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Is the Vail Resorts’ Epic dream starting to falter skiers and the ski areas it owns?

Family Ski School Instruction in Vail, CO. Photo: Jack Affleck. Vail Resorts. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.

Vail Resorts has been lately a lot on the news and not for the good reasons. From a strike with the Park City Ski Patrol over salaries and benefits issues during the Christmas holidays, to the number of Epic passes sold descending for the first time by 2%, and to issues with the different ski resorts bought by Vail, one could only question if the Vail Resorts’ Epic dream is starting to falter skiers and the ski areas it owns.

There have been numerous posts of the strike action of the Park City Ski Patrol against Vail Resorts this past Christmas holidays. You can see a great account of it on this Washington Post article by Allison Pohle (you can read it for free on the MSN website here).

Kids Ski School at Vail, CO. Photo: Daniel Milchev. Vail Resorts. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.
Kids Ski School at Vail, CO. Photo: Daniel Milchev. Vail Resorts. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.

The strike in Park City Mountain. Is the Epic dream starting to falter the ski areas it owns?

The strike of Park City resulted in Vail Resorts bringing ski patrols from other mountains they own to operate part of the ski resort of Park City during this Christmas season! As there were not many ski patrols working, the bombing and securing the trails before opening was not possible, and very little was opened on a weekend with great snow and full occupancy in the resort. And that caused “Epic” lines Visitors took it to social media to post pictures of the queues and protest of the way they were treated, after spending a lot money to spend their holidays in the resort.

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Lapse Rate in the Temperature with Altitude and the Inversion Phenomenon.

My eldest ready to go down red 2, with the inversion cloud down the mountain. Photo by The-Ski-Guru.

Something that always got my attention is how the temperature always drops when you go higher up in the mountain. This is called the “lapse rate”. I always repeated like a parrot that temperature drops 1° C when the altitude increases by 100 m. And how come this sometimes is not true with the inversion phenomenon?

It is not always the case, that temperature decreases by 1° C when the altitude increases by 100 meters but is not that off the reality. Looking online to get my info well, this is what I’ve found.

Going up the gondola up to the base of Pila 1800 from Aosta parking lot. Photo by The-Ski-Guru.
Going up the gondola up to the base of Pila 1800 from Aosta parking lot. Photo by The-Ski-Guru.

As altitude increases, the temperature decreases due to – in part, air pressure and the water-vapour content.

Pressure is Lower at Altitude. Lapse Rate in the Temperature with Altitude and the Inversion Phenomenon.

With every 100 meters of increase in altitude, the temperature drops by an average of 0.65°C.  But when the air is very dry, as when there is high pressure, the air can cool 1°C every 100 meters of altitude. What makes this possible is the air pressure, the heat radiation and the water vapour content in the air.

With higher pressure there will always be more temperature. As in the lowlands or on the beach the pressure is higher (pressure is higher at sea level), the temperatures are usually higher there, that when going up the mountain. The higher you go, the more the pressure sinks, therefore the temperature also drops down.

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Review of “I Survived Myself” by Peter Chrzanowski

CHRZANOWSKI WITH HUASCARÁN IN BEHIND. PERU, 1978. PHOTO: DAVE CLARKE

I had the pleasure of meeting Peter Chrzanowski ages ago, I think that it was in Las Leñas, while I was staging the South American Extremes. He is someone I bumped also in Whistler and is one of those characters that are larger than life, and completely not afraid of doing things that for all the rest of us humans, seem completely dangerous.

I survived myself- by Peter "Peru" Chrzanowski. For sale on Amazon.
I survived myself- by Peter “Peru” Chrzanowski. For sale on Amazon.

His enthusiasm is contagious, and he has always done all in a grassroots way, bringing extreme sports and paragliding competitions to Canada.

His love for adventure started with a trip with his family overland from Canada to Tierra del Fuego when he was 14 years old.

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Review of the Helly Hansen Powderqueen 3.0 Ski Jacket

Using the Helly Hansen Powderqueen 3.0 in Pila. Photo: The-Ski-Guru's husband.

I have got a new ski jacket this winter, the HH women’s Powderqueen 3.0. At first look it looks like a cool city jacket but is great for the slopes!

I have been using this jacket all winter long so far, in London when it was negative temperatures, as well as in Aosta, where it was also super cold! In London I’ve used it under lots of rain in my outings to the park with my dog, and I can tell you that it repels the water very well.

