The Ski Holiday Blog

Resort Reviews

Family Skiing Holiday Part II – Useful Tips

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.

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Our Family Ski Holiday

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 »

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A week skiing in Meribel

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

Nick enjoying a beautiful day in the Three Valleys

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Chalets in Zermatt reviewed

Having spent a couple of years working in chalet holiday sales, I’ve had the good fortune to stay in some amazing chalets….the Bellevarde Lodges in Val D’Isere – ski in/out with hot tubs on the balcony, and the Taiga Lodge in Meribel with its cinema rooms being previous favourites.  Fabulous though these are, they don’t really come close to the accommodation I’ve just stayed in on a recent trip to Zermatt.

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Skiing Chamonix on and off piste

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!  

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The wonderful resort of Hetteyi

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 - Chris Callaghan's favourite destination!

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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A week’s Ski Holiday in Zermatt and Verbier

Having worked in the ski industry since 2004, I’ve seen a lot of resorts. In fact, until last week there were only 2 major resorts in our programme that I had never visited. I won’t tell you which one I’m still to experience, but Zermatt has now been ticked off the to-do list. The only question I was asking myself is why has it taken me until the age of 30 to get out there?

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Nightlife and skiing in St Anton

Badly cooked sausages, Euro Pop, lederhosen and dodgy dancing. Until early January this year, that was about the extent of my knowledge of Austria. I joined a few friends to hit the outstanding resort of St Anton, and my eyes were opened! Verbier last season was the first time I’d ever ridden outside France and I came back with mixed feelings on the place…St Anton is a different story.

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Skiing in Chamonix

Chamonix. The name itself rings all the superlatives; the highest lift, the longest off-piste run and the most awe inspiring views the Alps have to offer. A Mecca too for the extreme off-pisters…but is this all this resort can offer? I think not; I think this is a ‘must –ski’ place for most, for a good number of reasons.

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Alpe d’Huez and Les 2 Alpes – Skiing Affordability Realised!

On hearing my first ski trip of the season would be to Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes my feelings were mixed. On the one hand it meant seeing two resorts and a whole range of chalets that I did not know much about, on the other hand, would they live up to the demanding standards set by the Three Valleys and Espace Killy regions?

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