HIGH ENERGY, HIGH PERFORMANCE, SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY
With the winter Olympics just around the corner it seems only appropriate to kick off with a ski area named after one of the skiing Gods, triple Olympic Champion Jean-Claude Killy. The eponymous ‘Espace Killy’ embraces Val D’Isère and Tignes and offers 76 lifts and 159 pistes – which combine to 300kms of skiing ranging between 1,550m to 3,456m up on the Grande Motte glacier. It’s equally as good for learners as it is for die-hard off-piste junkies, there are dedicated boarding areas and snow-parks, the après ski is wonderful, the nightlife extensive, and there is a wide cross section of accommodation from luxury chalets to self-catering apartments. Being French the food and wine is great.
A BUDGET DELIGHT IN THE PYRENEES
A principality tucked away in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, Andorra is only about one third the size of London. But is has good snow and what was originally 6 quite small resorts have been linked together into Grandvalira offering 210kms of snow-sure piste from mid-December thru’ April. In January and February the skiing here is every bit as good as the Alps with vertical extent going up to 2,500m. The big kicker here is the fact that Andorra is ‘duty-free’ and in general prices are much lower for skiing, accommodation and eating and drinking. A 6 day adult ski pass is around €360 (compared with over €500 for Espace Killy). Good English speaking ski school here makes it excellent for beginners and improvers.
GUERILLA SKIING IN THE ALPS – A SKI BUMS DELIGHT
Guerilla skiing – in other words a short break or long weekend – isn’t that easy from the UK given the faff of flying, getting to the resort and getting kit and lift passes. But in Chamonix, where they take their skiing seriously, it’s just about possible. Currently the earliest Easyjet flight on a Friday leaves Gatwick at 06.10 and gets to Geneva at 08.50. Hire a car and you can be in Chamonix around 11.00. Coming back you ski all day, jump into the car in your ski clothes (looks dead cool on the plane), get the 18.45 flight and you’re back in Gatwick in time for dinner. If you want really grown-up skiing head a few kilometres further up the valley to Argentiere for off-piste and Mont Blanc (and we’re not talking about up-market writing implements!)
GEMÜTLICHKEIT AND THEN SOME JA!
If you only ever learn one word in German it should be Gemütlichkeit – ‘a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness and good cheer’. When it comes to skiing that means Austria, oompah music over vodka and figs or glühwein on a mountain terrace in the sunshine, before après ski in cosy wood-panelled bar. Austrian resorts tend to be lower altitude than elsewhere, but for classic upscale Gemütlichkeit look at St. Anton and Kitzbuhel – home of the famous Hahnenkamm downhill race. When Kitzbuhel gets crowded the smart money heads up the valley to Pass Thurn for some emptier pistes that are perfect for intermediate skiers and improvers. Sadly the most legendary bar in St. Anton (and all of Austria), the Krazy Kanguruh, has been demolished. The Londoner in Kitzbuhel still stands – so Kitzbuhel it is then.
SKIING OF INTERGALACTIC PROPORTIONS
There comes a time when any improving skier just needs to put miles on the clock and there is no better place to do that then on the ski circuit known as ‘The Milky Way’. It’s a huge, interconnected ski area on the French-Italian Alps, boasting over 400km of slopes across six resorts: Sestriere, Sauze d’Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana and Claviere in Italy, plus the pretty little resort of Montgenèvre in France. 80% of the slopes are above 1,900m so its 400km of piste are snow-sure. Sauze d’Oulx used to be known as Magaluf-on-snow but it has reinvented itself as chic and cheerful, whilst still remaining relatively cheap and cheerful. A return flight to Turin in January will currently cost you under £100. Then it’s an easy-peasy drive of 80 – 100 Kms. Go once and you’ll definitely want to go again.
LEFT FIELD – GO TO LEARN AND LEVEL-UP
If you’re thinking of skiing for the first time, or you’ve tried a couple of weeks and got hooked and now want to improve, we’ve already mentioned Andorra as a great place to build your skills. But if you want a left field alternative take a serious look at Bulgaria. It’s a budget friendly option with lower prices across the board for lift passes and gear rental, the English speaking ski schools are really good, and they have modern snow-making facilities, so the pistes stay in good condition. It’s all good for the confidence on the snow. In terms of après ski the food and social life is as buzzy as you want it to be. The two main resorts are Bansko and Borovets – Bansko has the more advanced skiing, but if that’s what you’re after you’re probably better off in the Alps as it gets a bit crowded. Borovets ticks most boxes for comfortable cruising and a laid back holiday.
SKI CLUB OF GREAT BRITAIN
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