Brochure Win 2007 prtcom.cdr

the Last Resort
Wintersports Holidays
in the Massif des Aravis
Winter Holidays in France
At the Last Resort the emphasis is always on your
enjoyment and making sure you get the most out of
our well kept secret - the Aravis.
The Aravis in the Northern French Alps close to
Geneva offers a huge range of wintersports, with
access to over 230km of piste & miles of hidden off
piste. Not to mention the fantastic ski touring, snow
shoe routes and cross country skiing trails.
Short or long breaks, skiing and snowboarding for all levels, great for non skiers. We
can create tailor made inclusive packages to suit your individual needs.
Highly Experienced Team
Our team have worked in the ski industry for many years and know what makes a good
holiday great! We're always around to make sure your stay is hassle free, allowing you
to get on with the serious job of having a good time.
Luxurious Catered Chalet
The chalet Pre Fleuri offers excellent catered accommodation
in the centre of a friendly Savoyard village. With it’s
spacious, comfortable living room with log fire, superb
cuisine, ensuite rooms and courtesy transport to the slopes
what more could you need? See page 8 for details.
Self Catered Chalets & Apartments
We offer a range of self catering accommodation from the
top class Pre Fleuri apartments and Chalet Beauvoir to lower cost studios & apartments
in the village. Unlike many ski apartments the
Pre Fleuri has been designed to give you room
to RELAX - proper bedrooms, well equipped
kitchens, ensuite facilities. All self catering
holidays include the help of our resort staff
should you need it.
The self catered chalets are ideal for a family
gathering, or a group of friends. We have
access to a number of chalets which sleep
between 6 and 12 people around the village.
See page 9 for details.
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St Jean de Sixt
We are based in the village of St Jean de Sixt just 3 km or 5 minutes drive or bus ride
from both La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand town centres and ski-lifts, ideally situated
for both areas. The Ski bus stop is only a minute's walk from our chalet and is free on
the area lift pass.
St Jean has it's own small ski area, which is ideal for
beginners. There is a well-stocked supermarket, 2
restaurants, 2 bars, 2 boulangeries and a pizza
takeaway, very convenient for self catering! There are
also ski shops, a pharmacy, doctor, post office and cashpoint all within a couple of minute's walk of the chalet.
Easy to get here
Less than 1 hour’s drive, Geneva airport is served by
several low cost airlines from airports throughout the UK, making this is a perfect place
for long weekends, short breaks and last minute getaways as well as longer holidays.
Private Airport Transfers
Quick and efficient - we provide transfers from Geneva direct
to the chalet and apartments. These are included in many of
our catered holidays - see price list for details. We can also
arrange transfers from Lyon and Chambery.
Ferry Inclusive Packages
A straightforward drive of about 8 hours from Calais and
Zeebrugge with all but the last 20 minutes on motorway - it’s
an easy and cost effective alternative to flying. We can arrange P&O Ferries
Dover/Calais and Hull/Zeebugge crossings.
By Rail
Travel to Annecy by Eurostar/TGV and we can pick you up from the station.
Lessons and Guiding
We work with top class guides and instructors to provide all levels of ski & snowboard
instruction & guiding from complete beginner to offpiste, moguls, carving, snowblades
and freestyle, plus cross country skiing, ski-touring and snow shoeing.
For the latest information make sure you check out our website
regularly www.lastresort.info or call us free on 0800 652 3977.
We look forward to helping you enjoy the Aravis.
Ali, Al & the team
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Make the Last Resort your first choice!…
Welcome to our winter playground in the Aravis
Three traditional alpine villages, two great ski areas with an
excellent snow record providing over 230km of marked piste and
acres of off piste this has to be one of the best kept secrets in
France. There are hardly any major UK tour operators here and the
area has kept its Savoyard charm and hospitality.
La Clusaz is a lively resort but still retains a village ambience. It’s
the second oldest ski resort in France and a favourite skiing holiday
destination for the French.
