Of course, thanks to mobile phones it has become easier over the years to stay in touch with fellow holidaymakers while in a ski resort, but even then it can be difficult to explain which chairlift you’re at, or the exact café. Don’t they always look so similar?

Now a new app could make life a lot easier for skiers and snowboarders. The MotionX-GPS App for iPhone and iPod touch has been enhanced with a new ski/snowboard mode. The new features allow you to see exactly where your friends and family are on the mountain via live position updates. This is sure to make it a great deal easier for meeting up on the slopes and tracking each other.

Most importantly, however, the app will mean you do not waste valuable time waiting around for each other, and instead get in more hours of skiing and snowboarding!

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However, if you push through the aches and pains you’ll find that by day five and six, your legs have become acclimatised to the extra-long days of skiing and as the holiday comes to an end, you really begin to feel the benefit of stronger legs and stamina.

So why not do a little ski-specific training before you head off on your ski holiday? It makes sense, doesn’t it? If you arrive with skiing-ready legs then you’re going to enjoy the ski holiday a great deal more from day one to seven.

A guide to preparing your legs for skiing

Fast feet: Start in a neutral position with you feet shoulder-width apart and your hips and knees a little flexed. Concentrate on keeping your core engaged and as you keep the neutral position begin to move you feet as fast as you can, lifting one and then the other as if running quickly on the spot but still keeping your feet wide apart. Do two sets of 30 seconds, with 60 seconds of rest in between.

Why? This legs-apart position is how you’ll ski and so if your legs are strong in this position you’ll find they become less fatigued.

Side lunge circuit: Place four cones about 5ft apart in a square pattern on the floor. Stand on one of the perimeter lines, facing into the square and with a cone near your left foot. Get yourself into a neutral athletic stance and then perform a sidestep to the right landing your right foot just inside the next cone.

Stay low and compact as you swivel or pivot 90 degrees on your right foot until your back is facing into the square, and then perform a sidestep to land your left foot inside the next cone. Keep going until you have completed a circuit of the cones. Do this five times in a clockwise direction and then five times the other way.

Why? This session calls for a sustained leg contraction and strong core and hip stability, all of which are important for skiing performance.

Front lunges: Start these lunges in a low lunge position. Remember to engage your core muscles and place an equal amount of weight between your front and back feet. Switch feet throughout this exercise but stay as low as possible and holding your body in a good lunge alignment. Do four sets of 10 reps.

Why? Leg, butt and hip strength, as well core stability, are vital for good skiing technique.

* Always warm up and cool down before and after each training session. And do not embark on a new exercise regime if you are in any way in doubt about your physical health – ask a doctor first.

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It’s not necessary to have matching ski clothing, such as jackets and pants, but with lots of blocks of colours one style leader is to combine a few bold colours on the jacket with one of these colours picked out for the pants.

You’ll also see jackets in one colour but with a contrasting pocket colour or big, bold stripes.

Fur and metallic detailing are also big on the pistes across Europe and America. How do you fancy fur edge hoods and collars and even the odd fur-edged cuff?Metal-look belts, helmets and features offer ultra cool looks, too.

Even with bright coloured ski and snowboard clothing, some folks still want to stand out from the crowds just a little more. You’ll see designs with herringbone, fluorescent colours and more than a few big pop-pom hats.

Because layering is key for any outdoor activity, the ski clothing ranges also include funkily deigned baselayers. Just because many of these layers stay on the underneath it doesn’t mean they come in boring blacks and whites. You’ll find bright greens, reds, purples, oranges and stunning design prints, such as modern camo, for baselayers. Maybe you’ll get to show these off in the après-ski bar!

Go on, dare to be bold on the slopes in bright colours!

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But what if you fancy something a little different? How about booking a second trip this season? Your first trip to your favourite European resort and then another skiing holiday to somewhere that you haven’t tried before.

Alternative Ski Holiday Ideas

Go indoors: We’re not just talking about your local ski dome. We mean, head to an indoor ski “resort”. Ski Dubai is the Middle East’s first indoor ski resort with five ski runs across some 240,000 square feet, and covered with snow all year round. The slopes are as high as a 25-story building and there are pistes to suit all skiing abilities.

