The Zenith Blog - 2011

Another Downhill Race in France
The downhill recently cancelled at Val Gardena, Italy, has officially been re-scheduled by FIS (International Ski Federation) to Chamonix for February 3rd.

Another Downhill Race in France was posted on 29 December 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Silent Disco
On Friday 30th December Alpe D'huez will be hosting a silent disco at the Palais du Sports.

Silent Disco was posted on 27 December 2011 by Katie Waddington.

A big welcome from our team in the Alps
Some of our catered chalets are already open and the rest open next week - our reps and chalet hosts have been getting to know their accommodations and resorts and we're looking forward to welcoming you this winter.

A big welcome from our team in the Alps was posted on 14 December 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Another first for Zenith Holidays
Zenith Holidays is the first UK tour operator to have all its resort staff taught Emergency Life Support by the London Ambulance Service.

Another first for Zenith Holidays was posted on 7 December 2011 by Katie Waddington.

It's snowing in the Alps
We woke up to snow this morning here in Montgenevre which looks lovely! All our staff are leaving to day to go to their resorts for the winter and we had a detailed plan to get everyone into the right place.

It's snowing in the Alps was posted on 6 December 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Chalet Training Course for Winter 11/12
Last Tuesday we drove down to the alps with various supplies for the training course and the season and yesterday our staff arrived in Montgenevre.

Chalet Training Course for Winter 11/12 was posted on 28 November 2011 by Katie Waddington.

All set for the winter season
The office is looking decidedly full of boxes as we prepare for the winter. We will be driving out to the alps this week to get ready for the chalet training course prior to the winter season.

All set for the winter season was posted on 20 November 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Christmas Markets
6 weeks to go until Christmas and, if, like me, you have a fair few christmas presents to resolve - let me point you towards the Christmas Markets.........

Christmas Markets was posted on 17 November 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

The Journey of the Olympic Torch
The organisers of next year's games have unveiled a journey for the Olympic torch on its way to London. Along the route the torch will change hands 8,000 times as it travels by horseback, by canoe, by balloon and by zip wire as well as on foot. The journey will take 70 days to complete......

The Journey of the Olympic Torch was posted on 12 November 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

Daily Trivia - 12 November 2011
There are approximately 32.000 golf courses worldwide with roughly 50 million golfers playing on them - are you one of them?

Daily Trivia - 12 November 2011 was posted on 12 November 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

Helmet for life scheme
For those of you going away skiing with children this year, I have just been reading about a great scheme that has been launched by a sports equipment manufacturer called Ruroc which will make replacing the children's helmets cheaper....it all helps

Helmet for life scheme was posted on 5 November 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

1st November
It was on the 1st November back in 1848 that WH Smith opened its railway station outlet at Euston - I wonder how many Ski & Snowboard magazines they have sold since!

1st November was posted on 1 November 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

This week in History
In this week in history - the Sistine Chapel in Rome opened to the public in 1512 - well worth a visit - Rome is being added to our City breaks portfolio

This week in History was posted on 30 October 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

Daily Trivia - 29 October
29 October seems to be overloaded with bad news - in 1929 it was the Wall Street Crash and in 1618 Walter Raleigh executed - hope you have a better day! Why not book a ski holiday!

Daily Trivia - 29 October was posted on 29 October 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

26 October - Daily trivia
26 October - Austria National Day - Congratulations to them Celebrate by heading off skiing - Pitztal and Stubai already open this winter

26 October - Daily trivia was posted on 26 October 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

Trivia 25 October 2011
On this day in 1854, Lord Cardigan led the infamous "Charge of the light Brigade" - get a £10 gift voucher the for first correct tweet to @zenithholidays naming the author of the equally famous poem?

Trivia 25 October 2011 was posted on 25 October 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

Trivia 1
France is the worlds most popular tourist destination with over 80 million people visiting in 2008 alone.

Trivia 1 was posted on 24 October 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

Trivia 24 Oct 2011
On this day in 2011, Zenith began its daily trivia - we have loads of things for you but if you have any good bits to share with us, do share it with us

Trivia 24 Oct 2011 was posted on 24 October 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

Pedal & Paddle day in Slovenia
Today it was 28 degrees and there was blue sky and sunshine. At 9am a group of us set out from the Bolfenk settlement in the Pohorje hills for a "pedal and paddle".

Pedal & Paddle day in Slovenia was posted on 30 September 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Testimonial from a happy Zenith traveller
We're always pleased to hear what you think of our holidays and like to share your comments (when you let us) so here's a review we've just received from Ade Odeyumi of Maximum Inheritance on his return from Ljubljana, Slovenia:

Testimonial from a happy Zenith traveller was posted on 22 September 2011 by Guest Blogger.

See the Northern Lights in Iceland this year!
NASA Predicts 2012 is the Best Year in 50 Years to View the Northern Lights!