Le Grand Bornand and St Jean de Sixt are traditional farming
villages which have evolved into ski resorts whilst maintaining
their original charm.
The Aravis allows you to get away from the concrete package
tour resorts, you can even eat well on the mountain without
losing your shirt. Experience a skiing holiday where you are truly
welcomed by the locals.
The Skiing and Boarding
The Espace Aravis has something to please everyone from
groomed motorways to tough moguls and miles of offpiste and a modern lift system.
Beginners
Grand Bornand is ideal with very accessible nursery slopes and lots
of long but easy runs to build your confidence. It's easy to progress
from the nursery slopes to cruising around the mountain.
The Beauregard plateau in La Clusaz is also perfect for beginners,
it's altitude means that you can learn to ski even at Easter in the
spring sunshine.
See page 9 for details of how to get started on these great sports.
Intermediates
There are miles of well groomed blues & reds in both resorts, where
you can improve technique or just have a blast and demanding
black runs to test intermediate as well as advanced skiers and
boarders.
Advanced
The bowls of La Balme and La Torchere offer easily accessible high
level offpiste. The north facing aspect of these bowls keeps the
snow in excellent condition throughout the season. You can also
hire a guide who can show you the best places to find fresh,
untracked snow in the combes and couloirs of the Aravis.
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The many mogul fields are great for getting to grips with bump
skiing, especially “Edgars wall” which is a true test of big bump
technique!
If all this isn’t enough, the massive Megeve ski area has now
been linked to the tiny resort of La Giettaz only 15 minutes drive
from La Clusaz, giving us easy access to another 450km of piste
in the Evasion Mont Blanc ski area.
Board Parks and Freestyle
La Clusaz has one of the largest dedicated snowboard parks in France with a massive halfpipe,
jumps, rails, tables and quarter pipes. Grand Bornand also has a boarder cross track and a
snowpark with a halfpipe. Aravis Challenge offer freestyle ski & board
lessons to get big air both in the park and freeriding on the mountain.
Heli-Skiing/Boarding
Heliskiing isn’t as expensive as you might think. We can offer many
options so please give us a call for more details. All trips are with
qualified guides.
Ski Touring
For the more adventurous the region is renowned for it's "Ski de
Randonee" or ski touring possibilities. Attach a pair of skins and binding converters to discover a
whole new dimension of offpiste away from the lift systems. For this we recommend you use the
services of a qualified guide who will provide safety equipment and training in it's use. See page
7 for details of our ski touring weeks.
Cross Country Skiing
The area is home to cross country world champion Vincent Vittoz
and has over 140km of pisted trails in beautiful scenery, from
easy greens to energetic and technical blacks. Lessons and
equipment hire are available for both disciplines - skating and
classic are practised here.
Snow Shoeing
If you don’t fancy sliding around on skis we can organise guided
snowshoe walks to view the scenery & local wildlife or just as an excuse for a big lunch in a
mountain restaurant! Get off the beaten track in the mountains with a guide, or follow one of
the easy well marked trails.
Non Skiers & Apres Ski
There’s plenty to do for non skiers or for apres ski activities
including ice skating, ice karting, sledging, tandem paraglider
flights, swimming in a heated indoor/outdoor pool, long lunches in
mountain restaurants or a trip to the medieval old town at Annecy.
So even if you have a mixed group there’s something available for
everyone.
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Learn to Ski or Snowboard - Made Easy
If you're feeling a bit daunted at the prospect of organising a ski
holiday for the first time our hand-holding service will take the
stress away. Go for our "learn to ski" package and we'll organise
everything for you including:
o
Booking lessons
o
Equipment hire
o
Lift passes
o
We'll even take you to the ski hire shop and to your first
lesson to make sure you know the way.
All you need to do is get to Geneva and
we'll take over. We meet your flight, and
bring you direct to the resort (the transfer is normally less than 1 hour).
