Blog

Greetings from Aspen/Snowmass,

Aspen/Snowmass skiers and snowboarders gave thanks to the snow gods this morning waking up to over 8 inches of powder. Crowds gathered at the base while ski patrol controlled the heavy snow that fell over night and into the late morning. Yeah!

Dear Lianne,In Val d’Isère, the snow report is very optimistic just 5 days before the season begins. Thanks to recent heavy snowfalls, Val d’Isère has 50 cm of snow in the resort and 2 metres at 3000 m offering excellent skiing conditions in the Espace Killy this week-end. Have a look at our webcams (http://www.valdisere.com/gb/pictoflash/webcam/webcam.php). The majority of the slopes will be open as of Saturday, November 29th. Val d’Isère is one of the first European resorts to open.
Astrid - Office du Tourisme

REMEMBER that our fantastic Aspen Snowmass Snow Holiday Prize worth NZ$15,000 closes 20th of August!!!!

Enter NOW via our Home Page Entry Form.
www.skitraveller.co.nz
 

My first ever ski holiday would you believe; Wengen.
Antoine and I decided to go on a 4 day vacation . We were thinking about going to somewhere warm but in the end thought a ski holiday would be just what we needed…We went to Wengen, Switzerland. A very old , laid back but fancy ski town. no cars , just trams and trains . You leave your car down in the valley and take a 30 min train ride up to Wengen, already an experience of its own I must say. I almost got the giggles and thought any minute I would see Heidi wave from the distance….
We stayed in hotel Regina , one of the oldest Hotels, still family run and know for their cuisine. a french chef would you believe who on the last evening allowed us to eat in the kitchen while he prepared a magnificent meal , well I stopped counting the dishes and just enjoyed the amazing food . I couldn’t believe how organised all the cooks were and how calm the atmosphere was. When you think about how many people they cook for and not just cook , it is more like art if you catch my drift. Definitely the place to go in Wengen for tradition, outstanding food, amazing rooms or at least we stayed in one but we might have been lucky as it was newly renovated and the bath was sooo cool. I wanted to take it home but you know , its not something you can smuggle out of the hotel that easily… 
Here are a few shots from the 4 days, great skiing, relaxing lunches and simply amazing times and yes I went back home rejuvenated but just that little bit more chubby… oh well ! 
Claudia

The Verbier High 5  Best event of the year…. Beginning of  April, fresh snow and excellent snow conditions and most of all blue sky all day long!
 

The Carlsberg Verbier HIgh 5  is a very prestigious event for some of the best racers and ex racers in the world.  It’s all abot having fun and celebrating the end of the season with the public through a very special and fun event.

All day there are different competitions and mots of all the  carlsber apres ski in the evening of the event…

This year it was fantastic, amazing competitors, great atmosphere, awesome parties etc  

The public can sign up and race as well in the different discilines while watching the best of the world, The events were a GS to start with, a speed track, skiercross, dual slalom and a fun race with toboggans and running up a short hill and a final sprint with an elastic cord around the hips to finally reach the well deserved Carlsberg beer, what a laugh.
They also had 2 large wooden jacuzzis up on the deck of the Carlsberg hutt which some of the competitors used to cool down or warm up, depends, we were definetely all a happy crowd  as you can imagine; Just to mention some of the competitors who were present that day, Julia Mancuso, Lindsay Vonn, Marco Büchel, Didier Cuche, Antoine Dneriaz, Franzi Aufdenblatten, Chimmey Alcott, Didier Defago, Axel Lund Svindal, Daniel Albrecht and a funny looking retired kiwi girl called Claudia….
You can check out the link on http://www.verbierhighfivebycarlsberg.com 

If you are in Verbier next year around that time, sign up. its a real fun day for everybody!!See you there next year…

Claudia

The Ice Hotel in Northern Sweden….can you believe this was a work trip!!! What an experience.

Everything from raindeer sled races, lasso throwing, the freezing cold, very red cheeks, amazing food, the icehotel, helicopter rides , the Northern Lights, great company and all in all a successful event.

Organised by the ISPO and Recco the company I work for was one of the partners…

It is definitely worth a trip, far north , bloody cold but simply amazing and yes I do believe that father xmas lives there but I didn’t see Rudolph in the end even though I did have a race raindeer, well before it decided to stop in the middle of the track to let everyone pass, probably because once again I got the giggles as you have to yell in a high pitch voice “hey hey” or “ho ho” ….I am not kidding, well I think it is quite natural to burst out into laughter… anyway, to cut a long story short in the final sprint it did get going again and it was close but I dont think we won, what a laugh. They are wonderful creatures and very special so are the huskies, wow they make such a noise, its unbelievable…

It was a simply fantastic and braeathtaking experience, an experience of its own. check out www.icehotel.com
Claudia

Ciao,

My favourite run this year was defineietly in Champery, Port au soleil, Suisse, in March.  
Check out www.champery.com

It was just after Easter and it had snowed for 3 days straight. Amazing powder above the knees everywhere and not a soul out and about off piste.

I hadn’t skied powder like that for a while and had such a blast. The weather was kind of shocking but once out there it doesn’t really matter as long as you have the right gear… Can never be well enough equipped these days, it makes all the difference. Well I was equipped with great skis, clothing, a nice Merino neckwarmer which I pulled up to my nose and most importantly a big smile on my face which of course nobody could see …but definitely feel. What a blast!!

We had too much fun and were in a hurry to get in just one more run before the lifts closed so unfortunately I have no pictures of that day, only in my mind.  

See you there,

Claudia