Category Archives: Ski News

School girl to ski to South Pole

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A schoolgirl whose father was the first Briton to reach the South Pole solo and unsupported said Thursday she hoped to become the youngest person to ski there when she joins him on a return visit.
Amelia Hempleman-Adams, 16, will join adventurer David Hempleman-Adams when he sets off on the two-week challenge on November 18, braving temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius — minus 60 with the wind chill.
They will start at the point where explorer Ernest Shackleton had to turn back in 1907 and ski the last 97 miles (156 kilometres) to the South Pole.
“I am frightened about the harsh conditions as I don’t know what to expect, the cold, the wind. I am not sure if I’ll be able to sleep as it is 24 hours daylight at the South Pole and Dad is a terrible snorer,” the teenager said.
She will have to consume 8,000 calories a day to keep up her strength, but joked: “Eating a lot of chocolate won’t be hard for me.”
Her father admitted he was “apprehensive” at taking his daughter into such a harsh environment, saying: “I’ve got quite a lot of fat on me so it’s easier but Amelia is a teenager so burns quite a lot of calories and is quite thin.
“We are really going to have to be careful that’s she’s kept warm.
“But Shackleton has always been a hero of mine and it will be wonderful to walk in his footsteps. It will be very special to share this experience with my youngest daughter.”
Hempleman-Adams added that his daughter would not escape her homework when she was on the trip, saying: “There will be quite a lot of downtime in the tents so she can do a couple of hours a day.”
In 2005, Amelia Hempleman-Adams’ sister Alicia, then aged 15, became the youngest person to trek to the North Pole.

While you would imagine that most school girls would be happy with a family ski holiday to France, Italy or Switzerland, one 16-year-old has persuaded her dad to take her to the South Pole for a fortnight! Amelia Hempleman-Adams plans to make the epic two-week ski journey with her father David later this month. If she completes the dangerous and arduous challenge she will become the youngest person to ski to the South Pole.

School girl sets off to become the youngest to ski to the South Pole

School girl sets off to become the youngest to ski to the South Pole

Amelia, who will endure temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius lowering to minus 60 with the wind chill during the 97 mile ski trip, is reported as saying: “I am frightened about the harsh conditions as I don’t know what to expect. There’ll be the cold and the wind.” But it seems one of her biggest fears is her dad’s snoring! She adds: “I am worried about sleeping, too, because it’s 24  hours daylight at the South Pole and dad is a terrible snorer!”

Dad is first to ski solo to South Pole

If it’s possible to be in safe hands during such an awesome ski outing, the Amelia can trust David. For her dad was the first Briton to reach the South Pole solo and unsupported. In 2005, he also trekked with Amelia’s sister, then aged 15, to the North Pole, bringing her the acclaim of being the youngest person to reach that pole.

First to consider is Amelia’s calorie intake. A slim teenager she will need to consume more than 8,000 calories each day just to maintain enough energy to stay warm and fit. David says: “I’ve got quite a lot of fat on me so it’s easier for me but Amelia is a teenager so burns quite a lot of calories and is quite thin. We are really going to have to be careful that’s she’s kept warm.

And if Amelia has any ideas of skipping school work while she’s away on a mid-term ski trip she can think again. Her dad says that there will be enough “downtime” in the tents along the way for his daughter to do a couple of hours of school work each day.

You can’t help but wonder where the family’s next ski holiday will take them!

Being There – By Field Productions

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I woke up this morning with the urge to get onto Youtube and Vimeo and check out some cool freeski videos. After an hour of envy I realised I only had around 15 minutes to catch my train to work, so running like a high school geek with red cheeks, a sweaty fringe and puffy cheeks became my morning look, to the amusement of all the kids on the commute.

Back to the videos, one that particularly caught my eye was field productions latest ski movie instalment….“Being There”. The movie was shot on various locations around Norway, Sweden and Japan and features some great athletes such as Tom Wallisch and Aleksander Aurdal.

