European Snowsport

Outstanding, independent ski schools in Verbier, Zermatt, Nendaz, St Moritz and Chamonix

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    Skiing After Covid

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    What have we learned, and what has changed?

    At ES, we have always prided ourselves on being innovators, and been first with new products, plans and people-centred ideas. But for us, like the rest of the skiing world, COVID was a complete shock that left us reacting to events as they happened.
    Eighteen months on, what have we learned, and what has changed for skiers and the ski industry?

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    What have we learned?

    Last winter, we learned from our experience here in Switzerland that, with precautions, it was possible to keep the ski resorts open throughout the winter and not trigger any major outbreaks of COVID.

    We also learned that people would follow guidelines and behave sensibly.

    We found that complying with the guidelines was much easier if the resort was set up to help. Here in Verbier, it worked really well, with distances marked on the ground for entering lifts, reminders as you got on the lift about how many people per lift, and specially recruited friendly helpers called “COVID angels” around to help everyone follow the rules.

    Businesses have learned that many jobs can be done from home. With flexibility about when and how they work, people have turned out, on average, to spend more time working and be more motivated. And, of course, it benefits everyone to cut out the commute.

    Working remotely has also become more accepted for those who work for themselves.
    With fewer “in-person” meetings, it is easier for everyone to be based far from your clients or colleagues. That includes being based in a ski resort…

    So we saw many more people either staying in resort for the season or for a longer time. With the flexibility to ski and to work, who would not be more efficient and effective during their working time?

    What has changed?

    The single most important piece of feedback we had from our clients (and felt ourselves) is that we will never take our skiing and travel for granted again! We have realised how lucky we are to be in the beautiful Alps, breathing the freshest air, seeing the shining peaks around us, exercising in the open, becoming stronger and more skilful each day.

     

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    People have realised how important their time in the mountains is, both for themselves and to relax and enjoy the company of their family and friends. This winter, we are seeing many enquiries for large family groups and groups of friends who have missed time together of the past year and have some catching up to do. For these large parties, we allocate a lead instructor who can coordinate times, places, lunches and pickup and drop off so that things run smoothly for everyone.

    Having missed a winter’s skiing, we know there will be many people who will need help rebuilding their confidence and skills. After a year out, an instructor can help you to sprint past your old ski level and reach new heights.

    As a ski school, we are reviewing our expectations for skiers on day one. Children who have missed a winter on the snow will need a gentle start with a steep learning curve as they regain their skills and confidence. Our instructors are aware of this and will help everyone to reach their potential, progressing quickly early in the trip to regain their old level, and then surpass it.

    Switzerland COVID Champion

    We had to cheer last year when Switzerland recognised that the point of closing borders and restricting entry was to keep COVID from entering Switzerland. The corollary of this was, that when another country had less COVID than Switzerland, the Swiss opened the border to it. The restrictions only remained in place for countries with a higher incidence.

    Last winter Switzerland kept the ski lifts open throughout the winter. There were fewer people per lift, and masks had to be worn in ski lifts and in lift lines. However ski lifts stayed open through the whole winter, and we could ski!

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    You do not need an EU COVID certificate, but if your certificate is from outside the EU, you may need to have it converted to a format that is recognised in Switzerland.

    Follow this link to do the conversion, and please note that they recommend allowing 2 weeks for the process; https://covidcertificate-form.admin.ch/foreign

    There is a simple travel check that you can do to see if you can enter Switzerland; it is updated as requirements change. Follow the link here;
    https://travelcheck.admin.ch/home

    Lagom. Just the right amount.

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    A new accommodation brand has launched with this name in Zermatt and Verbier. Owners of Lagom, (who already have the Bramble Ski and Haute Montagne brands), describe it as a balanced approach to holidays in the Alps, putting you in charge of what you would like included in your holiday. With the new website, you can choose your holiday, leaving out what you feel would be too much, and including the things you want.

    Lagom; let it be.

    What a fitting idea for 2019, the Swedish concept of Lagom, which means “just the right amount”. Apparently the word comes from the passing round of the mead cup, when you would take neither too much, nor too little, just the right amount and what is your share.

    Valentine Penthouse, Verbier

    At the launch evening in Verbier recently, the ideas of simplicity and sustainability were at the fore, with a pledge to donate 1% of turnover to local causes. And there was also a test run of the new website, which promises to be simple to use and well designed, very Lagom.

    The flagship resort is Zermatt and properties have also launched in Verbier. With its car free status, and train journey to access the resort, Zermatt is an obvious fit. Verbier, where almost all of the energy is generated by the local rivers and meltwater, also has its own sustainability credentials.

    The 2 resorts have quite different feels, with Verbier famous for its off piste and freeride skiing, and open and friendly atmosphere. Zermatt is better known for its year round high altitude glacier skiing, and the great day out where you can ski over to Italy and back to Zermatt in a day.

    Haus Andy, Zermatt

    At ES we have had lots of fun coming up with new and interesting ideas that fit with the ethos of the brand. Last weekend we ran split boarding touring for snowboarders and ski touring for skiers. And this weekend it will be snowshoeing, mixed with a spot of skiing as well.

    Properties are simple, modern and stylish, located in prime central locations in resorts with good lift access. You choose what you add, and what you leave out.

    A perfect way to start 2019.

    Off Piste Equipment Guide.

