The Zenith Blog - 2012

Doing More in Ski Resorts
Most days, we get enquiries from customers looking to get away skiing but wanting to head to a resort where there is plenty to do for a non-skier in the group or where a young baby or toddler will be looked after by one of the parents and they want to know whether there is "stuff" to do. One of the selection criteria for the resorts we feature is (and has always been) that there are opportunities to be doing more than just skiing or snowboarding..........

Doing More in Ski Resorts was posted on 30 December 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

If you cannot beat them, join them.......
I am not sure who coined the phrase but it does seem to be a requirement that, once Christmas Day is over, we must all rush out a sale.....all must go/these deals cannot last forever and so on......well, not to be outdone, Zenith have a few winter ski bargains and some early S13 gems to snap up as well - usual points about not lasting forever apply.......read more

If you cannot beat them, join them....... was posted on 26 December 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Winter 12-13 gets off to an excellent start
The snow has been falling and we have been getting ready for the season. We've had guests out in Morzine, Alpe D'Huez and Stubai already and are looking forward to our Christmas arrivals this weekend.

Winter 12-13 gets off to an excellent start was posted on 16 December 2012 by Katie Waddington.

Let it snow and snow and snow
The early conditions on the slopes are magnificent and promise splendid conditions for those travelling soon.....just about wherever you are going in the Alps....

Let it snow and snow and snow was posted on 10 December 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Group Booking by train
Generally, we write our blog and, occasionally, get some guest writers as well.....this week, however, our friends at Snowcarbon have written about how they booked their ski trip and Daniel has some good tips about how to get the Group on board........

Group Booking by train was posted on 2 December 2012 by Guest Blogger.

Train to resort
The Ski Show is currently underway and there was much discussion about the ease of taking the train to your ski resort - its quicker and easier than you think.....

Train to resort was posted on 3 November 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Winter 12/13
As the days get colder and wetter and half term approaches fast, it is a good time to get a ski holiday booked and give you something fun to look forward to.....

Winter 12/13 was posted on 20 October 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Trivia 3774
Austrias highest cafe, with great views of the Wildspitze can be found at 3,774m

Trivia 3774 was posted on 20 October 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Calling all dog lovers
As a dog lover (and recently a dog owner once more) I was thrilled to experience husky dog sledding earlier this year.

Calling all dog lovers was posted on 13 October 2012 by Katie Waddington.

Slovenia in 2013
Last month, Lonely Planet named Slovenia as the number one destination in the World for spending active holidays......high praise indeed but well deserved we think......

Slovenia in 2013 was posted on 2 October 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Brittany
It had been a difficult week on the channel crossings with the strike at Brittany Ferries - strike has now been called off - but it was nice to receive a letter of appreciation from one of our customers..........

Brittany was posted on 1 October 2012 by Guest Blogger.

Finland
A week ago I knew very little about Finland (capital Helsinki, Nokia, Mika Hakkinen, Santa Claus, Vodka and not much more), but after a few days there I've learned much much more and I intend to return.

Finland was posted on 22 September 2012 by Katie Waddington.

Cycling Holidays
The summer of success on 2 wheels continued yesterday with a Brit winning the Tour of Britain for the first time.....we were on hand to cheer the teams away from the start of stage 8 at Reigate.........

Cycling Holidays was posted on 17 September 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Hydrospeeding
Our focus on activities this week is hydrospeeding - an activity that can be done in many of our summer activity resorts and started back in the 1970's and has grown to become a very popular and fun activity on the water........

Hydrospeeding was posted on 7 September 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Activity of the week
Over the last few weeks, we have had customers heading off to enjoy Hydrospeeding, Blo-karting, Zorbing and Kayaking (to name but a few) which got us thinking...does everybody know what activities we offer beyond skiing and boarding? Well, they total 52 at the last count so perfect for an activity of the week....

