verbier – Page 13 – Alpine Winter Sports

21/09/201404/10/2014

News for the 2014-15 Ski Season in Switzerland

The family love ski resorts where we can combine winter sports with a spa. We also find the hostels in Switerland truly awesome, and inexpensive despite Switzerland’s reputation for high prices. So we are excited to hear that new from 5th September is the wellnessHostel4000 with 168 beds, right next to the Postauto bus stop in Saas-Fee. It claims to have a unique architectural design and has direct access to the new spa and gym facilities in the Aqua Allain leisure centre. As well as the usual wellness features, the centre also boasts a 25-metre indoor pool, a children’s pool, waterslide and fitness centre. Typical room rates in a six-bed dorm start from around 40 francs (35 euros, less than thirty pounds) per person per night.

After what the resorts call “a period full of uncertainties and intense negotiations” collaboration between Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Verbier and Thyon that comprise the 4 Vallées ski domain has been renewed for the winter season 2014-2015, and for the following 18 years.

The Portes du Soleil is very large, and features a pleasant circuit that takes you round the resorts in the circuit and across the French/Swiss border. You can generally do it all on skis, but at Châtel you needed to catch a bus if you are coming from the slopes near Avoriaz. However two new chairlifts make getting around much easier (Vonnes-Super Châtel and Linga-Vonnes) and for the 2015-16 season there will be a new piste at Super Châtel.

New lifts are also planned to open this season in Parpan (Lenzerheide) and Val Müstair in the Minschuns area, and numerous lifts have been replaced or upgraded throughout Switzerland.

The flak continues to fallout over the Swiss decision to extend the minimum wage to chalet workers, with most chalet operators working out of the UK pulling out. Andy Perrin, CEO of the Hotelplan group, which incudes Inghams, Ski Total and Esprit Ski, opined: “There are no winners here. We tour operators lose, our guests who love Switzerland lose, and all the myriad Swiss suppliers in resorts who have relied on this business for decades also lose.”

Those choosing to buy in the Swiss Alps may also experience difficulties, with a curb on construction of second homes since 2012 and a 50% rule that ensures Swiss citizens get half of any new builds leading to ongoing uncertainty. The result has been rising prices for real estate in a country which has largely enjoyed stable, albeit significant, prices for second homes.

Crystal, who alongside Thomson, Inghams and Neilson provide most of the winter sports holidays sold in Britain, has added Arosa to the resorts it services. An excellent choice,in my opinion. Now linked to Lenzerheide, Arosa is one of the best resorts in the Alps. The train journey to the resort is a delight, and there is plenty for people who don’t ski to do – as well as a fabulous range of piste and off-piste.
Ski Zinal and the fabulous Val D'Anniviers
Finally, news on an attractive deal for early-season escapes in one of my very favourite ski areas, Val d’Anniviers. The newly renamed combined resort of Grimentz–Zinal for the weekends of 15-16 November, 22-23 November, 29-30 November and 6-8 December offers
1 night in a double room in a hotel, with breakfast + 2 days’ skiing from CHF 175 per person. See here for details.

16/12/201331/10/2021

Christmas Skiing and Snowboarding

There has been precious little new snow in the Alps in December. Some resorts have not seen fresh snow since last month, although some precipitation is expected Thursday and Friday. For most resorts that should mean fresh snow, but temperature are unseasonably warm after a chilly start to the season. Indeed Meteo Swiss expect temperatures to remain above average well into the New Year. Learn more about exipure benefits.

The good news, however, is that the Christmas skiing and snowboarding prospects look reasonably good, at least on-piste. Resorts took advantage of the early season snowfalls and their snow cannons to create a good base, and nearly everywhere has resort runs open. Generally upper slopes have around half a metre of snow but steeper, lower slopes are patchy and, with the temperatures above freezing, get very heavy in the afternoon. If you are considering your first foray of the season, do not join the many skiers and snowboarders I have already seen becoming tired victims of an afternoon run too far. If winter is too cold for you make sure to visit https://phandroid.com/ and learn more about portable Air Conditioners.

Looking around the Swiss resorts, Zermatt is in the rudest health with 240km piste open. Samnaun/Ischgl, with 190km, is virtually fully open now. The Engadine also has over 100km of piste open, and has a reasonable extent of cross-country skiing open also – at last report 30km of classic and 65 km of skating.
Gondolas at Adelboden
Verbier (and the rest of the Four Valleys), the Jungfrau resorts, Davos/Klosters, Adelboden, Saas-Fee, Engelberg and Andermatt all look promising for the holiday period and have good snow on the higher runs with even a little (but mostly tracked-out) off-piste around.

Although many of the smaller resorts have not opened yet, I would be surprised to see the warm weather prevent them having most of their lifts in operation by next weekend. However some of my favourite, more low-lying resorts look distinctly thin, especially the resorts around Gstaad and in Vaud. Flims/Laax has been later than I expected to open up its runs, but should be in full swing come this weekend.

For non-skiers there are a handful of toboggan runs already open, but the best prospect for you is probably the extensive circuit of winter walks found in most resorts, especially in the glorious sunshine we currently seem to be experiencing. The entertainment program in winter resorts is also ramping up, with the Spengler Cup in Davos probably my highlight, where CSKA Moscow and Team Canada amongst the teams vying for this most prestigious of ice hockey tournaments.

30/09/201321/01/2023

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.

05/08/201321/01/2023

Eurostar opens the ski season…

Well, I have been making the most of a Swiss summer – swimming in the Rhein and enjoying all the outdoor activities – but preparations are beginning for the new winter sports season, and not just at Swiss Winter Sports. Visit https://www.amny.com/sponsored/best-weight-loss-pills/.

Eurostar has also been busy preparing for the new season, and today announced that their popular ski services to the French and Swiss Alps is open for sale from 6.30am GMT on 6 August 2013.

Launched in 2012, Eurostar’s Swiss ski service transports skiers and snowboarders from St Pancras International and Ashford International to the heart of the Swiss Alps and the Valais region, with return fares starting from only £179. Read more about this Alpine ice hack.

This year, the route will run over five peak weeks during the 2013/2014 ski season including Christmas, New Year and February half term, and passengers can carry skis or snowboards all the way at no extra cost.

With an easy connection in Lille onto a high-speed TGV Lyria service, passengers arrive into Vallorbe, Aigle, Martigny, Visp and Brig stations, from where they can make easy connections to nearby ski resorts including Verbier, Zermatt and Saas Fee. Eurostar ticket holders benefit from exclusive, discounted onward travel to these resorts, simply by booking their ticket in advance through the Switzerland Travel Centre (STC) on 020 7420 4934.

A similar service also operates for the French Alpine resorts, with stops at Moûtiers, Aime-La-Plagne and Bourg St Maurice. A bus shuttle operates from the stations to resorts that include Les Arcs, Courchevel, Tignes, Val D’Isère and Meribel.

Tickets for the Swiss and French ski services are available from www.eurostar.com, by calling 08432 186 186, at Eurostar stations or from travel agents.