La Plagne
La Plagne has announced a long calendar of events this winter, so if you're already booked to go there, these are the shows to look out for when you're in resort. If not already going there, you could see if any appeal and then book your trip to coincide.
The events kick off with the Intercontinental Skeleton Cup on la Plagne's bobsleigh run, one of the most advanced in the world, with 19 high speed turns. Skeleton is the one with the tiny sledges and the competition takes place on December 11th and 12th.
'Les Etoiles Du Sport' ("The Stars Of Sport") is an interesting event that follows on from 12th to 17th December. In this 20 existing French sports champions from 20 different disciplines meet up with 20 promising newbies in the respective sports to compete in teams to try to work out who looks the most promising for the future. It sounds like the kind off thing we ought to be doing more of in the UK to develop our talent in all sports disciplines. www.lesetoilesdusport.com
"The Night Of The Red Pom Pom" on New Year's Eve celebrates La Plagne's iconic bobble hat logo. Centred on Plagne-Bellecôte there'll be an 'outdoor club' complete with white dance floor on snow, a giant ice-bar and a live video show from 10pm onwards in to 2011.
'La Gorzderette' will be back for the eighth time from 28 to 30th January. The, "iciest contest in the world," is staged at Champagny le Haut with lots of team fun snow sports. Last year there were 400 participants all shouting the event's catchphrase, "Relax, everything's going to be just fine!" (probably in French) (gorzderette.free.fr).
A new event on the 12 and 13 February will be the first French Ice Climbing Championships also on the ice tower at Champagny, with timed climbing for the country's best, so it will be exciting to watch.