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SEPTEMBER 2012

It’s that time of year again when the tour operators step up their offers for the coming winter, the autumnal ski show season gets underway in Birmingham, Glasgow and London, and the first edition of InTheSnow appears in the shops! It’s always an exciting time of year as glacier ski resorts in the Alps, like Pitztal And Tignes, are opening for their 8-month long ski seasons too, joining those that open for even longer, like year-round Tux and Zermatt, or Saas-Fee that just closes for a couple of months each spring. Many of these have special package holidays available, which include on-snow tests of the new 2012–13 ski equipment – so you could be checking it out, if you wish, within weeks, rather than waiting another 3 months for the full season to begin. Check out some of the options previewed in our news pages within. Next month you could even get in the spirit of World Cup racing, ahead of the Alpine Skiing World Championships in Schladming, Austria, this winter, as the first events in the northern hemisphere kick off in October in Sölden, Austria. We’ll be watching the webcams and snow reports too, hoping for temperatures to drop, and some big pre-season snowfalls in the Alps to get us all even more excited. Last year we were pretty tense by the end of November, with a warm autumn and almost no snow as we entered December, but that changed big time with some of the heaviest snowfalls ever recorded in places such as Chamonix valley and Austrian Tirol during December and January. Just as much snow, but perhaps a little more evenly spread out, would be nice for the start of winter 2012–13. So what’s new for the coming winter? Well, as always, there’s lots: an all-new (kind of) ski region in the Austrian Tirol – ”Ski Jewel” for one, and several super new 10-passenger cabin gondolas to make getting up the slopes faster and comfier as well. But most important, as our cover story notes, a price drop of around a quarter on resort costs, thanks to the weak Euro, is making it all look much more appealing. Read on!

CHEAPER SKIING THIS YEAR PRICE COMPARISON

PATRICK THORNE

he weak Euro looks set to make skiing in most of Europe more affordable for doubledip-recession hit Brits this winter, potentially making in-resort costs the most affordable they’ve been since the economic downturn began 4 years ago. With the official exchange rate passing €1.25 to the pound, and currency exchange bureaus offering Euros for £0.80 each in recent weeks, the cost of skiing in the Eurozone will be down more than one-fifth on recent seasons. It’s a great improvement on last winter, when the exchange rate reached almost €1 equalling £1.

Lock In Savings Now Of course, the current situation may not last until next winter – or it may get better still with rumours of a potential €1.40 to the pound by the year-end from the most optimistic pundits – but in some cases, for those who don’t want to risk waiting to find out, it may be possible to make purchases of ski rental, ski school and lift tickets in advance in Euros at the current exchange rate, for those who already have their 2012–13 ski season holiday booked. “Yes it is possible to book and pay now on Ski Republic and the prices are in Euros” confirmed a spokesperson from the leading equipment rental chain. Many ski resorts already have their lift ticket pricing up online for 2012–13 (or if not, will do so in the next few weeks),

Publisher

DOMINIC KILLINGER dom@inthesnow.com Production Director

MATT NICHOLSON matt@inthesnow.com

with advance purchase in Tignes Lift Pass: Euros and immediate payment offered by some. 2011/12 €195 = £195 Most of these are accessible 2012/13 €197 = £156 via the resort’s website, usually Kitzbuhel Lift Pass: redirecting to a secure site. At Les Deux Alpes, for example, 2011/12 €209 = £209 passes can be purchased via a 2012/13 €225 = £179 dedicated site: 2alpes-skipass. com – with many other resorts 3 Valleys Lift Pass: now offering similar advance 2011/12 €244 = £244 online purchase options. 2012/13 €260 = £206 Depending on the resort, passes may be mailed to you after purchase so you have them ready before you get to the resort, or may be ready for collection on arrival, or world’s most expensive 6-day pass price delivered to your accommodation. Regular a year ago as the Swiss Franc hit record visitors to a resort may find their old pass highs. However, changes to currency can be ”recharged”. In any event it saves time exchange rates has seen lift ticket price queuing in resort, as well as money. at Tasch, Switzerland, drop outside the Set against the reducing cost of the Euro are world top 10 for the most expensive price increases in ski resorts. Early indications 6-day pass price. are that these will vary tremendously, with Before Swiss officials moved to limit its most resorts holding lift ticket increases to 2% rise, it had been the first time a European or less, although Les 3 Vallées is bucking that lift pass had been known to top the lift trend with a cost increase of more than 6% on ticket price chart in at least a decade, if a 6-day ticket – but in all cases the stronger ever, albeit with a pass type that very few Euro means far greater savings than any price people (only those based in Tasch) would increases can nullify. ever need.

Europe Cheaper All-Round In-resort costs are looking better across Europe and in resorts outside the Euro, although the price drops are not so dramatic. The Zermatt pass, which includes skiing in Cervinia and a rail link to the satellite resort village of Tasch, had become the

Swiss resorts are continuing their efforts, as last winter, to make skiing there more affordable, with new deals like the St Moritz ”Hotel Ski Pass Inclusive”, whereby booking at a participating hotel enables you to purchase a lift pass for just CHF25pp per day (£16.70), or £100 for a 6-day pass at current exchange rates.

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SEPTEMBER 2012

The Wonder of Whistler LAAX The slopes of Laax are undergoing what the resort managers call “a revolution”, with a 3-year plan to install six new lifts, at a cost of more than CHF50m, five of them high-speed, detachable, six-seater chairlifts, the first of which was installed last winter, with two more due to open this season. The two new six-seater chairlifts this season will run from Treis Palas to Crap Masegn, and from Plaun Lavadinas to Fuorcla da Sagogn.

LEUKERBAD Leukerbad in Switzerland has re-opened its Gemmi cable car, with brand new cabins designed to provide the best views of the mountains. The new panoramic cabins are constructed to offer everyone using the cable car uninterrupted views of the 4000m peaks surrounding the resort, and of the village of Leukerbad itself. Each cabin can hold 36 passengers, and the upgrades to the cable car has allowed it to operate slightly faster, taking 1 minute off the ascent time, and increased passenger capacity from 120 to 400 people per hour.

PATRICK THORNE

histler opens for the 2012–13 ski season on 22 November and is planning to promote new “Wonder Routes” as a key attraction this winter. The resort believes that with so much terrain to explore (33km², 200-plus runs, 16 alpine bowls, and three glaciers), some guests won’t know where to start. Enter the Wonder Routes: a network of tours, trails, waypoints and stops created to help guests navigate the mountain and discover Whistler Blackcomb’s most

“wonder-filled places”. There will be six routes, each showcasing a unique aspect to the mountains: Top of the World Route – features views from Whistler Blackcomb’s 4 highest peaks. The Steeps Sampler – highlights the steepest ski runs on both mountains. Size Matters Route – showcases the longest runs on Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain. The Gold Medal Route – features points of interest from the 2010 Winter Olympics. Family Certified Route – highlights familyfriendly areas and points of interest.

Discounts and Free Drinks

GARMISCH The Zugspitz ski area above GarmischPartenkirchen, the highest in Germany, will add a new six-seater chairlift next winter. The new chair, named “Wetterwandeckbahn”, will be constructed beneath the area’s Wetterwandeck, and will replace two drag lifts that have formerly run on this route. The resort spokesperson said the primary aim of the lift is to “guarantee more comfort to our guests, as well as to improve uplift time.”

Obertauern Obertauern is investing in two new lifts to replace former quad chairlifts. The Hochalmbahn is being upgraded to a faster six-person chairlift with increased capacity. The Grünwaldkopfbahn is seeing a major upgrade to become one of the world’s biggest lifts – combining eight-seat chairs and 10-passenger gondola cabins on one cable. There are still less than 100 eight-seat chairlifts in the world, and 10-passenger gondolas are quite a rare concept too.

The Powder Stashes Route – guides guests through powder snow areas. Guests are invited to tell the resort what their favourite routes are and to use free Wi-Fi to pin the position on the map with their GPS-enabled handheld devices. The resort will offer weekly prizes to encourage participation and there’ll be additional “wonder-themed” competitions. More information is available from Wonderground (whistlerblackcomb.com/ wonder).

Enhanced Off-Piste Options In Gastein ustria’s Gastein area is doing more for freeriders next winter with a new route, a Freeride Info Base, and a new avalanche search-and-rescue practice area. The new “Katstall” ski route, from the mountain station of the Kasereben lift down to Angertal, will offer skiers and boarders an “off-piste” experience in the heart of the ski area. This downhill variant, aimed especially at the good skiers, has no snowmakers and the run is not groomed, which means the route will only be available for deep-snow and mogul adventures when snow and weather conditions are right. The Gastein lift company is also turning its Sportgastein sector into a “freeride competency centre”. Built close to the mountain lift station in Sportgastein, it provides current avalanche reports, a terrain map with ski routes clearly marked, and electronic equipment used to check that avalanche locator devices are working correctly.

