Tag Archives: ski holidays

From trendy ski helmets to latest hi-tech ski goggles

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Ski helmetEach year, new technological developments in ski and snow boarding gear and accessories offer skiers and snowboarders extra functionality and the potential to enhance performance.  Take ski helmets, a vital and potentially life-saving piece of equipment is now obligatory to wear in some resorts.  Many European resorts have made wearing helmets mandatory for children and there seems to be a growing trend in adults now wearing them too.  Once perceived as not being ‘cool’, the ski helmet can make a great fashion statement particularly when personalised.  Helmets have been spotted on the slopes covered in stickers, trendy helmet bands, faux fur, embellished with crystals or with a helmet video camera on top, ideal for capturing the views when speeding down the slopes.  To make the experience all the more fun, some helmets come with additional features such as audio and temperature control too.  Whilst it’s important to look good on the slopes, safety is the main criteria so ski helmets should fit correctly and meet at least one of the recognised safety standards.  Why not match your stylish ski helmet with a pair of the latest hi-tech ski goggles?

Experts recommend that you try your goggles on with your helmet to ensure the best fit. There are now so many quality brands selling well-designed and innovative goggles that aside from providing protection for the eyes, they look fabulous too.  Oakley’s latest revolutionary goggles provide snow enthusiasts with a whole new view of the world. Coming in a variety of designs, colours, technical specifications and interchangeable lenses, there is a goggle for everyone.  Taking design and technology to the next level, the innovative Oakley Airwave goggles are so much more than just a pair of ski goggles.  With duel vented anti-fog lenses, you’ll never have to worry about these steaming up.  Among the many features, skiers and boarders can monitor their performance and speed, pinpoint their location on a resort map as well as track distance, height and airtime of any jumps, have music control and smart phone connectivity.

If that’s too much and all you want to do is capture the moment either in photos or video, how about the Zeal HD video and photo goggle, which shoots up to 8 megapixel photos or 1080p HD video.  There are just so many different types of goggles and brands available, from the basic to those fitted with cutting-edge technology, so it really all depends on what you want and need from a pair of ski goggles.  We have not even mentioned the latest types of skis and snowboards available so look out for another blog on that coming soon.  Let us know if there are any must-have hi-tech ski accessories you would recommend and we’ll be sure to share any suggestions from our chalet guests.  If it’s gadgets and equipment that interests you, there’s more information in recent blogs, one focused on great gadgets for any ski or snowboarding trip and the other on avalanche survival tips when in the Alps and essential avalanche survival equipment such as the avalanche transceiver or the ABS backpack.

Image credits:
ski helmet – www.telegraph.co.uk
Oakley Airwave goggles - http://store.wired.com/

 

Cross-country skiing in Val d’Isere

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Over the past few weeks we’ve talked about learning to ski and off-piste skiing.  If you are still looking for something a little different to the main slopes, then why not try cross country skiing.

There are opportunities in Val d’Isere to indulge in a little cross country skiing with loops in each of three areas – towards La Daille, on Solaise and out past Le Laisinant. The most picturesque is probably the one going from Le Châtelard past the main cable car station to the Manchet chairlift.

With a little practise and technical help you can get the most out of your cross country day skiing in Val d’Isere plus if you’d like a guide to show you the best routes, we can organise this as well.

Cross-country skiing is a mixture of classic and skate style skiing.  It’s all about efficiency, capitalising on the propulsion produced between gear, motion, glide and snow.  However, technique is what brings it all together, so this blog is very technical imparting training tips from our favourite Val d’Isere ski guides.

The three “T’s” of cross country skiing:

  • Technology — good waxing, well fitting skis, boots and poles, the track conditions, trail design etc. All the external factors that can enhance or inhibit a day on the snow.
  • Training — building strength, stretching & flexibility, endurance training through distance skiing and interval workouts for speed.
  • Technique — classic and skating. Classic where feet shuffle forward and back, parallel to each other, hip-width apart, similar to walking only with kick and glide is mixed with skating which use a motion akin to ice skating.

The Rhythm of the landscape.

All good ski instructors understand the rhythm of the terrain. They help you get familiar with the twists, turns, ups, downs and straightaways of the Val d;Isere runs.  Understanding the terrain enables you to modify your technique to make the most of it.

