Alice’s Arc1950 summer in photos

Based in our French property office in picturesque Arc 1950, in the Paradiski region of the Alps, Alice has been discovering the delights of a summer season spent at altitude and that the Alps aren’t just for skiing! Surrounded by stunning views of green mountains, imposing forest and mountain lakes and rivers, taking a few photos must have been irresistible…

Enjoying a view of the Mont Blanc

a bird's eye view of Arc 1950

Another popular, and slightly more adventurous, activity! Paraponting offers an eagle’s-eye view of the breathtaking alpine scenery and a dose of adrenaline on the side! Alice even took her camera up for a few aerial snaps…

Up up and away!

free as a bird...

Back on land again, Alice takes a view from just outside the property office window. Snow-sure and ski-friendly in the winter, Arc1950 is surrounded by Alpine meadows and bathed in sunshine during the summer- meaning any ski property for sale in this charming alpine resort will be snapped up before long!

view from the office window - certainly beats London HQ!

Thanks for the pics Alice, wish we were there! Erna Low Property team x

PS: want to see more photos? Become a fan on the Erna Low Facebook page to see the rest of the album.

Fancy trying it for yourself? book your summer holiday to the Alps with Erna Low today www.ernalowsummer.co.uk

Our ski weekend doesn’t take off!

We’re going nowhere today as the Erna Low end of season ski weekend is confronted by Mother Nature…

Against all odds our (slightly depleted) Erna Low Ski Holidays team were about to set off on what promised to be another legendary ski weekend!  We were beginning to get very excited as the departure date was getting closer.  We’d been checking the snow reports in Avoriaz for days, bags were packed and ski legs ready to squeeze in one last weekend of sunshine, skiing and perhaps the occasional beer (or two!) before the season ended.  And then we heard the news.   Who would have thought that a huge Volcanic cloud of ash would put an end to our great plans!  But unfortunately Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull Volcano is still erupting and shows no sign of stopping!  Our flights have been cancelled and we – like thousands of others across Europe –  won’t be going anywhere this weekend!  Needless to say there are a few disappointed people in the office this afternoon and some sad looking ski bags that will have to be taken home and unpacked without even leaving London!  But Mother Nature has spoken and we will just have to find another way to entertain ourselves this weekend… There is always next year!

all the gear and no where near...

See You Tube footage of the volcano eruption -> this is why we can’t ski this weekend!

Going, going, gone… Olympic ski fever comes to Christies!

What a great night it was! Celebrities, ski athletes, high bidders and of course the lovely ladies from Erna Low all came together last night at Christies Auction House to support and raise precious funds for the British Olympic Alpine Ski and Snowboard Teams heading to Vancouver next month full of Olympic dreams of gold medals for Great Britain.

Pommery champagne with a straw - still debating if it is a good idea!

As sponsors of a ski holiday to France, Erna Low joined the 200 strong group of attendees to support the teams at the thrilling auction which raised a whopping £18,000 for the team and included driving days, spa treatment, numerous ski holidays, ski equipment, magazine subscriptions and even an amazing luxury chalet holiday with Consensio Holidays to Meribel worth up to £15,000 !… Francois from the Erna Low Property office even took home the Fischer skis which should make him happier (and save some time) on his next trip to the Scottish slopes!! Read about his fateful weekend break here.

Ski holidays, spa days, ski equipment were all up for grabs at the fundraising auction

The evening took place at Christies in South Kensington, London so just over the road from the Erna Low office. The gallery was beautifully decorated with the vintage ski posters on view ahead of the vintage ski poster sale tomorrow (21st January) at 1pm. Those of you who know our ski holiday brochures will know that we are all huge fans of vintage ski memorabilia and I shall be there tomorrow to watch the bidding… and to keep CEO Joanna’s hands from flying up relentlessly!

