In The Snow | Issue 73 | October 2023

Great Value Flexible Ski Holidays

READY FOR A GREAT SEASON?

It doesn’t seem a week since we were carefully packing away our ski gear at the end of last season (OK, full disclosure, I mean shoving it in a suitcase under the bed), and we’ve already got it out again to check what needs repairing or replacing, and scouring webcams and social media feeds to see if there’s any early-season snowfall up high to get excited about.

In truth, the ski season never really ends and you could go off skiing tomorrow if you like. There are half-a-dozen glacier resorts like Sölden, Saas-Fee, Hintertux and Zermatt already open from early autumn and up in Lapland, the centres at Levi and Ruka open a few kilometres of runs from early October using snow they’ve saved

under cover from last winter then spread back out on the slopes. Now that’s what I call recycling!

For most of us, though, we’ll be waiting until “winter proper” kicks off in December, and in this issue we’re chockfull, as usual, with all the big news stories for the season ahead, resort reviews, and features designed to give you all the detail on what to look out for in the upcoming winter 2023/24 including the latest gear and some of the most enticing deals. Hopefully, we will all pay less for what will be the greatest ski holiday ever, too, after reading the tips from industry experts. And most of all, we hope that there’s lots and lots of snowfall. It’s time to start getting excited again!

PUBLISHER

Dominic Killinger dom@inthesnow.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Patrick Thorne patrick@inthesnow.com

DEPUTY EDITOR

Debbie Gabriel debbie@inthesnow.com

SUB EDITORS

Nick Jones & Marion Adams

GEAR EDITORS

Rob Stewart & Sally Bartlett

CONTRIBUTORS

Debbie Gabriel, Sam Thorne, Pete Thompson, Dan Elkan, and Iain Martin

MAGAZINE + BRAND DESIGN BY Tom Showler | Rocket Base tom@rocketbase.co.uk

WEB + DIGITAL DESIGNER SpikyDesign +44 (0)7787 571 783 dom@inthesnow.com inthesnow.com

© Copyright 2023 |

EXPERIENCE A MOUNTAIN HEAVEN HOLIDAY

A selection of handpicked Catered & Self-catered Chalets and Apartments in the French and Swiss Alps

CHALET COMPANY GUARANTEES SNOW

A chalet holiday company in the French ski resort of Les Gets has unveiled a new insurance policy which will refund the chalet booking cost if only a small amount of the ski area is open two days before you are due to travel. This new no-snow insurance

policy has been launched by Chalets 1066 and costs an extra 5% of whatever the chalet booking costs. The policy has a number of other benefits including the possibility of getting your chalet booking cost refunded if your boss insists you need to work the

week you’re planning to be away, or if a pet needs care. It will also offer compensation if your trip to resort is delayed by too much snow blocking access routes, and it covers accidental damages to the chalet through the stay.

RESTAURANT RE-BUILDING

Following the terrible fire that destroyed the iconic cube-shaped Glacier 3000 restaurant in Switzerland a year ago, a rebuild is getting underway, again masterminded by the famous Swiss architect, Mario Botta, now 80 years old. The new building, which will feature an alpine solar micro power plant, has been redesigned to enhance both the quality of the visitor experience and fire safety. It will open next summer 2024.

BARGIEL CONQUERS 8000ERS

Andrzej Bargiel, the first man to ski down K2, is now the first to ski all of the 8,000m peaks in the Karakoram, the world’s second-highest mountain range. Bargiel completed his feat summiting Gasherbrum I (8,080m), without supplemental oxygen before skiing down. This incredible achievement establishes him as the first person to have skied from the summits of all four of the Karakoram eight-thousanders, marking another milestone in skiing history.

TEST DRIVE A PISTE BASHER

The Hintertux glacier in the Austrian Tirol offered anyone with a lift pass and a driving licence the chance to test drive a 600 hp snowcat last summer at their snow groomer test area at 3,250m. “Finally you get to control a 600 hp snow groomer yourself,” a Hintertux spokesperson said, adding, “Participants will receive individual training on turning manoeuvres so that you can feel the interplay of power and technology on snow.”

GLACIER 3000

RED BULL

BUMP’N’JUMP

Méribel has announced that its Elements Park will be redesigned and renamed for the upcoming 2023/24 ski season. Designed to offer something for freestylers of all ages and abilities, the terrain park will become the Bump’N’Jump zone this winter. “This new zone is full of thrilling jumps, bumps and boxes split across three separate fun runs,” a resort spokesperson enthused. The new “Bumpy Run” will enable skiers and boarders to hurtle down a series of “whoops”, small bumps and modulated snow waves. The Funny Run will feature a series of easy modules, made up of mini boxes, arches, suspended elements and high-fives which are performed on various rotating characters. Finally, the Speedy Run is a new boardercross accessible to all, lined with banked turns, jumps and other obstacles.

NEW VALLÉE BLANCHE GONDOLA

A new gondola down to the largest glacier in the French Alps, which is due to open in time for the coming ski season, will make it much easier for skiers tackling the world’s longest lift-access off-piste descent, the 20km-long Vallée Blanche, at the end of their run. The new La Mer de Glace gondola is part of a €53m spend by the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc lift company and removes the need to climb 550 steps up from the glacier to the base of the old gondola. The steps had to be installed over the last three decades as the ice level dropped. The new gondola goes down to the ice 600m further up the glacier, at a point where the ice is expected to last longer. Another chunk of the investment is going on an International Glacier and Climate Interpretation Centre at Montenvers, due to open in December 2024.

CONQUER YOUR NERVES

Retailer Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports is staging a special event this autumn aimed at those who find that they experience negative emotions, such as anxiety or fear, on the ski slopes. The sessions, led by “the UK’s leading Personal Coach for Anxious Skiers” Louise Pode, alongside experienced ski instructor Rob Britton, who has developed a speciality in enabling anxious skiers to prosper on the slopes, will aim to show participants how to overcome fear, suggesting techniques to change your mindset. The sessions, priced at £15, will take place at Ellis Brigham’s Covent Garden store on 14 November, then the next day at their Deansgate, Manchester branch. They aim to help participants to understand what’s behind their anxiety so they can change their mindset and take control as well as build a tool kit of coping strategies.

GOUEDARD MERIBEL TOURISME

ROSS WOODHALL

Switzerland’s Jungfrau ski region, home to the famous resorts of Grindelwald, Mürren and Wengen, may be one of the most famous places to go skiing in the world, but there’s so much for non-skiers to enjoy as well!

Switzerland’s Jungfrau ski region, home to the famous resorts of Grindelwald, Mürren and Wengen, may be one of the most famous places to go skiing in the world, but there’s so much for non-skiers to enjoy as well!

Jungfrau encompasses two valleys, three mountain ranges and the incredible, majestic scenery of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks; but this breathtaking vista is for everyone to enjoy, not just skiers and boarders whizzing down the 211km of perfect piste.

Jungfrau encompasses two valleys, three mountain ranges and the incredible, majestic scenery of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks; but this breathtaking vista is for everyone to enjoy, not just skiers and boarders whizzing down the 206km of perfect piste.

Huge investments in the most modern lifts and terminals in the Alps over recent years have transformed the Jungfrau region and not only made it easier for skiers and boarders to be whisked quickly up the slopes but also for non-skiers to reach the many attractions in warmth and comfort too.

Huge investments in the most modern lifts and terminals in the Alps over recent years have transformed the Jungfrau region and not only made it easier for skiers and boarders to be whisked quickly up the slopes but also for non-skiers to reach the many attractions in warmth and comfort too.

The V-Cableway, the world’s most modern tri-cable gondola, begins at an ultra-modern terminal in Grindelwald and incorporates the Eiger Express to the Eiger Glacier and the 10-passenger gondola to the Männlichen ski area shared with Wengen, in the region’s crown jewel. Non-skiers can use it to speed their journey up to the Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest railway station, with the historic train connecting with the top gondola station to make the journey on to the top.

In the wider region, non-skiers can also enjoy more than 100km of toboggan runs in total, some open and floodlit for exciting evening descents. There are more than 100km of winter hiking routes as well, with stunning mountain scenery all around. There are also the unique attractions of the

The V-Cableway, the world’s most modern tri-cable gondola, begins at an ultra-modern terminal in Grindelwald and incorporates the Eiger Express to the Eiger Glacier and the 10-passenger gondola to the Männlichen ski area shared with Wengen, in the region’s crown jewel. Non-skiers can use it to speed their journey up to the Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest railway station, with the historic train connecting with the top gondola station to make the journey on to the top. In the wider region, non-skiers can also enjoy more than 100km of toboggan runs in total, some open and floodlit for exciting evening descents. There are more than 100km of winter hiking routes as well, with stunning mountain scenery all around. There are also the unique attractions of the

First Flyer and the First Glider, a giant zip wire that can carry up to four people at once, replicating the flight of an eagle and reaching speeds of just over 80kph. Amazingly, these are free of charge, too, for holders of the ski or sledging passes needed to reach them. For skiers, those 206km of slopes cover every type of skiing, and there’s something for all abilities from complete beginners to experts. In the latter category, let’s not forget that the first downhill skis arrived in Grindelwald in the 19th century, and alpine ski racing was pioneered in Mürren and Wengen, the latter still hosting one of the greatest and longest-running World Cup ski races in the world, the Lauberhorn. But there are great beginner facilities, many miles of intermediate runs as well as terrain parks and abundant freeride powder terrain. Back down in the resorts of the Jungfrau ski region, you can expect welcoming accommodations, cosy bars, a huge choice of restaurants from simple takeouts to gourmet-standard, internationally regarded institutions as well as enticing boutiques and plenty of facilities like spas and swimming pools. You can also take the train down to the beautiful lakeside town of Interlaken for a day or evening out. It’s all included in the Jungfrau ski region lift pass. The Jungfrau ski region is easy to reach by rail, whichever resort you base yourself within. Zurich, Geneva, Milan and Berne airports are all within a three-hour transfer. There is something for everyone in the Jungfrau ski region, from complete beginner skiers or snowboarders to the most demanding expert, and lots for nonskiers to enjoy too, even in mid-winter!

First Flyer and the First Glider, a giant zip wire that can carry up to four people at once, replicating the flight of an eagle and reaching speeds of just over 80kph. Amazingly, these are free of charge, too, for holders of the ski or sledging passes needed to reach them. For skiers, those 206km of slopes cover every type of skiing, and there’s something for all abilities from complete beginners to experts. In the latter category, let’s not forget that the first downhill skis arrived in Grindelwald in the 19th century, Alpine ski racing was pioneered in Mürren and Wengen, the latter still hosting one of the greatest and longest-running World Cup ski races in the world, the Lauberhorn. But there are great beginner facilities, many miles of intermediate runs as well as terrain parks and abundant freeride powder terrain. Back down in the resorts of the Jungfrau ski region, you can expect welcoming accommodations, cosy bars, a huge choice of restaurants from simple takeouts to gourmet-standard, internationally regarded institutions as well as enticing boutiques and plenty of facilities like spas and swimming pools. You can also take the train down to the beautiful lakeside town of Interlaken for a day or evening out. It’s all included in the Jungfrau ski region lift pass. The Jungfrau ski region is easy to reach by rail, whichever resort you base yourself within. Zurich, Geneva, Milan and Berne airports are all within a three-hour transfer. There is something for everyone in the Jungfrau ski region, from complete beginner skiers or snowboarders to the most demanding expert, and lots for nonskiers to enjoy too, even in mid-winter!

Alas, it is more and more of a challenge to get an “affordable” ski holiday as external factors, including increased costs associated with everything from higher energy and insurance bills to Brexit and the aftermath of the pandemic, continue to add pricing pressure.

But we all need our snow fix and there are still ways to get a high-quality holiday for half the price if you are in a position to make some savvy decisions. Many of the ideas below are well known to those who have been booking holidays for years; they’re just more important than ever now, and some are especially relevant for the upcoming winter 2023/24.

Travel Low Season: It sounds obvious and the suggestion always understandably annoys the many who can only travel in the peak school holiday periods, but if you travel early or late season, or in January, prices can be half that of peak weeks. You may also have a better holiday without the crowds. Just so long as the snow has arrived or not melted away – early/late season book high altitude.

Go To a Cheaper Resort: Prices are normally lower at a less well-known, smaller resort. “The bottom end of the market seems to have gone, to be honest, as it’s just too expensive, so we are seeing skiing being a past time of those with wealth.

Where once Val d’Isère and Courchevel would always be in our top 7, the volumes have dropped back and we are seeing better figures for the likes of St Anton, Ischgl, Obergurgl, Selva, Saalbach etc,” says Nick Edwards, boss of Snowfinders.co.uk Or A Cheaper Country: “Try out a country which is new on the UK ski market, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina (introduced last season), where operators will be keen to attract the first skiers to the country, and potentially prices will rise as time goes on,” suggests Simon McIntyre, Iglu Ski MD.

Book an Apartment and Fill It: Although you need to be careful with travel, transfer and lift pass costs (more on that later), apartments are usually the cheap form of on-mountain accommodation, but don’t leave any beds empty.

Book Early: It used to be a big thing to get a late booking deal as spare availability was sold off, and sometimes that still happens, but more often these days it’s better to lock in a price, as dynamic pricing tends to drive costs up as the date gets nearer, not down. “There’s often early deals that can be taken advantage of, such as our ‘buy one lift pass, get one half price’ deal on European holidays which is currently running, or the option to spread the cost of your ski holiday,” says Oliver Ward, Product & Planning Manager at Crystal Ski Holidays.

BOGOF: Buy-on-get-one-free deals are increasingly offered by tour operators and sometimes ski resorts themselves to entice bookings, particularly ahead of the ski season. Other offers to look out for are BOGOF deals on equipment hire or free carriage of your own gear on planes. A growing number of ski areas have dynamic pricing on lift passes, and it’s also worth keeping an eye on social media for “flash sales”.

Do Your Lift Pass Maths: Lift pass pricing has always been complex and never more so than now. For families in particular, a 6- or 7-year-old child might pay 75% of the adult ticket price at one resort but be completely free at another. Don’t go with the headline adult cost; work out overall totals.

Go All Inclusive: So you know upfront exactly how much you’re going to spend.

