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Plan your holiday to Les Gets this winter

Grand Cry Tipis Zone Ludique. Valentin Du Crettet. Les Gets Tourisme. Plan your holiday to Les Gets this winter.

If you are looking for a great place where to go skiing with your family, Les Gets it is a great contender.

With easy access, as you can fly into Geneva, and you are only at 1 hour 20 minutes away from Les Gets.

Snowboarding in the expanse area of Les Gets. Photo: Keno. Les Gets Tourisme. Plan your ski holiday to Les Gets this winter.
Snowboarding in the expanse area of Les Gets. Photo: Keno. Les Gets Tourisme. Plan your ski holiday to Les Gets this winter.

Or drive from London taking the ferry or the Eurotunnel and then after passing Geneva, take the A40 and then the D902 to get there.

In a nutshell, Les Gets is one of the 12 resorts of Les Portes du Soleil, that are in two countries (France and Switzerland) and cover more than 600 km of pistes.

Snowshoeing at dusk or dawn. One of the guided activities you can pre-book now for your Les Gets trip. Photo: Max Coquard. Les Gets Tourisme. Plan your holiday to Les Gets this winter.
Snowshoeing at dusk or dawn. One of the guided activities you can pre-book now for your Les Gets trip. Photo: Max Coquard. Les Gets Tourisme. Plan your holiday to Les Gets this winter.

Les Gets ski area is opening on Saturday 21st December 2024 through April Sunday 6th, 2025. On 14th December the resort will open the terrain with enough snow to ski, all depending on snow conditions.

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

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A quick introduction to whom am I

You can tell my happiness of being on top of the world (at least European world). Here at the Aiguille du Midi. Aiguille du Midi vs Punta Helbronner – which one you should do?

I just wanted to introduce myself for my new followers. I am a bit of a busy body person that likes doing lots of things, that has been in love with the mountains since I went the first time when I was fourteen, to Bariloche, in my native Argentina.

Cross-country skiing this past end of the season in Palisades Tahoe, North Lake Tahoe. Photo: Ester Servat-Codina.
Cross-country skiing this past end of the season in Palisades Tahoe, North Lake Tahoe. Photo: Ester Servat-Codina.

I have managed to work in the ski business since I was fifteen, firstly selling ski trips, then working at ski resorts (Crested Butte, Aspen, Bariloche, Las Leñas, Portillo and Vail) and now working for the largest and longest-standing ski travel industry b-2-b event in the world, which has allowed me to visit many mountains in the world. I am lucky enough to be able to work from home (as the company I work for is American), and be around my kids while they grow up, my husband and black lab Ozzy.

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The Mont Blanc Tunnel will be closed till 16th December

The Italian side of the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Photo: The-Ski-Guru

If you are planning to cross the Mont Blanc Tunnel, now it is closed till 16th December. This is part of a yearly plan to work on the tunnel’s maintenance. This year they will be completing the reconstruction of two portions of the tunnel vault of 300 meters each. This is one of the first major European tunnels undertaking deep renovations structural works.

This makes the tunnel being closed from 2nd September at 5 PM till Monday 16th December at 5 PM, just before the Christmas traffic.

It is estimated that most of the heavy traffic will go through the Frèjus tunnel on the A43 motorway, and then going into Torino.

Driving towards Martigny - Photo. The-Ski-Guru. The Mont Blanc Tunnel will be closed till 16th December
Driving towards Martigny – Photo. The-Ski-Guru. The Mont Blanc Tunnel will be closed till 16th December

If you are driving by car, you have some options. Until the snowstorms come, you can go through the Petit St Bernard Pass up from Bourg-Saint-Maurice into La Rosière to La Thuille, or take the Grand St Bernard Pass, up from Martigny in Switzerland. You can go to Martigny, if coming from France, driving to the end of the Chamonix Valley into the Col des Montets down to Martigny.

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Driving back for the first time from Morgex to London

Splugenpass in Switzerland. Photo: Daniele Levis Pelusi. Unsplash.

Although I have been doing the trip from Morgex to London and vice-versa many times over the years, as a copilot, I’ve never dared to drive it myself.

Before leaving this summer, my husband told me he had no more holidays, and if coming, he could only be a fraction of the time I was expecting to stay in the Italian Alps. For me, being in Italy is the highlight of my life, and missing it is a no-no!

My husband driving over a viaduct near Nantua. Driving back for the first time from Morgex to London
My husband driving over a viaduct near Nantua. Driving back for the first time from Morgex to London

But I knew also that driving on the motorway with a UK car on the other side is something I have been avoiding for too long.

I tend not to drive in London, only point to point. Since I moved to the UK, I took some lessons on how to drive on the left side of the road, and I find it very confusing the matter of changing lanes again!

 

Val Ferret- Plein Aire 30x40 cm. Soft Pastels, Pan pastls and charcoal on La Carte Pastel. For sale in my shop here.
Val Ferret- Plein Aire 30×40 cm. Soft Pastels, Pan pastls and charcoal on La Carte Pastel. For sale in my shop here.

Plus, since I had kids, I was paranoid of driving on the motorway.

But my dilemma was, I could go in a plane to Italy and take a transfer (or train + bus) to Morgex, but then I was going to be a bit stuck in Morgex, not being free to go everywhere. It is true that I could take public transport to move around, but it would still bit of a pain…

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Review of the ULLR D Shell Ski Jacket by Helly Hansen

Ozzy with the Helly Hansen ULLR jacket. Photo: The-Ski-Guru

I had the chance to get a Helly Hansen Men’s ULLR D Shell Ski Jacket from a trade event organised by Ski Press at the Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead.

