Introduction to Steamboat Ski Resort, by Moving Mountains Chalets

There’s an air of mystery and excitement surrounding Steamboat Mountain Resort in Colorado. It might just be the best kept secret in skiing… the famous champagne powder, off-piste terrain found only in your dreams, the small and close-knit special community, the guy who supposedly studies tree leaves to accurately predict the weather conditions every day, the list goes on! Which of these are myths and which are reality? The resort is still very much unknown by Europeans – how many of us have been there and is Steamboat on our list of resorts to visit next year or the year after? For most of us – probably not. So what’s it really like and what are we missing?

To find out and be let in on the secret, the chaletpro.com team asked the guys at Moving Mountains Chalets, some of the most beautiful vacation rental homes and catered chalets in Steamboat Springs to give us the inside scoop on this special resort and their unique place within it. We may have just fallen in love with a new place to ski…

How long have you run your catered chalets in Steamboat?
We have been operating catered chalets in Steamboat since 1998. We started with one property and as the idea caught on we have grown to the point where we now offer over 20 chalets that will sleep anywhere from 8 – 24 guests.

Are “catered chalets” like yours a relatively new concept in the USA?
The Catered Chalet is still almost unknown here. Americans love it (they are no strangers to the concept of great service), but for the most part they have no idea how good this is until they try it. Once they stay with us they are hooked and have begged us to offer other areas so that they can enjoy the same package elsewhere. Many US guests that seek us out have tried a catered chalet in Europe before and are already “converted”.

What should guests expect of their chalet experience with you?
We are very detail oriented and try to accommodate all requests to make the stay as custom and personalized as possible. Our homes are top of the line offering amenities that are typical of a five-star hotel – flat panel TV’s, wi-fi, luxury toiletries, robes and slippers. The menu is tailored to the guest preferences and we offer special kids menus for family groups. We try to think of every detail and our staff try to anticipate guests needs so that the stay is as seamless as possible. This allows our guests to focus on time together rather than who is making the next dinner or who is making the arrangements for snow-cat skiing.

Our full-service catered package is top of the line and includes staff collecting you from the airport in private 4WD SUV’s and offering on call driver / ski shuttle service throughout the stay including trips out to the famous hot springs. New this year we have also introduced an economy catered package that makes it almost irresistible for those willing to compromise a little on the convenience of our private shuttle service and go for a more family-style / less gourmet menu selection.

What makes Steamboat special?
We get some guests from Europe, but Steamboat is a well kept secret to many Europeans who first think of Vail or Aspen when they think of skiing the Rockies. Steamboat is the third largest ski resort in Colorado, it is easy to get to as we have a major regional airport just 22 miles from town, and the resort oozes a friendly Western welcome that you don’t find with our glitzy neighbors. The snow is incredible – the footage of people skiing waist-deep powder is not done with special effects! It is the lightest and deepest snow you will ever see, and snow between December and April is not in short supply. We have averaged close to 400” (10m) / year for each of the last 5 years and with top to bottom snowmaking it’s a safe bet for early season skiing as well. One final bonus point is that Steamboat is the lowest altitude Rocky Mountain resort (base elevation 6950) so the altitude issues that affect some visitors to the Rockies are minimal here.

Your top tips for people visiting the Steamboat resort?

• Stay in a chalet not a condo (of course!)
• For untracked powder without the heli-skiing price-tag ski Buffalo Pass with Steamboat Powder Cats
• Dine out at Café Diva
• Take a day off and go dog-sledding
• Soak in the Strawberry Park natural hot springs
• Watch the weather forecast, check the 5:00am snow report and if it dumps go early to the mountain: Closet and Shadows offer some of the best tree skiing on the planet
• Drink lots of water – it is very dry here

Contact: Moving Mountains Chalets: http://www.MovingMountains.com
Tel: 1-970-870-9359
Email: info@movingmountains.com

Post faciliated by the chaletpro.com team.  For more information on Steamboat chalets and vacation rentals, and mountain property in the Alps visit www.chaletpro.com

Special Offers in St Martin de Belleville

News just in – we’ve just been informed of some special offers for two chalets in St Martin de Belleville. They’re a cracking offers for a couple of cracking chalets.  We suggest you grab them before they’re gone!