Complaints from skiers and snowboarders that a new £50m gondola across London doesn’t access any ski slopes have been tackled head on by the capital’s only indoor snow centre – The Snow Centre at Hemel Hempstead (thesnowcentre.com), just north of the Olympic city. Travel agency Ski Solutions (skisolutions.com) has already sent a party of skiers to ride the new Emirates Airline gondola and show Londoners the “real” use of a gondola; now The Snow Centre is doing its bit to prove that no ride in a gondola is complete without snow. A statement from the Centre reported that “The Snow Centre is keen to compensate for any disappointment by offering gondola travellers substantial discounts on real snow experiences – along with a free drink in their alpine-style cafe overlooking the closest real snow to the Olympic Park.” The Centre is offering a 50% discount on a beginners snow-sport lesson and a free soft drink in The Edge Cafebar afterwards on presentation of a gondola ticket.

SEPTEMBER 2012

m o u n t a i n h e a v e n heavenly skiing, at down to earth prices

Snowbombing Amsterdam BEN CLATWORTHY

The Snowbombing snow and music festival (snowbombing. com) is back in Mayrhofen, Austria, from 1–6 April 2013. The party starts well in advance, though, with an event at the Melkweg Club in Amsterdam on Thursday 18 October, part of Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). “ADE will welcome the globe’s foremost DJs and promoters before turning Amsterdam into a colossal celebration of raving,” said Snowbombing in a recent statement. The event will be just the first part of Snowbombing’s Global Launch

Party Series, as it embarks on a whistlestop tour of some of Europe’s best clubbing destinations. Attendees can expect to hear exclusive news on the Snowbombing 2013 line-up and information on brand new additions, attractions and experiences set to hit Mayrhofen at Snowbombing 2013. Packages priced at £195 are available and include accommodation at the infamous Hans Brinker Hotel (the perfect place to leave your gear and lay your head down), coach travel from the UK and tickets to the Snowbombing bash. Packages without travel are available for £135.

high quality catered & self catered accommodation

New Lifts For Morzine orzine in France, part of the giant Portes du Soleil ski area which crosses the border in to Switzerland, has announced two major new lift projects for 2012–13. The “Troncs” chairlift (an important lift for skiers on the Morzine/Les Gets area to return to Morzine) will be replaced with a high-speed six-person lift. The Prodains téléphérique (the link from Morzine up to Avoriaz) is also being

replaced some 50 years after the lift was originally installed in 1962. The new Poma 3S-type lift will have 12 to 14 large cabins, each capable of holding up to 35 people and giving an uplift capacity of 2000 people per hour – just over double the old capacity. Both of the new lifts are on busy routes that are prone to large queues in peak periods. The new lifts, with their increased capacities, will significantly cut down on waiting times.

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Beautiful Ski Chalets in Méribel Choose from our range of ski chalets… whether it’s a high-end chalet close to the centre of Méribel, an authentic Savoyarde chalet in the village of Les Allues, or almost anything in between…the choice is yours!

Skier Clocks Up Record 35th Month BEN CLATWORTHY

anatical Inverness skier Helen Rennie has broken a long-standing record for skiing in continuous months at CairnGorm Mountain ski resort, near Aviemore in Scotland. Helen, the volunteer ambassador for CairnGorm Mountain during the ski season, had clocked up 35 consecutive months of skiing in Scotland by September – a feat that, once the lifts had stopped running, involved miles of hiking in ski boots to find patches of snow on which to get a few turns in. Along with fellow Invernessian Alan Mackay, Helen managed to lay

some turns on a tiny 7m-long patch of remaining snow in Ciste Mhearad on the north-east side of Cairngorm, breaking a 34-month record set in the 1990s by Richard Eccles. “His criteria were rather more stringent than ours,” says Helen. “For him the patch had to be at least 100m from top to bottom and allow him to do a minimum of 20 consecutive turns. One time it even involved him being attached to a rope, to reach a steep remaining snow patch at the head of Loch Avon.” It’s not record-breaking, though, that keeps Helen wandering up to find snow. “I just love skiing and some turns are better than none!” she laughs.

Scotland Hopes For Better Winter Steven McKenna / ski-scotland

cottish ski areas are hoping for a return to more consistent snowy weather and colder temperatures this winter; last season’s roller coaster was unfortunately memorable for its absence of snow, warm temperatures in March, and the late return of winter in April and May. The Cairngorm ski area above Aviemore has reported its skier numbers dropped by more than 40% from 121,420 in winter 2010–11 to 66,463 during a 50th-anniversary ski season that lasted from early December 2011 to late May 2012; alas, during the period, snow

sports were possible on only 110 of those 169 days, the lowest number since 1997– 98. In total, there were 36 days between 27 February and 4 April, usually one of the most lucrative periods of the season for the resort’s operators, when it was not possible to ski.

Tour Op Offers Discounts To Military

Call: 01962 855220 Email: team@les3chalets.com

our operator Zenith Holidays is offering a discount to serving military personnel on all of its holidays to ski destinations next winter. The military discount delivers 5% off catered chalet holidays, 5% off lift passes

and 25% off ski packs; it’s available all season and to all resorts. Military discounts are an increasingly common option in North American resorts, and a few European ones, but are rarely offered by tour operators themselves.

Sarah Ginet

The World's Third Largest Ski Area Gets Greener aradiski, the world’s third largest ski area created by the linking of La Plagne, Peisey-Vallandry and Les Arcs, has announced that it is now using 100% renewable energy to power its ski lifts and

other electrical needs. “Since our inception we have been committed to playing a major role in respecting the environment and in effectively managing natural resources,” stated a spokesperson from the resort. Paradiski joins 60 other leading ski areas

around the world that claim to use, and in some cases generate, 100% green energy for their power needs, either from local generation or by offsetting their “brown” consumption against the production of an equivalent amount of green energy.

This month Dave Whitlow, creative director at Ellis Brigham, looks at sartorial style for the different ski tribes.

PRESTIGE Look: Wealthy, fast and streamlined. Hightech stretch waterproof and very breathable fabrics are expertly cut with a form-flattering fit. Men’s jackets are broad shouldered with highly engineered styling; women’s jackets are sleek with luxurious faux-fur trim. Brands: Spyder, Killy and Schoffel

ALPINE Look: Classic skiwear delivering high-end all-weather protection and all-day comfort. A great fit, and easy-to-wear styling, makes this category appeal to a broad base of skiers across all ages. Brands: Salomon, Eider, The North Face

Look: Using cutting-edge garment construction, and the pinnacle in durable waterproof and breathable fabrics, this clothing thrives in savage wind-scoured high-altitude terrain, and frigid bottomless snow back bowls. A predominantly Gore-Tex shell clothing category, used in the best mountaineering garments with skier-specific features added to deliver a lean and mean package with uncompromising performance. Brands: Arc’teryx and Norrøna

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Look: Bright high contrast, colour-block urban workwear and military-styled utility wear. Brands: Picture, The North Face, and any edgy snowboard brand! Got a question for the Ellis Brigham team? Then email it to marketing@ellis-brigham. com, tweet it to @ellisbrigham, or post on Facebook, and if your question is featured next month you could win a £100 Ellis Brigham gift voucher.

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BEN CLATWORTHY

he popularity of festivals both home and abroad continues to soar, and if what the music industry tells us is correct, it seems that despite the ever deeper recession, Brits are still spending to see their favourite acts perform live. And ski resorts are always keen to jump on the bandwagon, attracting more youngsters to their slopes in the day, and out partying once the lifts close. There is no question, Snowbombing is still the Alpine Glastonbury, but such a mass gathering isn’t for everyone, and continuing the UK comparisons, Sölden’s new Electric Mountain Festival is V. The resort has a long reputation as a ”hot spot” of the Alps when it comes to partying, and the line-up for the inaugural festival was impressive; David Guetta headlined a concert on

the resorts glacier (at 2670m) in front of 10,000 partygoers, and Snoop Dogg was due to perform but bailed, as he did for Snowbombing too. There may be no mud, no camping and no wellies (although, surprisingly, a pair wouldn’t have gone amiss as spring snow can be slushy at the best of times), but what European festivals (especially Austrian ones) do bring to the mix is just as exciting – copious amounts of Jägermeister, lots and lots of Europop and, most of all, they sure know how to party. I was in town to see DJ Antoine take to the (high-altitude) stage. His name might not ring any bells, but (… and for those of you who have just returned from the White Isle this might bring memories flooding back) his hits include Welcome to St Tropez and, more recently, Ma Chérie. Decked out in a fur-hooded Puffa jacket, with oversize sunglasses on, the Swiss DJ had the crowd jumping up and down to his euphoric beats. Opening the set with your two biggest tracks could seem risky, especially if you intend to close with them too, but the crowd couldn’t get enough of it – jumping along throughout his

The Electric Mountain Festival (electricmountain-festival.com) takes place in Sölden 2–6 April 2013.

