Mountain Air Blog

As we near the end of January the snow has continued to fall, over 30cm last night alone and now over 2 metres on the mountain - the conditions are superb! We have had some very busy weeks during January and some lovely guests, it’s been a fun month! The weekly slalom event has been great fun and very competitive, the Mountain Air team managed to win the chalet trophy last week for the first time in a while and then take second place in yesterday’s competition. We are looking forward to next week’s event and enjoying the rest of the winter season.

Most of our accommodation is now fully booked for the rest of the season so our minds are focused on ensuring all our guests this season have a truely memorable winter holiday.  

With registrations about to start for the Passporte du Soleil mountain biking event in June and bookings coming in for the summer months, many people are clearly thinking about their summer holiday in the Alps.

It’s been a while since my last blog report so a few things to catch up on. The winter season in Chatel started well around the middle of December and as expected Xmas and New Year were both very busy weeks. The weather has been mixed with very cold temperatures and plenty of snow but little sunshine so far this season. The snow conditions are great so we cant complain too much.

The next few weeks are usually a little quieter around the resort however its pretty full on for us right through until the end of April as both our catered chalets are now almost fully booked for the rest of the season.

We have had 2 slalom races in the last couple of weeks for our guests along with the other tour operators from Chalet Group Chatel and we came very close to winning the chalet cup yesterday but missed out by one place, we will try again next week. One of our guests Nigel was the overall champion though which was superb!

We will enjoy the next few weeks before the resort goes mad again for Feb half term and then on the home straight until the end of the season. We still have limited self catered availability for this winter but we are now taking bookings for the summer season and the peak weeks next winter.

We have had our first really good dump of snow over the ast 24 hours or so and now have a good 50cm on the mountain and around 30cm in Chatel. Temperatures look like staying cold and more snow is forecast later this week.

The winter 09/10 season is about to begin so the arrival of some decent amount of snow is well timed. Chatel may open at weekends for the next week or so and then everyday from 12th December. Our first guests arrive in a couple of weeks and I am hoping to get my first ski of the season this weekend!

Keep up to date throughout the season with the latest weather and snow conditions on our own web site:

http://mountainairholidays.co.uk/latestnews.htm

The winter season is nearly here and the arrival of snow at resort level this week has made it feel all the more real!

Chatel is planning to open at weekends from 28th November, if we have enough snow, and everyday from 12th December 09, closing at the end of April 2010.

You can keep an eye on the very latest snow conditions in Chatel and the whole of the Portes du Soleil on the “latest news” page of our web site from December. http://mountainairholidays.co.uk/latestnews.htm

Its been a few weeks since I updated the Blog and there are a number of things worth telling you about so here goes:

This winter season promises to be another exciting one in Chatel and around the Portes du Soleil. Chatel continues its huge investment in the ski area with fast new lifts and much more.

New Lifts: The “Echo Alpin” 6 seater chair lift is currently being installed in the Linga area. The new lift will take skiers to the Col du Linga at over 2000 metres and will have the capacity to carry up to 2700 people per hour. It will also be one of the fastest lifts in the Portes du Soleil.

Guaranteed Snow: Additional snowmaking cannons are being installed in the Linga and Combes area bringing the total number of snowcannons in the Chatel area to 180.

Redesigned Slopes: Much work has been done through the summer on redesigning some pistes making the skiing even more enjoyable, especially for beginners

Resort Opening Dates: The resort is planning to open for the 2009/10 season on the 12th December 2009.

The summer 09 season continues to be a busy one in Chatel, we have had some great events during June, July and August and the weather of the last 5 weeks has been superb, very warm, dry and sunny. In the last day or so it has gone much cooler but the forecast is looking good for the next few days.

The really busy summer weeks have gone and Chatel is now much quieter. All the children go back to school next week and with the slightly cooler weather its a great time to visit this part of the Alps for sightseeing and walking.

The next few weeks are likely to be a little cooler and certainly quieter around Chatel. It is a busy time for us taking bookings for the winter season. We already have limited availability for the peak weeks over Xmas, New Year and February so if you are thinking about a winter holiday this season check out the prices and latest availability or email us for details at enquiries@mountainairholidays.co.uk    

Resort Opening Dates Winter 2009 / 10

Chatel will open for the 2009/10 season on the 12th December 09 and close on the 26th April 2010. Look out for more news about whats going on this winter with new activities, brand new lifts and much more!

