Arabian Easter at The Residence Tunisia

How to spend Sunday in Zermatt!

When the day doesn't live up to its name,  and the sun doesn't make an appearance, there is still plenty to do in snowy Zermatt. After all, the reason we can't see the sun is the cloud, which has brought more snow to freshen up the already fantastic conditions. Yesterday we were bouncing around in on-piste powder in Cervinia, but today we stayed closer to home and enjoyed the best of Switzerland.

And when better to try a brand new piste, only opened last week. From Grunsee, down through the trees, to Findeln, it is a fantastic "red" which is steeper than you might expect, especially towards the bottom. 

 

Or maybe you prefer the challenge of some un-pisted "black" !! The Hoernli drag lift can be just that... a drag, but the reward waiting for you is well worth it. In the shadow of the Matterhorn a black run untouched by piste-basher just waiting to punish your thighs !!

And what of the ever present background to every photo from Zermatt ? Well, the Matterhorn was hiding for most of the day but managed to breakthrough in the afternoon just to make a point that really Zermatt isn't Zermatt without it.

"Shrouded in cloud and mysticism !!"

 

But there is, of course, much more to this heaven in the Alps than just the skiing. The great and good of Europe can be found strolling up and down the main street looking for a bargain in the fantastic shops (they may be looking for quite a while !!), or enjoying an apres ski drink or two. 

And then head home into the welcome of their hotel ! 

Not a bad way to spend a Sunday !!

 

See you soon !

 

Your Powder Byrne Team in Zermatt

Fast track to the Fresh Snow - Luxury Skiing PB Style

FAST-TRACK TO THE FRESH SNOW FOR A LUXURY SKI WEEKEND Whether you fancy skiing as a couple or with friends and family, we'll ensure all the hassles are removed and you make the most of every minute you are away. You'll find our knowledgeable sales consultants are adept at fast-tracking you to the slopes so from the moment you call the Alps couldn't seem nearer. SUPER-CONVENIENCE GUARANTEED Total flexibility around your travel plans Personally met at the arrivals hall Private luxury transfer to your resort with delicious refreshments Personally checked into your hotel with ski passes waiting Driven to the ski shop for skis and equipment Complimentary ski guiding - ski only the best runs Lunch reservations and après-ski plans sorted each day Shuttles from the slopes and around the village 'Nothing is too much trouble' service as standard from our friendly teams Latest ski footage from Switzerland Ski Weekend availability

LUXURY FAMILY SKIING Join us on the slopes this February half term and Easter holidays and experience the unique personal resort service, highest level of family accommodation and children's ski programmes, which have made us the top choice in luxury family travel. As parents, we understand the challenges of travelling with young children so we like to take care of every aspect of your holiday. We teach your children to ski and develop their skills in our carefully designed, age specific ski programmes from 3 years old whilst little ones too young to ski enjoy a home from home environment in our pb crèche. We offer a complimentary ski guiding service and for those wanting to explore off piste we can arrange a local mountain guide to take you to the top spots. Moreover, it's never too late to learn to ski in our Learn in Style programme; our clinic for beginners offering the perfect introduction to skiing for first time adults with like minded people. February half term availability Easter availability Call us today for bespoke ideas for your next skiing adventure or email to find out what we can do for you.

 

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Powder Byrne 250 Upper Richmond Road London, England SW15 6TG GB

Snow Time in Zermatt !

January in Zermatt has a drawback….. the days, while getting longer, are still a little shorter than ideal to fit in enough time on the amazing snow !! But that must be the only one !!

While, in early December, most of Switzerland was fretting about a lack of early snow, Zermatt was already enjoying great snow conditions, and, as we all know, it then snowed, and snowed…..  !

And after all the snow… the Sun !!

The upshot of all the snow is that runs which have rarely been open in recent years are once again open, and that the whole mountain is available and in great condition. That’s 350km of prepared piste waiting for you !

After a busy Christmas and New Year the Ski Schools, Hotels and Restaurants are re-charging their energies ready to welcome guests old and new in February… but,  those of you lucky enough not to be restricted by the school holidays, why not get over here now and enjoy the biggest snowfall for many years !

With nearly 2 metres of snow on the upper slopes and well over a metre on the lower slopes and deep coverage all the way down to the village, there really is a wealth of fun to be had. Just to be sure that all is as it should be we took a little trip over to Italy to see how the snow is shaping up in Cervinia.  And the news ?? Great conditions all the way down…

but the Matterhorn still looks odd from over there. Just not “pointy” enough !

Where has the tip gone ??

We are looking forward to being able to introduce you (or re-introduce for many of you) to the fantastic mountain restaurants here, the highly rated Chez Vrony, Findelnhof and Zum See to name just 3 of the most popular !