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    Many skiers looking to take themselves to the next level turn their ski tips towards the off piste. What can initially seem quite daunting, easily becomes an obsession driving riders to go again and again, pushing for bigger and better lines. But how does one make those first few tentative turns? What equipment can guide us through these new variable conditions? And what dangers should we be aware of when leaving the piste?

     

    Well, before we do anything, there’s a gear checklist and not a whole lot of negotiation on it.

    Anyone heading off piste needs to be carrying the Holy Trinity: Transceiver, Probe and Shovel. These three things together are the base line when it comes to straying from the pistes. In the event of an avalanche they can enable you to search and dig out your friends or save your life if it’s the other way around. Just carrying them isn’t enough either, knowing how to conduct a search properly can save you precious seconds. 

    See the source image

    Transceivers on the most part, are fairly straightforward to use. That’s not to say you shouldn’t practice with them. They have two settings, transmit and search. When transmitting they give off signals in concentric arcs meaning that sometimes they can be misleading to follow. You should always get out and practice with your transceiver and the stages of conducting a thorough search.

    Probe. Also very lightweight and compactable, probes fold down to little more than a forearms length. When extended however they will allow you to push deep into the snow and feel for suspected burials once you have carried out your transceiver search.

    Shovel. A shovel’s a shovel right? Well yes, but the one you would carry for avalanche safety will likely be compact, light and possible to separate the handle. You’ll be pleased of this when it saves you space in your backpack.

    Getting some mountain safety advice from Mountain Guide Brian Farquharson

    Powder Skis.

    Skiing off piste snow conditions isn’t all about wearing the fattest powder skis you can find. In fact you can ski variable conditions on almost any ski with good technique. Having more ski underfoot does give you a better surface area to play with, which helps to create more float in deep snow. But realistically, unless you’re in the fabled powder fields of Japan, you’re not going to need anything drastically big. Very wide skis can also be less nimble and trickier to roll from edge to edge when the conditions firm up again. That’s where a decent all mountain ski comes in.

    We asked our friends at Glacier Sport Zermatt to recommend some of their favourite skis in this category. Their answer? The Volkl Kenja for the ladies and Kendo for the guys.

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    The women’s Volkl Kenja in their natural habitat

    Repeatedly voted top in ‘All mountain’ ski categories, the Kenja and Kendo skis are well loved for their versatility. With 90mm under foot they are easy to manoeuvre in variable snow yet can be rolled from edge to edge with ease back on piste. They perform well at speed and feel stable. Both of these skis would be a great option for those looking at trying a more all mountain approach for the first time, or a more playful ski for someone who’s intermediate/advanced. Interested? Head into Glacier sport to find yourself a pair.

    If you’d like to perfect your new found love of off piste skiing why not book a private lesson with one of our instructors? In Verbier we’ve just released the Big 5 Challenge for those who are already confident in variable conditions. Get in touch with us on our bookings page here.

     

    The Big Five Challenge

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    Having listened to the feedback from our clients over many years, we know there are a lot of good skiers and snowboarders out there. They often know Verbier well, having stayed here over many years, and are advanced level or expert on the snow.
    So we have developed the “Big 5 Challenge”, a special day out with an ES instructor who will guide you to the best unpisted runs, with the best snow. And we will give you a “Big 5 Challenge” certificate and gift at the end of it, if you complete the challenge.

    Ski the top 5 unpisted trails (“itineraries”) in Verbier, the freeride capital of Europe.
    -The Steepest
    -The Longest
    -The biggest moguls
    -The best tree skiing
    -The most beautiful itinerary runs

    Here is your day;

    1. Start with the itinerary that is the best kept secret in the 4 Valleys, through the trees in the morning on Les Otanes, on the Bruson side. If snow conditions permit, you can go all the way down to Le Chable.

    2. From here, take the lifts back up on the Verbier side, past Lac de Vaux to the top of Tortin.
    This run is legendary for its steepness, length, and bumps! You can dive straight down or, depending on conditions, take the trail off to the side, to tackle the soft moguls that can get as big as cars, with famously good snowholding on the north facing slope.

    3. Three lifts take you back up again to the top of Mt Gele (“Frozen Mountain”), where all of the ways down are steep and unpisted. Depending on conditions there are different options; all of them are steep, empty and wild.

    4. Take the swooping run in to your next itinerary, Gentianes. Play in the natural half pipes and fabulous snow, heading down towards Siviez and the other valleys past Verbier.

    5. Two more lifts take you back up and then you will finish by heading down the narrow track, often with over a meter of snow piled on either side, that takes you into Vallon D’Arbi. This long, steep, wooded itinerary takes you into terrain many Verbier regulars have never seen, finishing in La Tsoumaz. Take lift back out, then be last off the mountain on the long run back to Verbier.

    Instructor Beth Lloyd in the trees! Photo by James Rushforth.

    Depending on mountain conditions, including avalanche risk and run closures, some runs may be replaced with others on the day. For example, Vallon D’Arbi may be replaced with Col des Mines, a beautiful itinerary with spectacular views that takes you back into Verbier in the afternoon sun.

    Worth it for a certificate? Of course not, but this experience will stay with you for a lifetime.

    The “Big 5 challenge” is 595chf for the day. The price does not change if your friends and family join in, so you can invite others to share the experience with you. We guarantee there will be plenty to talk about for the rest of your holiday!

    By Laura Shadbolt