The movie is all about Freeskiing, and the stunning scenery accompanied with immense action shots display an extreme passion for the sport. And armed with a top notch film crew and their high end HD cameras, means this move will blow your mind.

The release date was the 26th of October 2011, one for the Christmas list I think.

New Scotland ski alerts

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When the sun is shining, the skies are blue and the snow has come, skiing in Scotland is awesome. But with more unpredictable days of weather than many other European countries, skiers and snowboarders need to keep a close eye on the forecasts for Scotland.

New Scotland ski alerts

New Scotland ski alerts

Now Ski Scotland is offering a new on-line facility for the coming winter season to make it easier and faster for wintersports enthusiasts to access information about conditions on the slopes.

The organisation is upgrading its website to offer information via mobile phones and tablets, so that people can access it almost any time and anywhere.

To find out more about this forward-thinking service that covers Scotland’s five ski resorts, Cairngorm Mountain, Glenshee, The Lecht, Nevis Range and Glencoe see Ski Scotland

Nudist Ski Resorts: Would You Dare to Bare?

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With the existence of many nudist ski resorts, and let’s face it, a lot of deserted mountain space, more and more people are choosing to bare it all for the rush and ski or snowboard in the nude.  As the economy forces people to tighten their purse strings, you might be able to forgive them for wanting to save money by opting out of ski clothes whilst still hitting the slopes – the epitome of travelling light!

1But with the very obvious downside of frozen nether regions, and a slight suspicion that those doing it might be a little bit more than simply off piste, what is the appeal?

Nudist skiers attest to a feeling of liberation and fun whilst flying down the slopes in an icy breeze (brrrr), a sentiment obviously shared by hundreds of spectators and skiers who attend nudist ski events and competitions.  Possibly the most infamous of these events occurred in the wonderfully named Crested Butte in Colorado, which hosted an annual end of season naked ski procession that was unfortunately disallowed in 1998 when it all became a tad too boisterous.

There are other scantily clad ski events still running such as the Undie 500 Race on Mount Cheeseman in New Zealand, where contestants are positively encouraged to wear the bare minimum – but still hide their modesty – whilst completing a complicated slalom course.  With prizes to be won for the first to finish and, slightly ironically, the ‘best dressed’, the race seems as fun to watch as it is to participate in!

It is now more difficult to find fully nude ski resorts, but should the mood take you there are still a few places in which you can legally do so, one of the best being in Obertraun.  Tucked away in the Austrian Alps, Obertraun is run by the German nudist association (the Germans appear to have a particular penchant for nudism!).  Whilst there, you can indulge in some liberating cross country skiing on the beautiful Dachsein plateau, and when you’re done go for a candle lit skinny dip in the lake.  Refreshing!!

2Some words of warning if I have inspired you to undertake this chilly version of our favourite winter sport:

  • You need high factor suncream everywhere. Don’t forget that snow is reflective, therefore, the UV rays will bounce upwards leading to some seriously uncomfortable sunburn!
  • The sense of humiliation when you fly down the ski slopes on your face, or flip upside down on the ski lift because you forgot to get off (genuinely done by my accident prone brother), will probably be even keener with your frozen pink derrière in the air.
  • Additionally if you fall, you take the risk of getting snow burn in some very painful places.
  • You must be considerate of those who have to use their chairlift after you, and be weary of the dangers of freezing cold metal on bare skin – ouch!

Two final alternatives for the less brave:

  • It would need a particular dedication to undertake the ‘discipline’ of skiing au naturel all day long.  Consider doing a victory streak at the end of a run instead.
  • Scotland (somewhat unsurprisingly) holds the world record for the most people skiing at once – in kilts.  I’m assuming it might be a better, if not still breezy, alternative to being fully nude.  Of course you still need to be aware of UV glare, and sudden gusts!

