Esprit Ski Holidays brand being retired

[kittykarate]

All this season holidays are fine, but no next season

https://planetski.eu/2024/02/09/esprit-ski-to-cease-trading-at-end-of-season/

Saw this morning that Powder White has also ceased trading. Skiing is going to start getting a lot more expensive - already noticed the cost of accommodation and lift passes have gone up considerably since last year. Global warming will compound the issue as people seek higher more snow-sure resorts.

I got the email too, genuinely sad, they had a great product. Came on here to ask who do people recommend for good value family ski holidays.

Crystal ski - Ruka. We're just back. Family of 5 all in £4700. Booking for next year this week!

Ruka is a great place to go as ot has a lot of non ski extra activities (reindeer farms etc), but it has been brutally cold this week - today is the warmest at -17, most of the week it has been -24 or colder.

Levi is also good, available via Inghams.

ski Famille - small British company

Global warming and the increased cost of flying. Probably doesn't make much sense for Britons to fly to the Alps any more.

Better to focus on more sustainable ways of holidaying in future.

I was never that impressed with Esprit when we used them but I’m probably in a minority.

If you’ve got a resort or area in mind, it’s worth checking to see if there’s a company operating just for that resort. When our DC were younger we used Family Ski who were excellent - they are in Ardent (Portes du Soleil) and Reberty (Three Valleys). And Ski Champoluc, who (unsurprisingly!) operate out of Champoluc in Italy offer childcare, although ours were old enough not to need it. I’m sure there are others.

@sunflowerpinks I agree but it’s easy to get the train to the Alps. We’ve skied in France, Italy and Austria over the last 20+ years and never flown, always got the train.

Also, the unreliability of snow from global warming. I know they can cannon the slopes, but grey villages and grassy mountains aren't the views you want from a ski trip.

To artificially snow the slopes, large quantities of water and energy are needed. In addition, artificial snow, given its different composition, is also capable of altering the environment and ecosystem of the affected Alpine areas.

Family Ski Company is a great alternative. https://familyski.co.uk/

I have been wondering how much longer we will be able do ski in the Alps and Pyrenees with global warming.

We are in Spain and managed to get some ski in as snowed last week but it has been on the warmer side and snow has not been great; from 30 to 60km opened out of 130km I believe on the ski resort. I am not a great skier but feel a bit sad about it.

Family Ski Company have good childcare and travel on quiter Sundays!

Not sure where you are skiing in Spain @Mountain9 . But in the Swiss Alps the conditions are good. The Pyrenees and the alps are not comparable — not sure if they ever were. We can’t deny the impact of global warming. But lower and smaller resorts are definitely worst and first to suffer the impact.

Sad news, think I’ve had 13 holidays with Esprit when Dd was younger.