Try a Non-Profit: In France the not-forprofit UCPA organisation, represented in the UK by Action Outdoors, runs modern hostel-like centres with very reasonable prices for packages including full-board accommodation, ski pass and ski equipment hire. Under-25s can ski for a week, allinclusive, with instruction, from £525.

YANN ALLEGRE

20% OF CHINESE SKI INDOORS

A new report has found that while China’s now 50 indoor ski centres represent 7.2% of the 697 ski resorts that the world’s second-most populated country has in operation, the indoor centres attract 3.43 million skier visits, 18.4% of the total 19.8

million skier visits China recorded last winter. The new China Ski Industry White Book reports that while overall China’s skier visits dropped by nearly 10% last winter due to the pandemic, indoor snow centres saw growth of 6.47%. The number of indoor

snow centres in China has gone from around 5 to 50 over the last decade and at least another 10 centres are currently under construction. China is home to five of the world’s 10 largest indoor snow centres including the planet’s current three biggest.

ARC 1950 TURNS 20

One of the most interesting ski resort developments of recent years and one of very few new ski resorts built this century, Arc 1950 le Village, the fourth base village in Les Arcs, turns 20 this season. Back in 2003 the luxury resort’s avant-garde concept was new to Europe, with the then leading North American ski resort operator Intrawest having transformed a number of resorts in North America, including Tremblant and Whistler.

NEW FRENCH RESORT CHOICE

The little-known ski area of Manigod is a new option this winter from French Alps specialist, Peak Retreats, which was named Best Ski Operator at the Telegraph Travel Awards 2023. Manigod, located in the Aravis Valley with links to La Clusaz, is a great choice for beginners and families. It’s a friendly, authentic village with great access via road, air and rail and a huge 209km of skiing on the lift pass.

BUY FLIGHTS FOR 2024/25

Airline Jet2.com has put tickets for flights to airports serving many of Europe’s leading ski resorts on sale up to 18 months in advance, covering the season after next, winter 2024/25. The company says it made the decision, its furthest advance sales ever, “… in direct response to strong demand from snowsports fans looking to secure their place on the slopes.” Jet2 offers 34 routes from 10 UK airports to Chambery, Geneva, Grenoble, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Lyon and Turin.

ANDY PARANT

Fabian is a Swiss freestyle skier and has won gold medals at both Winter X Games and the World Championships. He represented Switzerland in slopestyle at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. He participated at the FIS Freestyle Ski & Snowboarding World Championships 2019, winning the gold medal in big air. The Nines 2023 Schilthorn, Switzerland

SWATCH NINES / RED BULL CONTENT POOL

Engelberg is one of the great ski resorts of the Alps for many reasons. First is the huge liftserved vertical of 2,000m – that’s one of the very biggest in the world. What’s more, ascending it is quick and easy. A fast, modern gondola connects with the amazing Rotair, a revolving cable car to whisk you to the top of this huge descent. Then there is the snow security with yearround snow on the Titlis glacier, 3,020m above sea level. Engelberg also has its own microclimate which reliably delivers loads of snowfall each winter. So much so that the resort is regarded as a freeride powder paradise, revered for its fabulous off-piste descents.

All this snow also delivers one of the world’s longest ski seasons, and the longest winter season in Switzerland, from October until May with an average of 220 days in total.

The huge lift-served vertical makes some very long descents possible – up to 12km from top to bottom. But there are ski runs to suit everyone. About a quarter of Engelberg’s terrain is rated easy, a little over half intermediate cruising and the remaining 20% of runs are blacks. That’s before we start to include the abundant freeride terrain. Engelberg is an atmospheric destination, many of the buildings dating back to the stylish Belle Époque era, with a long history and rich traditions. It also has an

international side to it, not only attracting big mountain fans from all over the world each winter, but also being a place where people have arrived from outside and settled for centuries.

Food choices are a big part of the compact village with a great range of establishments and flavours on offer to suit all tastes and styles. There’s also a huge variety of accommodation to choose from, including apartments, bed and breakfasts, and hotels. Besides downhill slopes, Engelberg is home to 37km of cross-country trails, 53km of winter hiking trails and three toboggan runs. In resort you can visit the monastery, and the beautiful city of Lucerne is just 25km away. At Titlis you can visit a glacier cave and brave the Cliff Walk, which is Europe’s highest-altitude pedestrian suspension bridge at 3,041m. Families are especially well looked after in Engelberg, with the resort holding the “Families Welcome” seal of quality, which guarantees a particularly strong offer for children.

Engelberg is one of the quickest and easiest major winter resorts to reach. There are loads of flights to Zurich, an hour away by car, from early morning to late evening, so you could take a morning flight and be on the mountain for lunch. And similarly, you can ski until late afternoon and still get back to the UK in the evening, making Engelberg a brilliant choice for short ski breaks.

© OSKAR ENANDER

DEER VALLEY’S HUGE EXPANSION

Utah’s Deer Valley plans to more than double in size, adding 3,700 acres to become one of the five largest ski areas in the US. The project involves adding 16 chairlifts and 135 ski runs spread across four mountains with a new base village

over the next few years. When complete there’ll be 37 chairlifts and 238 ski runs spread over 10 mountains and 5,726 acres. “Deer Valley Resort is committed to building upon our legacy as one of the world’s most exceptional ski areas while staying true to

our founding principles,” said Todd Bennett, Deer Valley’s President. The resort is one of the few ski areas in the world that still bans snowboarding, and says it plans to continue to do so, calling the policy “…our unique skionly experience.”

LA PLAGNE PUSHES RAIL

La Plagne, one of the world’s most popular ski resorts and thus generating hundreds of thousands of flight seats each winter as skiers fly to Geneva or Chambery to reach it, is making a concerted effort to promote low-carbon travel to its ten village bases. “La Plagne’s own travel agency is now only proposing train or bus travel in its all-inclusive packages for longdistance journeys to the resort,” a resort spokesperson said.

THE “ON DEMAND” GONDOLA

Switzerland’s Laax has unveiled “the world’s first on-demand gondola”, the CHF 80m (£72m) FlemXpress. The idea is that rather than continually operating, the cabins only leave the station when there’s at least one person on board, with none running empty, saving up to 50% in energy. Kinetic energy is converted into electricity as the gondola decelerates when entering the station and accelerates when exiting. That power then operates the gondolas in the station.

SKI CRASH TRIAL ON TV

Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland has revealed they’ve commissioned a TV documentary Gwyneth Vs Terry: The Ski Crash Trial based on the high-profile court case over the 2016 on-slope collision between actress Gwyneth Paltrow and retired doctor Terry Sanderson at Deer Valley, Utah. Production company Optomen, whose previous programmes include Johnny vs Amber, and Kim vs Kanye: The Divorce, are making the dramatisation.

PHILIPP RUGGLI

SKIING IN THE HIGHEST SWISS MOUNTAINS

When it comes to awe-inspiring, spectacular Alpine scenery, Switzerland is impossible to beat, and for the highest mountains of them all, it has to be the Valais region, home of the stunning Saas Valley.

This region, where the Saas-Fee/Saastal resort draws mountain and snow lovers from around the world each winter, is surrounded by 18 4,000m peaks. As well as providing an amazing backdrop to your Swiss winter holiday, these high mountains offer snow-sure skiing with slopes from 1,500m altitude right up to glacier runs at 3,600m. There are over 150km of slopes, perfectly suited to everyone from complete beginners to experts, and a world-class 1,800m of skiable vertical up to some of Europe’s highest lift-served ski slopes.

This is such a snow-sure ski area in fact that it’s one of just a handful open in July till October for summer skiing, attracting racers like Dave Ryding for summer training, alongside anyone who just wants to get a summer, then autumn, snow fix. And Saas-Fee then stays open for one of the world’s longest ski seasons, extending for more than eight months through to next spring.

So, unlike 99.9% of ski areas in the Northern Hemisphere, it should be open today, weather permitting!

The holiday region is home to four villages of various sizes, Saas-Almagell, Saas-Balen, SaasGrund and, of course, the internationally famous Saas-Fee, located beneath Switzerland’s highest mountain, the Dom (4,545m). With the guest card (SaastalCard), the bus in the Saas Valley is

included from the first overnight stay. So, no matter which of the four villages you stay in, you can get to know all the ski areas comfortably.

Despite its fame and popularity, however, the village of Saas-Fee has managed to keep true to its roots and not become overdeveloped. Cars have always been banned here, and you'll find yourself walking along cobbled lanes between centuries-old wooden buildings creating a truly magical, enticing winter holiday location.

The village has a long association with the Brits; the first tourists here came from England and built the Anglican Church (now known as the Evangelical Church). This is also where Wham! shot their Last Christmas video almost four decades ago. You can take a themed walk around the buildings and cable car in the video. Although famous for its snow-sure skiing, many other activities are offered in the same spectacular mountains where the perfectly groomed slopes snake down. You could take a tour over the glacier, do a via ferrata in winter, sign up for snowshoeing, go winter hiking in your snow boots with a 60km network of paths, try some sunrise skiing and much more. In Saas-Grund, there’s even an amazing 11km toboggan run to enjoy.

There are also great facilities like the Aqua Allalin with its great wellness area and indoor pool, and a fun but often lively après-ski scene in Saas-Fee. Of course, there are superb dining options, with about 100 restaurants to choose from, many offering traditional Valais cuisine up to the gourmet level.

Book your winter getaway now via saas-fee.ch

Get ready for the ski season with OOSC! Unleash your sense of adventure and ignite the spirit of skiing in style

We have teamed up with the kings and queens of all things RETRO to give one lucky winner the chance to get their hands on a £250 voucher to spend on the best and brightest ski wear on the mountain. Turn heads as you send it down the slopes in one of their iconic ski suits or choose one of their brand-new ski jackets, bib pants or accessories to keep

you stylish from head to toe this season. Bringing retro back to the mountains, OOSC’s fun and adventurous range of ski wear invite you to ignite your spirit for skiing with fashionable flair. Not only does their new range make you stand out on the slopes, but it has also been designed and crafted with performance in mind. Inundated with rider-driven details and performanceenhancing features, you’ll be able to perform

to the max in style and comfort feeling cosy and warm in the harshest conditions.

OOSC’s aim is for future generations to enjoy the mountains just as much as them, which is why their sustainable mission is so important to them. Their range is made using recycled nylon and polyester, from plastic bottles and other sea waste. You are doing your bit for the environment when you are reppin’ OOSC.

The Swiss resort of Engelberg, famous, among other things, for its huge lift-served vertical drop of 2,000 metres, having the longest winter season in Switzerland and an enviable snowfall record, is celebrating one of its own this winter, a man known only as “Snowflake”.  At the age of 76, Snowflake is one of the best-known faces on the famous Swiss resort’s slopes, and is revered as a ‘Höhenmeter Millionär’ meaning he has skied well over a million vertical metres on Engelberg’s slopes. In so doing, Snowflake says he has found the way to happiness. “There is hardly anything that spreads as much happiness and joy as skiing. And no one embodies this joy as beautifully as the Engelberg legend “Snowflake”. His passion and enthusiasm for winter sports are contagious and transfer to all who are lucky enough to enjoy his company,” an Engelberg spokesperson explained. Snowflake has the most skiing days in Engelberg to his name and, even at 76, never misses an opportunity to pursue his passion. He prefers to be on the boards every day, clocking

up an astonishing 100+ ski days per season. However, his absolute passion is not only for the groomed slopes. With a big grin on his face, he also sweeps through the deep snow on Engelberg’s world-famous freeride slopes.

Now the resort plans to release a series of five films celebrating Snowflake and following his seasonal journey on Engelberg’s slopes, from the first ski days in autumn to the springtime descents.

The films will not only allow viewers to experience the breathtaking slopes and deep snow descents for which Engelberg is famous but along the way also meet up with another of the resort’s famous sons, World Cup superstar Marco Odermatt, as well as illustrating the entire splendour of Engelberg and its stunning beauty. Each of the films will showcase a different moment of happiness during the season, giving you the opportunity to experience the unique joy of skiing. The feeling of happiness that “Snowflake” experiences when doing so is simply contagious, and he really does have every reason to smile.

ADAM FALK

YOUR OFFICIAL SHOW GUIDE

SATURDAY THE INSPIRATION STAGE

10:10 – 10:15

WELCOME FROM OUR HOSTS

Chemmy Alcott | Scott Penman

10:15 – 11:00

MAKE THE MOST OF THE SNOW!

Ed Leigh

11:15 – 11:45

FIRESIDE CHAT

with Neil ‘Nine Lives’ Campbell

12:00 – 13:00

A QUESTION OF SNOW

Tim Warwood | Ed Leigh

Billy Morgan | Chemmy Alcott

Jenny Jones

13:30 – 14:00

FIRESIDE CHAT

with Millie Knight

14:15 – 15:00

TECHNIQUE LAB with Warren Smith

15:15 – 16:00

PROTECT OUR WINTERS

How Can We Stand Together

To Send It For Climate?

Lauren MacCallum

Ed Leigh | Krissy Roe

Jenny Jones | Billy Morgan

16:15 – 16:45

FIRESIDE CHAT

with Charlotte Bankes

17:00 – 17:30

FIRESIDE CHAT with Mia Brookes

SATURDAY THE SKILLS CABIN

10:45 – 11:00

WELCOME FROM OUR HOST

Tord Nilson

11:00 – 11:30

LIFE ON THE ICE

A World Record-Breaking Ski

Crossing of Antarctica

Sam Cox | Resilient Nutrition

11:45 – 12:30

RESORTS IN-DEPTH

What else is there to do?

Chalets 1066 | Ski Utah

Aosta Valley Tourist Board

12:45 – 13:30

TAKE THE TRAIN TO YOUR RESORT

It's not as difficult or expensive as you might think!

