My spring ski holiday to Canada may not have been on the same scale as Holly’s Christmas trip, but it certainly makes me agree that everyone should go to Canada at least once in a lifetime. It is a different experience to skiing in Europe but an exciting one too!
Coming from NZ where our Christmas normally consists of shorts and sandals, BBQs and camping, sunshine and beaches, a white Christmas is something of a novelty. You can only imagine my delight at being told in early 2009 that the family Christmas was to be held in Canada!
BA’s announcement of their strike over the festive period nearly threw a massive spanner in the works. Not only would the strike have disrupted my trip, it fell exactly on the dates of my outbound and inbound flights. Brilliant! But hey ho….five days before take-off, they pulled the plug on the strike and continued operating as per usual. To say I was relieved would be the understatement of the year.
Continuing on from Rupert’s family ski holiday in Alpe d’Huez, we’ve put together a series of useful tips to help you make the most of yours.
This year, our family ski holiday consisted of a group of 9 adults and 7 children aged from 2 to 7 years old. The party contained three non-skiing adults (Grandma and Aunties!) who, between them, acted as ‘nannies’ - looking after the kids when they weren’t skiing and giving the chance for the skiing adults to occasionally enjoy some ‘kid-free’ runs. Our skiing abilities were mixed; the adults’ ability ranged from beginners through to advanced, the younger members had either never skied or had up to 4 weeks’ skiing under their belts.
With this in mind we were looking for somewhere offering good facilities and activities, both in the chalet and in the resort, that the non-skiers could enjoy too. Read More
Booking my personal ski holiday this year was going to be a challenge; it was a mixed ability (complete beginner to expert), mixed sex (school mates and girlfriend!), group of people all on a budget and looking for plenty of evening entertainment. Meribel was chosen as the destination.
Nick enjoying a beautiful day in the Three Valleys
I’ve just returned from an excellent stay at the Chalet Grands Montets in Chamonix. Newly finished, this chalet has been completely rebuilt from a shell that dates back to the 1940s. Finished to a high standard, it offers a modern twist to the traditional chalet interior. There are five en-suite bedrooms, a large dining and living room, under floor heating, great views from the balcony plus the all important hot tub. Ideal for groups and large families looking for quality with an affordable price tag, this is great value for money!
This small resort nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, the resort offers skiing so completely different to what most of us have experienced. Not only is the setting quite spectacular but the culture is very different. No Fondue, Genepy or Jaeger-bombs here. In fact, Après-ski in general is not as you may have experienced in the past, no alcohol whatsoever but this is made up by the fact that the delicious lamb kebabs (a local delicacy) are the only equivalant at the favourable exchange rate of only 7p a pop.
The Himalayan paradise of Hetteyi
Now, onto the serious stuff, the skiing. The resort boasts 55km of pistes, not the 3 Valleys but a fair size for a non-alpine resort, most of the runs are very gentle. The most staggering fact though is 99% of the snow is actually man made!! The area is so arid that there simply is not enough precipitation to warrant a ski resort. However, the area is so cold that once snow is present, it stays! There has been heavy investment in the snow making facilities, making the resort surprisingly snow sure.
As the resort is so far off the beaten track, celebrities have been flocking to the resort to enjoy a hassle free ski holiday, entertainment stalwarts such as Russ Abbot, Paul O’Grady and H from Steps have all been seen strutting their stuff here.
A week’s holiday starts at £799, this includes flights and transfers to Kathmandu and accommodation in a very basic sheep hut. The holiday is self catered, which can be an issue as there is precious little food in the area so you are best off taking your own food with you.
If you are interested in this trip of a lifetime, please call us on 02030800202 and ask for Chris C, our Himalayan specialist.
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