Happy birthday to me

Even got a present from mother nature.





Although the 4 hour delay at Geneva airport isn't so much fun.

Avoriaz opens next weekend, gonna do some celebrating then.

Calling all snowboarders

As some of you may be aware already we work with the most respected local snowboard school in town, Mint, offering a combined package under the name of Just Snowboard Camps.

With the early season weather treating us so very nicely we are looking forward to our first camps. Aimed at riders who wish to get a head start on their season running from the 11th -18th Dec our camps include all the usual Mountain Mavericks goodies as well as a full program of professional snowboard instruction as well as coaching in all other aspects of the sport from mountain safety to how to look after your kit.

The reason I am telling this now is that we still have a couple of spaces left on both our Performance camp and Just4Girls and with conditions being so good it would be a shame for anyone to missout on some early season shredding that could set you up for the best season ever.

Please check out www.just-snowboard.com for more info, or call Olly on 0033634040583.

snow glorious snow

I took a photo this morning of the snow that had fallen at the chalet overthe last few days as I haven't had a chance to get upto Avoriaz and see if the 50cm predicted had in fact fallen.



This was 12 hours ago, it has been snowing off and on at the chalet all day, but when I got home it was still snow free at our house. I just took this outside, it's a bit blurry but you get the idea.

And this is tonights forecast. That 25cm at 1200 could easily be 50cm at 1800. Which ever way you put it thats loads of snow ( certainly more than the uk gets ). Along with ( as yet unconfirmed ) reports of Avoriaz and Les Gets opening this weekend, the season is off to a great start ( and it hasn't even started yet ).

Bring it on.

It's always on the first day

At the beginning of each week we make sure to remind guests that they have what they need on the forst morning on the hill. It's understandable that when your not in the practise of getting your kit together and under the influence of excitement you may forget something.

This morning I went with 2 friends to hike Arare and make the most of the recent snow fall and a lovely sunny day.

Paul managed to forget his boots and I left the cameras memory card in the computer.
Despite that we had an awsome run and bagged the first powder turns of the season.

and I will have to go again soon and get the pictoral evidence of how nice it is looking up there at the moment.

snow glorious snow

snowed today and due to carry on through till tuesday, with snow line hovering around 1000mtrs. Thats really good.

Where did the summer go.

Seems only yesterday, I was at the board test, the season had finished, but I was still snowboarding.
And now the summer is well and truly over we are sitting surrounded by all the beautiful colours of autumn and in full swing preparing for the season to start.
We have an amazing team this year and will be sure to intoduce them in more detail later, but they like us are getting super excited with the impending snow fall and getting organised for winter.
This year we have worked to refine our already outstanding service and improve on all levels the experience of all our guests. By introducing packages specific to groups requirements we are able more than ever to give everyone the holiday they desire.

Baby weeks, where childcare is included on top of the already extensive facilities we offer for families with young children.

More snowboard camp weeks, now 6 weeks where instruction is included in all thing snowboard. The Just snowboard Camps continue to be supported by Quiksilver and LibTech snowboards, being able to add Bluebird wax to our list of friends, who will be providing all the tech gear necessary for keeping boards and skis running at thier best.

We will be able to do more of our own transfers, offering a more exclusive service to our guests.

The opportunity to taste the upper limits of what our proffesional chefs are capable of by upgrading your dinner, included for special occassions, but optional for your own celebration.

And behind the scenes we have worked all summer to make sure the good ship Mountain Mavericks runs more smoothly, giving Emma and I more time to concenrate on the nice things that make our holidays better for everyone.

See you in the snow
Olly & Emma

We went to the board test

Last week was the annual british snowboard industry get together, known as The Snowboard Test. As the season was finished couldn't see any excuse not to go, so Glenda and I packed up the car and drove to Kunertaul Austria to ride next years boards and maybe have a few drinks to celebrate surviving another season.
T'was a great opportunity to catch up with some friends, got to have good chat with Andy from LibTech about next year run a few ideas and sort the order for our demo kit. And of course ride the boards, weather wasn't on our side but plenty of snow and a few of the better models that haven't had the chance to ride before. Just wait to try the Banana Magic, it is as it says Magic.
Just thought I'd mention that we do get out to enjoy ourselves every now and then, but now back in Morzine and was getting super excited about the summer, been and mowed the lawn all untill it started heaving down with rain. Ah well be good for the grass.

Oh joy to the jumps

The Chapelle park and the Pipe

As I sit here at the airport awaiting the arrival of our first freestyle campers, I'm pondering the parks available to us and wonder whether everyone realises just how lucky us snowboarders are here in Morzine/Avoriaz.

The Stash

In Avoriaz alone there are 3 parks (4th started construction this week), 2 stash runs, pipe and a boarder cross. There are further parks in Mont Cherie, Crozets and Chatel all a short slide away. and with spring sunshine starting to poke it's head out I'm looking forward to seeing if I can still keep up with the kids.

Take a run through the proline park in Lindaret.

Photos courtesy of Burton snowboards and Avoriaz

Good for the environment, good for me

I would like to say a big thank you to the Costello family, who left our chalet Atelier this morning. This is because they drove. although it may not have been for a such a reason this is, compaired to flying, an more environmental option. However it is not for this reason that I wish to thank them, but in driving I did not have to take them to the airport this morning, which meant I could go riding on this fantastic morning.

Oh and Em got stuck on a chairlift ;)

The season thus far

Despite the 'latest news' title I have to admit our news feed is a little out of date. You have noone to blame but me, but in trying to rectify the situation here is a catch up of what we haver been doing in the lovely little town of Morzine since the beginning of December. Besides working.

As the last post said we played host to the crew from the News of the Worlds fabulous magazine, who did a number of shoots in our Chalet Le Prele. These have since been published over the last few weekends and look nothing short of, well, fabulous.

Fortunately the snow arrived 12 hours after they did and hasn't stopped since. it has been a good snow year, maybe not epic but consistent drops, with a number of classic big dumps (you know the really statisfying ones) mid Jan and early Feb, which will ensure seeing us through to the end of the season, despite the fact that the long range forcast is for snow falling right through to the end.

Our team have been amazing and consistently delivering the MM service, and as a result we have bene fully booked and are so untill end of March with the last few rooms going quikly. And from our point of view super happy that the vast majority of our gusts this year have been before or been recommended by somebody who has, and for that we can only say a huge thank you to any and everyone who has supported us.

Our new MM snowboard concept has been going well, with the Lib-tech boards changing a lot of ridders ideas of what a board can to for them. Our Snowboard camps are selling out, with only 1 place left on the next one in mid March, and as a result had the likes of snowboard legend James Stentiford, and the rest of the Quiksilver team to visit.

Mathieu Crepel showing off is banana at the olympics.

We are already making plans and taking bookings on next year, and will have loads new to tell you about by the time it comes round.

And I know you dying to ask how Luc is. Well he is officially 2 (has been for few months now) and is making sure everyone knows it. He had his first taste of skiing on xmas day and is super keen to do more and other than an insane curiosity (whats that? whats that? whats that?) he like the rest of us is very well. Luc in lego (Em's got an Iphone)

Hope you are to.

Ciao