Go high and cold: If all else is failing across the skiing world, you can bet there’ll be snow a Hemsedal Ski Resort, which is home to Norway’s highest groomed ski slope at 4,760ft. The downside might be the freezing temperatures and very short days of light but there is also the chance to try night skiing.

Go European in the US: America’s southern Rocky Mountains offers the cosy, European-style village of Taos Ski Valley. The resort founded by a Swiss-German immigrant in the mid 1950s and the mountain still boasts an authentic Bavarian lodge and an acclaimed ski school. The high-altitude slopes are renowned for their challenging runs and light, dry powder.

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The Midlothian Snowsports Centre at Hillend, near Edinburgh, will be upgraded to include new, safer ski matting at its existing nursery slope, snowtubing runs and two new lifts.

Sportscotland, the national agency for sport, has provided the funding.

It was only recently that the popular Scottish dry ski slope, which is also known as Hillend ski slope, was threatened with closure after Midlothian Council said it could no longer afford to fund it. But then Sportscotland and the Scottish government stepped in with £1m of funding to secure the centre’s future.

The fight to save the centre was the focus of an internet campaign supported by a 27,000 people. It just goes to show how many people like their skiing!

Derek Milligan, Midlothian Council’s leader, is reported as saying: “We know there is huge enthusiasm out there for the centre and these improvements will offer something for everyone, whether it’s snowtubing, learning to ski on the new, safer nursery slopes or choosing a different slope from the top of the chair lift.

“We hope these exciting plans for this national facility will have a positive impact on snowsports for people across the country by helping to maximise the full potential of the site.”

With thanks to .Martin on Flickr for the header image.

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This comes form the Canadian jurisdiction that was the first to bring in fines for helmetless cyclists, so you can be sure that the Nova Scotia Ministry of Health and Wellness is serious about their new skiing law.

It’s thought that around three-quarters of Nova Scotians already wear helmets to ski and snowboard. The Canadian Ski Council states that helmet us eis up from 67% in 2006 to 75% in 2011. The new legislation is aimed at the “vulnerable” remainder. Since 2000, 11 people have suffered traumatic brain injuries on Nova Scotia ski hills.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Wellness is reported as saying: “Wearing a helmet greatly reduces the risk of suffering a traumatic brain injury and could be the one thing on the hill that saves a life.”

In 1997, Nova Scotia became the second Canadian province after British Columbia to pass a mandatory all-ages bike helmet law. In 2007, the province extended the ruling to skateboarders and rollerbladers.

A statement said: “The ski hill helmet law solidifies Nova Scotia’s position as a leader in helmet safety.”

Do you wear a helmet for skiing or snowboarding? If not, tell us why not? If you do, tell us your reasons.

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Top London hotel Bloomsbury’s, The Montague on the Gardens, is playing host to a new pop-up ski-lodge-style bar where mixologists are very happy indeed to blend drinks with 12 vodkas of Christmas. These come in festive flavours, such as spiced apple or candy cane, which can be sipped as guests snuggle into woolly rugs beside rows of skis, a snowman and pine trees.  To add to the ski-style treat why not also order some bratwurst, turkey burgers and delicious roasted chestnuts from the barbecue? Ah, we’re already dreaming of apres-ski drinks. A gluhwein, beer or vodka anyone?

Three vodkas and a food tasting platter are priced at £20 per person (reservations essential), which seems like a small price to pay for something so festive/ski focused and different all rolled into one.

The next day, after you’ve recovered from the vodkas, we’ll bet you’re pulling out your skis and boots for a winter dusting!

With thanks to True Russian Vodka on Flickr for the header image.

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The recognisable look of a ski map

His style is distinctive, as any skier who has been to these countries on holiday will recognise. To create a map, James, of Colorado, first researches the area, checking satellite images on Google Earth, looking at existing maps, blueprints and photographs. Then, whenever possible, he visits the resort, taking photographs from the air while being flown over at various altitudes.

He then paints from an aerial perspective, working to bring a wide network of mountain faces and runs into a single plane. After this, James starts to paint, first in gouache, which is an opaque watercolor, on a 30-by-40 inch illustration board. This method allows him to lift the color and update sections if resorts change over the years.

The painstaking art of ski maps

This art takes time. Small ski areas can take three days of painting, while large resorts might need 10 days, and regional areas may take three weeks.

