As the spring/summer sun threatens to break through the long-standing cloud and rain, sales are bound to hit specialist ski and winter sports shops, prompting many to consider buying last season’s lower-priced kit and equipment. Here I give my opinion on what to buy for next year’s ski trip.

Firstly, I will highlight the pieces of equipment/skiwear that I believe are essential to own yourself – and the order in which I would recommend building up your kit collection: (More info on pricing etc can be found on a previous blog entry at http://www.powdernshine.com/essential-equipment-for-a-first-time-skier/786/)

• Ski pants/jacket (buy)

This is mostly from a fashion/recognisability point of view, and many perennial skiers/snowboarders like to change their basic look as often as possible (maybe by having a couple of outfits at once), but for a beginner on the slopes, it is important to feel comfortable and happy with your “look”. It is possible, of course, to borrow these items of apparel, but with shops like TK Maxx widely available and selling well-priced items of clothing, you can kit yourself out reasonably cheaply.

• Gloves (buy)

A very personal item of clothing – some people prefer standard gloves, others mittens which are often warmer – I would never want to share or borrow gloves from someone else. These are like a pair of comfortable shoes that to a certain degree mould to your hands. You can team warm, waterproof outer gloves with thin base-layer gloves (the more technical of which now come with a finger pad for use on touch-screen smartphones!) if you are prone to having cold hands.

• Thermal(s)/Base layer (buy)

Not an item you would want to share or borrow, these can be found quite reasonably in large sports shops.

• Helmet (rent first)

From this point on, my advice would be to rent initially, then to buy when you are sure you have something that fits, suits your style of riding and that you like. Most ski shops have a reasonable range of helmets that you can try out – either for your week’s skiing holiday, or just in the shop to ensure you find one that fits well. Initially most manufacturers tended
to create more neutral colours such as silver, black and white, but these days you can almost match a helmet to any colour combination of your clothing.

• Boots (rent for your first couple of holidays)

The most important part of your larger outlay on equipment – more so for skiers than ‘boarders as ‘board boots tend to be more comfortable and slightly less crucial in overall performance. Hire boots are fine for learning the basics of snow sports, but once you are sure that you will return as often as possible, you should invest in a pair of boots. You can get great deals for boots online, though this can be risky and my strong advice if buying online would be to try the boots on in-store to make sure you get the right-fitting boots before considering an online purchase. Certain manufacturers cater for particular shapes and sizes of feet – for example Atomic now have a (ski) boot specifically designed for wider feet (the Atomic B range), Dalbello, Head and Fischer also have a good selection for wider feet, whilst Lange, Scarpa and Solomon are known for typically making (ski) boots for narrower feet.

Finally, for those buying ski boots, I would recommend considering buying specialist footbeds. Some boots these days come with a slightly mouldable in-sole in the boot itself, but boot-fitters such as Armando Podo in Les Menuires or Sole Boot Lab in Chamonix can build highly personalised footbeds that ensure your feet are held in the correct position, reducing injuries and ensuring most comfort.

• Skis/Board (rent first, buy later)

And so to the holy grail for ski equipment junkies – the decks themselves. I hear countless hyperbole about whether you should buy your own skis/board, with the pro “you only need to use them 3 times for the costs to be covered versus renting” and the con “but technology changes so much that next year they’ll be out of date”.

Quite honestly, I tend to agree with both, though I do congratulate the manufacturers on how much the general public seem to think technology evolves year on year.

When deciding on whether or not to buy the skis or board, you should first examine the purpose of a potential investment – do you ski more than 2 or 3 weeks per year? Have you had bad experiences with the price/quality of equipment from hire shops in the past? Do you have a particular discipline that you would like to focus on that dictates that you will require certain equipment (off-piste/park/touring etc.)? If any of the above apply (are you sure?!), you should try to find a shop that will let you test out equipment (for a small fee if you do not end up making the purchase) before making a final decision. Then you can let the sales people give you all the information about cambers, rockers, edges and flex (boards); rockers, shovels, twin tips and width underfoot (skis).

The most important thing to consider if you are testing out equipment is whether or not you have enjoyed using that particular piece of kit. Many more people than would probably care to admit it buy stuff simply because it is new and/or they like the colour. Sure, what it looks like is important, but it should not cloud your judgement on ensuring the basic spec you are looking for (off- vs on-piste, freestyle vs classic style, more rigid vs more flexible).

My final word of advice would be to always try to push for a discount – shops have a bit of a degree of flex that they can show in pricing up equipment – you should always at least ask if they could go any lower – £20 or £30 can buy you a few drinks to wet the head of your flash newequipment!

