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Hi all,

Here I simply wanted to share a video about the Trois Vallées (Three valleys) ski domain in France. Filmed as the cameraman/woman was skiing down hill, the video really gives you a good impression of what to expect if you were to ski in the 3 Vallées.
It is not said to be the biggest skiable domain in the world for nothing, and from the video, the big space, the never ending mountain chain, the interminable view above the clouds, can really be appreciated and sensed.
And if you are not familiar with this skiable domain, then you need to know that it is home to some of the best known resorts, not only in Europe, but also in the World.

Enjoy and have fun watching the video!!!

Should you feel tempted to go to France to ski the Trois Vallées, which include the ski resorts of La Tania, Courchevel, Les Menuires, Val Thorens, Saint Martin de Belleville, Brides Les Bains, Méribel Mottaret, we advise you to vist our website page where you’ll be sure to find snowboard and ski holidays, book hotels and other accommodation to please your wishes.

A big thank you to jimgrieve72 who did the video.

There are many traditional ski resorts and alpine communities in France and one of them is Megève. Guests love to visit the Megève’s skiing area known as Domaine Évasion Montblanc. Megève and the entire Domaine Évasion Montblanc have the best ski slopes in Europe. There are excellent hotels in Megève that will meet everyone’s preferences, budget and requirements.

One of the best Megève hotels is HMC Hotel l’Arboisie. This hotel is centrally located on Mount Arboise Road and offers one of the most fantastic views of the village. This hotel offers beautifully appointed and spacious rooms perfect for guests looking for an ideal mountain resort experience. Another tourist accommodation that boasts of breathtaking views of the mountains is Lodge Park. The proximity of the Lodge Park Hotel to the casino gives their guests an alternative activity during the evenings.

Another hotel in Megève that has a great view of the mountains is Au Coin du Feu. The welcoming atmosphere of this charming hotel will give you that feeling of a home away from home. Guests will love to have a quiet and romantic dinner in their cozy restaurant that serves a wonderful blend of European dishes.

One of the most recommended Megève hotels is Le Fer de Cheval located in the heart of the village. This quaint and beautifully maintained hotel offers excellent cuisine surrounded by antiques in rustic settings. It is not cheap but the price you pay for the experience of staying in Le Fer de Cheval is worth it.

There are many other hotels in Megève that cater for couples, families and groups. All the hotels in Megève offer great service and are sure to make your holiday a memorable experience.

For a full listing of Megève hotels, we advise you to visit the following link http://www.mountvacation.com/en/france/megeve/, where you will be able to read reviews, view pictures and tariffs of all the accommodation found in Megève

Great video! Check these lads snowboarding Paris asif it was the last place left on earth to do so. It’s fun and HISTORICAL, watch It!

Unfortunately we don not have any chalets to rent in Paris. It’s giving me ideas though! However, should you really want to escape on a lovely ski holidays simply visit our site at http://www.mountvacation.com.

Paris - Montmartre_Google maps

Arabba is a small town in the area of the Dolomites mountain range in Italy. It is one of the ski villages in the Veneto region, the other ski villages are in the South Tyrol. To ski in Arabba is one of the best skiing experiences. This is one of the most exciting ski resorts in Italy. It is in the Marmolada Mountain, tagged as the Queen of the Dolomites, where most people ski in Arabba. The Arabba village is a great starting point to access the ski slopes.
There are also mountain ridges or passes that surround Arabba; the Passo Camplongo is a towering area between Alta Badia, Corvara and Arabba. The Passo Pardoi is connected by lifts to the area above the resort of Canazei and the Passo Pordon connects the skiers to the Malga Ciepela area and the Marmolada zone. To ski in Arabba and also in its neighboring areas is a must for ski lovers.
Those who do not want to ski in Arabba Italy can participate in the many other activities this place has to offer visitors. A visitor can also try trekking or hiking in the area. There are many tours suggested for people to try. One of these is The Hunter’s Track, where visitors hike through a circular path that will start and end in Arabba and will pass along Cherz Plateau. Visitors can also try the Strada Da La Vena tour where they will come across the alpine forests, wooden hay sheds and pastures. They will also learn the history of Colle Santa Lucia where the Andraz castle is located and where mining is done. Viel Dal Pan is another tour package that follows an easy path from Passo Pordoi and reaches the crest of Portavescovo. Here visitors will see the remarkable views of Lake Fedaia and Marmolada.
A visit to the Arabba village during the summer won’t go to waste. This place is also famous for its recreational activities during the summer such as mountain biking, mountain climbing and cycling. People won’t only love to ski in Arabba but will also have fun with their family and friends participating in the many activities that this memorable destination has to offer. Simply visit Mountvacation.com main site here, and browse through the Arraba hotels as well as other accommodation on offer.