It is too big for me, but I have still used it a lot in London, as I have yet to go back to the mountains for the summer. I got this jacket in May!

Helly Hansen ULLR jacket. Photo: The-Ski-Guru.
Helly Hansen ULLR jacket. Photo: The-Ski-Guru.

London had a very cold and wet summer – if we can call this summer! I have used this jacket pretty much every day to go to the park with my dog, and I have cared less if the weather was not good.

As this jacket is a Men’s Large (and I can use a Women’s Small or Medium), this is more like a raincoat to me. Nonetheless- for days when rain is coming side-ways, I am covered! This jacket is really waterproof and wind proof- I have tried and tested it on many days this “summer”.

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New technical underwear of UYN for the GB Ski Team

Dorothea Wierer, Dominik Paris and Federica Brignone in UYN Thermal underwear. Photo courtesy UYN.

UYN has unveiled its new technical underwear for the GB Ski Team. The athletes of nine other national ski teams: Italy, Austria, France, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Spain, China and the Austrian Freeski Team, together with the GB Team help the UYN engineers improve this line of underwear.

UYN, the Italian brand launched in fall 2018 by Trerè Innovation, an Italian company based in Asola (in the province of Manua). UYN stands for “Unleash Your Nature”. and is pronounced phonetically as “Win”.

 

The UK Ski Team is sponsored by UYN Technical underwear. Photo courtesy UYN.
The UK Ski Team is sponsored by UYN Technical underwear. Photo courtesy UYN

The new technology launched by UYN is called Natyon 3.0 and it features the innovative Natex bio-fibre derived from castor beans. Compared to traditional petroleum-based synthetic fibres, Natex has made it possible to reduce underwear weight by 34% and increase elasticity by 4% for greater precision and improved movement control.

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Indy Pass Adds Ten New Resorts

Indy Pass banner photo.

INDY PASS ADDS TEN NEW RESORTS, INCLUDING RAGGED MOUNTAIN. PASSES ARE NOW ON SALE IN CELEBRATION OF “INDEPENDENT’S DAY”

Ragged Mountain, NH, and nine other resorts will add capacity for the 2024/25 season, enabling a limited number of passes to be released today.

 

GRANBY, COLORADO—Indy Pass announced today that Ragged Mountain in New Hampshire, three others in New England, four in Japan, and one each in the Southeast and Nova Scotia will join the pass, adding skier capacity for the 2024/25 season. A limited number of passes will be available for purchase starting today.

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Snowsports Fear Surveyed To Reduce Barrier To Snowsport Enjoyment

The boys going the last part of the piste to the base of Pila, ready to catch back the cable car to Aosta. Photo: The-Ski-Guru.

Author and Illustrator of Ski A to Z Kimberley Kay and Snowsport England coach Dr Carol Porter have launched a research project to understand fears and anxieties that skiers and snowboarders experience, which may be barriers to snowsport participation and enjoyment.

Ski Fear Gondola illustration by Kim Kay.
Ski Fear Gondola illustration by Kim Kay.

Supported by Snowsport England and The Hill, home of Ski Rossendale in Lancashire, the project sets out to understand, address and mitigate fears that are potential barriers to snowsport.

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The Must-Read Guide to Pila, Aosta Valley

Skiing on top of Piste 2 in Pila, with inversion in the bottom. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. The Must-Read Guide to Pila, Aosta Valley

Why Visit – The Must-Read Guide to Pila, Aosta Valley

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

Pila is a resort that I’ve got to know by chance. I’ve drove with my family to Ollomont, a tiny ski resort at the end of the road of the Valpelline Valley, north of Aosta for the first ski holiday of my little one that was three. (My eldest went once to ski in Portillo before!)

Nice and warm day in Pila, snow became corn snow overnight- still nice! Photo: The-Ski-Guru. The Must-Read Guide to Pila, Aosta Valley
Nice and warm day in Pila, snow became corn snow overnight- still nice! Photo: The-Ski-Guru. The Must-Read Guide to Pila, Aosta Valley

As the ski area of Ollomont was too small (even though at first, I’ve thought it was ideal), and it did not have ski instructor nor skis or boots for my little boys, I had to go elsewhere. Somebody told us to go either to Pila in Aosta, or Crévacol, by the Grand Saint Bernard Pass. We went to Aosta, and the next was history.

We have been going ever since there, even though now we do not stay at the bottom of the main cable car, but in our home in Morgex (30’ away).

My youngest learnt to ski there, and my two boys love the resort, so we keep on going back for more. Even though I am more nearby La Thuile and Courmayeur, we tend to go to Pila, as it is a very easy-to-deal with and family-friendly ski area.

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Review on the Dynastar M-Pro W 92 skis for women

Dynastar Skis at the Snow Centre - Photo: The-Ski-Guru

I have the chance to try the Dynastar M-Pro W 92 skis at the Ski Press event at the Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead. I have tried already another pair last year which I really liked, and was keen to see how this ski would do.

A freestyle ski,  intended to be an all-mountain ski for advanced to expert skiers. Built with a wood core (hybrid core 2.0) –  it is designed to be great on powder and forgiving in piste.

Getting my skis ready by Scott Dobson of Dynastar skis. Photo: The-Ski-Guru
Getting my skis ready by Scott Dobson of Dynastar skis. Photo: The-Ski-Guru

It features a moderate waist width to ensure a smooth transition between groomers and fresh powder, and a dual rocker that enhances its manoeuvrability in soft snow while still giving you a grip on hard-pack, due to its traditional camber.

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