image: c Andy Parent/arc1950.com
Spring brings warmer temperatures, sunshine and ideal skiing conditions for a great end to the season in Arc 1950, closing on 28th April 2018.
Erna Low Property has unrivalled knowledge of the French property market, with a particular expertise in the French Alps. Erna Low Property launches its 2018 French Alps Property Reportwhich includes the following key trends:
French Property Market Is Booming
There were a record number of sales of existing properties last year (958,000 report page 5). Along with strong international demand, this is helping to drive a wave of new developments across the French Alps.
Vaujany, connected to Alpe d’Huez, is a great example of this where Erna Low Property currently has three developments in progress with sales being fuelled by the impending 2021 lift- link to neighbouring ski resort Les Deux Alpes.
Race To The Top
French resorts are involved in a “race to the top” to become global brands – and they are investing staggering amounts of money in redevelopment and infrastructure. La Plagne, for example, has announced €455million of new spending (some of this is in collaboration with Pierre et Vacances). €12 million of this is focused on new snowmaking systems. La Plagne will also see its first 5* development of apartments – The White Pearl. Châtel continues to expand, with new developments taking advantage of its rising profile, both as a ski resort and a mountain-biking hub.
Ultra-Low Euro Mortgage Rates and the Best Currency Rates
Ultra-low Euro mortgage rates mean the cost of borrowing is cheap [see graph on page 5]; repayments on, for example, a €240,000 fixed rate mortgage are still considerably lower in 2018 than they were in 2011 and 2014.
Francois Marchand, Director of Erna Low Property adds, “Interest from UK-based buyers remains strong. The average spend of Erna Low Property clients has risen in the last two years, this coupled with the ongoing low mortgage rates mean it is an excellent time for buyers; plus with our currency expert Halo, we can ensure buyers benefit from the best rates available.”
South of France or French Alps for Summer
Buyers are ever-more interested in summer – a resort with good summer facilities, close to Geneva or other main airport – are now as sought-after in summer as in winter.
Erna Low Property has been selling properties in the South of France for over 10 years. Complementing its Alps business, clients have options in the Cote d’Azur and Provence. NEW, close to Cannes, Villa Alice offers apartments from just €150,000.
Standards Are Rising
The age of the rabbit-hutch apartment is gone, and our partner developers such as Nexalia and Terresens offer more spacious properties, with bigger windows, higher-quality finishes, and wood-burning stoves. Customised interiors (e.g. you can reduce the number of bedrooms if you want a bigger lounge), and more flexible rental schemes are all part of the scene now.
Please contact Vanessa Fisher for a printed copy of the Erna Low Property French Alps Report, any information on available properties for sale and/or images: vanessa@vanessafisher.com 07957 618525
Erna Low Property was established to offer customers the opportunity to purchase properties in some of the world’s most beautiful and desirable locations. Whether looking for snow or sun, Erna Low Property helps buyers to choose the perfect property for holidays, retirement or investment.
Erna Low’s ongoing relationship with top Canadian resort developer Intrawest (well-known for pioneering Whistler and Mont Tremblant in Canada and Arc 1950 Le Village in France) led to the launch of Erna Low Property in 2003. Arc 1950, a new ski village in the French Alps and Intrawest’s very first project in Europe, was the first key property sales project for Erna Low and over the past few years, Erna Low’s property sales service has gone from strength to strength. Erna Low Property has its dedicated Estate Agency to sell properties all over the Alps and the South of France to property investors.
Erna Low Property now holds a sizeable portfolio of properties from the French Alps, across Europe and beyond. With their background as a specialist, niche tour operator, Erna Low Property and Erna Low Travel have been hugely successful in introducing many clients to both property sales and holiday rentals.
The French Pyrenees have received regular fresh snow top-ups over the last two weeks building on an already excellent snow base setting them up for excellent conditions for their final few weeks of the season and spring events.
Below are a selection of ski holiday offers for March and April:
Zenith Holidays in St Lary – Departs 17 March
Zenith Holidays offer 7 nights in the Cami Real apartments from 17 March from £163pp, sleeps 4. Flights available from £50 from London Stanstead. www.zenithholidays.co.uk
These excellent spacious apartments are in the centre of the Pyrenean village of Saint Lary Soulan in the Hautes-Pyrenees. Sensoria, the resorts thermal baths are just a short walk away through the garden of the residence. The main gondola up to the skiing at Pla d’Adet and beyond is a 100m from the Residence. St Lary has a lovely collection of shops and restaurants with plenty of Spanish influence in the local tapas bars lining the streets.
