As skiers become more adventurous, the demand for courses offering the chance to improve off-piste skills rises. Every week of this winter season, adventure holiday specialists offer off piste ski courses in the French resort of Chamonix.
Skiers with little experience of skiing off piste can join an ‘Aspirers Powder Practice’ week, while those with more off piste experience under their feet can opt for one of the ‘Expert Powder Experience’ weeks.
All courses are graded by standard to ensure skiers are always in small groups of the same ability and groups are lead by fully qualified mountain guides (UIAGM) to find the best of the off piste in the area.
“The mountains guides we work with have been involved with Ski Freshtracks holidays for many years”, says Caroline Boileau, General Manager. “They know what our holiday makers want from their off piste week and we choose guides for their knowledge and expertise. Many of our skiers return year after year to ski with their favourite guide knowing that they will be in a small group of like-minded skiers.”
Course price is £390 including a mountain guide, use of a mini bus for private transfers around the Mont Blanc valley, and a Ski Club leader on every holiday.
SuperSki Weeks are online and going fast. Don’t miss your chance to get the best ski prices of the 2010 season. Prices for the 2010 ski season start from $750 person (Innsbruck, Austria 6 nights, double occupancy) and include: roundtrip air, 6 or 7 nights hotel accommodation, buffet breakfast, transfer as specified and local taxes and service charges in Europe.
Best ski trip values include: Interlaken, Switzerland from $1,029 person, Garmisch, Germany from $1,198 person, Chamonix, France from $1,150 person and Cortina d’ampezzo, Italy from $1,150 person. Be prepared to act quickly. Ski vacation availability is limited and at these prices some ski weeks sell out quickly!
Uluda? in Turkey will see dramatic improvements in the next few years will see it become a rival to resorts Like Davos in Switzerland the Turkish government hope.
Uluda? is reported to have seen little new investment in 50 years.
The resort is the best known of the dozen or so ski areas in Turkey but has suffered from a lack of investment and modernisation in recent decades while some other ski areas in the country have installed modern lifts and snowmaking.
Uluda? been hoping to see improvements for more than eight years, but has been hampered by bureaucracy despite Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (the AK Party), making redevelopment of the resort a top priority since coming to power in 2002.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdo?an visited Uluda? in July and promised the delays in the planned $40m of development were coming to an end – so long as no legal actions are launched by objectors.
Initial work has seen the beginning of ‘beautification’ of the resort, including the demolition of a public lodge owned by the Ministry of the Environment and Forestry, one of several buildings deemed too ugly for the resort’s future. A new conference centre and shopping mall are to be added.
The aged cable car is scheduled to be replaced by a new lift which much increased capacity (18,000 skiers per day) and ascending up to Uluda?’s highest point, Sar?alan.
On the mountain, there are plans to build what the resort believes will be Europe’s longest ski run in Uluda?’s Alaçam region. In contrast to the present situation, there will be absolutely no other buildings or structures allowed on or around the ski runs.
The work was due to be completed last year but conflicts between government ministries prevented this, and they are now aimed for completion in 2010.
“This project was prepared taking its lead from the prime minister. Our prime minister had a dream regarding Uluda?, and we have been struggling for the past five years to realize this dream. We have met many bureaucratic barriers along the way, but the struggle came to an end during the prime minister’s visit to the region along with Environmental and Forestry Minister Ero?lu and Culture and Tourism Minister Ertu?rul Günay in July. In preparing this project, we have visited both Davos and Zermatt. We have studied other examples of mountain resorts in the world. We will turn this great dream into a reality.” Regional State Minister Faruk Çelik said.
“It was our prime minister who gave us the order to turn Uluda? into a Davos. We are working to see Uluda? turned into one of the world’s most beautiful centres of tourism. We want to build a series of perfect facilities in Uluda?. We have held contests that focus both on aesthetics and the importance of nature in deciding which plans to use. We have now completed our plans. We will completely redesign Uluda? in a two-stage project. And Uluda? will, in the end, have Europe’s longest ski run.” Mr Celik added.
