EU Regulations for travelling with your dog if we have a ‘No Deal Brexit’.

September is when we have to plan ahead if we plan to travel with our pooches after 1st Jan 2021. The Withdrawal Agreement ends on 31st December. If there is not a special agreement done for travelling with your pets to the EU, then you need to think in advance. I mean, four months in advance! If at the last minute we have an agreement, then we could be lucky! But as of today, negotiations are not looking pretty. So better to prepare than being sorry later!

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If you want to take your pooch to the Continent, act now! Here Ozzy poses with his jacket and preferred ball. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. EU Regulations for travelling with your dog if we have a 'No Deal Brexit'. — If you want to take your pooch to the Continent, act now! Here Ozzy poses with his jacket and preferred ball. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. EU Regulations for travelling with your dog if we have a ‘No Deal Brexit’.

What steps to take to travel with your pet. EU Regulations for travelling with your dog if we have a ‘No Deal Brexit’.

So what you have to do? Well, for starters, your dog needs to have a rabies vaccine. If you regularly go to the continent, then you should have given your dog a rabies test to travel. The vet needs to put a microchip to your pet, but this is pretty common practice in the UK when you get a pet.

Your pet needs to be at least 12 weeks old to receive a vaccine.

Even if your pet received a vaccine, your vet, might suggest you to give another rabies vaccine. This is because you need to wait at least 30 days to take some blood samples from your pet to send to an EU-approved lab.

The UK government states that you need to wait 3 months from the date of the succesful blood sample to travel. The vet will need you to give you a copy of the test results and include the date the blood sample was taken. He/she will have to write this on an animal health certificate (AHC).

Then, if the blood result is not successful, you have to repeat the vaccination and blood test after 30 days… Imagine the pain…

September 14, 2020

Switzerland Tourism is asking to offer tests to tourists to avoid quarantine.

Crans-Montana in winter. Photo: CMTC Luciano Miglionico. Swiss urged to 'hit the slopes' to save ski season. The situation for skiing in December in the rest of Europe.

Switzerland Tourism is asking to offer tests to tourists to avoid quarantine.

Switzerland Tourism is asking to offer tests to tourists to avoid quarantine. Covid-19 high risk countries visitors should be able to travel in Switzerland. With negative corona tests they could avoid quarantine, say tourism officials.

From Swissinfo.ch – NZZ am Sonntag/sb

Now people arriving in Switzerland from high risk coronavirus countries need to quarantine. The Federal Office of Public Health updates this list in frequent basis. People not complying with the quarantine risk a fine. Quarantine in Switzerland is for 10 days.

With winter season starting in less than three months, it can be very detrimental for tourism.

“If French guests are absent in the autumn and winter season, we will be hit hard,” Martin Nydegger, director of Switzerland Tourism, told the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper on September 13.

Saas-Fee is one of the prettiest ski towns in the Valais region. Switzerland Tourism is asking to offer tests to tourists to avoid quarantine.

Valais is concerned for the upcoming ski season

The resorts of the Valais region are nervous with the panorama this winter. Resorts such as Verbier, Zermatt and Crans-Montana depend a lot on international visitors.

“There is a lot at stake for us,” said Christophe Darbellay, head of the Valais Department of Economic Affairs.

Winter tourism brings in around CHF2 billion ($2.2 billion) a year. Half of the winter tourists come from abroad, from Europe, according to NZZ .

Continue reading “Switzerland Tourism is asking to offer tests to tourists to avoid quarantine.”

September 11, 2020September 12, 2020

To extend or not to extend… that is the question:

By Chino Martinez Ski Pro at Aspen Mt Ski School

To extend or not to extend… that is the question:

Up and down, down under, cross over,

retraction turn, bend you knees… etc etc etc.
what happened with this “old skool words”?

How come we could ski like this for years and years, but now we don’t do it anymore…
I know most of you are going to answer like a ski instructor or a coach:
-“the equipment has changed”!
-I understand that but the mountains and the snow DON’T. They didn’t change.