2 hour gig. AccommodaNightlife in tion in the Tickets from £39.45. Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) operate flights to Innsbruck, which is 85km away the resort town is plentiand a 1 hour's drive, from Bristol, Liverpool is lively ful. The 4 and London Gatwick airports. Prices one-way to say the Liebe Sonne start from £27.99. British Airways (BA.com) fly least, with hotel is lofive times a week from Gatwick to Innsbruck. partying cated a few Alternatively, you can fly to Munich, which is also within easy reach, approximately 210km and a from 3pm– minutes walk 2.5 hours drive away, and is serviced by many of 3am at the from the main the major airlines from most UK airports. two-storey, lift, and also Sölden: www.soelden.com glasshas its own, fronted very popuHotel Liebe Sonne: www.sonnenhotels.at Fire and lar, aprèsIce club. ski bar, the I’m told Schirmbar, the music which is lively is blaring and packed and the from middance floor afternoon. For packed those wanting every night to put their of the week feet up and during the relax, the hoski season, tel spa, with a and I can sauna, steam certainly room, and vouch for this from my visits. both indoor and outdoor pools is just Sölden’s skiing is equally as the answer; but beware there’s no place impressive as its music scene, with for prudishness here, it’s a clothes off at 150km of piste and 34 lifts, most of the door policy. which are high-speed detachable Every season new festivals pop chairs or gondolas. With two glaciers, up in alpine resorts, and it’s not the and the ”Big 3” mountain peaks all easiest market to break, but there is no above 3000m – Gaislachkogl 3058m, question that Sölden has the right idea. Tiefenbachkogl 3309m and Schwarze DJ Antoine’s tunes now appear twice in Schneid 3370m – the snow reliability my ”Top 25 Most Played” playlist on my is second to none. iPod, he must have hit a chord!

013

Better Adventures With New “Request a Ski Chalet” Tool uch Better Adventures has launched a new “Request a ski chalet” service, available at muchbetterchalets.com. The site aims to save skiers time and effort finding the perfect independent ski chalet, allowing them to post their holiday requirements, and then wait to get personalised offers direct from ski chalet owners. Within a few hours of enquiring, customers should have at least three or four tailored quotes to compare on one private-trip planning wall. The group can compare and discuss all these offers on one page, thereby avoiding confusing email threads. Skiers can then book direct with the ski chalet, ensuring they get the best direct price. Over 150 independent ski chalets in five resorts – Méribel, Morzine and Chamonix in France, and Zermatt and Verbier in Switzerland – are taking part in the scheme, with more resorts to be added as the ski season approaches.

Free Skiing For Children Austria's SkiWelt (skiwelt.at), the country's largest fully lift-linked ski FullPg:Layout 1 19/09/2011 11:51 Page 1 has announced children aged area, under 16 will be entitled to ski free of charge at low season dates – before Christmas (8–21 December) and from mid-March to the end of the season in April (16 March–7 April 2013). The SkiWelt has nearly 280km of piste shared between eight resorts, including Ellmau, Hopfgarten, Soll and Westendorf. It also operates Austria's largest snowmaking arsenal. To qualify for the deal, children must be accompanied by an adult buying a ticket valid for 3 days or longer.

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Plans for what would be the first year-round glacier-based ski area in North America, Jumbo Glacier, high in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, has been given the go-ahead 20 years after the idea was first mooted. The CAN$900m resort will include a gondola lift up to 3000m above sea level – several hundred metres higher than Canada’s existing highest lift – and 20 further lifts. Oberto Oberti, President and CEO of Glacier Resorts Ltd, said he hopes the resort will open for Christmas 2014.

4 / 5 Canadians Wear Helmets A survey by the Canadian Ski Council has found that 83.1% of Canadian skiers and snowboarders now wear helmets on the slopes. The findings News • Weather • Holidays are based on an online survey of At the touch6665 of askiers button and snowboarders. "This remarkable increase in helmet usage reflects the efforts of the industry to educate skiers and boarders about the benefits of helmet usage," said Colin Chedore, President of the Canadian Ski Council.

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OCTOBER 2012

Open-Top Cable Car, Anyone? BEN CLATWORTHY

f course, the idea of an open-topped ski lift isn’t new – trundling old opentopped, walk-in gondolas, which lift skiers from the car park to the base of the slopes have been running for decades, often lovingly called “bucket” lifts. But now Doppelmayr has taken the idea to another level with an impressive new installation that’s just opened above Lake Lausanne in Switzerland. The new double-decker cable car, installed at a cost of CHF28.1m (£18.5m), lets guests enjoy fresh air and great views from the open-top deck as the lift ascends to the top of 1900m Mount Stanserhorn. Named the “CabriO” cable car, it’s the

world’s first with a roofless upper deck. The lower level (with nearly wall-to-wall windows) has space for 60 people, and from there an elegant staircase leads up to the sun deck, which has room for about 30 people. Initially derided as a “crazy idea”, the lift is already proving very popular – guests love the 360-degree views and the feel of the wind in their hair as the lift ascends 1139 vertical metres in only 6 minutes, 24 seconds. “Our vision was to enhance the experience during the journey. We wanted to offer the guests a new dimension,” said lift company Director Jürg Balsiger. It’s not the only world first for the Stanserhorn – when it opened 120 years ago, back in 1893, the old funicular set a world record as the longest of its kind.

Find Love On The Slopes ailor-made ski specialist Powder White (powderwhite.com/ winterbreaks) has launched a swathe of new themed ski holiday ideas for the coming winter, including a package aimed at singles looking for love. Powder White Potentially will provide the informal setting of the Chalet Amelie in Courchevel Moriond and promises an equal quota of men and women, great food, free-flowing wine and the exhilaration of the mountains to set hearts aflutter. The company also

promises there’ll be no cringe-worthy enforced dating games. Prices start from £499pp (based on two sharing a twin room).

Save Thrice At Châtel Resort he greatly improved pound-to-Euro exchange rate means that if the ski season were to start tomorrow, we’d be saving somewhere between a fifth and a quarter on the costs we faced in resort last winter. The good news is that you can save even more, at one resort at least. Châtel

in the giant Portes du Soleil region, with 650km of piste straddling the French–Swiss border, is offering 10% off either a local-area Châtel lift pass (valid 3 days or more) or a Portes du Soleil ski-pass (valid 5 days or more) if you purchase your pass online before 9 December at chatel.com (excludes full season passes).

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OCTOBER 2012

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Greenhouse Gas Into Clean Power BEN CLATWORTHY

he Aspen Skiing Company, one of the world’s most active campaigners for climatechange awareness, has invested $5.5m in an innovative project to convert waste methane emitted from a local coal mine into carbon negative electricity. The 3MW of power generated will produce around 24m kilowatt hours of electricity annually – the same amount that Aspen’s four ski areas use for their entire power needs each year, running lifts, maintaining buildings, and snowmaking. The project is described as “carbon negative” because using methane gas, one of most active global warming gases and 20

times more damaging to the environment than CO2, to generate clean electricity is actually far more impactful than the generation of the green energy itself. The Aspen Skiing Company says it would have to spend around half a billion dollars on solar energy to get equivalent CO2 reductions. This project eliminates three times the carbon pollution created by the resort each year. “We’re working with major trade groups so they become a major voice on climate change in the outdoor industry. We’re getting everyone – coalminers, environmentalists, politicians – to work together to address and fix the issue of climate change,” said the Aspen Skiing Company’s Auden Schendler.

Ski & Snowboard Testing In Saas-Fee nyone considering buying new equipment for the coming season might like to head out first to Saas-Fee for the resort’s annual autumn gear-testing sessions on the glacier. The sports shops in the famous Swiss resort, which started its 2012–13 ski season in July and will remain open to

mid-May next year, organise their "Swiss ski tests" in October and November. Skis and snowboards for the coming winter season can be tested in the resort’s Allalin snow sports area, hopefully with powder snow conditions. In addition to the pistes, the Kingdom Snow Park is open, with large and small lines of kickers, pipe and various rails.

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“Super Resort” Makes Progress lthough the global focus of the biggest new infrastructure investments of the past few years has been on Russia (and, to a lesser extent, China and South Korea), Turkey, too, has been spending on state-of-the-art lifts and associated facilities to develop “world class” ski resorts. The Erciyes ski area has a lot going for it. Located close to an airport (you can leave Amsterdam and be on the slopes by noon, according to reports) and only 25km from Kayseri, a growing university city with a million-plus population, it is based on an extinct volcano nearly 4000m high that is permanently snow-capped. Doppelmayr

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www.snowexpress.co.uk – for full list of resorts and prices has now installed a gondola and five new chairlifts – two detachable and three fixed-grip models – and the ultimate aim is to create the biggest ski region in Turkey with 160km of piste and 21 lifts. This would put the resort just inside the world’s top 100 in terms of size.

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SEPTEMBER 2012

New Swiss Superski Pass Launched For 2012–13 Season irst there was the Dolomiti Superski Pass in Italy; then there was the Zillertal Superski Pass in Austria; now there’s a new Swiss Superski pass for 2012–13. Well actually it’s just the “SuperPass”, so snowboarders need not feel alienated. The new pass includes the ski lifts of Villars, Gryon and Les Diablerets, including the famous Glacier 3000, and those of the ski areas around Gstaad. Altogether, this new SuperPass will offer 116 ski lifts and 420km of piste, but unlike with some of the giant ski area amalgamations that have emerged in recent years, particularly in Austria, separate local versions for the Villars or Gstaad regions only will continue to be offered. In either case, children aged up to 9 years ski free. The size of the new area is such that it will be among the 20 largest ski areas available in the world.