On arrival your lift passes will be waiting for you. After you have settled
in to your accommodation, you will be taken to the ski shop where we
will help you select boots and skis. Normally we try to get your
equipment organised on the day of arrival, if this isn't possible we'll
collect you in the morning, take you to the hire shop and then to meet
your instructor.
This service even starts whilst your still at
home as we offer free advice on clothing, fitness and travel options
in our beginners fact sheet.
Is it the Right Resort for me?
Grand Bornand is an ideal beginners resort with easily accessible,
perfect nursery slopes and plenty of well groomed greens and
confidence building blue runs. If you're with a mixed ability group
there's also plenty for the experts to go at both in Grand Bornand
and La Clusaz. Plenty of mountain restaurants, some right by the nursery slopes make ideal
meeting points before and after lessons where you can partake of a well earned vin chaud or
hot chocolate.
Lessons - Private or Group?
You have the choice - group lessons are ideal if you want to meet people and have someone
else around to practice with. They tend to be cheaper as well!
Private lessons on the other hand are more flexible and with a
lower student to instructor ratio are better focused to individual
needs. And if there are 3 or 4 of you they don't work out that much
more expensive than group lessons. Private lessons are the only
option for weekends and short breaks. Group lessons are split
according to age and ability while private lessons enable families
or friends to learn together.
We work with Aravis Concept an independent school with a small
team of handpicked motivated professionals.
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Off Piste Skiing & Boarding
For those who are already good skiers & boarders, we have teamed up
with 'Aravis Challenge' to offer specialist courses for intermediate and
advanced levels. Aravis Challenge is run by Yann and Freddy Quenet.
Yann is an ex world cup mogul skier and was
also the coach to the British Mogul Team.
Together with the rest of their instructors they offer a range of options
including beginners & advanced off piste, private guiding, freeride &
freestyle ski and snowboard clinics.
It's probably every skiers dream to blast through untouched waist deep
powder. But how many of us can do it? Most holiday skiers think that
they will never achieve this Nirvana but don't be put off, Yann reckons
that if you can ski confidently on red runs he can teach you how to ski off piste!
Tap in to this wealth of knowledge; you can book Yann or one of his team either privately by the
day or half day or join in with one of their group lessons or courses. For more information give
us a call on 0800 652 3977 to discuss your requirements.
All off piste courses include hire and training in the use use of ARVA avalanche rescue equipment to help ensure your
safety.
Ski & Snowboard Touring
The Aravis is one of the best ski touring regions in France with routes for all
levels from beginner to expert. You can do half or full day routes and multi
day routes with overnight stops in mountain refuges. This is the way to really
discover the mountains in Winter and get away from the crowds and the
sound of ski lifts. Ski Touring or Ski de Randonnee allows you to explore
peaks and valleys not accessible via lift systems and to make your own
mark on untracked snowfields.
Ski touring at it's simplest level is hiking on skis. Using special light weight skis with bindings that
release at the heel and allow you to climb with synthetic "Skins" on the bottom of your skis. At
the top you remove the skins and lock the bindings into the normal
downhill position and enjoy the descent. Snowboarders can join in using
snowshoes for the ascent and strapping your board to your rucksack.
Climbing can be a little slower than with skis but you’ll catch up on the
descent!
Introduction to Ski Touring
You can learn how to do it on one of our introduction to ski touring
weeks. A complete package including ski & boot hire, safety equipment,
mountain guides and an optional overnight stay in a refuge. See price list for dates & prices.
Experienced Ski Tourers
For those with an extensive knowledge of mountain craft. We can supply written guides and
offer advice or you can hire a guide.
DON’T FORGET - Never go off piste without first consulting the local ski patrol info, always wear an avalanche
transceiver and carry a shovel & probe - AND KNOW HOW TO USE THEM.
