When is the best time to ski in Cyprus?

In the magical Troodos Mountains the snow is falling. The scenery is stunning and there’s not a cloud in the bright blue sky. During the winter season, the sheer pleasure of waking up to glistening snow, alpine villages and glorious mountains is something you really shouldn’t miss. But when do you go?

Anytime during the year is fabulous, but traditionally, the ski-season is between mid-December and March. The best time is usually January and February when typically, there is enough snow to go downhill skiing or snowboarding. Here’s a top tip though. Watch out for weekends and public holidays – these are very busy, as they are the most popular time for Cypriots to visit and hundreds turn up. You will find that during the week when most people are at work, the slopes are much quieter.

The Troodos Mountains are spread over most of the southern half of Cyprus. Right in the centre, you will find Mount Olympus, which is the highest peak at 1952m. It’s easy to spot. Just look for the structures that look like huge golf balls.

In 1960, the Cyprus Ski Club developed and now has a ski Federation too. There are four regional clubs, and they all compete in various skiing competitions.

Don’t miss visiting the Troodos Ski Centre run by The Cyprus Ski Club. It doesn’t have the grand facilities you will find in Austria, Italy or Canada, but the excellent hospitality makes up for that. The Cyprus Ski Federation also uses these facilities for training their ski racing teams - so you never know; you could see some of the experts practicing while you are there. And as Cyprus has competed in the World Championships and the Olympics, there’s every possibility you could see more than one famous face from the world of skiing on the slopes.

If you’ve never been skiing before, don’t worry. Everyone has to start somewhere. The beginners’ slopes are located in the centre, which is known as Sun Valley. If you don’t feel that adventurous, you can hire a sleigh for just 5 euros a day. At Sun Valley, you will also find a traditional cafeteria where you can enjoy steaming hot cups of chocolate, scrumptious pancakes and all sorts of other tasty things to warm you up.

If you don’t have any equipment of your own, this is also where you can rent whatever you need. But be warned. If you are going at the weekend, make sure you get there early – because rental equipment goes very quickly. Ski equipment rental for adults for the day is 16 euros, for the afternoon only, 12 euros. For children it is 13 euros for the day, 9 euros for the afternoon only. Cross country ski boots are 8 euros a day, snowboard boots are 20 euros a day. A pass for the whole season for members is 180 euros.

By the way, if you are here on holiday, the ski club does accept tourists as temporary members.

Lessons are available for everyone. You can be taught in groups, or individually. Group lessons come in two sections, 5-12 years then 13 years and over. If groups don’t appeal to you, then you can be taught privately. The cost of skiing - whether you are buying a day’s ski pass or just an hour’s private tuition - is incredibly cheap compared to the prices at other international resorts.

To give you an idea, winter 2010/11 rates for a full day pass including VAT are just 23 euros, and an afternoon pass (from 13.00 hours onwards) just 16 euros. What’s more, if you are already a member of the Ski Club, you are entitled to a further 25% discount.

The cost of ski lessons do vary, but are still incredibly good value for money. So, if you’d like to book a lesson, you can contact the Cyprus Ski School on (00 357) 9951659, Ski School Olympus on 99428116 or 25720309 or the Troodos Ski School on 99443450 or 99631452. They will all be pleased to help you.

See you on the slopes soon!
Best wishes
Jackie

The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.Cyprusbuyingguide.com