-So how come we don’t talk any more about extension, and flexion?
Has it become too complicated and confusing to teach our clients, student, and racers?

Ski Pro Chino Martinez. To extend or not to extend… that is the question.

This is simple physics: the mountains (as we skiing down) is falling down, dough!
So if you want to stay in touch with the snow you have to extend and flex? Otherwise you……..?- jump, yes!.
Ski-snow contact is coming from your extension and flexion: period.
As you start a new turn your legs are getting longer and as you finished the turn your legs are getting shorter!, How can we call this anything but flexion and extension?

Continue reading “To extend or not to extend… that is the question:”

September 8, 2020

Family trek to Lago d’ Arpy, Morgex, AO

Sentiero to Lago d’Arpy, Morgex, AO (Aosta Valley) – Family trek to Lago d’ Arpy, Morgex, AO.

Summer in the Italian Alps.

We came to take a five-weeks long holiday at our home in Morgex, called Il Cuore della Valdigne. This is a great spot for hundreds or thousands of trekking paths. Italian called them sentieros.

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

Going up towards Lago d'Arpy you have great views of the Catena di Monte Bianco. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Family trek to Lago d' Arpy, Morgex, AO. — Going up towards Lago d’Arpy you have great views of the Catena di Monte Bianco. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Family trek to Lago d’ Arpy, Morgex, AO.

The most renown place in the Morgex area I would say is Lago d’ Arpy. Arpy is a great spot in winter for its cross country trails and snow-shoeing paths. In summer it is the place to go out for treks, mountain biking and swimming in the freezing lake. The lake is further up the road from the Ostello di Arpy. The Ostello is a rustic lodge that has a cafeteria/restaurant and some rooms. It also offers rental for cross country skiing and snow shoes.

We went up the road until passing the hotel La Genzianella and we parked next to some public restrooms. There it was the start of the sentiero 15, at 1,954 m, that takes one hour and five minutes to reach the lake. The sentiero is pretty simple categorised as T: turista. It has a bit of a climb, but nothing major (140m) and an average gradient of 3%.

Sentieros‘ classifications in Italy.

Sentieros are classified, at least in Italy, in T as Turista, E, Escursionistico and EE Escursinisti esperti (expert). Then there you have the alpinist classifications, EEA is for expert with via ferrata o attrezzata, EEA-F (ferrata facile); EEA-PD (ferrata Poco dificile), EEA-D (ferrata difficile) and EAI (excursionism in snow).

While you walk through the sentiero, you have amazing views of the Macizo di Monte Bianco. Usually this path is very busy with families and dogs, but we managed to go pretty late, and it was pretty quiet.

The sentiero 15 takes you from Colle de San Carlo to Lago d'Arpy, and if you continue, to Lago di Pietra Rosa. Family trek to Lago d' Arpy, Morgex, AO. — The sentiero 15 takes you from Colle de San Carlo to Lago d’Arpy, and if you continue, to Lago di Pietra Rosa. Family trek to Lago d’ Arpy, Morgex, AO.

Another option for reaching Lago d’ Arpy

You can do a bit of a more challenging walk with more climb if you stop at the Ostello d’Arpy. That is a sentiero classified E: Excursionista. To be honest I was not sure where to start, so we kept on going up the road as there was a sign to Lago d’Arpy. And then we’ve stopped before what it looks to go to the Colle San Carlo and down towards La Thuile.

The path to Lago d'Arpy, sentiero 15. Family trek to Lago d' Arpy, Morgex, AO. — The path to Lago d’Arpy, sentiero 15. Family trek to Lago d’ Arpy, Morgex, AO.

When we arrived, our dog ran straight into the freezing lake. The views were magnificent. It was a tad cold as it was windy, and up at 2,066 m you had not much to guard you.

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020

The Drive to Our Summer Holiday on Covid-19 Times

The drive to our summer holiday on Covid-19 times. Finally the day has come, we put the alarm at 2.30 AM and started to get ready the car refrigerator to get going. Prepared the flasks, went to wake up the boys, like three times, and finally, we were all ready to go.

