Ski Independence Blog
Posts Tagged ‘Ski Independence’
Ironing in ski boots
January 25th, 2012I bought a new pair of ski boots last week (Atomic Hawx w90 if you’re interested). As any skier will know this is a milestone event. I’ve had my last pair for 10 years and we’ve skied together in 7 different countries and over 50 different resorts. We’re old friends now. I know that when I get them out of the attic for the first few turns of the season they’ll be a bit grouchy – a little light punishment for leaving them in the dark for all those months – but within a few hours they always came good. Now it’s time for them to take semi-retirement and they are soon to be packed off to my mum’s house up north where they’ll be handy for those occasions when Scotland’s snow obliges. I’m told that breaking in a new pair of boots should not be the agonising pain that it used to be – heat moulding speeds up the process and while spending 20 minutes standing in tuck position in the middle of Ellis Brigham made me slightly self conscious I’m hoping to reap the benefits when we get out on the snow!
Atomic Hawx w90
Since the new boots came home I have got them out of the box most days – sometimes putting them on, sometimes just admiring their shiny newness. I’m supposed to wear them around the house for 10-15 hours before taking them on snow. However, human decency suggests that’s not a good idea given that I live in a second floor tenement flat with wooden floors.. not sure the downstairs neighbours would enjoy that! So it was suggested to me that I wear them to do the ironing – thing is, I don’t usually do that much ironing. Either my clothes are all going to get a lot less wrinkled or I’m going to take my chances when I go skiing.
This does however, raise the issue preparation for a ski trip. It’s pretty simple maths that the higher your level of fitness to begin with, the better you’re going to feel on the snow. Here in the Ski Independence office activity levels are beginning to rise, although it’s not exactly easy at this time of year when we’re at our busiest! Running, cycling, fitness classes, swimming… they are all good ways to prepare for your ski holiday. Even walking to work is better than nothing at all. Skiing uses muscles that you’re not even aware of having most of the time (and don’t even start me on snowboarding! I’ve had a few goes at it and been unable to walk for days afterwards). So basically, whatever you do, you know there will be an element of pain involved when you get on the snow (usually the afternoon of day three for me). Now’s the time to put the work in and feel the benefits in resort.. so I guess I’d better start some training.. I want to make sure me and my new boots get off on the right foot!
Whistler: The most skiable terrain in the World
December 2nd, 2011Whistler has the most open terrain IN THE WORLD right now! I know we make a big fuss about Whistler but no wonder – they’ve had over 10 feet of snow fall this season alone!
Today the Peak Chair opens, tomorrow Harmony Express opens – I have one question for myself, what am I doing sitting here at my desk? I should be there…
Of course I’m here so I can book holidays for those who are able to take time off at this time of year (and beyond) – I won’t get to ski until Mid March and only then if we are quiet enough, one of the pitfalls of working in the ski industry, we’re busy when the snow is falling and everyone else is skiing.
November Powder on Blackcomb Mountain, Photo: Michael Neumann
So while I’m thinking about Whistler let me share a few of my top tips…
- Book by 5 December and travel from the UK between 20 December and 31 December (subject to availability of flights) and you can save £1000’s on British Airways Club World flights – these are the lowest prices I have EVER seen on business class to Vancouver!
- Book to Four Seasons Resort Whistler and you’ll get the best price offered at the hotel AND a room upgrade. So (for example) book a Resort King Room to get the best price and we’ll upgrade you to a Superior Room free of charge!
- Book your holiday with Ski Independence, pre-book your lift passes and rentals and the kids will ski for FREE. Yes, FREE!!
Taken at the base of Whistler Blackcomb
With a bag full of other offers throughout the resort, a huge snow base and a season that will last well in to May and terrain that seems never ending there is no reason why you wouldn’t want to go to Whistler…is there?
For more information on our Whistler offers you can call a member of the Ski Independence team on 0131 243 8097 who will be able to help with any questions you may have…after all we have been to Whistler over 60 times so know pretty much everything there is to know! Alternatively you can request an online quote here.
Our Whistler Top 10
November 29th, 2011I can’t remember what sparked the conversation in the Ski Independence office, but we worked out that between us, we’d visited Whistler Blackcomb over 60 times. That’s far more than any other ski resort we feature but there’s a very good reason; Whistler is our biggest selling North American resort. Apart from meaning we’ve racked up a lot of both air and ski miles, and stayed in a lot of Whistler hotels it also means we know Whistler Blackcomb inside out. Our clients can therefore be confident our unrivalled Whistler knowledge allows us to recommend the perfect flight, transfer and accommodation recommendations to ensure the perfect Whistler ski holiday
We then took it a stage further and asked what our favourite things about Whistler were. After some debate we came up with our Whistler Top 10 which you’ll find below.