George, Iolanda, Sappho with Alain Baxter, first Briton to win an Olympic medal for alpine skiing

Combined with the sale of entry tickets as well as the raffle organised by the Ski Club of Great Britain, over £30,000 was raised (exact amount to be confirmed) for the British Olympic Alpine Ski and Snowboard Teams which will no doubt be of great support to them. No excuses now guys…..go for gold!

...and with another national treasure... It's Craig, winner from Big Brother 1!

It’s SHOW time! Erna Low at the Metro Ski and Snowboard Show…

The aftermath of the Metro Ski and Snowboard Show, Sappho gives her account of her busiest week of the year…

What a week it was! Acrobatic ski jumps, a fashion show, an ice rink, comedy club even real snow for the kids to play in… it was all go last week as Erna Low descended to the Metro Ski and Snowboard Show at London’s Olympia.
As always, the show proved the best way to kick start the season and we enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces on the stand as well as all at all the parties that accompany the show.

Olympia goes all out for the Ski Show

Wednesday 20th was opening day and we all got the impression that the show was much busier than usual (we put this down to the £5 tickets!). In addition to seeing all our favourite journalists and industry partners, many visitors dropped by to see what we have on offer for this winter. That evening we trotted down to the Putney Rowing Club for the Ski Club of Great Britain’s annual industry party which is always an event not to be missed, especially when it involves sipping bubbly with views over the river. Thank you all at Ski Club for keeping us so well hydrated! Thursday is always the personal highlight for the team when the entire Erna Low contingent descends on our stand for the client ‘Meet the Staff’ event. It was fantastic to see so many of you there and do hope you thoroughly enjoyed yourselves as much as we did. We sipped wine with you and toasted a great season ahead well into the night…let’s just say that I’m not sure we were all mentally ‘here’ the next day!

Erna Low's Emma, Jess and Victoria enjoying the show

Parties continued with the Snowbombing party on Friday night and we all enjoyed revisiting our student/seasonnaire roots at the Natives launch of their Show Love Tour at the imperial student union in South Kensington.
The rest of the show proved very successful with many visitors dropping by the stand to enquire about ski holidays as well as ski property for sale through sister company Erna Low Property.
Can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Sappho, PR/Marketing Manager at Erna Low

A teddy bear’s picnic… canadian style!

Georgina takes a break from the cut throat world of ski sales to meet some of the locals across the pond…

A few weeks ago, I headed out on a 9hr flight to Canada and found myself in sunny Vancouver.  My first destination was up in northern British Columbia where I was lucky enough to experience the amazing sight of grizzly and black bears in their natural environment (luckily from a distance!). 

a grizzly out to lunch...run!

I then headed south to a resort which is regularly voted number 1 in North America and is also one of the venues of the 2010 Winter Olympics: Whistler.  Staying in the Pinnacle International Hotel, I had great access to all the resort facilities and, with all the hot weather, everyone was out experiencing the great activities on offer in the summer such as mountain biking, hiking, summer skiing and bear watching.  Fortunately, no bears came across my path this time! 

a black bear sizing me up

Whilst out in Whistler I had to get a head for heights experiencing the new Peak 2 Peak Gondola for the first time.  Connecting Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, this gondola has broken a few records being the highest lift of its kind and having the longest unsupported span of 3,024km.  It was opened in time for the 2008/09 winter season and has been a great success making it so much easier to experience both mountains during both the winter and summer.

Georgina High, ski sales consultant, Erna Low

Why not experience it for yourself this winter? Erna Low’s ski holidays to Whistler start at £937 per person, based on double occupancy in a deluxe studio at the Pinnacle International Hotel for 7 nights on a room only basis, direct flights, shared shuttle transfers to resort and all applicable taxes and surcharges. Click here for more details or call me on 0845 863 0525. I would be happy to personally talk you through it… and tell you more about the grizzlies!

That little bit more of Morzine…

Victoria spends her one year anniversary in idyllic Morzine for a long August weekend – Congratulations Vic!

After such a great work trip to the Maurienne Valley a month earlier, I jumped at the chance to visit the Alps in the summer again.

