Safe Not Sorry!

Far be it from us to preach to you all as you’re actually more likely to find most of the Doorstep team stoking the flames of any party during the course of the winter season, than dousing them, but...

Yodel have very responsibly teamed up with the British Consulate and the UK Foreign Office to bring you an important safety announcement. There are loads of sensible ‘dos’ and ‘don'ts’ when living in a ski resort and ignoring the risks could bring an early end to your season... or worse.

Insurance

You will need a specific kind of insurance if you plan to ski or snowboard this winter. This might sound obvious but your annual multi-trip insurance might not cover winter sports – check the small print and don’t just assume that it does. Season snow sports insurance is available but again, check exactly what your policy covers. If you’ve heard those rumours about pisteurs asking for credit cards before recovering broken skiers from the mountain, you’ll know how important the ‘mountain rescue’ element of your insurance policy is. Your European Health Insurance Card is also essential as it can drastically reduce the cost of medical treatment if you do get injured. There’s loads of information and links on snow sports insurance on the yodel website.

On the hill and off the piste

Off-piste is the area of a snowy mountain that hasn’t been treated, groomed or ‘pisted’ into an official run. Despite being ridiculously good fun, off piste snow sports have a much higher risk of causing an avalanche compared to skiing or snowboarding on a pisted run. There are loads of rules on piste etiquette and how to off-piste safely. We’ll leave those to the experts but remember – never go off piste alone, stay within your ability level and always wear a transceiver in case the worst does happen.

Ski Lift Graveyard

Ever wondered what happened to the famous "red eggs" in Les Gets? Yodel mag had a nosey around to see what happened to these iconic lifts!

In Winter 2010, the famous red

bubble was replaced by a new...red bubble! The new bubble eliminated the long set of stairs involved to get skiers to the start of the lift.

It also changed from being a four-seater to a six-seater lift and became quicker and comfier. In our excitement we may have forgotten our dearly departed friend. But just what exactly happened to the old lift?

If you have made a trip down the mountain you will already have seen their new home, albeit temporary. The old red bubbles currently lie at the bottom of the road into Taninges just waiting to be bought and loved. If you haven’t already seen them, you’ll be pleased to know that everyone has the opportunity to buy their very own piece of Les Gets history. The red bubbles are currently for sale at the Bric a Broc in Taninges but such an iconic piece doesn’t come cheap; it is said that the bubbles are priced at around €1000 delivered!

The red bubble has always been the main access to the slopes for the many beginners who come to the resort with their families to take advantage of the resorts novice-friendly nature. Les Gets’ learner skiing access has been an important aspect of the resort since the first ever Ecole du Ski Francais was opened here in 1940. Since then the resort has gradually been developed and enhanced to the thriving resort it is today.

Within this reputation perhaps one of the most iconic status symbols of Les Gets has been the red bubble lift. We’re all for the development that has improved the lift system in Les Gets and it’s also pretty cool that there is still a famous red bubble in our resort.

Off Piste Insurance

Contents

• Search and Rescue Costs
• Hospital Treatment of Ski and Snowboard Injuries
• Insurance for Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding?
• Comparison of Snowsports Insurance

Summary

This article seeks to answer two questions, why we need to be insured when skiing and boarding off-piste and which policy suits us best.

Why Insure?

If you have a winter sports accident the following costs may be involved:

• Search, recovery and transport to hospital, first aid
• Hospital costs including operations, medicine and other equipment (wheel chairs, crutches, etc)
• Repatriation, return of children, replacement driver
• Third party liability
• Criminal and civil proceedings
• Compensation for days missed from holiday, including lift passes, guides, ski/snowboard school etc
• Lost and broken equipment

We'll take a look at each of these points in the rest of this article.

The Trip Advisor Ski Index 2011 / 2012

When the 2012 Ski Index was released this week, Yodel magazine were dead keen to see where the resorts of Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz featured...

So imagine our surprise to find neither Morzine OR Les Gets featured on the Trip Advisor list! All the other regulars, such as Chamonix, Val Thorens and Meribel are there...