See the Northern Lights in Iceland this year! was posted on 8 September 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

New for Summer 2012
As its been a somewhat wet and dreary bank holiday weekend, I have been updating and adding to our summer holidays portfolio for next Summer

New for Summer 2012 was posted on 27 August 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

New for Winter 11/12 - Self Catered Chalets
We've added a whole range of self catered chalets to our programme this winter, many of which are equipped with saunas and jacuzzis.

New for Winter 11/12 - Self Catered Chalets was posted on 20 August 2011 by Katie Waddington.

*NEW* 3D floor plans of our chalets
I've spent the last week learning how to use a tool called Metropix in order to upload plans of our chalets to the website.

*NEW* 3D floor plans of our chalets was posted on 30 July 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Vienna and Croatia twin centre
Another guest blogger today - courtesy of Michael Greener from Rugby - a summer visitor to Vienna and Dubrovnik who was kind enough to give us a flavour of the 2 lovely cities:

Vienna and Croatia twin centre was posted on 30 July 2011 by Guest Blogger.

Altitude training
Yesterday the Tour de France stage finished in Alpe D'Huez which is at 1850m, having crossed over 2 mountain passes - the Col du Telegraph (1566m) and the Col du Galibier (2556m).

Altitude training was posted on 23 July 2011 by Katie Waddington.

2011 Tour De France starts today
Today sees the start of the 98th Tour de France which is made up of 21 stages covering a total of 3430.5 km. Today the riders will cover 191.4km starting in Passage du Gois in the vendee and finishing at Mont des Alouettes.

2011 Tour De France starts today was posted on 2 July 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Happy 20th Birthday to Slovenia!
Today it is 20 years since Slovenia's independence was declared in Ljubljana.

Happy 20th Birthday to Slovenia! was posted on 25 June 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Fancy a winter season in the Alps?
Once again it is raining here in Britain and everyone is beginning to think about booking a holiday to somewhere a bit warmer (if they've not booked already) - but here in the Zenith office we're busy getting ready for the winter season and one of the more important tasks is ensuring we have the right team overseas.

Fancy a winter season in the Alps? was posted on 16 June 2011 by Katie Waddington.

You are helping save the Polar Bears
Thank you - to all who travelled to the L'Ours Blanc in Montgenevre - from the Polar Bears of Svalbard.....

You are helping save the Polar Bears was posted on 14 June 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

King of Holidays
I attended a television recording of a new series called "King of" on Tuesday as one of the topics was King of Holidays.......

King of Holidays was posted on 9 June 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

Not long until the Tour de France 2011 starts
With less than 5 weeks to go before the start of this years Tour de France accommodation is in high demand!

Not long until the Tour de France 2011 starts was posted on 30 May 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Montgenevre plans to extend ski area
There are currently only 30 ski resorts in Europe with skiing over 3000m and Montgenevre plans to join them.

Montgenevre plans to extend ski area was posted on 21 May 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Iceland week (the country - NOT the shop!)
Next week (9th to 15th May) is Iceland week on BBC 4 which will include a bunch of documentaries on the Icelandic Sagas, some Icelandic films and Julia Bradbury's Icelandic Walk among other things.

Iceland week (the country - NOT the shop!) was posted on 6 May 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Where is the warmest place in the British Isles?
Jersey has recently been defending its claim of being the warmest place in the British Isles.

Where is the warmest place in the British Isles? was posted on 21 April 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Montgenevre with the family
Enjoying a week with the family in Montgenevre and I have been reminded what a great resort Montgenevre is for a family group

Montgenevre with the family was posted on 15 April 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

Week 14 Team News

Week 14 Team News was posted on 12 April 2011 by Erica Taylor.

Sarenne snow bike
If you're in Alpe D'Huez on the 23rd April this year you'll be able to see the 4th Sarenne Snow bike race.

Sarenne snow bike was posted on 9 April 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Week Thirteen resort news
Here is what is going on direct from our resort teams.

Week Thirteen resort news was posted on 4 April 2011 by Erica Taylor.

Skiing in April in Chamonix
Still Great snow on Grands Montets

Skiing in April in Chamonix was posted on 1 April 2011 by Erica Taylor.

Fresh Snow in Morzine on 30th March
Morzine has just received some spring powder!!

Fresh Snow in Morzine on 30th March was posted on 31 March 2011 by Erica Taylor.

Holiday in Guernsey
It is a delight to welcome a Guest blogger to Zenith today.....following their holiday in Guernsey, we received this email which we were allowed to post as a blog

Holiday in Guernsey was posted on 30 March 2011 by Guest Blogger.

News from the resort teams week twelve.
Hear what is going on in resort, direct from our teams

News from the resort teams week twelve. was posted on 29 March 2011 by Erica Taylor.

Serre Che Derby - by Alison Dickie (Zenith resort rep for Serre Chevalier)
The Serre Chevalier Derby, a freeride event for skiers, snowboarders, monoskiers, and telemarkers, returned on Saturday 19 March 2011. This was run concurrently with the Ultimate Test tour - the essential free ride fair.

