Snow, snow EVERYWHERE!!!!

What a snow–sure season we are having in the Alps! So much has fallen already. In 4 days we had more snow in St Anton then the whole of last winter! Now the skies are blue, the snow shovelling has finished and the skiing is fantastic.

In St Anton we had our first big corporate ski weekend, with two big groups loving the conditions. We managed to ski one of the Arlberg Classic route, from the top of Valluga into Zurs, a truely lovely run, away from the crowds and only accessible with a fully qualified mountain guide! Fresh tracks, fresh snow and peace and quiet, stunning! The guests loved it.

Great lunches and dinners and après ski in all our favourite bars and restaurants helped make it a weekend to remember.

More snow is forecast for the Alps this weekend another potential meter of snow! Wow…..that would be great, but it would be good if it doesn’t disrupt the transport services to much!

Please don’t believe all you read in the papers, it was interesting to see one of the papers reporting on Austria and using a picture of Japan from 2 or 3 years ago…..the chaos was nowhere near as bad as the papers made out, all was under control and a few resorts were in lock down….but hey, where would you rather be stuck….behind a desk or in the Alps…? I know my answer!

So if you want an accurate, up to date report, get in touch with Kaluma Travel and we will tell you exactly what is happening and where in the Alps, from our team on the ground. With more snow forecast, it is sure to be an awesome few weeks of skiing ahead.

 

Dumped on in Courchevel and St Anton!

Reminiscent of my first season in Courchevel (’98/99) …. the snow just keeps falling. We’ve had more snow in Courchevel this season than we had during the whole of last season. It’s fairly epic (unless you are responsible for chalet snow clearing!). The balcony at the Chalet Maisonnee is a distant memory. When we find it, we promise to clear off the snow.

Today is supposed to be World Cup Skiing in Courchevel – let’s hope the army of ESF instructors can keep the snow off the course so the race can go ahead.

Richard (Courchevel)

Courchevel Before the Snow

I can also second that for St Anton and the Arlberg region. More snow already in the last 10 days then there was in the whole of last season! Also some of the best powder skiing I have done in the 12 yrs of being in the Arlberg. As Richard mentioned, snow clearing isn’t the most fun job in the world, but after 2.5hrs shovelling and clearing, we have now managed to clear a view out of the dining room windows of the Villa Montfort!

Much more snow forecast in the coming days, perfect for our Christmas and New Year guests!

Andy (St Anton)

Courchevel After the Snow Has Arrived!

St Anton 16th December 2011

What a crazy week really! 7 days ago the lifts opened. 10 days ago the resort was green, greener than green. Now it is snowing and snowing and snowing. Huge amounts of snow and not looking like stopping….great stuff!

We’ve had a brilliant Press Trip, with journalists from the Financial Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian and from Elle Magazine. Great people to look after, socialise with and show around this fantastic resort. The trip centred around the changing face of St Anton and the new Mooser Hotel on the slopes which we are proud to be the only UK operator offering this fantastic hotel.

Some great skiing, some fresh powder, visits to the Antonerhof Hotel and the Raffls Stuberl restaurant, the new M3 Hotel, Anthony’s hotel, open next winter as well as a few favourite bars and restaurants on the mountains. The Hospiz Alm, the Verwal Stube, Krazy Kanguruh and of course the Mooserwirt.

A great 4 days, thoroughly enjoyed by all involved.

Now the season really starts, Christmas just a week away and here in St Anton, Kaluma are all fired up and raring to go. We hope to see you in the snow!

Courchevel Live

The Directors of Kaluma Travel attended the LIVE Courchevel event 09-12 December.

The event was attended by over 250 industry professionals from around the globe including; luxury travel agents, tour operators, airlines and journalists.

Despite the hectic schedule of workshops, hotel visits, resort activities, skiing, cocktail parties and meals, we found time to share marketing  strategies and to discuss the differing perceptions of Courchevel from various countries around the World.

The highlights included the showcasing of the new 5 star Hotel LE K2, the after dinner party at L’Oxygene and the final night’s fantastic party at Le Mangeoire.

The K2 has been finished to an exceptionally high standard. It was clear to see that even the most cynical of travel agents were left a little lost for words. Five stars are well and truly deserved, so congratulations must go out to the hard working team behind the project. Loving the Rolex Daytona charging ceramic black room safes!! Trés James Bond. And simply the best Canapes we’ve ever had.

The delicious food at Le Mangeoire was followed by a dramatic change of mood when the firework laden jacuzzi sized cocktails arrived at each table. The lights were dimmed and the music was turned up. From sedate after dinner coffees to en-mass table dancing took all of about 30 seconds!! Well done and special thanks to Francois and Sophie for such a great night and for doing what no one else has been able to replicate. A true flavor of Courchevel’s legendary (late) nightlife.

Many thanks to the tourist office for their organisational efforts and good humour during the event.

And a final thanks to the Hotel Alpes du Pralong for providing accommodation to us. The stylishly newly renovated rooms and Hérmes toiletries were a treat.  And the best breakfast buffet in the resort !