As you might expect, James, who has created some 300 maps during his career,  is not the greatest fan of computers. He says: “I’ll use a computer to adjust the colour or perspective on a nearly finished map. But I think that computer-generated maps lack character. Computers can’t do what I can do. For example, computerised maps have cloned trees, all of them identical, while my tress are all different.”

James still has some mountains that he’d like to paint. He dreams of travelling to the Oregon coast and the desert surrounding Moab, Utah, to paint the landscapes he’s photographed over the years.

Check out his interview with American news show CNN below:

Big thanks to James for allowing us to use his illustrations in this blog – to see more of his works, check out http://www.jamesniehues.com

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That’s because BALANCE is crucial to the fine art of skilful skiing and snowboarding.

Four great ways to get to grips with your balancing act for skiing

Simple, but effective: You could be watching the veg come to the boil, brushing your teeth or catching a few minutes of TV. But whenever you have a little time to yourself try standing on one foot and balancing. Swap feet each time you do this move so make sure that you even-out your training. If you can stand still with one foot lifted, try swinging your arms around and holding your balance. Then shut your eyes!

Gym tactics: Many gyms have a Swiss ball or a BOSU. These are brilliant items of kit for assisting with improved balancing. A simple exercise on the Swiss ball is to sit on the ball with your feet flat on the ground. Try lifting one foot up and straightening that leg while still holding your balance. Do the same with the other leg. And then try both. With the BOSU, balance on one foot on the top of the BOSU while doing bicep curls, or start with both feet on the floor and alternate toe taps.

Yoga poses: Yoga is superb for all-round strength and balance boosting. In particular, the Warrior pose will help to get you in perfect shape for time on the slopes this winter.

Chairman of the Board: Invest in a balance board. We’ve blogged about this great piece of kit, which is perfect for improving lower-body muscle strength and boosting balance.

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Bright pink ski helmet

What to look for when buying a ski helmet

The outer shell: The shell of a ski helmet is generally made of a polycarbonate material. This is designed to be lightweight but still extremely strong. The theory is that skiers and snowboarders want head protection that is light enough to still be able to enjoy their sport, but robust enough to protect the head if they take a fall. It’s straightforward stuff, really!

Look inside: The interior of most ski and snowboard helmets is made of a double-density polystyrene to offer further protection for your head and to add comfort.

Even more comfort: Many ski helmets also have a softer material that rest against the head and padding around the ears and on the chin strap. Comfort is important when you’re whizzing about the slopes getting hot and sweaty.

Great ventilation in a ski helmet

Talking of sweaty: Ventilation is another important factor to consider when buying a ski or snowboarding helmet. Some skiers even buy two helmets: One to suit warmer weather conditions and another for extreme cold. If you are buying just one helmet think about how you normally feel when skiing. Do you get very hot and sweaty? If so, look for a helmet with greater ventilation.

Full face: You’ll see helmet with a full-face protection but these are normally reserved for competitors in downhill and slalom competitions. These are for protection for falls at high speeds. It’s rather like the difference between a road cycling helmet and a downhill mountain bike helmet. One sport has greater potential for a face plant, just like with the range of disciplines in skiing.

Open face helmets: Perfect for leisure and holiday skiing and the helmet that most folks will be buying.

Funky ski helmet for kids

Three types of ski helmet to think about

Full shell, short shell and competition helmets. Let’s explain:

• Full shell helmets offer maximum coverage for recreational skiing. They are designed for protection and to keep the wind and weather off your head as well. These helmets are also a good idea if you’re planning on some top speed skiing and lots of tricks.
• The short shell offers adequate protection but less helmet coverage. This might suit people who are excellent skiers and who tend to play it safe, or people who prefer a bit more ventilation.
• The competition helmet is designed to save your life, ears, and jaws in a serious fast crash. If you are competing you should be wearing this design.

Fun looking skiing helmets

Ski helmets look cool so wear one

Looking around ski resorts these days it’s difficult to spot skiers and snowboarders without a ski helmet… which is why people now look for helmets that are fashionable, stylish, different, cool, whatever! Helmets come in a range of colours and designs and for extra uniqueness why not add your own stickers or spray paint design?

A snowboarding helmet with its own pompom hat!

Added extras: Look for integrated head phones or helmet accessories such as add-on mohicans and helmet hats!

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