Avoriaz does made an entry though, holding up a very respectable 13th place. Considering it's height and guaranteed snow, the ski-in, ski-out resort offers amazing value for money, even if it's not the cheapest on the list.

We've applied Trip Advisor's very own criteria to the list to place Morzine and Les Gets in their rightful places ourselves. And here you have it! Morzine's in at 3rd place and Les Gets at 4th place! We've also asked Trip Advisor to explain the absence of Morzine and Les Gets on their own index and we just want to make it clear - Yodel has modified the table below to include Morzine and Les Gets ourselves. The original Trip Advisor table didn't include the two resorts.

The Facts & Figures!

Morzine

We averaged the nightly rates of Morzine hotels found on Trip Advisor and got an average nightly rate of £60.48

We averaged a day ski hire package (skis, boots and poles) at 3 Morzine ski hire shops and converted this into GBP using the exchange rate on 25th Nov '11 (1.167633501 in case you're wondering) and got an average package price of £21.40

The local area lift pass for Morzine & Les Gets is £25.26 when converted using the same exchange rate according to www.skipass-morzine.com

The average price of a meal (the average meal being burger and chips according to Trip Advisor) in 3 local Morzine restaurants is £8.56

The average price of a bottled domestic beer in Morzine is £4.71

Morzine Total = £120.41

Les Gets

We averaged the nightly rates of Les Gets hotels found on Trip Advisor and got an average nightly rate of £72.40

We averaged a day ski hire package (skis, boots and poles) at 3 Les Gets ski hire shops and converted this into GBP using the exchange rate on 25th Nov '11 (1.167633501 in case you're wondering) and got an average package price of £21.40

The local area lift pass for Les Gets and Morzine is £25.26 when converted using the same exchange rate according to www.skipass-morzine.com

The average price of a meal (the average meal being burger and chips according to Trip Advisor) in 3 local Les Gets restaurants is £8.96

The average price of a bottled domestic beer in Les Gets is £4.99

Les Gets Total = £133.01

Nice one Yodel

French Avalanche analysis for winter 2010/2011

During the 2010-2011 season in France there were 29 avalanche fatalities in 19 incidents. On the face of it a fairly typical year. However the overall figures hide a concentration of fatal avalanches in the border region with Italy and in the months of December and March which saw 58% of fatal incidents. Ski touring incidents as well as the seriousness of incidents both continued the recent upward trend.

In over a third of the incidents reported to the ANENA.org last season (fatal and non-fatal) more than one person was taken by the slide. Even more worryingly 50% of the fatal incidents involved multiple victims. There are clearly improvements to be made with group management (safe stopping places, group spacing when skiing and climbing) as well as route choice. Also of note were at least two fatal incidents where airbags were deployed as well as other more successful deployments, although some on clearly major routes in marginal conditions. Airbags are moving into the mainstream for both off piste skiing and ski touring but the number of deployments compared to market penetration may indicate that some users are taking greater risks.

http://skirando.com/images/avalanche/avalanche-analysis-2011.pdf

Report from Pistehors

Mutzig - The Seaonaire's Favourite!

Aaaah, Mutzig. The beloved beer is such an institution in this area - though not everyone would agree the morning after!

There are so many myths attached to the Mutzig name; some say it can vary between 4% and 12%, some say it is stronger in Morzine’s Bar Robinson than anywhere else. But what is the history behind this amber nectar?

Mutzig was initially brewed in its namesake town in the Alsace Province in France on the border with Germany. The brewery in Mutzig was founded in 1810 by Antoine Wagner and continued to produce the beer even when it merged with the three other breweries in the Alsace province. This formed a company called ALBRA (Alsacienne de brasserie), which was bought out by Heineken in 1972 who continued the production of Mutzig. The original group also continues to produce a beer under the Mutzig name but it is now made in the Fischer brewery in Schiltigheim, in north eastern France.

Did you know that apart from in Europe, Mutzig is also extremely popular in Africa? It is brewed in at least three countries across the continent; Rwanda, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

There are two different types of Mutzig; the regular one and Mutzig Old Lager, which is the really potent one! Mutzig may vary in strength but all we know is that it will most likely affect you in a way you are not used to so be careful when you drink it. There’s a very clear reason why most people choose to drink this fantastic beer in demis not pints! For the latest info on beer and food in Morzine havee a look at local magazine Yodel's site here...

