Posts Tagged ‘skiing’
Skiing in the Southern Alps: Provence on Snow
Winding between the slender Larch trees in knee-deep power with just enough space to twist and glide through their spindly path. It’s as if the seedlings were planted with the off-piste skier in mind. While it feels like the tree-lined skiing of Canada, this is France’s Southern Alps. This article was first published in 2011.…
Read MoreSkiing with the Kaiser
The chance to ski with one of the world’s greatest downhill racers is something most keen skiers would jump at – or run a mile from if you’re feeling a little rusty. However, the dream became a reality for me in the handsome Austrian resort of Bad Kleinkirchheim where the legendary Olympic champion, Franz Klammer…
Read MoreAdventure Skiing this Winter
It was January and we had less than two weeks to go until a ski touring trip to Bulgaria. And now we had to decide whether or not to cancel the trip. The snow drought wasn’t just affecting the Alps, but the Rila and Pirin Mountains, the two highest ranges in the country. We could…
Read More“The New Normal” Climate Change and Alpinism in Chamonix
It’s Green Week which this year focuses on the theme of nature and biodiversity, so perhaps an apt time for my article on Climate Change and Alpinism in Chamonix to be out in the US magazine, Rock and Ice. Alpinism is now on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Mont Blanc massif waiting…
Read MoreA change of plan
The coronavirus pandemic meant this years ski season was cut short. So, whilst in lockdown and missing the snow, I was inspired to put a little film together about one of the few ski touring trips I managed to get in this year. It was around the time I was writing about climate change in…
Read MoreEarning your turns – and your schnapps – in the ‘valley of the mountain huts’
‘Skinning up’ has a whole new meaning in Salzburgerland’s Grossarl Valley. But as I soon found out – you can’t beat some pure Austrian schnapps for powering you up those hills……. READ>> My piece for Skier and Snowboarder magazine on ski touring in Salzburgerland’s Grossarl Valley: How in Grossarl, ski touring, with state-approved mountain guides,…
Read MoreThe Patrouille des Aiguilles Rouge
I recently took part in the second edition of the Patrouille des Aiguilles Rouge, a ski mountaineering race starting in Arolla and finishing in Evolène in the Valais region of the Swiss alps, known as the Val d’Hérens, between Zermatt and Chamonix. I visited the area two years ago when the race came into existence…
Read MoreSki Touring on Senja Island – out now in Outdoor Fitness magazine
My article on Ski Touring on Senja Island is out in the March issue of Outdoor Fitness magazine….. ********* I’ve just returned from Senja, Norway’s second largest island for a few days ski touring from Hamn i Senja, located amidst a beautiful archipelago on the west coast of the island. At a latitude of 69 degrees north,…
Read MoreMurren: A playground for the modern James Bond
Whilst the world waits with bated breath to find out who the next James Bond will be, I believe I stumbled upon the ideal candidate on a recent trip to Murren: Racing Pedigree. Skier and Snowboarder Magazine The Swiss ski resort is about to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Schilthorn…
Read MoreSki Touring on Senja Island
I’ve just returned from Senja, Norway’s second largest island for a few days ski touring from Hamn i Senja, located amidst a beautiful archipelago on the west coast of the island. At a latitude of 69 degrees north, Senja is known as “the fairytale island” (it’s home to the world’s largest troll) with summit to sea skiing all…
Read MoreSki Mountaineering in Chamonix
Skiing will be the death of British Alpinism”, exclaims Andy Kirkpatrick in his book ‘Cold Wars’. In an amusing exchange between himself and British mountain guide and 11 times Everest summiter, Kenton Cool, Kenton suggests “you should try it mate,” but Andy “doesn’t have any time for fun…” He probably hadn’t tried ski mountaineering however,…
Read MoreCrevasse drop in the Vallee Blanche…
A few weeks ago, it was a blue sky, powder day in Chamonix and three of my friends decided to ski the Grand Envers route on the Vallee Blanche. All extremely good skiers, I waved them off and thought nothing of it, until another friend phoned me, asking if I knew where they were as…
Read MoreSkiTrek- a new site for touring & trekking…
It may not be snowing much in Chamonix at the moment but I still feel pretty lucky to have already had two weekends of pleasant piste skiing with good friends. With regards to writing about skiing however, I’ve decided its time to focus a little more on the adventurous stuff, rather than “I went to…
Read MoreChamonix: a year on…warts and all
It’s been nearly a year since I packed up my Peugeot 107 and drove off into the Alpine sunset and having had a few people asking me about how it’s been and assuming I’m ‘living the dream…’ I thought I’d write about it for anyone interested. Getting the Balance right: It’s not been easy –…
Read MoreAdventure skiing film premiers: Shane McConkey and more….
With anticipation building for the coming ski season ( I’ve just bought my Mont Blanc Unlimited season pass!) there are several new films being released this month in London to whet our appetites even more…. Tonight I’m off to the premier of the Red Bull and Matchstick Productions biopic of one of the most famous…
Read MoreEnd of the Ski season….? Go Paragliding…or running with Dwain Chambers
It’s the end of the ski season in Chamonix and plenty of people who live here, year round have been taking their holidays, so the town has been fairly quiet- but more fun and intimate perhaps. Looking ahead to my plans for summer, I too took a little holiday to Bordeaux where I learned to…
Read MoreSkiing the Vallee Blanche… finally!