OFFER 1: All remaining availability for 8 & 22 February only £505pp (saving over £300pp). Offer available for La Ferme de Belleville & La Maison de Belleville – 6 day gourmet catered in luxury chalet

OFFER 2: All remaining availability for 1, 8, 15 & 22 March only £609pp (saving £290pp). Offer available for La Ferme de Belleville & La Maison de Belleville – 6 day gourmet catered in luxury chalet

Gourmet Food at La Ferme De Belleville

La Maison de Belleville - classic chalet, contemporary style

Chalet Epicea in La Plagne is our chalet of the week

This is the first in a series of interviews with chalet owners across the Alps. We hope it helps you get a bit more of a flavour for both the chalet and the people behind it.

Today’s interview is with Duncan of Alpine365, the proud owner of Chalet Epicea in La Plagne.

Chalet Epicea in La Plagne

What made you want to be chalet owner?
A love of skiing since childhood, and a desire to get out of the 9-5, and be our own boss. So now we’re in the 7-11 business (and that’s 11 in the evening, as we like to put the hours in to keep our guests happy), and I’ve still got a boss – she’s called my wife!

What do you love most about being in the chalet business?
The environment – I mean, I never got to look at Mont Blanc whilst writing emails back in London (I had the A4, but it wasn’t really the same)

What do think people enjoy most about staying in your chalet?
The friendliness, the food and our amazing lounge. We try to treat all our guests as we would our friends, and we love cooking (and eating!) so spend lots of time and care making sure the food is really tasty and wholesome. And people tend to rave about the lounge – it’s a real stunner – huge ceilings, exposed beams, a massive log fire, a great balcony and terrace. And we have 4 comfy sofas, a rocking chair, Sky TV and Xbox360 in HD, and loads of books – so we can hopefully keep everyone happy. Oh, and the location, the daily champagne, and the view, and the….hey you get the picture.

Chalet Epicea's wonderful lounge

What is your favourite dish on the chalet’s menu?
It’s got to be pudding on the final day. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but it’s a real crowd-pleaser – we had a group a couple of weeks ago who broke into a spontaneous round of applause as it was served. It’s important to end on a high!

Can guests stay at your chalet during the summer? If so, what mountain activities can they look forward to?
Absolutely – we’re in the chalet 365 days of the year (hence the name – Alpine365), and we offer the same unrivalled service throughout the seasons. And there’s loads to do here all year round – walking and hiking are excellent, and particularly fab in May when the spring flowers are out, and in summer itself, when the lifts are open, there are all sorts of adrenaline sports, inc VTT (the French name for mountain biking), parasailing, river rafting and canoeing, sailing, climbing… we could go on. And we also look to arrange activity trips that are particularly suited to the beautiful environment, such as painting and photography courses, so it’s really a great alternative to a beach holiday for the more active type of person out there.

What’s your favourite run in the resort, is it a gentle tree-lined blue or a 20ft vertical cliff drop?
Across the whole of the Paradiski (La Plagne and Les Arcs) it’s got to be the Auguille Rouge, the black from the top of the Auguille Rouge cable car in Les Arcs, simply because it’s ever-changing. One day, it’s clear blues skies and perfect snow, and you get to ski like a million dollars – the next day, it’s in cloud and windswept, and you feel like you’re holding on to the mountain for dear life. And the views are spectacular.

Closer to home, a real favourite of pretty much everyone who skis and boards in Les Coches is Dos Rond – a wide sweeping blue with astounding views of Mont Blanc – this is a slope that flatters everyone, from the racer type who can revel in beautifully carved super-G turns, to the humble beginner who can really let rip and try turning a snowplough into a parallel. Genius, could ski it all day.