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Luxury Catered Chalet
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Ensuite Rooms
Superb 4 course meals
Private airport transfers
Courtesy transport to and from the
slopes
Heated ski boot driers
Complimentary bar fully stocked with
beer, wine and mixers.
Free Internet access
The perfect ski holiday - superb chalet, excellent food, great company and
first class service.... all this and more is included when you stay at the Pre
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Fleuri. We've been running catered chalet holidays since 1997 and with our
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experienced staff we know how to help you get the most out of your holiday.
You’ll find a relaxed friendly atmosphere, whether you come on your own or #
as a couple, group of friends or family you
can take it easy, make friends and be well looked after by a great team.
The spacious and tastefully decorated living room is the perfect place to
relax and chat after a day on the mountain, with a traditional log burning
stove surrounded by comfortable sofas. Put your feet up with a glass of
wine from the bar while dinner is prepared for you. Four courses of top
class international cuisine with vegetarian alternatives - or early dinner for
children - are served 6 nights a week. On chalet night off midweek you can
sample the local cuisine in one of the village restaurants, two minute’s walk
away, or go uptown to La Clusaz or le Grand Bornand.
Chalet breakfast sets you up for the morning, there are loads of eateries on the mountain for lunch, or you
can order a pack lunch from the chalet. When you get back from the slopes
there’ll be home-made cakes and other delights to keep you going till
dinner.
Tea, coffee, and soft drinks are always available free of charge on a serve
yourself basis, as is our complimentary bar stocked with beer, wine and
mixers.
The PC based music system caters for nearly all tastes and you're welcome
to bring along your CD's or connect your Mp3 player.
There’s a separate TV room with satellite, video and DVD players and a
stock of films, also you can hire English DVD's in the village.
We’ve a well stocked library and popular board games.
You have free use of the dedicated internet computer, plus there’s ethernet,
WIFI and Bluetooth access if you want to bring your own laptop.
We can organise your lift-passes and help with equipment hire and lessons, or provide a complete
package to make it all as hassle free as possible.
Our luxury minibuses will take you to the main lifts at either La Clusaz or le Grand Bornand at the
beginning of the day and pick you up at the end. If you want to come back to the chalet during the day or
flit between the two ski areas it’s a matter of minutes on the inter-station ski bus.
Sleeps up to 18 guests
The catered chalet is normally limited to 16 guests for mixed bookings but by using an extra apartment
within the chalet we can cater for up to 18 for a group booking. You can book
the whole catered chalet for exclusive use for 10 people upwards.
For larger groups it’s possible to book the whole building as a combination of
catered and self-catered.
Bedrooms
A choice of twin, double, triple and quad family rooms, some with balconies.
All rooms have their own shower, wc and washbasin. Single rooms are also
available with a supplement.
Our housekeeping service means rooms are cleaned and beds made daily.
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Pre Fleuri Apartments
Spacious and well decorated with ensuite facilities, TV & DVD players.
South facing balconies, fully equipped kitchen areas with dishwashers, full
size ovens, gas hobs & microwaves.
Pre Fleuri is a large chalet containing 3 apartments as well as the catered
accommodation, set in it's own sunny gardens in the centre of St Jean de
Sixt. There are ski racks, heated boot dryers and ample car parking space. There’s free WIFI & Bluetooth
internet access if you bring your own laptop or use the chalet computer for a small fee.
“Penthouse” for up to 8 people
A charming and spacious three bedroomed loft apartment. The large living room has
an open fire, exposed beams, south facing balcony, stereo, TV & DVD, fully equipped
kitchen area. A large twin or double bedroom with ensuite shower and wc, a twin
bedroom with washbasin, a bunk room with wc and washbasin plus separate shower
room and wc. Both large bedrooms can accommodate an extra mattress (plenty of
floor space but low headroom), or 1 or 2 can sleep in the living room. Also there’s
the option of an additional bedroom on the floor below.