C.Arnal

Magnestick Across Courchevel All 18 of Courchevel’s chairlifts will be fitted with Magnestick safety devices for children as of next winter. Magnestick technology, which uses magnetism to secure children wearing special equipment to the chairlift as it ascends (usually children in ski school), was pioneered at the famous French resort several years ago and has since spread to resorts around the world. Courchevel itself has been gradually increasing the number of its own chairlifts fitted with the technology, which helps prevent the rare occurrence of children slipping from a chairlift.

Free Skiing For Beginners Crystal Ski, Britain’s largest tour operator, with trips to 135 ski resorts in 12 countries is offering over 300 free “FirstTime” packages to 16 resorts. The deal includes free tuition, free equipment rental and free lift pass. Other offers from Crystal (for non-beginners, too) include free lift passes for all at Veysonnaz in the Swiss 4 Valleys, La Clusaz and the Grenoble Winter Olympics Downhill ski resort of Chamrousse. There’s also a two-for-one liftpass offer in Jasper (Canada) on selected weeks, and all season at Borovets (Bulgaria) if you book by 15 November.

2017 Champs In St Moritz St Moritz will host the 2017 Alpine World Ski Championships. It will be the fifth time the famous Swiss resort has hosted the event; it first staged them in 1934, and then most recently in 2003. The two forthcoming Championships will take place in Schladming, Austria (February 2013), and in Beaver Creek/Vail in Colorado (2015).

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Salomon Grom Camps Return to UK’s Indoor Slopes alomon Grom Camps (salomongromcamps.co.uk) is continuing to offer freestyle training sessions at Tamworth Snowdome, Chill Factore and Sno!zone Xscape (Castleford), as well as regular freestyle nights at indoor slopes around the country. “The only think you need to attend a Grom camp is to be passionate about skiing; the rest is easy,” says Pat Sharples, who established the camps in 2005, subsequently attracting skiers aged 4 to 64. The camps have been a major contributor to the growth of the UK freeski scene, and prices are kept to just £30 so that they’re accessible to everyone who wants to give freestyle skiing a go. There’s always plenty of swag up for grabs, too, from sponsors including Salomon and Oakley. Coming events include Chill Factore, Manchester, on 20 September, 18 October and 22 November from 7–9pm, and Tamworth Snowdome on 13 November from 8–11pm.

Colorado Piste Signage Stolen A dozen piste marker signs with a combined value of $3600 have been stolen from the slopes of Telluride, Colorado. The signs, including those for the Dynamo and Electra runs, may have been missing for some weeks before anyone realised they’d been stolen. The local sheriff’s office says that so far it has no idea who might have taken the signs, but it believes that “… most likely a vehicle and a ladder were involved”. Telluride is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the recovery of the signs and the identity of the thieves.

Let the train take the strain. MySwitzerland.com A flat-rate return ticket allowing one-day transfers from point of entry to any destination in Switzerland and back. Only available in the UK. And children under 16 travel for free. Contact the Switzerland Travel Centre on MySwitzerland.com/rail or call us on: 020 7420 4900.

Travel from Swiss airports to ski resorts and return with the Swiss Transfer Ticket. Buy now: adult 2nd class £ 85, 1st class £ 140 (price increase for bookings made after 1 January 2013)

Police Ski Down Everest A group of eight climbers from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police have become the first Indians to ski down Mount Everest from the Chinese side. The team reached the summit of the world’s highest mountain (8848m) by taking the more challenging northern ascent route from Tibet. At least 15 attempts to ski down from the Chinese side in the past have failed. The squad also brought back garbage from the peak, which was sent for recycling or disposal to plants in Nepal and China.

DSUK Wants To Make 1m Friends Disability Snowsport UK has launched a new campaign called “Make a Million Friends”. It says that if every skier donates £1, it would raise £1,000,000, making a hugely positive impact on its work throughout the UK and overseas. Anyone can donate when they book a holiday with TUI companies including Crystal, Thomson and Flexiski; alternatively, you can donate online (justgiving.com/ dsukfriends) or send a text to 70070 with the message DSUK60 £1 (or any other amount). 205_12d_06_ins_inthesnow.indd 1

27.08.12 11:33

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he British Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI), the UK body responsible for the training and licensing of snow sports instructors celebrates its 50th year this winter season. Its history goes way back to 1962, when meetings

took place amongst a group of passionate ski enthusiasts who recognised the need and the opportunity to formalise a structure to service the needs of aspiring ski instructors. The Association grew in tandem with the growth in the British public taking up snow sports, as artificial ski slopes mushroomed and Scottish ski areas developed throughout the 1960–70s,

fuelling the demand for qualified instructors to teach the skills to an enthusiastic public. This was followed by a boom in the winter holiday package tour, providing more opportunities for instructors to follow that UK market abroad. With no British snow sports teaching heritage of its own, BASI looked to those who had that alpine sports heritage – the Swiss, Austrians, Italians and French. It then adopted and adapted the best bits from the various Alpine countries teaching methods, as well as developing and adapting with its own teaching philosophy, to create a BASI coaching system that is now internationally recognised and respected throughout the world. Currently, BASI instructors can be found in over 27 countries, and include Olympic athletes through to volunteer club instructors. The foundations for an instructors organisation were laid in November 1962, when the pioneers behind establishing the new Association held an inaugural meeting at Fishers Hotel in Pitlochry,

Scotland. This was followed up in January 1963 where the structure of the new Association was formalised. The founding father was a brash Glaswegian called Frith Finlayson who had learned his skiing skills in Switzerland. He got together with the original founders – Jack Thompson, an outdoor instructor at Glenmore Lodge, and settlers to Strathspey, Austrians Karl Fuchs and Hans Kuwall. They set about founding the British Association of Professional Ski Instructors or BAPSI, as it was initially known. As Hans Kuwall said, there was “a huge demand growing for ski instructors and we simply didn’t have enough of them so we needed to train up our own.” BAPSI was accepted as a member of the International Ski Instructors Association (ISIA) in 1964, improving relations with other ski teaching nations. This helped to develop and create employment opportunities for BAPSI members all over the world. The Association dropped ”Professional” from its name in 1967, and developed its own teaching methods that were closely aligned with the American system. It published and printed its first training manual in 1973, and the reputation and credibility of BASI grew enormously within international circles. This was partly due to the conduct of British instructors, and the efforts made to form relationships with Alpine nations, gaining respect from representation at the Interski

events in Korea, Japan and Austria, amongst others – a forum for ski nations to explain and present their different approaches to ski teaching methods. BASI appointed a full-time administrator in 1979 and membership grew to 500. With the appointment of a Chief Executive came a BASI office at Glenmore Lodge at the foot of Cairngorm. Today, BASI boasts an active membership of over 6000, and has qualified over 15,000 candidates through its training courses. Not bad for a nation with a handful of ski resorts and only a few mountains over 915m! When asked to reflect on the success of BASI, current Chairman, Gareth Roberts commented “I believe BASI’ resilience and strength lies in its repeated ability to adapt and change over the decades responding to the needs of a range of stakeholders, which include the snowsports market, its operating environment and its Members. The journey to date has not been without disagreement or debate but the real strength of the Association has been driven by the passion that lies within it. Focusing that passion and managing the drive has been a key to past success and will play a key role in the future success of BASI.” BASI will be present with a stand at all the UK ski shows this autumn. Be sure to visit their stand and wish them a happy birthday! Visit basi.org.uk for further information.

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PATRICK THORNE

ew services from Monarch Airlines (monarch.co.uk/ski) to Grenoble in the French Alps will open up intriguing possibilities for skiers this winter. Grenoble, a former Winter Olympic host city, is the gateway to the southern French Alps. Home to some of the best French ski areas, the new flights will put skiers and boarders within a few hours’ transfer of these. But Grenoble has many advantages over Geneva for skiers heading to the northern French Alps, too – roads from the Swiss airport to the French Alps are

invariably clogged up, whereas the lack of congestion when approaching from the south means quicker journey times, even though distances may be slightly greater. Now, you can opt to use the Grenoble flights to access Les 3 Vallées, La Plagne and Les Arcs, Chamonix or, indeed, any resort in the French Alps.