When skiing in super cold days, I’ve used a mid-layer and that was great to survive in the minus 5 C winds on the chairlift! But I’ve also used it in other cold days without and it passed the test. I am a person that suffers a lot the cold really! More with age!

Ciaspolata in Pila. Photo: The-Ski-Guru's hubbie.
Ciaspolata in Pila. Photo: The-Ski-Guru’s hubbie.

The jacket has a high collar that is great to close on cold lifts. I like that the jacket is longer, like a parka, and it fits very nice. The Powderqueen jacket also has a powder skirt that is compatible with the HH ski pants (don’t have them, so I cannot tell you about that), but the skirt closes well and keeps you dry in the eventuality of a fall or if you are skiing in deep powder (not that I had any deep powder yet, and also, I am rubbish at skiing in deep powder… just a little detail!)

The jacket has a battery pocket that keeps your phone battery warm and working for hours, which is a lovely feature. There is a RECCO device on the fabric.

There is a sleeve pocket for your ski pass, a mesh internal pouch for your goggles or beanies and two big pockets on the sides, one with a wiper for your lenses, which is always very functional.

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When to ski in Europe if you want to avoid the ski holidays

When to go skiing to avoid ski school holidays in Europe. Photo: The-Ski-Guru @ Pila.

Maybe you have the luxury of being able to choose when you go skiing. For all of us having kids, we are slaved to go on our half term holidays, but these dates differ depending on where you are. And maybe, only maybe, you can choose when to ski in Europe if you want to avoid the ski holidays.

Growing up in Argentina I remember I just took the time off school or university to go skiing and it was not a big deal. With fines in the UK, it is not the best. Plus, schools here are super fussed if you take time off.

If you put your kids through private schooling, then you have an extra week usually, when all state school kids are still in the classroom. It is much cheaper to jet off that prior week than when everyone is doing so. It would be much better to drive and/or take the train (albeit expensive in half term), to take care of our planet, that is in dire straits at the moment… and for all snow lovers, if we do not take care of it, we’ll not have it anymore!

There is a great grid published by Eric Bonnel of Val Thorens Tours putting which countries have holidays when.

To see the chart, go to bit.ly/EuropeanSchoolHolidays or click on the photo.

 

Days of school holidays in different countries.
Days of school holidays in different countries. Chart by Eric Bonnel of Val Thorens Tours.

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Meeting President Carter in Crested Butte

A photo of the CBMR team with President Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter. Photo: Tom Stillo.

I had the luck to have met President Jimmy Carter, who has just had his state funeral in the United States. He used to come to Crested Butte when I was working in the Events, PR and International Sales department of CBMR under Gina Kroft. This was in relation to “The Atlanta Project”, a program President Carter and his wife Rosalyn put together to take care of disadvantage inner city kids of Atlanta, GA.

Shovelling snow in Crested Butte. You can see it in my shop here.
Shovelling snow in Crested Butte. You can see it in my shop here.

They used to bring a group of kids to Crested Butte that were exposed to come skiing for their first time. The CBMR ski school took care of their first steps on the snow, as well as the Crested Butte Adaptive Sports Center did for those that were not physically able. President Carter helped the ASC to start its for people that needed adaptive equipment and teaching to enjoy the big outdoors. Here is a short podcast of CPR retelling the story.

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What I am up to? January on a very cold day- rethinking my business

Ciaspolata in Pila. Photo: The-Ski-Guru's hubbie.

What I am up to? It is 10th January, on a very cold day, and I am rethinking my business!

I know I am a busy body, so I need to feel I am doing something all the time. This year I came to the conclusion that I want to relate more all the things I do in my life- because, after all, they are all related and they are all who makes me what I am. And they are the inspiration for my art, after all.

Camp4Coffee, in Crested Butte. Lovely little cabin with colourful number plates in downtown CB. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Differences between skiing in North America and Europe
Camp4Coffee, in Crested Butte. Lovely little cabin with colourful number plates in downtown CB. Photo: The-Ski-Guru.

My early days in the ski business. What I am up to? January on a very cold day- rethinking my business.

Thankfully I work in a business I love, the ski business, in the tourism side of it. Counting years, I’ve realised that I’ve been 38 years involved in this business. How come? Started working in the back of a ski shop near my university in Buenos Aires- the shop was Buenos Aires Ski of the Cascio and Ronchetti families. I was in the back of the ski shop and when people came to buy their ski equipment or clothing, they were ambushed by me, to sell their ski holiday they did not know they needed!

