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 The Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland is designated as a USESCO World Heritage site with many a good reason. A high, secluded valley almost untouched by time and civilization, it is a dream come true for nature lovers and hikers. But it is also a favoured spot for avid skiers who wish to pursue their avocation during the summer months.
For many of these, the preferred means of transportation to the mountaintops is a helicopter.
On any sunny spring morning there may be dozens of skiers waiting for one of the flights to the heights, and helicopters take off every five minutes, with the noise reverberating off the sheer rock faces of the mountain.
Both residents in the valley and all the environmental groups in the country are now urging the government to restrict or ban the use of helicopters for “unnecessary” trips. Esther Hegglin of Mountain Wilderness, one of the environmental groups decrying the practice of heli-skiing, said that a ban on landing pads in protected wilderness areas would be at least a good first step in reducing the impact of traffic and noise on the peaceful silence of one of the last remaining ‘uncivilized’ spots on Earth. Of the 42 landing sites in Switzerland and France, about half are in protected areas.
There is much controversy regarding the issue, with helicopter companies insisting that heli-skiing is an important part of their business and good for the local economy, and various rescue operations and other interests stating that helicopters are a ‘fact of life’ in many remote areas.
They are useful for delivering food and building supplies (often for new ski resorts) and often essential for rescuing hikers and skiers. This is true, but the argument from protesters makes the point that helicopters are not the only way for skiers to reach their take-off altitude. The attitude is that if it’s worth doing it’s worth some effort, so why not walk?
 This month in France expansion efforts on the Avoriaz ski resort will start in order to create two new districts of resorts, each complete with accommodation complexes.
While this may be enticing, the more exciting part of the expansion may be the fact that Avoriaz is planning to add in a new water park and replace their cable car link between the Morzine valley and the resort with a state of the art lift. A great deal of the development will be complete in time for the winter of 2011.
The new ski resort districts will be named Amara and Crozats and will add a total of nine new residences that offer holiday goers 40 new apartments to choose from when searching for accommodation.
Amara will have two opening stages, one in December of 2011 and another a year later in December of 2012 and will offer a spa centre complete with a swimming pool, a day nursery, Turkish bath and Jacuzzi, and the usual mix of shops, bars, and restaurants.
In September of this year work is also expected to begin on the water park facility, which will be named the ‘Aquariaz’ and have a mountain water park theme with plenty of natural vegetation from the tropics, allowing skiers a chance to experience two drastically different climates in one holiday.
 The La Plagne and Les Arcs French ski resorts are able to offer a great range of mountains and large selection of skiing areas for those who want to take a holiday in Europe and more specifically France.
La Plagne is easily one of the most travelled to ski resorts in Europe, along with the adjoined Les Arcs ski area. Due to the fact that the region gets a large number of visitors on a daily basis, it is no surprise that there are also plenty of accommodations and hotels available to holiday goers.
However, there may be a bit more than are actually required around La Plagne because as a third generation ski resort it is a bit more like Ardous Huxley’s Brave New World when it comes to its architectural style, versus the typical rustic and traditional French designs of the other neighbouring ski resorts.
If you can look past this fault though, there is every type of downhill run, permutation, and runway to take on at La Plagne while skiing from huge glacier glides to downhill runs to small gentle cruises that lead skiers through tree lined avenues and charming villages.
La Plagne currently stretches across ten different ski villages with plans to extend over further than Peisy Vallandry and Montchavin.
Les Arcs has the same amount of excellent slopes to offer visitors with plenty of on and off-piste paths for the adventurous and those who prefer marked trails. Those looking for a challenge often head down the Aigulle Rouge which is not only one of the most challenging areas to ski, but also the start of one of the largest French slopes.
 Niki Sole the Chipping Norton skier returned from the French ski resort of Meribel as the British junior champion and is now looking towards securing a spot on the senior squad of the next Winter Olympics that will take place in four years in Russia.
At 19, Sole who resides in the Over Norton village to the North of Chipping Norton won both the giant slalom and downhill races at the Meribel British Junior Championships.
Additionally, she placed second in the slalom and super giant slalom leading her to win the overall first place ranking in the Junior 2 category that is for skiers that are under the age of 21.
In addition to winning the junior title, she also has earned a ranking equivalent to winning third place in the senior level of championships.
Sole stated that she is over the moon about her final finish and that her work has paid off now after spending most of her winter and a great deal of her summer skiing.
Both her parents are Andorra ski instructors which mean that Sole has been skiing according to her pretty much ever since she could walk.
However, she said that her achievements could not have happened within the support of the West Oxfordshire District Council who has helped her with funding towards accommodation and travel.
Sole also has been backed by the Chipping Norton Nexus Community Gym who has offered her access to the centre at all times so that she can stay fit while off the slopes.
 Attempting to jump into a snow sport such as snowboarding or skiing can be hard, which is why choosing a starting plate such as cross country skiing may be a better transitional sport. This is due to the fact that cross country skiing can help build up your endurance levels and allow you to better adjust to activities that take place in colder weather.
While cross country skiing, it is a good idea to wear a digital watch so that you can time how long you can continue skiing without a break and week by week you can see your body grow stronger as your time increases.
