Tag: Alps

Tignes

Tignes in France is a skiing location that is much different from the boarder adjacent Alps, and other skiing facilities that have put France firmly on the skiing map. The rise of Tignes, initially came with the rise of tourism in the area. During the last 10 years the facilities have been improved immensely with a new state-of-the-art training facility, and freestyle snowboarding facilities being built in the area.

Over the past 10 years, the area has welcomed over 1 million skiers from around the world and has hosted events such as the European freestyle snowboarding championship and the French Skiing open. The facility has two parallel mountains that are near local townships, making the area an ideal place for holiday makers and serious skiers alike. With a 25 000 feet slope, and on-site mountain safety rescue the area really has pulled out all the stops to place it self up their, as one of the top skiing destinations around the world. The world renowned training facility has multi-lingual instructors and even has 4 classrooms, where skiers are taken to watch footage, and get shown the ropes from a less practical perspective. The slopes 1 million visitors in the past 10 years have came from all around the world, many of which learned how to ski on their first visit to the slopes.

With many great deals for holiday makers, and with accessible road routes all over mainland Europe it is no wonder Tignes is generally considered the first choice for holiday makers looking to Ski in the region. Tignes has also went to some effort to promote itself even further by a 5 million dollar regeneration project that went on in the region. A new ski slope was built, along with the infrastructure to allow the development of hotels and even a shopping precinct. The area has also underwent major changes in order to make it more accessible, for more of the year, with an indoor facility being built and flood lights making it possible to ski and snowboard late into the evening. Snowboarding is also seen as a major plus point of Tignes, with other skiing facilities in the area being far less welcoming to the snowboarding masses. Tignes is home to expert freestyle snowboarding facilities, and is also home to the undisputed number one snowboarding training camp. With snowboarders from around the world visiting Tignes the area now sees more than just skiers amongst its busy hotels and pubs.

On the down side many skiers criticise Tignes for the lack of difficulty on its slaloms, however this is simply not the case. Tignes is home to around 8 slaloms, all of which have different difficult ratings. I can assure anyone who feels unsure of the difficulty level on the last two slopes, should give them a go before they say anymore. However, they do raise an interesting point. Tignes has under went major regeneration in an attempt to make their facilities safer, and has also altered many runs to accommodate beginners, which may have took the sting out of certain slaloms.

Despite this, the facilities are amazing, and the training is out of this world. I was strapped to a machine in order to measure my heart rate, and also asked to run on a tread mill so they could record my recovery times. The restaurants let you sample original French cuisine and also provide many opportunities for a lovely night out. For those looking for a more adventurous night-life the Della 1 pub and club will provide all the fun you will need. Della 1 is only a 10 minute walk from the hotels – and a further 15 minute walk for those staying in the log cabin village overlooking the mountains. Whether you stay, or whether you are a skier or a snowboarder you should surely go to Tignes and sample the runs. The facility is also perfect for learning, and those that have never skied before.

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SKIING OFF PISTE IN LA GRAVE?

Clear blue sky, crispy crystal snow, fresh air and lots of fun, all these make skiing a highly enjoyable and appreciated sport, that attracts thousands of tourists on the mountain slopes every year. Yet, some of them are looking not just for fun, but for adventure. These are the people who choose off-piste skiing, who challenge the mountain in a race full of adrenaline, running the risk of provoking an avalanche for the sake of enjoying a descent on an untouched slope. These are the risk takers that throw caution to the wind in favour of a good time, and many of them choose the infamous La Grave skiing area, situated in the Alps.

If you want to go skiing in La Grave, youd better think twice for the sake of your own safety and wellbeing. You could be there all alone, with nothing but your skies and backpack, in the middle of a white ocean, and your life depends on all your skiing knowledge and experience, which in some cases, can be less than you think. The highest risk to produce an avalanche is when there are several layers of snow, some older than the others, with different levels of density. In such a case, if you change direction suddenly, you may cut the most recent layer of snow with your skis, and thus dislocate it. Consequently, never cross a slope from one side to the other, because you may dislocate disaster. Or when skiing at high speed on slopes with fresh snow, you can raise a powder snow avalanche that makes air unbreathable because of the fine snow crystals that fill the atmosphere. Sometimes a few simple precautions like these can save your life.

