Category: Ski France

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The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities

Canyoning in the Alps - Photo: Undiscovered Mountains. The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities.

The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities.

As summer arrives in the Alps, the snow melts away revealing a spectacularly lush and colourful landscape with green pastures carpeted with alpine flowers teaming with butterflies, set against a backdrop of gnarly cliffs and glaciers with raging rivers and waterfalls cascading down to the valleys.

For outdoor lovers, the mountains also transform into a veritable adventure playground with everything from paragliding to rafting on offer!

Road Cycling in the Alps. Photo: Undiscovered Alps. The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities.
Road Cycling in the Alps. Photo: Undiscovered Alps. The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities.

Adrenalin junkies will love sliding down the natural toboggans, abseiling down waterfalls and jumping into clear alpine pools canyoning ,  testing out their head for heights on a via ferrata or even going underground caving or to do a via souterrata (underground via ferrata).

Nature lovers will adore walking in the mountains and staying in one of the many high mountain refuges amongst the chamois and marmots with the howls of wolves now a relatively common experience, especially in the Southern French Alps.

Families will have fun rafting together on the roller coaster rapids, rock climbing and swimming in the beautiful Alpine lakes.

Canyoning in the French Alps. Photo: Undiscovered Mountains. The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities.
Canyoning in the French Alps. Photo: Undiscovered Mountains. The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities.

Bikers will appreciate the summer lift access to well designed single track descents and roadies will get high on endorphins from summiting a Tour de France mountain pass!

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Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow.

Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow. Ski Map of La Rosière and La Thuile.

Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow.

From AostaSera.it

LA THUILE – The abundant snowfall on the Piccolo San Bernardo hill, at 2,200 meters above sea level, has led to the formation of a thick layer of snow along the highway that leads to the border crossing with the territory of Savoy, in France. In some sections the snow accumulations reach 7 meters in height. The reopening of the pass is scheduled for the end of May.

Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow. Photo: AostaSera
Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow. Photo: AostaSera

ANAS is at work at the Colle del piccolo San Bernardo (Petit St Bernard’s pass) for its reopening. The abundant rainfall on the Piccolo San Bernardo hill, at 2,200 meters, has led to the formation of a thick layer of snow along the highway that leads to the border crossing with the territory of Savoy, in France. In some sections the accumulations reach 7 meters in height.

“The activities are carried out with turbine blades able to cut the compact front, collecting and channelling the snow which is then ejected at a distance of several meters from the roadway using the ejector pipes”.

Continue reading “Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow.”

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French ski resorts organise anti-Brexit campaign

French ski resorts organise anti-Brexit campaign. Photo: Val d'Isere.

French ski resorts organise anti-Brexit campaign

From TravelMole

Val d’Isère and other ski resorts in the Savoie region of France are launching a show of solidarity with UK Remain supporters.

They are staging a special event as the last Eurostar train, before the rescheduled Brexit departure date, leaves Bourg-Saint-Maurice for London early next month.

Some 48% of skiers who visit Val d’Isère each winter come from the UK and locals fear that, at least in the short term, the Brexit chaos may have a significant effect on future bookings.

French ski resorts organise anti-Brexit campaign. Photo: Val d'Isere.
French ski resorts organise anti-Brexit campaign. Photo: Val d’Isere.

French hoteliers, ski instructors, shopkeepers, and seasonaires who make their living from the ski industry are planning a raucous send-off for holidaymakers boarding the final direct train of the season as it leaves the station for St Pancras at 9.30am on April 6 2019.

Bourg-Saint-Maurice is the station for nearby resorts that include Val d’Isère, Tignes, Les Arcs and La Plagne.

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What Will Happen to the English Consumers of the French Mountains after March 29?

Les 3 Vallées in France. What Will Happen to the English Consumers of the French Mountains after March 29?

What Will Happen to the English Consumers of the French Mountains after March 29?

From Filièresport

Like most economic sectors, the French mountain wonders and prepares for a possible exit of Europe from Great Britain on March 29th where the British clientele is the first foreign clientele of the French resorts.

Hard, soft, soft … In recent weeks we use almost as many qualifiers to imagine the Brexit as to distinguish the quality of the fresh snow fallen in abundance in the resorts. Brexit hard, plan B or postponement of the exit, what kind of agreement on the withdrawal will be finally endorsed? Like the press releases issued in January by Matignon and Medef, the French economy is getting organized to prepare for the worst.

Les 2 Alpes- B.Longo. What Will Happen to the English Consumers of the French Mountains after March 29?
Les 2 Alpes- B.Longo. What Will Happen to the English Consumers of the French Mountains after March 29?

Many sectors are concerned about the financial consequences of this divorce. Starting with tourism and especially the French mountains where 9% of skier days are sold to British (DSF figures), a percentage which is multiplied up to 4 or 5 in some resorts! “Great Britain has about 1.2 million skiers and France is number 1 with 33.5% of the market,” says Jean-Marc Silva, General Manager of France Montagnes.