Once you graduate from cross country skiing, downhill skiing can help improve your balance and flexibility while at the same time toning your legs and building your abdominal strength without straining your tendons, joints, and back. In fact, depending on the type of skiing activity you choose a day on the slopes can burn around 600 calories per hour.
Before hitting the slopes, however, there are a few safety tips that you should keep in mind. To begin, with you always want to make sure that you wear the proper safety gear including a ski helmet which should be a top priority.
Also, you should take care to make sure you sure you stay hydrated properly throughout the day because on the slopes it is quite likely you will notice that you are becoming dehydrated until it is too late.
 As winter slowly melts away most skiers are probably starting to look towards next year’s ski holiday potential. If you are thinking about next year after a wonderful year skiing this year, it may be time to think about booking your ski holidays in advance for 2011 to ensure you get the best of the best on the slopes.
Those who want to travel to France for their next holiday would be wise to check out some new runs that will be open in 2011 at some of the top resort locations.
Meribel in the French Alps is a great place to ski if you want to get quickly onto the slopes without too much hassle due to the fact that the Chambery airport is close by allowing you to grab a quick bus transfer and be on the slopes in very little time.
There is plenty to see once on the Meribel slopes as well since there are about 330 ski runs within the region and plenty of heli-skiing, snowboarding, and off-piste opportunities. Also available are plenty of outside activities that are both family orientated and perfect for those who enjoy a bit of après ski during their ski holidays.
Part of the charm of travelling to Meribel is the fact that it is the oldest snowpark in the Les 3 Vallees and is found directly in the heart of the valley allowing for easy access to 600km of trails for all levels of skiers. Toss in the fact that there are 174 ski lifts and you can see why it is the perfect location for a jam packed ski holiday.
 Those who enjoy skiing may want to take note of a new environmental threat, melting snowcaps in the Alps, which may drastically reduce the amount of snow days that occur each year
According to research from the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, the Alps are now warming at a rate that is more than three times the global average which has caused snow days to fall to their lowest yearly average in the last two decades. The Institute predicts that if the melting keeps up in fifty years any ski resort that is below 1,200m will not have enough snow to stay open.
In response, many ski resorts are going green by utilizing environmentally safe equipment such as the Val Thorens resort in France which uses hydroelectric energy to power its lifts. The resort has also planted around 200,000 trees over the last two decades.
Les Arcs which is also located in France, has also taken some steps to preserve nature such as banning cars from the resort area and burying all of its power cables. Additionally, the topsoil on the slopes is replaced with Alpine grass that reduces the amount of fake snow that needs to be produced.
The French resort is also trying to entice visitors for reasons outside of skiing such as paragliding, biking, hiking, and rock climbing in an effort to increase the versatility of the resort location.
Developers are also now looking at resorts by proposing new initiatives that will help sustain the environment so that the projects have a better long term outlook.
 Many people head off to late season skiing due to the many holiday deals that pop up in March and April as well as the large snowfalls that continue to keep the pistes along the Alps fresh. Many people also make the mistakes of skipping the spring months of skiing assuming that the slopes will not be in proper condition, but the slopes are actually quiet and welcoming full of fresh powder that is arguably the best of the entire ski season.
With this in mind, there are several French resorts that are coated with fresh powder throughout the spring months and extremely welcoming breaks from the British rain. One of them is the Val d’Isere which also holds an Adventure and Discovery Film Festival from April 19th thru April 22nd allowing you to get twice as much in during your ski holiday.
The festival shows 11 documentary films that range in length and topic and showcase the most extreme sports out there. If you book with Snowline you get seven nights at a chalet that can sleep six for the duration of the ski holiday/documentary festival starting at £695 per person.
Another great place to visit is the Paradiski area which combines the large French resorts La Plagne and Les Arcs via a double-decker cable car. Not only is it one of the largest ski areas across the globe, but during the spring on April 2nd you can also catch the Ventilo Fest which is a mix of reggae, ska, and dance and can be the sugar on top of your ski holiday.
 Off piste trails, high altitude skiing, and overall wonderful conditions are all reasons that Chamonix in France is an amazing resort location to head out to for spring ski holiday.
At Chamonix around 90% of all the ski areas are at altitudes above 2000m, which allows most trails to stay open and skiable well into the late spring. In fact, the trails of the Grands Montets which surround the Chamonix resort offer piste heights of 3300m, which is why annually Chamonix is the last ski resort to close with a final ski date of May 9th.
Up in the mountains, every April shower brings fresh powder not rain, so before you put your skis away consider making it out for one last ski holiday. In fact, spring is one of the best times to experience Chamonix due to its 20km Vallee Blanche piste and many backcountry trails that take adventurous skiers all around the valley area.
Those who do not have a lot of ski experience or families with small children also find that spring is the best time to hit the slopes because of milder conditions and a wider array of activities off piste.
For example, the Chamonix resort area boosts an ice rink, indoor swimming pool, indoor tennis courts, dog sleigh rides, an English cinema, and a bowling alley. The mild conditions also make it the perfect time to explore the Chamonix resort by heading off on one of the many valley hiking trails or simply heading into the city to check out the active après ski activities.
 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.
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The Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland is designated as a USESCO World Heritage site with many a good reason. A high, secluded valley almost untouched by time and civilization, it is a dream come true for nature lovers and hikers. But it is also a favoured spot for avid skiers who wish to pursue their avocation during the summer months.
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