And then the art:

  • Athletic posture — Knees bent, bend slightly at the waist, the back is slightly rounded forward but not arched, eyes are forward with the neck, jaw and shoulders relaxed. A common problem is a too-straight stance. Try strength training of the lower back and legs to improve your stance.
  • Hips forward. Flex at the ankles not the waist. The ski motion comes in two phases. In phase one, the forward lean initiates the kick with a momentary “free fall,” with gravity pulling the body weight forward. In phase two, the body weight shifts and you glide with the sliding foot slightly ahead of hips. When skiing uphill, the steeper the incline, the more you need to lean forward to adjust to the hill angle. Again, if your stance is too upright, check that your poles aren’t too long. To fix incorrect positioning, practice keeping your feet together, leaning forward, bending at the ankles, and stepping forward to catch yourself in the “free fall.”
  • The kick. Hips slightly rotate as you plant the ski off of which you will push. Push off with a downward thrust, and the opposite ski is driven forward down the track. If you find your kick is late, or your kicking foot lands behind your gliding foot, ski without poles to focus practice on just the kick motion
  • The glide. Weight is completely transferred to the gliding ski. The gliding ski lands like an airplane on a runway, touching the snow when feet are opposite one another. If your glide ski “slaps” the ground, try leaning  forward, and practice no-pole skiing.
  • Compression of the midsection, also known as double poling. Bend at the waist, planting both poles at once to drive the poles backward and skier forward. In the diagonal classic ski pattern, where each arm swings forward, one at a time, with the opposite leg, there is little to no midsection compression in the diagonal pole thrust. But when double poling, there is full compression through the torso, going from nearly upright at the start of the double poling motion, to nearly tucked in the middle of it, to nearly upright again. If you find yourself lacking compression, practice double poling.

Practice makes perfect.  Let us know how you get on.  Did our tips help, do let us know!

Our luxury chalets mix skiing with the festivities

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It’s Christmas Time, mistletoe and wine…  Val d’Isere is always a magical place to visit, but for our guests arriving on the 23rd December we promise a Christmas to remember.

With the smell of mulled wine, mincemeat pies and an array of festive treats to greet them, guests will arrive to afternoon tea served with our premier champagne (for those ready to kick the festivities off immediately)!

At Le Chardon our ethos is to make Christmas as individual as the guests we spend it with. We like to know about the preferences of each group in advance so that our catering fits around their traditions.

On Christmas Eve, Val d’Isere hosts its weekly street party with music, entertainment, ice carving, vin chaud and lots of stalls.  This is a great event for families and lots of fun.  However, for our European guests who exchange gifts on Christmas Eve and have their main meal during this evening, they will forgo this and wait for the Christmas Day events instead.  A little different to our UK families who tend to hold off all celebrations until the 25th December.

Although the chalets are decorated in preparation for our guests arrival, inside we hold back a few Christmas tree decorations for our younger guests who enjoy adding a final touch to finish off the Christmas cheer – especially when those last few decorations are edible and just high enough for little arms to reach.

Each chalet is managed independently in terms of how Christmas is planned.  Some guests enjoy a little fizz with their breakfast and may make time for present opening in the morning.  Others choose to open presents later in the day and make the most of the skiing.It really depends on the family and what they want to do.  We are very flexible about fitting in with individual traditions and plan our catering around our guests’ day.

Most guests will go skiing at some point though on Christmas Day and generally we prepare for an early dinner around 5pm.  This arrangement suits those who look forward to spending a good portion of the day skiing.  In Val, the pistes, bars, shops, restaurants…. everything is open as normal on Christmas day, so there are never any issues should anyone get stuck on the mountain.

It’s hard to convey the real magic of skiing on Christmas day when traditionally this is a day of so little activity.  You are also acutely aware that waiting for you back at the chalet is the smell of Christmas dinner-  and by the time you have finished on the mountain and relaxed in the hot tub your appetite is more than ready for the feast to come.

A fabulous firework display lights up the Val d’Isere sky on the evening of Christmas day, a spectacular way to end the most perfect of days.  Except if any guest would like to go to midnight mass, drivers are on-call to take them and bring them back to the chalet.

The key to making Christmas so special in our chalets is that we offer guests exactly what they want and are as flexible as possible on meal times and what we serve.  I guess just like each of our own families, we all have different traditions we like to adhere to over the festive period and they become part of what makes our family memories.  More often than not they have been handed down through the generations and will continue to be long into the future. This is what we try to replicate in our chalets.

Merry Christmas to all our guests, friends of Le Chardon and staff.  Here’s to a great 2013 for one and all.

