Our Mountain Blog

Summer in Bansko

Although Bansko is best known as ski destination, it’s also a great choice for a Summer holiday. There’s a huge variety of things to do so it’s perfect for groups or families.

If you want to relax, in Summer there are lots of outdoor swimming pools – some have swim up bars and diving boards while others have volleyball nets if you have a burst of energy! Dobrinishte pool is full of naturally heated spring water so you can swim as early as May and not feel a chill!

Dobrinishte Swimming Pool

Most of the pools have fantastic views towards the mountains and at the moment there’s still a lot of snow up there so the vistas are stunning.

The resevoir on the edge of Bansko is another relaxing spot, there are a couple of mehanas that serve very fresh fish and round the water there are some sandy areas that are great for sunbathing. If you’re feeling brave you can go for a dip with the fishes or you can rent a line from the mehana for 5 leva and try and catch a trout for your dinner.

If you need an adrenalin fix, there are lots of options for you with activities like horse riding, white water rafting, dirt buggy tours, kayacking, canyoning, golfing, camping, 4×4 off roading and hiking.

Bansko off-roading

The mountain biking in Bansko is fantastic, there’s a huge variety of trails from easy tracks in the foothills to some serious downhill from the top of the mountain. If you want to have a go at moutain biking during your holiday you can hire bikes for a day or you can bring your own bike and spend the week exploring some of the great routes around Bansko. Every Sunday in Bansko there’s a ride organised by some of the locals which you can join in - it’s a relaxed ride out and very sociable (it always finishes sitting in the afternoon sun, outside the Zagorka bar in the town square).

Mountain Biking in Bansko

Your first ski season as a chalet host

Working in a ski chalet is a fantastic experience; you meet great people, get to ski or snowboard and have a lot of fun.

There is some work involved though! As long as you are organised and prepared for some weeks of hard work to counter the more relaxed weeks, you’ll be fine. The start of the season can come of a bit of a shock to new seasonnaires – there’s a lot of preparation involved to get everything up and running so on top of training for your chalet host job you’ll be expected to do a lot of cleaning, unpacking and preparing. Some chalets are not used during the Summer so they can get very dusty and need a really thorough clean at the beginning of the season. It’s not all bad- the faster you get it done, the faster you’ll get on the pistes.

Christmas and New Year can be a baptism of fire. They are two of the most popular weeks in the season and there are normally quite a lot of children around so it can feel like you don’t have any time to yourself,never mind time to go skiing. After your first week however, you should be getting into a routine and discovering that organisation is your friend. Your first Christmas in the snow is brilliant too – a real white Christmas, and skiing or boarding on Christmas Day is not to be missed!

You get a 'White Chritmas' when you do a ski season

One of the best things about being a chalet host is the guests, every week you meet a new set of people who love skiing and boarding and who have come on holiday to enjoy the mountains. A word of warning – if you get get a party group in, don’t try to keep up with them ALL week – they don’t have to get up for work every morning. It’s a mistake I’ve made quite a few times!

During the season, you might get the ‘mid-season blues’ – this quite often happens around Feb half term when it all gets a bit manic again. It happens to most seasonnaires at least once and you start to feel exhausted and unmotivated. The best thing you can do is try and get some time to yourself to recharge your batteries – have a couple of days off the slopes and relax with a good film or a DVD. If that doesn’t help, talk to a friend or your manager about it – keeping it to yourself will just make it worse.

Happily, the blues don’t last long and by March the sunshine should be appearing, the pistes will be getting quieter and everyone will be panicking that the end of the season is near and they haven’t a) had a day trip to the ski resort covered by your lift pass b) mastered a 360 c) learnt how to snowboard as well as ski.

By this point in the season you will probably have a few less guests and you’ll be super organised so all your jobs will get done quickly leaving you with the free time to tick off all the things on your ‘things to do this season’ list. For example this March: I spent 2 weeks snowboarding, all the Bansko chalet hosts got together for a Mario Kart sledging competition down the Bansko home run and our Canazei chalet hosts popped over to Cortina for a ski!

Mario Kart Fancy Dress Race

It’s mountain biking season!

I’ve finally got out on my new mountain bike.

Now that we’re back in Bansko, the sun is shining and the weather is great for mountain biking. I’ve only had a couple of rides so far but I’m really pleased with it. It’s a Specialized Era which is turning out to be a great cross country machine.