Of course, if you are more interested than catching some “air” than in sampling the fine food the new Snow Park being constructed on the Glacier under the Furggsattell chairlift is ready for the truly brave among you to try out your skills.

So, if you can… why wait until February ??

See you soon.

Your Powder Byrne Team in Zermatt

 

Skiing in the New Year with perfect conditions in Flims

Happy New Year!  In fact better than happy, it's been an ecstatic new year with the snow dumping down and everyone enjoying the amazing conditions here in Flims.

Our last festive guests have returned home and our Yetis and SnowZoners are all back at school, so now it's time for some fun on the slopes with those lucky enough to be joining us for some superb January skiing!  While the tiny ones are in pb crèche their parent's have been on a high enjoying the relatively uncrowded slopes and crunchy corduroy pistes, and those coming to join us for a ski weekend are truly in for a treat.

On Wednesday we headed up the mountain to see for ourselves and what a day we had ... We even did some filming which John, our designer in the London office has made into a video.

 

As you can imagine we're really enjoying life out here, living and breathing the Flims fresh air on a daily basis.  In town you can't walk anywhere without snow tumbling on your head from the trees or nearly stacking it on a patch of ice, but it's nothing compared to the snowfall higher up.

Peter, the lifty at Crap Sogn Gion has been working in Flims for 8 years and tells us that he's never seen this much of the white stuff.  In fact according to recent articles, Flims is in the top ten for deepest snow in the whole of the Alps! With 354cm and counting, we're one of the front runners for absolute perfect conditions this January - have that Zermatt! 

But for all the good there's sometimes some bad and last week we had a bit of a tragedy on the Flims mountain ... La Vacca, the uber-swish meat restaurant at Plaun blew away! The huge teepee that used to stand proud right in the middle of the valley is currently back under construction, hopefully ready to reopen next week, in all its former glory. 

With all the fresh powder on the ground the big man upstairs thought he'd treat us to a weeks' worth of perfect bluebird days, and we've been taking full advantage and working on our ski goggle tans.


So, it would be such a shame to miss out on these epic ski days, with every intention of not sounding selfish, we'll sign off now, head back out there and catch up with you soon!

With love
Powder Byrne Flims Team

Jane Knight and family head to the Waldhaus Flims with Powder Byrne

The Times
December 17 2011
By Jane Knight

CHILL OUT WITH THE KIDS ON THE SLOPES

BEST FOR LUXURY:

Powder Byrne, Flims, Switzerland
If skiing is like being in a privileged club, skiing with Powder Byrne is like belonging to the most exclusive part of that club. It's pretty much the best family skiing package out there if you have the money....

“There is a nice community feel; it is an opportunity to meet other interesting people,” said Judy Mitchem, of London, on her third Powder Byrne holiday. “I think every year that it’s the price of a car, but it is worth it because it really takes the hassle out of skiing.”
 
That hassle-free feeling starts at Stansted on the Powder Byrne charter flight to Friedrichshafen, with its smiling reps and free refreshments, then on to the little-known Swiss resort of Flims, one of the company’s core resorts.
 
We stayed in the Waldhaus, which is more faded grandeur than grand, a strange series of buildings in a park connected by underground passageways that sometimes lead to deserted rooms, giving it a ramshackle feel. Our bedroom, though large, wasn’t anything special, while the restaurant service was some of the slowest I have ever experienced, particularly at breakfast.
 
There was, however, a good choice of places to eat on the half-board meal plan, with a Chinese, a pizzeria, a fondue restaurant and a curling bar in addition to the main restaurant. And the outdoor pool was a great place to wallow in at the end of the day, chatting to barristers, accountants and City high flyers, many of whom return year after year.

Apart from the family feel of it all, they come because Powder Byrne excels on the slopes. The incredibly well-run children’s ski school (which runs all day) had groups of no more than six, each with an instructor and a Powder Byrne rep. Adults also had groups of different abilities for ski guiding; mine never had more than four people in it. On one of the days Judy and I were the only two skiers with top guide Andreas — the guy who the television presenter Fiona Bruce likes to ski with.
 
It’s not ski in, ski out — the slopes are a short shuttle from the hotel — but the resort offers good skiing with efficient and heated chair lifts and gondolas. On family day, when there are no classes, my son and I headed off to neighbouring Laax with Andreas, down a black run. When it got slightly too tough for my son, that was no problem; Andreas simply picked him up and skied him down. With Powder Byrne, it’s all part of the service.
 
One word of warning, though: not only is the bill steep, but it’s an unwritten rule that you pick up the tab for your ski guide’s lunch, too.
 
The lowdown
Seven nights’ half board at the Waldhaus with return charter flights to Friedrichshafen costs £10,430 for a family of four in a junior suite with two extra beds. Ski passes, ski hire and kids’ ski school (£495 to £545 a week) are extra.

 

Read original article at www.thetimes.co.uk