Snow-Camp Launches New Apprenticeship scheme

Snow-Camp is delighted to announce the launch of their very own Snowsports Apprenticeship Programme enabling 5 young graduates from the Snow-Camp programmes to join the head office team in a full time role for a year.

Having been inspired to launch the programme by SkillsActive and with a solid partner in Youth Force supporting the initiative, Snow-camp is looking forward to launching the new Apprenticeship programme in May 2013. An apprenticeship is a nationally recognised training programme combining real work with learning and training, both on and off the job. Snow-Camp Apprentices, aged 16-20, will be able to learn on the job through a range of activities and placements and get paid while studying for an NVQ Level 2 Activity Leadership qualification. Apprentices will gain valuable experience from involvement in all Snow-Camp programmes where leadership and coaching is required.

Dan Charlish, Snow-Camp Director said; “The programme is designed for individuals who wish to gain a broad yet solid foundation to support a career in the snowsports industry and wish to gain key qualifications and practical experience in snowsports delivery, together with mentoring in coaching and leadership skills. There will also be opportunities to work in a variety of snowsport placements across the industry over the 12 month period of the apprenticeship”.

The successful Apprentices will gain:

Access to a full-time paid apprenticeship programme of 30 hours a week over 12 months including:

• An NVQ Level 2 in Activity Leadership
• Experience of working alongside Snow-Camp staff and planning and instructing snowsports sessions during all Snow-Camp programmes (SC London, SC Graduate, SC Excel, SC Italy)
• Various work experience placements in the ski industry with our key partners including retail business Ellis Brigham, tour operators Ski World, Ski Safari and Interski.
• Experience of working at National Snowsports events such as Ski & Snowboard Show, Freeze Festival etc
• A Ski / Snowboard Technician qualification – focusing on repairing and servicing equipment
• Skills and learning for employability including employment rights & responsibilities, financial planning, health and safety etc
• A BASI (British Association of Snowsports Instructors) Level 1 Alpine Skiing or Snowboarding qualification
• Paid at National Apprenticeship wages

For more information on the Snowsports Apprenticeship Programme please take a look here.

Deadline for applications will be 31^st May 2013. There will then be interviews for the 5 available places in the first week of June.

ALTA BADIA SANITÉ

Health and Well-Being: A Way for Life in the heart of the South Tyrolean Dolomites 

Alta Badia devotes July 15^th – 31^st July entirely to the well-being of body and mind when this mountain playground turns into an outdoor gym at 2000m. Nordic walking, chromotherapy, Pilates, themed tours, a day with a personal fitness trainer, a meditative walk or healthy cooking classes are on the agenda which will suit men, women, children and sportspeople alike.

Daily activities are suitable for all levels and include Nordic walking excursions or tours exploring medicinal herbs. And for the more sporty the fitness programme includes zumba, step, and body workout days, as well as a special day with an expert fitness trainer who will offer participants useful advice on how to keep fit when they return to city life. All the activities are strictly outdoors.

Research confirms there are many benefits to physical activity: it reduces the chance of cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, heart failure, stroke, etc.), reduces cholesterol and prevents obesity. Outdoor sports have beneficial effects on both body and mind. Practicing sports in the mountains is an effective way to recharge batteries and return to work after the opportunity to recapture some space and time with colours, lights, rhythms, silence and the sounds of nature.

Physical activity at high altitudes is a real cure not just for the body but also for the mind, especially outdoors, away from the stress and pollution of the city, with a view over some of the most stunning Dolomite peaks in the world.  During the weeks of “health & well-being” in Alta Badia, special initiatives aimed at regenerating the mind, such as the meditative walk “Nature and Breathing”, are suitable for all ages. The walk, with physiotherapist and kinesiologist Maria Pescollderungg, take place at 09.30 on 18^th July; will start from Armentarola, then through the woods, and up to the meadows of the Sass Dlacia, beneath the Conturines rock faces. Participants will learn about best breathing approach and develop new breathing techniques. Also on offer is a Pilates session and a conference on the benefits of chromotherapy, scheduled for 16^th July with General Practitioner Dr Fausto Neeresh Pagnamenta.

Health and well-being are not just synonyms for physical or mental activity. In fact they represent a way of life involving many other factors too, like a correct and balanced diet, rich in vitamins and low in fats. To understand the importance of this subject, a healthy cooking course, held by Andrea Irsara, will be organised at the Gourmet Hotel Gran Ander on the 19^th and 26^th July.

Alta Badia encourages children to make healthy eating choices and are organising an event specially designed for young audiences and their parents. The programme is aimed at encouraging physical and mental activity in children, which is crucial at a time when a sedentary lifestyle and child obesity are constantly on the increase. After a few hours of outdoor activities, the children will be offered a packed lunch containing a healthy snack, with the ideal combination of foods to provide a genuine and complete kids meal.