Pudding... but is it the mystery, crowd pleasing dessert?

For the caffeine-addicted, pizza munching, pint guzzling guests among us, can you share your insider knowledge on the best places to find each of these in the resort?

• Best coffee? We’d like to think it’s our very own breakfast brew!
• Best pizza? La Pozé arguably has the best quality pizza, but Les Coches pizza has free delivery, great for chalet days off. So it depends how lazy you’re feeling really.
• Best pint? It’s got to the “The Last One Pub”, as it serves up French, Irish, German and Belgian beers on tap, plus pints of good old English cider for those searching for that extra refreshment hit. It even transforms into a bit of a disco later on for the younger crowd.

What would be your top tip for someone visiting this resort?
Get a Paradiski lift pass! The two resorts of La Plagne and Les Arcs are connected by the world’s largest cable car, and it’s there to be used. And Les Coches sits right in the middle of the two areas, as it’s home to the La Plagne end of this lift, the Vanoise Express, so it’s a real shame not to take full advantage!

What is your dream ski holiday destination?
Got to be the back bowls in Whistler – I was lucky enough to ski there last season, and all you can say is wow. Really, just do it.

Skier or snowboarder? Well, we like the debate
If it’s not obvious, I’m ski all the way. Happy of course to welcome snowboarders to the chalet (we’ve even fitted another roof rack on our 4×4 so we can fit their massive planks on!), just as long as they don’t mind a bit of gentle “skiing’s better than boarding” banter.

You can find more information on Chalet Epicea at ChaletPro.com

The most expensive hot chocolate in the world?

Picture the scene:  La Rosiere,  -10 degrees, and a raging gale is blowing.  I can hardly see the tips of my skis for the lack of visibility.  Still, I manage to navigate the piste, and even the unseen mogles don’t manage to get the better of me.  And I take that elevator drop in my stride.  It’s pretty rough out there, but nothing is going to unsaddle me today….

Well, that was until I took refuge from the storm in The Roxi Bar at the bottom of the Fourclaz Express and order hot chocolate.  This bad boy set me back £4. It was pretty good though.

I know that this probably isn’t really the most expensive hot chocolate in the world, but it’s a good starter for 10.  If you know of a more expensive specimen, please let us know!

Our First Trip of the Year

We’re off on our first ski trip of the season, but it’s with slightly mixed emotions.  The ChaletPro team had planned to see in the new year in La Rosiere.  We were all pretty excited – it was looking like one of the best starts to a season for decades, and we were going with some great friends.  None of us had been to La Rosiere before so there was also a slight sense of discovery.  It was all looking good until someone decided to open a door.  Normally not a problem, unless it’s a car door and it’s into the path of a cyclist doing about 20mph.  I’ll save you the slightly grizzly details, but the result is that we’re a man down (not permanently thank god, but just for the trip).  If you really want to see the result of car door vs. cyclist, you can find it on flickr, but I warn you it’s not for the faint hearted.

It’s going to make for a slightly strange holiday – it will be the first time in years that we’re not all together as a group.  We’ll just have to remember to take some rubbish photos, and to lie about how deep the snow was.  The good news is that we’ll all be back together for our trip to Canada in February, so until then bicycles are off limits.

BBC on the impact of the credit crunch on the ski industry

The BBC have just published a piece on how the credit crunch is impacting the ski industry, with the focus on France.  Highlights of the report are as follows:

- bookings are down in traditionally busy times
- most people are bagging lastminute holiday deals
- exchange rates are having an impact on in-resort spending

Clearly the ski industry is in for a tough time for the next couple of seasons, but conversely it will mean that holiday makers who can still afford their annual snow fix will have a wider range of rental properties to choose from, and quieter slopes.  Lucky them.

You can see the full BBC report here:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7794935.stm

In more positive news, the snow in Val d’Isere looks fantastic!

