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Things that will make your family half term ski holiday easier

Enrique relaxing after a ski class in Courmayeur Mont Blanc. Photo: The-Ski-Guru

If you are planning to travel in the half term to the Alps, for sure you are now pretty prepared. Here I want to show you a couple of things that will make your family half term ski holiday easier, more if travelling with younger kids. They can help you while trying to drag your kids from the parking lot to the lifts and make your family ski experience easier.

I know that getting young kids in the slopes is difficult. Most of the people that do this, is because they are skiers or boarders themselves (all that new generation of boarders is thanks to their parents starting the sport some years ago, which keeps the sport alive!)

Father and Sons skiing in Pila piste 15. One of my paintings of Pila. Check it out in the shop here.
Father and Sons skiing in Pila piste 15. One of my paintings of Pila. Check it out in the shop here.

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

If so, you already go skiing, and you know how to pack! But sometimes, we forget what it was skiing when young, more, because one had not dealt with any of the preparations.

Here are some things that might help your next family ski trip to the mountains:

Warm hats – Always, remember to have a couple of warm hats. Even though kids need to use helmets by law (at least in all places I know), in very cold days, you can put a beanie that is not bulky under the hat to keep their heads warm.

And it never hurts having a couple of hats just in case your kid decides to roll on the snow in the afternoon and you need to get their little heads warm for venturing out for dinner.

These Merino and polyester hats of Danish Endurance have a good shape for

under helmets for kids (one size only)

Danish-Endurance-Merino-Wool Beanie for kids. Buy it here.
Danish-Endurance-Merino-Wool Beanie for kids. Buy it here.

Here you have the same brand for adults

Danish Endurance Merino blend hat for adults. Buy them here.
Danish Endurance Merino blend hat for adults. Buy it here.

 

Continue reading “Things that will make your family half term ski holiday easier”

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The Frejus Rail Tunnel is reopening in April

The Frecciarossa service from Milan to Paris is reopening April 1st.

After 12 months of being closed due to a landslide, the Frejus rail tunnel will reopen in April. Trains from Paris to Milan will be able to connect again passing through Lyon and Turin.

But on the website of Italy’s Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS) it says that the tunnel will open in March.

Kids skiing in Piste 3 of Pila. Soft Pastels on Pastelmat. 50 x 65 cm. In my shop.
Kids skiing in Piste 3 of Pila. Soft Pastels on Pastelmat. 50 x 65 cm. In my shop.

Supposedly the train was due to open by December 2024. Due to complications and “unstable and deep cavities discovered in the central area of the slope required additional work” -meaning that the opening was postponed to the first quarter of 2025.

It looks like there is a solid day for its opening now, even though all players, from SNCF Rêseau, the Department of Savoie, or FS have said much. Many rerouted services will be affected, with links between Turin, Chambéry and Lion, apart of Milan and Paris, and freight trains.

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Are Ski Lifts Unsafe?

Peak 2 Peak Gondola in Whistler Blackcomb. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Different types of lifts on resorts (I can think of) and how to ride them.

With the last accident of the fixed-grip chairlift in Astun and stories of guests having to be evacuated on a couple of lifts lately in Winter Park and Telluride, one might worry about the safety of getting on any lift.

Safety on lifts- Are Ski Lifts Unsafe?

Getting on lifts is very safe. They do get maintained yearly and their parts get changed due to wear and tear. And technology has gotten much more safety in the past years. But accidents do happen.

Most times, accidents are due to human error, as, per example, for not putting the safety bar down, or in the case of surface lifts, due to not using the lift as it is intended. Many times, on surface lifts you see people just slaloming or grabbing the surface lift in a way that is not supposed, and that can cause the button lift or t-bar to derail. Continue reading “Are Ski Lifts Unsafe?”

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A Fire Broke Out in a Hotel of Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Turkey.

A Fire Broke Out in a Hotel of Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Turkey. Photo: Corriere della Sera.

As of 3.30 AM this morning, a fire has broken out in a hotel in the ski resort of Kartalkaya, in Northwestern Turkey (province of Bolu). As per il Corriere della Sera, at least 66 people died and 51 were injured.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that four people were arrested after this incident, including the owner of the hotel.

The fire has been pretty much put down by 30 fire engines. This was a 12-story hotel with a restaurant. About 234 people were staying in the building.

Read more in the Corriere della Sera.

Ski map of Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Turkey.
Ski map of Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Turkey.

Start planning your next trip!

 

If looking to stay in the heart of the Mont Blanc Valley in the Aosta Valley, check the direct booking for Il Coure della Valdigne here. This is our own family home in the mountains, that I am renting out when not using.

Il Cuore della Valdigne. Stay at the Heart of the Valdigne to ski in Courmayeur, La Thuile and Pila/Aosta.

Il Cuore della Valdigne. Book your lodging directly with me here.Il Cuore della Valdigne. Stay at the Heart of the Valdigne to ski in Courmayeur, La Thuile and Pila/Aosta.

If you prefer, you can also book my apartment through Booking.com

Booking might be cheaper if you have Genius status!

Check my Mountain Art on my Shop

You can go to my shop and see what have been inspiring me lately, lots mountain landscapes in soft pastels, and now in oils too. Go here to check my latest works!

Check my mountain art in my shop here.
Check my mountain art in my shop here.

If interested in me doing a special commission for you, let’s talk!

Needing help to get contacts in the ski tourism business– I am offering new consulting services- contact me here.

Featured Image: A Fire Broke Out in a Hotel of Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Turkey. Photo: Corriere della Sera. 

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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.

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

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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.

Continue reading “Lapse Rate in the Temperature with Altitude and the Inversion Phenomenon.”

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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.

Continue reading “Review of “I Survived Myself” by Peter Chrzanowski”

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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.

Continue reading “Review of the Helly Hansen Powderqueen 3.0 Ski Jacket”

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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.

Continue reading “Meeting President Carter in Crested Butte”