Big In The South The southern French Alps offer lots of sunshine, a laid-back atmosphere and, in many cases, lower prices than their northern neighbours. Furthermore, many

resorts in the region are still among the world’s largest, with huge ski areas and vast verticals. Being that bit closer to the Med isn’t a problem for snow cover either as several destinations have glaciercapped ski slopes stretching above 3000m. Les 2 Alpes is a world-class resort with one of the largest ski areas in the Alps – 220km of piste, incorporating Europe’s largest glacier summer ski area. Its 2268m lift-served vertical is one of the biggest on the planet. Add to this a huge range of après-ski options, and a reputation as one of the most familyfriendly ski areas in France, and you

have an all-round winner. Another of the world’s top resorts, and only 99km from Grenoble, is Alpe d'Huez, which also offers one of the greatest unbroken verticals in the world (2230m). Built above the original village of Huez, the resort has expanded in all directions over the past 20 years. There is a huge beginners area directly above the resort; and on a clear day, those who venture to the top station of the lifts will be treated to a view of one-fifth of France. Serre Chevalier (with 250km of runs, one of the ten largest ski areas in France) has been growing in popularity with Brits

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image courtesy Les 2 Alpes

Monarch: monarch.co.uk/ski Alpe d’Huez: alpedhuez.com Chamrousse: chamrousse.com Les 2 Alpes: les2alpes.com Montgenèvre: montgenevre.com Serre Chevalier: serre-chevalier.com

over the past few years. Now run by the same company that operates many of the top French resorts, it offers traditional village charm and the option of being based in the atmospheric ancient city of Briançon. In fact, "Serre Che" is made up of 13 villages (three main ones) spread out for 6km along the Guisane Valley floor from Briançon. The north-facing larchlined slopes above (most over 2000m ) are lift-linked all the way from the town. Located 145km from Grenoble, 1800m above sea level and only a few hundred metres from the Italian border, Montgenèvre is one of the original

altitude ski resorts, with a century of snow-sports heritage. It is also the only French resort on the giant Milky Way ski area that stretches, by lift and piste, for 440km (one of the world’s five biggest ski areas) to link to Italian resorts such as Sestriere and 2006 Winter Olympic host Sauze d’Oulx. Huge investment over the past few years has seen Montgenèvre transformed into one of the most pleasant, well-equipped and family-friendly resorts in France. A busy border road (the same one Hannibal and his elephants used 2000 years ago!) is now buried in a tunnel on the outskirts

of the village, making the now semipedestrianised snow front home to great resort facilities and putting skiers only steps from the slopes.

Close To The Airport Chamrousse may not be a name you’re familiar with, but perhaps you should be – this was the venue for the Grenoble Winter Olympic downhill, where the great skier Jean Claude Killy won gold for his nation. Killy is the man behind the famous Espace Killy of Tignes and Val d’Isère to the north, another possibility from

Grenoble. Chamrousse has 90km of piste, is one of the most affordable and familyfriendly ski areas in the French Alps, and, for those who like a very short transfer, is a mere 56km from Grenoble airport. So whether you want a mid-sized resort close to the airport, a world-class resort within a couple of hours’ transfer in the southern Alps, or a lower-stress route to the big-name ski areas of the northern French Alps, Grenoble is the perfect choice. The new Monarch flights, up to three times a week from Leeds, London Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester, will make getting there this winter much easier.

Susanne Meures

OCTOBER 2012

When was the last time you skied in France?

Afghanistan'S 2ND Ski Challenge

Top reasons to ski in France with us this winter • World’s most renowned resorts and ski areas • First class facilities on and off the slopes • Best self-drive ski destination • Top quality self-catering accommodation • Affordable ski holidays at the best prices

BEN CLATWORTHY

n unusual sports event took place at the end of last winter in the beautiful mountains surrounding the Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan, 180km west of the capital Kabul: the second Afghan Ski Challenge (afghanskichallenge.com). All but a regular ski touring race, this event is trying to bring the joy of skiing to a region that is suffering from decades of war and the destruction of its worldfamous cultural monuments. Bamiyan, once known worldwide for its giant Buddha statues, is now a poor region in Afghanistan – despite its unspoiled nature and mountains as high as 5000m. It has been untouched by the war since 2001; still, after the destruction of the antique statues, the number of tourists visiting shrank from 150,000 a year to almost none. Thanks to its northerly position and a very dry climate, it offers perfect skiing conditions. In 2011 a small team, comprising employees from the Swiss Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper based in Kabul, and local ski enthusiasts from Afghanistan, decided to found the Bamiyan Ski Club and launch the first Afghan Ski Challenge – a backcountry ski

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Without working cell phones, with poor medical facilities and very rustic accommodation, the Bamiyan Ski Club taught ten local participants how to ski, enabling them to compete in the race. This ski touring race has a more unusual list of rules than most: (1) No weapons. (2) Everyone starts at the same time. (3) The winner is the first person to cross the finish line, having successfully registered at all the checkpoints along the way. This year’s second staging of the event was the first race with international competitors. There’s also a corporate sponsor in the shape of Canadian clothing brand Arc’teryx, whose support for the needy is already evident in the dedication of its staff who work extra hours voluntarily, using off-cuts from their garments, to make weather-protection capes to hand out to the homeless in their base city of Vancouver each winter. “We are happy to be one of the main supporters of this event that brings some sports spirit into a battered region,” said a spokesperson in a statement from the company. Entry fees for the race were charged only to non-locals and donated to local sports and educational projects in Afghanistan. The 2012–13 race is expected to take place in March next year.

VAIL RESORTS / Corey Rich

Accommodation only or self-drive deals Book now with a UK specialist tour operator

touring race in the remote Bamiyan region.

Big 4-0 For Northstar orthstar, above Lake Tahoe in California, will turn 40 next season and will be celebrating by offering guided Gate-Accessed Advanced Terrain tours and snowcat accessed skiing and riding to advanced skiers and riders. Last season’s improvements included the new Promised Land Express, a high-speed detachable quad chairlift on

“The Backside”, new gladded terrain and ski trails, and Zephyr Lodge, a 1579m² on-mountain restaurant offering spectacular views of the Sierra Crest. Other attractions include a world-class 7m half pipe; designed in conjunction with Snow Park Technologies and Shaun White, the half pipe is over 128m long and is constructed completely of snow.

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Ski Republic Offering Body Armour Rentals This Winter n an era of ever better safety equipment being available to skiers and boarders, ever more challenging jumps and rails in the terrain park, but also ever higher costs from airlines for carrying baggage on ski strips, Ski Republic (ski-republic.com) is offering RXR Protect Body Armour to rent this winter for adults and children alike. The body armour features patented Air Shock Absorber (ASA) technology that, in professional testing, was shown to absorb nine times more energy than conventional plastic protectors and ten times more than foam. The body armour is available in two sizes (child and adult) and two types (Strongflex and Airback; expert staff will advise which is best for you), but one price regardless – €5 per day. Ski Republic also offers free helmet hire and two sets of rentals for the price of one.

Landmarks_A4_ITS_OCT12.pdf

12/09/2012

15:48

Wherever You Prefer To Ski... New Lifts At La Clusaz La Clusaz in the Lake Annecy ski region is constantly improving its lift infrastructure and has just completed the first stage of a project to completely restructure the Bossonet area. Two new lifts will open in winter 2012–13 to allow a better flow of skiers and improve comfort: a detachable six-seater chairlift on the Cret du Loup and a fixed four-seater on the Mini Loup that will be known as “P'tit Loup”. Another new lift, with intermixed chairs and gondolas to suit the weather conditions, will open in 2014.

Ski Gourmet Week

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Fabulous for foodies, the Supertravel Ski Gourmet Week (supertravel.co.uk) begins on 20 January in all of the company’s Courchevel chalets. Guests will be inspired by unique creations from innovative French charcutier and chef Franck Pontais, with the aid of top sommelier Ronan Sayburn. Pontais will be cooking at a different chalet every night of the week, as well as conducting master classes and lessons in the afternoons. In addition, each chalet will receive a signed edition of his cookbook Terrines & Verrines.

Cut In VAT On UK Ski Lift Tickets The government has announced a cut in VAT on lift tickets in Scotland after years of campaigning by Scottish centres to have the purchase tax on lift tickets reduced in line with other European countries with ski areas. In fact the VAT rate for lift tickets – reduced from the standard 20% to 5% – is actually better than in some major ski nations. The former rate of 5.5% in France was recently increased to 7%.

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Gloucester Slope Revival Gloucester Ski Slope is now under new ownership, and there are some exciting plans for redeveloping the centre. The most exciting thing is extending the slope back to the top, which will be fantastic for all skiers and boarders, and will be great for running competitions and events next summer. We will update you on the progress as the work is completed.

English Alpine Championships

BACK TO THE FUTURE Where Is Snowsport England Going? im Fawke has been CEO of Snowsport England for 5 years. Originally opting for a career in skiing, but after narrowly missing out on a place at the Winter Olympics in 1998 Tim decided to undertake a degree in Sports Science. After qualifying as a coach, he accepted the position of England Ski

Team’s head coach, before being employed in 2008 as CEO of Snowsport England. Snowsport England is involved in a huge variety of areas, “this is something we’ve been trying to expand upon ,” says Fawke “Disciplines we specialise in include Alpine, Snowboarding, Freestyle and Nordic. In 2002 we changed our organisation’s name from the

English Ski Council, to Snowsport England to better represent our investment in all snow sports. Within these disciplines we run coach schemes, instructor and coaching qualifications,” Snowsport England is also f focused developing new talent pathways to move athletes towards a successful future.” Snowsport England now has a team of Development Officers focused not

only on a wider intake of potential athletes, but the support of those who harbour ambition and potential. Snowsport England is currently coming to the end of a funding cycle, but after much hard work from the Snowsport England team, Fawke is hopeful that the funding will enable an even greater expansion in the team’s effort to get Britons interested in snow sports.