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Our White Christmas in the Aosta Valley skiing in Pila

Our White Christmas in the Aosta Valley skiing in Pila. Photo: The-Ski-Guru

Just got back from a sixteen-day holiday for our annual white Christmas in the Aosta Valley skiing in Pila and enjoying all what the Aosta Valley has to offer.

Having a home in the small town of Morgex, the heart of the valley of Monte Bianco, called the Valdigne of Monte Bianco, allows us to go many times in the year to this beautiful spot-on earth.

Chaumont in the morning. Photo: The-Ski-Guru
Chaumont in the morning. Photo: The-Ski-Guru

The Drive to and From the Mountains. Our White Christmas in the Aosta Valley skiing in Pila.

We drive from south-east London each time, taking our dog and the kids (now teenagers) with us. Skiing is a holiday that everyone wants to come to, and I hope this keeps on happening for years to come, as I do enjoy our time together as a family. And skiing is the best thing that can get us all together!

As soon as school has closed for the holidays, we left on an early morning to Folkestone, the Eurotunnel site this side of the channel. I prefer taking the Eurotunnel over the ferry, as it is super easy. You just get your car on the rail and in 35’ you are on Calais, ready to drive on the continent. Plus, your trip is not cancelled for bad weather!

You can drive all the way to Morgex, in the Aosta Valley in one day. (11 hours).  We are just 10 minutes down of Courmayeur. Courmayeur is located just after crossing the Mont Blanc Tunnel. But for me, driving all in one day is not agreeable!  We always take two days to go and two days to come back.

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How Sustainable is Vail Resorts for the Future Years?

Family Ski School Instruction in Vail, CO. Photo: Jack Affleck. Vail Resorts. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.

These last weeks there were lots of news on Vail Resorts, for the wrong reasons, and got me thinking how sustainable is Vail Resorts for the Future Years?

I actually think this is a bigger problem, that can include Alterra and Powder Mountain and all the conglomeration that has been going on on the ski business worldwide.

Vail Mountain Wooden Clock, painting by Martina Diez-Routh in soft pastels, pan pastels and pastel pencils on pastel paper 80x60cm unframed, on sale framed.
Vail Mountain Wooden Clock, painting by Martina Diez-Routh in soft pastels, pan pastels and pastel pencils on pastel paper 80x60cm unframed, actually exhibiting at the QC Terme hotel in Courmayeur. Check it in my shop here. 

It is a love/hate relationship that one has now with Vail Resorts and all the conglomeration of ski passes. Part of me thinks is just plain wrong, that they are killing the character of resorts, and really gets me angry seeing these big companies trying to purchase European and Japanese resorts. But then, having studied Economics in my younger life, I can see that the scale economies work… but to whose advantage… not employees for sure, maybe the CEO of a public company, that has her job pretty well paid of.

This video below of Peak Rankings give you a thorough report on the state of Vail Resorts and what their last report might mean for its future.

You can see my Must-Read Guide to Vail here – even I am in two minds with the resort 🙂

More of PeakRankings here.

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Pila has opened its new cable car Couis 1- Platta de Grevon

Pila has opened its new cablecar Couis 1- Platta de Grevon. Photo: Pila sPa.

After an intense year of work, on 14th December Pila has opened to the public the 10-seater cable car section from Couis 1 to Platta de Grevon.

This is one part of the full project that will be opened next year, from Pila all the way to Platta de Grevon. The part that has just opened has replaced an old double chairlift from the 80s, offering a new fast way to get to the top of the mountain. When one arrives, there is a new skiweg piste that will unite the two sides of the mountain, offering visitors more time to ski or snowboard at the resort.

Going up the new lift from Couis 1 to Platta de Grevon allows you to have magnificent views of the 4000s m peaks... as the Cervino or Matterhorn. Photo: Pila sPa.Pila has opened its new cablecar Couis 1- Platta de Grevon
Going up the new lift from Couis 1 to Platta de Grevon allows you to have magnificent views of the 4000s m peaks… as the Cervino or Matterhorn. Photo: Pila sPa. Pila has opened its new cablecar Couis 1- Platta de Grevon

In only 4’30” the new cable car will take all mountain lovers up to 2,700 meters. During the journey, you can see spectacular views of all 4000 meters peaks of the entire alpine arc.

Amazing views of the Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc), the Cervino (Matterhorn), the Monte Rosa, the Grivola and the Gran Paradiso can be seen from the top. You can also view in the distance the valley where the city of Aosta is, known by connoisseurs as the Rome of the Alps.

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