Iain Martin | Hannah Zajic

Anna Hughes | Krissy Roe

13:45 – 14:15

GET THE BEST FROM YOUR BOOT FITTING

Colin Martin | Solutions 4 Feet

14:45 – 15:15

NORDIC SKIING: A Beginner’s Guide

Andy Goodwin | Neil Pitts

Will Hughes

15:30 – 16:45

ALTITUDE MINI COMEDY FESTIVAL

Connor Burns | Kazeem Jamal

Jack Gleadow | Justin Moorhouse

SUNDAY

SUNDAY

10:15 – 10:30

WELCOME FROM OUR HOSTS

Chemmy Alcott

Scott Penman

10:30 – 11:00

FIRESIDE CHAT with Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards

11:15 – 12:00

THE SKI PODCAST LIVE: Off The Beaten Track

Iain Martin

James Wilcox

Katie Bamber

12:00 – 12:15

THE SNOWSPORT ENGLAND COACHING AWARDS

Snowsport England

12:30 – 13:15

TECHNIQUE LAB with Warren Smith

13:30 – 14:00

FIRESIDE CHAT with Talan Skeels-Piggins

14:15 – 15:00

BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS TO SNOWSPORT

Ash Clayton | Malikah Khan

Jade Gerrard

15:15 – 15:45

FIRESIDE CHAT with Eve Muirhead

10:45 – 11:00

WELCOME FROM OUR HOST

Tord Nilson

11:00 – 11:30

ALL TERRAIN SKIING with Dan Egan

11:45 – 12:15

HOW TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE AND ENJOY THE MOUNTAINS

Caroline Elliott

Kimberley Kay

12:30 – 13:15

WHOSKI.COM PRESENTS: Easy Ways To Ski Green

Nicola Davenport

Sally Warren

13:30 – 14:00

GET THE BEST FROM YOUR BOOT FITTING

Colin Martin

Solutions 4 Feet

14:15 – 15:30

ALTITUDE MINI COMEDY FESTIVAL

Connor Burns

Raul Kohli

Jack Gleadow

Justin Moorhouse

THE INSPIRATION STAGE

THE SKILLS CABIN

10:15 – 10:30

WELCOME FROM OUR HOSTS

Chemmy Alcott | Scott Penman

10:30 – 11:15

MAKE THE MOST OF THE SNOW!

Ed Leigh

11:30 – 12:00

FIRESIDE CHAT

with Neil ‘Nine Lives’ Campbell

12:15 – 13:15

A QUESTION OF SNOW

Tim Warwood | Ed Leigh

Billy Morgan | Chemmy Alcott

Jenny Jones | Scott Penman

14:00 – 14:30

FIRESIDE CHAT with Millie Knight

14:45 – 15:30

TECHNIQUE LAB with Warren Smith

15:45 – 16:30

PROTECT OUR WINTERS

How Can We Stand Together To Send It For Climate?

Dominic Winter | Ed Leigh

Billy Morgan | Jenny Jones

Inghams Ski

16:45 – 17:15

FIRESIDE CHAT with Charlotte Bankes

11:00 – 11:15

WELCOME FROM OUR HOST

Tord Nilson

11:15 – 11:45

NORDIC SKIING: A Beginner’s Guide

Andy Goodwin

Neil Pitts

Matthew Chronicle

12:00 – 12:45

RESORTS IN-DEPTH: What Else Is There To Do?

Chalets 1066

Ski Utah

Tirol Skiing

13:00 – 13:45

TAKE THE TRAIN TO YOUR RESORT

It's Not As Difficult Or Expensive As You Might Think!

Iain Martin

Hannah Zajic

Sian Grigg

14:15 – 14:45

TAKING THE BEST PHOTOS ON THE SLOPES with James North

15:00 – 16:15

ALTITUDE MINI COMEDY FESTIVAL

Harry Stachini

Olivia Lee

Angelos Epithemiou

10:15 – 10:30

WELCOME FROM OUR HOSTS

Chemmy Alcott

Scott Penman

10:30 – 11:00

FIRESIDE CHAT with Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards

11:15 – 12:00

THE SKI PODCAST LIVE: Off The Beaten Track

Iain Martin

Tristan Kennedy

Katie Bamber

12:00 – 12:15

THE SNOWSPORT ENGLAND COACHING AWARDS

Snowsport England

12:30 – 13:15

TECHNIQUE LAB with Warren Smith

13:30-14:00

FIRESIDE CHAT with Talan Skeels-Piggins

14:15 – 14:45

BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS TO SNOWSPORT

Ash Clayton | Malikah Khan

Jade Gerrard

15:00 – 15:30

FIRESIDE CHAT with Eve Muirhead

10:45 – 11:00

WELCOME FROM OUR HOST

Tord Nilson

11:00 – 11:30

ALL TERRAIN SKIING with Dan Egan

11:45 – 12:15

HOW TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE AND ENJOY THE MOUNTAINS

Caroline Elliott

Kimberley Kay

12:30 – 13:00

WHOSKI.COM PRESENTS: Easy Ways To Ski Green

Nicola Davenport

Sally Warren

13:30 – 14:00

GET THE BEST FROM YOUR BOOT FITTING

Colin Martin Solutions 4 Feet

14:15 – 15:30

ALTITUDE MINI COMEDY FESTIVAL

Harry Stachini

Marcus Brigstocke + More comedians

to be announced

SPOTLIGHT ON KEY SPEAKERS

CHEMMY ALCOTT

Chemmy is a 4 x Olympian, Ski Sunday presenter, and one of Britain’s greatest ever skiers. She hosts the Snow stage with Scott. She has overcome many challenges and injuries in her career and has inspired a generation of British Winter Sport athletes. She is also a TV & media personality, a charity ambassador, and a motivational speaker. She commentates on the World Cup Ski Series and the Winter Olympics for BBC and Eurosport.

ED LEIGH

Ed Leigh is a famous winter sports personality and co-presenter of Ski Sunday with Graham Bell and Chemmy Alcot. He started as a presenter for Freesports on 4 on Channel 4. Ed has amazing stories to share from his career and loves to play air guitar. He is passionate about skiing, snowboarding, surfing, and music. Ed is also a motivational speaker and an ambassador for several charities including Snow-Camp.

CHARLOTTE BANKES

She is a snowboarder who was born in Hemel Hempstead, but moved to France with her family when she was four. She raced for France in two Olympics and switched to GB in 2018. She became World Champion in 2021 and won the Crystal Globe twice. She also won the Team Event in 2023 with Huw Nightingale. She is one of the best snowboard cross riders in the world and has a fearless style on the slopes

NEIL CAMPBELL

Known to all as ‘Nine Lives’, the snowboarder with the most unorthodox style and trick list and – most importantly – his uncanny ability to always land on his feet.  Last year along with Adidas Terrex ‘How did snowboarding change my life” was released a short documentary of Neil’s Journey.

TALAN SKEELS-PIGGINS

Talan is a children’s author, a double 600cc Motorcycle World Champion and Winter Paralympian – as part of the British Team alpine skier. Skeels-Piggins used a sit-ski in alpine competitions. Skeels-Piggins is a former Royal Navy fighter controller and PE teacher at St Laurence School, Bradford On Avon.

EVE MUIRHEAD

Eve Muirhead is one of the world’s most successful Curlers – recently becoming Olympic Champion as skip for the British team in 2022 at the Beijing Winter Olympics and World Champion in the Mixed Doubles. She also carried the flag for her country at the 2022 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.

FLEXIBLE, AFFORDABLE ANDORRA SKI HOLIDAYS

Andorra may no longer be cheap but it’s still very cheerful, and top value if you book our holiday wisely. The Andorra Travel Service can build a trip to suit you, offering a huge choice of accommodation, flexible airport transfers and can build in ski school lessons and rentals at a great combined price.

Today, Andorra’s Grandvalira ski area is not only the largest in the Pyrenees, but with over 210km of ski runs, also one of the 20 largest in Europe, with a network of fast, comfortable high-speed lifts that’s the envy of the world. The pass now covers Pal Arinsal and the freeride powder

Mecca of Ordino Arcalis too for over 300km of slopes in total. What’s unchanged is Andorra’s deserved reputation for fabulous aprèsski and dining out, and the reputation of its exceptional ski and snowboard schools, with their excellent native English-speaking instructors. Andorra’s proximity to Barcelona and Toulouse makes it a great choice with daily flights from the UK, and Andorra Travel Service have you covered with many transfer options. The company offers 7-night half-board holidays in a 3★ hotel, inclusive of airport transfers, lift pass and ski hire from just £550pp. Just add your flights.

for the love of skiing.

R. WILLIAMS FOR SCHLADMING

Robbie Williams has been unveiled as the act performing on two nights, 7 and 8 December, at the Schladming Ski Opening, launching the 2023/24 ski season. “After a three-year break, there will finally be another big party in the Schladming-Dachstein region at the start of the season,” a spokesperson said. In a big media launch, Williams arrived by helicopter, carrying skis, to surprise waiting journalists.

OLDEST (EX-)SKIER IS 106

George Jedenoff, who kept skiing past the age of 100 at Alta in Utah, has celebrated his 106th birthday. Mr Jedenoff began skiing more than 60 years ago after moving to Utah and was still skiing at 103. Asked about skiing in the latter years of life, George commented, “Age is just a number. Don’t let it hold you back. Always be kind to others and never give up.”

shops nationwide | ellis-brigham.com

MIQUEL COLL MOLAS

It’s a big season for Les Menuires as it celebrates its 60th birthday in 2024. With a prime location in the world’s largest ski area, its enviable snow record and a reputation for offering some of the best value in French skiing, there’s plenty to celebrate.

Les Menuires is a high-altitude ski resort in the Alps, located at 1,800m above sea level. It has 85% of its ski area above

1,800m, and 52% of it equipped with snowmaking machines. This means you can enjoy skiing on guaranteed snow throughout the season.

Besides having great slopes for all abilities, it also has its own ‘secret’ corner of Les 3 Vallées thanks to a fast lift providing access to La Masse, a natural, wild and unique part of the area.

Les Menuires’ success is also down to the

fact that it makes your ski holiday easy, with everything 100% accessible on skis, although on reflection, it’s fair to say the resort was not universally welcomed back in 1964. Its urban architectural style in the mountains didn’t please everyone, but 60 years on, Les Menuires is known as a cutting-edge, environmentally friendly resort – as well as just a great place to go skiing!

AVORIAZ’S NEW RUN & LIFT

Avoriaz, an iconic resort in the vast Portes du Soleil Region, which links a dozen ski villages on each side of the French-Swiss border with 600km of ski slopes, is unveiling a new six-seater chairlift and a new red run for skiers this winter. But in keeping with its “no expansion” environmental policy, the lift is an improvement on its predecessor, and the new piste has been created without damaging the landscape. The new mile-long Le Creux de la Neige piste in the Arare sector has been created along a natural route that needed no development in a location that gets good, natural snow cover. For more than a decade, Avoriaz has decided not to expand further, having just renovated existing facilities since 2012 to improve the quality of stay.

SUNWEB PARTNERS GAY SKI WEEK

Leading ski operator, Sunweb, is proudly announcing its new partnership with European Gay Ski Week, taking place in Val Thorens from 16-23 March 2024. The move makes Sunweb the first international operator to support European Gay Ski Week and allows attendees to book their flights, accommodation, lift pass and event pass in one package. Sunweb is the festival’s sole tour operator; creating and maintaining the booking site and taking care of the holidaymakers’ complete journey and stay. “We are proud to support an event that promotes inclusivity and diversity and are committed to making travel more accessible to everyone, believing that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the joy of skiing,” commented Martine Langerak, Head of Communications & PR at Sunweb Group.

A STRONG EL NIÑO

A strong El Niño system in the Pacific Ocean is a strong probability for the winter ahead, influencing weather including snow conditions across North America and some believe further afield. El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the Central and Eastern Pacific. It exchanges dominance with colder counterpart La Niña. Each can be “strong”, “weak” or neutral. Although nothing is guaranteed, a strong El Niño system typically delivers lots of cold weather and snowfall in North Eastern US and Quebec and Ontario in Canada. However, it may be less good news for California, after its huge falls last season, and the Pacific Northwest might have a rather lacklustre winter too. Everywhere else should be “average”.

THE SMILES SHINE LIKE FRESH SNOW

Winter’s

Favour e Town TM

When you’re in Winter’s Favourite Town, you have more room to enjoy The Greatest Snow On Earth® on our miles of trails at Park City Mountain and Deer Valley Resort. More room to snowshoe, dog sled, snow bike or sleigh ride. And more room to relax in a welcoming historic town fi lled with restaurants, bars, boutique shops and galleries. When you love it, like we love it, Park City, Utah will always be Winter’s Favourite Town. Learn how to make your stay more sustainable at VisitParkCity.com/uk

AVORIAZ CHRIS GEARY

LAUREN HEDGES

The snowy mountains mean very different things to different people, and fortunately the UK’s biggest ski and snowboarding trip provider, Crystal Ski Holidays, has you covered. You may just be wanting to bounce through deep powder, freeriding steep and deep on your fat skis or board, or you may never have even tried skiing before, or are coming back to the snow

after some years away and want to find the best destination for you.

Crystal’s huge choice of over 120 resorts across Europe, North America and Asia, with everything easy to book in one simple, flexible package, means that, whatever you’re looking for on the snow, they’ve got your back. Of course, whatever kind of skier or snowboarder you are is just a small part

of why each of us loves being in the mountains. That’s a personal thing to each of us, the spectacular scenery, the fabulous food, the fresh air, the glorious mountain, the full-on fun of après-ski. Whether it’s your first time or your 50th time, that feeling you get when you go to the mountains is different for everyone, but we all can’t wait to get back. Let’s do this!

JACKSON HOLE’S RECORD SNOWFALL

Jackson Hole was one of several Western US resorts to get its most ever snowfall last winter, at least for part of its terrain. The 2022/23 season saw 15.1m of snowfall, setting a record in Rendezvous Bowl. That included 41 days with 15cm+ snowfalls. The

snow started falling in mid-October and hardly let up all season. “The consistency of the powder days, the cold temperatures and the quality of the snow made for exceptional conditions,” noted president Mary Kate Buckley.

Jackson Hole’s snowfall was mirrored in the wider region with 13 out of 15 resorts in neighbouring Utah breaking snowfall records, including Alta accumulating over 900 inches/75 feet/23 metres.

BROOKES IN GUINNESS BOOK

Guinness have recognised Mia Brookes as the youngest ever snowboarding champion.

“Snowboarding prodigy Mia Brooke is officially the youngest snowboarding world champion in history. Aged 16 years 39 days, she won the women’s snowboard slopestyle at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships in Bakuriani, Georgia, on 27 February 2023. Brookes is also Britain’s first-ever world champion in the event,” the organisation confirmed.