St. Anton is a small town in Western Austria. It is located near the Rosanna River and is part of the Albert group of ski resorts. St. Anton boasts of being one of the best ski resorts in Western Austria and is also famous for hosting the World Alpine Ski Championship in 2001. What’s best about St. Anton is its wide slope for skiers, enhanced lift system, snowboarding ground and hefty snowfall. St. Anton is not only famous for its ski slopes, it is also well-known for having the best shopping, café, bar scenes and restaurants that offer some of Austria’s famous dishes. Eating at a recommended restaurant in St. Anton is the best way to relax after a long day of skiing and snowboarding.
Austrian cuisine is inspired by that of different countries such as Germany, Hungary and Italy. Dumplings and pancakes are two common dishes that you will undoubtedly see on the menu in many a restaurant in St. Anton. If you want to taste some of the typical Austrian cuisine, you can visit Fuhrmannstube and Trödlerstube. These two restaurants are well known for their very generous servings that will surely satisfy your hunger.
Mooserwit, another popular St. Anton’s restaurant, claims to serve some of the best traditional Austrian dishes that guests will definitely love. Visitors on a tight budget can try the Funky Chicken and Rodelalm on Gampen, which offer good food at affordable prices. Good places for snacks are Pomodoro and KrazyKanguruh where the burgers and pizza are said to be the best in town. The traditional Fondue is one of the most commonly served desserts in St. Anton and is definitely something to look forward to after a delicious meal. Restaurants in St. Anton take pride in their high quality meals and customer service to ensure that no customer leaves without being 100% satisfied.

Swiss Alpine skiing finds itself troubled waters. Last season’s results were extremely successful, however, this turn around, the Swiss team didn’t come close to their past achievements. The biggest loser so far, being Carlo Janka. Indeed, last World Cup’s aggregate winner is exhausted. This could be the result from the lack of training this summer, as a mysterious virus cut short the preparations. Furthermore, he also missed the traditional pre New Year’s downhill race in Bormio.
The next issue is Silvan Zurbriggen. The Swiss champion is currently giving his coach Martin Rufener some serious headaches. In Lake Louise, he was thrown out of the hotel he was staying in for harassing the cleaning lady. He reportedly walked about his room wearing nothing but his birthday suit. A horrified maid filed a complaint; and out of the luxurious premises was Zurbriggen thrown.
For as long as they could, the Swiss team tried to keep the lid on the “scandal”, and they did for some time. But then Silvan won the race in Val Gardena and tongues unleashed. Not a rosy prospect for Zurbriggen, who is in a serious relationship, especially when one considers the fact that he found himself into similar waters a few years back in Alta Badia. That time, he allegedly exposed his manhood to an old lady, who resorted to denounce him to the local authorities. His line of defence then was that he was just responding to nature’s call.
To cap it all up, there’s Lara Gut. She will undoubtedly drive the Swiss team coach Mauro Pini off the wall. Let us remind ourselves that Pini was in Gut’s team only a while ago, and that their subsequent separation didn’t happen in the friendliest of manners. Lara, on several occasions, criticised in public the work of the Swiss A team. She did not agree with the team’s training methods. That’s not all! In the summer, she opted to join the Swedish team rather than her own. It all went too far that time, and the ski federation decided to ban her from the Semmering events. To miss an event in Alpine skiing represents a severe penalty, as competition seasons are pretty short.
Lara Gut has threatened to compete for another country. Should she do so, then the Swiss team could render her life a real misery. Lawyers have been brought in to resolve the matter so as to satisfy both parties. On top of all this, her own sponsors are now also suing the Swiss champion for conflict of interest.
Regardless, the Swiss have this year accumulated so many problems off the track that it could easily make for a repeat of last year’s results. Heads are simply not cool enough and thoughts are erring in the wrong direction. The season is now in full swing and the other teams are already rubbing their hands in expectation.

Original text by Urban Lavrenčič translated from the Slovene by Christian Ngalikpima.

If you get the chance on your next ski holiday to Chamonix or Courchevel (or any number of resorts) and want to wander off track, then it may suit you best to try one of these wacky winter getaways. Now, these are not your traditional horse-drawn sleigh ride or ever-fun snow tubing. No, they are very real pursuits of the half-wits of the slopes who believe that regular snow pursuits just don’t provide the adrenaline rush that it used to. Be sure to either be ready to die, ready to get very hurt or, if lucky, survive to tell about these next tomfoolery exploits.