My brilliant new bike

I went for the Era as it’s billed as a full sus that acts like a hard tail on the climbs and it’s true. It’s light and incredibly easy to take up hills.

The Specialized brain works so well that the full suspension just switches off as soon as you start to climb, then on the downhills it comes back on making the ride smooth and easy.

It’s the perfect bike for the trails here in Bansko and I can’t wait to get some more kilometers done!

First ski or board lessons

The first time that you strap a snowboard to your feet or step into a pair of skis it will feel like you’ll never be able to get the hang of it, but one of the best thing about Winter sports is that everyone gets going and will pick up the basics much quicker than they expect to.

Everyone learns at different speeds so if your friend is charging off down the slopes before you, don’t worry – they probably just forgot how to brake! Group lessons can be really good fun, you’re all in the same boat and everyone falls over at some point so you can support and encourage each other as the week goes on.

A couple of handy hints:

• If your instructor falls over, it’s considered quite acceptable for the whole group to snowball him!
• When a six year old passes you, showing off at breakneck speed it’s generally NOT acceptable to push them over.

See - ski and board lessons are fun!

Your instructor will get you walking around at first with your skis or board attached. This might seem like a waste of time but it gets your balance going and it’s no good being able to ski or board if you trip up as soon as you pull up in front of the bar. You’ll also learn the best way to carry all your equipment – skiers have a lot to lug around so this is pretty important.

For snowboarders you’ll start off with ‘falling leaf’ – going down the hill in a zig zag pattern. You’ll stay on one edge for this so if you start on your heel edge you will have your back to the mountain and will go from side to side facing downhill. This helps you to learn how to balance and how to control the snowboard and once you can do it on both edges you’ll be able to go anywhere on the slopes.

Skiers start off with the snowplough – keeping your skis in a pizza shape with the tips together. Once you manage to stop crossing the tips over each other you’ll be able to use the snowplough to control your speed, make turns and stop.

You’ll probably discover muscles that you never knew existed but a quick dip in the hot tub at Chalet Diana or a visit to the spa in Canazei should soon help you to recover!

First Ski Holiday

If it’s your first ski or snowboard holiday it can seem a bit daunting, there’s so many different things to get organised and you have to get all the ‘gear’ ready for the slopes.

At our chalets, we will make sure that everything is ready for you well in advance. You can prebook your lift passes, lessons and equipment hire before your ski holiday so it’s a few less things for you to worry about. We’ll arrange your airport transfers for flights arriving around midday and when you arrive at the chalet your lift passes will be waiting for you, we’ll have time to whisk you over to the hire shop where you’ll be kitted up with your skis or snowboard ready for your first morning on the slopes.

By getting everything ready on your arrival day it means that your first day will run a lot more smoothy and all you have to do is remember your lift pass, gloves, goggles, hat….

Ok, there is a lot to remember so here’s a quick list for you:

• Ski socks – these are warmer than normal socks and seamless so they won’t rub your feet like a pair of everyday socks could do.
• Thermals – a base layer of thermal leggings and a long sleeved top will keep you warm. You can get very technical base layers these days that will take away the moisture if you start to sweat, these are useful but more pricey.
• Top layers – I normally wear another warm long sleeved top over my thermals and if it’s cold I put an extra t-shirt inbetween the two. Nothing too tight or you won’t be able to move!
• Waterproof ski pants - it’s a personal choice between salopettes with braces (the snow won’t go down them when you fall over) or normal trouser styles (easier to go to the toilet).
• Jacket – your ski or board jacket must be waterproof. If you are buying a new jacket aim for at least 10,000mm of waterproofing to make sure that you keep dry. Some jackets have a lot of padding and insulation, others are just a shell. Again, it’s personal choice – I like a bit of padding for the warmth but not enough to make me look like the michellin man!
• Hat or helmet – helmets are becoming very common in ski resorts so you won’t look out of place if you wear one and it’s easy to hire one there. In the Dolomites, all children under 14 must legally wear helmets and in Bulgaria the hire shop that we use give all under 12s a helmet. If you decide to go for a hat make sure that it is comfy and fits well, if it’s too loose it will just fall off as soon as you set off down the slope.
• Glasses or goggles – the sun can be very strong and it will reflect off the snow so you need proper UV protection. If it’s cold and windy, goggles will keep your face much warmer and will keep the snow out of your eyes. An orange lens is the best colour for all weather conditions so you only need to bring one set with you. They’re easy to buy in resort.
• Waterproof and warm gloves or mittens – mittens are warmer but they make it difficult to pick things up/do up zips.
• Neck warmer/face mask – the easiest ones sit around your neck and if it gets cold you can pull them up to cover your face.
• Suncream and lipbalm for UV and weather protection. If it’s cold and windy your lips will need protecting.