SWISS CENTRE GOES SOLAR

A Swiss ski area is installing a solar power plant that will generate enough energy for the entire ski resort. The 10MW plant to be built above Disentis ski area will cover 80,000 m2 and generate 10MW of power. Known as the Ovra Solara Magriel project, the ground-mounted plant will have an installed capacity of ten megawatts and produce 17 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, which corresponds to the consumption of 4,000 households.

GURGL’S FIRST WORLD CUPS

Gurgl – the name for a number of neighbouring Austrian Tirol villages, the most famous of which is Obergurgl – have announced they’ll be staging their first ever World Cup Slalom race this November.

Stars like Britain’s Dave Ryding, who is already sponsored by the resort, as well as Norway’s Lucas Braathen and Henrik Kristoffersen, will gather for the “Diamond of the Alps” on 18 November on the slopes of Kirchenkar in Hochgurgl.

AMY JIMMERSON

WERNER ELMER PHOTOGRAPHY

IN TIROL

Austria’s Tirol region is not only home to some of the most famous ski resorts in the world (and dozens more equally worthy of your attention) but also some of the planet’s most infamous ski runs too! Yes, Tirol has a well-deserved reputation for its warm welcome, great snow reliability,

long season, beautiful scenery and authentic mountain resorts, but it’s less well known that it can top most ski nations for challenging terrain, all on its own. Perhaps it shouldn’t be such a surprise when you consider the most famous Tirol resorts. There’s multiple Winter Olympics Downhill host Innsbruck; the famous

freeride paradise of St Anton; the host of the toughest World Cup downhill race Kitzbühel; Mayrhofen, home to one of the world’s steepest groomed descents, and Sölden, where the explosive snow scenes in the last Bond movie franchise, Spectre, were filmed. Here’s the lowdown on the toughest runs at those five fantastic resorts. Fear not, though,

Valluga | Arlberg

as each has plenty for every level of skier, from complete beginner up, so we’ll also include a run to suit those of us wanting a more relaxing descent – there are 3,400km of slopes to choose from in Tirol after all.

The Olympic Downhill or The Full Stubai Vertical | Innsbruck Innsbruck is surrounded by more than a dozen ski areas, all included in a greatvalue regional lift pass, the SKI plus CITY Pass Stubai Innsbruck. It has also hosted three Winter Olympic Games, with the 1976 Men’s Downhill on the Patscherkofel mountain above the city, won by Franz Klammer, still one of the greatest in history and well worth watching on YouTube. The Olympic Downhill is actually a slope that most intermediate skiers can easily manage, just not at Klammer speed. For something gentler, the snow-sure Stubai Glacier, also on the Innsbruck pass, has a full 10km descent over a wonderful 1,515m vertical.

Schwarze Schneid or the Giggijoch | Sölden Sölden serves up one of the biggest lift-

served verticals in Austria, thanks in part to its three separate lift-served peaks above 3,000m altitude. These each open up some seriously long descents, none more so than the 15km (9.5 miles) long Schwarze Schneid, the longest groomed downhill ski run in Austria. If you’d rather take it a little easier, though, head to the Giggijoch where there’s wide, gentle, easy terrain, especially below Rotkogl.

Harakiri or Ahorn | Mayrhofen

When it comes to steep, the famed Harakiri Trail is one of the steepest in the Alps. Pitching at 78 percent there’s a sign at the top warning “Only for well-trained skiers”, and they’re not kidding. Mayrhofen has a huge variety of terrain including a gentle cruise on a 6km descent from Ahorn down to the village, the longest in the vast ski area.

Valluga North or Piste 64 | St Anton am Arlberg St Anton is home to plenty of tough runs but arguably none more challenging than the steep faces of Valluga, towering

2,809m high above the village. Perfect on a powder day, this off-piste route is not for the faint of heart. You are not permitted in the upper section of the Valluga II gondola without a qualified guide. But St Anton has plenty for beginners and intermediates too. One of the favourite blues is the fabulous long piste number 64 to St Christoph.

Streif or Direttissima | Kitzbühel

THE big race of the Alpine Skiing World Cup calendar, the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbühel is raced on The Streif, an icy, steep and fast course which always delivers high drama as racers battle G forces trying to turn on gradients of up to 85 per cent, hitting speeds of 140kph, frequently getting airborne. You can ski the Hahnenkamm mountain but take the red run that descends parallel to the course. Alternatively, the Direttissima run has Kitzbühel’s greatest vertical drop and is a great workout. Make Tirol your choice for skiing this winter – after all, it offers the perfect combination of snow, slopes, a warm welcome and amazing value.

RESORT

The world is full of great ski resorts. It can be so hard to pick which one to grace with your presence on their slopes each winter. Some of us find our perfect place and return year after year, others try somewhere new each season. The good news is that some resorts have that little bit extra, that special

something, that takes them up above the rest and into the status of the bucket list resort. It could be a great skiing heritage, being part of one of the world’s big ski areas, hosting a famous ski race or perhaps a world-class vertical. Whatever it is, some resorts have that extra something which means you must ski them sooner or later.

RED MOUNTAIN RESORT

REDRESORT.COM

RED may not yet be one of the best-known ski areas in North America, but with incredible terrain, no crowds, an authentic ski town nearby and a local culture second to none, it’s soon going to be. The question is, are you going to get there before everyone else does?

In fact, RED is actually the oldest ski resort in Western Canada; it’s just remained off the beaten track for many years. But now, after several expansions over the last decade, RED has quietly become one of the top 10 largest ski resorts in North America. Today you can ski or board a massive 3,850 acres here!

The RED community is proudly Canadian despite (or perhaps because of) its location only minutes over the USA border in the snowy Kootenay mountains.

RED is still independently owned and the local community are core skiers and snowboarders. Most are based in the former mining settlement, now amazing ski town of Rossland, just a five-minute drive from the mountain base. Rossland has been voted the top ski town in Canada for the past two years in a row and also made it into a National Geographic list of the top slopes you must ski in your lifetime.

So there are no pretentious vibes here; you’ll just meet welcoming locals and discover a laid-back environment combined with amazing terrain, world-famous tree skiing, pristine powder and, best of all, little

to no crowds.

RED has a whopping 890m of vertical drop and an impressive 7.6m annual snowfall average. The resort has no less than five skiable peaks. The largest, Granite Mountain, can be skied from all sides offering an incredible choice of descents. There’s no “front side” or “back side” here, just every side!

Mt Kirkup, on the other hand, is best known for its $15 cat skiing. Here you can experience the excitement and freedom that cat skiing offers but only pay $15 (Canadian) per ride up. You and just 11 other people have an area of 200 acres to enjoy between you. At the base, the runs ski you right back into the in-bounds terrain and a chairlift. Although half of RED’s terrain is graded advanced or expert, the resort’s last two expansions have included two more chairlifts which in their case access some superb intermediate terrain as well, and there are plenty of glorious groomers to enjoy if you need a break from all that soft powder. You can stay a snowball’s throw from the lift at a clean, modern hostel, kick back at a slopeside condo or in a boutique hotel, or sign up for incredible unique experiences such as mid-mountain overnight backcountry cabins with dinner included and first tracks in the morning. So there you have it. RED was once under the radar; now it’s the Next Big Thing. This winter it’s time to find out what everybody is talking about.

ASHLEY VOYKIN

KM OF RUNS 119

NO. OF LIFTS 8

RESORT ALTITUDE 1,185m

TOP LIFT HEIGHT 2,075m

VERTICAL 890m

Japan continues to grow in popularity for British skiers and snowboarders. For cultural experience, fantastic hospitality, serving fabulous food and of course having the world’s best snow are all big draws. When we think of Japanese skiing, though, the same resort name keeps cropping up. Perhaps it’s time to start looking at the many other ski resorts Japan has to offer?

UK-based experts Japan Ski Experience report that Furano enjoys a special kind of "champagne powder" – drier and lighter still than that which falls on more famous resorts on Japan's northern ski island. Typically it gets less extreme weather and fewer multi-day storms than further west and

is instead famed for its blue sky powder days. It also recently opened up its powder snow potential after years of being piste-only with sidecountry freeride terrain now available.

Furano is perfect for families, with lots of gentle groomed runs; a quieter, relaxed atmosphere and, best of all, kids ski free! Luxury condominium hotels have recently opened by the slopes creating even more buzz around Furano.

Japan Ski Experience provides impartial advice on the best Furano accommodation and can book this, and resort services for you, for the same prices as booking direct. But you benefit from the support of UK- and Hokkaido-based experts, throughout the booking process and in resort.

11 245m 1,074m

CHAMONIX-MONT-BLANC

Chamonix may be one of the world’s best-known ski resorts, but it also lies at the heart of a valley with a soul, surrounded by spectacular, beautiful nature, which many fall in love with and keep coming back to.

Most love the buzzing Alpine town itself, this winter celebrating 100 years since it staged the world’s first-ever Winter Olympic Games. But there’s also the spectacular backdrop of the Mont Blanc region, a sanctuary for wildlife including chamois, ibex, deer, white hares, black grouse and ptarmigan. Snowsports lovers are

here for the world-class skiing of course, with snow-sure conditions from December to May as 90% of the skiing is above 2,000m. Epic trips can include a cable-car ride to the famous Aiguille du Midi at 3,842m, with its 360° breathtaking panorama, also the starting point of the world-famous Vallee Blanche descent. While Chamonix has forged its reputation on its outstanding off-piste possibilities, the valley also offers plenty of great intermediate-level cruising terrain, tree-lined trails, snow parks and several excellent beginners’ areas for everyone to fall in love with.

155 67 1,035m 3,842m

CHAMONIX.COM

VAL THORENS

VALTHORENS.COM

When it comes to topping the table for the greatest ski resort in Europe, it’s hard to get better than Val Thorens.

At 2,300m it’s the continent’s highest-altitude ski area and a safe bet for reliable snow cover. It also offers one of the longest ski seasons in the Alps, this winter from 25 November 2023 to 5 May 2024. If high and snow-sure wasn’t enough, we are also talking the top of the world’s biggest ski region, Les 3 Vallées, with its world-leading 600km of ski slopes, with something to suit every taste and ability, from complete beginner to the most

seasoned pro.

With all these facts it’s no surprise that Val Thorens has been voted the best ski resort in Europe, and the world, seven times, in the prestigious World Ski Awards. Having only just passed its 50th birthday, Val Thorens is actually one of the youngest resorts in the world, built with skiing in its DNA from day one, but growing and evolving ever since. Today, besides the fabulous snow and skiing, it is also at the forefront of technological innovation and can offer many other activities for the nearly 2 million skiers that now visit each winter.

600 156 2,300m 3,230m

SERRE CHEVALIER BRIANÇON

We skiers love our snow, but we love sunshine too, and one ski area offers the best of both worlds!

Serre Chevalier Briançon, located at the gateway to the Ecrins National Park in the southern French Alps, has one of the biggest ski areas in Europe. There’s an incredible 250km of slopes spread over 410 hectares of terrain, and it's bathed in sunshine for an average of 300 days per year. Yet, thanks to its location with 80% of the pistes above 2,000m, it also has a great snowfall record with excellent snow cover all season long. But there’s much more beyond the great snow

and sunshine that differentiates Serre Chevalier Briançon from many of the other big ski regions. It’s a valley with a rich history, complete with three main resort bases (Le Monêtier-les-Bains, Villeneuve, Chantemerle) and Europe’s highest town, Briançon, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are culinary and local traditions here handed down from generation to generation and natural hot springs that made the valley famous long before skiing was dreamed of. Altogether this is one of the biggest and best ski areas and the most authentic valleys in the French Alps.

MÉRIBEL

MERIBEL.NET/EN

One of the first resorts in the Alps, Méribel has preserved its timeless appeal since 1938. A step into one of the three villages that make up the resort – Méribel centre, Méribel village or Méribel Mottaret – will immerse you in the magic of the mountain atmosphere.

Nestled in between Courchevel and Val Thorens, its central location in the valley means Méribel is brilliantly positioned to access every corner of this vast area quickly and easily. Over time, the resort has grown and sprouted neighbouring hamlets, while maintaining a strong community feel. The traditional Alpine architecture of local wood and stone chalets has also been preserved to allow that feeling of traditional French ambience to flourish.

The resort’s charming atmosphere is enhanced by being within an area of stunning natural beauty close to the beautiful Tueda Nature Reserve. Méribel’s traditional wood and stone chalets blend perfectly into the forested valleys and mighty peaks beyond.

Méribel has developed into a world-class resort with a vibrant international feel, as skiers and boarders arrive from all over the world each winter. Unlike other Alpine resorts, visitors to Méribel will be met by a wide variety of cuisines to choose from, from classic French mountain food and hearty burgers to Indian takeaways and a mushroom-themed restaurant. Visitors will find an array of both on- and off-mountain eateries catering to all age groups, wallets and tastes, right up to Michelin-starred level.

Chez Kiki, now renamed Chez Fifi, founded

in 1960, is a resort institution that has recently been revived by Chef Fifi after his father ran the popular dining spot for an incredible six decades. Le Restaurant Partajo is another of Méribel’s best spots for foodies, taking visitors on a gourmet journey through France with a menu using high-quality, local cuisine, inspired by Savoie, Burgundy and Corsica. Similarly, the après-ski scene is another strength of the resort, particularly if you still have the energy to party into the night. But again, the size of Méribel and its great mix of clientele from around the world means that there are plenty of other options from quieter, traditional French café bars to sophisticated cocktail lounges. Great choices include The Rond Point for aprèsski (also known as Ronnies) and Copina, a classy cocktail bar located in Méribel centre. The choice of accommodation is equally extensive, again with something for every taste and budget. There are hotels of 3 to 5★, chalets of all sizes and styles, ski-in/ ski-out slopeside options, family-friendly apartments and many more options to agonise over when making your choice. A new choice this winter, created to blend perfectly into the natural environment, is the luxurious Falcon. It comprises apartments and three chalets and offers hotel services, including a wellness area, ski room, concierge service, breakfast delivery and shuttle service. Finally, Méribel is located at a great altitude for snow-sure skiing, with base villages situated between 1,450m and 1,750m altitude. It’s no surprise that so many of its die-hard fans return year after year.

