6 Ways to Pass the Time Until the Ski Lifts Reopen
If the thought of waiting another 5 months for the gondolas to start whirring again is making you somewhat nauseous – you’re not alone. Wholly plank-less, and resigned to our feet until the snow returns – here at Consensio, we’ve been compiling ways to take the edge off the midsummer-blues. Here are 6 ways to pass the time until the ski lifts reopen!
1. Visit one of the UK’s indoor snow slopes
Endless, sweeping pistes these are not – but if you squint at the alpine murals on the walls, and suspend your imagination a little – an indoor slope might just temper your ski cravings (at least until December). Indoor snow slopes are the closest thing the UK will ever have to consistent skiing, and are the ideal places to keep ski-legs in shape whilst waiting for the winter to return. Their real value, however, goes far beyond their mimicry of resort life. With small pistes (around 200m long), the exploratory nature of skiing goes out the window at an indoor slope – and makes them the perfect environments to knuckle down and focus on building up your technique. This is particularly useful if you’re planning a ski trip with a mixed ability group; a trip to indoor slope can be a wonderful way for less experienced members of your party to build up confidence before your trip.
2. Buy new ski wear
Granted, it’s clothing that you’ll only wear for a few weeks out of the year – but there are many upsides to finally getting rid of that 40 year old gold-and-green salopette. Beyond any fashion faux-pas, taking advantage of the annual advances in ski-wear can make your skiing experiences far more comfortable – with less time spent frozen to the bone, drenched, or feeling stuffy. The summer break is the best opportunity to discover new trends, sales, and updates – all without the rush of having to buy when you get to the resort. If you’re particularly keen on staying up-to-date, it’s worth trialling some kit from our partners EcoSki. Eco-Ski offers rental options on the latest ski-wear, meaning you can wear a new outfit on every trip whilst minimising costs – and doing good to the planet.
3. Buy some new ski gear
As above, if you’re thinking about investing in new skis, helmets, boots or poles – it’s worth taking the opportunity to do so before reaching your resort. If you’re looking for new skis, testing them out on an indoor slope is a no brainer – but for boots and helmets, there are great options even closer to home. If you’re based in London, you could do worse than to pop along to Pro Feet‘s Ski Boot Lab in Fulham before it gets uber busy, and allow them to carry out some fancy biomechanical analysis of your feet (it doesn’t hurt – we promise), ensuring the perfect, pain free fit.
4. Take up residence in an aprés-ski bar in the UK
Alpine culture is well-loved worldwide – and London boasts a ton of options that can bring your home-away-from-home… home. Nordic Bar in London’s West End offers scandi-style food and drinks, ping pong, karaoke and bar games, but if you’re looking for a truly alpine experience – try out the recently reopened Tiroler Hut in Westbourne Grove. The legendary Tiroler Hut has been nestled away in Westbourne Grove for decades – thrilling families and celebrity guests alike with incredible schnitzel, traditional Austrian beers, and immersive experience – until it was tragically destroyed in a fire a few years ago. Thanks to community funding, hard work and a lot of goodwill, the Tiroler Hut has been rebuilt, piece by piece – and was finally able to welcome guests back at the beginning of the year. Discover a little-known piece of London history as you tuck into your goulash, underscored by a raucous in-house accordion player – and let the good times roll.
5. Prepare your travel documents
If this doesn’t sound like the most exciting of the options here, that’s because it isn’t. But what it is, is necessary, and its better to have updated passports and health insurance now, than running the risk of an emergency trip to a passport office a day before your holiday in a 6 months time. If you’re taking a pet with you next winter – now’s the time to check through the necessary regulations.
6. Book all of your ski trips and flights
Why delay all the excitement of booking your trip when you indulge yourself now – and be rewarded for it, with better prices and better options! Window shopping is advisable, and fun in its own right, but doesn’t beat the satisfaction of knowing you secured your dream holiday before the prices got competitive. Of course, beginning to book a holiday opens up a string of other admin – accommodation leads to flights, which leads to ski passes, childcare, and ski lessons – which makes it even more advisable to start the process early, to make sure you have everything in order before your trip.
If you’re looking to book a Consensio holiday, the estimated season dates for our resorts are as follows:
Méribel
2nd December 2023 to 21st April 2024.
Courchevel
2nd December 2023 to 21st April 2024
(Moriond is set to open on the 9th December)
Val d’Isère
2nd December 2023 to 5th May 2024
These dates are not necessarily set in stone as the resorts may open for the odd day here or there if the snow Gods are looking down favourably on them, so do look out for last minute announcements!