QUIZ: IS YOUR SKI HOLIDAY REALLY AN EXTREME SPORT? By Team Ongosa
Wikipedia defines Extreme sports (also called action sports or adventurous sports) as activities perceived to have a high level of inherent danger. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion, and highly specialized gear.
Clearly snowboarding and skiing are extreme sport But is ‘inherent danger’ on the average tourist’s to-do list?! This depends if you consider skiing home from après on the hill, to be inherently dangerous (Tip: it is)! Whilst we’re sure there are plenty of extreme skiers and snowboarders out there (you can hire some of them for lessons and guiding with us), there are also those head to the mountains purely for the après atmosphere you won’t get in any other holiday resort. At the other end of the spectrum, are the holidaymakers who are simply extremely glamorous!
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Where do you stay? A – Only the best: a plush catered chalet, with staff, hot tub, cow ski rugs and chandeliers. It’s your holiday and you want to treat yourself! B – You opt for a self-catered apartment. This brings about pot-luck dinners (mainly pasta) and speedy takeaways in between après and your night out. C – You got a great package deal on flights, transfer, accommodation and lift pass: sorted! D – Staying in a ski-to-door hotel maximises your time on the snow. Location is your priority. E – You park your camper van on the outskirts of the resort. If you’re not there, you’ll be found setting up camp in a mountain hut, or the local climbers refuge.
A bit chilly but you’re guaranteed first tracks and possibly the best views in resort!
What do you wear? A – Mainly your fur-collared, down-filled Moncler when in resort, and Kjus jacket if you’re actually heading up the mountain and want to feel sporty. So mainly Moncler then… B – Some kit from TK Maxx, mixed with some hand-me-downs and stuff loaned by friends. You’ve also got the obligatory fancy-dress-ski day on your trip. C – North face or Helly Hansen. Combined with Merino thermals. Basically the stuff that got good reviews and will last a few years. D – You bought some pretty garish stuff this year actually. And you’re also often guilty of stocking up on seasonnaire brands like Planks… (you’re aware you’re only fooling yourself). E – Scandi brands like Arc’teryx, Noronna and Haglofs that have really technical construction but will allow you to switch from hike to descent without faffing with layers. If your primary mountain activity is sunbathing, less is more in terms of clothing…
What do you do on a whiteout? A – You’ve already made reservations at the resort’s Michelin-starred restaurant. Then obviously there’s the spa. B – Find a sports bar to watch some football. Or just any bar. Does après-ski still count as après if there’s no skiing involved?! C – You lounge around in the chalet your thermals, keeping an eye on the weather, hoping to get a couple of runs skied in the afternoon. D – Hire a board for the day and play about on the nursery slopes where, despite bad visibility, at least it’s predictably flat! E – You either sit out the storm in your hut (it’s always much worse up at the top) or head into the trees in search of pillow-lines and better vis.
Do you head back to a mountain refuge to plan how you’ll tackle the powder when the storm clears?
Who’s your ski hero? A – Brad and Angelina in Zermatt, when you epitomise style and glamour off the slopes… who cares about the slopes! B – Eddie the Eagle – he’s a hilarious underdog and you can’t wait to see Eddie The Eagle film. C – Frank Gardner, the BBC reporter shot through his spinal cord but who pursued his love of the sport in a sit-ski and was made honorary president of Ski Club Great Britain. D – Candide Thovex – his films are insane! Your Facebook friends may be getting a little sick of all his videos you share. E – Leo Taillefer, he’s young and up-and-coming, and sent the freeride world crazy over his ‘Go Pro Line Of The Winter’ win last season.
Here’s what Candide Thovex got up to this winter…
How do you unwind? A – By booking a massage – skiing to and from lunch up the mountain was exhausting B – A big après of course! An on-the-snow venue with great tunes, great views and a couple of rounds of Jaeger bombs, followed by beer pong back in resort. C – Afternoon tea back at the chalet or hotel, and to get some after-sun on your nose. D – A quick beer in a locals’ bar, sneakily eavesdropping as to where they found the best snow so you can make plans for tomorrow. E – With an espresso and a Wifi connection to sit and analyse the day’s activity.