The Movimënt Areas – Green Movement at high altitude

There are two areas situated at Piz Sorega and Piz La Ila at 2000m offering panoramic platforms with a variety of fitness equipment including two kneipp green routes and natural routes for plantar reflexology. Entry and use of equipment are free. The two “Movimënt” areas are easily accessible by cable car from San Cassiano or La Villa, thanks to the Alta Badia Mountain Pass. The Pass allows both adults and children to use 15 ski lifts, all the buses around the Sella group. The pass is free for children up to 6 years of age, if combined with the purchase of an adult pass, www.mountainpass.it.

Candle Lights in San Cassiano

As part of the health and well-being concept the buildings in the centre of San Cassiano will switch off their lights from 21.00 on the 21^st August. The centre will be lit only by candles and torches, offering a unique experience in a truly distinctive tranquil and relaxing atmosphere. Restaurants will prepare simple dishes and all this will be accompanied by purely acoustic music. The aim is to rediscover the most innate senses and give a helping hand to Mother Nature!

Ski champion joins Round the Island Race

Olympic hopeful Emily Sarsfield swaps skis for sails

Ski champion Emily Sarsfield is swapping the mountain snow for the ocean waves to take part in this year’s J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. Britain’s number one ski cross racer will take part in the prestigious event off the Isle of Wight with SkiWeekends.com on June 1.

Emily says: "I'm really excited about taking part in the Round the Island Race this year. Although I have sailed before, I’m a virgin racer. I'm really looking forward to helping the SkiWeekends team get the best result possible and seeing their brand new spinnaker!"

Eight times British champion Emily finished 17^th in this year’s Freestyle Skiing World Championships and is currently the only British Ski Cross athlete who meets the BOA selection criteria for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Russia. In 2010 she achieved the best result for a British female skier, finishing 11^th in the Ski Cross World Cup Finals in Italy and made history by being the first British female to win a Europa cup event.

Based in Shamrock Quay Marina, Southampton, SkiWeekends.com is supporting Emily in her mission to secure a place at the Winter Olympics in Sochi next spring by sponsoring her for the 2013/14 season.

Dan Fox, Managing Director of SkiWeekends, says: “SkiWeekends.com is delighted to have Emily as part of our Round the Island Race crew. We feel privileged to be able to help one of our most successful winter sport athletes on the ‘piste’ to the Olympics. Emily has achieved fantastic results and deserves the chance to represent her country and has the potential to gain her best ever result, fingers crossed for a medal. As keen skiers and sailors ourselves, we know many people compete and play in both sports, so inviting Emily to join Skipper Mike Saqui and the crew on the famous RTI race was irresistible. She’s so excited already. We can’t wait to bring her competitive athleticism and spirit on board!”

SkiWeekends.com is sponsoring the yacht previously named Edith (GBR6831T) – for Round The Island she will be known simply as SkiWeekends.com. The IRC-optimised Elan 333 enjoyed a triple whammy last year by winning the Solo Offshore Racing Clubs Solent series, the Royal Southampton YC Double Handed series and the Royal Lymington YC Thursday night series. Edith and her team also came second on count back in the Royal Solent YC Tattinger regatta.

Emily is happy to be interviewed about joining the Round the Island Race and her aspirations for the Olympic Winter Games in Russia. Emily will be attending the Press Conference on Friday 31^st May at 12 noon at the ISC, Lower Marquee Island Sailing Club, Cowes, Isle of Wight.

Cycling, culture and clean air – why Alpine cycling tours are gaining popularity

The increased popularity of cycling tours among the over 50s is bringing a tourism boost to Alpine areas traditionally popular as stay-put ‘Lakes & Mountains’ destinations a generation ago. Cycling offers the ability to see much more of a destination at a leisurely pace, with the Alpine climate and fresh mountain air allowing for comfortable riding conditions along the way. Add to this high quality, value for money accommodation and it is clear to see why thrifty travellers are heading for Austria, Germany and Italy this summer.

As the older holiday market gravitates towards more active holidays and adopts a healthier lifestyle, the shift also adds credence to the Government’s Chief Medical Officer latest advice that regular cycling can help prevent or manage over 20 long-term conditions.

Here Freedom Treks has selected five of the best Alpine cycling tours in Europe.