At the crack of dawn we took an easyjet flight to Geneva and a short hop later we were picking up our hire car from Europcar.  One hour later we arrived in Morzine bathed in glorious sunshine and we settled into our spacious apartment in the L’Aiglon du Morzine offering spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

We stayed in the apartment with all the windows!

After visiting the supermarket conveniently located just around the corner we strolled into the resort centre.  The Morzine tourist office staff were extremely helpful giving us leaflets on things to do and planned walks in the area.  We were spoilt for choice, activities included mountain biking, horse riding, tennis, swimming, paragliding, paintball, golf, quad-biking and fishing to name a few! 

We packed a lot into our long weekend, including a drive up to Lac du Montriond for a trek up to a picturesque waterfall, a walk along the river from Morzine, a trip up the Pleney gondola to watch the mountain bikers fly down the mountain and a long walk high up in the mountain, taking in the striking scenery. 

The stunning Lac du Montriond

We had planned to attempt Via Ferrata in the neighbouring resort of Avoriaz which is neatly camouflaged in the mountain side, but sadly not enough people signed up.  Instead we gave the Indiana Parc tree top adventure a go and after a comprehensive training session we headed up into the trees.  It truly tested our stamina, strength and any fear of heights; the adrenaline rush was plenty for me, so perhaps it was best that the Via Ferrata didn’t happen after all!

Me conquering the tree top adventure - hold on!

After 4 days of fun and relaxation we headed back on the last flight home.  We’re now planning our return to the Alps next summer for a longer break to test out more of the activities on offer.  Not before heading to the Alps for some skiing this winter, now to decide where to go…  until the next blog!

Victoria Lincoln, our fabulous Administration Manager, Erna Low.

Fancy giving it a go yourself? We can help you book a summer alpine holiday OR a winter ski holiday to Morzine staying at L’Aiglon which is the FIRST Erna Low managed residence in the alps. See you there!

Viewing the Alps from a sunnier side…

Victoria and Georgina from our admin and sales team explore the Maurienne Valley in the July sun…

Bright and early on the 9th July we met at St Pancras International to catch the Eurostar to Paris then on to Chambery via SNCF.  Once in Chambery we transferred to the beautiful Chateau des Comtes de Challes set in the hills above the city where we tasted and learnt about the local Savoie wines.

After a comfortable evening we ventured an hour into the Alps to the resort of Valloire.  Here we viewed the mountain biking trails and hiked to Les 3 Lacs after a sumptuous mountain lunch which had panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

Vic and George hiking through the Maurienne Valley

The evening was spent at the Lagrange Prestige residence, Les Chalets du Galibier where we tested out the spa facilities and relaxed after a hard day’s work!

The next day we ventured further into the Maurienne Valley taking in the historic forts in Aussois and then headed on passed Valfrejus, La Norma and Termingnon La Vanoise until we reached the traditional village of Bonneval sur Arc where we devoured a healthy tartiflette!  To work off all those calories we went for a mountain stroll and then departed to Val Cenis.  Here we visited Les Alpages de Val Cenis where once again we felt it was our duty to try out the spa facilities and restaurant.

Fancy a dip?

After our short but action packed trip to the Maurienne Valley we can thoroughly recommend the area for both summer and winter activities which offer a very traditional alpine atmosphere. 

Many thanks to ABTOF, Savoie Mont Blanc tourist board and Rail Europe for arranging an unforgettable experience.

Valley view from Aussois towards Chambery

Getting into the Spirit at Arc 1950

Surrounded by seasoned skiers and boarders at Erna Low, Laura from Admin recounts her experience catching up on the slopes…

As one of the only members of staff that does not ski or snowboard at Erna Low, I absolutely jumped at the chance to have a ski lesson during the end of season ski weekend. I had always been a bit scared of trying it, as I am a bit of a wimp and a bit scared of hurting myself. Luckily, one of the students working at Erna Low was a skiing virgin too so we were able to do the lesson together.