A clientele that could be cooled, at least in the first time, if the re-establishment of the borders was adopted (Hard Brexit) and the time to the customs and the formalities of passage lengthened.

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The “FLYING NEST” pop-up mobile accommodation concept is this season in Avoriaz 1800.

Flying Nest Montage in Avoriaz 1800. The “FLYING NEST” pop-up mobile accommodation concept is this season in Avoriaz 1800.

The “FLYING NEST” pop-up mobile accommodation concept is this season in Avoriaz 1800.

The Flying Nest is a new concept of AccorHotels designed by ORA ITO

What is Flying Nest?

With accommodation at the foot of the slopes and offering a unique experience nestled in natural surroundings with breathtaking views, Flying Nest is the new pop-up concept designed by Ora Ito.

An ambitious idea and an inspired designer combine to make Flying Nest – offering mobile and offbeat accommodation in environmentally friendly containers fully decked out with all the comfort of a cozy hotel room and blending seamlessly into the natural landscape. Ora-Ïto, one of the most celebrated designers of his generation, was entrusted with the eco-design of these guestrooms using raw and natural materials.

Flying Nest Montage in Avoriaz 1800. The “FLYING NEST” pop-up mobile accommodation concept is this season in Avoriaz 1800.
Flying Nest Montage in Avoriaz 1800. The “FLYING NEST” pop-up mobile accommodation concept is this season in Avoriaz 1800.

Flying Nest is more than just offbeat accommodation

While the Flying Nest concept is completely unique in terms of its concept, design and architecture, it also offers an experience that combines comfort, well-being and closeness to nature. Guests will enjoy a bright living space, a bedroom with a comfortable bed, a modern bathroom and a private terrace. As well as access to a shared living area where guests can enjoy an indulgent breakfast surrounded by stunning views of the mountains, the ski room will look after their equipment until the next descent. All guests have to do is to put on their skis in the morning and head for the slopes!

Basically you can get  premium comfort and an unique and unforgettable experience right in the heart of the Avoriaz ski area. Flying Nest has opened at the foot of the slopes on December 22, 2018 and will remain opened until March 17, 2019.

Continue reading “The “FLYING NEST” pop-up mobile accommodation concept is this season in Avoriaz 1800.”

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Avalanche kills two in French Alps near Les 2 Alpes

Col de Sarenne - Clavans-en-Haut-Oisans-France. Photo: Nicolas Outh- Unsplash. What Will Happen to the English Consumers of the French Mountains after March 29?

Avalanche kills two in the French Alps near Les 2 Alpes

From: AP – The Sun Herald and Le Dauphine –

French officials say two have died after an avalanche in the Alps near the Deux-Alpes ski resort.

St Christophe-en-Oisans. Photo: Quentin Lagache- Unsplash. Avalanche kills person in French Alps; another missing.
St Christophe-en-Oisans. Photo: Quentin Lagache- Unsplash. Avalanche kills person in French Alps; another missing.

The police unit in charge of setting up the rescue operation and authorities in the Isere region said the avalanche struck late Tuesday morning.

The avalanche struck in on off-piste sector near the small town of Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans.

Update from Le Dauphine:

14 H 05  : The accident occurred outside the landscaped area of ​​Les Deux-Alpes, on an area on the Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans side of La Toura, downstream and south of the Grand Creux breach. (2804 m). Côté Deux-Alpes (on the northern slope), several lifts lead to this sector of off-piste skiing: the chairlifts of Toura and Lac Noir. 

Many rescuers are currently working alongside Civil Safety and FAS helicopters. A dog team from the CRS Alpes, two from the resort of Les Deux Alpes and a dog team from Huez are on site. A dozen police officers from the CRS Alpes, trackers and station staff are involved in the research. 

Meteo France, in its bulletin snow and avalanche, reports for Tuesday of a risk 3 (scored) on a scale of 5.

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Deadly fire at Courchevel ‘may have been arson’

Deadly fire at Courchevel 'may have been arson'

Deadly fire at Courchevel ‘may have been arson’.

From France 24.

French investigators suspect that a fire that killed two people in the ski resort of Courchevel may have been an arson attack, a prosecutor said Friday.

The blaze, which ripped through a building where ski season workers were staying in the early hours of Sunday 20th, has shocked one of the most upmarket resorts in the French Alps.

It left 25 people injured, four of them seriously.

Deadly fire at Courchevel 'may have been arson'
Deadly fire at Courchevel ‘may have been arson’

“We are treating seriously the theory that this could have been a criminal act, but we do not have enough evidence to be able to identify the perpetrators,” local prosecutor Anne Gaches told reporters.

Investigators believe a flammable chemical may have been used to help the fire spread, Gaches added.

“The victims smelt petrol just before the fire, and witnesses also said they had smelt petrol a month earlier,” she added.

