Archive for ‘Snow events’
Top Tips for a Successful New Year Ski Holiday
Celebrations in Morzine
Along with the partying, eating copious amounts of food and celebrating in the streets, one of the most integral elements of a New Year ski holiday is snow. The start of the year is generally a great time to ski in Europe, however snow cover in late December and early January can vary from resort to resort, so why not pick our brains for information on the most snow-sure destinations?
Our knowledgeable reservations team will be more than happy to talk through your requirements and point you in the right direction. So whether you’re looking for wild après, the ultimate in-resort dining or high altitude slopes, we’ll do our best to make sure you bring in 2019 in style.
La Folie Douce on the slopes of Val Thorens
Here are just a few of our picks for high-altitude early-season skiing in Europe:
Verbier, Switzerland
The highest slopes sit at 3,300m, ensuring snowy mountains throughout the season.
Tignes, France
Great piste-grooming and high altitude make Tignes a dependable New Year resort!
Val Thorens, France
The village sits at 2,300m, making it the highest resort in the Alps and a snow-sure destination.
Our Top Tips
1. Once you’ve decided where to go, make the most of the mountain by letting us organise your instructor. Whether its group or private lessons, we can help!
2. Book your lift pass before you travel. With the majority of our French resorts, we can send your hands-free cards out with your travel documentation to ensure you’re not waiting to get on the slopes. Read the rest of this entry »
Women to Watch at the Winter Olympics 2018
Celebrating Women in Sport
Today we’re celebrating women in winter sports, on the day Britain celebrates 100 years since women first gained the right to vote. Below you’ll find Ski Independence’s pick of women to watch at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics. Who’s your one to watch, be they a Brit or an international athlete?
Amanda Lightfoot
“Amanda Lightfoot is the only Biathlete competing for Team GB at Pyeongchang. Cross country skiing is recognised as being the most physically demanding sport, so adding shooting to the mix demands incredible fitness, stamina and recovery. She might not be a nailed-on medal hope, but I’ll be cheering her all the way!” Karen, Senior Ski Specialist
Amanda Lightfoot (source: Team GB)
>> When to watch: Saturday 10th Feb 11:15-12:45 7.5km Biathlon; Saturday 17th Feb 11:15-12:10 12.5km Biathlon Read the rest of this entry »
Ski Independence Highly Commended
We’re thrilled to have been awarded the accolade of Highly Commended Tour Operator by the Ski Club of Great Britain, following the results of their 2017 Consumer Survey.
Announced at the Ski Club’s autumn party on Wednesday 25th October 2017, our MD, Michael Bennett, collected the award and said, “We’re delighted to win this Ski Club of Great Britain award and it’s testament to the hard work and dedication of the team”.
Ski Independence’s overall NPS in 2017 was 75 – well above the ‘Excellent’ benchmark of 50 points or more, and considered ‘World-Class‘ (70+). Needless to say we’re over the moon with the result!
The Ski Club’s annual Consumer Research Survey collects data from a huge number of UK skiers & snowboarders every summer, gathering Net Promoter Scores (NPS) for every company surveyed. The NPS measures the willingness of clients to recommend a company’s products or services to others, acting as a mark of customer satisfaction and trust.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of Ski Specialists for advice on where to ski this winter and to book your tailor-made ski holiday now. Call the team on 0131 243 8097 or request a tailor-made quotation online.
Big White Masters Ski Weeks 2017
Masters Big White
The fantastic Big White Masters Ski Weeks are tailored specifically towards skiers and boarders aged 50+, looking to meet like-minded snowsports fans. These week-long programmes include top ski coaching over 5 half days, a bit of après-ski, good conversation and plenty of social events and entertainment – surely a winning formula!
Read the rest of this entry »
Monster Ski 2016; France and Italy
Our Ski Groups Specialist, Vikki, has just returned from Monster Ski 2016 where she and a group of avid skiers took on a fantastic 3 day challenge to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis research. So far nearly £25,000 has been raised, great work!
On Monday 14th March 2016 I met with the guys and girls who were taking part in this year’s Monster Ski 2016 – an awesome trip to raise funds for the MS Trust. The Monster Ski challenge is to ski 30,000 vertical feet for 3 consecutive days, which is the equivalent of Mount Everest 3 times over! This is no mean feat and this is the 2nd year I have joined these amazing people in taking part in this fantastic challenge covering Chamonix & Courmayeur.
Team Monster Ski 2016
Monster Ski 2016: Day 1
Steamboat Events – Winter 2014-15
Our favourite guest blogger, Jenny O’Farrell from Steamboat, has returned! We asked Jenny to give us the low-down on what’s hot in Steamboat and she’s put together a list of must-see Steamboat events for winter 2014/15:
18th December – 30th March – Night Skiing & Riding
Ok, so if you did not get in enough turns from first Gondola at 8:30, you can enjoy night skiing and riding for three more hours from 5:30.
This will be year #2 of illuminated slopes in Steamboat, and we’re excited to add another day to the schedule for a Thursday-Sunday program this winter. You have steeper trails off the top of the Christie Peak Express 6-pack chair, and the Lil’ Rodeo terrain park is very popular at the night sessions. The lighting is quite impressive, too – the snow is well-illuminated, but you can still appreciate the bright stars in the bight sky, too. For those who prefer to watch, grab a cocktail at the Bear River Grill and enjoy the atmosphere at the cozy fire pits.
Ski Steamboat under floodlight!
5th-10th January 2015 – Musicfest at Steamboat
Ski World Record – Day 21: Final Day – Norway
21 epic days down! Jamie reflects on the 3 weeks he spent breaking the Ski World Record, plus there’s news of more to come. It’s been an amazing and exhausting time and Jamie finally makes it home to Edinburgh in once piece.
Watch out for more videos and keep an eye out for Jamie in the press over the coming days and weeks! Watch Jamie’s Ski World Record – Day 21 video blog below: Read the rest of this entry »
Ski World Record – Day 20: Sweden
And he’s done it, day 20 in Sweden see’s Jamie take the Ski World Record for 16 countries skied. Absolutely brilliant, all his hard work has finally paid off….but wait he’s not stopped there. He’s off again!
Watch Jamie’s Ski World Record – Day 20 video blog below: Read the rest of this entry »
Ski World Record – Day 19: Finland
Jamie has equalled the existing Guinness World Record on day 19 of his Ski World Record attempt in Finland. Skiing the resort of Messilla, he has now skied in 15 different countries in just 19 days. Day 20 will see new records being created – brilliant stuff, keep going Jamie! Watch Jamie’s Ski World Record – Day 19 video blog below: Read the rest of this entry »
Ski World Record – Day 18: Estonia
A few solid days of driving and Jamie has made it to Estonia, the latest country in his record-breaking (almost!) list. Freezing cold and a little lacking in snow, the resort of Kuutsemäe was fortuantely open, allowing Jamie to mark off country number 14.
Jamie’s Ski World Record continues in Finland where he aims to equal the current Guinness World Record of 15 countries skied in under a month.
Watch Jamie’s Ski World Record – Day 18 video blog below:
