As pointed out to use by a member of our skiing forum, the ski operator Inghams.ie has ceased operation in Ireland after 25 years.

They have the following message on their website stating:

THURSDAY 4 AUGUST 2011

Inghams regret to announce that it has reluctantly decided to cease tour operations from Ireland with effect from winter 2011-12 and that its offices in Dublin will close on Friday, 19 August.

We are writing to the guests who are booked on our Ski 11/12 programme outlining the options open to them. Enquiries should be directed to 1850 92 90 21 (from ROI) or on +44 20 8780 4444.

Inghams will continue to operate its ski programme from Belfast and 20 other U.K. airports. For details go to www.inghams.co.uk

This seems to have come as a sudden decision, as some people have already booked with them for the 2012 season. They will have their UK operation so hopefully the people who have booked will be able to either go on the holidays or get their money back. They fly from Belfast International Airport to Innsbruck and Geneva and cover 44 resorts in 4 countries (France, Switzerland, Austria & Italy). I don’t know if this is a sign of the times for ski operators suffering with the down turn in the economy, of if there are other factors at work here. In the last 10 years the number of Irish people taking ski holidays had reached record proportions.

We’ve updated our list of Irish ski operators, sadly there are only 9 now. If you’ve been effected by this please let us know in the comments.

Tamsin was the first first Irish woman competitor at the Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City in 2002. While Kirsty has represented Ireland in Turin 2006 & Vancouver in 2010. Kirsty was unlucky to be disqualified in the Women’s slalom at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, when one of her skis was deamed too thick (source).

Paul in Kitzbuhel

We are a big fan of the skiing in Austria, in fact we took the train to Kitzbuhel earlier this year, so we know just how cool this resort is. Paul was there earlier this year, dressed in his cool red and blue snowboarding gear. With him for the week was his brother and his trusty GoPro Hero HD camera attached to a long pole.

GoPro & Ginger Based Jumper

Again we have one of those GoPro cameras, this time it’s attached the helmet of Neil Amonson. Neil’s known for his BASE jumping, but this time he’s only little more subdued zooming though the trees and buckets of powered snow. This cool 100 second clip has Neil eating some serious amounts of snow.

Has to be seen to be believed

This video is probably one of our all time favorites, mostly because of the sheer craziness of the whole thing. No further comments are really necessary, just click the video and watch it in fullscreen mode !

GoPro to the power X

If money is now object then you probably should consider this type of a setup for filming your skiing adventures. This video features Jamie Pierre with a ton of cameras filming himself jumping off cliffs and looks like lots and lots of fun.

You can find us on twitter under @irishskiing, and Paul Gilpin under @paulgilpin. Have a great weekend ! And if you have any videos to suggest please do let us know !

Irish Ski Operators

Here is a list of Irish ski companies (in no particular order). We recommend you compare the prices of these companies as a lot of money can be saved by shopping around.

• Highlife.ie
• Holidaysonline.ie
• Topflight.ie (twitter @Topflight_ie)
• SkiHolidays.ie
• BudgetSki.ie
• Inghams.ie : closed August 2011
• DirectSki.com (remember to change the currency from £ to €) (twitter @Directski_com)
• Activitybreaks.com
• Sunway.ie
• Crystalski.ie

If we are missing some skiing operators please let us know in the comments below.

Joining a group

No one wants to ski alone, but if none of your friends are into it then you might have a hard time finding someone to go with. In the past there have been a few threads on our forum from people looking for skiing buddies. One further option is to join in with a larger group. For example the Ski Club of Ireland organises a trip every year, granted it’s mostly skier, but everything will be organised for you. And there is the famous Today FM Breakfast show ski trip with Topflight, where everything is organised including evening & morning entertainment.

Ski holiday check list

When pricing your skiing holiday remember to find out what is and isn’t included in the price. Some operators include the cost of the ski passes, and rentals, full board (breakfast & dinner), ski lessons, airport transfers. While others take the more minimalist approach to things and just the accommodation is covered. Finding this out before you book can save you some unexpected costs when you get to the resort. And before you hit the slopes remember to read our 10 things you should pack for skiing and what to wear skiing.

Tilt Shift Video

Here is a tilt shift video from Jackson Hole resort. Watching this we feel like we are a giant, looking over the ski resort.