Big Break St Lary – 11-30 March
Book direct with St Lary between 11th and 30th March for any 3 days and get the 4th night for free. Just 175€ for four nights including a lift pass. www.saintlary.com/hiver/big-break
Ax les Thermes in the Ariege region of the French Pyrenees, just 1.5 hrs from Toulouse is an historic village based around its thermal waters. Guests can visit the Bains du Couloubret spa or soak their feet in the thermal open air foot spa at the base of the gondola. Ski Ax 3 Domaines with its three sectors, Bonascre, Saquet and Campels and skiing from 1400m up to 2400m. Over the closing Easter weekend March 31 and April 1st, a Snow Bike festival closes the season with MTB/Dirt bikes, enduro and races for all ages.
Erna Low in Cauterets Save 15% and 20% Departs 31 March
A family of four can stay 7 nights from in the Residence Balneo-Aladin in Cauterets, WAS £408, NOW £327 saving 20% or stay in a 7 person apartment, WAS £652, NOW £522 saving 15%. www.ernalow.co.uk
The Residence Baleno Aladin has a great location in the centre of Cauterets, 100m from the gondola taking skiers straight up to the ski area and 150m from the resort spa centre. Guests have free access to the Espace Balnéo Aladin spa centre which covers 800m² and includes 5 pools heated to 32° with water jets and hot tubs, steam room and sauna. Children from 3 to 13 years have a 3-storey play structure, games consoles, a mini cinema and a relaxation area for parents.
Pierre et Vacances in Grand Tourmalet Save 30% Departs 7 April
Grand Tourmalet is made up of the two villages Bareges and La Mongie with the largest ski area in the French Pyrenees. La Mongie is ski in-out with the cable car access to Pic du Midi and Bareges and old French town with tree lined skiing from the Tournaboup area. Both areas have spas using the local thermal waters.
Ski France in Peyragudes – Save 10% 17-24 March and Free Children
Ski France offer an apartment sleeping up to 4 people from 31 March from £319 in the Residence Les Adrets de Peyragudes plus children ski for free with every adult ski pass purchased. www.skifrance.co.uk
Peyragudes is a modern ski resort with ski in ski out accommodation perched on the side of the mountain in the Hautes-Pyrenees region of the French Pyrenees. Guests can enjoy an indoor pool at the Les Adrets de Peyragudes residence or take a short drive/transfer down to the village of Loudenvielle where they can enjoy the Balnea spa. The French Snowboard Championships weekend takes place over the closing Easter weekend.
Les Angles 30% off Lift passes and reduced Packages
Les Angles is offering 30% off lift passes booked from 17 March to the end of the season.
So a six day adult lift pass 165€ instead of 195€ [child 12 yrs & under 148€ instead of 175€) www.lesangles.com
Les Angles old village Is at the foot of the slopes, and it has managed to retain its authentic character whilst at the same time providing facilities of a modern ski resort. It is the only resort in the Pyrenees where the ski slopes end in the old village itself. The ski area has 55km with an altitude drop of 800m. With skiing up to 2,400m it is one of the largest ski areas in the Pyrenees-Orientales.
SPRING EVENT
“Le Rendez Vous” EVENT 20& 21 April Cauterets
300 amateur and professional freestyle riders descend on Cauterets for the closing weekend. The Oakley snowpark at the foot of the ski area will be open for photos and video shoots to get the best of the action from the event. DJs are on site and the “Winter Closing” party is held in Cauterets village at the Royalty Café.
It was first organised by a group of ski-crazy brits in 1928, & today it’s the world’d largest amateur ski race. PlanetSKI partakes.
Regular readers will know I’m no virgin Inferno racer.
Bbut this year I am taking part in the Inferno as part of the Super 3, the Inferno Is the second race in a series of three amateur ski races that take place across Switzerland.
The pretty village of Mürren, in the Jungfrau Region, is the Inferno host resort offering stunning views over to the Eiger, spotted only once when the weather cleared.
A brief clear spell and there’s the Eiger
There are fewer than 200 of the maximum 1850 Inferno entrants taking part in the Super 3 and it was great to see some familiar faces from last weekend’s visit to Belalp and the Hexe race – Postcard from Belalp / Hexe Race.
With oodles of snow we were looking forward to skiing a full course but strangely, whereas in Belalp we’d had the total 12km course, here in Mürren, rain had battered the lower slopes.