Sailing on the Ice

There are plenty of places in Europe where beautiful mountain lakes freeze over and fill to the brim with ice. An alternative to ice skating or ice fishing or anything sane for that matter is ice sailing. This involves forming a sail on a sled or other bladed contraction to go sailing (really flying) across the frozen ice and tundra. If you’re  a seasoned sailor, then ice sailing may come a bit more naturally to you; if not, then be prepared to zoom till you either collide with something or flip ass-over-kettle. By the way, there’s no real method to stopping!

Play Like a Polar Bear

There is a club of fellas and ladies who gather together to take a dip in freezing water. The Polar Bear Club has been around for several decades and baptises wannabe members by making them swim in below freezing water (well, it sure feels below freezing). The not-yet iced-over water makes a great escape from a day of turmoil and offers you to turn your body blue. The ice-shock to the body is said to be a cure-all for most any ailment. You won’t be playing as much as running for the nearest place to get warm.

Shovel Skiing

There was a group of workers who needed to get down from a day of labour from atop the piste when the lifts were non-functioning. One way they did it, in fact, was by riding their snow shovels down the slope. The fun caught on and today there are shovel sledding races all over the world, with dedicated shovel-athletes competing for the top prize—clearing the snow from the patio decks! (Just kidding). The best shovel skiers have designed their own shovels for the events, and often come up with some crazy designs. As long as you can shovel with it, you can ski downhill with it in competition.

Bike Skiing

It’s not as far fetched as the title would have you believe. There are bikes out there, for real, designed to go down and across snow. There’s even an association of riders who mount their favourite snow bikes and head out on a cold day. At any rate, ski bikes can have a back wheel and a front ski blade or a blade on the front and the back. Riders can pedal around or glide downhill and use the some mechanics as skiing to turn, stop and throw snow at passer-bys.

Blade Runner

This is not about the famous science fiction movie or novel. This is probably one of the most dangerous skiing pursuits tried today. Blade runners simply jump out of a plane and head down a course of tall pylons. The person who makes it through by touching less and staying hovered above the ground usually wins. There are measurements about how far or below the torso must be to the “blades” or pylons and participants often jump out of the plan several thousand feet above the ski slope before aiming perfectly downhill. This sport is not for the inexperienced, that is for sure.

I’m not going to sit here and pretend to know what you’re interested in doing with your ski holiday. Just as much as the next guy (or not), you would rather rub elbows with international crowds or ski down crazy slopes or snowboard in amazing snowparks or simply get wasted every night or find solitary in a reclusive cabin. To each there own and may each find there own version of happiness or something like that. At any rate, what I can do for you today is tell you two reasons to visit one or more of these next five resorts. Consider this a free highlight of what a popular place has to offer you.

Italy:

Cortina d’Ampezzo or Cortina as it is often abridged is a good place to come to if you like to avoid the applesauce feeling in your legs from skiing or boarding all day and rather confront local coffee shops, chocolate shops and fine dining. It’s more about sunny alpine days and less about getting sweating (no glistening) on the inclines.
Hypocritically, however, Cortina is the bomb (that’s a good thing) when it comes to skiing. The whole of the Dolomiti region is accessible by the affordable Dolmiti Superskipass, with over 500-some lifts in the Italian Alps.

France:

Chamonix in France used to be a farming community—can you imagine looking up at those Alps (Mt Blanc) and staying in the pastures? Didn’t last long. Today, Chamonix is one of the topmost adventure skiing areas in Europe. There is always snow, super-long runs, cliffs, chutes, headwalls and hundreds of slopes.
Oh, I have to give you another reason. There are other things to do like tobogganing, paragliding, dog sled rids, sleigh trips and things a-flurry for the whole fam.

Switzerland:

Switzerland and the Jungfrau skiing region houses some of the most common mountain peaks in the Alps. From the Jungfrau and the Eiger to the Schiltohorn. Try resorts Grindelwald, Wengen, Interlaken and Murren. ’nuff said.
The town is historic, picturesque and full of history. If you’re the camera-happy-clicker-person of the group, then bring extra memory cards for the scenes at sunrise and sunset. The mountains tend to glow a purple hue come nightfall.