Because of the photo technique called tilt shift, we get the impression that the scenery is in a miniature setting. The video also has a stop motion effect going on, so it looks like the skiers are just little dolls being animated. It’s well worth a watch.

Urban Skiing in Finland

This is a video of some cool Finnish teenagers who are into Urban Skiing. We’ve linked to their 3rd video here, but the other two are available on their vimeo page. Here the perform some pretty cool skiing tricks, like running and jumping into their bindings to get their speed up. I guess it’s better than using polls ! The skiing -> skateboarding -> skiing trick is also one worth watching.

Have a nice weekend !

• Like the Crystal Ski Facebook Page
• Like our Photo of Garmisch Paternkirchen

We would be grateful to anyone who takes the time to vote.

The photo was taken inside the gondola at Garmisch Classic, in Garmisch Paternkirchen. The skiing that day was amazing, but you never would have guessed it if you were down in the valley. This shot is in the evening when we were heading back after a good day on the slopes, when we were too lazy to ski back to the valley. So if we win, we will give a full review of the prize too.

We are aiming to have a few reviews coming soon, and details about how to get there from Munich (for even a weekend day trip). Other reviews we are working on are one about Kirchberg / Kitzbuhel, as well as some information about travelling to Tirol (for resorts like SkiWelt in Austria) by train from the Munich airports. If you have resort reports that you would like to share, do get in contact, we are all ears.

US Ski Slope Grading

Beginners begin on the bunny slopes and then graduate on to challenging slopes. The next level up from the bunny slope is the intermediate trail. Intermediate trails are steeper and can be filled with obstacles. The next level up from the intermediate trail is the black diamond trail. The black diamond trail is only for the experienced skier as they are filled with obstacles, small hills and are steeper than intermediate trails. One step up from the black diamond trail is the double black diamond. The double black diamond trail is extremely difficult and only for the most experienced skiers.

Skiers love to ski because slopes offer variety and each slope is always a little bit different from the next. The variety is what keeps most skiers coming back for more year-after-year. What’s great about skiing is people can pick and choose where they want to ski. There are some amazing ski resorts all over the world, not just the US. Japan & Europe offer some great winter holiday destinations.

People love to ski because it keeps them active in the winter time and there is nothing more beautiful than snow capped mountains. People who live in tropical climates flock to ski resorts each year to take a break from the monotony of warm weather.

Costs of skiing

Contrary to popular belief, skiing is not something only the rich and famous enjoy, but something that anyone can enjoy. You don’t have to be a millionaire to hit the slopes, a ski holiday will generally set you back just a little more than a holiday in the sun. There are packages to meet everyone’s budget. People can pick and choose where they want to ski and how long they want to ski for. Most ski resorts offer a variety of ski passes, including day, multi-day, week long and weekend passes. Skiing is something that the whole family can do. For many families, skiing becomes a family tradition. Each year families all over the world make the yearly trip to the same resort or try a new one. In addition to skiing, ski resorts offer a variety of activities to choose from like snowboarding, snowshoeing, and tubing. Parents love ski trips because it gives them a chance to have fun with their children during the day and then go out on the town at night. No matter what people choose to do while visiting a ski resort, at the end of the day, people always have a lot of fun, feel a sense of accomplishment and renewed energy. Everything just seems cleaner and healthier on the slopes.

• Take turns watching the kids. You can split it up one day each, or morning/afternoon, however you prefer. If your children are too young to start skiing, this is the best way.
• Take your kids to ski school if they are old enough. Even when 3 or 4 years old, kids can start learning to ski. My parents taught me themselves when I was that age. But if you’re not up for teaching your kids on your own, or your skills aren’t good enough yet, you could have a few hours of skiing alone with your spouse while your kids are in class.
• Bring sack lunches: sandwiches, chips, cookies, drinks, etc. Most ski areas have cubbies or lockers where you can store a lunch sack or small cooler during the day, and special bring-your-own cafeteria areas. You’ll save a pile of cash compared with buying your family a €40-50 meal every day at lunch. Plus you’ll get to sample some great foreign meats and cheeses if you are traveling abroad!
• Read Skiing.ie‘s article about staying warm . This is especially important for kids! Once they get cold, they will be miserable. Then you are going to be miserable, and the only solution is to take them home, ending your day of skiing. So make sure they stay toasty and dry!
• Find activities for the downtime between skiing sessions. Even if your kids are old enough to ski, that only fills up 6-8h of the day. Bachelor life was great, going out to eat and party every night. But you’ll want to bring games or toys for your kids in the evening. Find a fun activity like a heated pool/spa area if you want a rest day from skiing.
• Keep a pocket full of snacks. Your kids are going to get hungry fast from all the energy it takes to keep warm out on the slopes. You can avoid them getting cranky by having some granola bars, dextrose squares, or chocolates in your pocket. One thing to remember, your pocket will be cold. Don’t bring candy that will get very hard when cold. Jelly beans, caramel cubes, and even some chewy granola bars may be difficult to bite into when out on the pistes.

