There’s still time to head out Mountain Biking…

Worried that you haven’t tried your hand at Mountain Biking yet and that time is running out? Well worry not, as Tignes Mountain Biking and the Palafour chair lift is still open until the 31st August. Want to know the best bit? The lifts and bike park are Free, yes you read that right, Free! 

So why go Mountain Biking in Tignes you might ask and not one of the more well-known resorts such as Morzine? Well, Tignes is perfectly set up for mountain biking in the summer with a handful of lift accessed zones and plenty of cross country and enduro riding. Tignes also has some of the most diverse bike terrain in the Alps due to the resorts high altitude. Here with the family? Mountain biking in Tignes is suitable for all levels, so great to get the family together for a day out too. 

Here in Tignes, there is a mountain biking trail for everyone and with five lifts spread out over the Tignes and Val D’Isere area they are easily accessible. In Tignes you have the Tufs chairlift, the palafour chairlift and the Toviere gondola which provides access to Val D’Isere. If over in Val D’Isere you have access to the Olympique cable car and the Borsat chairlift.

Map of Espace Killy Bike Area

Just like the Ski Slopes in the winter, mountain biking trails have different levels of difficulty, so be sure to know your own ability, strengths and weaknesses before hitting the trails. Never tried your hand at mountain biking before? Green trails are perfect for beginners, easing you in steadily, you will be a pro in no time. Already tried your hand at mountain biking and downhill riding? Then blue trails will help to improve your skills. Got the mountain biking bug? Enjoy spending time on the red trails. Consider yourself an expert? Then black and double black trails will get your adrenaline flowing. Not sure which level you are at? Then head to Bike Land in the center of Le Lac where you can assess your level thanks to three green, blue and red modules lines at your disposal. 

 

Bike Land - Tignes Le Lac

Feel ready to tackle the trails of Tignes? Before you do be sure to have the correct equipment and adhere to the safety rules. The trails of Tignes are open to Mountain bikers under their own responsibility and Tignes, Val D’Isere, the STGM and the STVI cannot be held responsible for any injuries caused to Mountain bikers. So please remember to wear a helmet, this is compulsory! Refer to the signs at all times, they are there to help and guide you. Mind the pedestrians. Pedestrians have priority on the ‘all mountain’ and cross country trails, stop and let them go first. Mind the herds. You may come in to contact with herds grazing on the mountain, remember to ride slowly. Once you have got all that, just remember to have fun!

 

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Val d’Isere redevelopment

Val d’Isere has been undergoing a major redevelopment since May 2015. Our friends over at Ultimate blogged about it last summer. 

If you skied here last season you may have noticed the renovation of the Tête de Solaise area with magic carpets ‘PimPam’ and ‘Poum’ appearing in place of the old chair lift, button lift and rope tow, creating a new beginners area, and allowing 3000 people an hour to head back towards Val. The renovation will also include a new café and tubing area. Part of this development is the replacement of the Solaise Express chairlift with a new 10 person gondola, similar to Tovière bubble in Tignes.

PimPam

This summer we have seen the Solaise chair taken out, and preparations for the new gondola going in, ready for this winter. It will be interesting to see where all those old chairs end up, I’m sure some of the local bars will have some new outdoor seating for next winter…

Val d’Isere Téléphériques has exclusive use of the ski lifts and snowmaking facilities in the Municipality of Val d’Isere, and with a huge turnover of 40 million Euros it is able to fund it own investments. Luckily, as this redevelopment is costing 16 million euros. 

Solaise Express chairlift

The Solaise Gondala will be on a monocable circulating ropeway, with a carrying capacity of 3600 people an hour, 40% more than the 4 person high speed chairlift that was previously there, you will be at the summit of the Solaise in 7 minutes. Each 91 bubbles will be fitted with heated seats and Wifi, and due to the large size of the bubbles you will have the choice to enter the bubble with your skis, or use the storage on the outside. 

Currently there are large pylons in place, but no bubbles yet. As soon as it is in place we will let you know!

You can watch the official redevelopment video from Val d'Isere Téléphériques here

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Fancy a ski this summer?

With a wealth of summer activities in Tignes you would be forgiven for packing your skis away until next winter. On the other hand... if you fancy carving a few summer turns or even working on your technique a little then the Grande Motte glacier is the place to head. And after a bumper winter conditions are set to be pretty good up there!

Piste map for summer skiing

There are approximately 20km of pistes including a snowpark to hone freestyle skills and cross-country skiing area for those feeling of you feeling a little more energetic!

Grande Motte opening dates: June 25th to August 7th (7:15 to 13:00 each day).

Snoworks instructor on the Grande Motte glacier

If you're interested in fine tuning your technique during the Summer then check out the courses on offer through Snoworks - http://www.snoworks.co.uk/summer-ski-courses.html

Be it in the saddle on the skis, we will look forward to seeing some of you out there this summer.

Bon été à tous!

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First of June snow report...

It's that time of year again when our attention switches away from the Alps of Europe to the snowy peaks of the southern hemisphere...