Activity of the week was posted on 22 August 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Mountain Biking in Chamonix
Having been lost in a whirl of Olympic fever for the last ten days (Go Team GB!!), it has suddenly dawned on me that we’re already a week into August and therefore over halfway through the summer season in Chamonix.

Mountain Biking in Chamonix was posted on 7 August 2012 by Guest Blogger.

Camping and Apartment Holidays
Now that the sun has arrived in many parts of the UK, it seems OK to re-consider camping as a viable holiday consideration. Ideal, as its excellent value and fun for all the family......

Camping and Apartment Holidays was posted on 26 July 2012 by Guest Blogger.

Aquariaz Waterpark
Yesterday I was in Avoriaz and I visited the new waterpark there - Aquariaz.

Aquariaz Waterpark was posted on 21 July 2012 by Katie Waddington.

Festivals and Holidays
As the school holidays descend upon us, we all turn our minds to holidays and festivals - here are a few thoughts if you are looking to holiday closer to home.........

Festivals and Holidays was posted on 17 July 2012 by Guest Blogger.

Activity Holidays
Occasionally the work/life balance seems to be out of kilter. We seem to be spending far too much time in the work environment and not enough doing what we would like to do.........time to squeeze in some holiday time.......

Activity Holidays was posted on 12 July 2012 by Guest Blogger.

Summer in the Alps
Summer has finally arrived in the Alps.....and not before time! After a decidedly soggy June (in Europe as well as the UK), we are at last able to make the most of the beautiful summer scenery and the long list of activities available during the warmer months. People who have never experienced the Alps during the summer often wonder what on earth we do out here when the snow has gone. Well, read on.......

Summer in the Alps was posted on 7 July 2012 by Guest Blogger.

Countdown to Winter
With the arrival of the summer solstice last Thursday, the days will start getting shorter now (which is a shame) but the arrival of the 2012/13 ski season will be getting closer (which is great)......

Countdown to Winter was posted on 22 June 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Reigning and raining.....
As the Jubilee extended bank holiday break comes to an end, the rain continues to fall (but the reign continues!) as, after all, it is half term. If you are yet to book your summer holiday, here are a few thoughts......

Reigning and raining..... was posted on 6 June 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Venus in the Sky tonight
Venus is passing over the skies tonight and should be great viewing tonight and particularly in the morning........

Venus in the Sky tonight was posted on 5 June 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Wonderful Activity Holidays
Activity Holidays do not get much better than this - get past your pre-conceptions and get across to the Channel Islands - it's a wonderful holiday and more affordable than you think.....

Wonderful Activity Holidays was posted on 24 May 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Looking for a job in the alps for next winter?
A new ski careers site has been launched that is providing skiers and snow boarders with all the information they need to give up the 9 to 5 and get a job on the slopes!

Looking for a job in the alps for next winter? was posted on 7 May 2012 by Katie Waddington.

Waiting for W12/13
W11/12 is almost over.....bit more skiing to be found in Zermatt and Stubai but, generally we will now have to wait for W12/13 to start.....

Waiting for W12/13 was posted on 2 May 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Matthew's Friends - charity bike ride Alpe d'Huez 21 bends
It was early morning on 17th April and we headed over to our chalet for a nutritious breakfast of porridge and bananas cooked by Kirsteen, our resort rep. The mood was tense. We munched on our breakfast, quietly apprehensive of what was about to follow in the hours ahead. Then, we put the finishing touches to our attire and headed to the minibus.

Matthew's Friends - charity bike ride Alpe d'Huez 21 bends was posted on 18 April 2012 by Guest Blogger.

Slovenia Educational - Biking and walking tours and Lake Bled
Last week I returned to Slovenia to experience a taster of our new cycle tours and visit the areas of Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj. It was quite spectacular!

Slovenia Educational - Biking and walking tours and Lake Bled was posted on 17 April 2012 by Sara Averill.

Zenith Holidays raises money for Matthew's Friends
Since last year Zenith has supported the charity Matthew's Friends and this winter we have been encouraging our overseas staff to join in........