With these tips, your family should be ready to head to the mountains and have a great vacation. Keep your kids warm, well-fed, and busy, and they will be asking you “when are we going skiing again?” Then instead of wondering when you’ll get your skis on snow again, you’ll spend next summer planning another fun family vacation!

1. Dress in layers. Yeah, you’ve heard this before. What does it mean? Well, instead of one cotton shirt and a thick jacket, use multiple thinner layers – and avoid cotton. Thermal underwear or a merino wool shirt (Icebreaker or Smartwool) is great as a base layer. Then a warm synthetic sweatshirt could be layer 2. A fleece zip-up jacket could go next, then a thin shell jacket over it all. Voila, you’re layered!
2. Buy a helmet. They are not only a great idea to protect you from wipeouts (or some idiot on the slopes that runs into you). Helmets are also super warm! That 1” of foam with hard plastic on the outside keeps the warmth in, and if you get the kind with no vents, it’s 100% windproof .
3. Cover your neck. You can use a neck gaiter, scarf, or high-zip sweatshirt/fleece. But if you keep your neck warm, that’s one less entry point for cold air to get down your shirt and chill you.
4. Wear waterproof/breathable outer layers. You don’t have to go for expensive Gore-Tex – there are many other waterproof/breathable layers available nowadays. These keep you dry in the snow. One word of warning, though: these fabrics are not breathable anymore after they get wet. So if it’s sleeting and the fabric looks wet outside, it will be trapping your sweat inside, making you damp. Go for a jacket & pants that repel drops of water, so the outer fabric itself doesn’t absorb water as easily.
5. Use gloves with gaiters, consider mittens, and use liner gloves. Gloves with gaiters have a section that extends partway over your jacket’s sleeve, and has a stretchy cord to “zip” the gaiter tight. Neither snow nor cold air will get into your glove cuff! Also consider mitten-gloves, where the four fingers are one big, warm pocket. If you’re still cold, get some liner gloves to wear underneath the main glove. Merino-possum fabric is incredibly warm, as my own fingers can testify. Thank you, New Zealand!
6. Get a face mask for cold days. Neoprene face masks, or combination fabrics like my mask from Barts, will keep the snow and wind from freezing your face and nose on bad-weather days. When I go to a glacier area, this mask is always in my pocket.
7. Don’t drink alcohol during the day. It’s not good to be skiing drunk anyway, for safety reasons. But did you know alcohol also chills down your body? It makes the capillaries near your skin open up, so you lose heat faster. Wait until you’re cozy and warm at the bottom of the mountain in an apres-ski bar before boozing it up.
8. Wear warm socks. A thick pair of ski socks, maybe with some merino wool content, will really help keep your toesies warm. Merino is not itchy like normal wool, and it is the best fabric at combating smells.

Hopefully these tips will keep you toasty on the slopes. Get geared up and stay warm & dry!

North American slope markings

• Green (circle): Beginner slope. This is for people who have never skied before, or are just starting out. Probably not exciting for intermediate or expert skiers, because these may not even be steep enough to make many turns.
• Blue (square): Intermediate slope. More varied terrain, and a bit steeper. Could also be good for experts who want to do some nice, carving turns without picking up tons of speed.
• Black (diamond): Expert slope. This could be a mogul run, or a steep piste. It’s recommended that beginners avoid these entirely, and intermediates only try them once their skills are improving and their confidence is rising.
• Double black diamond: Experts only. If you have any fear at all on a standard Black Diamond, stay away from the double blacks. They may be very steep, have huge moguls, or have a narrow couloir (a steep and narrow corridor where you have to go straight down, and turning might crash you into rocks or trees).
• Orange (rectangle): Terrain park. May also have a trail rating showing how difficult it is. Only go in here if you want to do some jumps and tricks. Probably not for beginners .