Piste bashers busy at the Remarkables, NZ (Image: NZSki)

New Zealand has recorded a good start with the Southern Alps getting a good covering of snow ahead of opening of most resorts over the next couple of weeks.Despite this good start some predictions suggest that this winter could be below average down in NZ due to the 'La Nina' weather effect which usually brings warmer and wetter conditions set to come into play.

Snow making at Mount Hotham, Aus (Image: Hotham)

Things are a little more tense in Australia with opening day on the horizon. On the whole they have received a light dusting of snow in addition to that created from snow-making. Similarly to New Zealand, they are also expected to have a wetter and warmer winter season in Aus but there is also the chance that they could get some big dumps of snow with plenty of weather coming through.

Forecast for La Parva (Chile) at mid-mountain (Image: snow-forecast.com)

Snow is also beginning falling across the Central Andes of South America with some Chilean resorts predicted to receive huge amounts of snowfall over the next few days. The resort of Valle Nevado in chile is expect to receive somewhere in the region of 2.5 metres of fresh snow at the the top of the mountain. We can't wait to see the pictures if this materialises! 





Meanwhile in the European Alps we are still recovering from an exceptional winter with snow falls well into May! This means that authorities are busy clearing snow from the high mountain rods such as as Col d'Iseran, which you can usually take from Val d'Isere over into Italy during the summer. At the moment it's covered in snow and impassable, but those concerned are working hard to get the road ready for summer.

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15/16 Winter Catch-Up

Well, what can we say about the Winter of 2015/16…

Excellent staff.  Epic snow. Great guests. An amazing season enjoyed by all!

After mother nature once again took a bit of a lie in during the early months of November and December, we were left wondering if this season would ever get going.

First staff ski day - Col de L’Iseran  (23/12/2015)

Final staff ski day - Bottom of Genepi piste (27/04/16)

The fireworks of New Year seemed to be the wakeup call for mother nature, and she duly provided us with a much needed delivery of the white stuff with seemingly continuous dumps of 10cms or more throughout January.
That set the tone for the rest of winter, and from then on there was no shortage of snow.
By the start of January the staff had settled into their roles nicely and we were receiving glowing reviews from guests. January disappeared in a flash amongst the excitement and enjoyment of fresh snow and before we could say ‘school holidays’ it was February Half Term Week.

Staff ski day- hiking the Toviere ridge

Staff ski day- bubbles in the Sache valley

After half-term we managed to get together as a team once again. We enjoyed excellent conditions despite poor visibility, we even treated ourselves to some well earned bubbles on the hill and some melted cheese at the bottom in Les Brevieres!

Last staff day out of winter 2016 - 27th April - The TCC from Ultimate Snowsports on Vimeo.

We cruised through the remainder of February and into March, continuing to enjoy fantastic conditions.
The final staff ski day was arguably one of the best days of the season. It was the 27th April, and we had received about a foot of fresh snow in resort and almost 30 cm's of fresh cold powder above mid-station. We had a week of unseasonably cold weather which resulted in an amazing end of season conditions.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to our staff and all of our guests that come to enjoy the winter with us, here’s to more of the same next season!

Last Supper

First Supper

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We're getting ready for the new season, are you?

With the Espace Killy set to open in less than two months most are thinking about organising their trip for next season and getting in tip top shape to make the most of their time on the hill.

For those budding ski instructors and ski racers the focus has probably switched to preparing themselves physically (and maybe mentally) for the season ahead.

The physical side of the sport is very important for those instructors looking to make the grade at the notoriously difficult 'eurotest' or 'test tecnhique' races in addition to the technical skiing exams- for those of you not 'in the know' to work in France instructors are required to achieve a certain time which varies from race to race (usually within 10% of a current or ex-professional ski racer) in order to apply their trade in France and complete the Level 4 ISTD qualification..

It is still good practice to keep yourself fit for skiing, as a regular holiday skier or even if you've achieved the euro-test or test-technique pass along with passing the other exams, especially as an instructor working day to day in the mountains.

Naturally, our backroom staff here at the Tignes Chalet Company consists of ski instructors and winter sports enthusiasts alike. We are all keen athletes/sportsman, so what are we doing to get fit for the mountains?

Do these cows not know we're in training?!
Matt on his bike earlier this week, near Whitmore in Staffordshire

Cycling is the obvious choice! With attributes such as lower leg strength similar to those required for skiing this can be a perfect activity to get you into shape for the mountains.

The main slope at Stoke Ski Centre (Festival Park, Staffordshire) earlier this week.

If cycling isn't your thing you could also drop in on your nearest dry slope and sneak in some turns before the winter. If you've never skied on a dry slope before it might take a little bit of adjustment before you start to slide in a graceful fashion...

However, dry slope skiing can be beneficial to your technique and if you can get the fundamentals right on the plastic this can only help when you're out in the mountains.
It's also a less expensive option to the notoriously overpriced indoor snow centres across the land.