So here we were, all kitted out with skis, boots and poles, attempting to drag them to the Spirit 1950 ski school meeting point for our lesson. As Arc 1950 is such a small resort, all the ski school groups meet in the similar place, however there are posts showing which group needs to go where.

Laura conquering the mountain

We found our group, and it turned out I was the only one who didn’t speak French – this was not a problem as the ski instructor said he would be explaining things in both French and English which was extremely helpful during the 2 and a half hour lesson. 
We were both a bit apprehensive of what we were going to do – having no idea how to even stand up on skis!! First thing we did was to push ourselves along with the poles – easy enough, and a good way to learn how to keep your balance. We were then told to put our poles down – what?! Our little safety blanket to keep us upright! Snow plough was next, easy enough in theory, but putting into practice was a little difficult. After a couple of attempts, most people had sort of got the hang of it. We were still in the Arc 1950 village which does not have a lot of room to practice, so we got the pedestrian lift up to Arc 2000, which literally takes a few minutes.

For the remainder of the lesson, we spent the time shuffling up a little bit of slope and then coming down and attempting to snow plough. We also got shown how to turn, and stop at the same time. The lesson was really enjoyable, even though not everyone spoke the same language, everyone helped each other out, if it was helping them to get up to slope, or grabbing on to someone when you felt yourself slipping a little bit! Although I only had one 2 and a half hour lesson, I can imagine that having the full week’s worth of lessons would be such fun, and would learn so much! The instructor said that the lesson the next day, he would be taking the group onto some slopes, so quite a quick progression. I do believe this is the only way to learn, get stuck in as quickly as possible.

Overall, I had a fantastic time on my ski lesson, I would however say to any beginners, be prepared to have some very tired legs! How wonderful that we had the afternoon at the Spa at Le Village to relax and put our feet up! I am now planning on heading out to the Alps next winter and having a week’s worth of lessons – I will be joining my colleagues on the slopes in no time!

Laura Mann, Administration Assistant, Erna Low

Prices at Arc 1950 start from £533 for a one bedroom apartment for a week (up to two people sharing) including return Eurotunnel crossings with free upgrade to Flexi Plus. Erna Low Ski holidays www.ernalow.co.uk

Shoestring skiing

Victoria, our admin manager, heads to the hills on a budget.

As usual for me I needed to organise last winter’s ski holiday on a budget.  I do this because I try to get as many holidays out of my spare cash as possible rather than one big one! 

Left me more to spend on looking the part!

I chose Les Deux Alpes as I’d heard rave reviews about the skiing and night life and I also knew I could organise really cheap flights with Ryanair from Stansted to Grenoble, which would give an easy transfer at either end.  I also chose to go in March to avoid the school holiday prices and busy slopes.

So we got the local bus to the airport early Saturday morning and when we arrived in Grenoble we transferred to the resort with Ben’s Bus, which is a low cost ski transfer company.  The buses ran according to the flight arrivals and departures so it was easy to hop on the bus at either end without worrying about timing.  It cost approximately £43.50 per person return, which is a bargain compared to car hire or private taxi transfers.

 I booked a cheap self catering studio apartment close to the Diable cable car with an accommodation supplier we work with at Erna Low.  My view was that as long as it was clean and tidy it wouldn’t matter if it was small and when we got there we were pleasantly surprised.  We had a lovely kitchen area, balcony and the sofa bed didn’t take up all the living space.

Our Skiset ski hire shop was located just around the corner and we picked up our lift passes when we picked up our accommodation keys.  It was all very easy.

We went shopping at the local supermarket to buy our food for the week which was where we were in for a shock.  Due to the change in the exchange rate everything was so expensive and we knew then we wouldn’t be able to afford much, but we managed somehow!  So each morning we had porridge to last us as long as possible and we took energy bars up the mountain to try to avoid snacking on food up there where the prices were even more extravagant.  We even came back down to the apartment at lunchtime as we were completely gobsmacked by the prices up the mountain!  This worked easily for us as we were only about 50-100m walk from the cable car.  Then we headed back up the mountain afterwards.