Upon reflection, it can be said the season was a resounding success: the weather was extraordinary (in a good way!) – up to a point in mid-January there had been 4 times the average snowfall for that same time period, and the sun had its hat on for more days than it didn’t; the staff recruited by Powder N Shine were excellent – both a pleasure to work with and also greatly appreciated by guests; and finally to the guests themselves, who were exceptional – we welcomed back numerous guests who had stayed with us in the previous season and we hope to welcome back many that we met for the first time this winter.

During the season there were many highlights and memorable moments, some of which are mentioned below:

- Amazing off-piste days on La Masse, off Cime Caron in Val Thorens and on the Bouchet glacier

- Fireworks displays in the village (thanks Gary)

- Injuries were kept to a minimum amongst guests this year, but the staff more than made up for this with Brendan (cracked 2 ribs, concust, broke thumb and snapped ligament), Tiff (badly sprained ankle 1 week into the season) and Rich (as yet not fully identified knee injury rendering said knee unable to straighten completely) all regulars at the Menuires physio surgery – thank you Jacques!

- Party tricks involving pannacottas (Tom V-J you were trumped by another guest, Russ, I’m afraid)

- Craziness at Folie Douce, including one slightly less memorable return leg after one or two too many drinks

- Fantastic lunches with our friends and family in La Fruitiere on more than one occassion!

- Last but not least, there was the small matter of Brendan asking Tiff to marry him on her 25^th birthday at the piste-side
restaurant L’Ours Blanc (to which she replied in the affirmative!)

This last point brings us nicely to the announcement we are delighted to make that Brendan and Tiff will be re-joining us again for the winter season 2012/13. This is great news not only for the taste buds of those staying in Le Chamois where the award-winning chef will remain posted, but also for families coming to stay with Powder N Shine who will be able to exploit Tiff’s considerable childcare skills (dependent on her availability!) once again.

Brendan and Francesca will also be releasing their first Powder N Shine recipe book this year (come on publishers you know you want us!) We will keep you posted on any developments!

So finally to a big thank you for all involved with Powder N Shine this winter – guests, staff, suppliers (mostly!), promoters (you know who you are!) and anyone else that has contributed to a wonderful season 2. Roll on season 3 (albeit after a bit of a summer break!!).

Steve and Francesca

Not only is there plenty of snow on the mountains at the moment, it is snowing heavily now and we are due another 50cm on Thursday with 20-30cm either side of Thursday!

Have a look at our trusty snow forecasting website provided by http://www.welove2ski.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=530&id=228

We do have some availability left in January still so please visit our special offers page to make the most of a fantastic deals that we have out there at the moment which include prices from £315pp – BOOK BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

francesca@powdernshine.com +44 845 163 7596

The fantastic offer we made the most of was the €25 per person lunchtime offer, which is aimed at “lovers of skiing and gastronomy”. This three course delight was attentively served, with each course clearly well thought through and tasty in its own right. The starter, a “fromage de tete”, essentially a terrine with vegetables, was delightful – the horseradish quenelle which came with it providing a lovely hint of heat to accompany the ample supply of bread.

The main course of roast pork en croute with a light and fluffy pomme puree was also delicious, and the extensive wine list provided a beautiful Chassagne Montrachet Premier Cru, which went excellently with all courses (albeit at no small extra cost!).

Interestingly, the final course was something of a 1990s throwback of a Swiss roll! In this case, however, it was made with wild strawberries and accompanied by a very good crème anglaise, which finished the meal with aplomb – not to mention the multiple petits fours which came afterwards.

All in all, Powder N Shine would be delighted to recommend this little restaurant to our guests, which can be reached in little over an hour from the village.

The route we took was the following, which took us about an hour and half:

Roc des 3 Marches 2 chairlift from Les Menuires. Take  ‘Mouflon’ down to Mottaret -  a red run that turns into a blue into Mottaret. Take the Pas du Lac 1 bubble to the midway station, from where you can ski a blue run called ‘Chardonneret’  down to the (slow but pretty) Loze chairlift, which takes you over to La Tania. At the top of Loze, take the black run called Dou des Lanches which brings you to a choice of blue or red runs down to La Tania village, where you can eat and drink very well indeed!

Fantastic conditions all over the alps at the moment and I can vouch for the Three Valleys. Despite there being some serious snowfall on a daily basis, and hence the visibility not perfect, who are we to complain?! After a horrendous lack of snow last year, this is simply beautiful and there is a fantastic amount on and off the pistes, which bodes well for a great winter season in Reberty Village!

