Last Monday saw all of the big wigs of Val d’Isère join together for the annual cocktail party, and the team here from Val d’Isère Chalets were lucky enough to be in attendance. Hosted in the Mountbatten Room at the exclusive Royal Automobile Club on Pall Mall, it was a wonderful event hosted by the Mayor Marc Bauer, with Champagne flowing and lots of tasty canapes.

Image courtesy of Grifco Pr

The weather forecast for next week in the UK is looking rather bleak/exciting, depending on your position on snowy conditions. Weather warnings are coming in fast as the temperature is set to dip below the freezing mark, with our first taste of a white winter making an appearance. Weather experts are saying that this will just be the start of a “horror winter”, with signs pointing towards the potential for record snowfalls and ice cold conditions in Europe. 

Ski hosting with your chalet operators’s rep has long been a favourite part of the week for British holiday makers in the Alps. It’s a great opportunity to socialise with other guests, and it enables you to put the piste map away and trust your guide to show you the best runs in resort.

We have some very sad news to announce – unfortunately, the much loved V Spot Bar has served its last drink to holiday makers in Val d’Isère. The bar that was situated right in the centre of Val on one of the main roundabouts used to offer fantastic après nibbles, fab DJ sets at night, and excellent themed evenings including Toss the Boss. The news comes as a shock to us all! 

It’s that time of year again, time to go up into the loft, dust off the ski gear, and realise that you need new equipment for this year’s holiday. Summer is well behind us, there is a chill in the air, which gives you a great excuse to buy that bright orange £300 Salomon ski jacket that your other half is adamant you do not need.

Last Sunday saw the opening race of the FIS World Cup season won by the formidable Ted Ligety in Solden, Austria. Ligety crushed the rest of the field, with second place finisher Alexis Pinturault being a huge 0.79 seconds off the pace. Full results can be found here.

Skiing in London is getting a fresh new look this winter, with the first Shoreditch Showdown hosted by O’Neill.  A lot of snow is going to be shipped to an undisclosed location in East London for a fantastic evening’s fun in one of the capital’s trendiest areas.

GoPro have recently released their latest version of their now infamous action camera. The Hero 3+ is the “smallest, lightest, most powerful GoPro yet,” and is likely to be the must have accessory for any ski enthusiast this Christmas.

We are sad to write that the very popular X Games franchise will not be returning to Europe this winter season. Since 2011, Tignes has hosted the popular freestyle ski and snowboard event. Tignes is part of the same ski area as Val d’Isère, and was enjoyed by skiers in both resorts in March each year.

From a nostalgic point of view, this is the end of an era for one Tignes’ most iconic lifts. The long serving Aeroski gondola in Le Lac is being dismantled as we write this, and it will never transport you up to the peak of Toviere, back to Val d’Isère ever again.