2 room apartment for up to 4 people
Living room with kitchen area, south facing balcony, bed-settee with pull out bed (makes 2 singles), table
and chairs, TV & DVD player. Twin or double bedroom, shower room with
washbasin, separate WC.
3 room “Lachat “apartment for up to 6 people
Living room with kitchen area, south facing balcony, bed-settee with pull out
bed (makes 2 singles), table and chairs, TV & DVD player. Two twin or double
bedrooms with en-suite shower, washbasin, WC plus a separate shower room
with washbasin & WC.
3 room “Danay” apartment for up to 6 people
Living room with kitchen area, south facing balcony, TV & DVD player. Large
bedroom with double or twin plus bunk beds with en-suite shower, washbasin, wc, balcony. Twin or double
bedroom, Shower room with washbasin, separate WC.
Apartment for 8 people
As 3 room apartment but with additional en-suite bedroom (double, twin or quad).
Please note, there are more beds than the number of people specified, but kitchen/living accommodation
would be cramped if full bed occupancy was used. Some of the rooms will accommodate a cot or Z-bed.
Other Apartments
There are a number of studios and apartments available in and around the village, please give us a call
for more details.
Self Catered Chalets
Ideal for larger groups - self catered chalets for 6 to 12 people. All the
chalets are recently built or renovated and provide comfortable spacious
accommodation. For the ultimate in luxury the Chalet Beauvoir has a huge
jacuzzi, sauna and gym along with 5 star living.
As the chalets are out of the village centre we recommend that you have a
car.
There are too many properties to include in this brochure but photos and descriptions are available on our
website or we can send them by email.
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Travel Information
Fly to Geneva
Less than a 2-hour flight from many UK airports served by a number of airlines,
and a painless 1 hour drive to the resort. You can hire a car, use our transfer
service (included in our catered chalet prices for 4 or more travelling, see price list
for supplements for self-catered and smaller groups), or there’s a direct bus from
the airport to St Jean de Sixt .
Here are some suggestions:
www.easyjet.com, Western Air Travel www.westernair.co.uk, www.jet2.com, www.ba.com,
www.BMIbaby.com, www.flybe.com, www.swiss.com and www.klm.com
We can also arrange transfers from Chambery & Lyon airports.
Train to Annecy
Eurostar from London or Ashford to Paris and then TGV to Annecy is an extremely civilised way to get here.
There is a regular bus service from Annecy station to the resort, or we can arrange a transfer, which takes
about 35 minutes. Visit www.raileurope.com.
Self-Drive
A great alternative at holiday periods when flights are hard to come by or
if you prefer the flexibility of having your own vehicle. We can arrange
ferry crossings for you with P&O Ferries on their Dover/Calais and
Hull/Zeebrugge routes.
Dover/Calais ferries run around the clock and the crossing time is about
75 minutes. On board facilities include shops, restaurants and bars. Relax
in style in the Club lounge for a small supplement.
It's an easy 8-hour drive on the autoroute from Calais to St Jean de Sixt and not much longer from
Zeebrugge. The Hull/Zeebrugge route gives you the advantage of a good nights sleep on the crossing
and saves hours of driving if you live in the North. It’s also surprisingly good value in the Winter.
Depending on the number of people travelling, driving can be an economical alternative to flying, and
gives you the option of travelling around and extending your stay.
Essential things to bring
A valid passport - It can take from 2 days to 4 weeks to get a UK passport, depending on urgency and the
method you use. Call the Passport Office orderline for application forms on 0901 470 0110, or the
helpline on 0870 521 0410 for more info. Non EU citizens should check with the French Embassy re visa
requirements.
Insurance Documents
It's a condition of booking that you have adequate insurance for medical/rescue, repatriation expenses
and personal liability, with cover for all activities you are going to do. You should include cancellation &
curtailment cover, and baggage/equipment if they're not covered by your household insurance. It should
also cover damage/loss of any equipment you may hire. The policy should be taken out at the time of
booking your holiday so that if you have to cancel (for a reason covered by the policy) you can reclaim
any cancellation charges - see booking conditions opposite. UK Residents should also get a new form
E111 (available from Post Offices).