CARINTHIA

Austrian skiing is well known for its warm welcome, great value, short transfers, authentic villages and comfy, fast lifts but we do tend to keep going back to the same old ski areas in the north and west of the country. The less-well-known region of Carinthia in the south east of the country has even more going for it than the northwest. For starters, there’s 100 more hours sunshine in the winter months than destinations further north; that's a lot of extra sunny ski days! Carinthia, which borders Italy to the south and Slovenia to the east, is also the homeland of the most famous skier in history, Franz Klammer. You can ski a run he designed if you wish, and possibly even meet him on the slopes if you’re lucky!

SkiWeekends have an exclusive partnership with Visit Carinthia this season and are offering holidays to some of Carinthia’s best ski areas, from one of the biggest and best known to some hidden gems offering exceptional value and great skiing. Klammer’s home resort is called Bad Kleinkirchheim, a bit of a tongue twister so commonly known as ‘BKK’ for short. It’s the biggest resort in the region with the ‘Bad’ in the name meaning ‘bath’, a reference to the thermal spas for which this classic resort is almost as famous as its 111km of ski slopes. People have been visiting to ‘take the water’ for at least a

thousand years, and these days along with lots of private spa facilities there are several superb slopeside thermal swimming pool complexes. Besides great skiing for all standards, BKK has lots to do off the slopes with a vibrant après-ski scene. It’s also one of the easiest resorts in Europe to reach, just a 45-minute transfer from Klagenfurt Airport (twice weekly flights from London Stansted), or alternatively into Salzburg to the north, or Ljubljana to the south.

Innerkrems, located in the Nockberge mountains a little to the north of BKK, is a destination not believed to have been offered on the UK market before. Famous in Carinthia as one of the region’s most snow-sure ski areas, it manages to offer a huge range of on-snow activities as well as skiing for all levels, from complete beginners to the most demanding ski tourers. On the list is everything from dog sledding or biathlon to a 6km toboggan run and the chance to try the ancient Carinthian tradition of “Latlshooting” on ice. In short, Innerkrems is a great place if you want a full snow fun adventure at a resort none of your friends have heard of!

Don’t forget that besides Carinthia, SkiWeekends offer flexible ski holidays and accommodation to seven other Austrian ski resorts this season, including the everpopular resorts of Saalbach and St. Anton.

WISTHALER HARALDWWW.WISTHALER.COM

KM OF RUNS 172*

NO. OF LIFTS 31*

RESORT ALTITUDE 1,0871,550m

TOP LIFT HEIGHT 2,0552,200m

VERTICAL 968650m

BURNING MAN SKI SLOPE

Nevada’s Burning Man Festival made headlines this year when the 75,000 “Burners” (the name for festival goers) were stuck by torrential rain, rather than the usual hot weather, but 2023 also had another claim to fame: a dry ski slope. The

Black Rock City Snow Club, which has had a ski-themed camp at the festival for several years, fund-raised $40k to create the slope with scaffolding 5m high and 18m long. Before the rain the main concern had been how the plastic surface would stand

up to the usually hot desert temperatures. The slope operated well for the first half of the festival before the rain, and it even had its own version of fine powder, as alkaline remnants of the ancient dry lake bed create a fine white dust.

“GAME CHANGER” CHAIRLIFT

Canada’s Marmot Basin ski area’s new Knob Quad will go into service this winter, providing improved access to The Cirque, the resort’s most recently opened expert terrain, and will also make it easier to access the peak. Describing the new lift, which replaces a double chairlift, as “a game changer” in terms of upper mountain access, a spokesperson for the Jasper resort said that the quad has been on the cards since 2008.

FLIGHTS AT PRE-COVID LEVELS

Data from analysts Cirium published by Ski Solutions has revealed that scheduled flight departures from the UK this December are projected to hit 96% of those for December 2019, the last before the pandemic. Flights numbers are also up 16% compared to December 2022, with over 75,000 planned. “Despite the headwinds in the economy, Ski Solutions has seen revenue from booked ski trips departing in December 2023 rise 10% year-on-year,” a company spokesperson said.

CRYSTAL + SPAIN & SLOVENIA

Crystal Ski Holidays has unveiled two new destinations for Winter 2023/24, Spain and “budget-friendly” Slovenia, to its Winter 2023/2024 programme. “Swap sun and sangria for après-ski and snow-covered mountains in Spain’s largest ski area at the Baqueira-Beret resort, which lies at the head of the stunning Val d’Aran, tucked away in the Spanish Pyrenees. The ski area boasts 165km of piste and skiing elevation as high as 2600m,” a Crystal spokesperson said.

MARINA-HINIC

BOBSLEIGH PILOT EXPERIENCE

La Plagne, which hosted the ice track events at the Albertville Winter Olympics, is offering the chance to train people how to pilot a bobsleigh, on a one-day course this winter. This thrilling experience includes a track walk (just like the pros when they study the best line down), two descents in a twoperson bobsleigh (first as a passenger, then steering yourself as a pilot) and a technical (and emotional) debriefing.

The course lasts a full day throughout which participants will be supervised by a professional pilot, plus French bobsleigh federation-certified instructors. This unique opportunity will run on 12 January 2024 and 9 February 2024 with a maximum of eight participants. It costs €590 / £505 pp to sign up, helmet and crampons included, and the maximum age to try it is 16. The bobsleigh track at La Plagne operates all winter, and there are other ways to

travel down without learning to steer your own bobsleigh which also cost a lot less. Cheapest and most popular is the ‘selfguiding bob raft’, invented at the track, which is a kind of giant padded bobsleigh for inexperienced bobsleighers so they can descend the slope safely without a trained pilot. It’s slower than the real thing but fast enough for most and lots of fun. Or there’s the ‘taxi bob’ which is a real bobsleigh you ride in behind a professional pilot.

TRUE HAPPINESS

The Swiss resort of Engelberg is celebrating one of its own this winter, a man known only as “Snowflake”, releasing a series of five films celebrating him. At the aged of 76, Snowflake is one of the best-known faces on the famous resort’s slopes, and is revered as a ‘Höhenmeter Millionär’ meaning he has skied well over a million vertical metres on Engelberg’s slopes. In so doing, Snowflake says he has found the way to happiness. “There is hardly anything that spreads as much happiness and joy as skiing. And no one embodies this joy as beautifully as the Engelberg legend ‘Snowflake‘. His passion and enthusiasm for winter sports are contagious and transfer to all who are lucky enough to enjoy his company,” an Engelberg spokesperson explained.

NEW LEGO SKI SET

Lego have launched a new “Holiday Ski Slope and Café” set, aimed at children “who love playing in the snow” aged eight or older, and priced at £74.99. The set includes a ski shop, café and 23cm-high, 31cm-wide ski slope. Accessories include three pairs of skis, two snowboards, hot chocolate cups, three helmets, soda cans, bubble gum, a croissant and a camera. Three mini figures, Liann, Zac and Aaron, can be kitted out with snowboards, skis and helmets. “Kids can propel the characters down the ski slope before treating them to a hot chocolate at the ski café,” the product’s sales pitch enthuses. There’s also a secret cave to find and kids can add the snow fox to the scene “to create even more snow-inspired stories.”

DAVOS PISTE “REWILDED”

Many ski resorts are announcing new ski slopes for the upcoming season, but unusually Davos Klosters have announced they’re taking a ski run out of service and “rewilding” the area instead. The resort’s FIS Ischalp slalom run is no longer needed and has been reforested, giving more than 10,000m2 of the mountainside back to nature. It’s one out, one in, though, as there is also a whole new piste to explore between Usser Isch and the Carjöl areas of the Jakobshorn. The new run will offer strong skiers a long 2.5km descent all the way down to Davos Platz, relieving the pressure on the Gämpen slope, which is largely a forest road, and providing an alternative route down for freeriders out of the trees.

THE CRADLE OF ALPINE SKIING.

LEGO

DESTINATION DAVOS KLOSTERS CHRISTIAN PERRET

JAVIER ALONSO TERESA

PABLO ARANCIBIA

When we think of big ski areas close to home, too often our thoughts head to the Alps, when we perhaps ought to be looking somewhere a little less obvious.

Baqueira Beret is the biggest resort in the Spanish Pyrenees with an impressive 113 runs spread over 170km of slopes, with more than 1,100m of lift-served vertical. That’s all served by a world-class fast and efficient network of 36 lifts, including many high-speed chairs and gondolas, with a combined capacity of over 61,024 people/hour.

As we’re talking about reputation for great powder snow and lots of superb off-piste terrain (it’s one of the few stops on the Freeride World Tour, back here again next January), we should be talking area too, and that’s 2,273 hectares … or a little bigger than Vail, Colorado.

Baqueira Beret is close to home as well. It’s just a two-hour drive from Toulouse–Blagnac Airport, a much less stressful airport to travel through in winter than Geneva or Chambéry, with often more affordable flights available. There’s also the big benefit of Spanish prices, compared to those of the Alps. The resort celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2024. Over the years the area has grown across four sectors – Baqueira, Beret, Baciver and Bonaigua –with runs for every ability and every style, including great nursery slopes, seemingly endless intermediate cruising runs, fantastic freeriding, terrain parks and boardercross courses.

Baqueira Beret is located across Spain’s spectacular Val d’Aran and Valls d’Àneu (Pallars Sobirà) and its slopes can be accessed via both valleys. The pistes climb from the lowest part at Baqueira 1500 up to 2,610m at Cap de Baciver. Those two sides are very different and allow you to avoid any crowds with some savvy planning on powder days.

As one of Europe’s leading ski resorts it should be no surprise that, along with a great foodie and aprèsski scene, there’s loads to do besides the downhill slopes including snowmobiling and 7km of prepared cross-country ski circuits.

For equipment rentals and sales, Baqueira Beret has several rental, repair and sales centres which invest in new equipment from leading brands each winter for downhill skiing, snowboarding, telemarking, cross-country skiing and ski mountaineering. So all you need is waiting for you in resort.

Reservation Baqueira Beret is the ski resort’s official travel agency and a one-stop shop for booking and advice to help you make the most of your stay. They can help you book everything in one place, for minimum hassle. That can be everything from ski school lessons to snowmobile excursions as well as your hotel or self-catering apartment.

If you prefer to travel independently, you can buy a BaqueiraTICKET to access the ski lifts, which can be topped up online as you need, while regular visitors should invest in a BaqueiraPASS.

TO THE

Aski or snowboard holiday to the USA is high on most people's wish lists. The country's ski areas are famed for their big mountain scenery, light powder snow, perfectly groomed slopes and friendly welcome. Beyond the skiing itself, there are spacious, comfortable accommodation options, great dining and nightlife, families will find excellent childcare and the famous American expectation of high service standards is delivered. What's not to love?!

California, Colorado and Utah are America's most popular ski states, home to world-famous resorts including some of the best on the planet. Here we've chosen four resorts that exemplify the best

of skiing in the USA.

The reality though is that the USA is not a closeto-home skiing destination, and alas it’s not the cheapest either. The good news, however, is that with the right destination and some savvy choices, you can maximise your holiday by making the most of your time – and your budget! If you’re looking for personal advice on creating your perfect ski trip in the States, Ski Safari have been tailor-making ski holidays to the USA for over 20 years. They’ve skied in all the major American resorts and regularly visit the ones highlighted below. If you’re looking for expertise, they’re your people! Visit skisafari.com or call 01273 224060. Continues over page

BRECKENRIDGE COLORADO

Soak up the real America and spend your slopeside adventure in this former gold mining town, complete with clapboard houses, welcoming locals and a buzzing Main Street.

Skiers of all abilities can enjoy this most American of American ski towns, but with its long, satisfying, fast groomers, fun gladed runs with islands of thinly spaced trees to ski through, manageable bump runs and gentle bowl skiing, we think that Breckenridge is best suited to upperintermediate skiers.

Maximise Your Breckenridge Trip

To make your Breckenridge stay even better, you can purchase the Summit Value Pass, which includes the slopes of nearby hidden gem Keystone. This ski area has a ton more intermediate slopes and the longest ski day in Colorado with select days open until 8pm, thanks to Colorado’s largest night-skiing operations. If you travel after 1 April 2024, opt for the Keystone Plus Pass which will save you a further third during the final weeks of the season. Ten nights self-catered at the 3★+ River Mountain Lodge from £2,490pp based on 2 adults sharing a hotel room. Price based on select departures in April 2024 and includes return flights and shared transfers.

VAIL COLORADO

Vail scores highly on every count, designed from the start with luxury high quality at its core. Expect world-class ski terrain and the best of everything.

There's a great choice of stunning, slopeside luxury properties to choose from and when it comes to fine dining, Vail is hard to beat with an eclectic selection of gourmet options from the most exquisite Alpine bistros to Italian, Japanese or the American staple, steak, taken to a whole new level.

The ski area has something for everyone and a fantastic network of comfortable high-speed chairlifts. At 8.3 square miles it’s the third-largest single-mountain ski area in the US and incorporates almost 200 runs. There’s a vast choice for both intermediate and advanced skiers, including the gladed runs of Blue Sky Basin and legendary Back Bowls.

Maximise Your Vail Trip

Both the Epic Local Pass and Epic Pass give Vail-based skiers access to the slopes of nearby Beaver Creek, an even more upmarket and exclusive resort and gated community. Although it hosts World Cup racing each winter on the super-steep Birds of Prey course, there's also lots of familyfriendly terrain to enjoy with immaculately groomed blue runs. You can of course opt to stay in Beaver Creek for a few nights too if you want to make it a multi-resort trip. 10 nights self-catered at the 3★+ Vail Racquet Club Mountain Resort in Vail from £2,195pp based on two adults sharing a One Bedroom Condo. Price based on select departures in April 2024 and includes return flights and shared transfer.

HEAVENLY CALIFORNIA

If it's sunny skies you're after on your epic American ski adventure, it is hard to beat California and the fabulous Heavenly Mountain Resort. One of America’s biggest ski areas with 4,800 acres of fantastic terrain, its impressive stats also include an annual 300 days of Californian sunshine, while managing to rack up some serious powder snowfall totals too.

As well as having a huge variety of terrain, the icing on the cake are the incredible views of the sapphire-blue waters of Lake Tahoe.