“The sport of skiing consists of wearing three thousand dollars worth of clothes and equipment and driving two hundred miles in the snow in order to stand around at a bar and get drunk” – P J O’Rourke, Modern Manners, 1984
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What’s your gadget? A – A credit card. And preferably not yours! B – Your Go Pro stuck to you helmet or selfie-stick: to capture all your friend’s fails and upload to Facebook asap C – You’re slightly embarrassed to say electric hand-warmer gloves changed your life! But it means you can stay out all day without encroaching frostbite sending you indoors! D – You downloaded FAT MAP’s app to plan your lines and keep track of your every move: top speed, distance covered and elevation. With a view to top your personal best tomorrow of course. You’ve ditched the flappy paper maps, and plan, record and analyse your every move around resort via smartphone nowadays
E – A helicopter (dare to dream), for a day at least.
Where do you eat? A – Three courses at the smartest restaurant, up the mountain to make it a more authentic ski experience. Wash it down with champagne and spend the afternoon soaking up the mountain rays on the terrace. They should be paying you for your appearance, effectively raising their profile..! B – Quite often it’s a liquid lunch: a beer and a Kit-Kat you found in your pocket from the airport vending machine. C – You grab a panini or bowl of chips because it’s the only thing that’s not ridiculously expensive. At a push you’ll fill up on a big bowl of spaghetti bolognaise. D – You stuffed a homemade baguette in your backpack this morning. It’s unrecognisable after stacking it a couple of times, but tastes just about the same! E – You’ve brought some energy sachets and dehydrated packet noodles to reheat in a mountain hut. Not necessarily mouth-watering, but light and fits in your pack.
On a ski holiday you treat yourself to long lunches
Where do you ski? A – St Moritz, Verbier, Courchevel B – Les Arcs, Les Deux Alpes, Val Thorens C – La Plagne, Avoriaz, Meribel D – Tignes, St Anton, Zermatt E – Chamonix, Verbier, La Grave
You’re all for exploring the backcountry, like Ongosa recommended Leading Edge Ski School in the Tarentaise Valley
Who do you hire? A – Your group opts for private instructor-led guiding, to show you around the resort, avoiding congested tourist traps, and of course find the best views for a selfie and the mountain restaurants to dine at. B – You power through your hangover like a trooper, to meet an instructor for a couple of morning lessons (you don’t want to be the slowest in your group, no way!). C – You start the week with a day being closely watched by private instructor who analyses your every move and focuses on technique on and off piste. D – You join a group lesson heading off piste, but stick at the front of the pack to ensure you steal the fresh turns. E – You go out with a mountain guide to find secret backcountry. He’s a retired freeride champ and you’re secretly delighted when you’ve got the same pair of fat skis. Your rule is ‘no friends on a powder day’ but exceptions can be made for the local guide you’ve hired
Count up your answers! Mostly A: Your ski holiday is for soaking up sun and champagne, the skiing takes a back seat! You look fabulous at all times and what a shame to pack your designer-clad figure into a cramped lift queue, you’re much better off lounging at a mountain bar where everyone can see you! Your type of extreme sport? Endurance spending, then wrestling new purchases into your already-full case, by the end of the week. Next season? We think you’ll get on just fine spoiling yourself at the 5* Chedi hotel in Andermatt, Switzerland
Mostly B: Your ski holiday is for indulging in the cold, wet stuff… and we don’t mean the snow! We mean beer! Beers and blue runs make up your ski holiday, where style goes out the window as long as you’re having fun. Your type of extreme sport? Table football under the influence of several round of Jaeger Bombs. Next season? Visit Les Menuires, a less well known, but seriously fun village, with the added benefit of the huge 3 Valleys ski area.
Mostly C: Your ski holiday is all about balance, you’re happy to cut short a night out if first lifts the next day are on the cards. You’ll never be the gnarliest skier on the mountain, but with just a couple of creature comforts you can happily ski 9-5. Your type of extreme sport? Binge-watching 3 hours solid of ski films on the transfer to resort. Next season? Hire a car and stay in St Foy where you can have it all – quiet pistes and untouched backcountry, then pop to Val D’Isere for the nightlife and a great day’s ski in the massive Espace Killy.
Mostly D: Your ski holiday is for beating last time’s records! On the snow you are your own biggest competition. You want to go further and faster than before… Your type of extreme sport? Ticking off every piste in resort within a week (start by following one of Ongosa’s self-guided routes) Next season? Push your limits in the four snowparks in Laax and neighbouring Flims, Switzerland. Hosts to Freeride and Freestyle competitions throughout the season, you’ll definitely be inspired here.
Mostly E: Your ski holiday is for EXTREME SPORTS! Your priority is always skiing and go for quality over quantity; you can justify a 50 minute hike if it means fresh tracks. Next season? Head to Disentis to complete Val Segnas and Val Acletta: two of the area’s classic freeride descents.
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