Up and away: Skiers should shop around to avoid any pitfalls this ski seasonAt last there's a glimmer of icy-white light at the end of the tunnel. After six long months, the seemingly endless off-season for skiers - stretching from May into November - is finally approaching an end.
And here I have a little confession to make: I just couldn't wait.
In the middle of August, while most people were thinking about beaches, I was pulling on my skis 10,000ft up in the Alps. Outrageous I know. But the skiing at the Swiss resort of Zermatt - on the highest and largest summer skiing glacier in Europe - was great, the quality of the snow excellent.
I rejoiced as I felt that eternally welcome kiss of Alpine breeze on my face and, at the mildly oxygen-starved altitude, in my lungs too!
But back to the new season: what does it hold in store for European skiers?
There's no doubt that skiing has been affected by the economic downturn - just as pretty much every branch of tourism has. Last season, 11 per cent fewer Britons took to the snow than the year before, forcing tour operators to radically downscale their programmes for the coming winter to avoid being lumbered with costs for empty beds and flight seats.
As Mathew Prior, managing director of TUI group's ski brands, including market leader Crystal Ski, Thomson Ski and First Choice, admits: 'This season will be all about consolidation.
'The industry has done well to weather the worst of the downturn with minimum casualties, but more than ever our message is to choose a package with a fully licensed and bonded company and book it early.'
It sounds like wise advice in these unpredictable times. Unforeseeable problems such as the Icelandic volcano eruption, which grounded aircraft for days on end, compounded the difficulties faced by travellers and travel companies last winter.
While most reputable ski package tour operators faced up to their responsibilities and organised fleets of coaches to bring their clients back from the Alps, many independent skiers and snowboarders using scheduled or low-cost airlines were simply stranded and had to stump up extra to stay longer at their destination or swallow the extortionate cost of travelling home using a hire car, taxi or the train.
In uncertain economic times, and with a shrunken holiday market, it is hard to beat the package prices that the immense buying power of tour operators make possible.
Perhaps with the current economic climate in mind, Crystal Ski (www. crystalski.co.uk) has extended its Ski Plus selection of all-inclusive holidays which will help clients control their budgets upfront and, crucially, avoid punitive exchange rates on in-resort expenses such as meals, lift pass and ski hire.
One good example is a seven-night holiday in the four-star Hotel Tenne at the extensive Austrian ski resort of Soll, costing from £599 per person including flights, transfers, breakfast and dinner, lift pass and ski or snowboard hire.
If you prefer to take your own equipment, the deal also offers free carriage. Clients booking online before November 30 can claim an additional six per cent discount.
Many operators are offering similar all-inclusive deals to entice independent travellers away from organising their own holidays, so research should pay off handsomely this season.
So despite the slightly gloomy economic backdrop, there’s no shortage of options out there for the new season.
I intend to exploit them fully, having had my appetite well and truly whetted at Zermatt.
The reliability of snow there attracts many national and regional race teams for summer and autumn training – but there remains a conundrum for individuals who might be looking for good-quality chalets to hire.
The inner sanctum of Zermatt property owners is notoriously xenophobic.
Most are secretive Swiss who would rather leave their places boarded up than lease them to foreign tour operators.
But despite the challenges, Donald Scott, co-director of www.mountainexposure.com, has succeeded
in assembling a portfolio of 14 chalets that his firm manages in Zermatt – with more soon to come.
They range from uber-luxurious contemporary pads to chalets of the quaint, traditional, chocolate-box type. The packages will suit most budgets, with some of the properties available on a full-board basis and others self-catering.
With this enviable selection, Scott seems to have stolen a march on his business rivals in Zermatt, where most outsiders still rely on hotels for their holiday accommodation.
Make a date with explorer Sir Ranulph
The new season will be launched in spectacular style at the Ski and Snowboard Show at London Olympia from October 20 to 24.
Myriad attractions at the show will include the World Resorts Village, where ski areas from all over the world will be represented, with advisers on call to help you make the best choice of skiing destination.
Regular aerial displays from the world's best trick skiers and boarders, along with a showcase of next season's fashions, will get the adrenaline pumping, while the latest gear from Snow+Rock and Ellis Brigham will be on sale in Olympia's one-stop specialist winter sports shop.
A 300-seat theatre will show the latest ski adventure movies and host a series of live talks from people including explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and snowboarding supremo Jenny Jones. For details of opening times, ticket prices and how to get advance tickets, call 0871 230 1100 or visit www.metrosnow.co.uk.
A revamped Ski Club tackles off-piste risks
The Ski Club of Great Britain has teamed up with safety experts to host a series of talks on mountain awareness and avalanche danger.
There is growing concern about the number of skiers and snowboarders venturing off-piste to get their thrills - many without the correct safety equipment or any back-country knowledge or experience - and the number of deaths that occur as a result.
The talks at indoor snow centres across the country will feature crucial advice about the dangers of going off-piste and how to stay safe. There will also be two practical training sessions on how to use avalanche transceivers - vital equipment for locating buried skiers - on beaches at Hayling Island, Hampshire, and Sandbanks in Dorset.
For dates, venues and ticket prices, visit www.skiclub.co.uk.
The sessions are part of a major relaunch for the Ski Club, which has 33,000 members. The club's chief executive, Caroline Stuart-Taylor, said: 'Our relaunch aims success of the club is strengthened to take us through the next era.
'We are a not-for-profit recreational club promoting participation in snow sports, helping people to get more from their time on the slopes while sharing information within our community and providing many benefits, from leadership to a huge range of discounts.'
The Ski Club runs a website offering unrivalled snow reports which attracts more than a million visitors each year. The highly regarded website is also changing, to become a fully functional community-based site, supporting chat rooms and places to share photos, videos and winter sports experiences.
The Ski Club oversees a team of Ski Leaders, who ski with members all winter at 35 resorts around the world. The relaunch has resulted in a new look for them, in the form of a vibrant new blue uniform to replace the old grey-and-green version.
And there's even a new slogan: We're With You All The Way.
source : dailymail
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