Of course if you like to keep you skiing activities strictly to the snow other activities such as running and gym work can also be beneficial to your skiing fitness.

It doesn't matter how you achieve your skiing fitness as long as your in prime condition to enjoy the mountains!

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Tignes Winter 2015/2016 teaser...

After a dump of snow on the mountain tops ion Monday we are beginning to get a little excited for winter!

And we aren't the only ones... Tignes has released this video to get us even more stoked for the start of the season. And with less than two months until the opening of the Espace Killy on the 28th November, why not get excited!



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What have Tignes got planned for New Years Eve?

Tignes le Lac New Years Eve 2014/15 (picture courtesy of tignes.net)

Tignes treated us to the stunning acrobatics of Cirque Eloize from Canada last season.
This season they plan to take the party back to basics and revert to the hugely popular original format of the 'Fire Mix Party' to let in 2016.
There will be DJ's playing live in the centre of Tignes le Lac accompanied by spectacular fireworks when the hands strike 12.
As you may know it's a bit of a tradition for locals and holiday makers alike to converge in the centre of Tignes and welcome in the New Year; It's usually a friendly and festive atmosphere and a great way to let in any New Year in a beautiful mountain setting.
Some hardy souls even hike up into the mountains to get an aerial view of the spectacle.
But if festive spirit isn't enough to warm you up there are plenty of bars and restaurants hosting parties and special events.

Stay tuned for more news on events for Winter 2015/16 in Tignes...


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Would you swap the French Alps for skiing in Dubai?

Plans have been announced in Dubai to build the World's longest indoor ski slope as part of the Meydan One project which will also include a shopping mall, residential tower and five-star hotel.
It's not the first indoor ski slope in Dubai and will be located approximately 15 km's from Ski Dubai which is 400m long and was opened in 2005, the indoor ski resort which features the world's first indoor black run as part of the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest shopping malls in the world.

Meydan One's futuristic indoor ski slope 

The 1.2km slope will be the world's longest such indoor facility, beating Germany's AlpinCenter in Bottrop which is 640m.

However, this is not the only the record the Meydan One project plans' to break;

• Dubai One tower- will have the highest observation deck at 655m and highest sky restaurant at 675 metres when built as well being the tallest residential tower.
• Dancing fountain- expected  to be the world’s largest at more than 420 metres in length.

Overview of the project

The project also includes the Meydan Arena at the base of the ski slope, it will seat up to 8,000 people. It will host sporting events, live concerts and theatrical shows. Some of the outdoor sport options include football pitches, mountain biking, walking and running trails, a skateboard park and a BMX park.

Swap the French Alps for Dubai?

So hands up, who will be swapping their Ski trip to the Alp's for a glitzy ski vacation on Dubai's slippery slopes? I thought not!

But it does have it's advantages; no more worrying about the prospect of a white-out day, and with a man made climate there's no fears about a good snow base when you arrive.

On the other hand there definitely wont be the excitement of a powder day, and backcountry skiing doesn't exist.

Having said that it's hard to deny that if you are a resident in Dubai it would be an extremely exciting prospect, and just sometimes lots of money can make anything possible, even skiing in the desert! 

http://www.thetigneschaletcompany.com

A Winter Olympics without snow?

On Friday the IOC selected Beijing as host city for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, this means it will be the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
An obvious choice then you might think considering the city's pedigree?

Yanqing, the venue for some of the skiing events receives just two inches of snowfall per year

There is an obvious floor with the bid as you may be able to recognize in the image above...
This part of China barely receives any precipitaion which means hardly any natural snowfall!
Beijing is not a mountainous city, so the skiing, snowboarding and sliding events will be held in Yanqing (55 miles away from the capital) and Zhangjiakou (100 miles away), on the edge of the Gobi desert. But even these remote venues see minimal snowfall - Zhangjiakou averages eight inches of the white stuff per year, while Yanqing gets a miserly two inches.
To combat this organizers plan to take snow-making to an entirely new level by stock-piling snow in warehouse ready to transform the baron mountain where it plans to host the downhill events, in addition to this snow cannons will also help to tranform the mountain.

So why did the IOC choose Beijing?

Shymbulak ski resort, Kazakhstan

Well to be frank they had only one other option to choose from. The other contender to the host the games was Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The main advantage of hosting the games here is the actual snowfall they receive during the winter, and this was reflected in the presentation of their bid with the cheeky slogan 'Keeping it Real'. The disadvantage is the city's distinct lack of experience in hosting such an event of this caliber and this was ultimately the deciding factor. The Kazakh city was left as the only competitor to Beijing for the games after a series of European cities, including Krakow,  Oslo and Stockholm, withdrew from the selection process, blaming low public support and concerns about the huge costs of hosting the Games.

So with the 2018 Winter Olympic Games to be hosted in South Korea it seems like Asia is taking full advantage of Europe's current financial inability to host in one of her cities.
The major question to be answered is  can these two Asian cities provide an inspiring Winter Olympics with very little skiing tradition?

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