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

My husband did the packing of the car, and as usual, we were full. And still full after I took things from the bags three times during the preceding week!

Anyways, we finished all in the car with the dog and off we went towards Folkestone.

Trying to get Ozzy to pose on the Eurotunnel photo-frame was trickier than it looks! The Drive to Our Summer Holiday on Covid-19 Times.

Getting on the Eurotunnel. The Drive to Our Summer Holiday on Covid-19 Times

The terminal of Eurotunnel was open, which I was not expecting. The food stalls, as Starbucks and Leon, were publishing that they were taking food to your cars. We did not need that, as we had lots of food in the car.

We did go to the bathroom there, all with masks, in and out, and then clean well our hands…. I was trying to avoid this, but at least it was early on and we did not meet many people on the way.

We got in our car and we loaded on the Eurotunnel. The loudspeakers said that you could not get down your car during the crossing, so it was quieter than usual. This was great to have a little cat nap and have time to change the miles/h to km/h and adjust the clock one hour forward.

At the Ibis Styles in Chaumont. Ozzy seemed very comfy on the bed. The Drive to Our Summer Holiday on Covid-19 Times.

On French soil. The Drive to Our Summer Holiday on Covid-19 Times

When we arrived in Calais, it was smooth and easy to get out of the train. We went straight to the A16 and A26 in our road to Chaumont.

We had a good drive, stopped at an open ‘aire’ for a bit. Tried the bathroom and it was awful! That was our last going to the bathroom. Or I find some trees, or use my little Travel Janes that were on my gloves compartment.

All the boys in my family in Chaumont. The Drive to Our Summer Holiday on Covid-19 Times.

Continue reading “The Drive to Our Summer Holiday on Covid-19 Times”

July 24, 2020

Cerro Catedral has opened its lifts: skiing for locals with masks and record snow levels.

Catedral Alta Patagonia, the resort of Bariloche, has opened yesterday. Photo: Diario La Nación. Cerro Catedral has opened: skiing for locals with masks and record snow levels.

Cerro Catedral has opened its lifts: skiing for locals with masks and record snow levels.

Cerro Catedral has opened this ski season 2020. Only residents with season pass can ski. This is a pilot scheme for ten days. Catedral is the first resort opening in the region amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the first resort in South America opening!

Ski map Catedral Alta Patagonia. Cerro Catedral has opened: skiing for locals with masks and record snow levels.

Cerro Catedral, in San Carlos de Bariloche has opened its ski season 2020 only for locals with a season pass. The first day in the mountain in the year (Thursday 23 July) was fresh and sunny, with a depth of 2 m of snow in the summit.

Depending on this trial, the resort will do a bigger opening of its terrain in August and September.

skiing in Cerro Catedral. Archive photo. Cerro Catedral has opened: skiing for locals with masks and record snow levels.

Gustavo Gennuso, major of Bariloche told Télam:

“On one hand, the resort has an important role for Bariloche on jobs. But there are also vital needs as the relationship of mountaineers with the mountain. Those are the ones pushing on opening the mountain to help this activity”.

July 11, 2020July 11, 2020

Ski Bum- The Warren Miller Story- A Review

Ski Bum – The Warren Miller Story is out to download from your iTunes. Also, you can get it on Amazon Prime. Watch it yesterday and write a review about it. I loved it. It is the case that I have been off ski movies for a while. I guess I have grown up. Before, I used to love watching all the ski movies, by Warren Miller and all the others that followed his steps. I also used to love watching MTV, as well as Beavis and Butthead and Wayne’s World.

This is the biography of a self-made man, who started being a ski bum living out of a trailer in the parking lot of a ski area. How he made it there. He talks with candour about his family, his alcoholic dad that was better not to have around. His mother that had no eyes for him but for his sisters. He started going to surf and then to ski to escape it all.

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

Warren Miller with his second wife and three kids. Ski Bum- The Warren Miller Story- A Review.