10 Lakes – Sound of Music in Austria

Austria’s Lake District or ‘Salzkammergut’ is breathtakingly beautiful with blue lakes, imposing mountains, green meadows and forests and the landscape so instantly recognisable from the opening scenes of the iconic film ‘Sound of Music’. The tour starts along the River Salzach, where the Celts laid the foundations for the city’s future wealth with the trade of salt or ‘white gold’ along the river, before heading into Trumer lake country. From here it is a 31 mile cycle to Mondsee, where the Mondsee Cathedral has become one of the most photographed churches in the world, thanks to the wedding scene in the Sound of Music. A boat trip to Weyregg is followed by a ride through the picturesque valley of Aurachtal and on to Lake Traunsee. The tour includes a trip to the picturesque village of Hallstatt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a route along Lake Wolfgang and through St Gilgen. And with the headquarters of energy drink Red Bull, located in the next village of Fuschl, it might just be worth stopping to recharge.

St. Moritz to Innsbruck from Switzerland to Austria

Better known as an exclusive ski resort, St Moritz in the Engadine Valley, is the starting point for this cycling tour with the final destination Innsbruck, the capital of the Austrian Tirol. Leading through outstanding countryside, the wide plateau of Upper Engadine merges into the large forests of the Swiss National Park with stops along the way in old mountain villages. After passing the border into Austria, the classic Inn Cycle Route winds its way through the Tirol province, from Landeck down to Innsbruck. Tracing the River Inn, along flat riverside trails, cyclists can appreciate how the river has shaped the valley’s topography and the varied alpine landscape. With cultural and culinary detours along the way this tour is an adventure for all your senses.

Mozart Cycle Path in Austria/Germany

Renowned for its beautiful natural setting, this 7 day tour starts in Salzburg, a city influenced by Italian architecture with great baroque buildings and large open squares and where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born along the now-famous shopping street of Getreidegasse. This tour takes you on one of his many European journeys into Germany to the shores of Lake Chiemsee, stopping en-route at the famous chapel in Oberndorf where the popular Christmas carol Silent Night was composed. From Chiemsee a visit to the monastery of Seeon, where Mozart created some of his compositions, is followed by an overnight stop in Wasserburg. The following day takes a leisurely route down to Kufstein, accompanied all the way by the River Inn. Once in the Austrian Tirol, cycle further to Waidring and Lofer, two villages where Mozart stopped on his journeys to the South, before making the final journey back to Salzburg passing back through Germany and the spa town of Berchtesgaden.

Lakes of Southern Bavaria in Southern Germany

Taking in the best of Bavaria, this tour starts and finishes in the city of Munich, before exploring the landscape of quiet valleys, passing along fresh water lakes and the stunning turquoise waters of the unspoilt River Isar. Enjoy the city sights, before crossing the Forstenrieder Park to Lake Starnberger and through ancient Bavarian villages to Murnau and on to Lake Staffelsee. The following day moves on to Garmisch Partenkirchen, where you can take the cable car up to Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze (2,962m) with wonderful views of the Alps. From Garmisch take the train to Scharnitz, to the source of the River Isar and from where you can cycle down through the sunny valley with views to the Karwendel and Wetterstein mountain ranges. After reaching Wallgau, cycle further through lovely rural countryside to Bad Tölz, with a branch off to the shores of Lake Tegernsee before continuing along the Isar cycle path back to the city of Munich. And with seven major breweries in the city a refreshing beer is well-deserved.

Dolomites to Trieste in Italy

Three countries in one week may sound like a challenge but this 7 night tour carefully selects the best of Italy, Austria and Slovenia’s unique mountain scenery, untouched natural landscapes and crystal clear lakes at a leisurely pace. Starting in Toblach ride along the River Drau through Italy’s South Tyrol with the impressive Dolomites lining the route before entering Austria’s East Tyrol and the town of Lienz. The following day is dedicated to comfortable cycling through the flat, wide and sheltered Gail Valley. After Feistritz the cycling route heads back into Italy before travelling on to Slovenia, past the famous ski area of Kranjska Gora, and reaching the shores of romantic Lake Bled. Head along the Soča Valley, a popular river for canoeists and historically the stage of major military operations during World War I. The final stage takes you through the Friuli wine growing region, where you will be rewarded with regional culinary delights accompanied by local wines. The Karst accompanies you on the final day before reaching the former Habsburg port of Trieste.

For more information call Freedom Treks on 01273 224066 or visit www.freedomtreks.co.uk  

Europe’s most exciting islands with Coastline

Coastline Villas has featured properties in Mallorca, Ibiza and Corsica for many years. Annually they are asked repeatedly for their top tips on festivals around the islands. Everyone enjoys a good festival and party atmosphere, so where are the best of these for 2013 and where is best to stay? Here are the answers:

1.     Nit de Foc, Palma de Mallorca, 23^rd June 2013

This is one of the biggest parties in the lively Mallorcan town of Palma with parties on the streets featuring bonfires and fireworks. This is classic late night Mediterranean partying with the event only kicking off at 10pm with the concert featuring the Jamaican born reggae artist Etana starting at midnight. The late night frivolity of the Nit de Foc means Coastline’s superb range of nannies will be much appreciated. Usually available for half and full days they can also look after the kids in the evening.

