France Ski Bargains - Skiing Holidays in France » Ski Equipment and safety

Apres ski mountain cleaning begins

Alan — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:16:00 +0000

A project took place May 29^th and May 30^th that aims to show that although a large portion of snow has disappeared from the Alps, there is still enough of the white fluff laying around for a proper ski holiday.

An increasing number of resorts do not make their sole earnings from regular summer tourism, but instead also rely on the money that summer ski holidays bring in as well. In order to do so, they must make sure that the winter tourists do not leave their mess behind when the summer holiday goers start to show up, which is why the resorts soon will be tasked with the job of picking up everything skiers have tossed away.

Mountain Riders of France is working the Summit Foundation in order to clean up the Alps with Thomas Allement the project leader of the Summit Foundation stating that the primary objective is to pick up as much trash as they can find to clean up the mountains.

The second aim of the project is to make people more aware of the effects that their casual littering can have on the environment from cigarette butts to plastic, cans, and glasses.

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Brit already able to walk again after horrific January ski accident

Alan — Tue, 25 May 2010 04:32:11 +0000

Adam Bailey, a 41 year old former ski instructor, was in the middle of a lads’ holiday at the Alpe d-Huez, France ski resort when he slipped on a patch of ice at top speed on a red run, causing him to fly 50 ft into the air landing on a tarmac road, instantly breaking his neck.

Generally, this type of injury along with his other injuries, which included snapping his spine, two fingers, his knees, blood clothing in his throat, and breaking his wrist would have meant certain death.

Instead, an air ambulance rushed him to Grenoble where he received as much treatment as possible, and spent a month in a coma until he finally woke up in February following open heart surgery on the day of his ski accident, January 25^th.

In March he arrived back in the UK, and spent three more weeks in the hospital until he was able to go home on April 13^th.

Today, Bailey cannot remember much from the accident, stating that all he remembers is being in pieces after landing and that it took an extremely long time for them to get him into the helicopter.

He stated that he is aware that is lucky to be alive and that most of his physicians are surprised at his recovery and he hopes to continue to keep making strides forward.

His wife added that they did not think he would ever be able to speak again, let alone walk and after believing he would die they are very hopeful and amazed.

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Ski helmets are not an optional extra

Alan — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:27:50 +0000

Those who are thinking about heading to a ski resort for their next holiday are encouraged to wear a ski helmet at all times following the death of a British women on a beginner’s slope in Austria.

Mother of three 46 year old Tracy Boland suffered fatal injuries when she hit a 23 year old woman on the slopes both of which were not wearing helmets prompting experts to call for the introduction of new safety rules.

Helmet sales already have risen following the celebrity death of Natasha Richardson after she fell at the Mont Tremblant Ski Resort during a lesson in Quebec.

After this tragedy and other accidents throughout Austria the authorities of the country are already considering making helmets a regulation for everyone who hits the slopes. Children are already required to wear a helmet while skiing.

Ski Club of Great Britain member Al Morgan stated that they would like to encourage people to look at research surrounding ski helmet use and consider making an informed decision even though at the moment adults have the decision if they want to wear one or not.

Austrian Ski Federation member Josef Schmid stated that all skiers should wear helmets due to advances in ski technology which means that those who are inexperienced may be at a greater risk on the slopes because they allow people to glide down the slopes at a faster rate.

A Calgary, Canada study showed that when helmets are used there is a reduction in the risk of head injury.

France sees most ski insurance claims New research from the Post Office Travel Insurance shows that...

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France sees most ski insurance claims

Alan — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:32:46 +0000

New research from the Post Office Travel Insurance shows that about half of all claims originated from France. Following France were Italy, Bulgaria, Austria, and Switzerland.

Even though most of these regions are in Europe, the research also showed that 28% of people do not think about buying travel insurance if they are planning holidays that take place in Europe.

One reason that many people may avoid purchasing travel insurance for holidays in Europe is because they inaccurately believe that their European Insurance Card (EHIC) will cover them for any required medical treatment.

Although it may seem that this is the truth, in most countries and even more so at ski resorts travellers are taken to a private clinic for medical treatment following an accident which is not covered by the EHIC.

Head of the Post Office Travel Insurance agency, Rachel Croft, stated that most people do not think there are as many risks while travelling in Europe even when skiing versus countries outside of the union but all winter sports are high risk activities and travel insurance is vital.

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French resorts get the worst of the weekend storms

Alan — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:49:42 +0000

A devastating storm hurling winds of 100 kmh with gusts up to 200 kmh swept across Western Europe this past weekend. Most of the 50 or more fatalities occurred in France, and most were drownings due to storm surge combined with high spring tides. Though not quite as fierce as the 1999 storm named Lothar, a great deal of damage was incurred in parts of Portugal, Spain and Germany as well as France.

Airports cancelled flights and many railways and motorways in the region are severely damaged and still out of service. The hurricane-force winds also did considerable damage to many Pyrenees ski resorts. The Secretary General of the Hautes-Pyrenees prefecture in southwestern France has estimated that some resorts may have sustained as much as 80% damage to lifts and other facilities.