(Mistletoe image from www.altogetherchristmas.com, other images from Le Chardon luxury chalets)

Banishing the winter blues with a Skiing Holiday in Val d’Isere

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One week in and with snowfall that has surpassed all expectation, Val d’Isere has woken up and is now in full swing.  With the UK winter this year predicted to be one of the coldest on record, we at Le Chardon believe the only way to survive it is going to be by wrapping up in some fashionable new ski attire and, if possible, booking at least one week away skiing to justify the clothing expense!

It’s one thing to love the cold, bright, frosty mornings when everything is still and glistening, but another to face the cold sleet, rain and snow on your way to work and back each day.  Even the most optimistic amongst us can start to dread ticking off the weeks until spring comes round.

If you suffer from winter blues, let us entice you to head for a destination where all the glories of winter are fully on display: the French Alps.

From the UK, there are a variety of travel options over to the Alps.  Drive through the Channel Tunnel and enjoy the winding roads up past Lake Annecy or Fly into Chambery or Geneva and let us arrange a transfer up to our chalets.

Val d’Isere is rated as one of the hippest and most exciting ski resorts in Europe.  Its huge variety of ski and snowboarding runs and close proximity to so many other resorts in the Espace Killy mean that there is something for everyone: boredom is not an option!

Here, winter sports and great hospitality are time-honoured traditions. Renting a catered ski chalet, as opposed to a hotel, can change the whole ambience of your skiing holiday.  The chalets strive to be a home from home with modern comforts and space for individuals to relax and unwind après-ski.  They are particularly suitable for families with children with the cinema rooms where they can enjoy a film and some quiet time in the evening before being bathed and falling asleep, ready to face another day on the slopes or in lessons.

Spending quality time with family is a top priority for our guests but once the little ones are asleep it’s time for some adult company in our dining rooms and lounges.  Without distraction and with the aid of fine wine and gourmet cuisine, guests often quote these evenings as a time when friendships are re-ignited and when families catch up properly with each other.

Skiing in Val d’Isere

Val d’Isere has been transformed through its ski facilities.  Skiing has been established here since the 1930s with many of the big competitions using the resort.   Only last weekend the World Cup slalom took place here. This by no means implies that the area is only suitable for expert skiers. Thanks to the natural contours of the mountains, there are slopes here for everybody from beginners to expert and off-piste skiers.

Snowboarding in Val d’Isere

In the last few decades, snowboarding has become increasingly popular, especially with the younger set. Many of the traditional slopes are perfect for snowboarding, and one can see a mixture of skiers and snowboarders sharing the same slope without any difficulty in Val.  Access to large areas for off-piste snowboarding has also increased its attractiveness and custom built snowboarding jumps and runs can often be seen around the sides of the main slopes.

Granted, there are those who aren’t particularly enamoured with winter sports, for one reason or another. They may feel they are too old to learn, or just don’t like the feeling of hurtling down a mountain, possibly out of control (especially if one is a beginner). But that does not present a huge challenge in Val as there are so many activities on offer – even for non-skiers in these beautiful mountains.

So, if winter blues are setting in, give us a call and let us help.  Service is at the heart of everything we do.  Just brief us on your dates, number of guests and walk us through your perfect skiing holiday: bespoke holidays are our speciality.

Sharing the fun of a ski holiday in the mountains

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When you yearn to hit the mountains, to taste the clean, crisp morning air, to hear the crackle of fresh snow under your feet, how do you  persuade non-skiing family and friends to join you on holiday?

Easy, you fill up their week with a mixture of fun, exciting and relaxing activities to instil in them the same passion and enjoyment from the mountains as you enjoy.

Who knows, next year they may even decide it’s time to try skiing or snowboarding!

  Read on to discover the best activities on offer for non-skiers

Val d’Isere Remains one of the top Alpine Ski Resorts

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alpine ski resort of valdisere

Out of all of the resorts in France, Val d’Isere is regarded as one of the finest amongst families and those wanting to splash a bit of cash. Val d’Isere is one of the best destinations to visit and remains very attractive for skiers.  With a huge range of pistes, along with quaint village charm and luxury catered ski chalets, France offers skiers no better place for a skiing holiday than Val d’Isere.

Nestled in high altitude, Val d’Isere is ideal for skiers as it is the sole focus of this resort.  The local village has remained quaint and largely untouched by the commercialism of the chalets, so holidaymakers can enjoy the secluded and charming atmosphere whilst on holiday.  There is a huge variety of skiing opportunities here, with access to the entire Espace Killy available for keen winter sports enthusiasts.  Almost 25 acres of off piste powder provides the perfect attraction to play in, and a great range of high speed slopes are the ultimate thrill.  Meanwhile, off slope fun is great too, with Folie Douce offering the best in après ski.

