Ski Independence Blog
Posts Tagged ‘kicking horse’
Fact Files: Gareth
June 29th, 2011Over the years we receive superb feedback on the knowledge, passion and experience of team here at Ski Independence. So we thought it would be an idea to give you a bit of an insight into who’s who..
To start things off, here’s Gareth, our Sales Manager:
For the benefit of our readers could you explain your role at Ski Independence and what you’re responsible for?
I do a bit of everything which keeps my days varied. The bit I enjoy the most though is booking the most amazing holidays for our clients (and myself). Another enjoyable aspect of my job is working with a great bunch of hotel, transfer and on mountain suppliers from all over the world. You get to meet some fantastic people and I think they like working with us too – hence the reason we get some of the best ski deals in the market! We have a fantastic team here in the office and the job wouldn’t be the same without them – I love every minute of my working week with them. Don’t quote me on that over the busiest parts of the season please…!
Gareth (left), Sales Manager, enjoying Aspen & the view of the Highland Bowl
Experience More With A Twin Centre Ski Holiday
September 7th, 2010If you’re looking for some inspiration for your next ski holiday then how about combining a couple of resorts for a North American twin centre trip?
Here are a couple of our favourite suggestions:
Fernie & Kicking Horse – The Powder Highway
Ski Fernie & Kicking Horse on the Powder Highway
These two resorts make a perfect twin centre ski holiday and are a great itinerary for those skiers and boarders with a real sense of adventure. You can experience the big bowl powder skiing of Fernie and its laid back town and follow that with a bit of the extreme with some of the steep chutes and ridges of Terminator bowl or CPR ridge in Kicking Horse. It’s a 4 hour drive to Fernie from Calgary and we recommend warming up the legs here before you venture to the “Horse”.
The drive up the Powder Highway between the resorts is stunning and takes approximatly 3 hours. If you want to break the journey up a bit I can recommend a half days skiing in nearby Kimberley and is on the same lift ticket as Fernie.
Another little option to throw in to the hat would be to stay for a couple of nights in Panorama which is half way on the highway and has excellent tree line skiing and a chance to heli ski with RK Heli.
New Alpine Bowl in Kicking Horse
August 6th, 2010Kicking Horse Mountain Resort has announced the opening of a 4th Alpine Bowl to celebrate it’s 10 winter season. Known by local mountain enthusiasts as ‘Super Bowl’, the terrain will introduce an epic selection of advanced and expert skiable terrain.
“Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is excited to announce the addition of a 4th Alpine Bowl to its already impressive roster of terrain,” states Steve Paccagnan, President and CEO of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort “this opening is a perfect lead in to the 10 years of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort celebrations while continuing to demonstrate the resort commitment to improving the overall guest experience.”
The terrain in Super Bowl has previously been referred to as some of the ‘best high alpine terrain found anywhere’. With over 15 new advanced and expert chutes, the entire bowl will have an off-piste feel within a controlled inbounds environment.
4th Alpine Bowl Opens in Kicking Horse
Top 10 Mountain Restaurants
March 26th, 2010As the days become longer, the temperatures slightly warmer & the terraces of mountain restaurants busier with skiers enjoying their well earned “steak frites” and beer, we thought we’d share with you our top 10 mountain restaurants across Europe & North America.1. Cloud Nine – Aspen
1. Cloud Nine – Aspen
Dine at 10,740 feet at Cloud Nine, the former Highlands Ski Patrol hut on Highlands Mountain. Chef Andreas Fischbacher and his staff prepare gourmet meals with a European flair including fantastic raclette & fondue and more unusual osso bucco of elk among other daily specials, all to be finished off with a healthy shot of schnapps or two! This is undoubtly one of the best mountain restaurants we’ve ever experienced! Cloud Nine Menu
Five resorts in nine days
February 1st, 2010A week has already passed since I got back from Canada where I was helping to host a holiday for readers of Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard magazine with Annika Leis from Ski Independence.
Over the course of nine days our 32 strong group visited five of Canada’s lesser known resorts, in British Columbia. We got to enjoy steep, challenging chutes in Fernie, lots of fresh powder in Kimberley, North America’s longest vertical descent at Revelstoke, powered down perfectly prepared groomers in Panorama and rounded the trip off with challenging off piste skiing in Kicking Horse. It was a great success but don’t just take my word for it. Here’s a collection of quotes I gathered from the crew.
Powering through powder in Fernie
“Fernie, Kicking Horse and Revelstoke are awesome resorts with extremely exciting terrain. The use of local guides meant we quickly learnt the layout of the ski areas. And the accommodation and hospitality we experienced was fantastic.” Graham McNally.
Fernie & Kicking Horse Reader Holiday – Part 4
January 22nd, 2010Saved By The Bell – Part 4
As I clung to the side of the mountain in the Canadian resort of Kicking Horse I could hear someone shouting, “Yup, the ski is still hurtling down.” I’d just taken a tumble along a narrow ridge leading to a seriously steep chute that our guide Steve Fisk was planning to take us to and in the process my ski had popped off.
Kicking Horse awaits
As the nights draw in and the temperatures plummet…
November 19th, 2009As the nights draw in and the temperatures plummet I’m getting increasingly excited about heading out to North America’s slopes. Fortunately the wait won’t be too long as I’ll be going to Canada in mid January to help host a holiday for readers of Britain’s best selling winter sports magazine Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard.
We’ve been running these holidays in conjunction with Ski Independence for more than 10 years to resorts such as Winter Park, Steamboat, Aspen and Breckenridge. People love the friendly atmosphere, superb organisation as well as the fistful of free extras such as guiding with locals, welcome receptions and great prizes to be won. They attract all ages and are particularly suitable to people who want to come on their own and be with like-minded people.
Martin Bell on 2009 Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard Magazine Reader Holiday
This year our first trip is to Vail on 8 December. Our executive editor Dave Watts will be leading that trip with Ski Independence owner John Bennett and joined by ex-Olympic skier and the magazine’s equipment editor Martin Bell. (More info) It’s a shame I can’t join them but someone’s got to draw the short straw and stay in the office to work on the March/April issue of the magazine.
My turn comes on January 13, the beginning of our 10 day holiday to some cult powder resorts in British Columbia. We’re going to be based in Fernie and Kicking Horse and also get the opportunity to check out some other hidden gems such as Panorama, Kimberly and Revelstoke – Canada’s newest resort. Martin Bell will be on this trip too giving everyone the chance to ski with an Olympian -it’s a humbling experience. (More info)
Both trips are going to be awesome and it would be fantastic if you could join us on one of them, even better come on both. For further info or to make a booking call Annika on 0131 243 8096 or email annika@ski-i.com.
See you on the slopes.
Cheers,
Henry
Editor, Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard magazine
Fantastic Group Trips for 09/10
September 23rd, 2009
Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard Magazine Reader Holiday 09 - Japan
For the 7th year, Ski Independence are proud to host the North American Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard Magazine Reader Holidays. The reader holidays are always a huge success and 09/10 is no different, places are filling up fast on this year’s superb itineraries:
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