Snowboarders welcome prize money hike

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Oh, wouldn’t it be fantastic to be a professional snowboarder? Think of how amazing it would be to have an excuse to spend all day, every day honing those skills at gorgeous resorts around the world. While all the above is true the reality of life as a pro snowboarder is that making a decent living is tough. But now things might be changing.
Bucking the trend of traditionally small purses for snowboarding championship prizes, the World Snowboarding Championships (WSC) has pledged half a million dollars for wins across the series, with each contest gaining a prize total of more than $100,000. This will see winners taking away $40,000 dollars, plus cash prizes all the way down to the 20th spot  so that all semi-finalists will get paid.
The aims of the WSC are “to offer the best arenas, the best riders and the highest prize money”. It’s hoped that the WSC will kick-start a significant rise in snowboard champs prizes, making the sport more viable for other pros.
Chas Guldemond, from the rider’s union, We Are Snowboarding (WAS), is reported as saying:  “We are not anywhere near other global supersports such as tennis or golf, but we are making the first steps. There’s so much risk involved in snowboarding now, and the competitive top level is as high as in any other sports.
“We hope the WSC can be a kick-start symbol for how good snowboarding can be when its run by snowboarders. The WSC titles are most important to the riders, but prize money is crucial to bring more riders to the pro level.”

Oh, wouldn’t it be fantastic to be a professional snowboarder? Think of how amazing it would be to have an excuse to spend all day, every day honing those skills at gorgeous resorts around the world. While all the above is true the reality of life as a pro snowboarder is that making a decent living is tough. But now things might be changing.

A competitor at the WSC

A competitor at the WSC

Bucking the trend of traditionally small purses for snowboarding championship prizes, the World Snowboarding Championships (WSC) has pledged half a million dollars for wins across, with each contest (halfpipe men and women, slopestyle men and women gaining a prize total of more than $100,000. This will see winners taking away $40,000 dollars, plus cash prizes all the way down to the 20th spot  so that all semi-finalists will get paid.

The aims of the WSC are “to offer the best arenas, the best riders and the highest prize money”. It’s hoped that the WSC will kick-start a significant rise in snowboard champs prizes, making the sport more viable for other pros. The contest takes place in Oslo, Norway in February 2012.

Chas Guldemond, from the rider’s union, We Are Snowboarding (WAS), is reported as saying:  “We are not anywhere near other global supersports, such as tennis or golf, but we are making the first steps. There’s so much risk involved in snowboarding now, and the competitive top level is as high as in any other sports.

“We hope the WSC can be a kick-start symbol for how good snowboarding can be when its run by snowboarders. The WSC titles are most important to the riders, but prize money is crucial to bring more riders to the pro level.”

Snowsports on the up and up

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If a new report in America is anything to go by the UK’s continuing economic doom and gloom will NOT be affecting the number of people enjoying snowsports this year. Despite having less money in our pockets, it seems that outdoors fans are still willing to splash out on the favourite sports.

Growing trend: Snowshoeing

Growing trend: Snowshoeing

The research from SnowSports Industries America (SIA) revealed that there are now more than 31 million Americans taking in snow sports. This amounts to  7.5% of the population over the age of six taking part in at least one snowsport activity. The report also found that there is an increasing diversity in the types of snowsports being enjoyed, including such activities as snowshoeing and freestyle skiing and snowboarding, as well as alpine skiing, telemark skiing and cross country skiing.

Other skiing and snowboarding findings reveal:

  • Alpine skiing increased by 5.4% and snowboarding by 10.4% between the 2008/09 to 2009/10 seasons.
  • More men than women are snowboarders– and they tend to be younger. Two-thirds of the report’s participants are male and 64% are aged 13 to 34.
  • Snowboarders participate, on average 58% more days (11.7) than alpine skiers (7.4).
  • The number of snowboarders that also ski increased from 26% in 2008/09 to 34% in 2009/10.

