptiste Grange.

Families can also enjoy free entertainment,

shows and complimentary ski hire this

Easter. Valloire also offers some fun and

unusual children’s activities such as a free

ride in a horse-drawn carriage around the

village, tobogganing down the Combe St

Pierre (organised by the Tourist Office every

Wednesday) and a walk with a llama!

Mountain guide Gilles takes children and

adults for a walk in the snow with llamas Tio

and Tchupango and their friends the alpacas.

Children from 4 years old can have fun running

with the llamas, observing the local flora and

fauna, and sliding in the snow, before enjoying a

yummy afternoon snack. It costs €20pp.


046 // MAR15

Ski journalist and photographer Jimmy

has skied in 71 countries on all seven

continents, probably more than any

other person, having visited more than

550 resorts and posted more than 500

articles, many included in his 2005

book, Skiing Around the World. Jimmy is

currently hard at work on volume 2 of this

seminal work.

When did you first start skiing?

JP: My Austrian-born mother was the

first woman to qualify as a ski instructor

in California, and she and Dad put me on

skis when I was two. After university in

1973 I went to Hinterglemm to work as an

instructor, planning on then finding a job

as a history teacher, but that’s where it

all went awry. Compared with my native

America, the resorts in the Alps were

bigger and better, the powder lasted

longer and the European girls were much

more sensuous. I never looked back.

How have things changed over the years?

JP: Safety equipment is better,

particularly bindings and avalanche

transceivers. I am also happy that they

flatten moguls with piste machines, as

even when I was young with strong knees I

never liked bumps.

There are more resorts today, but

unfortunately there are also more skiers

and way too many powder hounds.

Snowboards and wider skis have made

it easier for people to ski powder. Hence

many pistes are too crowded and the

powder is gone by 11am.

I am also unhappy with some resorts

that are actually real-estate developments

in disguise, creating ugly, generic places

with no charm. Fortunately, there

are many small and atmospheric ski

resorts remaining.

What are your skiing greatest achievements?

JP: I have won various awards in snow-

sports journalism, and I am proud of my

book and the sequel, as well as having

skied in so many different countries. When

I began my career as a ski journalist in

1985 I was one of the first to focus on

skiing in unusual locations, which is more

common nowadays, so perhaps I have

helped others to expand their horizons.

Have you any favourite destinations?

JP: Saalbach has been my winter base

for many years and has always been one

of my favourite resorts. As a photographer,

I enjoy skiing in areas that are scenically

beautiful, and the Dolomites of Italy,

Zermatt in Switzerland, and the small

ski centres of Narvik and Stranda in the

fjordlands of Norway are also favourites.

What have you enjoyed the most?

JP: It is great fun to ski in small, non-

commercial ski areas, where skiing is still

a pastime rather than a faceless industry,

and I get nostalgic when I am riding a

rickety old T-bar in the likes of Dragobrat

in Ukraine or Kashka-Suu in Kyrgyzstan.

I’ve also experienced some excellent deep

powder in these uncrowded locations

and enjoyed meeting friendly people and

learning about different cultures.

Where’s left?

JP: Most of the countries that I have left on

my list are Muslim countries that have been

rather hostile toward Westerners in recent

years for understandable reasons. I would

however like to ski in Iraq, Afghanistan, Algeria

and Pakistan when I can, and I do plan to visit

North Korea next. I hope to ski on the Lewis

Glacier high on Mt Kenya, but there is often

no snow on the glacier as a result of climate

change, so that’s currently uncertain too.

JIMMYPETTERSON

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SKIINGAROUNDTHEWORLDBOOK.COM

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InTheSnow Issue 43 - March 2015

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Transcript of InTheSnow Issue 43 - March 2015