We have a a few beds left for New Year at an amazing price for the late bargain hunter – 8 nights from December 30th – Jan 7th for only £500pp.

I have managed to get out a couple of times, and here are a few snaps of the snow conditions:

The girls waiting for the boys

There is snow ALL week in Reberty Village, Three Valleys and there is no doubt that the pistes will be open for business, so for those of you who started to panic, there is no need to anymore

Here are some pictures from this morning and I will post more this evening after more snow!

Come and stay with Powder N Shine this winter and make the most of some fantastic early skiing offers!

As anyone who has skied in their life knows, the first time can be extremely daunting – and that is before you even see any snow! Many first-time skiers are unsure of what essentials they will need to buy, beg, borrow or steal before making their way to the snowy mountains, so Powder N Shine have put together a list of basics to aid the novice skier before departure:

• Ski jacket

These are very warm, but breathable jackets that often contain a number of pockets for things such as lift pass, iPod, wallet, snack bars etc. Classic makes are brands such as The North Face, Helly Hansen and Spyder, while at the trendier end of the spectrum you have the likes of Burton, Quiksilver (Roxy) and Oakley. Branded jackets can be as expensive as £400 (Snow & Rock is a good place to start), whilst budget brands such as Dare2Be (in TKMaxx or online) can start at just £35.

• Ski pants (also known as salopettes)

Made by the same manufacturers as jackets, ski pants are warm, but often zip-vented for comfort in warmer conditions. Again they often have multiple pockets for storage and are fully waterproofed. Prices are similar to jackets and of course, all the rage of late are the combined one-piece suits or “onesies” as an homage to the 1980s piste-style, though I wouldn’t recommend these for absolute beginners.

• Ski gloves

Hands are one of the first places to feel the cold, and a good pair of gloves are essential. This needn’t mean breaking the bank, but the best gloves (or the even-warmer mittens) are fleece-lined and can cost in the region of £80-100 from the same sort of retailers as the above merchandise.

• Thermals

Thermal base layers are definitely required when it is cold, but most people wear them all of the time on the slopes. You can buy lycra-style fitted base layers these days – known as compression garments (e.g. Nike Pro or Under Armour), whilst the older-fashioned undergarments are more cotton style thermals. For thermals, you should budget from around £30.
Thermal ski socks are also vital and can be snapped up for about £7 per pair.

• Goggles (and/or sunglasses)

For novice skiers, goggles are a good way of protecting the eyes (a must) from the cold, the glare of the sun and wind. Virtually interchangeable with sunglasses, goggles are more compatible with helmets – which are essential for learning to ski, but can be hired for the week – but a pair of sunglasses is preferable at lunchtime.

Goggles begin at around £20.

• Layers

Many skiers like to wear around 4 layers, including the items mentioned above, so it is important to have enough clothes. A standard person might wear a thermal base layer, a t-shirt, then a fleece/hoodie and then their ski jacket. It is necessary, therefore, to bring a suitable number of each on a skiing holiday, for example one thermal layer, a number of t-shirts, one or two long-sleeved fleeces and a ski jacket. Thermals and ski pants usually suffice for the bottom half.

• Scarf/snood

In colder weather, the face can feel rather exposed, so it is a good idea to have a scarf or snood at the ready to keep your neck, chin and sometimes nose a bit toastier!

These are the basics of what you are likely to need. Once you have done a few weeks’ skiing, I would suggest the next thing to consider is buying your own ski boots as these are the most personal item of skiing equipment, and should be tailored to your own feet. However, at first you should ensure you enjoy the sport and want to do it regularly before forking out £300+ on a pair of ski boots! Hire shops tend to have very up-to-date boots which are plenty good enough for you to get your ski legs and the same can be said for the equipment they stock. Only when you have truly caught the ski bug should you start to look at buying all the kit.

Having then well and truly succumbed to the snowsports bug, I went again a couple of years later. The budget had slightly increased, so this time the accommodation of choice was a catered, shared chalet, albeit in the somewhat unattractive Tignes Les Brevieres. Once again, this was marvellous.

Since those days, I have been to various places and stayed in essentially all types of accommodation, including: Whistler (stayed in a condo owned by a friend of my brother); Val D’Isere (hotel in Sainte Foy); Alpe D’Huez (self-catered apartment with a large group of friends – miles from the nearest lift!) and Mayrhofen (chalet-hotel). These trips were all extremely enjoyable in their own ways and have given me a good insight into what to look
for in terms of accommodation.

