When ski seasons end, mountain resorts promptly change gears and start getting ready for the influx of tourists who want an active, outdoor summer holiday. After all, where better to go than to beautiful, scenic mountains, where there’s hiking, biking and sightseeing aplenty? It’s true – the Alps in summer offer some stunning trekking, and this is one of a series of articles which focuses on one area and lets you know about all the best hikes.
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Hot Air Balloon Trips in the Alps
Hot Air Balloon trips are an unbelievable experience. The peace and serenity of soaring almost soundlessly above the world below is something almost without compare. Now imagine how amazing drifting over snow-capped mountains must be, with the jagged peaks spread out before you. Here are just some of the most incredible hot air balloon rides you can take advantage of on your trip to the Alps.
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Kumi Yama 2012 – Les Deux Alpes Freestyling Event of the Year – July 6-8 2012
Getting out on the slopes in summer is an extra special treat. It’s nice to know that the ski season for Europe isn’t entirely over the moment you reach (end of) April. In some places not only can you ski through the summer but you can also visit excellent ski and snowboard contests. Enter, then, Kumi Yama.
6 Difficult Ski Runs in the French Alps
We all aspire to ski down a mountain, leaping over rocks and creating many a flurry of snow in our wake, preferably in slow motion so everyone can admire our prowess. Never mind that you’re only on the nursery slopes and aren’t allowed on a drag lift yet. One day you will get there, and when you do you will be pleased to know that there are some terrifying runs out there just waiting for you. Here is Europe Mountain’s choice of the top 6 hardest runs in the French Alps.
Face de Bellevarde, Val d’Isere
The Face de Bellevard, or ‘le Face’ as it is chummily called by those whose thighs it has destroyed, is deceptive. It is fairly steep but not sheer, and it is for the overwhelming majority wide and open. But it is long. It runs for 2905m, with a vertical drop of 972m, and was famously used in the 1992 Olympics for the men’s downhill race. It can also get quite technical, especially once the snow has been swished around a bit: expect moguls, ice sheets and rocks poking through the piste to sneak up on you. There’s no real way to get out of this one once you’ve begun, too, so be aware of that when you take the gondola up to the top of the Rocher de Bellevard. On the other hand, if you’re prepared to take your time, it’s a black run that even intermediates can have a go at. For an inspirational look at how to do it, check out.
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