Party Time!

The Portes du Soleil is going BIG this winter with 3 fantastic festivals to keep us all entertained. Get these dates in your diaries quick sharp.

The Basscamp Festival, Morzine - 2nd - 6th April 2012

Following on from his wildly successful après gigs at Le Tremplin last winter, local DJ Justin Bull (single - he asked us to put that in) is cranking things up a couple of thousand decibels this winter. If you were one of the hundreds of d&b (that’s drum and bass my friends... welcome to the sound of your winter in Morzine) fans stomping all over Le Tremplin terrace last winter, then you’ll need to buy a Basscamp Festival wristband to get the most from your winter season.

With big international acts such as The Correspondents, Foamo, Thomas Gandey, Benny Page and Slipmatt mixing up house, electro, D&B and dubstep already on an ever-expanding line-up, wristbands are selling like hot cakes. They are just €100 each and give you access to all the après, night time and late night gigs, free entry into ski and snowboard competitions and stacks more besides. On the final day of the festival there’ll be a ginormous fancy dress, 80’s inspired street party slap bang in the centre of Morzine. We’ve never seen anything like it before.

For more information on the Basscamp Festival and to grab a discounted seasonaire wristband go to www.basscamp-festival.com

Avoriaz Night Parties - 28th Jan - 10th Feb 2012

Attracting attention and pulling in punters from across Europe, the Avoriaz Night Parties are becoming something of a mountain legend. And when Avoriaz starts to party, it doesn’t stop for a full 2 weeks! Some of the biggest DJ’s in electronic music will be in attendance, flocking to Avoriaz from as far afield as Berlin, Paris, Barcelona and Moscow. There are 50 separate nighttime events during the Avoriaz Party Nights festival, including outdoor après ski sessions, warm up parties in resort bars and banging club nights until the wee hours of the morning. The nights are also themed, we suspect by someone with a big imagination! Will you go out on Yeti Night? Or will you wait until Snowstorm Night? We suspect that most of Avoriaz will be in attendance for Singles Night (for the laugh if nothing else) but will you then still be able to make it to Ski Instructors’ Night? Or perhaps you’ll make it to them all? We’d highly recommend making the effort.

For more information on the Avoriaz Night Parties go to www.avoriaz.com

The Ebouelle Contest, Les Gets, 20th - 24th March 2012

Back for another year of music and snow sports madness, the Ebouelle Contest is Les Gets’ big resort-wide festival. It is a mix of snow sports, international music and graphic arts. Ski and snowboard test events, exhibitions and workshops pack the festival programme each day, followed by big party nights at 3 Zebra Bar and the Igloo Chalet Club each night. Amateur and professional skiers and snowboarders compete alongside each other in jib, road gap and airbag competitions, all with the accompaniment of piste- side bands. There’ll also be a huge stage in the centre of Les Gets, on which live bands and DJs will get the resort shaking! Last year an art contest was added to the wider Ebouelle Contest and it returns this year. Groups of artists are given a creative kit made up of usual materials, with which they must create a symbol of the contest and Les Gets.

For more information on the Les Gets Ebouelle Contest go to www.ebouelle-contest.com

The Burton Stash

The Burton Stash is well known and loved to Avoriaz locals and visitors alike. For those of you who aren’t aware, The Stash in Avoriaz is a giant ecological snow park.

The park is a 100% natural playground to allow all the fun of shredding without the guilt of environmental impact. The American snowboarder and founder of Burton Snowboards himself, Jake Burton, designed the park. Burton’s philosophy is to create a specialised area, which caters for a mixture of both freestyle and freeriding while also conveying the important message about environmental protection.

Even the signs that will direct you to the stash are designed to be ridden and are carved by Bob King, the renowned chainsaw artist. The Stash does not use metal or plastics but instead relies on wood, trees, dirt and rocks to create the natural park. Avoriaz, with its brilliant reputation as a snowboarding centre and having an excellent park crew was Burton’s first European choice for the exciting project. There are now Burton Stash sites situated in The United States, Austria and New Zealand.