In the evenings we scouted the happy hours and found two great bars which had bargain pints on offer, the Polar Bar and The Secret, so we even managed to enjoy après ski on a budget!

For dinner we tended to cook up something in the apartment to save on the cash, but we also ventured out to sample a couple of the local restaurants.

All in all it was a fun, energetic and bargainous holiday!  As it was a while ago I can’t remember the exact total cost but I vaguely remember it costing no more than £500 per person, including spending money for the week.  That’s not bad for a ski holiday!

Victoria Lincoln, Administration Manager, Erna Low

There’s something about Serre Che…

THE ERNA LOW TEAM HIT SERRE CHEVALIER – January 2009

Bags were packed, excitement was high and an escape from the office was imminent. The Erna Low team were heading off to explore Serre Chevalier for the weekend in order to find out the answer to the question ‘Why send our clients to Serre Chevalier?’ 

Ten volunteers had signed up to test out the brand new 4* Best Western Premier Chantemerle before its official opening (1st February 2009) and to explore the Serre Che ski area all in the name of research and high level commitment to customer service. And to have fun of course!

Flying from Gatwick to Lyon, the team transferred to resort (3 hours) by mini bus shuttle organised by Peace of Mind Holidays, an agency who offer help with travel and activities during your stay in Serre Che.  Having arrived at the Best Western Premier Chantemerle, we found our accommodation to be excellent – the residence offers 51 apartments in total, ranging from 1-3 bedrooms, decorated in a contemporary style and fully equipped for those wanting to self-cater with kitchenettes and offering spacious and comfortable living areas. All apartments offer balconies with views across to the ski area. We were soon ensconced in extremely comfortable beds and looking forward to the weekend ahead.

Before heading to breakfast, we were accompanied by Claire Lacassagne, Sales and Marketing Director for SPACE Group(the company that developed the Best Western Premier Chantemerle) for a tour of the additional facilities offered at the residence – a gourmet restaurant and bar and a ‘spa’ centre including indoor/outdoor heated pool. Guests are able to book on a B&B basis or eat in the innovative restaurant and/or indeed take away dishes should they not wish to self-cater. Being so centrally located, it was then only a 5 minute walk from the residence to the foot of the slopes and chair lifts.

The team enjoying lunch on the mountain

After kitting ourselves out at the local Skiset shop, we joined our guides from Peace of Mind Holidays (aka POM) and on slightly wobbly legs headed off in the sunshine up the first chair lift. The ski area looked vast and we were informed that there were 4 different areas, all of which we would be covering. Having split into two groups – one for the more adventurous who were off to find fast runs and off piste and one group for those who preferred to cruise the blue and red runs – the answer to our principal question was soon becoming apparent. The ski area in Serre Chevalier is vast and varied. With over 250km of piste and skiing up to 2800m, there is something for everyone and more than enough to keep you going for a week’s holiday. With tree-lined pistes, great panoramas, board parks and boarder cross, the ski area also provides plenty of entertainment – try the Smurf Village (a short off-piste run of huge ‘blobs’ of snow) for a giggle! Mountains restaurants were also excellent providing a good choice of food for a pretty reasonable price.

In the evening we headed to the UNESCO heritage town of Briancon and visited the medieval cité where Spirit bar provided welcome refreshment. Being made up of a series of historical French towns, Serre Chevalier also caters well for those with non-skiers in their group. An excellent dinner was had back in Chantemerle and then, although nightlife is limited, we found a small cosy bar offering great mojitos and wiled a few hours away!

After another excellent fun-packed day on the slopes, this time will fresh snow falling, we headed back to the UK from Grenoble airport, just 2 hrs from Serre Che.  Overall, the weekend was a resounding success and certainly proved to our team that Serre Che is a great destination for UK clients offering excellent skiing for all levels, a wide range of accommodation including the latest in Alpine luxury such as the Best Western Premier Chantemerle.

Visit www.ernalow.co.uk for a full range of fantastic ski holidays available to Serre Chevalier!