Zenith Holidays raises money for Matthew's Friends was posted on 11 April 2012 by Katie Waddington.

10 Great Cycling Holidays for this summer
Cycling Holidays are a perfect way to see a new destination - no need to be Victoria Pendleton or Chris Hoy - we have a range of excellent cycling holidays for most fitness levels...........

10 Great Cycling Holidays for this summer was posted on 6 April 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Sarenne by Night
This week Leah and I took part in ‘The Sarenne by Night’, an event which sends around 45 lucky people down the longest black run in the world under the watchful gaze of the full moon! The evening began with us getting the last lift up to Pic Blanc, the top of Alpe d’Huez resort.

Sarenne by Night was posted on 31 March 2012 by Guest Blogger.

Resort Update week 13
Fantastic Sping Skiing conditions in all of our resorts

Resort Update week 13 was posted on 28 March 2012 by Erica Taylor.

Alpe D'Huez snow making factory
Snow conditions have been excellent this winter with lots of snowfall but many resorts now have excellent snowmaking facilities - see what the team in Alpe D'huez thought when they visited the snow making factory......

Alpe D'Huez snow making factory was posted on 10 March 2012 by Guest Blogger.

Trivia 175
Houses with the number 13 sell for £6,511 less than their neighbours

Trivia 175 was posted on 8 March 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Back to the 80's?
If you've been out to the alps recently you might have noticed that more and more people are wearing onesies - yes - those brightly coloured one piece ski suits that were fashionable over 20 years ago!

Back to the 80's? was posted on 5 March 2012 by Katie Waddington.

Resort updates - 1 March 2012
February holidays are now behind us but spring is a wonderful time to enjoy a ski holiday - conditions remain good with all the snow that has fallen and the days are longer.........

Resort updates - 1 March 2012 was posted on 3 March 2012 by Guest Blogger.

Update from our Resort Teams
February is a busy month in the ski resorts with the UK half term and the European holidays happening - the resort events are many and varied - here is a latest update from some of them........

Update from our Resort Teams was posted on 23 February 2012 by Erica Taylor.

Hope you had a fun half term holiday...........
The half term holidays are always a dilemma – where to go to avoid the crowds......how to avoid the huge delays....how to avoid it costing a fortune........

Hope you had a fun half term holiday........... was posted on 21 February 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Latest photos now on our website
Further to my blog on 22nd January we've been busy going through all the photos taken by photographer Olivia Blythman. Many of our guests during the last couple of years have commented that the photos on our website did not do the chalets justice - we agreed and hopefully you will agree the new photos look much better. Here are some of them (lots more on the website).....

Latest photos now on our website was posted on 5 February 2012 by Katie Waddington.

Area 47
Just back from a visit to Austria and we have been looking at some summer options to add to our program - Area 47 looks like an outdoor paradise...........

Area 47 was posted on 28 January 2012 by Stuart McLeod.

Update from resort week 3 - January 2012
News Directly From The Resort Teams - if you want to read an update on what is happening in resort - read on......

Update from resort week 3 - January 2012 was posted on 25 January 2012 by Erica Taylor.

New photography and latest snowfall
Just back from a week in the french alps - the first few days I was accompanying a photographer around our chalets so we could get some new and updated photos.We've been improving the bedrooms and wanted to show you on our website! Watch out for the new photos next week sometime.

New photography and latest snowfall was posted on 22 January 2012 by Katie Waddington.

News From The Resort Teams - January 2012
Welcome from the teams in resort! With Christmas & New Year out of the way, welcome to our resort teams.

News From The Resort Teams - January 2012 was posted on 18 January 2012 by Erica Taylor.

Happy New Year 2012
Happy New year to all our customers and website visitors - hope to see you on the slopes in 2012 - perhaps even at the snowkiting events in Serre Che and Cortina.......

Happy New Year 2012 was posted on 2 January 2012 by Stuart McLeod.