The former hotel houses around 60 people working for a hotel company in Courchevel, which is home to many luxury resorts and numerous Michelin-starred restaurants.

A 32-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man, both of whom had been working in mountainside restaurants, were killed in the fire.

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What is New at Les 2 Alpes this season.

Winter at Les 2 Alpes. Photo Nils Louna - Les 2 Alpes. Skiing amongst friends. What is New at Les 2 Alpes this season.

What is New at Les 2 Alpes this season – Les 2 Alpes season is well underway and the resort will be opened until 27th April 2019. This young, dynamic and international resort has guaranteed snow with ski-in/ski-out accommodation. Located at 1650 m with slopes from 1300 m to 3600, it offers a great vertical drop of 3000 m. Les Deux Alpes is home to 2,100 inhabitants, 3,000 seasonal workers and 29,265 tourist beds. The French make more than half its clientele, with 55.9% total visits while Britain is the leading non-French source of guests with 18.8% visits. This is followed up by Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, Russia, Czech Republic and Canada.

These tourist beds include 29 hotels, with two 4-star, eight 3-star, eight 2-star hotels amongst others.

Winter in Les 2 Alpes. Photo b Yoann Peisin. Les 2 Alpes. What is New at Les 2 Alpes this season.
Winter in Les 2 Alpes. Photo b Yoann Peisin. Les 2 Alpes. What is New at Les 2 Alpes this season.

To get to Les 2 Alpes you can go by plane to Grenoble Alpes Isère airport (1h30m away), Lyon Saint Exupėry (2 hours) or Geneva airport (2h30m away). If you come by train, from Grenoble train station, it is one hour by car or 1h30 m by bus.

What is new in terms of investment and future projects:

A number of these long-term development projects have started in May 2018. Les 2 Alpes is positioning as benchmark and market leader amongst French ski resorts. Over the next five years, Les 2 Alpes’ large-scale projects represent an investment of almost 500 million Euros (ski lifts, ski run equipment, expanding the artificial snow cover, leisure properties and public infrastructure).

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Two ski patrollers died in Morillon setting avalanche control charges.

Avalanches are a risky business if you venture off-piste. Photo credit Andrew Coelho - Unsplash

Two ski patrollers died on Sunday in the ski resort in Morillon in the Haute Savoie region of France while setting avalanche control charges before the resort opened to the public. These avalanche-control charges accidentally went off, killing them.  Police are investigating the cause of this, which is rare. Ski patrollers set up controlled explosions before the slopes open to mitigate the risk of larger avalanches. You can read my previous interview to Coco Torres, former Head of Operations at Valle de Las Leñas in Argentina, about how patrollers control avalanches in this high-avalanche prone valley.

The accident took place at an altitude of 1,800 metres (6,000 feet). Forecasters at Meteo France warned of high avalanche risks in the Savoie and Hatue-Savoie regions following overnight snowfalls. The risk of avalanches was at 4 out of 5.

Two ski patrollers died in Morillon setting avalanche control charges.
Two ski patrollers died in Morillon setting avalanche control charges.

These fatalities bring the number of weather-related deaths in Europe this month to at least 26, with heavy snow blanketing the Balkans and part of the Alps.

Two Bulgarian snowboarders were killed by an avalanche in the Pirin Mountains on Friday. The Bulgarian Red Cross said that the pair ignored the warnings and weather alerts and triggered the avalanche.

A 48-year old driver of a snow plough died in Germany this past Friday after his vehicle plunged into an icy river.

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A British skier dies after falling 32 feet from a chairlift in the French resort of Méribel at the 3 Vallées.

The pretty resort of Méribel in Les Trois Vallées. A British skier dies after falling 32 feet from a chairlift in the French resort of Méribel at the 3 Vallées.

A British skier dies after falling 32 feet from a chairlift in the French resort of Méribel at the famous 3 Vallées

The reports say that the 65 years old man, who was not yet named by authorities, had a heart attack just before he fell. He was seating next to a female friend. She is being interviewed by the police.

Investigators want to find out if the victim might have squeezed down the metal safety bar of the chairlift that protects passengers.

The lift was a six-seater built by the company Pomagalski in 2017 that transports 2,400 per hour.

A British skier dies after falling 32 feet from a chairlift in the French resort of Méribel at the 3 Vallées.
A British skier dies after falling 32 feet from a chairlift in the French resort of Méribel at the 3 Vallées. Illustrative photo.

Emergency services were called at 12.20 to the Roc-de-Tougne lift and from the six first respondents, two doctors tried to resuscitate the man for more than half an hour but unfortunately the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man suffered a heart attack and died on the slopes in the resort of Méribel.

Police are investigating whether the 65-year-old man was in cardiac arrest before falling 32 feet from the chairlift.

Continue reading “A British skier dies after falling 32 feet from a chairlift in the French resort of Méribel at the 3 Vallées.”