Do you agree with us? We’d love to hear what you love about Whistler and you can leave comments at the end of this blog.
1. Get Fresh
If there’s fresh snow in the forecast, say no to that nightcap, have an early night and make sure you’re at the base of Whistler Gondola at 7am for Fresh Tracks. They let a maximum of 650 skiers and boarders up on the first gondolas between 7.30am and 8.30am – first stop is a hearty breakfast at the Roundhouse and then you’ll be let out to play in the virgin powder and groomers.
Tickets cost around $18 for adults, $13 for children aged 7-12 and it’s free for anyone under 6
2. Steeps and Ladders
Spanky’s Ladder is on Blackcomb Mountain and is Whistler’s most famous steep, expert only terrain. Take the Glacier Express chair and ski or board along the ridge and then it’s a short 50ft hike up to the way in. Catch your breath, say a prayer, clip in and drop in to some seriously steep terrain. Fresh snow makes this special experience an extra special one.
3. Don’t Look Down
The Whistler Peak 2 Peak gondola linking Whistler and Blackcomb mountains is an engineering marvel that was completed just before the 2010 Winter Olympics. It holds a number of world records including the longest unsupported span of over 3kms (gulp) and is 436 metres above the valley floor at its highest point (gulp). Two of the 28 cabins have glass bottomed viewing windows but you’ll be pleased to hear there are separate queues for each type otherwise waiting in line would be a kind of Russian Roulette for the vertiginous.
This photo is taken looking down from the highest point of the Peak 2 Peak Gondola!
4. The Ultimate Backcountry
Stick ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ on your ipod as the helicopter takes off and whisks you to your 1500 square mile backcountry playground. Whistler Heli-Ski has been running for over 30 years and offers daily heli-ski packages offering various amounts of vertical but with every turn being a powder turn. At the end of the day there’s an après party at the Bearfoot Bistro where they show videos of the day’s adventures. You can book your Whistler Heli-Ski package with Ski Independence from £559 per day
Whistler Heli-Skiing
5. Feel the Burn
Peak to Creek is a four mile (7km) top to bottom leg burner over on Whistler Mountain that starts in the Upper Bowls and ends 5000ft later at the Creekside base area. It’s more of a zone than one single run, with lots of different ways down and in the main this is intermediate terrain. Time it so you hit the bottom at the end of the day and get stuck into some of the legendary après ski offered at Dusty’s Bar and BBQ.
6. Slopeside Apres
Irish bars have sprung up all around the world and even Whistler hasn’t been immune. It’s fair to say that some of them can leave you flat but not the Dubh Linn Gate. Located at the Whistler Mountain base under the Pan Pacific Mountainside hotel, the Dubh Linn Gate is one of the best we’ve been to. It’s an après ski mecca, dishing out pints and great bar food with an Oirish accent. If you prefer something more Canadian there’s the legendary Garibaldi Lift Co (GLC) or The Longhorn and over in Blackcomb you won’t go wrong at Merlins. Down at Creekside everybody ends up at Dusty’s. However be warned; some of us have found ourselves in ski boots past midnight – so don’t go before a powder day!
7. Scream If You Want to go Faster
The 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Blackcomb brought a lot of practical improvements. They spent many millions rebuilding the Sea 2 Sky highway cutting half an hour off airport transfer times. The Olympic legacy also meant some less practical and altogether more exciting projects that remain to this day. The Whistler Sliding Centre is the rather underwhelming name for the bobsleigh and skeleton track – 1700 metres of steeper than you’d think sheet ice capable of spitting you down at speeds of up to 75mph. The brave and the foolhardy can now experience this for themselves for around $150 as part of the Whistler Sport Experience programme.
Scream if you want to go faster!
8. Fine Dining
As well as being an exceptional winter sports destination, Whistler is also renowned as having arguably the best dining options of any North American ski resort. There’s a mind boggling choice of restaurants offering everything from fast food to high-end fine dining. The stand out for us is The Rimrock Café in Whistler Creekside. The Rimrock offers superbly cooked and presented fish and game in a relaxed atmosphere with a diverse and eclectic wine list. Although they modestly call themselves a café, this is a grown up fine dining restaurant with prices to match but we feel it’s worth every penny.