Snow falling at Scottish ski resorts

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UK skiing and snowboarding fans will be whooping (just a wee bit) as news comes this week that four of Scotland’s five resorts have had snow. Webcams at Cairngorm Mountain, Glencoe Mountain, Glenshee and Nevis Range have shown a dusting of snow.  The other resort, The Lecht, is rainy rather than snowy.

The most recent overnight snowfalls come just days after publication of a review of snowsports in Scotland in which it is suggested that  the future for Scotland’s skiing industry is to give skiers and snowboarders access to snow higher up the mountains. The independent study said that while conditions can be unreliable at 2,000ft (610m) where all the centre’s base stations are, the snowfields higher have much better quality snow, that lasts for longer each season.

Comparing Scotland to Japan and Switzerland – two counties that have made the move to give skiers higher mountain access – the report makes recommendations for building new chairlifts to snow at greater elevation on Scottish mountains, too.

Still, with the recent dusting of snow in the four Scottish resorts there will be hopes that this year’s skiing season will be just as good as the previous two. Do you have your skis at the ready?

Women set to complete amazing ski challenge

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It’s September and two women claim to have skied every month so far this year – in California! Their aim is to ski each month from January to December in 2011 in the Golden State. This is the dream of skiing friends Diane Giuliani and Peggy Reis and so far, despite living in a state renowned for its glorious sunshine, the pair have pulled off nine out of nine months.

Skiing in California

Skiing in California

Some months, as you’d imagine, have been a lot harder than others. Diane, who is 54, reports that in the months of June and August they were required to get a little creative. The friends were forced to head off the beaten track for some back-country skiing when snow was much harder to find.

The intrepid skier says: “In some ways it’s more fun because you are completely isolated and you don’t have the buzz of the ski resort.”

Of course, with snow and sunshine, the women have not had to wrap up so warm, and have often skied in t-shirts or light baselayers.

The friends have found the rigours of back-country skiing to be of huge benefits to their physical well-being. Having survived breast cancer in 2010, Diane was looking for a way to stay in shape.

Diana says: “It’s kind of more of a full-body workout. You are just working so hard… climbing up hills. We go because we want the exercise.”

Peggy, a cardiac nurse, is no stranger to outdoors adventures. She has climbed a peak on every continent (all over 18,000 ft) with her husband. She reports that the skiing challenge is not for novice skiers.

“It’s a hard challenge and finding snow hasn’t always been easy. But we reckon we’ll make it to the 12 out of 12.”

Ski trends for the coming season

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What will be the big skiing and snowboarding trends for the coming season?
Ski touring
We’re blogged about ski touring  before and we reckon it is going to be even bigger this year. In Scotland, the ski hire shops couldn’t keep up with demand for hire of ski touring kit and this year while they have managed to get more stock they are predicting that this sport will be fast growing. Reports across Europe back up this prediction with many more resorts witnessing an increase in skiers who want to go up hill and down hill of their own accord. Ski touring and Nordic skiing certainly remove any need for waiting in chairlift queues and offer an awesome arena of off-piste skiing wonderlands. If you’re new to the sport join an instructor led course or head to Sweden for some amazing ready-set-up Nordic skiing tracks.
Ski and surf
How do you fancy skiing AND surfing in one holiday? Of course you fancy this… and so do a growing number of holidaymakers who have been taking the opportunity to enjoy the mountains before heading to the beach. Ski resorts such as Whistler or Banff in Canada are being combined with a surfing trip in Hawaii.
Ski and city
If surfing is not your thing, but the bright lights and entertainments of cities such as San Francisco and New York are then why not combine a ski holiday in Whistler with a stop over in a big US city?
Ski cross
Ski cross is described as a mix of motocross and bull riding! Ski cross takes place on a man-made course with natural hills and banked curves and jumps. Skier compete against the clock. And it looks set to become one of the hottest snow sports. Ski cross was a major feature of the Olympics and now skiers are looking for resorts where there are ski cross courses.  Top resorts include Alpe d’Huez, where a training course has been set up, while Courchevel has created a snow cross trail on its La Loze piste.
Ski bikes
You may have seen more of these funky ski bikes popping up at resorts in recent years. A ski bike looks like a basic bike but has skis instead of wheels and comes without pedals! They take a bit of getting used to and you’ll need to be sure you can brake effectively but once you get the hang of a ski bike you might never return to skis!