My latest blog for the Ski Club of Great Britain – Skiing the Vallee Blanche
Read MoreMarch madness…
March has been an incredibly busy month with me whizzing from resorts in Austria to Switzerland to Austria again and back to France and Chamonix. My first port of call was Saalbach, where I had the former GB ski racer and Ski Sunday presenter, Graham Bell as my guide to the resort, and who also…
Read MoreSkiing the Gliere Bowl
My latest blog for the Ski Club of Great Britain can now be read HERE : The guide book said the ‘Col de la Gliere’ wasn’t too far off the beaten track, with the hike up from the Col Cornu chairlift taking about 15 minutes if the path had already been broken.,… ….that wasn’t really…
Read MoreBecoming a “Bond Girl” – Biathlon and Nordic skiing in Lake Annecy
My latest piece for the Daily Mail Online is out: “Bond girl in training: How I tried to become a shooting, skiing biathlete in idyllic Annecy.” Read more about my adventure in Annecy here I absolutely loved the biathlon and have been practicing my Ski du Fond in Chamonix ever since…. now i just need…
Read MoreAvalanche Awareness in the Chamonix Valley
Living in the ‘off-piste’ mecca that is Chamonix, I thought it would be a good idea to refresh my knowledge of avalanches and how to avoid them or deal with them if they happen. So I signed up to a course run by the Avalanche Academy and found out much more about conditions in…
Read MoreLanglauf and Powder in the Chamonix Valley
I’ve been in Chamonix for nearly three weeks now and it feels like it’s been snowing for almost an eternity. Apart from Wednesday the weather has been pretty bleak, despite the powder being pretty phenomenal. Infact, Wednesday was the first day I actually managed to see much beyond the end of my ski pole….. and…
Read MoreA December day in Courmayeur
Well, I’ve been out in Chamonix for almost two weeks now and have managed to ski twice as there has been loads of snow. Below is a link to my first blog for the Ski Club of Great Britain as their ” Chamonix correspondent”;-) I’ve great memories of Courmayeur- not least the Ski the World…
Read MoreLearning how to avoid deep powder danger: An avalanche course in Austria
In January this year I attended an Avalanche Awareness course in the Austrian resort of Kühtai. The Snow & Avalanche Awareness Camps (SAAC) have been set up in 20 resorts around Austria to educate people about the causes of avalanches and alpine dangers in general. As more and more people now venture off piste, the government…
Read MoreOnly Girls Aloud….
Sometimes we most definitely need to get away from the boys… So here’s my list of Top Ten Girlie Skiing Getaways for Snow Femme magazine. Enjoy!
Read MoreErna Low celebrates its 80th birthday
Last night the winter ski holiday company, Erna Low celebrated its 80th birthday by launching a biography of the pioneering woman herself. ‘Aiming High: The Life of Ski and Travel Pioneer Erna Low’ was written by author and ski writer Mark Frary. The book is to be published on 1 January 2013, available for pre…
Read MoreOn Fitness TV…
A few pieces for Fitness TV: Ski the World Challenge Trail running in Chamonix
Read MoreSkiing in the Catalan Pyrenees
The French ski resorts of Font Romeu and Les Angles offer an unusual mix of family friendly, sunshine skiing, history and culture, and a passion for food all in the heart of the Catalan Pyrenees. Read more about it here: Font Romeu and Les Angles for Eurodestinations
Read MoreSkiing the World…..
I’ve just taken part in the inaugural Ski the World challenge in the Italian resort of Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley, raising money for the Make a Wish Foundation. read more about it at Sport Sister magazine ….and here’s some photos of what went on: Ski the World
Read MoreExploring the ski resort of Font -Romeu
I’m off to the Pyrénées next week to visit the Font – Romeu ski resort… After a bit of downhill and cross country skiing, I’ll be exploring the Terroir, Unesco World Heritage sites and indulging in the hot springs of Llo and Dorres. Then it’s off to the Les Angles Ski Resort and the les Angles…
Read MoreTime to get ski fit?
I try out a new kind of indoor ski training facility in London – the first of its kind in the UK: Skiplex for PlanetSKI
Read MoreWinter Youth Olympic Games
In January 2012 I will be reporting from the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck for Planet Ski. Here are some articles about the YOG: Winter Youth Olympic Games Youth Olympic games on track. I’ll then be stopping off in Kuehtai to brush up on my off-piste skiing and avalanche awareness skills.
Read MoreEating the Kaisers powder dust;
Here’s my piece on Skiing with Franz Klammer for Planet Ski :
Read MoreSpa and Ski with Franz Klammer
Skiing in Bad Kleinkirchheim with the Kaiser, Franz Klammer requires some serious spa action afterwards if one is to function the next day. Read all about my experience at Spa Review Magazine: Skiing with Franz Klammer
Read Moreyet another Ischgl piece!
I really am getting quite prolific when it comes to Ischgl: Katy’s Much Better Guide to Ischgl
Read MoreIschgl Rocks
The Killers are the stars of Ischgl’s season closing concert : Read the guide here: Ischgl Rocks
Read MoreSkiing with Franz Klammer
I’m off to sample the skiing in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria for a few days- and I’ll have an excellent guide in former champion alpine ski racer, Franz Klammer. Articles to come……
Read MoreBienvenue dans les Alpes du Sud
I’m very excited to soon be heading off on my next ski trip to the relatively unknown Southern Alps. We’ll be exploring Les Orres, Praloup and Vars. Look out for articles on that in mid januray….
Read MoreNew guide to Ischgl now online
My new guide to the ski, apres ski and general wonders of Ischgl is now online at Eurodestinations : http://www.eurodestination.com/Holidays/beth-ditto-guide-to-ischgl.htm Enjoy!
Read MoreThe ski season is here….
I’m currently reading the news at BBC Radio Kent this week before they merge with BBC Sussex and Surrey at Drivetime. Then I’m off to the launch of another terrific ski season for Ischgl, in Austria and I’m told the slopes are in great shape. I think the highlight of the trip will be The…
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