9. Hot Air
No Ski Independence top 10 would be complete without mention of the Fairmont Chateau Whistler in the Upper Village at the base of Blackcomb Mountain. A resort institution and a firm favourite with our clients, the Chateau offers guests a relaxed, stylish five-star experience and yet manages somehow to do it at a surprisingly affordable price. We highly recommend an après ski drink by the fire pits on the terrace outside the Mallard, the Chateau’s famous lounge bar. It’s the perfect slopeside spot to regale each other with tall tales from your epic day on the mountain.
10. Down Time
If you’ve ticked off the first nine things on our list we reckon your body might be in need of a little TLC. The Scandinave Spa is a spectacular outdoor eco spa located a little north of Whistler Village, spread over three acres with staggering views of Whistler Valley. The Scandinave concept is based around Finnish hydrotherapy and the spa offers Scandinavian baths, massages and relaxation areas. The focus is on nature and natural healing so expect lots of outdoor pools and treatment areas plus a bistro serving healthy fresh food and juices.
Kick back and relax at the The Scandinave Spa
Ski Independence are the leading UK Tour Operator featuring Whistler Blackcomb. To find out more about the resort or to plan a holiday there contact our reservations team on 0131 243 8097 or fill in a quick online quotation
Ptarmigan Chalet, Vail
November 9th, 201130 feet of light dry fluffy powder and an annual average of 300 blue sky days a year means Vail Colorado is always near the top of any list of the world’s best ski destinations. Vail Mountain offers a heavy mix of alpine bowls, glades and wide open trails linked by a super quick and efficient modern lift system. The town of Vail serves up some exceptional après ski, dining and shopping – everywhere you go, superb service is the order of the day.
There’s a huge choice of Vail accommodation mostly located in either the Vail Village or Lionshead base areas. It’s fair to say a good proportion of Vail lodging caters to the upper end of the market – Vail is extremely popular with well off Americans and although there’s some lodging options in Vail at the value end of the scale, a holiday here will tend to cost more than a similar one in Vail’s sister resort of Breckenridge.
Ptarmigan Chalet, Vail
For many years now, Ski Independence have offered skiers a great-value catered chalet, Ptarmigan, meaning you can experience the very best of this world class resort without having to break the bank. Our Ptarmigan prices include breakfast, afternoon tea and a three course dinner with wine plus champagne and canapés before dinner on Sunday nights.
Ptarmigan Bedroom
The chalet sits nestled amongst Aspen trees a five minute drive from the centre of Vail and is also conveniently located near the free shuttle bus route. There are six bedrooms over three floors and the house sleeps up to 12 guests. At the centre of Ptarmigan there’s a large open plan sitting and dining area with a wood burning fireplace and this leads to a raised deck with a hot tub. Ptarmigan has complementary Wi-Fi and all bedrooms have a TV, bathrobes, slippers and hairdryers.
Outside Hot Tub at the Ptarmigan
Book Ptarmigan by 30th November and make the most of these fantastic prices!
- 7 nights from £899 per person
- 10 nights from £999 per person
- 14 nights from £1,099 per person
Prices include chalet board, return flights from LHR and transfers. Flexible durations, arrival and departure dates are available.
For a quote or to check availability, call our reservations team on 0131 243 8097 or fill in an online quotation form.
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
Non-Stop Fun In Whistler
December 23rd, 2010The excitement in Whistler doesn’t stop with the 8,000 plus acres of ski terrain; there are endless opportunities for adrenaline fuelled fun off the slopes. Here’s the latest low down on just some of the activities available from Leanne at The Adventure Group.
“Intro to adventuring in Whistler” could take a few pages, but I’ll try and keep it short and sweet – the Coles Notes of how to effectively have FUN! With endless opportunities in this winter wonderland, it can sometimes be daunting to choose the best option for your group or family. You want something unique, that you can’t experience anywhere else which make you laugh, right?! Let me give you some “insider tips” to make your holiday that extra bit special…
Dogsledding – I mean, where else can you actually, physically mush your very own sled of Alaskan Racing Huskies? This is one of my all-time favourite tours – adorable hard-working dogs who’s one mission in life is to introduce you to a whole new world! Skirting the edge of the Soo River, this tour will introduce you to the sport of dogsledding and takes you on a journey you never thought possible. I took some UK guests on a tour last week and they emailed me yesterday to let me know it was the best thing they did in Whistler!
Mush, mush!
Short break to Villars?
December 15th, 2010Last week Claire, our European Assistant Product Manager, took a quick trip to Villars in Switzerland to see what’s new for the season ahead and to see why it is such a popular choice for Ski Independence clients.