What will be the big skiing trends for the coming season? We bring you a round up of some of the increasingly popualr alternative snow sports and themes.

Ski touring : We’ve blogged about ski touring before and we reckon it is going to be even bigger this year. In Scotland, the ski hire shops couldn’t keep up with demand for hire of ski touring kit and this year, while they have managed to get more stock, they are predicting that this sport will be even faster growing. Reports across Europe back up this prediction with many more resorts witnessing an increase in skiers who want to go up hill and down hill of their own accord. Ski touring and Nordic skiing certainly remove any need for waiting in chairlift queues and offer an awesome arena of off-piste skiing potential. If you’re new to the sport join an instructor led course or head to Sweden for some amazing ready-set-up Nordic skiing tracks.

Ski and surf : How do you fancy skiing AND surfing in one holiday? Of course you fancy this… and so do a growing number of holidaymakers who have been taking the opportunity to enjoy the mountains before heading to the beach. Ski resorts such as Whistler or Banff in Canada are being combined with a surfing trip in Hawaii.

Ski and city: If surfing is not your thing, but the bright lights and entertainments of cities such as San Francisco and New York are then why not combine a ski holiday in Whistler with a stop-over in a big US city?

Ski Cross: Ski cross is described as a mix of motocross and bull riding. Ski Cross takes place on a man-made course with natural hills, banked curves and jumps. Skier compete against the clock. And it looks set to become one of the hottest snow sports. Ski Cross was a major feature of the Olympics and now skiers are looking for resorts where there are ski cross courses, such as Alpe d’Huez and Courchevel.

Ski biking hits the slopes

Ski biking hits the slopes

Ski bikes: You may have seen more of these funky ski bikes popping up at resorts in recent years. A ski bike looks like a basic bike but has skis instead of wheels and comes without pedals! They take a bit of getting used to and you’ll need to be sure you can brake effectively but once you get the hang of a ski bike you might never return to skis!

Tell us if you’ve any more ski trend predictions for 2011/2012…

Affordable Ski Holidays – Bulgaria the New Skiers Holiday of Choice?

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With the current economic climate, many people used to taking annual family skiing holidays are suddenly finding that they are unable to afford it at the moment. Guest blogging on the Simply Piste blog for the first time is Krystian Szastok from eclipseski.co.uk whom specialise in skiing holidays across the world.

With Andorra having gone upmarket, and thanks to the recent influx of Eastern European countries into the EU, Bulgaria is now the country of choice for cheap ski holidays.

In Bansko, there is a fantastic ski school that caters for a number of languages (certainly English) and it has earned itself the nickname of the ‘Whistler of Bulgaria’, being a fantastically decked out ski resort offering everything you could possibly need, making a ski holiday in Bansko a fantastic option when considering cheap skiing holidays, as everything in Bulgaria is at a dramatically reduced price compared to its more western counterparts, something borne out by the somewhat cowboy property market. With Bulgaria being something of an unknown commodity to most westerners, particularly those with a penchant for skiing, it’s advisable to get the experts to plan your ski holiday for you.

Recent years have seen multi million pound investments made throughout the resort. New hotels, restaurants, disco’s, cafes and bars are being introduced yearly to provide holiday makers with an all round better experience and option for choice. Bankso is also host to a rich historical past, with fortress ruins, clutches of monuments and souvenir shops adding to a boastful cultural experience. All entwined with this is also the regions natural sightseeing. There is an abundance of lakes, waterfalls, caves and forestry to feast your eyes on.  All in all the Bankso resort combines great skiing, history, culture and natural beauty, bringing you a charm and delight through your holiday.