What do I think about Ski Bum- The Warren Miller Story

It made me laugh and made me cry. It has all the contents to keep you watching over the hour and a half that it plays. Many of the skiers that were skiing for him talk candidly about him. Same for Greg Stump, that managed to ski in a section of a movie that came out when he was producing his first movie. Warren was as competitive to go back to the tape and change Greg’s name for someone else’s.

It shows how he manage to shot all the scenes, from his first camera, to his work with other cameramen. One of his long-time cameramen invented the first not-so-portable Go-Pro to put it on skiers. He could make it tilt to capture the scenes depending the posture of the skier.

Continue reading “Ski Bum- The Warren Miller Story- A Review”

July 3, 2020

Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to go ahead.

Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are set to go ahead. Dates will be 7th to 21st February 2021 as planned.

The FIS have decided to go ahead after seeing CONI and FISI gave the ISF their assessment. This assessment showed the financial impact of Covid-19 to the local area. The area risks not being able to enjoy the event to the full but will host it in the best way possible.

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

Ski Tofana. Credits: Ute Dandrea. Cortina d'Ampezzo. Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to go ahead. — Ski Tofana. Credits: Ute Dandrea. Cortina d’Ampezzo. Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to go ahead.

The Infrastructure for Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

The majority of the infrastructures projects for Cortina 2021 are at the Tofana ski area. This is where the competitions will take place.

The area has completed slopes on the pistes Olympia, Vertigine and Druscié A.

Lino Lacedelli is a new slope built in the Cinque Torri area. This is the first Italian slope dedicated to training sessions and competitions. The slope has all safety features for doing so. The building of the new cable car has finished – Cortina – Col Drusciè “Freccia nel cielo”. This project counted with public and private investment.

Tofana. ISTA. www.bandion.it. Cortina Marketing. Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to go ahead.

June 30, 2020June 30, 2020

How to have a no-contact drive to your summer holiday

My husband driving over a viaduct near Nantua. Driving back for the first time from Morgex to London

How to have a no-contact drive to your summer holiday

Summer is coming up now. It seems that finally the Foreign Office will allow British citizens travel. They were going to announce it yesterday. We are still waiting. If that is the case, then lots of people will take it to the road and cross to the Continent. People are a bit reticent to travel by plane yet. Some of them will go ahead and do it as are more daredevil. I am not in that category. I am like those others that will tempt going outside in their own cars. Two days ago it was the busiest day for Eurotunnel sales year on year. So how to have a no-contact drive to your summer holiday?

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

Splugenpass in Switzerland. Driving to the Mountains. How to have a no-contact drive to your summer holiday. Photo: Daniele Levis Pelusi. Unsplash.

Where to Start Planning No Contact-Drive Summer Holiday

Starting with going to Eurotunnel. You don’t need to get off your car for the crossing that takes 35′. The terminals have not opened. If you need to go to the toilets, the only toilets opened are by the lay area before embarking. But what if you want to avoid them? And also if you want to avoid going to the Aires (resting places or petrol stations/restaurants) on route? How you should equip for this trip if you want to avoid people? This goes also for people in North America or anywhere in the world.

Here are some things that might help you. At least, this is what I am doing to protect my family while travelling in mainland Europe this summer.

A road to the mountains. Photoo: Anurag Gaggar. Unsplash. How to have a no-contact drive to your summer holiday.

How to avoid going to public toilets: No-Contact Drive Summer Holiday

There have been lots of stories in the media of how going to a public toilet can expose you to lots of germs. There are those small droplets ejected by the flushing of the toilet. These posts suggest you to wear a mask to come to the toilet. In this way you avoid contact with these floating droplets that can stay suspended. Then you clean well the hands and avoid the dryers that can disperse droplets all over. I find all this a bit too much to relax. There has to be something better.

Road trip to the mountains. Atlas Mountains. Photo: Dil. Unsplash. How to have a no-contact drive to your summer holiday.