Austria:

It’s time to get your snowboarding on with a ski holiday trip to Zell Am See Kaprun. There’s a boarder park up on the glacier with half-pipe, jumps, slides and boxens.
This is also a place to try the 20 km of skate or 20 km of cross-country skiing. If you like snow but prefer booty-down style, then try sledding, sleigh rides, snow tubing or hanging out at one of the 60 restaurants, 20 pubs or 3+ discos.

Germany:

Brauneck-Wegscheid in Germany makes my list because I like the options to try other snow-related pursuits. In addition to late night skiing and a snowboarding fun park, you can hike for over 30-km on marked trails.
And, secondly, there are over 100 cross-country and skating tracks for those who like pain with their pleasure. There are purportedly some nice views of the surrounding mountains and not a lot of crowds in your way should you choose to go backcountry.

Europe is probably the world’s best retreat if getting down right silly for your ski holiday tops your To-Do list. Not only does Europe house some of the world’s longest ski runs, it also boasts several hundred large and small resorts that cater to everyone from nudist to purist, to wackos and hippies. I’ve compiled a list here to bring you some of the brainless, mindless and thoughtless things you might want to do this ski season. Not all are crazy but some are downright boneheaded and irrationally reckless—if this sounds like you, I invite you to read on you witless warrior.

Skiing Downhill, Fast:

If you want to try your hands at one of Europe’s steepest slopes, then you don’t have to look much farther than Austria, Mayrhofen(Zillertal) to be exact. The Harakiki slope angles at almost 80% or 40º, which creates enough speed to make even the slightest turns dangerous and mind boggling. Though there are some longer slopes for sure, Harakiki makes you feel like gravity has let go and human-powered flight on skis is possible.

Skiing Nude, Frozen:

If you’ve ever thought of disrobing just for the sake of it while on the slope, you’re not the only one. In fact, there’s a cross-country ski route in Austria—Obertaun (Obertauern) to be exact—where nude skiers are welcomed and invited to ski (sticking to the route) while in the buff. There are more resorts where skiing in your birthday suit suits the local authorities, but I’ll have more on that in my upcoming blogs. If you don’t mind snowburns, sunburns and shriveled (very tender) tissues to be showed off, then Obertauern, Austria, should make your dreams of “in the buff,” “bare,” or “buck-naked” come true.

Skiing Gambler, Broke:

If you like to gamble away little Susie’s college fund, then you should stay away from Les 2 Alpes in France this January (10th – 17th). It’s the first of many annual Poker Week celebrations where you can come, put your best Poker Face on, bluff like hell and either win buckets of Euros (drug dealers currency of choice over the flailing dollar these days) or go home bankrupt. Just make sure to pay your bills back home, pre-pay for the hotel room and little Susie’s ski lessons and let the gambling begin. Lay your best hand down for the best Poker Party this winter in Europe.

Skiing Night, Lost:

It’s not likely you’ll get lost if you try night skiing in Europe this year. There are loads of ski resorts that flick on the power to illuminate the slopes for all you night owls. Though the slopes might be frozen or even packed down from day skiers, night skiing has its advantages. Places like the Dolomiti Superski area in Italy, Saint Bernard in Switzerland and Maribor in Slovenia all gloat about their fantastic night skiing and venues. Before hitting the sack, be sure to hit the slopes on your next ski holiday. I find that though the slopes are not as well groomed, they are way less crowded and seemingly more dangerous. An easy intermediate suddenly becomes a treacherous black after the sun sets.

For summer 2009, Méribel offered Segway circuits to its visitor for the first time. Different activities using these ”standing scooters“ were proposed from initiation courses (5€ for about10minutes) to discovery guided tours (40€/person for 2 hours in groups of 5). These vehicles’ speed is limited to 5-6 km/h, which is the average human walk speed.

Since Méribel always keeps in mind the environment when developing activities for its visitors, Segway tours is a very suitable choice. These allow safe guided “walks“ that respect the calm and quietness of the nature, and are not disturbing for walkers and other users of the paths.

Méribel is studying the possibility to make its Segway fleet available for winter activities as well. Fiss, in Austria, started last year with this winter discipline, but Méribel would be the first French ski resort to offer it. To see what it would look like, here’s a video prepared by Fiss:

While it definitely would be interesting to try riding a Segway, I somehow feel it shouldn’t be considered as a “discipline“. I fail to see what’s the added value of using a Segway at 5-6 km/h to discover the natural beauties of a region, compared to a good old promenade on foot on the paths. More expensive, less physical, more attention put to going around and less on what’s going on around…

What do you think?