Upon arrival at Geneva Airport, we headed to the train station, which is just a short walk from arrivals, to catch our Swiss rail transfer to Villars. This is becoming an increasingly popular method of transfer to resort and it’s easy to see why. It must have been one of the most enjoyable and easiest ski transfers I have experienced. Displayed throughout the station, all the timetables give you the correct platform you need to be on and when the next departure is. As it is to be expected, all of the trains run with Swiss efficiently and depart on time.
When catching the train to Villars, there are two options. You can either take the train to Aigle and then catch the bus to resort, or take the train a little further to the town of Bex and then change onto another train which runs directly up to Villars. Either way you will arrive into the centre of the resort and will be minutes away from your accommodation.
The Villars train station is located in the centre of the resort
As with many Swiss resorts, Villars is a ‘real’ town with residents living there year round and as a result there is a good selection of bars, restaurants and shops. A recent addition to the après ski scene is the Moonboot bar, which had a great atmosphere and is perfect for a few Mojitos. Le Sporting and Murphy’s bar also looked like good options, especially as the latter being right beside the popular Hotel Le Bristol.
In terms of eating out, I would highly recommend the Rotisserie des Alpes, which is right beside the train station in the centre of the resort, where we had excellent Lake Geneva perch fillets. We also spent an evening at the Restaurant du Col du Bretaye, located at the top of the cog railway, in an area called Bretaye. This is an ideal restaurant for non-skiers who want to go up the mountain and meet skiers for lunch. Just remember to ask them for their Alphorn, Kirsch and goat skull to experience a true Swiss tradition (!)
Swiss experience at the Restaurant du Col du Bretaye
When it was time to hit the slopes, we were accompanied by the Villars Ecole de Ski et Snowboard (ESS). Villars ESS is one of the largest in Switzerland and is made up of over 300 instructors. Their office is located in the same building as the tourist office, opposite the station. If you have lessons booked, you can exchange your vouchers either at the office in resort or at the office in Bretaye – the ski area accessed by the cog railway. There’s an excellent kindergarten in Villars which is located behind the train station. Thanks to the magic carpet in the Jardin des Neiges, the little ones will be tearing up and down the slopes in no time.
Most Ski Independence clients visiting Villars stay in the Hotel Le Bristol, which is one of our most popular hotels in Europe. It is a fantastic hotel, located only 300m from the resort centre. The rooms are spacious and have the choice of either a village of valley view.
The popular Hotel Le Bristol
Villars is an excellent choice for a either a short break ski holiday, thanks to the easy transfer and flexibility of the Hotel Le Bristol or as a family destination, with a wide choice of self catered apartments available and a superb ski school on hand to take care of the children.
If you’re interested in a ski break to Villars and have any questions about the resort, please do not hesitate to call the reservations team on 0131 243 8097.
Aspen Snowmass – Best Opening Weeks In History
December 2nd, 2010This has been one of the best opening weeks in Aspen’s history as they were well above average snowfall for the month of November.
They’ve received over a foot of snow within the past week and more is on the way. Click here to view the opening weekend video highlights the Visa Aspen Winternational races, the Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series featuring Blind Melon and fireworks over Aspen Mountain.
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup, Aspen Winternational
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup, Aspen Winternational
Record Opening Weekend in Jackson Hole
November 30th, 2010What an epic opening day Jackson Hole Mountain Resort had on Saturday 27th November, simply incredible!
Justin Bird, from the Terra Resort Resort - Hotel Terra, was out on the mountain “Wow, it was deep and my aching legs are testament to all the fun I had! We have an incredible season ahead of us, please share the news with your friends & family. Let it continue to snow!”
Words can’t do conditions like this justice – watch for yourself:
Want to head out to Jackson Hole and experience this record start to the season? Take advantage of fantastic early season rates at the Hotel Terra – 7 nights at the beginning of December from £959pp.
North America Snow Update
November 19th, 2010North America’s 2010-11 ski season is off to a great start with many areas opening early and reporting healthy snow falls.
Among the resorts already open are Breckenridge, Keystone and Copper Mountain Colorado; Snowbird in Utah, Killington on the East Coast in Vermont and north of the border Banff and Lake Louise in Alberta. Whistler has announced it will open nearly a week early, later today, thanks to the great pre-season conditions there.
In California, Mammoth is the latest to open (On Thursday 11th November) with more than 2,000 people arriving to enjoy skiing and boarding down from the 11,053 foot summit via Cornice Bowl. Six lifts were operational and 2,000 vertical feet (about 650 metres) of vertical terrain were open on a base of 18 to 36 inches (45 to 90cm).
First Chair 2010 - Mammoth Mountain
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