So the switch back section of the course down to Lauterbrunnen was clearly not skiable.
Arriving to huge snowfalls mid last week, and then violent winds gusting through the area whilst skiing on Thursday, we had a feeling that the top section of the resort would not be open.
As part of the 75th anniversary celebrations we had a new team event to take part in, the day before the main downhill event. Read more here on 75th Celebrations.
I had teamed up with my brother and two friends to make up our team of four.
Being a mass start, based on the original Inferno format of years ago, we lined up side by side at the top of the course.
Sadly this was only at Almendhubel as heavy snow and ongoing wind forced the organisers to choose a lower start point.
(C.Rob Webb) Team 108 at the start with Vanessa in Red
As the wooden board dropped away below our skis, we pushed out of the start gate with our team strategy in place.
Tuck in behind each other, send the fast ones first – one ex army para who is a super fit cross – country marathon skier, my brother, ex-army ski racer, then me and finally a friend and Kandahar Ski Club member Alex.
The course sent us up the ‘woodcutters’ path – an uphill section which also features in the main Inferno event.
The distance between our first two team-mates and Alex and I grew with each uphill strained movement!
No sooner had we reached the end of the long climb, we were careering around the corner past the chairlift and on to the ‘Palace Run’ back to Murren village centre.
With my team safely down, our individual times were too different to break in to the top 100 teams, but we were far from the slowest!
Vanessa 108-1 and her Team – Inferno 2018
Excitement levels rose when the organisers announced a break in the weather, enabling the Inferno downhill start to be moved up to Birg, still a way below the usual Schilthorn start but long enough to give more than a 3 minute race.
Our friends the German team ‘Racing Team Blitztal’ were found waxing their skis in the workshop close to our hotel – the Germans spending 4 hours on their skis and apparently adding an extra layer for the fast schuss along the upper section.
I left my team in charge of my skis requesting just a bit of wax if time!
Servicing skis pre 75th Inferno
Four hours later, the winds had picked up and once again the start for the 2018 75th Inferno was moved back down to the lower start at the top of the Almendhubel funicular lift with the finish to be in Murren.
As Christoph Egger, Race Director, pointed out – despite being a short course it is still longer than the longest FIS race plus, to give an extra twist, a small jump was placed just above the village centre finish.
The Germans were back in the workshop reapplying different wax, whatsapp messages were flying around my groups of participating friends as to whether a GS ski or a Super G ski would be more beneficial for this short course.
The customary burning of the devil took place.
It is said to ward off any bad spirits the night before the main Inferno race event, and still it carried on snowing.
Race day, it was still snowing on and off and heavy winds picked up as the day progressed, confirming the right decision to move the start down by the race organisers.
1705 skiers participated this year, the fastest, Marcel Fassler, coming down at number 525 in 2 mins 46 seconds and with the jump just before a fast left bend in to the finish there was certainly some added excitement to the otherwise short, fast course.
Vanessa at the Jump – Inferno 2018 – Pic: Rob Webb
Vanessa in a racing tuck Pic: Rob Webb
The route was running faster than the team event, I even knocked off over a minute off my time to earn a ‘bronze’ in my category and the 3rd fastest GB female in my category.
So with two races under my belt, it’s on to the third race in Saas Fee, the “Allalin-Rennen” in March.
We’ve had parading witches, burning cauldrons and devils…
I’m wondering what will come next…?
Vanessa in Red, flanked by Other Super-3 skiers after Inferno 2018
To get the feel for the Inferno have a quick look at the video below:
Annecy Mountains launches as the new name for the area in France between Annecy Lake and the surrounding mountains.
This new brand incorporates four local authorities to promote the territory through the world of tourism, the economy and the inhabitants with the following tourist offices:
Lac d’Annecy
La Clusaz
Le Grand-Bornand
Manigod
Saint-Jean-de-Sixt
Sources du Lac d’Annecy
Thônes Coeur des Vallées
Annecy Mountains has three ambitions: to enter the Top 15 Must See Destinations; to become a World Class Destination and to work to build the best Partnerships in the region.
A new website has been launched with three main sections – Live In, Visit In and Invest in: www.annecymountains.com
For full details please Click the Image Below to Download the PDF Brochure
ENDS
Notes:
Lake Annecy Ski Resorts no longer exists as a brand name, Annecy Mountains replaces this with a wider remit to encompass all the Tourist Offices listed in the above Press Release
