Chalet Etoile

News from Chalet Etoile, luxury ski chalet to rent in Chinaillon, Le Grand Bornand, France

The snow arrived early this year and it has come in abundance!!! and Le Grand Bornand has had a brilliant start to the season.....

Annecy, has triumphed over Grenoble  and Nice to win the French bid for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. With Skiing taking place in Le Grand Bornand and La Clusaz.

The town in the French Alps near the Swiss border offering a lakeside setting was elected by the French Olympic Committee today after an intensive evaluation process.  It  defeated rivals by receiving 23 votes against 10 for Nice and 9 for Grenoble.

The President of the French Olympic Committee, Sérandour Henry, announced the result,  “The city of the lake is designated as the Applicant City to the IOC ... Annecy 2018, c'est parti!”

Annecy has been pursuing an Olympic bid nomination for several years – first intending to bid for the 2010 Winter Games.  However, France had been focusing on hosting a Summer Games in Paris, most recently losing the 2012 bid to London.  Now, France is aiming for a Winter Games.

The International Olympic Committee will elect the host of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in July 2011 in Durban, South Africa.  Potential competitors include PyeongChang South Korea, Munich Germany and Almaty Kazakhstan.  The application deadline is in October, 2009.

As the debate on wearing a helmet really gathers pace, did you know that the International Ski Federation has set out a  Highway Code of the Slopes, a 10 point code of conduct:

-  You are responsible for your own safety and that of other skiers and snow boarders. Be aware of people around you and take necessary action to avoid skiing dangerously or causing a hazard to yourself or others.

-  Control your direction and speed of travel, taking account of the terrain, snow, weather and traffic conditions.

-  Select an appropriate path. If you are skiing behind someone it’s your responsibility to ski around them without causing any danger to them.

-  You can over-take from either left or right but you must leave enough distance between yourself and other skiers to allow them to manoeuvre properly.

-  Before starting off or pulling out you must look up and down the slope and choose an appropriate moment to execute your manoeuvre, so as not to endanger yourself or other skiers.

-   Avoid stopping at blind corners or narrow or enclosed places unless you have to i.e. you’re injured. In the case of an injury you must vacate the spot as soon as practicable, to avoid further danger (to yourself or others). You should always stop at the side of the piste.

-  You must always use the side of the piste to walk up or down, whether with or without skis on.

-  Pay attention to and follow the signs, markings and notices on the piste.

-  You are obliged by law to offer help and assistance in the event of any accident.

-  You are also obliged by law to give your personal details in the event of an accident, whether you caused it, witnessed it or assisted at it.  

According to the Telegraph, some of the reasons to go skiing this year.....

"Don't panic - just run away"  According to the Telegraph (7.12.08)

"Now is the time to look on the bright side.  The truth is that there are plenty of places where you can seek asylum from the worst of the economy's dark shadow.  For a start you could run to the hills - specifically the Alps.  They're all very cheery in the Alps.  The coldest year since the turn of the century means there is plenty of snow and many resorts are expecting their best season in years"!!!!!!

Also according to the Telegraph: "there remains no better way to forget about real life than to hit the mountains and party like a loon for a week or so,  while subsisting entirely on melted cheese and gluhwein"  We agree!

TOUR DE FRANCE is coming to Le Grand Bornand again in 2009

It is official Le Grand Bornand will again host the Tour de France in July 2009.  Stage 17 will start in Bourg St Maurice and will come over the Col de Colombiere on Wednesday 22nd July and end in Le Grand Bornand.  Stage 18 wil start and finish (?!) on 23rd July in Annecy.

 added 26.10.2008

The Francophoney website described as "all things french described by an outsider" is a blog is written by an Australian living in La Clusaz.  It presents a rare and very amusing insight into France, French people, French traditions, and the French culture especially in the Aravis region.

item added 10.10.2008