Non-UK residents may need an appropriate policy from their own country.
Your vehicle documents if driving
Driving licence all drivers, car registration document, MOT and insurance certificates. Make sure your
vehicle insurance covers you for Europe. Motor breakdown insurance is recommended.
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Booking Conditions
Please read these Conditions carefully. Together with the information in the Brochure they form part of the contract between you and The
Last Resort (UK) Ltd (“us”).
Booking & Payment
A deposit of 20% of the total holiday cost should be sent with your booking form. Payment in full is due 8 weeks before start date of the
holiday. Please note if full payment is not received on time this could be treated as cancellation by you.
For your protection and in compliance with EC package travel regulations, funds to cover all your advance payments will be held in a
special trust account until your holiday is completed.
Changes to Booking
Requests for amendments to confirmed bookings will be accommodated wherever possible, however if they are not possible and you
cancel your booking, cancellation charges will apply.
Cancellation by you
If you wish to cancel your booking we must be notified in writing by the person who signed the booking form, and by recorded delivery.
The following charges will apply for cancellations received before the holiday start date:
No of days before start date of holiday:
More than 56
Deposit
35 to 56
50% of holiday cost
22 to 34
70% of holiday cost
2 to 21
90% of holiday cost
less than 2
100% of holiday cost
If the reason for cancellation falls within the terms of your travel insurance you should be able to reclaim these charges less any excess.
Cancellation by us
In the highly unlikely event that we have to cancel your holiday you will be offered an alternative holiday or full refund of all money you
have paid to us.
Insurance
You must have adequate personal medical, accident, and liability travel insurance, with cover for all activities you are going to do. You
should include cover for cancellation & curtailment from the time of booking, and for baggage, personal effects and sporting equipment
including hired skis and snowboards.
Property
You will be liable for any loss or damage you cause to any property belonging to us or any third party. We cannot be held responsible for
any loss, damage or theft to your personal belongings.
Self-catering rentals
You undertake to leave the apartment in the same clean state as that in which you found it. A deposit of £150 per apartment will be
taken at the beginning of your holiday which will be returned in full less any damage, loss, breakage or cleaning costs.
Activities
Some of the activities described in this brochure are dependent on weather and other factors. If in the interest of safety the activities
cannot be pursued we cannot be held responsible. All activities are undertaken at your own risk. You undertake to act sensibly and safely.
Travel
You are subject to the terms and conditions of carriage of the carrier, which may limit or exclude liability and be governed by international
agreements. Ferry crossings that are part of an inclusive holiday may be amended but are not transferable. If cancelled less than 56 days
before outward travel date cancellation charges may apply.
If by any chance you are unhappy with any aspect of your holiday, please discuss it with the staff straightaway, so that we can do our best
to resolve matters. If after this you are not satisfied and wish to make a complaint, this must be received in writing by us within 28 days of
the end of your holiday.
Any compensation for which we may be liable under this contract will be limited to a reasonable amount not exceeding that paid to us for
the holiday.
Winter Brochure Issue 2. We reserve the right to amend the information in this brochure.
This contract is governed by English Law.
the Last Resort (UK) Limited
UK:
Fullers Earth
Cattistock
Dorset
DT2 0JL
0800 652 3977
France:
Le Pré Fleuri
Saint Jean de Sixt
74450
France
(+33) 04 50 02 36 71
email - [email protected]
Summer:
Paragliding &
Alpine Activity Sports
www.lastresort.info
Repairing the damage caused by greenhouse gas
emissions with Climate Care. By contributing to the
Climate Care scheme we are offsetting the CO2
emissions created by the travel portion of your
holiday, making it climate neutral. Please call us for
more details or visit the Climate Care website at
www.co2.org