Where to Ski And Snowboard -

Snow events coming up ...

8th March 2010, by Wendy King

LOL - snow party fun

As we move towards spring, with longer days on the slopes, resorts are preparing for their various festivals. Most revolve around slope parties and competitions , but there is often something to suit most tastes. Of course, if you’d rather enjoy a quieter late season break avoid the following!

The Winter X-Cross Games – Tignes, France

10-12 March 2010

The World’s best skiers and boarders come to ride the super-pipe and slopestyle competitions. Three full days and eight competitions for the first time in Europe.

The venue: Tignes is a world class French resort, which forms part of the Espace Killy region shared with Val d’Isère. High altitude, top snow, and extensive slopes await

Links: Espn.go.com

The Big Snow Festival – Arinsal, Andorra

14-21 March 2010

The Big Snow Festival features “a weeklong rollercoaster of skiing, snowboarding, and big nights out.” Arinsal’s festival combines ski and snow competitions with music talent and top DJ’s.

The venue: Arinsal is part of the Vallnord ski area, including Pal and Arcalis, with access to 63km of pistes. There slopes make a good choice for novices and families. Seems a strange choice for a lively festival but …

Links: www.thebigsnowfestival.com

Altitude Festival – Meribel, France

20-26 March 2010

The Altitude Festival is buzzing with comedy talent, DJs, and musicians. The festival offers performances from some of the biggest stars in comedy, including British shows such as ‘Have I Got News For You’ and ‘The Now Show’. There are plenty of events lined-up, so you can have a laugh after a long day on the Three Valley’s slopes.

The venue: Meribel is the Brit-favoured resort at the heart of the Three Valleys, with extensive slopes and a lively après-ski scene.

Links: www.altitudefestival.com

Free Heel Festival – Livigno, Italy

20-26 March 2010

The Free Heel Festival is dedicated to telemark skiing, but offers a fun week of activities too. This year’s theme is the 70’s, so flower power is set to rock the resort. As well as serious telemark races, there are taster sessions and tuition for all levels, equipment testing and après-ski parties (70’s style of course).

The venue: Livigno is in Italy’s Piedmont region, a bit of a trek to reach in terms of transfer times but a good value beginner or group destination. There are 115km pistes, and the resorts of Bormio and Santa Caterina are close enough for day trips as is St Moritz (just over the Swiss border).

The Yeti Festival – Nassfeld, Austria

5-10 April 2010

Yeti party? In Carinthia they like to do things a bit differently, but this Nassfeld festival invites visitors to enjoy on-slope competitions, off-piste partying, gluhwein and themed parties, and more … The CUBE Hotel will be the Yeti Festival base. It is close to the slopes and has four bars and a nightclub – plus a large terrace for tea-time bopping.

The venue: Nassfeld boasts an excellent late-season snow record, 110km of pistes and access to Italy and Slovenia – being placed in the far eastern corner of the Austrian Alps.

Links: www.yetifestival.com

Snowbombing – Mayrhofen, Austria

5-10 April 2010

The ultimate dance and snow party in the Alps. Snowbombing is a weeklong music festival in Mayrhofen, which attracts big-name artists pumping out the latest tunes. Concerts and DJ’s take place in numerous venues on- and off-the-piste. To join in, you’ll need to buy a package that includes accommodation and the official wristband. You can make you own way to the resort or join in the official Snowbombing Road Trip.

The venue: Mayrhofen is part of the Zillertal valley in Austria’s Tirol region – close to Innsbruck. The resort is pretty lively, with plenty of bars and restaurants that are sure to be heaving during snowbombing week. And there are 157km slopes to explore locally, as well as the Hintertux glacier nearby.

Links: www.snowbombing.com

Glacier festival and Silbermond in concert – Sölden, Austria

30 April – 2 May 2010

End of season fun on the glacier, including ski testing, taster sessions in grooming machines, snowmobiling and a live performance by the German rock band – Silbermond. Packages include two or three nights accommodation, plus a two-day lift pass and the entertainment listed above. The concert takes place on the Rettenbach slopes on 01 May.

The venue: Sölden rocks! One of Austria’s top après-ski resorts, with high glacier slopes and good intermediate terrain. Combine with a day out in Obergurgl for two good snow-sure areas.

Links: www.soelden.com

The Luge Cup – Val Thorens, France

14 April

Back for its third season. Adults and kids can compete on France’s longest toboggan slope, followed by a giant tartiflette meal and concert.

The Allalin Races – Saas Fee, Switzerland

16-18 April

The Mittelallalin open downhill races take place on the glacier and include mountain biking on snow as well as downhill skiing and boarding. The Rennstrecke downhill involves a fast and furious descent from the glacier to the village, a vertical of 1800m.

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