Bormio, Italy (17–22 February) The Championships are returning to Italy for the fifth time. This is Snowsport England’s premier event, and attracts over 1000 people to the resort for a great week of racing. The resort is very welcoming, and provides some great facilities and conditions for the events.

SSE Membership You can become a member of Snowsport England and get some great offers, as well as being kept up-to-date on all the developments within snow sports. One of these is free access to the British Ski and Board Show and VIP lounge, which takes place on the 27 October. Sign up through the Snowsport England website.

Club and Volunteer Awards Club and Volunteer Awards will take place again in the VIP lounge at the British Ski and Board Show in October. It is a chance to recognise the huge amount of work some volunteers do to help the development of their club.

Coaching And Instructor Courses We continue to develop our coaching and instructor qualification, and if you are interested in attending any of the courses then please go to the following website: UKsnowsports.com

6 October ESKKIA (English Schools Ski Association) Finals 13 October Moguls coaching course Chill Factore

2012 UK Snowsport Coaching Conference and Awards ritish Cycling share their knowledge at the 2012 UK Snowsport Coaching Conference. The 2012 Conference took place at Chill Factore, Manchester, with keynote speaker John Mills, Director of Coaching from British Cycling. Following on from their success at the Olympics it was great to have him presenting and sharing British Cycling’s knowledge and ideas. With over 80 delegates attending from clubs and facilities all over the country, the 2-day conference was a great success. Yannick Green from Team Evolution said, “This is the only opportunity in the year to get all coaches together away

from competition and discuss where the sport is going, and to share ideas to help the development of the sport. It was really interesting to hear from John Mills at British Cycling to see how they have developed their sport since 1997 when they had no money or funding, and see how they structured the organisation and developed their coaching system to enable them to have the huge success they are now enjoying.” In the evening, the UK Snowsport Coaching Awards dinner was held at Manchester United football ground. The Awards provide a chance for the coaches to be recognised for the incredible work they do.

14 October Snowsport England AGM 26–28 October British Ski and Board Show VIP SSE members lounge Birmingham 17–22 February English Alpine Championships Bormio, Italy

Snowsport England Staff Tim Fawke CEO Julia Parker Operations Manager Kirsty Nicol Administrator Jan Doyle Development Officer, North Susie Moore Development Officer, South Ian Poynton Development Officer, Central Ian Findlay Talent Development Officer

snowsportengland.org.uk

THERE ARE MORE PEAKS WITH NEILSON SKI Inviting catered chalets in picturesque locations. Delicious breakfasts and 3-course evening meals designed by award winning chef, Chris Coubrough. Wines to complement your meal selected by a Master of Wines. These are just some of the peaks you can enjoy in your Neilson day.

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PATRICK THORNE

histler, Banff – you know them well, by name even if you’ve not yet visited them. Big White, Jasper or Sun Peaks – you may have heard of. But what about Canada’s other ski areas? There are more than 300 of them spread across the country. As in most of the world’s major ski destination countries, we tend to focus on the big names, but we can be missing out. The world’s most famous ski resorts now each get more than 2m visitors per year. That funds ever better facilities, but it can also means crowds, queues, high prices, and after your visit you may just feel you’ve ticked off another name on your “must ski” list, rather than really broken new ground. So if you’re feeling a little more adventurous (and to be honest, you don’t

have to be THAT adventurous, everything is in English, roads are maintained, the people are friendly, guns aren’t generally carried …!), you might consider one of Alberta’s 30 or so other ski areas besides Banff; or maybe one of British Columbia’s 50+ ski centres that aren’t Whistler; and perhaps enjoy a far more unique Canadian ski holiday. I took a drive from Calgary to two such resorts last Easter.

Nakiska, Alberta Most Brits drive straight past the turning to Nakiska as they make the short, easy, and as the mighty Canadian Rockies grow bigger on the skyline, truly spectacular drive from Calgary to Banff. But that’s a mistake, as Nakiska is the closest sizable ski area to Calgary, just

110km away, and it’s a very interesting place. Purpose-built to stage the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics Alpine events, accommodation is centred on the remarkable Kananakis Village – an extensive hotel and leisure complex a few miles from the slopes. Nakiska – as was the case with my other choice, Kimberley, too – has a great family atmosphere and a human scale that means you feel welcome, comfortable, and pretty much a part of the family as soon as you parked, a few steps from the rental shop, ticket office and base buildings. A succession of quad chairlifts take you up increasingly steep terrain, with nursery slopes (dedicated chairlifts and two carpet lifts) at the base, through intermediategrade, tree-lined cruisers mid-mountain, and finally to the steepest stuff at the

top. There are some great long fall line runs and Nakiska is popular for training Canadian racers, and anyone looking for added thrills has the monster glades and a skier/boarder cross course to enjoy. The base lodge was well-endowed with filling fuel, and had the added bonus of being lined with Olympic memorabilia, which gave those of us of a certain age a bit of a buzz, seeing all those famous names from the 1980s. This was the Olympics of our dearly-beloved Eddie the Eagle after all, a Games in a pre-corporate, pre-drugs-obsessed era – at least through my rose-tinted goggles! But a Nakiska holiday offers more than the ski slopes. The Delta Hotel at Kananakis Village is a complete holiday resort in its own right, and has particularly good leisure facilities and an excellent on-site nursery. There’s a choice of

027

restaurants, a selection of shops and the rooms are good too – add the village and the ski area together and you have a complete ski holiday. But there’s more! Well, for fans of film director Christopher Nolan, and in particular the movie Inception anyway. The climatic scenes were filmed a few miles up the road from here, at the now largely abandoned Fortress ski area – so it’s your chance to go pay homage. Money generated from the movie is being used to help rebuild the ski area.

Kimberley Kimberley, a more distant 410km from Calgary, and owned, like Nakiska (and Kicking Horse and Fernie), by the Canadian Rockies group. The old mining town below the ski area

has Bavarian heritage (due to the fact that a lot of the miners originated from there), which is visible today in some slightly tawdry purveyors of frankfurters with bratwurst, wonderfully surreal piped Bavarian music, and the former world’s biggest cuckoo clock, as well as a very impressive Bavarian barn, shipped over and rebuilt piece by piece, and now a great restaurant. So the signs for somewhere a little different were good, and this before arriving at the ski slopes a few miles further up the road where, frankly, it just keeps getting better, as you arrive at this little resort with its great base complex of top-notch condos. So what’s so good about Kimberley? Well, everything just works. You walk out of your condo into the elevator, perhaps stopping for breakfast in the well-stocked little cafe,

get your kit on in and a friendly the ground level vibe, which boot room, and continues in then out through the welcoming the automatic bars, shops and doors and it’s just cafes at the base. Delta Hotels: deltahotels.com a few steps to the For me, having Kimberley: skikimberley.com high-speed quad. visited more This whisks Nakiska: skinakiska.com than 200 ski you up to the Alberta: travelalberta.com areas in over 30 top of the slope, BC: britishcolumbia.travel years skiing, this from which a was almost the great choice of perfect ski resort. fantastic long So while those cruisers descend big resorts back to the base, will always or turn left to explore dozens more routes have their place, and always attract accessed by more lifts – steeper runs, tree the masses, it’s well worthwhile going skiing, more cruising – just a wonderful off the beaten ski trail in Canada and mid-sized mountain with something for checking out one of the many other everyone. Add to this uncrowded slopes centres you’ve heard less about.

OCTOBER 2012

An “Innovative” Way To Train Staff BEN CLATWORTHY

nspired by a new London restaurant offering clients a free meal, provided they offer honest feedback afterwards to their staff-in-training, Mountain Heaven (mountainheaven. co.uk) has sold all the beds in its chalets for just £99pp for the first week of the season, commencing 15 December. The company offered the deal to all previous clients, stressing the week is foremost a training opportunity for staff, ahead of the Christmas and New Year rush. At the end of the week, all guests will have to give feedback, with honest comments and suggestions on

everything from the staff to the menus and chalets. The £99pp simply covers food and drinks. Nick Williams, Managing Director, told InTheSnow: “We think this is a very innovative concept and have not heard of anybody else doing something so cheap, which hopefully will mean people can afford two ski holidays next year in these difficult economic times.” All Mountain Heaven chalets are full for the week of 15 December, and there is only very limited availability for Christmas and New Year. All the clients need to buy is a lift pass and a transfer to the resort, both arranged by the company. The decision hasn’t yet been made as to whether the offer will return in 2013.

Ski The World Back For 2013 he Ski Solutions “Make a Wish” Ski Challenge moves to Champoluc next year from 14–17 March 2013 (skisolutions.com). The inaugural charity fundraising event was launched last year and staged at another Aosta Valley resort, Courmayeur. This season it will quadruple in size, with a target of 80 participants. The aim is to raise over £60,000 for Make a Wish, a charity with a single purpose – to grant magical wishes to children and

young people aged 3–17 fighting lifethreatening illnesses. The objective is for teams of two or three to clock up as many vertical metres as possible over the weekend. Last year’s winning team reached 150% of the target 43,314 vertical metres by skiing or boarding 65,400m of vertical. Participants are sponsored for their efforts and flexible all-inclusive packages are available to cover travel and resort costs. Last year’s event raised a total of £17,169.

