Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Zermatt Summer Holidays & Summer Skiing

This chic and cosmopolitan resort sitting under the gaze of the mighty Matterhorn mountain on the Swiss - Italian border is just as busy in summer as it is for the winter ski season. People from around the world come to soak up the alpine atmosphere, trek around the stunning mountains and even go summer skiing on the glacier up at 3899m!

There is an incredible 21km of pistes to ski, largely for beginners and intermediate skiers and boarders although there are a few blacks to be found especially after a summer snow storm! You will see many international ski teams training on the glacier as the summer skiing terrain here is extensive and you still get a massive 960m of vertical!

The lifts open at 7.30am in the summer months and the best skiing is to be had in the morning. From lunchtime onwards, the snow starts to turn to slush so its best to head back to the village and try one of the other activities on offer. Golf, mountain biking, a trip to Saas Fee or simply chilling out by the pool and sunbathing. Another popular afternoon excursion is to take the Gornergrat railway up the mountain and look out at the amazing Monte Rosa massif - the views are spectacular.

If you want to go for a summer holiday in Zermatt then the easiest way is to fly in to Geneva or Zurich and hire a car. The transfer tends to take around 2 hours but note that all public cars must be left at the carpark in Täsch. From there, its around 8 minutes on the train or you can get a local taxi, such as to take you up to the resort centre.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Heli Skiing In Greenland

Greenland Heli-skiing

Everyone has heard of heli-skiing in Canada - after all, it is the world's heli-skiing capital with around 80% of the market for this adrenaline fuelled sport. However,as the lesser known mountainous nations have started to promote their national assets ie mountains and ice, the areas often thought as being too remote are proving to be just as good and better value than the established players - Greenland, the world's largest island, is no exception.

Some of the best skiing in Greenland can be found on the many islands. These regions often have the deepest fjords with many permanently covered by glacial ice. On some of the decents, you can ski from the drop-off point right the way down to the waters edge - something you won't experience heli-skiing in the Alps.

See Greenland's Tourist Office website for other activities including snowmobile adventures in to the arctic mountains.