The Stash has a vertical rise of around 1500ft and is almost a mile in length. It is the perfect location for development, as Jake Burton stated; “The Stash was born from absence”. The Stash provides a place for both parents and children who both have an interest in freeriding to spend time on the mountain together. In the stash you can enjoy being in the heart of the forest while appreciating the safety of secure terrain.

Three slopes of varying degree join up half way down and lead to a cabin hidden in the middle of the pine trees. The cabin is the place to share messages about how you can responsibly limit damage to the environment.

The Stash is also great for perfecting wide turns in powder owing to the large expanse of un-groomed snow which winds in out of the trees in the Lindarets forest. There are many hidden modules to The Stash and it’s necessary to ride it several times to discover the entire splendor it has to offer.

It is always the goal of both Avoriaz and Burton for the The Stash to target parents and their children from intermediate to advanced level to enjoy riding backcountry and freestyle together. But don’t be put off, The Stash is there to be enjoyed by everyone who has an appreciation of brilliant snow playgrounds set in natural terrain.

Les Gets Excited About Winter!

Les Gets is a resort that has been enjoyed for years due to its charm and unique character. Luckily none of this is lost as it consistently works on new developments and improvements. Yodel magazine looks at what’s new and what we can look forward to in Winter 11/12.

The consecutive 5 hour ski pass

This year, instead of having to decide between the morning and afternoon for a half-day ski pass you can simply start skiing whenever you like. The new ski passes will simply last for five consecutive hours from when it is first used. We think it’s the perfect way to avoid the slope rush hours, it allows greater flexibility and you can treat yourself to that lie-in!

Freestyle Areas

Wannabe freestyle skiers can improve their techniques in safety with the new airbag. The enormous inflatable cushion measuring 15m x 11m provides a
gentle landing and maximum security. These techniques can also be perfected at the Cross District and at the Jib District with its rails and jumps. For those interested in freestyle, the boardercross in Les Gets is also just a year old. It was designed by Les Gets ambassador and Olympic champion Deborah Anthonioz and is one of very few installations of its kind in France that has the capacity for international competitions. It measures 523m covering a vertical distance of 124m so while it is open to the skiing public, a minimum level of 2* is recommended.

GPS ski tracking

Skiers can now rent GPS equipment from the lift pass offices to take out and record all their ski information for the day. Simply connect to the Internet later that evening to find out how many kilometres you covered and where your ski route went as well as your maximum and average skiing speeds. Worried parents can also use the equipment to give their teenage children some freedom on the mountain and allow themselves relief from constant worrying. The sets mean that parents can relax in the knowledge that their children can always be located in real time.

A Bashing Good Dinner

The Grand Ourse restaurant on Mont Chery is offering a very special treat this winter. For two nights each week, the restaurant will be open in the evening and will only be accessible by...piste basher! Every Wednesday and Thursday you can be driven to 1750m and enjoy their impressive panoramic view by moonlight. You will also sip champagne and relish a delicious dinner menu created by Head Chef Gary Massey. Places can be reserved by calling: 06 79 42 58 86.

Morzine Premier- The Art of Flight.

This is certainly one start of season event that you won't want to miss. Mountain Mavericks, Mint Snowboard School and Just Snow Camps have teamed up to bring the year's best snowboarding movie to Morzine.

A lot of hype has surrounded the Travis Rice & Curt Morgan Art of Flight movie. It cost a suspected $2 million to produce and premiers have taken place right across the globe. On Wednesday 14th December it's Morzine's turn!!!

Here's the details!

Location: Colibri cinema in Morzine (next door to L'Etale)

Time: Doors open at 7pm, film starts at 8pm

Tickets: €5 on the door - the first 20 through the door get a Quiksilver goodie bag / treat

After party: Happy hour prices at the Cavern and a free shot with your cinema ticket.

See you all there!

www.just-snowboard.com

www.mountainmavericks.com

www.mintsnowboarding.com

Big thanks to Yodel Magazine for keeping us up to date. Read more