What to Buy to Get Ready for the Ski Season

Going up the gondola, one happy child - Photo by The-Ski-Guru - Pila, Aosta Valley.

It is starting to snow (and rain) in the Northern Hemisphere. This is a sign that the ski season is coming around the corner! This is a list I have done quickly of what you should think of getting, if you are planning to go skiing.

If you are a seasoned skier or boarder, you must have all your equipment, even though sometimes you want to upgrade something. If you are starting, this is a good guide of what to think to be warm in the mountains. And how to keep your family happy and warm…. Nothing is worst than having a crying kid because is cold!

I am putting all items you can find on Amazon, for a fast easy shop.

And here is a link for some coupons on Amazon, on the Capital One Shopping site. 

My youngest with my husband after his ski lesson in Madonna di Campiglio. 7 things that can help you when taking kids skiing.
My youngest with my husband after his ski lesson in Madonna di Campiglio.  What to Buy to Get Ready for the Ski Season.

Merino Base Layers

Nothing helps you better to stay warm than a thermal layer. I love merino as it keeps you warm and dry, and it does not stink as quickly as other materials. It is also cool for summer, so a great material!

Another thing to think, to keep happy feet, is to get at least two or three pairs of ski socks – so you can alternate during the week (more if you do not have a washing machine!)

You also want to have a warm head. Heat leaves you fast through your head and your extremities (feet and hands). So here is a selection of beanies – I prefer wool to synthetic ones, but that goes with taste. A beanie is also useful if you wear a ski helmet (it is obligatory for kids to wear helmets while skiing). If it is very cold, you can add the beanie under the helmet.

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Using the Grand St Bernard Tunnel as the Mont Blanc Tunnel is closed till 18th December.

Grand St Bernard Tunnel, another option into the Aosta Valley. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Using the Grand St Bernard Tunnel as the Mont Blanc Tunnel is closed till 18th December.
On our recent trip to our home in Morgex, we have to use the Grand Saint Bernard Tunnel, instead of the Mont Blanc Tunnel. This is because the latter has closed for repairments. It will be doing so for many more years to come. The Mont Blanc Tunnel will open in the night of 18th December 2023, in time for Christmas.
Grand St Bernard Tunnel, another option into the Aosta Valley. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Using the Grand St Bernard Tunnel as the Mont Blanc Tunnel is closed till 18th December.
Grand St Bernard Tunnel, another option into the Aosta Valley. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Using the Grand St Bernard Tunnel as the Mont Blanc Tunnel is closed till 18th December.
Coming from Britain, the way to come into the Aosta Valley is then via the Grand Saint Bernard Tunnel. That implies driving through Switzerland.
Martina Diez-Routh with her painting of the Maroon Bells in Aspen, Colorado. Soft Pastels on paper, 60 x 80 cm (24"x31") You can check it out in the shop here.
Martina Diez-Routh with her painting of the Maroon Bells in Aspen, Colorado. Soft Pastels on paper, 60 x 80 cm (24″x31″) You can check it out in the shop here.
It has some pros and cons.
 

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INDY PASS ADDS PREMIER INTERNATIONAL RESORTS – PASS SALES RESUME TODAY

Kiroro Resort. INDY PASS ADDS PREMIER INTERNATIONAL RESORTS - PASS SALES RESUME TODAY Photo Courtesy to Indy Pass.

Indy Pass: SkiWelt, Austria; Big White, BC; and Kiroro, Japan, join Montana Snowbowl to lead the 23/24 class of new resorts totaling 183 worldwide.

The Indy Pass announced today that 54 new partner resorts (see below) have signed on for the 23/24 season, including some of the biggest in Europe, Japan, and Western Canada, and dozens of independent Alpine and Nordic resorts across North America.

SkiWelt, the largest resort in Austria with 88 lifts, paves the way for European resorts seeking to tap into Indy’s passionate passholders. Similarly, Kiroro Resort in Northernmost Hokkaido, Japan, and Big White in British Columbia, both major destination resorts in their respective countries, have joined the alliance, now numbering 183 resorts worldwide.

Big White photo. Courtesy of Indy Pass. INDY PASS ADDS PREMIER INTERNATIONAL RESORTS - PASS SALES RESUME TODAY
Big White photo. Courtesy of Indy Pass. INDY PASS ADDS PREMIER INTERNATIONAL RESORTS – PASS SALES RESUME TODAY

Along with these notable international destinations, Indy Pass has added 30 total Alpine resorts, including Montana Snowbowl, and 24 cross-country resorts, including Whistler Olympic Village, British Columbia, and Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont.

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Ski Apparel Review: the Maier Sports Vroni Slim Ski Pants

Maier Sports Ski Pants Review- Ski Apparel Review
I’ve had the chance to try some ski apparel and equipment on my last trip to the Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead. This is the indoors ski slope north of London. This review is of the pair of Maier Sports Vroni Slim Pants I have used there.
Maier Sports Vroni Slim Ski Pants. Photo Courtesy of Maier Sports.
Maier Sports Vroni Slim Ski Pants. Photo Courtesy of Maier Sports.
 
Skiing in Hemel Hempstead, is literally skiing in a fridge, and I was cozy and warm with them. I’ve found them super comfy,
with a high waist. The waist is higher in the back with good padding, (so if you tuck you are not showing your bum line!)

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A New Mountain Art Trail in Courmayeur and Morgex

Lago Blu & the Cervino- Soft Pastels, Pan Pastels and Charcoal on La Carte Pastel- 60 x 80 cm. In my shop.
I’ve put together a new mountain art trail in Courmayeur and Morgex of my soft pastels paintings.
 