Maximise Your Heavenly Trip

If you visit Heavenly you can ski for no additional cost at family-friendly Northstar and advanced skiers’ favourite

Kirkwood, using the Tahoe Value Pass. And why not add San Francisco to your package, perhaps seeing Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown and the Golden Gate Bridge to make your trip even more memorable?

10 nights self-catered at the 3★

Forest Suites Resort in Heavenly from £2,445pp based on two adults sharing a hotel room king bed. Price based on select departures in April, 2024 and includes return flights and car hire.

PARK CITY UTAH

Park City Mountain Resort is the biggest ski area in the USA with more than 330 separate ski runs spread over 7,300 acres of terrain. Half of the ski runs are rated “Expert Only” – that’s more advanced terrain than the entire size of most North American ski areas. It includes a dozen bowls to drop into, all drenched in Utah’s famous light powder trademarked as “the greatest snow on earth”.

Maximise Your Park

City Trip

Having made it to Utah, it’s easy to add on a road trip to some of the state’s worldfamous national parks, such as Arches, Zion and Bryce Canyon. Remember, Park City is just a short drive from Salt Lake City Airport, so you can easily fly and ski on the same day!

Having skied there extensively, Ski Safari know their American resorts well and can vouch that these four offer everything that’s great about skiing in the USA. If you’re planning a Stateside ski holiday this winter then make sure you get in touch soon! Established in 1996, Ski Safari is one of the UK’s leading ski holiday tour operators to North America, Japan, Scandinavia and Switzerland. With more than 20 years of experience, Ski Safari feature 75 ski resorts worldwide, specialising in extraordinary multi-resort ski holidays and city add-ons.

Are you ready to win big and hit the slopes this winter in style?

Do you want to upgrade your ski equipment and look stylish on the snow? Then don’t miss this amazing opportunity to win a ski gear makeover worth £1,000!* You could win everything you need to refresh your ski bag, including a new pair of skis, boots, bindings, poles, helmet, goggles, gloves, jacket, pants, and more! All from the best brands in the industry! Whether you are a beginner or an expert, this prize will suit your needs and preferences. Don’t let this chance slip away.

Enter now and get ready to ski like never before! This is a limited time offer, so hurry up and join

the competition today! Terms and conditions apply, see inthesnow. com/competitions for details.

As ski areas try to think of ideas to create new year-round attractions to their slopes, the ideas are becoming ever more creative. Along with an ever-growing list of locations with scary high-altitude platforms jutting out into the abyss or suspension bridges, there are ever more pieces of public art to discover on mountains across the Alps. You can even now sit behind a wooden frame giving the appearance of a mountaintop cinema screen to take in the view at Pitztal.

Instagram has been a big driver in the creation of these locations. While once it was just a case of recommending spots with a particularly good view, now apps lead visitors to precise points for the perfect selfie, sometimes with a waiting weatherproof QR code to scan with your phone to have the picture automatically taken and uploaded for you.

In a corner of Vorarlberg, the Austrian province that’s home to 40 ski areas, the best known of which is Lech, which shares the Arlberg region with St Anton just over the border in Tirol, the idea for making the most of the scenery is swings.

Promoting itself as “the land of swings” in fact, the ski resort of Damüls has installed four “swings with a view”, 1,850m up on its slopes, and two more will be unveiled in nearby Fontanella and Faschina this winter, all guaranteeing amazing views.

The creation of the swings is known locally as the Hutschn project, the work of Andreas Baumann and Andreas and Matthias

Bunsen. For them it wasn’t just about the view, but about creating something that stands for the mountain community where they’re placed, so the use of solid oak planks and the hard manual work of master craftsmen to create them are important aspects of the fantastic finished product. The trio say that quality, durability, local sourcing and the ecological balance were the priority, and impressively they have created the swings in their own time for the benefit of the community and visitors alike, not for profit. They’ve decided against commercial mass production, despite high demand.

"It's the start of something bigger," says Andreas Bunsen. "We're already talking to other regions, and maybe the project will develop into a European swing trail across the Alps.”

“The swings do not simply represent a seat; they are rather an invitation to change one's perspective, an opportunity to sharpen one's view of the surroundings again and again through the continuous forward and backward movement. To follow the childlike impulse to simply push off and swing away, to set one's own body and the world in motion. A Hutschn is more than a swing; it stands for an attitude towards life. And everyone is cordially invited to feel it. Swing. Let go. Be free,” a spokesperson said.

If you fancy a swing and a ski in Damüls, the piste extends to 80km, but it’s also on the 3TälerPass with a combined 682km of slopes including the Arlberg region.

DISCOVER BANFF NATIONAL PARK

Banff & Lake Louise is one of the world's great snow destinations and a must-ski or ride for every skier and boarder sooner or later. So why not sooner?!

Located in one of the most stunning mountain destinations on earth, there are three ski areas, each offering everything you could dream of – fantastic snow, amazing scenic vistas, great on-mountain food and lots and lots of space on the slopes. It is all located within the vast protected wilderness of the Banff National Park. Banff’s local ski area of Mt Norquay, as well as nearby Banff Sunshine Village and Lake Louise Ski Resort, are all included on the same Tri-Area lift ticket. Together the three areas make one of the biggest ski regions in North America as well as the most snow-sure – open for more than six months, from early November to late May each season, thanks to abundant natural powder snowfall.

Besides all that fabulous snow, you’ll find a vast range of terrain to suit everyone, from great nursery slopes and ski schools for complete beginners, to miles of fabulous cruising runs in front of some of the most spectacular mountain scenery on earth, to exceptionally challenging black diamond groomed runs as well as abundant backcountry freeriding opportunities.

When you're not on the slopes you'll find spacious, welcoming accommodation and one of the world's great ski towns in Banff, a vibrant community chock-full of enticing eateries, bars, cafes, boutiques and loads more activities to enjoy if you can drag yourself away from the ski slopes. Remarkably, ski holidays here are also among the most affordable in North America because, although popular in winter, Banff National Park gets millions more visitors in summer, so there’s lots of accommodation to fill, driving prices down.

KIDS SKI & RENT FREE*

This winter there’s an added bonus for families too, so long as they make their booking before 31 October, 2023. A special deal offering free lift passes and free rentals to children is on now and available on all bookings made up to the end of October.

The offer includes children aged under 12 years rent free of charge at the Ski Big 3 Adventure Hub with at least one accompanying full-paying adult. Children aged 6 to 12 years also get a free TriArea Lift ticket when one adult purchases a full-price lift ticket. There can be up to three free kids per paying adult, but there’s a minimum purchase of five days. For full terms and conditions contact Ski Independence.

UPGRADE YOUR ON-MOUNTAIN EXPERIENCE

It’s easy to transform your ski holiday from merely excellent to among the best ever, by signing up for special activities like the 3-day Private Guided Adventure.

The programme is specially tailored to your needs and abilities and gives you private access to fantastic inside information, with your guide able to lead you to the best powder stashes when you visit. Led by local snow pros you’ll hear local stories and much more along the way. You can sign up for three mornings, afternoons or full days. Your instructor will contact you 24-48 hours before to arrange all the details.

“Why not choose to ski (or board) a day at each of the SkiBig3 mountains to start your holiday? Explore the unique personality each ski area has to offer with the best guides in the business, then for the rest of your holiday you know the best places to

head to and really make the most of your time in the stunning Banff National Park.”

Karen Moodie, Ski Specialist

WHY SKI INDEPENDENCE?

Tailor-made holiday specialists Ski Independence have been selling ski holidays to Banff & Lake Louise for over 30 years. Ski Independence don't sell off-the-shelf packages but take the time and effort to build the perfect trip for you. Guide prices are available on the website to give you some idea of likely costs.

Their team are passionate about skiing and snowboarding and have tried and tested all the resorts, accommodation and all other aspects of your holiday that they recommend. If it's not good, it's not recommended!

Unlike most other operators, the expert team at Ski Independence create an individual itinerary to perfectly suit you and can take care of all the essentials including dining reservations, ski school bookings and ski hire.

The company has well-travelled staff, all of whom are avid skiers or snowboarders, so they have first-hand experience of the destinations covered and can provide expert advice and personal recommendations. Then once it's all organised, they'll deliver comprehensive and easy-to-understand travel documentation.

Again, unlike many other companies, holidays are both ATOL-protected and ABTAbonded, offering full financial protection. It’s no surprise therefore that a high proportion of Ski Independence clients return to book with them again, year after year.

Speak to a Ski Specialist: 0131 243 8097 | www.ski-i.com

FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS

It’s hard to believe that two decades have already flown by since Nick and Vicki Williams set up Mountain Heaven in 2003 in La Plagne.

The independent and still family-owned company’s success has seen the operation expand to six neighbouring French and Swiss resorts with a choice of catered or self-catering chalets. The past decade has even seen Nick lead tours to exotic ski locations like Georgia, Iran and Uzbekistan. But Mountain Heaven’s

success has always been based on its focus on providing superb, personal in-resort service, ensuring every aspect of your holiday is covered, and its knack for choosing the best located slopeside properties.

Twenty years on, though, La Plagne continues to be at the heart of the Mountain Heaven operation with a great choice of chalets and apartments to suit all budgets. These include eight great-value catered chalets in La Plagne 1800, most of

which can be booked on a room-by-room basis, with fabulous food all cooked by the team’s own staff. The company also has a selection of 11 great-value self-catered apartments in La Plagne Montalbert, all of which are within seconds of the piste and range in size from two to eight people. Two decades on, the team continue to strive for excellence in all aspects of their operation and never forget that it’s their passion for the mountains that enabled them to set up Mountain Heaven.

RECORD SKI BOOTS RUN

Runner Tom Bracey has set a new world record time for running a half-marathon wearing ski boots. Raising money for Protect Our Winters (POW), Tom completed the Birmingham Half Marathon in 2 hours, 47 minutes, wearing Atomic Prime XTDs fitted for him by his local Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports store in Tamworth. Tom quoted POW’s mission statement on his JustGiving page: “As enthusiastic outdoor people, we harness our connection to wild places as a force for positive change. We’re a loud, energetic, and insistent outdoor community that influences climate policy to protect the places we love. We see climate breakdown happening in our playgrounds, and we’re communicating that message to policymakers. Help us to protect the places and lifestyles that we love from climate change!”

GLACIER EXPECTED TO MELT BY 2030

The Aiguille Rouge glacier at the top of Les Arcs’ ski area, part of the world’s thirdlargest ski region, Paradiski, is expected to have melted away by 2030, the resort has announced. At 3,226m, the peak of the Aiguille Rouge is the highest point in the mountain area and attracts over 400,000 visitors a year. The annual ice melt rate has accelerated to around 3m/ year in the Rimaye sector, meaning that the glacier which offered summer skiing in the 20th century and marks the top of one of the world’s great ski descents with over 2,000m of lift-served vertical is expected to see the glacier disappear within the next decade. “Even aside from their role as indicators of climate change, glaciers are extremely important ecosystems,” said glaciologist Jean-Baptiste Bosson.

NEW SWEDISH CHAIRLIFT

It’s commonly thought that multiple Alpine Skiing World Championships host Åre in Sweden is the biggest ski area in Scandinavia, but actually its Sälen, according to the SkiStar group which owns both centres as well as leading ski areas Hemsedal and Trysil, among others. They describe Sälen as: “Northern Europe’s Largest Resort”. This winter in Sälen’s Lindvallen sector, SkiStar are unveiling a brand-new express lift, the Söderåsen Express, a 6-seater lift with windscreen/ hood and heat in the seats for optimum comfort. The lift will have a capacity of 2,400 skiers/hour and the trail length is 1,490m. SkiStar are also upgrading snowmaking systems around Sälen and their big summer success, a mountain coaster (rollercoaster) at Valleberget, will run in late winter/spring when weather and snow conditions allow.

VAUJANY A HIDDEN GEM

The Grand Domaine is one of the biggest and best ski areas in France, with vertical drop stats that put it in the world’s top five.

It’s home to some 250km of slopes, climbing up to a snow-sure altitude of 3,330m, crowned by the permanent snow and ice of the Pic Blanc glacier.

From this height a world-beating vertical descent of 2,200m is possible, including on the world’s longest black run, the 16km Sarenne descent (although it’s not that steep and blue and red alternatives are available).

Another big plus is sunshine! This is one of the most southerly of France’s great ski regions, and it gets 300 sunny days a year, while still managing to clock up impressive snowfall totals.

The Grand Domaine’s most famous resort is Alpe d’Huez, but savvy skiers are spotting the region is also home to some more intimate resort options offering a number of crucial advantages over their better-known neighbour. Typically, lower prices is one and fewer crowds is another.

Vaujany is the best choice, a hidden gem that’s got its own great lift connection into the Grand Domaine, which means guests staying here can get to the best runs in the region first each morning, while those in Alpe d’Huez may still be queuing to get on the first lift!

Better still, it’s not only perfectly located and a great value destination, but it’s also a lovely unspoilt village, full of mountain charm and with great resort facilities in terms of off-slope leisure and childcare options, punching well above its weight. And it’s waiting for you with just a short transfer from Grenoble.

French ski accommodation experts Ski France have long been aware of Vaujany’s potential and are increasing their presence

in the village this winter, with the exciting new option of the affordable but perfectly located Hotel les Cimes. This follows on from the addition of two apartment complexes Ski France opened last winter, Residence Les Epinettes and Residence La Cascade.

The Hotel les Cimes is a small, lovely, familyfriendly property, just a stone’s throw away from restaurants, shops and the cable car. You can choose between breakfast or half board. For cheese lovers there’s a fondue evening every Wednesday night (or alternatively a starter, main course and dessert for those who do not eat cheese). If you self-drive or rent a car, the hotel has its own car park too.

If it’s an apartment rather than a hotel-based Vaujany ski holiday you’re after, then Résidence Les Epinettes and Résidence La Cascade remain excellent choices, with indoor pool and spa facilities for apartment residents. Whichever you pick you’ll have full access to Vaujany’s many attractions, which make it a great choice for those not needing the partying you’ll find in Alpe d’Huez or other big resorts. There are a good many friendly bars and restaurants to make your locals for your stay though and other facilities include a leisure centre with indoor swimming pool and water slides, indoor ice rink, bowling alley, laser biathlon and a dedicated sledding slope.

In summary, Vaujany is a proper, traditional French village, where you’ll open your curtains in the morning and see the old lady across the street letting her chickens out before you jump on that first lift of the morning.