However, my most recent ski trip before undertaking Powder N Shine was a work’s ski trip in a catered chalet – the destination: Reberty Village in the Three Valleys. To my absolute delight, there was no bus to the nearest ski lift or piste. There was no lengthy walk, lugging equipment on my shoulder to the closest patch of skiable snow (I can only imagine the horror of having to walk around a resort: a) in ski boots, b) with a group of children or c) both!). Instead, the morning routine involved merely booting up, walking out of the door to the piste which was a matter of 20 metres and going! Add to that the fact that from the afore-mentioned piste I was able to ski to a number of fast and efficient lifts that give access to the whole Three Valleys and the prospect of ever staying in non ski-in/ski out accommodation was instantly vetoed.

Finally, I had discovered the pure joy of staying in accommodation right next to the piste. Add in the option of being cooked for in a beautiful catered chalet, cleaned up after and basically pampered all evening, and I believe you have all the ingredients for the perfect ski trip. These elements make up the basis of Powder N Shine and we strive to excel in every part of our service provision, with excellent food and wine, personal service – given that we run the business ourselves and unparalleled access to the world’s largest skiing area, the Three Valleys, from Reberty Village based at an altitude of 2000m.

As an aside, I will offer my opinion (for what it is worth) on the subject of ski-in/ski-out accommodation; I believe that this exists only when you can ski to and, perhaps more importantly, from the chalet/village to a ski lift or number of ski lifts. Being in the vicinity of a ski lift, for example at the bottom of a run somewhere near a lift, does not class as ski-in/ski-out (it is merely ski-in!). Therefore, having seen some accommodation providers that falsely claim to be ski-in/ski-out, my advice to people looking for accommodation would be to really ensure that this aspect is fully explored prior to booking, so as to avoid being disappointed.

Steve

]]> http://www.powdernshine.com/the-joy-of-staying-in-a-catered-chalet-which-is-ski-in-ski-out/752/feed/ 0 http://www.powdernshine.com/pre-xmas-short-breaks-from-150-pp-in-reberty-great-discounts-on-ski-passes/739/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pre-xmas-short-breaks-from-150-pp-in-reberty-great-discounts-on-ski-passes http://www.powdernshine.com/pre-xmas-short-breaks-from-150-pp-in-reberty-great-discounts-on-ski-passes/739/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:20:55 +0000 Francesca http://www.powdernshine.com/?p=739 Skiing before Christmas is a real treat! We have some fantastic deals pre-Christmas available in our Reberty  chalets inbetween December 3rd – 16th 2011. We have short breaks (3 or 4 nights) available but we are also quite flexible if the dates we are offering are not convenient for you.

Last year, the snow in the first two weeks of the season was very good, thanks to our high altitude in Reberty and we hence benefit from some excellent conditions throughout the season.

There are some great deals to be found with ski passes at this time of the year, so a 6-day Three Valley pass will cost you 157 Euros (3rd - 9th December) or 181 Euros (10th – 16th December) as opposed to 241 Euros normally!

To check availability and dates for the short breaks in Reberty Village, please visit: http://www.powdernshine.com/prices-availability/special-offers/

We have a great feeling about the snow fall this winter, so why not consider coming to stay in one of our beautiful catered chalets in Reberty Village for a pre-Christmas short break?! Due to our high altitude at 2000m, Reberty Village is one of the best locations for a catered chalet experience throughout the whole winter season. Val Thorens is easily accessible from Reberty in case you want to ski even higher.

We have limited availability in our accommodation for pre-Christmas breaks, but we can offer you the following:

Flocon des Neiges:

• December 3rd – 7th (4 nights) @ £220 per person
• December 7th – 10th (3 nights) @ £165 per person
• December 10th – 16th (6 nights) @ £438 per person – 10 beds available (1 x family suite (sleeps 4), 3 x twin / double ensuite’s)
• Dec 10th – 17th (7 nights) @ £459 per person – 7 beds available (1 x large double ensuite, 1 x small double ensuite, 1 x family suite (sleeps 3)
• December 10th – 13th (3 nights) @ £219 per person – 17 beds available
• December 13th – 16th (3 nights) @ £219 per person – 10 beds available (1 family suite (sleeps 4), 3 x twin / double ensuite’s)
• Dec 13th – 17th (4 nights) @ £250 per person – 7 beds available (1 x large double ensuite, 1 x small double ensuite, 1 x family suite (sleeps 3)
• December 16th – 22nd (6 nights) for 4 people in Family Suite Altesse @ £399 per person

Le Chamois:

• December 3rd – 7th (4 nights) @ £220 per person
• December 7th – 10th (3 nights) @ £165 per person
• December 10th – 13th (3 nights) @ £219 per person – 12 Beds Available
• December 13th – 17th (3 nights) @ £265per person