- Winter Mountain
6 tips to make sure your ski trip goes smoothly
PICK THE RIGHT RESORT FOR YOU
Do you prefer staying in a high-altitude resort or a mountain village? Are you an all-day skier or do you enjoy a range of different activities? Is it a family holiday with children, or a trip with friends?
Think through the important questions to help us guide you to the right resort to suit your holiday requirements.
AVOID PEAK TIMES
You don’t have to take a winter break in the standard Saturday-to-Saturday model! It’s now easier to book shorter trips and arrange flexible dates, even during school holidays, meaning you can just as easily plan ahead as leave on the spur of the moment. Thanks to ‘Ski m’arrange’, you can decide when, how long, which dates and your budget!
SKI LESSONS AND EQUIPMENT: PLAN AHEAD!
If you haven’t opted for an all-inclusive package, don’t forget to contact a ski school to book your ski lessons and the ski garden for your children. The same goes for ski hire. Nowadays it’s easy to book ahead online so that your equipment is ready for you on arrival. Sometimes it is even possible to get it delivered directly to where you are staying.
SKI PASSES: BOOK ONLINE
With the hands-free system, no more queuing up to buy passes on your arrival. Simply book your ski passes on the resort’s website in the ski lift section. These will be posted to you a few days later. An increasing number of resorts in Savoie Mont Blanc also offer passes which you can top up directly online, up to 10 minutes before hitting the slopes. They are then activated as soon as you go through the first check point. Handy!
TAKE TIME TO GET IN SHAPE
It’s not wise to take to the slopes without having done at least a little targeted training in advance (thighs, glutes, abs, calves), just to shake off the cobwebs! In the month running up to your trip, do some abs work several times a week, opt to walk as much as you can to improve your cardio fitness, and stick to a healthy diet. This basic preparation should reduce stiffness over the first few days in the mountains, and make sure you’re not out of breath halfway down your first piste!
EQUIP YOUR CAR
You’re highly likely to encounter snow en route to the mountains. Winter tyres are therefore strongly recommended. If not, you must make sure you put your snow chains in an easily accessible place in the car. Practise putting these on at home before leaving so you don’t end up trying to puzzle it out in the middle of a snowstorm.
If you have no option other than to queue up with the crowds on Saturdays during the school holidays, don’t forget to pop in some blankets and refreshments just in case. You’ll be glad of them if you hit stationary traffic on your way up to the resort. Finally, tune in to local radio stations to stay abreast of the traffic news.