The boys can wee al fresco. How about women? If there are trees where to hide, I would do the same. But if there are not? The stops in France don’t tend to have a thick tree-base. I have seen this solution ages ago and never considered it. Now I’ve got some for the gloves compartment in the car.

Travel Jane

What is it? A resealable disposable urinal. You can keep on using it until full. It keeps 800 ml of liquid. You can reseal the bag and you don’t mess anything up. The pouch has some crystals that solidify your wee as it gets in! Marvellous idea! The Travel Jane is pink and for women.

Buy your Travel Jane here.

June 26, 2020December 10, 2024

The Must-Read Guide of Vail, Colorado

Vail's iconic village with the Gore Range Mountains capturing the sunset in Vail, CO. Photo- Craig Orsini, Vail Resorts. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.

The Must-Read Guide of Vail, Colorado- Where to Stay, how to ski the Mountain, Where to Eat and Drink.

Vail is one of the most renown ski resorts in the world. It was one of these resorts I always wanted to visit when I was young growing up in Argentina. Luck struck me and I was able to visit several times, and also worked for Vail Resorts long time ago now. International visitors always want to visit either Vail or Aspen. Those are the famous resorts they know. This made me then put together the Must-Read Guide to Vail to help you organise your trip to this grand resort!

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

Vail's 10th Mountain Division skier. Photo: Vicky Galarraga. @vickydevail. The Must-Read Guide to Vail. — Vail’s 10th Mountain Division skier. Photo: Vicky Galarraga. @vickydevail. The Must-Read Guide to Vail, Colorado.

The History of Vail

Ute Indians used to settle within this territory in the summer. They used to travel to the most arid lands on the west during winter. The Utes used to call the Gore Range that overlooked the valley the “Shinning Mountains”.

Came WWII and the United States created a training center called Camp Hale. Here the 10th Mountain Division trained for alpine combat. They went on to fight on the Mountains of Northern Italy. When they came back, they were the force to develop the ski industry in the USA.

One veteran of the 10th Mountain Division, Peter Seibert, came back to Colorado. He joined the Aspen Ski Patrol and Ski School. Then he went on to become the manager of Loveland Basin Ski Area. At that moment, Seibert and Earl Eaton start looking on developing a new ski resort in the Rockies.

Eaton was local to Colorado and started skiing when young. By 1940, he was ski racing in Aspen while working for the Civilian Conservation Corps in Glenwood. In 1957, he and Seibert climbed Vail Mountain in winter and realised of its potential as a ski area.

EU Regulations for travelling with your dog if we have a ‘No Deal Brexit’.

What steps to take to travel with your pet. EU Regulations for travelling with your dog if we have a ‘No Deal Brexit’.

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Switzerland Tourism is asking to offer tests to tourists to avoid quarantine.

From Swissinfo.ch – NZZ am Sonntag/sb

Valais is concerned for the upcoming ski season

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To extend or not to extend… that is the question:

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Family trek to Lago d’ Arpy, Morgex, AO

Sentiero to Lago d’Arpy, Morgex, AO (Aosta Valley) – Family trek to Lago d’ Arpy, Morgex, AO.

Summer in the Italian Alps.

Sentieros‘ classifications in Italy.

Another option for reaching Lago d’ Arpy

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The Drive to Our Summer Holiday on Covid-19 Times

Getting on the Eurotunnel. The Drive to Our Summer Holiday on Covid-19 Times

On French soil. The Drive to Our Summer Holiday on Covid-19 Times

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Cerro Catedral has opened its lifts: skiing for locals with masks and record snow levels.

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Ski Bum- The Warren Miller Story- A Review

What do I think about Ski Bum- The Warren Miller Story

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Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to go ahead.

The Infrastructure for Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

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How to have a no-contact drive to your summer holiday

Where to Start Planning No Contact-Drive Summer Holiday

How to avoid going to public toilets: No-Contact Drive Summer Holiday

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The Must-Read Guide of Vail, Colorado- Where to Stay, how to ski the Mountain, Where to Eat and Drink.

The History of Vail

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