Skiing may be over for the season at Huatacam Resort; if you have already made plans you need to contact the reservations office. Val Louron has only 30 percent of its lifts in operation, but plans to remain open for the remainder of the season.

Peyragudes plans to reopen in the next few days, but with half of its equipment and all of its snow canons lost, some of the runs will be inaccessible. Superbagneres lost all its lifts, and the cable car between there and Luchon was destroyed; however the resort also plans to reopen this week.

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Four new pocket size French piste guides

Alan — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:50:27 +0000

In four new Snowfinder guidebooks due to be published in February expert skiers reveal the secrets of the largest ski areas in France.

The guidebooks are designed for mountain use and are pocket sized. They cover around 2,000km of pistes found in the largest French ski areas of Espace Killy, Paradiski, Les Trois Vallees, and Portes de Soleil.

They were put together by a team of snowboarders and expert skiers that were selected for their familiarity with each resort and include individual descriptions of every run combined with full colour piste maps to enable skiers that want to plan their days on the slopes.

Among those on the team of writers are world mogul champion Eric Berthon, mogul skier Fabien Bertrand , the BBC presenter Graham Bell, Hugh Hutchinson, and Alain Baxter the Olympic medallist. Each member of the team has also tossed in their insider’s tops on where the best mountain restaurants, powder, and après ski can be found.

Guide publisher, Nick Rink, stated that he has lost count of the many times he has watched piste maps fall apart on people which is where the concept for the guidebooks was born.

According to Rink, the focus of the guide has been to help skiers get around the world class resorts with a guide that easily slides safely into a pocket so that electronic devices such as mobile can be left off the mountain safely in a resort room.

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What do you need from a ski instructor?

Alan — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:30:18 +0000

Finding a qualified ski instructor can be tough if you are new to skiing because you do not know exactly what to expect out the experience as a whole, let alone from your instructor. To help you out, here are the three qualities that you need to look for to make sure that your choice is right and the money is worth it.

First of all, you should ask to find out if the person is certified and qualified to offer you guidance. Continuous training is a must to make sure that the ski instructor is giving you the best advice possible and not just their personal preferences.

Often new equipment guidelines and safety tips come in to force, which means that you will want a teacher who is ahead of the game and able to offer you the best and up to date instruction.

Second, you should observe how they teach different levels of skiers to see how well they teach all skiers across the board. Keep in mind that just because you are a beginner today eventually you will be an advanced skier. When that time comes, it will be nice to stick with the same instructor as when you were a novice. Additionally, the ability to work with varied levels of skiers shows that they enjoy mentoring, which means they will be a better instructor overall.

Finally, you need to talk to the instructor on your own and decide if you like their personality. You will learn better if your instructor is positive and upbeat, thus these two qualities are a requirement if you want to get the most out of your lessons.

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Advanced skiing is helped by physical fitness

Alan — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:24:39 +0000

After purchasing a new set of skis most people dream of gliding down long runs with meticulous and elegant turns. Once you return from the dream and start to pay attention to the trail again you may soon notice a sign pointing left with a blue square and a sign pointing right with a black diamond. At this point you have to decide which way to turn.

Most intermediate skiers will stick to the left fork given it is easier and it is hard to advance onto the level of a black diamond trail, however, if you know the keys to jumping up a skill level next time you come to this impasse you can head off onto the black diamond trail instead.

Although black diamond trails can be intimidating, a large part of taking on the monster run is re-setting over your mind and body. Of course you will need to be physically up for the challenge, but a large part of becoming an advanced skier actually has to do with metal preparation.

In order to make the turn you need to be ready to think quick, adjust your speeds, adjust your balance, and rapidly shift your radiance without losing control. Of course, there are a few things you will still need to do to get your body in shape as well.

When it comes to your body, you need to make sure that your thighs, knees, hips, and abdomen are up for the challenge since this where most of your energy will be exerted. Thus, you may have to prepare by following a ski fitness routine that involves mobility, stretching, and endurance training.

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Don’t drink and ski campaign

Alan — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:49:42 +0000

Every year Brit’s head off the slopes looking for a mixture of skiing and alcoholic lunches but every year as a result a few dozen return to Britain hurt or even dead.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has decided to launch a new campaign that aims to target holiday makers with the message ‘don’t drink and ski’ to reduce the amount of people killed out of the country on the slopes of Italy, Switzerland and particularly France,

As part of the campaign new posters will be hung at popular ski resorts, airports, and stations that warn Britons of the dire effects of alcohol at high altitudes and that slower reaction times on the slopes can lead to incidents that will destroy a holiday.

The problem was brought to light by a new study by the government that showed about 33% of all skiers under the age of 25 were involved in accidents that were caused by drinking while on ski holidays.

The Lyons France, British consulate stated that every year there are about 30 Britons under the age of 25 who die in the French Alps.

Head of Albertville hospital orthopaedic surgery in the Alps, Nedjib Benammar, stated the majority of skiing accidents happen after lunch time with fatigue or alcohol consumption playing the largest role. He proposed that a limit be placed on skiers in the same way that drink driving is illegal.

Currently in France the only law that exists is that if a skier causes an accident while drunk they can be prosecuted.

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