Both Meribel and Courchevel 1850 also offer alternatives to skiing in Val d’Isere, with the former being particularly popular with families.  Meanwhile, Courchevel 1850 is often regarded as a location for the rich and famous to indulge in their favourite winter sports pastimes.  However, with a quiet charm, plenty of skiing opportunities and a great array of luxury catered ski chalets, France getaways to Val d’Isere remain a popular choice for many.

Source: http://www.aluxurytravelblog.com/2011/08/26/courchevel-val-disere-or-meribel-which-ski-resort-to-choose/

L’Edelweiss – a top Val d’Isere Restaurant

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things to do valdisere

Val D’Isere is classed as one of the World’s premier ski resorts and with numerous luxury French ski chalets on offer, families, couples and even groups of friends can have a fantastic holiday away.  Whilst the high altitude slopes offer the thrill of wintersports and the resort’s quaint chalets are perfect for relaxing in, Val d’Isere’s L’Edelweiss restaurant is also a great attraction, especially for those looking for a beautiful spot to eat.

Located amongst the tree-lined slopes of Val d’Isere’s Fornet region, L’Edelweiss is in one the Espace Killy’s most stunning spots.  With high mountainous slopes, Val d’Isere can often have a lack of places to enjoy the scenery, especially if the weather is particularly cold and windy.  However, with the run down to this restaurant offering tree lined turning pistes, the area of Val d’Isere is a great place to enjoy and is worthwhile exploring.

L’Edelweiss itself is a beautiful chalet, with a roaring fire inside and a stunning terrace to sit out on if the sky is clear and blue.  The end of the valley is fairly sheltered, offering maximum opportunity to enjoy the beautiful views.  However, it is L’Edelweiss’s cuisine that makes it a main attraction, with the well-priced menu offering Savoi regional food such as Tartiflette unlike anywhere else in the French Alps.  With attentive waiters and great wine, booking a table here is highly recommended.

For those enjoying French ski chalets in Val d’Isere, L’Edelweiss is a stop that should not be missed.  After dining at this beautiful restaurant, the food, views and service are likely to be remembered for a lifetime.

Source: http://sweetiedreamer.info/?p=649

French Ski Resorts are Tops For Food-lovers

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Cuisine is taken very seriously in France - despite the rise of the fast-food phenomenon in recent years.   Meal times are generally considered to be valued occasions – a time to stop doing other things and simply savour and enjoy delicious flavours with friends and family.

You may have heard of haute-cuisine, a very elaborate preparation and presentation of food which is served over many courses in very small quantities. At the other end of the scale is regional cooking carried out in homes and local restaurants, where the emphasis is still on high quality, but much simpler altogether. High-quality, imaginatively prepared, regional French dishes are hard to beat, especially when you can enjoy them in their country of origin.

French ski resorts are renowned for the range and quality of their food establishments, from the fast-food style buffet through to the Michelin-starred restaurant, from traditional Savoyard fare to Chinese, Italian and Spanish to name just a few. In fact, the quality of cuisine is undoubtedly one of the reasons for France’s enduring popularity as a top ski holiday destination. The other reasons, of course, are the excellent pistes and lift networks, and its convenience for British skiers.

Savoyard cuisine, from the high Alps of France, is one of the best-loved regional cuisines in France. It can be described as robust, rich, varied and down-to-earth.  It makes excellent use of local cheeses such as reblochon for authentic dishes such as fondue and tartiflette. Other specialities include the local variations of saucisses (salamis) and patisseries. Val d’Isere boasts many bars and restaurants serving excellent food, from simple snacks to full-scale gourmet feasts.  Additionally it has several first-rate boulangeries and patisseries serving specialties of the region.

This type of cooking is perfect for skiers who have burned off loads of calories during the day and need to refuel before the evening’s entertainment. Combined with a stunning backdrop of alpine scenery or within the cosy ambience of a traditionally built ski chalet, the food takes on a new dimension.

At the same time many lighter options are also available, making good use of fresh local produce. In our chalets, an experienced and imaginative chef will liaise with you to prepare menus to suit your party, including many specialty dishes from around the world. So, much as you may like tartiflette, you don’t need to have it every day (unless you want to, of course!).