You can go up and down the valley, enjoying seeing different hotels and bars. At the same time, you can see my paintings. They are in permanent exhibition there. Please note that the hotels close in the low season, and you might have to contact them before going.
Art Trail Map - Mountain Art of Martina Diez-Routh
Art Trail Map – Mountain Art of Martina Diez-Routh – A New Mountain Art Trail  in Courmayeur and Morgex. See the paintings here.

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Snow sport practitioners advised to adopt the ‘reapply rule’

Skiing in Alta Badia- photo credits: IDM Sudtirol Alex Moling. Snow sport fans advised to adopt the ‘reapply rule’

The Melanoma Fund has teamed up with the UK’s leading snow sports organisations to get those heading to the slopes this season to improve their sun protection habits, to avoid the risk of sun damage and skin cancer. During summer sports, we know that sunscreen sweats, washes, and rubs off easily, meaning we must reapply more often. However, snow and strong winds erode sunscreen even faster, exposing skin to the intense UV rays, found at high altitudes.

Courchevel photo. Snow sport fans advised to adopt the ‘reapply rule’
Courchevel photo. Snow sport practitioners advised to adopt the ‘reapply rule’
Le Vieux Grenier with Monte Bianco- 80 cm x 60 cm. In my shop.
Le Vieux Grenier with Monte Bianco- 80 cm x 60 cm. In my shop.

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If Gondolas Could Talk, a Great Book as a Present for the Winter Sports Lovers

If Gondolas Could Talk, the new book by John Hemming Clark, now on sale on Amazon.com

If Gondolas Could Talk, a Great Book as a Present for the Winter Sports Lovers

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I have been reading the new book by John Hemming Clark titled: “If Gondolas Could Talk”. For all of us snowsports lovers, just hearing of a gondola (or cablecar- depending where you are located), always makes you smile. It brings you near your love of the mountains and the big outdoors.
 
This book has 101 short stories related by – mainly Brits- going skiing to the Alps, and some a bit further away in North America. It is catered towards those that go skiing/boarding once a year. This is the highlight of our lives. (Now I ski more than once, but I was there since I was 14, always waiting for our ski week as a family. Later it was me alone and anyone could tag alone, and even later now with my husband and kids!)
If Gondolas Could Talk- a Great Stocking Filler for this Christmas. Get it on Amazon.
If Gondolas Could Talk- a Great Stocking Filler for this Christmas. Get it on Amazon here.
 
All mountain sports lovers always have stories to share after a ski day or a trip to the mountains. Many are because you cannot make yourself understood, or funny things happening to you while trying to come down the mountain – in one piece!

A Great Buy for those Wanting to Venture into Winter Sports: Ski A to Z by Inspire by Kim (Kimberley Kay)

Ski A to Z in my home in Morgex. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. A Great Buy for those Wanting to Venture into Winter Sports: Ski A to Z by Inspire by Kim (Kimberley Kay)
Inspire by Kim has published early in 2022 the hardback book titled Ski A to Z.
This is a lovely book to gift to anyone, of all ages, wanting to start skiing or boarding (or any winter sports ), and not sure where to start.
 
I love the format, which is very simple, as it goes literally, through all the alphabet. It shows you all the lingo you need to know for getting prepared for this next winter season. It demystifies what it takes to plan your trip to the mountains!
 
And you know that I paint as my part time job, and I love paintings and drawings. The drawings on Ski A to Z are so cute! I always loved these kind of drawings with lots of little people. I think they are magnificent! They will definitely make you smile! You can see some of these drawings on the pictures I am posting of the book in this post.

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Why do Brits love their ski chalet holidays

Ski Vertigo ski chalets- Why do Brits love their ski chalet holidays

Skiing, prior to WWII, was a privilege afforded only by the elite few who stayed at some of the most elaborate Victorian hotels spread across the Alps, in between spending time on the slopes.

However, post 1950, things began to change dramatically as the sport got embraced by a wider group of people, especially the British, who were hungry for some outdoor fun after spending years of life in austerity because of the conflict.

In 1953 the travel industry began running ski parties where groups of Britons were invited to travel with the host to the Alps, but the idea of installing a chalet arose only in 1958 when one Colin Murison Small came out with a brochure offering comfortable, though not luxurious, accommodation including catering with wine at dinner at no extra charge.

The price was not only a bargain, but what was more important was the friendly atmosphere which the young Britons truly enjoyed. Additionally, the helping hand offered as they battled with unfamiliar ski equipment and the lift systems, endeared them to the ski chalet concept in no time at all.

The employment of charter flights in the 60s changed things for the better even further because of simplifying logistics. The weekly schedules of the chalet were perfectly adapted to planes arriving with one group and leaving with the previous guests, keeping both the chalet beds and airline seats always full.

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Our Half Term Ski Safari Trip to the Aosta Valley

Our Half Term Ski Safari Trip to the Aosta Valley. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Piste 6 at La Thuile.

Our Half Term Ski Safari Trip to the Aosta Valley

So this was the time of the year, when we go with two family friends driving to the Alps. This is our half term ski safari trip to the Aosta Valley.
I am super lucky to have a place in the Alps and being able – now again – after the pandemic, to go back all year round. We left a bit earlier than usual, waking up at 1 AM to leave at 2.15 AM, as I have booked our crossing with Eurotunnel a bit late. Rates where too expensive to leave at 6.20, so we tried a 5.20 AM departure.
Tired kids in the car. Our Half Term Ski Safari Trip to the Aosta Valley
Tired kids in the car. Our Half Term Ski Safari Trip to the Aosta Valley
It was not bad at all. But, after the first day of driving, done by my husband, we were exhausted. I don’t drive but I do the copiloting- if that is a word! And try not to fall asleep during all the trip. The idea is to keep my hubby awake!
No-one was at the Eurotunnel terminal and we left one hour early. The weather was good and we did it to Chaumont, to our first pit-stop by 1.30 PM, local time.