Keeping the snow out in February!

Skiing and snowboarding is becoming much more popular which means that you can find a lot of ski clothing on the high street. TK Maxx and Matalan normally have some well priced gear if you can’t beg, borrow and steal equipment from friends or family! Ebay is another good source of second hand ski pants and jackets – especially for fast growing kids!

If you realise that you’ve forgotten something when you get to the chalet, just ask your hosts for help. We have some bits and pieces that you can borow or we can point you in the direction of the best shops for you to buy or hire equipment.

In my next post, I’ll let you know what to expect when you hit the slopes for your first ski or snowboard lessons!

Fancy a quick trip to Venice?

At Chalet Cesa du Mont in the Dolomites, we’re lucky enough to only be two and half hours away from Venice. Quite a few of our guests this season have taken advantage of this to enjoy a day or two in this amazing city before they headed home, to recharge their batteries after a week of skiing around the Sella Ronda.

At the end of your ski holiday, we’ll drop you off at the airport on Saturday morning. At both Marco Polo and Treviso airports there’s a left luggage area that charges 5€ per bag and from both airports it’s easy to get into Venice with either buses or water taxis.

Jump in a private water taxi from Marco Polo airport to Venice

By booking a late flight home on the Saturday, you can have a day out in Venice without having an extra hotel bill to pay or you can splash out and book into a hotel for Saturday night and have 2 days sight seeing in Venice. If you need some advice on hotels just ask us!

After a week in the mountains, it’s great to have a real change of scenery before you go home and a quick stop in Venice will make your ski holiday unforgettable.

Private parking in Venice.

After the peace and quiet of the Dolomites, the hustle and bustle of Venice can be a bit of a culture shock (especially if you are there for Carnivale) but it has to be one of the most beautiful and unique places that we’ve ever visited. If you spend some time wandering around the intricate back alleys you will discover enchanting bridges over narrow canals  and open garden spaces that are away from the main streets. The bakeries and restaurants off the main drag also have some more appealing prices on their menus!

During carnivale, the masks and costumes in Venice are gorgeous.

So, if you do fancy a trip to Venice after your ski holiday in Canazei just let us know and we can give you all the information you need.

Bansko Apres-Ski

This season brought a couple of great new apres-ski bars to Bansko. Actually, they are also great spots for a cheap and tasty lunch but I’m focusing on the apres today!

It's worth the hunt!

Izvorite Hotel at Chalin Valog was offering a great menu this year. If you headed down there for a late lunch, Chalin Valog is a great spot for a few empty runs in the afternoon before you get started on your apres! Hotel Izvorite isn’t that easy to find but once you’ve found it you’ll know that it’s worth the hunt!

Going down the home run, take the right hand branch to Chalin Valog. When you come out onto the main piste you can either keep your speed up and turn uphill a tiny bit towards the bottom of the black. There in the trees is a track – follow it to a road and walk a few meters up the road straight to Hotel Izvorite. On Wednesday afternoons you’ll be able to hear the music coming from the BAT djs.

If you don’t want to ski uphill (and who can blame you?) then carry on down the Chalin Valog piste. Stay on the right hand side and you will see a couple of tracks going off to your right, follow those to the road and turn right up the road to get to the hotel. Easy when you know how!

The snow bar at Hotel Izvorite - you know that your beer will be cold!

Together with Rich from Bansko Adventure Tours, Coco made the Izvorite a great spot to start your apres ski in Bansko this season. The new snow park is a great addition and on sunny afternoons the terrace was the best spot on the mountain. Wednesdays from 2pm are the liveliest with a weekly party to get your night started.

Gimme Shelter is the next stop on the way down the home run.

Gimme Shelter - just built in October

When we saw it being built in October we all got very excited and then when we saw that the outdoor bar was a nice and sturdy for dancing on in ski boots we got even more excited!

When you go past the tipi on the home run you really can’t miss it. Ulen, in their wisdom, decided that they didn’t like the competition so they put an orange fence up on the side of the piste where the bar is. It makes it much easier to spot and you can just ski round the back of the fence to get to the bar! There’s a security guard having a nap opposite most days but he didn’t seem at all bothered when we lifted up the netting when we were rushing to get back to the piste- I think he’s getting free drinks!