With Majorca being small and Coastline villas coming with air conditioned cars included any of the villas are suitable. C’an Mir www.coastline.co.uk/villas/Ca’n-Mir is new for 2013 and is a large property able to cater for up to 14, perfect for several families to holiday together. The mature, walled garden is a wonderful place to relax whilst inside it is traditional luxury with thick stone walls to create a haven from the midday sun, although there is of course a pool to cool off. Prices start at £810 per person including flights from London Gatwick, air conditioned car, welcome hamper and daily bread and newspaper.

2.     Tour de France Publicity Caravan www.letour.com, 29^th June to 1^st July

Everyone already knows about the Tour de France heading to Corsica this year but there is an aspect of the Tour that fascinating even for those with no interest in Lycra and two wheels. It’s the ‘publicity caravan’ that follows the race to every corner of France. It involves a 45 minute, 160 vehicle parade preceding the race start with innovative and extravagant floats by sponsors and free giveaways. 39% of race goers cite the publicity caravan as the reason for their attendance!

The first day of the Tour starts in Porto Vecchio so Coastline is in the perfect location for visiting the Grand Depart. The Bella Marina www.coastline.co.uk/villas/Bella-Marina overlooks the town and start point from a location 3.5 kilometres away. Sleeping 8 in traditional surroundings with a mature garden and a swimming pool jutting out from the hill this feels special, the views definitely are. Starting at £813 per person for an important 7 nights in Corsica’s year including flights from London Gatwick, air conditioned car, welcome hamper and daily bread and newspaper.

3.     Bastille Day, 14^th July 2013

A French classic, and despite Corsicans not being particularly patriotic to the Tricolore, the islanders are always up for a party. So the fireworks are prepared and the French national day is celebrated. Any town on the island is going to provide a night to remember but Bonifacio makes for one of the most beautiful. The marina is as pleasant as any Mediterranean harbour town and restaurants around the marina make for the ideal place to marvel at the fireworks that illuminate the area on Bastille Day.

The Stella Candente www.coastline.co.uk/villas/Stella-Cadente sleeps 6 and is a traditional Corsican villa with a swimming pool and its own grounds. Near the village of Sainte Lucie the villa may be the most simple of Coastline’s properties on the islands but the views and the terraces make up for the lack of panache inside. With Bastille Day on a Sunday, like the changeover days for Coastline, a fortnight is in order. Prices for 14 nights over the period start at £1,529 per person including flights from London Gatwick, air conditioned car, welcome hamper and daily bread and newspaper.

4.     Ibiza Rocks www.ibizarocks.com, June to September

One for the younger clientele or those teenagers that still appreciate a family holiday but expect some amount of independence. Ibiza Rocks has been growing each year This year’s line-up is better than ever with The Vaccines, Bastille, Example, Tinie Tempah and Ellie Goulding all on the bill over the summer.

With the events taking place in San Antonio the Son Y Luna www.coastline.co.uk/villas/Son-Y-Luna villa is in an ideal location, a cliff top sanctuary. It is ideally removed from the party area making for relaxing evenings for the older members of families and groups. The villa sleeps 10 and features a terrace the length of the building with a swimming pool and an imposing position on a cliff edge. Prices for a slice of luxury in Ibiza start at £695 per person including flights from London Gatwick, air conditioned car, welcome hamper and daily bread and newspaper.

5.     Fiesta Season, May to October

On any given week in the summer it is likely that Mallorca will be alive with the sights, sounds and flavours of a fiesta. In recognition of saints or local heroes such as the fishermen the fiestas make everyone feel good. Parades, markets, fairs and             concerts run alongside each other as a town or as a whole island it’s transformed. Visit www.seemallorca.com for a full diary of fiestas this season.

Coastline has chefs available that can be hired on an evening after shopping in a market accompanying a fiesta. For £70 per couple the chef will transform you fresh buys into a gourmet experience. The Ca’n Gat www.coastline.co.uk/villas/Ca’n-Gat on the island is a fantastic option, sleeping up to 9. A contemporary and statement villa it comes equipped with a large swimming pool, extensive gardens and a covered BBQ area. Inside the design features continue with a chill out area accessed by a spiral staircase. Prices start at £1,069 per person on the week of the event, this includes flights from London Gatwick, air conditioned car, welcome hamper and daily bread and newspaper.