The skiing conditions are fantastic and the slopes are so quiet. Skiers should take advantage before the secret is out.

Richard and Neal

Hurrah! – the long awaited snow has now arrived!!

The last couple of weeks have been a waiting game here in the Kaluma office (and for the rest of the ski world) but our patience has paid off and the snow is now coming down in buckets in both Courchevel and St Anton.

Our Chalets Maisonnee A and Maisonnee B in Courchevel 1850 and Chalet Montfort in St Anton all still have some very last minute availability for the coming week so if you are keen to be one of the first on the mountain for the 2011-2012 winter season then we can help you make it happen.

In the meantime here are some images of the long awaited snow….enjoy!

Courchevel Opens!

Despite the lack of snow across the Alps Courchevel has been tirelessly working to still open some of the resort on the 3^rd December 2011!

Through investing in state of the art snow cannons Courchevel has prepared the Verdons ski area for the first ski of the season! With only the one green run open this weekend Courchevel aims to create a fun, early skiing atmosphere – there will be music to accompany skiers and the bar/restaurant ‘Verdons’ next to the lift station will be open (accessible by Gondola for all non-skiers).

To celebrate the opening of the Verdons run skiing will be free all weekend!

Courchevel Web Cams

Courchevel Weather Forecast

No Snow Refund Guarantee for Christmas Chalet Bookings

We know that, like us, you are patiently awaiting the arrival of the first snow of the coming ski season, but don’t let this stop you booking a Christmas holiday to remember.

The weather forecasts look more positive by the day and here at Kaluma we are confident that the white stuff will arrive before Santa.

Maisonnee A and Maisonnee B in Courchevel 1850 are still available from 18-26 December and we are offering 100% cancellation to guests who book either chalet for the Christmas week should the snow not arrive*.

Exceptionally low prices for last minute bookings. Prices from £500 per person**

No snow and we guarantee you a full refund*!

* any flights booked through Kaluma will not be included in the refundable cost 
** Price excludes flights and transfers, this offer is not available in conjunction with any other offers.

Flexible Pre-Christmas Breaks

If you have the odd day or two of annual leave to use up before the end of the year why not put it to good use and book a short break to the mountains.

Early December has previously seen an abundance of snow across the Alps, yet resorts often remain quiet, offering a great opportunity to make the most of the slopes, bars and restaurants.

With each resort working hard over the summer months to enhance their facilities and services it is also a great time to check out these improvements.

Here at Kaluma Travel we are offering flexible breaks between 11-18 December so you can maximize on whatever free time you have before the Christmas madness kicks in.

Whether your preference is for Courchevel 1850 or St Anton – maybe you have yet to trial both – we can offer an exclusive one off rate of £85.00 per person per night for bed and breakfast accommodation in our Kaluma run chalets.

Maisonnee A and Maisonnee B in Courchevel 1850, or Chalet Montfort, St Anton will be sparkling and fresh for the new season and await your visit.

Call us now, we look forward to hearing from you!

New chalets added to the Kaluma Private Chalet Collection

We are very excited about the addition of four luxurious chalets in Zermatt and Klosters to our Private Chalet Collection.

Chalet Maurice, Chalet Les Anges and Chalet Grace in Zermatt all provide exceptional interiors and stunning locations so you can enjoy all that the popular resort of Zermatt has to offer.  The chalets sleep 12, 14 and 14 respectively.

Chalet Chesa Falcun is located in the exclusive resort of Klosters and offers luxurious accommodation with stunning views for 12 guests.

Although not run by Kaluma staff , these chalets have been handpicked by Kaluma because of the exceptionally high standards of service and outstanding interiors they offer. We believe these chalets are a great addition to our luxury chalet collection and that they will provide an excellent chalet experience for holidays to Zermatt and Klosters.

 

Winter Time is here again – part two!

Following the theme of our last post, here is some news on what you can expect from Courchevel to tempt you to visit this coming winter.

Courchevel 1850 has Oxygen Bar featuring live music weekly, the Meribel Cable Car has moved location to finish at the top of La Saulire, making access from Meribel so much easier! A pleasing change for all 3 Valley skiers. Alternatively it also offers non skiers easy access to Meribel. La Bergerie restaurant, rumoured to have been sold to Russians has now been demolished, a sad day for fans of the infamous Bergerie vin chaud.
A new chairlift has been installed at the Plantrey; now a more comfortable, covered 8 man chair. This will hopefully speed up the movement up the mountain and help avoid the nasty windchill as it comes over the top of the Stade de Slalom.
 Eric Tournier has bought (surprise surprise) the piste restaurant in 1650, La Casserole. Rumoured to be made into a new open fire placed restaurant / apres ski hotspot (a la Folie Douce…but not quite the Krazy Kanguruh!). As soon as it’s renamed, we will let you know.

If you havent already thought about skiing this winter, then think about Kaluma and contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.