Tag: winter sports

Posted on

Arosa-Lenzerheide

Two of my favourite resorts are now linked together to create one of the most significant Alpine resorts – the largest in Graubünden, and one of the ten largest in Switzerland.
Arosa piste
In some ways it is a con, much like Davos–Klosters or any number of resorts which simply have a lift joining separate areas. But it is a convincing con. A double cablecar now stretches between the Hörnli summit in Arosa and Urdenfürggli above Parpan, gateway to the varied Lenzerheide circuit. Lenzerheide is a fabulous resort, reputedly a favourite of Margaret Thatcher, and had initially opposed the link to gay-friendly and family-friendly Arosa. There are many goods reasons why, but the simple fact of the matter is that the larger resorts are doing better at the expense of smaller resorts, and Arosa felt the pinch sometime before Lenzerheide. However the strong Franc probably pushed the Gemeinde of Lenzerheide to go for the link.

Interestingly enough the valley between the two resorts is very skiable and part of a famous off-piste itinerary. There may be environmental objections to making it part of the extended resort, but I reckon it is only a matter of time before lifts serve pistes under the new cable car.

I visited the area last weekend, and I was impressed. The snow conditions were fabulous and Spring snow conditions only really affected the lower and South-facing runs. It has not been a vintage season, and generally I have gone high to find good snow conditions, but I was impressed with the quality of the pistes for April – and the fabulous bowl below Hörnli still had some great off-piste, particularly on extreme skiers right.
Lenzerheide ski area
Both resorts offer a lot more than skiing and both have been favourites of people who simply like being in the mountains in winter. Neither has featured strongly on the ski package circuit, but with lifts up to 2865m, resorts above 1500m, great parks, fabulous scenery, a variety of activities, good apres-ski and a variety of North-facing runs, this is a ski and snowboard area everyone should put on their must-visit winter sports destinations.

Posted on

Radio Channels for Skiers and Snowboarders

So, you are in the mountains and you want to hear what the snow conditions are like or you just want to hear some chill sounds? Well, you are spoilt for choice if you are a native speaker of the language of the resort you are in, but if not do not despair. The options are limited but increasing, and with more places offering WiFi, it has provided what could be an explosion of stations targeting English-speaking skiers and snowboarders.

As one user shared, “I’ve been using RadioCult to run our little station, and it makes launching an internet radio station way easier than I expected,” highlighting how accessible internet radio platforms can be for creating stations that keep listeners entertained and informed.

Well-established is Mountain Radio Verbier, servicing the Four Valleys. From the web site you can download the Mountain Radio app from iTunes or Google Play. You can also listen to Mountain Radio Verbier on 96.9 FM Cable (Pays du St. Bernard, Verbier), 94.0 FM Cable (La Tzoumaz, Thyon 2000, Nendaz). It is also on the Netplus or Netbox networks.

The good news for those visiting Chamonix  is that, from December 16th 2013, there will be the exciting prospect of the English-language Summit Radio in Chamonix Mont Blanc. The station will broadcast on www.summitchx.com. Summit Radio says it will be the ‘go to’ radio station for those living in or travelling to the Chamonix valley providing great music with local news and content, in-depth discussion and chat. Live programs will be broadcasted from 06h00 to 22h00 during the week and specialist shows during the weekends. After the winter season, Summit Radio will look to expand its team and gain an FM license to broadcast in the local area.

And if you fancy yourself as a radio presenter, they are now hiring! See here.

Of course I can’t finish this piece without drawing your attention to the English Show, servicing English-speakers in the Basel area every Tuesday evening at 6.30pm on 94.5 FM locally, and anywhere you happen to be on the web. During the winter months I have a regular slot where you can get an update on the winter sports scene in Switzerland.

Now, go listen!