Serre Che Derby - by Alison Dickie (Zenith resort rep for Serre Chevalier) was posted on 27 March 2011 by Guest Blogger.

Snowing in Serre Che
Flights to the Alps for just £35 return - and there is more fresh snow arriving...

Snowing in Serre Che was posted on 14 March 2011 by Stuart McLeod.

Week Ten resort update
News from our resort teams.

Week Ten resort update was posted on 14 March 2011 by Erica Taylor.

Night skiing in Briancon
Venture out after dark for some more skiing in Serre Chevalier (by Alison Dickie - Zenith resort rep for Serre Chevalier)

Night skiing in Briancon was posted on 12 March 2011 by Guest Blogger.

Still lots of good snow for the end of the season
Check out what the Mail Online have to say about the snow conditions at the moment.

Still lots of good snow for the end of the season was posted on 6 March 2011 by Katie Waddington.

News from the resort teams, week nine
More news from the resort teams. Where is the season going - yikes....

News from the resort teams, week nine was posted on 3 March 2011 by Erica Taylor.

Week 8 News from the Resort Teams
News from our teams in resort.

Week 8 News from the Resort Teams was posted on 28 February 2011 by Erica Taylor.

Avoriaz Go Wild Outdoor Music Festival
The Go Wild Festival in Avoriaz gives skiers and boarders the chance to see various open air concerts on the slopes between 2nd and 9th April.

Avoriaz Go Wild Outdoor Music Festival was posted on 26 February 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Do you need someone to look after your pet whilst you're away?
We found a company this week who specialise in looking after your pets,homes and/or gardens whilst you're away.

Do you need someone to look after your pet whilst you're away? was posted on 25 February 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Week 7, news from the teams in resort
Hear what's going on direct from the resort teams.

Week 7, news from the teams in resort was posted on 22 February 2011 by Erica Taylor.

More snow in the alps!
Great news - more snow has arrived in France.

More snow in the alps! was posted on 20 February 2011 by Katie Waddington.

It's snowing!
Just heard from resort that it is snowing!

It's snowing! was posted on 16 February 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Feburary News
A few things we've been up to here at Zenith recently and a round up of what's new......

Feburary News was posted on 11 February 2011 by Katie Waddington.

News From the Resort Team for week 5.
Hear all the news straight from our resort teams

News From the Resort Team for week 5. was posted on 8 February 2011 by Erica Taylor.

Stubai Outdoor Days
It's action all the way at the Stubai Open Days from 1 to 2 July 2011!

Stubai Outdoor Days was posted on 4 February 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Snow conditions
So where is the best snow at the moment?

Snow conditions was posted on 3 February 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Nippergrip
The NipperGrip is a must for any family going skiing with young children. Developed by husband and wife, James and Katherine from years of teaching their three children to ski, the NipperGrip is a ski harness for children up to 8 years old.

Nippergrip was posted on 1 February 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Visit to Austria
It's been snowing here in Austria for the last few days and today the sun came back out. I've been here for 3 days visiting some of the resorts ensuring everything is set up for the February holidays.

Visit to Austria was posted on 29 January 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Mongolian Yurts in the Pyrenees? Latest mountain bar in Formigal!
Formigal have added another on-piste bar/restaurant to the twenty plus that already exist - La Yurta. Opened on the 22nd of January, La Yurta,is a lovely Mongolian hut in the Portalet valley and offers a variety of wines, champagne, Beluga caviar and soft drinks, to be enjoyed in the sun before continuing with the days skiing.

Mongolian Yurts in the Pyrenees? Latest mountain bar in Formigal! was posted on 25 January 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Updates from the team - Week Three
Hear what's going on, direct from the resorts.

Updates from the team - Week Three was posted on 24 January 2011 by Erica Taylor.

Updates from the team in resort - week two
Hear what's going on, direct from our team.

Updates from the team in resort - week two was posted on 14 January 2011 by Erica Taylor.

Alpe D'Huez Skicross
Alpe D' Huez was busy once again after a brief lull post Christmas and New Year and undoubtedly the main event this week was the Skicross World Cup bringing the best skicross racers in the world to Alpe D' Huez for three days of competition.

Alpe D'Huez Skicross was posted on 12 January 2011 by Guest Blogger.

Updates from the team in resort
Every week we will keep you updated on resort life from our team of reps. If you have any particular questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Updates from the team in resort was posted on 10 January 2011 by Erica Taylor.

Snow kite Little Brats
Further to my blog yesterday about the snowkite masters in Serre Chevalier I noticed there's another event later this month in Risoul - the Snowkite Little Brats

Snow kite Little Brats was posted on 9 January 2011 by Katie Waddington.

Snowkite Masters 2011
It's not too late to get yourself down to Serre Chevalier to see this years Snowkite masters competition!

Snowkite Masters 2011 was posted on 8 January 2011 by Katie Waddington.