ART PRISM / DAMIEN BLANCHARD

ART PRISM / DAMIEN BLANCHARD

NEW GONDOLA CUTS SNOWMAKING

A new €26m gondola this winter at Serre Chevalier will do the usual job of a new lift – increasing capacity, comfort and speed of ascent – but the resort is much keener to talk about its environmental benefits and future proofing for climate change than the tech spec of its shiny new Pontillas gondola lift. While most resorts are spending ever more on snowmaking, Serre Chevalier is taking a different approach, proudly announcing they’ve cut back on snowmaking by 20% in the last two years. A total of 1.9 hectares of beginner slopes will be created at the top of the lift where the higher area will reduce the need for machine-made snow, especially early and late in the season, by making it unnecessary to guarantee snowcover at the lower beginners’ area.

LIFT’S GIANT MAGNIFYING GLASS

Although a lot of the focus of news from Zermatt and Cervinia this year has been focused on the completion of the longplanned Alpine Crossing by ultra-modern cross-border lifts between the two resorts, a second new cable car connecting Zermatt to Furi will also go into operation for this winter. The new cable car will follow recent installations at the Dachstein Glacier, Snowbird and Tignes that allow users to ride in the open air in an enclosed “balcony” on the roof of the cabin. In addition, a spokesperson noted, “The first pylon immediately after the valley station has been constructed in the shape of a magnifying glass. Depending on the viewing angle, the cabins will pass through the magnifying glass construction with the Matterhorn in focus, creating a fascinating image.”

SNOW BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has announced that the first ever UCI Snow Bike World Championships will take place on 10 and 11 February 2024 at the French ski resort of Châtel, part of the huge Portes du Soliel ski region. Two competition formats on snow, inspired by alpine skiing, will be on the programme for this first edition of the event: Super-G and dual slalom. The Super-G races will take place over a single run on a slope with a vertical drop of between 350m and 650m depending on the route chosen. The distance between the gates will be around 20-25m, as in alpine skiing. “Snow as the backdrop for a mountain bike trail? What a great idea and a symbol for mountain sports,” said Nicolas Rubin, Mayor of Châtel.

THE WHITE OUT

One lift pass brings together 760km of slopes, divided into 356 perfectly groomed slopes (yes, that’s one for every day of the year) and served by 270 lifts, spread across five ski regions linking 25 ski villages.

With only one lift pass, you not only get up to 760km of slopes and 270 lifts, but you also get a diverse range of experiences: 10 snowparks, 13 funslopes and funcross trails, speed measuring routes, local gourmet tours, the Highest Farmers' Market in the Alps, culinary highlights in award-winning ski huts, world-class events and much more are on offer throughout the five regions of Salzburger Sportwelt, Schladming-Dachstein, Gastein, Hochkönig and Grossarltal.

SCHLADMING-DACHSTEIN

Winter is when Schladming-Dachstein hits absolutely peak form. Part of Ski amadé, the region awaits with 230 piste kilometres and 81 state-of-the-art lifts, as well as some 100 traditional ski huts whenever guests are in the mood for refreshments. The heart of the ski region, the Schladming 4-Mountain Ski Area, unites the Hauser Kaibling, Planai, Hochwurzen and Reiteralm, while families are certain to feel right at home on the Fageralm, in the Ramsau am Dachstein ski region as well as Ski Galsterberg. It’s a great choice if you’re bored with just one ski mountain; here there’s a choice of four! There are even great slopes open to ski at night. Entertainment is important too, and this winter will kick off with Robbie Williams, no less, in town performing gigs on the ski slopes on 7 and 8 December 2023 to really get the season-long party started.

GASTEIN

Gastein is a ski region in its own right, spread along a 25-mile-long valley and home to the resorts of Dorfgastein, Bad Hofgastein and Bad Gastein. Long known as a health destination as well as another world-class ski resort within Ski amadé. Every day an incredible 5 million litres of hot thermal water is drawn from 18 springs which is piped into the region's therapy centres, hotels and thermal spas. The Alpentherme in Bad Hofgastein and Felsentherme in Bad Gastein are both major attractions for spa lovers! For skiers, Gastein offers wide pistes, challenging freeride routes and long downhill runs. These combine to deliver more than 200km of pure skiing pleasure. From all three villages, guests can reach the mountain with just one gondola ride, to open up over 1,000 vertical metres of snow fun. As well as runs for all abilities, for freestyle skiers there are three Gasti snow parks and friendly adventure playgrounds.

HOCHKÖNIG

The Hochkönig ski area is home to the three villages of Maria Alm, Dienten and Mühlbach. It’s a stunningly beautiful and unspoilt area where sustainability is a high priority. Altogether there is 120km of piste in the Hochkönig region served by 34 ultramodern ski lifts in front of a breathtaking Alpine backdrop. The area has also got a strong reputation for its superb terrain parks and fun slopes for all ability levels from beginners to pros. The skiing options include the popular “King's Tour” which takes you on a 35km-long trip around the ski area with its magnificent mountain backdrop, descending a total of 7,500 vertical metres en route.

Ski amadé is regarded as Austria’s greatest ski paradise. Famed for its well-prepared pistes, modern lifts, snow reliability and just sheer scale.

GROSSARLTAL

The Grossarltal-Dorfgastein ski arena in the snowy Hohe Tauern mountains is another key part of the Ski amadé alliance and offers its own big range of terrain from wide gentle pistes, snowparks and fun slopes to the freeride challenges of the Himmelreich and the extra-long Bergland Route. This winter the Großarltal ski link to Dorfgastein is being further enhanced with 70 million euros currently being invested in a new 10-seater gondola as well as a new summit restaurant, WOLKE7, which will offer regional specialities enhanced by 360° panoramic views.

TASTE SKI AMADÉ

Serving up delicious, high-quality dishes with a focus on regional products in the fresh mountain air at the 100 or so excellent ski huts of Ski amadé is a special focus. Ski amadé is so popular with foodies because of the high-quality products that are used. The chefs place great emphasis on using local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients. The ski resorts of Ski amadé pride themselves on spoiling their guests with high-quality culinary experiences. The combination of local, seasonal and sustainable products with creative cooking skills creates many memorable moments.

THE SENSATIONS CHALLENGE

New for winter 2023/24, Ski amadé has launched “SENSATIONS”, a collection of the most beautiful places in their mountains which you are encouraged to visit and snap a selfie of yourself at. Using the free Ski amadé Guide App, all SENSATIONS collectors can be led to one of the region's many stunning spots where a board with a QR code awaits. Scan the code with your phone and your presence there is saved in your personal profile. The more SENSATIONS spots you visit, the greater your chances in a raffle pot with great prizes. The challenge is divided into three categories: Gold, Silver and Bronze.

SKI AMADÉ HOLIDAY HACKS

Æ Right through the ski season, Ski amadé organises many Special Weeks, which

are affordable packages available for families, smaller children, young people, seniors and couples.

Æ The free “Ski amadé Guide” App shows you the shortest routes to the best places and ski huts in the mountain. There is even an integrated friend-tracker in the app in case you get split up.

Æ The My Ski amadé Friends Club opens up a world of benefits to you with ski pass reductions, promotions from business partners and special offers for a particularly affordable ski holiday.

Æ If you need ski kit you can reserve kit for all the family online via the 32 INTERSPORT rental shops across Ski amadé, then collect your reservation quickly and easily on-site at the start of your holiday.

Æ The Ski amadé MADE MY DAY initiative turbocharges your day in the mountain with activities like ski-yoga, gourmet safari, backcountry ski touring, video coaching, breakfast at the highest peak or in a gondola over the valley – always accompanied by a guide.

Æ With the new Ski amadé online early booking system, you can now check out your ski pass at the absolute best price. The earlier you book, the cheaper the ticket.

WHERE TO STAY

There’s a huge range of accommodation establishments in the many resorts across Ski amadé. You will find everything from quiet and idyllically situated family hotels, traditional B&Bs brought up to the most modern standards within, rustic guesthouses, luxury chalets, exclusive design hotels, elegant, venerable hotel buildings in the Belle Époque style to 5★ hotels or trendy boutique hotels offering urban lifestyle.

HOW TO GET TO SKI AMADÉ

Ski amadé is just 50km to the south of Salzburg, and excellent transport links make it easy to reach quickly by car or train. Alternatively, Munich Airport is also only a two-hour drive away. Travel time to individual resorts is 30 to 60 minutes from Salzburg Airport with various shuttle services available.

ITALY’S STUNNING VAL GARDENA

The world-famous resort of Val Gardena is one of Italy’s best-loved resorts. Located in the heart of the breathtaking 360° scenery of the awe-inspiring Dolomite mountains, it is one of the most stunning ski locations on the planet.

The valley is served by fast, modern lifts and fabulous cruising terrain, and it is part of one of the world’s largest ski areas with 500km of ski runs, inter-connected around the famous Sellaronda circuit, and all on the Dolomiti Superski lift pass. Despite this huge ski area, the communities of Val Gardena are relatively compact villages with a strong sense of their history and heritage, living with tourism as a part of their existence, but not swamped by it. Surrounded by the wild, lush Puez-Odle Nature Park and boasting the title of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Val Gardena offers a breathtaking view of the South Tyrolean Dolomites’ summits. These peaks were once atolls in warm seas, when the area was beneath one vast ocean, but over millennia the beautiful pink Dolomites have formed from ancient corals.

Add into the mix a great snowfall record despite boasting over 300 days of sunshine annually, and you begin to see why Val Gardena is so popular with its fans. The scenery, the snow, the sunshine, the food, the people, the value for money – oh and the coffee! What’s not to love?

There are ski slopes everywhere you look in Val Gardena, perfectly interconnected by comfortable, high-speed lifts. So wherever you stay there’s always a valley station from where you can be whisked up the slopes; the only thing you need

to decide is which sector you wish to head to. All are included in the vast Dolomiti Superski pass, but if you don’t think you want to travel beyond Val Garden itself – which is big enough with around 175km of slopes for all tastes and abilities in the valley alone – and tackle such enticements as the Sellaronda, a 23km circular route that intermediate-level skiers can complete in half a day – there’s also a Val Gardena only pass. You can now also ski the longest one-way trip by piste and ski lifts in the world from Cortina d’Ampezzo to the far end of Val Gardena without needing to take a bus in one direction (going back there’s a downhill section with no lift back up, the famous Hidden Valley run), a distance of more than 35km (22 miles).

The picturesque village of Selva is a relatively compact resort built on a moderately steep hillside above the Val Gardena Valley floor. The resort’s streets are lined with shops, cafes and restaurants, and there’s an atmospheric Christmas market in the heart of the resort in December and January. Wood carving has been big in Val Gardena for centuries, and you’ll find shops filled with intricate carvings. The dining options are fabulous in Val Gardena with many establishments full of Italian families, a sure sign that the food is great and the value very good too. That’s if you get past the first café with enticing cakes and of course incredible coffee as soon as you step outside your door.

Inghams offer the traditional almost ski-in, ski-out Chalet Soldanella and several hotels in Val Gardena.

GSMEDIA MICHAEL KASSLATTER

HIGHER CHANCE OF INJURY WALKING

The danger of slipping over and hurting yourself walking around on snow and ice in your day-to-day life is now greater than the danger of hurting yourself falling when skiing or snowboarding, according to Finnish outdoor brand Halti, which looked

at the results of numerous reports into accidents on snow and ice, both on the ski slopes and off. They found that over the last 50 years, skiing has got much safer, whereas walking hasn’t. Since the 1970s, the overall risk of being injured in a skiing

accident has decreased by between 80% and 90%, mainly due to advances in ski equipment, particularly better ski boots and the wearing of helmets. In comparison, the risk of injury slipping on ice and snow has remained about the same.

SKI REGION “RE-OPENING”

A French ski region that decided to operate as two separate areas last winter after the lift companies of the two separate resorts could not agree financial terms, will “re-connect” for next winter 2023/24. The Forêt Blanche ski area, which offers a single pass for the interconnected ski region above the resorts of Vars and Risoul, didn’t operate as a single pass last winter, but a settlement has now been reached for the coming winter.

TUBING FOR DOGS

A temporary indoor snow facility in Thailand became a victim of its own success last summer with reports of negative online reviews being posted due to very long wait times for admissions and over-crowding of the facility once visitors make it in. The Ice Magic Fantasy Winter Playland offered ice slides, snow play and a tubing merry-goround to Thais and lots of popular novelty activities including tubing for dogs.

DIRECT RAIL SERVICE CANNED

The direct rail connection between London and the French Alps won’t run this winter; however, Eurostar have reinstated their “snow train” service, now requiring a “quick and easy change at Lille” with tickets from £99 one way. The past few winters, a direct service between London St Pancras and stations below many of France’s leading ski areas was operated as a package holiday service by Travelski. That service continues but with the Lille change.

BIG PILES OF SNOW

Several Scandinavian ski centres say they stockpiled more snow than ever before through summer 2023. The process, which is becoming increasingly common and is known as snow farming, allows the resorts to spread the snow back out in early autumn to create a base. A proportion of the snow is lost to melting through the summer, but covers and insulation to protect it from the summer sun means most of it makes it. Sweden’s Idre Fjäll stockpiled 203,300 cubic metres of snow, the most ever, and Finland’s Levi ski area 200,000 cubic metres, ahead of hosting the Levi World Cup alpine skiing event in November. It and another Lapland ski area, Ruka, have already opened for the 2023/24 seasons, which run for 7 months to May 2024.

RAIL ROUTES MAP

With lots of new rail services from the UK to the Alps announced this winter, a new map of rail routes to ski resorts in France aims to give skiers and boarders a clearer picture of how they can travel to the mountains on fun, scenic, sustainable journeys by train. The Rail Ski Map, created by independent rail-ski website Snowcarbon, in conjunction with France Montagnes and Explore France, features 35 train stations in the French Alps and the Pyrenees, serving 93 ski resorts. Created by graphic designer David Cooper, the map aims to be a source of inspiration and a useful planning tool for anyone considering a rail journey to the Alps and Pyrenees. The map shows the key high-speed, local and sleeper train routes available to popular destinations.