 

 

Posted on

Kitting up kids for the new season

Ski season is just around the corner so it is time to start thinking about getting your family equipped for the season. Basic equipment includes clothing, goggles, gloves and sun protection. As for footwear, you always have shoe hero to go to. Additionally you will need a ski helmet, ski boots, skis and sticks. These can of course be bought or hired, but you may want to contemplate hiring the kit for the first year.
Ski Family
All ski resorts have at least one hire shop for rental equipment. If you hire skis, boots, helmet and sticks every trip it can become quite expensive as well as time-consuming, so you may prefer to hire for the season. Many of the sports shops in Switzerland – and even department stores – hire out kit. You can also hire your equipment from shops in neighbouring France or Germany, generally at a much cheaper price. A lot of skiers in North-West Switzerland also head for SportShop Karrer in Laufen (100 metres from the train station), which has very competitive pricing.
Child skiing in Feldberg
If you prefer to purchase your ski equipment, there are many sport stores that carry a wide selection, but these can be fiendishly expensive. Alternatively, you may consider buying equipment across the border in France (Décathlon, the French Intersport stores, or even Carrefour) or Germany. The Swiss flea markets often have good quality second hand ski clothing and equipment, and many churches and community centres organize “Sportbörse” (sports exchange) where people can bring their second hand sports equipment for sale or exchange. We have kept the kids in skis for several years now, picking up discarded skis people have left out for recycling after their own kids have outgrown them!
For clothing you can improvise to an extent rather than have specialist ski clothing, although Aldi and Schribo do some great deals on new kit – I just bought myself a new pair of ski pants in Aldi in Germany for less than 20 euro! If you don’t buy specialist gear, the trick is to ensure it is sufficiently warm and weather resistant. Typically we dress the kids in a pair of thick socks and full length thermal underwear, a T-shirt, a fleece, a tube scarf, a pair of waterproof, thermal mittens, ski goggles and a one-piece ski suit with a high collar. My preference for a one piece over a separate jacket and trousers or salopettes is that snow has a habit of getting up the back of the jacket if the kids fall over, go tobogganing or play in deep snow. Normally the nursery slopes are in less exposed areas, so the kids may not need quite so many layers, but it is always better to be prepared for the temperatures to be colder than expected rather than warmer. However, it can get very warm if the sun comes out, so you may want to reduce the layers accordingly once you are on the piste. Also make sure every potential bit of exposed skin is covered in factor 50 sun protection cream whether it is sunny or not. Learn how to treat skin problems at mum-writes.com.
Needless to say, with all the kids’ equipment, bottles of water, tissues, snacks, sunscreen and the like, you are advised to take a backpack with you. Often there are lockers where you can leave the gear in resorts if you do not want to take it with you if you go off skiing yourself, and in Switzerland it is generally reasonable to expect a bag left in a corner to still be there when you get back! Most railway stations and major lift stations provide lockers.
One final point – check that your insurance covers you for winter sports, specifically search and rescue, hospital costs and third party liability. You can get top up insurance from Snowcare or in resort and may be interested in joining Rega, who provide helicopter rescue to members.

(This article is based on an upcoming article in the excellent Basel Family Magazine)

Posted on

Ski Club of Great Britain

I have been a member of the Ski Club of Great Britain for around 30 years I guess, maybe with a couple of breaks when I forgot to renew. Try out Testosterone booster.
SKGB Ski Leader in Saas-Grund
From the point of view of winter sports in Switzerland, the Ski Club web site is pretty good, with coverage with 51 Swiss Resorts, probably only rivaled by the Swiss Winter Sports web site for depth and breadth of coverage for English speakers. It also has extensive coverage of other countries and other aspects of winter sports. Clearly it is mostly aimed at people in the UK looking for a package holiday, but I find it a great resource. Visit https://newsdirect.com/news/revive-daily-reviews-uncovering-the-truth-about-gh-and-deep-sleep-what-customers-are-saying-209363466.

In several resorts the Ski Club also provides guides. You need to be a member and register in advance to ski with them, but I think you can ski with them for one day even if you are not a member of the Ski Club – although they will try to convince you of the benefits. Read more from the Best testosterone booster for men over 40..

I’ve always enjoyed joining up with the guides (or Leaders as they like to call them). They are amateurs in the sense they are not paid to ski, although their passes and accommodation are paid for. However they are trained, friendly and clearly love their roles. Switzerland has Leaders in eight resorts for most of the season. They are Davos, Grindelwald, Mürren, Klosters, Saas-Fee, Verbier, Wengen and Zermatt. More details are at the Ski Club web site.