Hoteis em Porto Seguro Pousadas em Porto Seguro Porto Seguro
by Henry Schlee
When you are booking a vacation rental property in a ski resort there is an indisputable magic to the phrase 'ski-in, ski-out'. It conjures up images of a loving restored log cabin on the edge of an immaculately groomed piste, of watching fellow skiers carve elegant turns from your living room window, with the occasional spray of snow against the window pane. It suggests stepping out of your front door, clicking on your skis and gliding down the slopes to the lift. You may anticipate avoiding the crush of people waiting for a lukewarm and soggy pizza in the mountain restaurant by using your own chalet as ... a mountain restaurant. And, perhaps best of all, you may look forward to skiing back to your own front door at the end of the afternoon and forgetting about trudging along paths and the indignity of crowded shuttle buses.
The reality may be very different. Knowing the power of the term 'ski-in, ski-out', vacation rental providers are quick to use it to cover a myriad of different arrangements and a range of proximity to the slopes. Here are a few things to watch out for:
1. The 'ski-in ski-out' home that is really 'hiking distance' to the slopes.
The economics of housing development on mountainsides mean that when an area
is developed next to the slopes, only some of it is actually next to the slopes.
There is almost certain to be a hinterland of properties that have access to
the slopes...via pathways, steps, roadways etc. The pathways may be short, or
they may not. Make sure you ask exactly how far a particular property is from
the actual ski slope, and what the path is actually like: is it a level walkway
or a series of dozens of icy steps?
2. The ski-in, ski-out home that is reached via an ungroomed trail through the
woods. When these homes were originally built the developers cut a trail to
them so that they could be sold as 'ski-in, ski-out'. However these trails are
very often too narrow for a snow-cat to use; furthermore, they are very likely
private property and the lift company which grooms the slopes may have no responsibility
for them. Only if the owners of properties served by that trail get together
and make private arrangements for grooming will you find the trail in good enough
condition for safe usage.
3. The ski-in, ski-out home that offers good ski-in, ski-out access...if you've
chosen one of the 2 weeks of the year when the snow is down to that level. Many
resorts that offer ski accommodation are down in the valley, and global warming
has led to a raising of the snow line and a decline in the number of weeks that
snow is on the ground at given elevations.
4. Finally, there is the nirvana: a ski-in, ski-out home that is what it says
it is: situated right on slopes which are snow-covered throughout the season
and groomed by the lift company's snowcats daily. This is what is often now
referred to as 'true ski-in, ski-out'. However, you may find that because this
real estate is so scarce it is also very pricey, or alternatively it is developed
with rather high-density and charmless accommodation. The Aspens in Whistler
is a good example of this. The situation is perfect, right on the slopes, but
the accommodation is mostly fairly spartan.
The lesson here is simple. When you are booking ski-in, ski-out accommodation,
make sure that you know exactly what you are getting. If you are booking a resort
such as Whistler, where there are many gradations of ski-in, ski-out accommodation,
consult one of the local property management companies like Holiday Whistler,
and question them very closely on its exact location before you book yourWhistler
ski accommodation.
About the Author
Henry Schlee is the owner of Holiday Whistler and can offer expert advice on ski-in, ski-out and other types of rental property in Whistler.
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