PARALYMPIAN FOR CLIMATE RELAY

Paralympian Anna Turney took part in the nationwide “Running out of Time” relay, a 2,661km climate relay from Ben Nevis to Big Ben last summer. Anna skied down the dry slope at Ackers Adventure near Birmingham with the baton as part of the first-ever British “Running out of Time” Climate Relay, which saw thousands take up the baton with the aim of inspiring the nation to take much greater collective action to reach net zero. “I’m naturally quite optimistic. Climate change is scary, which is why we have to make a difference, but it is possible if we act now,” said Anna, who competed for Team GB in two Winter Games and is a mum of two young children, adding that worrying for their future was a motivation.

MICHAEL ANTONY

ATOMIC BACKLAND 88 SKIS | £499

Great versatility and lightweight touring combined into one ski. Its newly redesigned sustainable core gives you better all-mountain skiing with a lightweight touring construction for days out in the wild. The Backland 88 combines lightness with power for rougher, choppy snow, so you can now have a lightweight touring ski with more power for all your all-mountain adventures. skibartlett.com

 POC SKULL DURA JUNIOR HELMET | SPEEDY DOLCEZZA LE | £189.95

A stand-out graphic for those of you who like your kids to be seen in the crowd. Speedy chequered race flags, pineapples and everything Italian inspired combine together for the go-faster kid with a fun attitude. With this kind of go-faster mentality you’ll also need impressive head protection, and that’s why the POC Dura junior helmets are one of the safest on the market. skibartlett.com

ATOMIC BACKLAND XTD

CARBON 120 GW SKI BOOT | £630

The holy grail of a touring boot with some Alpine tendencies. Its cable closure gives you good wrapping performance. Its walk mode allows you to explore the mountains in comfort. Combining a rubber GripWalk sole and tech inserts allows you to use it with multiple ski and binding combinations. A superb oneboot quiver. skibartlett.com

THERMIC:

ULTRA HEAT BOOST GLOVES | £300

Heated gloves with soft, robust leather palms and Primaloft® insulation technology inside to guarantee the very best insulation. The Boost gloves are now even warmer with a new insulating layer over the back of the hand. ellis-brigham.com

 NORDICA BELLE DC 78 | £520

Especially playful and fun, it’s tailored to the needs of intermediate and advanced skiers. The new Double Core technology embeds a shockabsorbing Pulse core between two wood cores to create a calm yet powerful ride that amplifies confidence. A shorter binding plate boosts your ability to flex the ski and initiate turns. Available across the UK

 THERMIC: S.E.T ULTRA WARM PERFORMANCE SKI SOCKS + S-PACK 1400B SET | £290

The finest technical, heated socks for skiing. Our patented SMART.ELASTIC. TECHNOLOGY® allows Thermic to integrate the thin 2mm heating line discreetly into the sock to provide a warming action around the toes. SMART.ELASTIC.TECHNOLOGY® means integrated heat without impacting fit! skibartlett.com

NORDICA

UNLIMITED 120 DYN | £530

The Unlimited is as happy ripping down steep terrain as it is skinning back up again. The innovative wire closure system wraps precisely around the lower foot with just one buckle enabling quick release of the entire system when hiking or skinning. ellis-brigham.com

UYN GB SKI TEAM THERMALS

Top £139 | Bottom £119 Some of the best-fitting, warmest and comfortable thermals you’ll wear. Built-in ‘HeatMemory’ chambers for extra warmth and cooler ventilation channels make these very comfortable for active skiers. With slight compression to lessen muscle fatigue, it’s no wonder they’re the choice of the British Team. skibartlett.com

ARMADA ARV 100 | £589.95

A playful all-mountain ski for those of you who want to dabble in the park and hit some side hits on the way to the powder, it’s loads of fun in a more durable package. skibartlett.com

LANGE SLIDERS LIMITED EDITION | £49.95

Ahhhh, that feeling when you take your ski boots off at the end of the day and slide into a pair of the new limited edition Lange sliders! They’re waterproof when walking on snow, so keep an eye out for all the World Cup racers wearing theirs. Chill out this winter with a pair of Lange sliders. skibartlett.com

The SAMMY men’s ski jacket is a great multi-usage jacket; an urban and ski look at its best. Regular fit; anthracite colour with detachable hood; lycra inner sleeve with thumb loop. The jacket has a snow skirt with non-slip elastic, a waterproof zip and cuff tightening. Stores including: Alpine Room | Matthews Of Cork | Skee-Tex

 AKTIIA 24/7

BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR | £199

Aktiia revolutionizes blood pressure monitoring with a comfortable wrist-worn device. Stay in peak health during your fitness and winter adventures. Track your blood pressure effortlessly, 24/7, and optimize your well-being. Join the Aktiia community and elevate your health journey today. aktiia.com/uk

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-ofmouth reputation over the last 50 years has made them the UK’s most popular independent ski shop!

 K2 REVOLVE PRO SKI BOOT | £400

The FL3X Revolve Pro is one of the most used freestyle boots on the circuit and is designed to handle anything you throw at it. Their lightweight construction, comfortable wrap liner and super-smooth progressive flex gives you easy shock-absorbing landings and added pop. skibartlett.com

 DEGRÉ7 DRAC SKI JACKET | £289

The DRAC Ski Jacket is a chic ski jacket from Degré7 which combines practicality with urban style. Its waterproof membrane and bi-stretch fabric help keep you dry and agile on the slopes, and the 100% recycled polyester insulation makes sure you are warm and cosy on your adventures. cotswoldoutdoor.com snowandrock.com

ELAN PRIMETIME 33 FUSIONX SKIS |

£599 Incl bindings

Quick from edge to edge in an easy and fun package that will give you all-day enjoyment. A piste ski for a large range of abilities whether you’re an intermediate skier or higher-performance carver. A solid feel underfoot allows you to feel very secure at higher speeds. skibartlett.com

 HEAD ABSOLUT JOY WOMEN’S SKIS

£520 Incl bindings

Completely redesigned with women’s biomechanics in mind, allowing you to progress your skiing with less effort and added performance. Head’s “Better Balance Technology” helps keep you in balance, aiding each turn.

skibartlett.com

SIDAS SKI COMFORT SOCKS | £25.00 

Ski Comfort anatomical ski socks provide warmth, protection, and comfort during your day skiing. Made from recycled fibres and merino wool, these socks wick moisture away from your feet to ensure optimal breathability. absolute-snow.co.uk

 OOSC’S YEH MAN & YEH GIRL Jacket £295 | Pants £220 OOSC’s Yeh Man & Yeh Girl range is here for the new season with a fresh look. Inundated with performance-enhancing features, choose from a blend of pastel tones or darker options and co-ordinate your style this season with matching jacket and bib pants. oosc-clothing.com

ATOMIC CLOUD C9 REVOSHOCK LIGHT WOMEN’S SKI | £499 Incl bindings

One of our benchmark women’s skis for its skiability across a broad spectrum of levels and its classy good looks. The Cloud range of skis delivers smooth grippy piste skiing in an easy-to-manage package. Luckily their graphics will match any outfit as you’ll be keeping these for a while as they grow with you as your skiing progresses from an intermediate to an advanced skier. Easy turning, lightweight with an added touch of performance. skibartlett.com

 SWEET PROTECTION TROOPER

2VI MIPS SKI HELMET | £279.95

Reinforced shell. Shock-absorbing liner. Carbon reinforcement inlays. MIPS – multi-impact protection reducing force to the brain. This has to be the hard-charging skier’s helmet of choice, protecting you from falls off-piste or on, through the trees or rocky terrain – never compromise on safety when you're skiing all out. skibartlett.com

ATOMIC HAWX ULTRA XTD 130 BOA | £699

If you’re looking for the latest technology with a superb functional fit and great performance on the uphill and the down, the new Hawx Ultra with BOA closure is for you. The BOA cable gives you more uniform wrapping pressure around your foot as you tighten or loosen the dial. A recycled wider rubber sole for some eco-credentials with better grip whilst boot packing and a built-in GripWalk sole for better binding compatibility. skibartlett.com

POC SKULL DURA JUNIOR HELMET MARCO ODERMATT LIMITED EDITION | £189.95

If you’re a Marco Odermatt fan then this will surely be on your wish list for this winter. With all the impressive protection you’d expect from POC combined with an eye-catching signature-style matt-silver Marco Odermatt lion graphic. When you’re wanting to ski as fast as Odermatt, make sure your head is protected in style. skibartlett.com

 ATOMIC CLOUD Q11

£599 including bindings

A wider-bodied all-mountain ski that will not compromise when you’re carving on piste, charging through crud or floating through powder. Designed to open up the mountain with its all-mountain piste-skiing performance. skibartlett.com

 K2 RECON 110 BOA SKI BOOT | £485

Packed with impressive new technology, the K2 BOA range of boots is the latest talk of the town. The all-new BOA Fit System allows you to get multiple fits from one ski boot and rotate the dial to microadjust the wrapping effect around your foot for more even grip and pressure. Heat-mouldable shell, lightweight honeycomb boot board and FastFit Instep fit just adds to the already great Recon fit. skibartlett.com

PANDA OPTICS

DUAL VISION SKI GOGGLES | £180

Panda Optic's latest goggle release, the Dual Vision comes with several standard feature upgrades. Most significant is a 20% increase in field of vision without adding to lens size. This has been achieved by minimising the gap between usable lens visibility, and the actual edge of the lens. With previous models this was around a 10mm gap, but is now just 2mm. pandaoptics.co.uk

ATOMIC REDSTER Q7 CARBON REVOSHOCK SKI | £730 incl. bindings

DUVILLARD ESTELLE

FAUX FUR LADIES JACKET | £439

Duvillard’s best-selling belted jacket effortlessly combines chic piste style with versatile slope-to-street wearability. The soft four-way stretch waterproof and breathable fabric has a wonderful luxurious feel whilst the generous faux-fur trimmed hood frames the face beautifully. The Princess seam styling and slimming belted design make this a timeless classic that suits all shapes and sizes. ellis-brigham.com

NORDICA STEADFAST 85 DC | £625

Performance shouldn’t come at the expense of fun. This all-mountain ski is as playful as it is versatile. Its Energy TI Double Core sandwiches a shock-absorbing elastomer layer and a sheet of titanal between two wood cores. This amplifies your confidence and control while delivering a ride that’s playful and forgiving. ellis-brigham.com

A new model to the ever-popular Atomic Redster Q all-terrain piste ski range with user-friendly turning ability and performance in one. Its built-in carbon Revoshock takes out vibrations in rough terrain, making these feel super smooth from edge to edge. With grip when you need it and the ability to steer and quickly change direction in tricky terrain, they create a very versatile one-skidoes-everything ski. skibartlett.com

CONTOUR START-UP TOURING ADAPTER | £110

A clever adapter that converts a standard binding into a touring binding to allow children to start venturing into the exciting world of ski touring. skibartlett.com

 LANGE SHADOW 130 LV | £559.95

Replacing the ever-popular Lange RX range of ski boots with a completely new construction, this gives you more power and direct transmission to the ski edge. ‘Boosted Power Transfer’ amplifies your input to the boot through the mechanical advantage of the Dual Pivot and Suspension Blade technology –meaning what you put into the boot you’ll get out in performance from the ski. An improved shape gives you impressive heel hold, and they’re available in two widths for added comfort. skibartlett.com

SPYDER MEN’S TITAN SAFFRON JACKET | £520

The Titan Jacket is a Spyder legendary piece. With top-tier water resistance technology upgrades and exciting new colorways. 80g PrimaLoft® Silver Eco insulation, YKK® AquaGuard® zippers, a forearm pass pocket, and more. Upgraded with 360° stretch EXO Shield technology and almost unparalleled 30k/20k waterproof breathability.

SPYDER MEN’S DARE PANT TRUE NAVY | £330 Spyder’s new EXO Shield fabric with 4-way stretch, recycled polyester, and 30k/20k waterproof breathability, we dared to take this fan favourite to new heights. With increased mobility, the Dare Pant keeps you toasty warm, too, thanks to 40g of PrimaLoft® Silver Eco insulation. Whether you prefer to rock your snow pants with or without suspenders is up to you, as the Dare’s suspenders easily detach. Coming in seven colorways, the Dare delivers simplistic performance in a color that will match your favorite Spyder jacket. Do it all with ease, no matter the conditions, with the Dare Pant.

SPYDER WOMEN’S VIDA JACKET ELECTRIC BLUE | £380

The Vida Jacket is as stylish as it is technical. Classic design lines with a luxurious faux fur accent on the hood for that après look you want, while showcasing our 4-way stretch EXO Shield technology. You will find the Vida fit to be generous and accommodating, yet incredibly flattering. 80g of PrimaLoft® Black Eco Insulation and a 20k laminate to keep you insulated and protected from the elements.

EVERY SKIER, EVERY SLOPE.

AFTER 20 YEARS OF RETAIL SUCCESS, THE EDGE HAS EVOLVED. 4 YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT HAS YIELDED OUR MOST COMFORTABLE, EASIEST TO USE AND BEST SKIING EDGE BOOT YET. WITH HEAD’S EZ-TECH SHELL DESIGN, EVERY SKIER CAN ENJOY ITS BENEFITS: EZ-ON, EZ-WALK, AND EZ-SKI. THESE NEW BOOTS ARE YOUR EDGE TO BETTER SKIING.

KIRSTY MUIR

Iain from The Ski Podcast recently caught up with 18-year-old freestyle skier Kirsty Muir.

Where did you learn to ski?

KM I started at the Aberdeen Snow Centre when I was four. They had great options including a tabletop, kicker, quarter pipe, rails and even some moguls. By age seven I was trying them all out and took part in my first Brits at 11 years old, winning Big Air and Half Pipe at 13 which led on to Team GB.

How have you balanced competing and studying?

KM I stayed on top of school work while I was away and caught up back home. My school, Bucksburn Academy, was really supportive.

You competed in the Beijing Olympics at just 17; how was it?

KM The Big Air was my highlight [Kirsty finished 5th]. I was really stoked as the tricks were the very best I could put down. Slopestyle [8th] was a little disappointing as I knew I had more, but the experience itself was incredible.

What’s next?

KM Right now, I’m taking a gap year before I make any uni decisions as I need a break. It’s always been either skiing or school work with nothing in between. Now I have some time to rest and recover, and to enjoy myself too!

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