Late season delivers fresh spring snow!

Don’t write the ski season off just yet folks! This year we have already seen record amounts of snow falling in Chamonix but the snow keeps on coming.

So far this April we have had over 50cm of fresh snow - there is still 4m of snow pack on the top slopes! Even if it doesn’t snow again (and that seems unlikely) there is easily enough to last until the lifts close on the glacier in mid-May.

Why not treat yourself to some spring time skiing – the days are longer, the temperatures are warmer and the slopes are less busy. A quick trip to Chamonix is the perfect way to round off a great season on the slopes.

We have vacancies at our luxury Chalet les Jumelles – but do book asap to avoid disappointment.

Click here to see current snow conditions on our Facebook page

Click here for more info on Chalet Ski Weekend

NO DECKCHAIR

There are all sorts of amazing activities to do around Chamonix during the summer. Have you ever wanted to try a high ropes course, or try your hand at rock climbing? Perhaps white water rafting or canyoning has caught your eye? How about a Via Ferratta or some glacier walking? Whatever takes your fancy, we can arrange it!

Nodeckchair.com, the sister company of Ski Weekend, is dedicated to providing memorable, life affirming holidays. Our mission is to bring you the very best the Alps has to offer. We specialise in short and weekend breaks – biking, walking and adventure trips with any combination of activities and accommodation to suit you and your group.

Don’t forget, an extended bank holiday weekend visit will give you even more time to unwind and soak up the special atmosphere of Chamonix. Coming up there is May Day (7th May), the double whammy of the Spring Bank Holiday and the Diamond Jubilee (4th and 5th June), plus towards the end of the summer the August Bank Holiday (27th August).

Another date for the diary is the weekend of 29th June – 1st July when the famous Mont-Blanc Marathon, Mont-Blanc Cross and the newly established Vertical KM race will take place. These big races are a great spectacle, but there are also two other less demanding races aimed at beginners and amateur trail runners. Whether you are spectating or competing No Deckchair can take care of it all for you (well, nearly all - winning is up to you!).

Mountain biking is one of our specialities; Chamonix has stunning back country riding and the best freeride and downhill locations in the Alps, plus the advantage of the cable cars to take the sting out of the climbs, leaving you fresh to enjoy the exhilarating descents. Check out our On Yer Bike page for more details.

The Chamonix valley is the premier climbing area in the Alps; it certainly has some of the most sought after routes in the whole of Europe. Yet, it’s not all about mile high rock ridges; there are plenty of sunny, low level sport crags and boulders where the focus is upon the fun and gymnastic challenge of climbing and bouldering. If you’ve ever been to an indoor climbing wall, why not come and try out the real thing – you’ll be amazed at the difference. You’ll get to learn the basics under the watchful gaze of a qualified guide and progress as far up the rockface as you can!

And then there are wonderful walking holidays to be had. Why not take on a breathtaking circuit such as the Tour Du Mont Blanc – one of the most famous treks in the Alps. Or at a more relaxed pace, how about exploring the nature reserves, flower meadows and high alpine pastures?

However you choose to spend your time in Chamonix - be it jumping, climbing, riding, walking, swimming, sliding, paddling or swinging - a trip of a lifetime awaits. To find out more visit: Nodeckchair.com

Ski Weekend FrancoFiles No1. The Opinel Pocket Knife

Joseph Opinel’s iconic symbol of French culture and lifestyle, the Opinel knife, was born in 1890 in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in the Savoie, the neighbouring département to Chamonix’s Haute Savoie. Here are 10 other interesting snippets about Opinel:

1. The simple peasant's knife quickly proved popular, hundreds of thousands of knives being sold by 1914. By 1939 an incredible 20 million knives had been sold - at the time, enough for half the population of France to own one! The company is still run by the Opinel family, selling an even more incredible 4-5 million knives a year!

2. The curve of the original Opinel blade is based on the yatağan - a traditional Turkish knife or short sabre.

3. In 1985 the Victoria and Albert Museum in London selected the Opinel as part of an exhibit celebrating the “100 most beautiful products in the world”. Opinel featured alongside the Porsche 911 and the Rolex watch.

4. Eighty percent of all Opinel knives use traditional beech wood for the handle. Other handles include oak, walnut, ebony, rosewood, bubinga, aluminium and African cow horn.

5. The locking collar (Virobloc) was patented in 1955 by Marcel Opinel. Originally it locked the opened blade only, but this was later improved to safely lock the blade when closed.

6. The construction of the current production Opinel knife is very simple, consisting of only five components.

7. Pablo Picasso used an Opinel knife to carve his sculptures.

8. Apart from folding pocket knives, Opinel also make kitchen cutlery and garden tools. They also make a No.7 Round Ended Safety Knife for children.

9. The blades are made out of two materials; traditional high carbon steel (Carbone) – which sharpens easily, holds a good edge and can be used to create sparks when struck against flint, or the more modern stainless steel (Inox) – which doesn’t rust.

10. For a truly French experience use your Opinel mushroom knife to harvest mushrooms from your local woodland. Gently clean the mushroom using the brush on the end of the handle. Fry them up in the field – sliced of course with your No8 Opinel folding knife. Serve with delicious chunks of baguette and saucisson thinly sliced with... yes, you guessed it, your favourite knife!