Proximity To The Ski Slopes

When choosing a ski holiday, distance to the slopes for many of us is of course important as we seek to avoid long hikes up icy paths in our ski boots at both the start and end of our ski day. At Chalet Ski Holidays you are probably aware that it is for this reason that we clearly label the approximate distance each chalet is to the nearest piste to help you select accordingly. 

Ski In Ski Out Chalets Are As Close As It Gets

For many, the ultimate location is next to a ski slope, and the term ski in ski out chalets has com to epitomise the pinnacle for ski convenience and rapid access on and off the slopes.

The gold star in terms of ski convenience, it is a much sort after label and in the past, one or two chalets have of course been a little economical with the truth, claiming they are ski in ski out when such is at best, economical with the truth. In many respects it similar to beach villas where I am sure we have all booked a villa that probably seemed a lot further from the beach than the 400m quoted, or the cliff that was in the way meant 400m as the crows flies or as the lovers jump!

Well fear no more, Google has come to our assistance.  

Google Maps Tells It How It Is

Google Maps has over the last two or three years been adding piste maps to its views. Now you really can find out how close Chalet Next to the Piste really is and whether what it claims holds true. Lets take a look at Chalet Prarion in the Chamonix Valley as an example, if you click on Location you will find the following Google Map  view:

The blue curved and solid lines denotes a blue piste, red solid lines the red ski pistes, and a black of course a black ski pistes. The straight red dotted line is also helpful as it denotes a ski lift, so now it is very clear also how far the nearest lift is, and whether you can ski down to it. In the case above, there are two lifts below Chalet Prarion, the Prarion Gondola and the Bellevue Cable Car, both within easy reach.

This view as I’m sure you are aware, can then be further drilled down to see how close the blue piste (the blue line) is from the chalet and whether there are any obstructions blocking the route. As you will see from the screenshot below, in the case of Chalet Prarion, the back garden is joined to the slopes:

Of course, the truly fraudulent operators could provide false Geo locations, and whilst this may go on, we would suggest it is few, if at all.  This would after all not only be damaging to their reputation (there is little excuse for getting it wrong), it would be misrepresentation too.