In order to feel safer on your off-piste skiing expedition, there are a few things that you need to know. Always check on the snow conditions beforehand. Go online, and make sure you look at a report for La Grave, which should be easy enough to find. Has it recently snowed? What is the risk of avalanche in the area? What was the local weather like in the last days? Get information on how warm the weather can get at noon for instance. Make sure there havent been strong winds that might have affected the snow stability on the slope where you want to go skiing. Open your eyes for cornices and cracks and listen to possible sounds of the snow mass whilst your out there. If you remain alert, you’ll stand a better chance of avoiding disaster.

Avoid noise in areas with high avalanche risk. When trying to communicate with other members of your group, never shout if youre far from them, because sound vibrations can cause inner breaks in the snow mass if already unstable. Make sure your transceivers are fully charged so that you may ask for help if in need. And last, but not least, wear colourful skiing clothes, avoid white, silver or gray equipment, that make you almost invisible by lack of contrast. Reds, or Oranges are probably the best colours to opt for, to give that contrast that could be life saving. Thus youll be more easily detectable on the slope, and in case youre in an emergency situation, rescue teams can find you more quickly. Youll be a speck of colour in the silver vastness of snow, identifiable from miles away to aid your rescue, and potentially save your life.

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Travel Tips to European Countries: Switzerland

About the country

Switzerland is blessed with full-dress the bounties of nature. It is the most preferred tourist destination among all the countries in the world. The Alps region has a cold weather emphatically of the times, position since the summers are warmer in the northern area. Visit Saas Fee to ski besides snowboard. Dream of living network real life igloo constraint come true for many resorts, like Zermatt and St Moritz ( which is a celebrity resort ), had them built for their customers.

Culture

Italian, German and French are the official languages of Switzerland. Many English people can also buy for inaugurate here. Unwrapped flowers must be presented to the host to show appreciation. White asters and chrysanthemums flowers are reserved for funerals, so precaution must be taken when presenting flowers to others, even healthy roses are fitter avoided. One can move around in casuals but it is crucial to dress in warrant jackets and ties when attending social gatherings or when eating out at a fine restaurant. Swiss Franc is the currency used here.

Shopping

Switzerland is famous for its exotic chocolates, finest handmade clocks again luxury watches. Other specialties are embroidered linen, music boxes, wood carvings, Swiss cheese and Swiss army knives. Many shops remain close on Monday, so shopping should be avoided on that day. Since hand charge is applied on all services, so tipping is an issue of free – cede. 7. 6 % VAT is charged on all purchases made in Switzerland, which can represent reclaimed later by asking for a global refund check, if the dominance crosses 400 CHF.

Electricity

The standard current used is 230 volts ( AC ) and 50 Hz.

Getting There

Swiss airline is the national airline of Switzerland, which connects to 71 destinations all over the world. Zurich is the most popular airport, located at a distance of 11km from the city. Every 15 minutes, trains shuttles passengers to their destination. Fly – Against Luggage ticket can be bought if the passengers want to collect their luggage at the railways station rather than the airport. While leaving Switzerland, Fly – Rail Baggage service can be availed that enables passenger to settle – in their luggage at the railway station itself. Other facilities provided here are tax free shops, banks, restaurants and car hire. Shake hands out Geneva, Basle and Bern airport for offers.

Since weather conditions are worst during the winters, train is an efficient and cheaper option. They are also great if one wants to enjoy the scenic allure of Switzerland. Swiss Pass can be purchased to visit most of the tourist attractions in Switzerland.

Hovering level roads are maintained here. Roads connect to Austria, Germany, Italy and France. But in winters things can get worse, so it is better to carry chains and snow tires. Cars should be kept to the right.

Duty Free Items

a ) Visitors from European countries

200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
2 liter of alcohol ( up to 15 per cent ) and 1liter of alcohol ( over 15 per cent )

( b ) Visitors from non – European countries

400 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 500g of tobacco
2liter of alcohol ( up to 15 per cent ) and 1liter of alcohol ( over 15 per cent )

Meat items, narcotics and absinthe are strictly not permitted. Other items that come beneath the prohibited items list are firearms and animals.

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