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SEPTEMBER 2012

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CHAMPAGNE POWDER Steamboat (steamboat.com) is famed for big snowfalls, especially its trademark Champagne Powder, unique in its lightness making it exceptionally easy to ski. No need to worry about tired legs, the snow is so fine and dry you drift through it seamlessly. The science behind the snow is technical, but the name less so: it derives from sparkling wine champagne.

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FIRST TRACKS There is no better feeling than being the first on the mountain, whether it’s a powder, or blue-sky day. You know you’re in for a good day when you’re the first on the gondola and there’s a queue at the bottom station. Make carefree carves on the corduroy snow, or be the first to track-out the fresh powder on the piste. With the first tracks pass, skiers and boarders are eligible to board the gondola at 8.00am, a full 30 minutes prior to general admission. Lift pass costs $29* and includes a breakfast voucher. (*2011–12 price. Ski pass also required.)

RELAX IN THE HOT SPRINGS

GO WESTERN! The ski resort is located a few miles from the old cattle town of Steamboat Springs, which to this day is traditionally western. Take a trip downtown and explore the shops, bars and restaurants. Make sure you pay a visit to FM Light & Son’s, a western mercantile store which has served the town since 1905, to really get the character of the place.

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The steep chutes at the top of the mountain are great in the days following a big snowfall, but make for some interesting terrain the rest of the time nonetheless. Hike up from Storm Peak Express to Christmas Tree Bowl for some tree skiing, or head down North St. Pats, via Morningside. Head up to the chutes early on a powder day for some epic riding in the fresh snow.

I can’t think of a better way to relax after a day in the powder. The Strawberry Park Hot Springs (strawberryhotsprings.com), located just 16km from the resort, are natural mineral water springs with three pools at varying temperatures. Take a plunge in the cold pool and then bathe in the 40°C pool. Once darkness falls it’s clothes off bathing only, and only adults are permitted. Adults $10.

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BEN CLATWORTHY

British Airways (ba.com) fly once daily from Heathrow to Denver. Stay at the Steamboat Grand (steamboatgrand.com).

OCTOBER 2012

Airport Transfers

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Les Gets Morillon Courchevel Chamonix Valley Megeve Meribel Les Arcs Les Deux Alpes Les Contamines Les Menuires La Tania St. Gervais Avoriaz Brides-les-Bains La Clusaz Val Thorens Val d'Isère Les Gets La Rosière Tignes St. Foy Zermatt Morillon Courchevel Gstaad Morzine Verbier Saas Fee Chamonix Valley Megeve Meribel Les Arcs Les Gets Les Carroz Samoëns Nendaz Flaine Les Deux Alpes Les Contamines Les Menuires Morillon Courchevel La Tania St. Gervais Avoriaz Brides-les-Bains Alpe d'Huez Crans Montana Chamonix Valley Megeve Meribel Les Arcs La Plagne La Clusaz Val Thorens Val d'Isère Champagny en Vanoise Les Deux Alpes Les Contamines Les Menuires Morillon La Tania St. Gervais Avoriaz La Rosière Tignes St. Foy Zermatt Brides-les-Bains St. Gervais Gstaad Morzine Verbier Saas Fee Avoriaz La Plagne La Clusaz Val Thorens Val d'Isère Les Carroz Samoëns Nendaz Flaine Les Contamines Brides-les-Bains La Rosière Tignes St. Foy Zermatt Les Deux Alpes Alpe d'Huez Crans Montana Les Arcs Gstaad Morzine Verbier Saas Fee Champagny en Vanoise Les Menuires Les Carroz Samoëns Nendaz Flaine Les Gets Avoriaz La Tania Chamonix Valley St. Gervais Alpe d'Huez Crans Montana Morillon Courchevel Les Deux Alpes Megeve Val d'Isère La PlagneChamonix Valley Megeve Meribel Champagny en Vanoise La Tania Verbier Les Gets Val d'Isère Morillon Courchevel La Plagne La Clusaz Val Thorens Chamonix Valley Megeve Meribel Les Arcs Les Deux Alpes Les Contamines Les Menuires La Rosière Tignes St. Foy Zermatt La Tania St. Gervais Avoriaz Brides-les-Bains Gstaad Morzine Verbier Saas Fee La Plagne La Clusaz Val Thorens Val d'Isère Les Carroz Samoëns Nendaz Flaine La Rosière Tignes St. Foy Zermatt Saas Fee Alpe d'Huez Crans Montana Gstaad Morzine Verbier Champagny en Vanoise Les Carroz Samoëns Nendaz Flaine Alpe d'Huez

Chamonix Mont Blanc Espace Killy

Portes du Soleil /Grand Massif

DO YOU Fancy Skiing DOWN Mount Etna? BEN CLATWORTHY

he Ski Club Freshtracks team says it has listened carefully to its loyal following of snowhungry holiday-makers and created what it believes is an inspirational selection of winter getaways for the new season. The 2012–13 brochure introduces the first ever “Chalet Freshtracks”, new exhilarating un-tracked (and volcanic) destinations, more powder by rail, more options for independent bookers, and a fresh approach to Chamonix.

That volcanic destination is Mount Etna in Sicily, Europe’s largest active volcano, for a trip dubbed “Craters and Crampons”. “Ski touring experience is essential, although you don’t need to be an expert,” said a Ski Club spokesperson, adding, “Ever skied down an active volcano? It’s one way to give your winter holiday that extra kick.” All Ski Club Freshtracks holidays (skiclub.co.uk/freshtracks) include volunteer Ski Club of Great Britain leaders who travel with the groups, leading them on snow and ensuring the holidays run as smoothly as possible.

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032

PROBLEM 1

PROBLEM 2

Do you struggle when doing highspeed carving on pistes?

Are you balanced on the uphill ski at the end of the turn & losing control of speed when it gets steep?

Possible fault: Skiing with legs locked together all the time. Jon (AKA WESTY) AT ALTITUDE

Jon is one of the few instructors in the world to hold the top qualifications from France, Switzerland and Britain. He can teach on- and off-piste skiing throughout the Alps, and as Ski School Director, Jon helps manage the ski and snowboard school, the instructor training gap programs, the Verbier freeride camps, and also the winter and summer kids camps. altitude-verbier.com; +41 277 716 006

any gap students arrive on skiing courses skiing quite well, but often having difficulty making the necessary turns. This often results in them having to walk back up the off-piste run to retrieve their skis! Here, I explain how the crash sequence is often down to common faults prevalent in skiers who have experience but lack professional instruction. If any of the following skiing problems appear familiar, take a look at Jon’s fault-diagnosis.

On the plus side: Good in the bumps (see photo A) and when trying to impersonate a mono skier. Tip: Ski like Jon Wayne and exaggerate the stance width. Once this has been mastered, on each run gradually bring the stance closer together until you’ve built up a new awareness of what your legs are doing. Next, explore different terrain and experiment with the width of your stance. The goal is to build a new awareness of your stance width to suit the terrain you are skiing.

Possible fault: Banking your body inside too much. On the plus side: Good edge angles can be achieved by very skilful skiers. Tip: Try skiing from the fall line (facing downhill) to the completion of the turn while only standing on the downhill ski. This might be quite tricky but through play and perseverance it should become easier. As you improve, try to make skidded turns on one ski. The goal is to be able to have more balance over the downhill ski.

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PROBLEM 3

PROBLEM 4

Do you find yourself caught in the back seat when skiing away from the groomers?

Do you have poor rhythm in the bumps or when doing short turns?

Possible fault: You’re too stiff and upright. On the plus side: This may be less tiresome on very gentle slopes. Tip: Try jumping as high as possible with your skis on (see photo C). Next, try doing the same but make as little noise as possible when landing! Try doing this while skiing and then find some small jumps to really test yourself. The goal is to learn to increase awareness of flexing in the ankles, knees and hips. Extra tip: try to flex evenly at the joints rather than just at one joint.

Possible fault: Random pole plantitus. Tip: Ask a friend (better than a partner) to check where, and how often, in the turn you are making the pole plant. Based on the feedback, make the necessary adjustments to achieve a consistent regular pole plant. Altitude Ski and Snowboard School runs its own in-house BASI gap course in Verbier, Switzerland. If you would like further information about becoming a ski instructor then please contact Laura at info@altitude-futures.com or visit the website at altitude-futures.com.

Having happy and safe children on a ski holiday is a priority for all parents, so here are some key points to consider when choosing a school for their ski lessons. Top-6 things to check for when booking lessons for your children: Is the ski teacher qualified? Most schools employ instructors who have experience of teaching children and understand how they develop. Most also use games and exercises suitable for the different ages and abilities of their groups. Some schools, however, employ unqualified instructors, so be aware and always ask the question, “Who will be teaching my child?”