Top 10 Christmas Ski Gift Ideas

Wondering what to buy for the skier who has everything? Well look no further, because we’ve put together a list of the best snow related gifts and gadgets to help Santa and his little elves this year. From life-saving mountain equipment to the toastiest ski socks, we’ve found some really cool things to make the perfect Christmas present for ski and snowboarding fanatics.

1. Icebreaker – £39.14

Quite simply the best underlayer that money can buy. That’s it. The end. It’s made of marino wool, so it’s got the added bonus of being stink free – you can wear it all week, and it will still smell of roses when it goes back in the bag to go home.

2. Avalung – £97.86

This bit of kit is something you’ll hope you never use. It’s for helping you to breathe if (heaven forbid), you should be caught in an avalanche. It also has the fringe benefit of making you look seriously hardcore when propping up the bar in apres ski mode.
 

3. Zinc Sunblock – £3.91

It’s retro. It’s 80’s. It’s outrageous. It’s cool! And if you want to be seriously cool, it should be matched with a day glow Nevica all in one.

4. Navman A300

For the data obsessed skiier this is the perfect gadget. It keeps track of distance skiied, speed (both maximum and average), and altitude.  It’s also water resistant so there’s no need to worry about dropping it in your drink in the bar.

5. Toko ExpressPocket Uniwax- £9.78

Pissed off that you can’t keep up with the kids?  Time to unleash your secret weapon – ExpressPocket Uniwax.  It can be applied on the mountain in the blink of an eye, and will turn your skis into a pair of rockets.
 
 
 

6. Smartwool Socks - from. £13.69

Cold toes and painful shins?  Not in these little puppies.  They are soft, warm, smell-free, and look great.  The best ski socks ever.  They’ll make your feet think they’re in the chalet when they’re actually up the mountain.

7. Adidas ID2 Googles – £117.40

Fed up with fog?  These anti fog goggles actually work (unlike most of the others).  But the real killer feature is that they look damn cool.

8. Cat Tracks – £13.65

Probably the most boring item in the list, but given that they’re going to give you an extra year or two out of your ski boots, we think they’re pretty worthy.  They also help to stop you falling on your arse on the way back from the bar.
 

9. The POV.1 Helmet Cam – £537.50

This bad boy is the daddy of helmet cams.  It’s not exactly cheap, but think of the milage you’re going to get out of the eXtreme home videos you’re going to be making.

10. Great Canadian Heliski Season Pass – $100,000

Just in case you were thinking of getting a pressie for the ChaletPro team, this is the one we’d like.  1 pass = unlimited heliskiing.  Nothing more to be said.

Snow reports via Twitter

Snow reports by twitter – that’s just so NOW.  Well that’s what we thought, but maybe we’re just a bit on the geeky side.

As usual the story starts in the pub.  It’s a bit of a blur, but someone suggested that it’d be cool if they could get their snow reports delivered directly to their twitter stream.  So that’s exactly what we’ve done.  Initially we’ve only got 11 resorts set up, but people find it useful we’ll add some more. Leave a comment, or drop us a line to info@chaletpro.com to request your favourite resort is added (Europe or N.America, or anywhere for that matter!).

Follow one of the twitter streams below to get daily updates (for today’s forecast, and tomorrow’s forecast):

@chamonix_snow
@chatel_snow
@la_plagne_snow
@la_rosiere_snow
@la_tania_snow
@les_gets_snow
@meribel_snow
@morzine_snow
@samoens_snow
@tignes_snow
@val_disere_snow
@whistler_snow

First Post

Big news here at ChaletPro Towers – we’ve finally managed to get the blog up and running.  Whilst everyone else has been enjoying the early snow, we’ve been hard at work.  Typical.  It’s taken a touch longer than we expected (as most things usually do), but hopefully it’ll be worth it.  Over the coming weeks and months we’ll try to keep it up to date with all sorts of ski related posts.  If you’ve got some ideas, or just want to get in touch, drop us a line at info@chaletpro.com