Les Gets ski lift running on 100% renewable

Eco initiatives have always been pretty high on the agenda in Les Gets and the resort has won numerous awards over the years for its green policies and currently has ISO 14001 certification for its environmental practises. This winter the Les Gets lift operating company SAGETS will become the first ski lift company in France to operate using 100% renewable energy sources.

The CEO of SAGETS, Henry Anthonioz told us “Our customers are very attached to our mountains, so we have no hesitation in subscribing to the EDF balance that ensures the provision of all our electricity from green energy.” He added “We are delighted to be pioneers in this field and we hope it may encourage other stations to follow us.”

The green energy used to power the Les Gets lift network this winter will come from a variety of sources including wind, solar, thermal, geothermal, biomass, hydro, marine and waste. Les Gets’ eco policies already include policies to reduce energy consumption, encouraging carpooling, burying power lines and the use of bio-degradable oils.bio-degradable oils.

Courtesy of Morzine's Mountain Source Magazine and Website

Hot Tips for first time snowboarders!

Winter is coming!  Frosty mornings in the UK and snow falling in Europe is getting everyone excited for another amazing season!  Is this the winter you will take your first steps towards becoming hooked on snowboarding?  Well our friends over a Mint Snowboarding  have put together a set of top tips to get you started off on the right foot

Weather – check the forecast. Is it going to be windy, sunny, snowy or cloudy and what is the temperature? All this will influence your clothing choices.  There is nothing worse than being COLD!  BRRRRR!

Goggles – They will help protect your eyes from sun and wind as well as helping you see better in poor light conditions. Goggles will protect your eyes better than sunglasses as well as less likely to fall off, get broken or lost!

Gloves – Remember your hands will be touching the cold wet snow quite a bit so make sure you have some warm and waterproof gloves or mittens.

Stretch – Stretching both before and after will help avoid injuries as well as muscle recovery, a good warm up can help too!  Click here for some snowboard stretching tips!

Helmet – Keeps your head protected as well as warm and dry.

Layers – your first layer should be thermals to keep you warm and dry. Definitely avoid cotton. You will use up a lot of energy in your first few days on a board, so may not need as many layers as you think

Jacket & Pants – You will need jacket & pants that are wind & water resistant as well as being breathable. Think comfort not fashion. A good 6,000mm waterproof and breathability rating should get you started.

Feet – Comfortable feet are key. Only one pair of socks (avoid cotton) and make sure they are pulled up without creases. And you want no inner layers tucked into your boots.

Fuel Up – you will need the energy!  We love porridge and fruit in the mornings!

Backpack – don’t take one! It will put you off balance, distract you and thus hinder progression. All you need with you are a wallet, sun cream, lift pass, phone… don’t weigh yourself down with anything else.

Sun Cream – Don’t forget to use it, the sun is stronger than you think in the mountains.

Relax – no need to be nervous. Enjoy the experience of learning something new. Your instructor will have taught plenty of beginners before and the others in the group are in the same situation as you.
So that’s it!  Get out there and enjoy the experience of being in the fresh air on the mountain, take in the views and make sure you take advantage of a cheeky apres beer or hot chocolate!  You will deserve it!  Remember we are a Burton Experience Snowboarding Centre and offer lots of options for snowboard lessons, snowboard camps and courses to get you shredding!!!


And don't forget if you nee to hire some great equipment to help you progress then get over to Doorstep Skis for a full choice on the best of Burton starter kit!

RIDE GREENER

A must read for any environmentally conscious riders-  RIDE GREENER shows you how to have fun while skiing and snowboarding in an environmentally friendly way!

 Here at Doorstep Skis, we're constantly active in findings ways in which we can provide ski and snowboard hire in Morzine in the most environmentally friendly way as possible. All tips welcome! 

British medal hopes for the Winter Olympics

2014 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES

• Venue: Sochi, Russia
• Date: 7-23 February 2014

The emergence of a new generation of talented athletes has raised British hopes of a record medal haul at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, which begin in 100 days.

Great Britain's current best tally is four, won in Chamonix, France, at the inaugural Winter Olympics in 1924.

Here, BBC Sport profiles the 10 leading British contenders pushing for a podium finish in 2014.  READ ON.. 

DO NOT Use a Smart Phone App as an Avalanche Beacon!

The Canadian Avalanche Center has just released a press release denouncing the use of “smart phone apps” as avalanche beacon.  

3 European smart phone apps are offering service as avalanche beacons now and they have been found to NOT WORK.  When you are running out of air underneath an avalanche, you won’t feel that great about having saved $300 bucks by using a smart phone app instead of a real, certified avalanche beacon.

A smart phone app will never replace your avalanche beacon.  There are so many reasons that an app cannot replace an avalanche beacon:  they don’t work properly, battery life, robustness, reliability and interference.  Please get an proper avalanche beacon and learn how to use it.

