Devon Ski Annual Holiday
Sunday 5th - 12th April 2009
Inclusive price: £995, Children 14 and under £795
We have put together another all-inclusive package to Axamer Lizum, Near Innsbruck, Austria. If you are interested and would like to join us please call us on 01626 351278 or e-mail chris@devonski.co.uk
The Resort
| Top elevation: | 2338m |
| Vertical drop: | 1462m |
| Lifts: | 10 (1 railway, 5 chairs, 4 surface) |
| Runs: | 13 |
This will be our eighth stay on piste in the Axamer Lizum ski area which lies above the picturesque village of Axams 15 minutes away in the valley below. It has a very reliable late season snow record and hosted the 1964 and 1976 winter Olympics. The relatively small number of lifts gives access to surprisingly large on and off-piste areas that appeal to skiers and boarders of all abilities. There are a number of other small charming resorts nearby, many linked by a free ski bus and the famous Stubai glacier is a 60-minute bus ride away.
There is a splendid leisure centre swimming pool with water rapids and a well-stocked supermarket in Axams.
More information can be obtained by visiting the ski Austria website.
and a ski map can be found here.
Accommodation will be half board (comfortable room with en-suite facilities, comprehensive buffet breakfast and full evening meal with a choice of menu) in the four-star Hotel Lizumerhof which is on piste overlooking the adult nursery slopes just above the main lifts which yes, we can ski down to. It is a friendly, welcoming hotel with very high standards. There are various leisure facilities including a sauna (wearing anything but birthday suits under your bathrobe in the sauna is frowned upon!) and Internet access. It does not have a swimming pool but bring swimwear if you want to join us in the Axams leisure pool after a day on piste. The hotel’s web address is www.lizumerhof.at.
Entertainment. The following après-ski activities are included in the holiday price: live entertainment on two evenings in the hotel, one of which will include presentation of prizes won in the holiday ski races usually held on Thursday morning and a quiz night. If 30 or more persons in our party fancy a ten pin bowling night in Innsbruck we are able to arrange an inclusive trip for 15 euros each.
Val Atkinson will co-ordinate these activities for us and keep the hotel notice- board updated accordingly.
Lift Pass The local Olympic ski pass is included in the holiday price. It covers use of all the Axamer Lizum lifts and free use of all the ski buses serving the area.
Stubai Glacier A one-day lift pass for Stubai Glacier costs around 35 euros and provided 14 or more persons in our party want to spend a day there we can ask the local Tourist Office to arrange for the (free) Stubai ski bus to collect them from a stop near the hotel.
If the weather is fine intermediates and experts alike will have a fantastic time skiing on the glacier surrounded by stunning scenery BUT if it is nasty and foggy it can be a miserable and hazardous place. Our Stubai guru Steve Evans will thoroughly check local weather forecasts before organising and leading trips to the glacier preferably on days on which no other activities like the holiday races are planned. Steve Evans and June Webb are happy to lead advanced and intermediate groups respectively on the glacier on condition that all persons in the groups can show them that they are fully insured for skiing off-piste, are covered for being transported off the mountain in an emergency and have adequate cover for loss and breakage of any of our demo- skis they may be using.
Ski/Boot Hire Equipment is available for hire in the resort but we can usually provide better, beautifully serviced skis and/or boots at lower prices. The cost of hiring boots from us is £20 (adult boots) or £10 (children’s boots); ski (and pole) hire is £65 (adult) or £35 (children’s skis).
Insurance Comprehensive “Snowcard” insurance including cover for skiing in recognised off-piste areas and the cost of replacing lost or accidentally damaged ski gear (up to £500 per item) is included in the holiday price. Those who have their own annual insurance which they can prove (by supplying a copy of the policy/schedule to us) offers similar cover may deduct £25 from the holiday price. The standard of many policies falls far short of that offered by Snowcard and after having to contend with serious problems that two families had with their own policies on our 2002 holiday we reserve the right to refuse places on this holiday to anyone who is, in our opinion, inadequately insured.
Tuition We are able to organise discounted group or individual ski and snowboard lessons with Hugo Nindl’s Olympic Ski School for members of our party who require tuition. For your guidance we paid around 85 euros each for a package of lessons last year and 30-35 euros for a one-to-one individual lesson.
Complete beginners are welcome to join our party but we feel they ought to be aware that experience has shown us that beginners who have had four or five lessons on an artificial slope progress much more quickly and confidently and have a much more enjoyable time than those who don’t. We seriously recommend therefore that beginners intending to join us start having lessons well before the holiday at one or other of our local artificial slopes in Exeter, Plymouth or Torquay or better still on real snow indoors at the Snowdome in Tamworth or Snowzone in Milton Keynes.
Travel: Transfers and flights are included . Details to follow