Do they speak your language? Not only do children like to be able to talk with the other kids in the group; for safety reasons it’s also important that the instructor can communicate well with your child. Does the instructor have experience of teaching kids? Techniques for teaching children can differ from those used for adults. Watch part of the lesson and see if the instructors interact well with the children. Do they have a dedicated area for beginners? A separate area for children helps them to get the most out of the lesson, and it’s safer. It also shows that the school is serious about teaching children in a safe and fun way.

Check the number of children in a group to ensure the ratio of kids to instructors/helpers is good – 8:1 is okay for older kids but it should be lower for younger ones. Does the school run any other children’s activities such as race camps or summer camps? If they do it shows they have lots of experience of working with children and therefore there is a much greater chance that they will understand your child’s needs. For information about children’s lessons or summer camps, please contact info@altitudeverbier.com or call +41 (0)277 716 006.

034

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OCTOBER 2012

The Alpine UpgradeChallenge your most Is Back important bit of kit

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BEN CLATWORTHY

now-Camp (snow-camp. org.uk), the youth snow sports charity, is once Uprated Suspension Tinted Glass for 25 teams again looking of winter sports enthusiasts to enter its Power Steering Leather Upholstery Alpine Challenge 2013, formerly known Turbo Charger Metallic Paint as the Everest Challenge. Held from Traction Control Better Fuel Consumption 17–20 January in the Portes du Soleil Anti-Lock Braking Biggeris Service ski area, the event a uniqueIntervals 2 day Internal Climate Control endurance event designed to give teams an experience to remember. ~ All New Model Snow-Camp Director Dan Charlish said: ~ Easy Fit “The event was previously known as the ~ Fully AdjustableEverest Challenge, but understandably people kept thinking we were running it ~ No Tools Required in Nepal. So this year we have changed the name to the Alpine Challenge and

At the ﬂick of a switch:

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made some improvements to the event which we think teams will really enjoy.” Teams participating in the event will be challenged to ski or board every one of the Portes du Soleil’s linked ski resorts over 2 days, clocking up over 150km of GPS-tracked runs, and navigating their way to checkpoints at the furthest reaches of each ski area. If that wasn’t enough, a mountain night hike between the 2 days ensures a proper endurance challenge, as well as a fantastic experience walking through the mountains under the stars. “Teams like the competitive element of the challenge, so the new format encourages this by putting the focus on them to make decisions and navigate around the route,” said Charlish.

info@ski-mojo.com

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itzbühel has announced it is investing €26m on upgrades this summer, including the installation of two new high-speed chairlifts, in its ongoing programme of upgrades to one of the world’s most impressive fleets of on-mountain uplift. The high-speed six-seat “Walde” chair lift is a major upgrade on the 51-year-old T-bar lift that used to run on that route. The second new chairlift,

“Steinbergkogel”, replaces a 35-year-old slow-moving double chairlift. This new lift will be a high-speed eight-seater with heated seats; it makes Kitzbühel one of only three ski areas in the world to operate three or more of this type of high-capacity chairlift, along with fellow Austrian resorts Mayrhofen and the Silvretta. Around 50 resorts have installed eight-seater chairlifts since the first was built in the small Norwegian resort of Vrådal, almost 15 years ago.

037

SEPTEMBER 2012

THE OMNIA Zermatt

chalet COLE RIDGE GRIMENTZ



Chalet Cole Ridge is a magnificent premium chalet located in a stunning position directly on the piste and overlooking the historic village of Grimentz in the Val D’Anniviers. Sleeping up to 10 people and with a south-facing sunken Jacuzzi with stunning views overlooking the mountains, this chalet is exceptional.

+44 (0)151 625 192 | 1info@mountainheaven.co.uk | www.mountainheaven.co.uk |

THE PENTHOUSE La Rosière



chalet de la Cloche  VAL D'ISERE

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

Chalet de la Cloche is in the heart of Les Brevieres, Espace Killy, considered to be one of the greatest ski areas in the world.The Ski-Base team have created a wonderful chalet described by Harpers Bazaar as a “haven of sensual indulgence”. It is one of Condé Nast Traveller top 10 chalets in the Alps.

+41 (0)27 966 7171 | info@the-omnia.com | www.the-omnia.com |

+44 (0)20 3432 8446 | info@ski-base.com | www.ski-base.com |

lES CHALETS DE PHILIPPE Chamonix

THE CAMBRIAN ADELBODEN

A cluster of eight chalets with spectacular views of Mont Blanc, located in a quiet corner of Lavancher. Alpine Antique furniture mixed with contemporary features such as flat screen TVs and WIFI access throughout and spa services include hammam, hot tubs, sauna and massage. A chauffeur is also available as well as Michelin-starred food!

Stunning mountain views in every direction, The Cambrian offers the kind of location that desk huggers the world over spend their days dreaming about. Located in the leading resort of Adelboden in the Bernese Oberland, the hotel provides authentic local colour, cosmopolitan comfort and inspiring cuisine backed up by superb service.

+ 33 (0)607 231 726 | contact@chaletsphilippe.com | www.chaletsphilippe.com |



+41 (0)33 673 8383 | info@thecambrianadelboden.com | www.thecambrianadelboden.com |

mont cervin palace  Zermatt

MATTERHORN FOCUS Zermatt

A stunning chalet in the Les Eucherts area of La Rosière at 1850m. The Penthouse is a large chalet set over two floors with stunning views down the valley from the beautiful lounge / dining room with six en-suite bedrooms, three are doubles and three twins.

One of the great hotels of the Alps, with more than 150 years of simple warm hospitality. The original hotel, which opened in 1852 is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World Association. The 5 Mont Cervin Palace offers 150 charming rooms and suites. Throughout summer 2012 the hotel has undertaken major renovation works.

Here you can enjoy privacy, outstanding design and a unique stay in 30 individual rooms. Situated in the most fantastic position with unrivalled views of the Matterhorn, the modern, elegant architecture blends in beautifully, elegantly and somewhat obtrusively but perfectly into the mountain around.

+44 (0)151 625 192 | 1info@mountainheaven.co.uk | www.mountainheaven.co.uk |

+41 (0)27 966 8888 | mcp.reservation@seilerhotels.ch | www.montcervinpalace.com |

+41 (0)27 966 24 24 | info@matterhorn-focus.ch | www.matterhorn-focus.ch |



Kilian Jornet

BEN CLATWORTHY

ilian Jornet is a multiple ski mountaineering world champion and alpinist, and has also been described as the world's greatest runner. But he says it’s just an excuse to be in the mountains. Jornet is currently working on ”Summits Of My Life” (summitsofmylife.com), a 3-year project in which he and his team intend to run the length of the world’s greatest mountain ranges, trying to climb and descend some of the most spectacular mountains in the world as quickly as possible, culminating with Mount Everest in 2015. Tragically, during an attempt to break the ski-traverse record of Mont Blanc in June, Jornet’s partner Stéphane Brosse suffered a fatal fall, but Jornet has vowed to continue the project in his memory.

So are you trail runner or ski mountaineer? KJ: I am a trail runner, I am ski

mountaineer, I am an alpinist, but first I am just a person who loves the mountains. I spend every day in the mountains. I feel I’m at home in the mountains. Why the special bond? KJ: I love it because the landscape is amazing and full of challenges, but I think the mountains give a lot back. Humans are animals and when you are in the mountains, you feel that you are nothing. And when you are nothing, you have everything to discover. You feel that you are really small and that's important to know. But I also love to race, to go fast – to go “Yeah!” Your race schedule is pretty busy. KJ: I do 45 races a year. My year is split between ski-mountaineering in winter, and trail running in summer. I get to spend just 1½ months at my home in Chamonix as I’m always travelling!

And what is your training plan? KJ: I train twice a day, 3–5 hours in the morning, 1–2 hours in the afternoon, 20–30 hours per week. I don’t measure the distance, but record the altitude – between 16,000m and 23,000m a week. What’s your favourite bit of gear? KJ: The Suunto Ambit is important as I don’t plan before training, and I don’t know where I’m training the next week. But the Ambit allows me to see what I’ve done and control my training. The GPS watch is really useful for logging kilometres and recording altitude. How young were you when you started? KJ: I did my first 3000m peak when I was 3-years-old! When I was aged 8 years, I spent 15 hours in the mountains with my mother without food and water. I have conditioned my body to endure long distances from an early age!

How will you tackle Everest? KJ: We will avoid the normal route and try to find a different route where we can be alone – maybe the Norton or Hornbein Couloirs. But nothing is confirmed. Tell us about the new book, Run or Die. KJ: I wrote it last year and it's a new experience for me. At first I told my editor that I'm too young to write a biography, but I wrote about some of my sensations and feelings when I run, and why I run. Every chapter records a different experience in the mountains, not just racing. I wrote it in Catalan and it's been translated into four languages, but so far only the first chapter is out in English on my blog (kilianjornet. cat/en/blog). What is your ultimate goal? KJ: My main goal, like everybody, is to be happy. To be happy for me is to be in the mountains – and to push myself in the mountains.

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