Please read the Canadian Avalanche Center’s press release:

Canadian Avalanche Centre Warns Backcountry Users About New Smartphone Apps

Apps marketed as transceivers give users false sense of protection

Oct 24, 2013, Revelstoke, BC:   Smartphone avalanche search applications that are marketed as avalanche rescue systems are not recommended, says the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC). Three European-made apps are presenting themselves as economical alternatives to avalanche transceivers, the electronic device used by backcountry users to find buried companions in case of an avalanche.
After close examination, the CAC has found a number of issues with the technology. Two of the main issues are compatibility and frequency range. All avalanche transceivers conform to an international standard of 457 kHz. Regardless of the brand, all transceivers can be used to search and find other transceivers. “Not only are these new apps incapable of connecting with other avalanche transceivers, they are also incompatible between themselves, so one type of app can’t find another,” explains CAC Executive Director Gilles Valade.

The 457 kHz standard was chosen because it transmits very well through dense snow, is not deflected by objects such as trees and rocks, and is accurate. “None of the various communication methods used by these apps come close to that standard,” adds Valade. “WiFi and Bluetooth signals are significantly weakened when passing through snow, and easily deflected by the solid objects we expect to see in avalanche debris. And the accuracy of a GPS signal is nowhere near the precision required for finding an avalanche victim. ”

Other critical issues include battery life, robustness, reliability and interference. “These apps are being actively marketed as software that turns a smartphone into an avalanche transceiver but the CAC has serious concerns about their vulnerabilities,” says Valade. “We are warning all backcountry users to not use any of these apps in place of an avalanche transceiver.”

The three apps are:
- iSis Intelligent (Mountain) Rescue System http://www.isis-application.com/en/
- Snøg Avalanche Buddy: http://www.avalanchebuddy.com/
- SnoWhere: http://charcoalfrost.com/

The Story of Skiing and the Future of Snow

DEEP: The Story of Skiing and the Future of Snow recently went live on Kickstarter. One week after launching, the DEEP project is already 34 percent funded. With 20 days left to the end of the campaign, and the official launch of the book set for November 15, DEEP is well on its way to landing in bookstores across the country.

“It’s an unorthodox way of funding a book,” author and POWDER Features Editor Porter Fox said. “But we’re trying to spread the word about disappearing snow in the Northern Hemisphere, and we’re doing it every way we can.”  READ ON..

10 reasons to visit Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz this winter.

Our friends at  Morzine Source Magazine tell you why there is no reasons at all why you shouldn't visit us this season.

 1 – Transfer time

No fewer than 10 airlines fly directly to Geneva from the UK. Les Gets, Morzine and Avoriaz are the closest major ski resorts to Geneva, making the transfer time around 1 hour and 15 minutes. Compare that with the three hours (plus!) you’d spend on a transfer to the Three Valleys or Espace Killy and you can see why the area is so popular with families, weekend groups and everyone else too! You’ll be sipping a vin chaud before you know it.

2 – Micro climate & snow record

No, it’s not a myth. Our three resorts sit slap bang between the glacial summit of Mont Blanc and the ginormous water mass of Lake Geneva. It’s a scientifically proven fact that this gives us lots of powder days. Avoriaz may be one of the highest ski resorts in Europe, but Morzine & Les Gets certainly aren’t. However, only a fool should assume that low altitude means poor snow. According to Igluski.com, Les Gets (at 1172m) and Morzine (at 1000m) had a better average snow depth throughout the winter season than Courchevel, Meribel, Courmayeur and Mayrhofen. Our favourite ‘low lying’ resorts don’t do too badly at all.

3 – Price

Here’s an idea. Add up the cost of five key holiday spends during one day of your holiday. Let’s go with your accommodation, equipment rental, lift pass, a meal and a beer. Last winter Trip Advisor compared these same costs in ski resorts across Europe. Using the very same criteria set by Trip Advisor, Morzine would appear 3^rd on the list, with a total cost of £120.26 per day. Les Gets would be in 4^th place with a total of £133.07 and Avoriaz appeared in 15^th place with a total of £190.33. All three resorts were significantly cheaper than the likes of Chamonix (£209.83), Tignes (£289.68) and Val d’Isere (£290.92). And don't for get ski hire which is very competitevly prices in Morzine. See Doorstep Skis for prices.

4 – Skiing for all abilities

 READ ON

Helmets Get Smarter

By Patrick Thorne@ InTHe Snow

A clever idea from Shred helmets incorporates  ICEdot technology.  When you buy the helmet you register the owners details (emergency contacts, allergies, medical conditions) at a central point and are given a unique PIN stored on the helmet.  If you, or a child or loved one wearing the helmet is ever injured, a first responder can text a central number and instantly access your personal data

Shred’s Mega Brain Bucket helmet also features Slytech 2nd Skin foam technology which is a protective layer that hardens on impact, adapting to the different forces and speeds of a crash.  The EVA based foam features the only advanced and intelligent shock absorber on the market, which adapts to the strength of impact and increases protection proportionally.

“I can’t speak highly enough about the upgrades to the Half Brain” stays ski racer Ted “Shred” Ligety. “Engineers consulted us riders through every step in the production and the end result is the best helmet on the market for skiers and snowboarders.”

Here at Doorstep Skis we don't have these top technical ones in stock but we do stock a range of the best and most modern rental helmets available,