We are nearing the end of July and plenty still to do yet before this summer is finished. The weather through July has been a bit mixed with plenty of warm sunshine but a few thunderstorms as well. We have had loads of events around Chatel and the local area already this summer with more to come in August. Its been a busy summer so far with plenty of mountain bikers, walkers and families enjoting the lakes & mountains.

I know the winter is coming when I start booking ski lessons for groups coming out at New Year and Feb half term and that job started this week. As flights are released everyone seems to now be looking ahead to the winter season and their annual skiing holiday. We have an even bigger range of accommodation available this season including our 2 catered chalets and a good selection of large self catered ski apartments, so get in touch if you are considering skiing this winter.

In the mean time enjoy the rest of the summer!

With the summer well under way we took the opportunity to take some friends on a 2 day mountain walk staying overnight in one of the highest refuges in the area. The day began with temperatures climbing steeply and that was to be our theme for the day too!  Beginning in Chatel we walked out of the village towards the Pas de Morgins and then along the Val de Morgins, zig-zagging across the bridges, heading first for the Salon de They and then onwards and upwards to Tovassiere and the Col de Portes Du Soleil.  It’s a steady climb, beginning at around 1200 metres, reaching 1600 metres at Tovassiere.  The valley has picnic spots all along the banks and as the river was looking very inviting in the heat. Shortly after the Salon de They, the path left the riverbank and began a fairly steep ascent up to Tovassiere.  By the time we got there the skies were looking rather black, but we decided to press on.  Lightening and thunder were soon crashing around us, not to mention rather painful hailstones, so we took shelter in a barn and waited out the storm.  When the weather had calmed down we took the wide track up to the Portes du Soleil and gazed across over Le Crosets to the magnificent Dents de Midi mountain range.  A few minutes later we were at the highest point of that day’s walk at the Point d’hiver just over 2,000 metres and then it was just a short descent  to Lac Vert and the Refuge which sits at 1980 metres. The recent warmth has still not melted the last of the snow.

A great meal, a few games of cards and a pretty good nights sleep set us up for the 4 hour walk back to Chatel the following day. Taking the track towards Avoriaz and via Linderets, Plaine Dranse and Linga completing our circular walk at around 3pm on the second day. A really nice refuge and a great 2 days of walking!

Having been away for a well earned break following a busy winter season we are now preparing our 2 chalets and apartments for the summer season. The grass in growing, I can hear cow bells and the flowers are out so the start of the summer season is not far away.

Even though the summer season is about to start its a busy time for us taking bookings for next winter. If you are thinking about a winter holiday next season let us know. enquiries@mountainairholidays.co.uk  

Summer Ski Lifts - Opening Dates

The Fantasticable & Bob Luge will open at weekends on the 13th/14th & 20th/21st June and every day from Friday 26th June.

The summer Ski Lifts and Chatel Bike Park will also be open on the 13th/14th & 20th/21st June and every day from Friday 26th June.

Below I have listed just some of the events that are going on in Chatel and local area this summer, please contact us for more information.

Summer Events 2009

The Raid 2009 - 13th & 14th June 2009 - Multi Sport Endrance Test

Multipass-Portes du Soleil - 13th June - 21st Sept 09

Pass’Portesdusoleil - 27th & 28th June 2009 - Mountain Biking Event

Chatel Mountain Style - 3rd - 5th July 2009 - Mountain Biking Event

Montreux Jazz Festival - 3rd - 18th July 2009 - Music Event

Bastille Day Celebrations - 14th July - Superb Fireworks & Celebrations

Evian Masters Golf - 23rd - 26th July 2009 - LPGA Tour Event Evian

St Laurent Festival - Sunday 2nd August 2009 - Local Festival in Chatel

Belle Dimanche - Sunday 23rd August 2009 - Local Festival in Chatel

Omega European Masters - 3rd - 6th Sept 2009 - Crans Montana

I know its been said many times over the last few months but “what a season”! I dont remember any week during the season when the snow wasn’t great.  Snow conditions change during the winter from powder to packed snow, but with regular snow and cold weather throughout most of the season, its been superb. The last lifts closed on the 26th April 09 having been open since November last year, so its been a fairly long season to!

We now take a short break before getting ready for the summer season which starts in June when we see the introdution of the new “multipass portes du soleil” which will give all guests staying with us unlimited use of the summer lifts, swimming pools tennis courts and much more for just 1 euros per day.

Need also to go shopping to buy some new snow shovels, they are all worn out!