They were offering food this year (great pancakes) and yummy mulled wine and they had some brilliant music on the go. Inside the tipi is a roaring log fire, so if you need to warm up that’s the place to sit.

A nice sturdy bar for dancing on!

After all that excitement, you can head down to Harrys bar for a few calmer drinks or if you fancy something a bit more lively head to Amigos by the traffic lights down from the gondola station. Their live band was great this year and the bar staff have some impressive pyrotechic skills!

Not long now….

We haven’t had that much snow this season in the Dolomites. It’s probably karma as we were all so smug last season when we did have snow and  everywhere else in Europe was bare!

Having said that, the pistes have been fantastic all season. Whatever it is that they do here in the Dolomiti Superski area, they do it well. Every morning we’ve woken up to beautifully groomed pistes and a huge open area to go skiing on. The parks have been in good shape all Winter and all the sledge and tubing runs have stayed open.

So, how do they do it?

Over 95% snowmaking capabilities helps and before anyone starts tutting about effects on the environment, the Dolomitit Superski snowmaking system is a shiny new one that uses only water and compressed air. There are no chemical additives in there and it’s all powered by hydroelectricity from the mountain springs and streams. Add that to a huge amount of staff that spend all night manicuring the pistes and you have some fantastic skiing conditions whatever the weather!

We love our Piste Bashers in the Dolomites!

Fantastic powder, shame about the whiteout…

There was a lovely dump of fresh fluffy powder on the Marmolada Glacier this morning, just waiting to be skied. Unfortunately after a couple too many proseccos last night we weren’t quite as early as we could have been. Ooops.

At the bottom of the glacier, we met some of our very happy friends who had just finished their first run which had been fantastic – fresh tracks under a blue sky.

We charged down to the cable car and at the top it all looked very promising. We got about 6 lovely smooth turns in and then the weather changed. It really focuses the mind when you can’t see which way is up or down!

Marty in the whiteout this morning

We sat it out for 20 minutes or so until we could see a little bit further and started to make our way down extremely carefully. Although it wasn’t the great powder run we were expecting I still enjoyed getting out on my Salomon Geishas. I thought that I would have to put them away this week but it looks like there’s a bit more snow to come so they might get the chance to do a few more runs before the end of the season.

I love my Geishas. They’re easily the best off-piste ski I have ever tried. On big powder fields like the Marmolada glacier they are the smoothest ride you can ask for, they just float. If it’s getting a bit chopped up or there’s crud around they are stiff enough to go straight over it.

In the trees they’ve been surprisingly nippy, easily making quick turns and they are happy to charge down the groomers. At low speeds on the piste however,  I am more likely to fall over – they’re not designed for low gears!

I ❤ my Salomon Geishas

The artwork also looks very cool, so when I hangout with super trendy snowboarders they don’t look at my boring skis with pity.

So today, even though the only thing I could see was my skis it wasn’t too bad ’cause they are ever so nice to look at!

To ski or snowboard?

It’s a tough one.

On your first ski or board holiday your hardest decision is likely to be whether to ski or snowboard but a few tips might make the decision easier for you.

If you’ve ever been good at other boarding sports such as skateboarding, wakeboarding or surfing you will already have a good sense of how to balance on a board and will be comfortable going sideways down the mountain, rather than facing it full on. If you are rubbish at those sports (like me) you are going to find it a bit tougher.

Horseriders generally understand the mechanics of skiing (bending the legs, keeping the upper body still, looking where you are going) and aren’t scared of going fast on hard ground although the last one isn’t necessarily an advantage, especially when you haven’t learnt to stop yet!

I hear so many skiers say that they are going to take up snowboarding becasue of the footwear – snowboard boots are comfy to walk around in, ski boots are not. However many times you get them heat moulded and fitted, once you start to stand around or walk in a pair of ski boots they are going to be uncomfortable so if you have a low pain tolerance snowboarding could be for you.

The downside to snowboarding is that when you learn it really hurts, you hit the ground much harder than when skiing and you can end up not being able to sit down properly for weeks. Also, flats will become your enemy. On skis, you can pole along or skate but on a snowboard learning to deal with flats is a painful and unpleasant experience.

Sometimes our guest choose to do a day of skiing and then a day of snowboarding, with BanskoSkiMania you can swap your board for skis and vice versa for no extra charge so it does give you a good chance to have a go at both, normally you will find one of them much easier although that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to do both eventually!