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With the 2010 / 2011 winter holiday season almost upon us, we thought we would share our top 10 ‘strange but true’ ski and snow facts..

1) A Brief History: Although the modern ski has come a long way over the last 20 years, evidence exists that skis were actually being used as far back as 500BC, that’s over 7000 years ago.. In comparison, snowboarding, one of the biggest winter sports crazes for ever has only been around since around 1970 just a mere 40 years ago.

2) So you think its getting cold? The site, known simply as Ridge A, is nearly 14,000 metres high and is located deep within the Antarctic Plateau. It has an average winter temperature of minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 70 degrees Celsius) and is so remote that it is thought that no human has ever set foot there.

3) The Longest Skis! The longest skis are 534 m (1,751 ft 11 in) long and were worn by 1,043 skiers in an event organized by Danske Bank on Drottninggatan in rebro, Sweden, on 13 September 2008.

4) Feeling The Need For Speed Feel the need for speed? While most of us are happy to cruise the slopes at a respectable 20 to 40kph, Simone Origone achieved a mind boggling speed of 251.4kph in Les Arcs, France in 2006 making him the worlds fastest person on a pair of skis..

5) Daredevils Only! The longest ski lift in the world links two entirely separate mountains – 7,160ft Whistler and 8,000ft Blackcomb – at a point where they are a mind-boggling 2.7 miles apart. Like to get closer to the gods while skiing? Then the place for you is the Bolivian Andes where you’ll find the worlds highest ski resort at a sun dazzling 17,388 feet or 5,300 meters..

6) Lofty Heights While many ski resorts reside at an altitude of anything between 1500 and 3500 meters, the world’s highest ski resort clocks in at a dizzy 17,388 feet (5,300 meters) above sea level in the Bolivian Andes.

7) Where is the worlds longest ski slope? According to some, which may be debatable with other resorts, the longest ski run in the world is at Chamonix Mont-Blanc, France.Chamonix boasts a 22 KM or 13.7 miles run called Vallee Blanche with a vertical drop of 2807 meters or 9209 feet.. Feel the burn.

Where did the most snow fall in a single day? This was reportedly in Silver Lake, Colorado where a whopping 75.8 inches (6.3 feet) of fresh snow fell in one day between April 14^th and 15^th, 1921.

9) Hail! Hail! The largest hailstones reported were produced on April 14^th, 1986 in a storm over Bangladesh. The hailstones weight was reported to be up to 2¼ lbs, and were said to have killed 92 people.

10) Monsters in the mountains. The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is said to be an ape-like cryptid that inhabits the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region. Stories of the Yeti first emerged as a facet of Western popular culture in the 19th century. The scientific community generally regards the Yeti as a legend, given the lack of conclusive evidence,yet it remains one of the most famous creatures of cryptozoology. The Yeti may be considered a sort of parallel to the Bigfoot of North America.

So there you have it, 10 strange but true facts for your enjoyment while away on your winter sports holiday and although they’re unlikely to make you a better skier, we hope that at least they will make for interesting conversation with friends and family while away on you winter vacation.

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Embarking on a winter holiday this year? Protect yourself with winter sports and ski travel insurance from gosimply.com. Visit the gosimply.com” href=”http://www.gosimply.com/blog/”>gosimply travel blog and check out our gosimply.com” href=”http://www.gosimply.com/blog/top-tips-for-winter-holidays-and-ski-insurance-1-of-6/”>Top Tips For Winter Holidays and Ski Insurance, too, to help ensure an enjoyable trip.

If you were to say that you had enjoyed some fantastic skiing in the desert with the perfect snow conditions, chances are that people would think that you’re suffering from sunstroke, had a little too much to drink or have completely lost the plot.

It’s a fact, the chances of perfect snow conditions in the scorching desert heat are about as likely as the proverbial snowball’s chance in hell right?

Well actually, if you fancy spending the morning at some of the hottest beach areas in the world then heading off for an afternoon of skiing or snowboarding, the Middle East resort city of Dubai could well be the answer.

This really is one ski experience that must be seen to be believed. Standing some 85 meters high (that’s around 25 storeys) and 80 meters wide, Ski Dubai holds the position as the world’s largest indoor ski slope, made even more amazing by the fact that it’s located in one of the hottest countries in the world.

The complex boasts 5 separate runs that vary in difficulty, height and gradient, with the longest ski run being 400 meters and descending over 60 meters. Size isn’t everything with this technologically amazing construction. The facility is fully-equipped with a themed restaurant, several cafes with views of the slope, and an exclusive retail shop with expert staff to advise you on your equipment. Ski Dubai also has its own team of professional Ski & Snowboard Academy instructors to help you learn to glide down the slope with ease.

Key features of Ski Dubai include:

• A guest capacity of 1,500
• Freestyle zone
• 3,000m² Snow Park with a snow cavern
• Quad chairlift, tow lift and flying carpets
• Rental of quality equipment and clothing included in the ticket price
• Qualified professional instructors
• State of the art ticketing system
• Changing areas with locker rental
• Private kids’ party rooms
• Exclusive retail shop – Snow Pro
• St Moritz Cafe and Avalanche Cafe

With the interior temperature maintained at a cool -1º to -2º, Ski Dubai is without a doubt the coolest place to go, in more ways than one, after a day on the beach.

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Taking a skiing or snowboarding holiday this winter? Protect yourself with winter sports and ski travel insurance from gosimply.com. You’ll also find valuable advice when you visit the gosimply.com” href=”http://www.gosimply.com/blog/”>gosimply travel blog and check out our gosimply.com” href=”http://www.gosimply.com/blog/top-tips-for-winter-holidays-and-ski-insurance-1-of-6/”>Top Tips For Winter Holidays and Ski Insurance.

If like many people you love those winter sports it may actually be worth trying them out for yourself. Now obviously you cannot just jump straight in there without first having lessons as you are likely to cause yourself some serious harm. Even if you are an experienced skier there is still no way to tell if you are going to have an accident or not. 1 out of every 100 skiers are likely to suffer an injury in a typical 5 day ski vacation. However if it is snowboarding you fancy this is likely to be halved with 1 in 50 doing themselves an injury.

Of course by injury it is certainly not meant that death or near death has anything to do with it. Even a broken arm or leg could cost you a lot of money if you do not have insurance. Although it is going to be a lot more expensive to ski in places like Europe this year as for Brits the Euro is at a all time low in the exchange rates the cost of travel insurance is still quite low. For just under twenty pounds you can get yourself covered against all types of injuries which of course could benefit you if you unfortunately turn out to be one of these people who injures themselves on the slopes.

Do not let the current economical climate get you down this winter, get to another one and tear up the slopes knowing that if something does go wrong you have some insurance to back you up. I-pod insurance could also come in useful if you are looking to take it with you.

Of course if you are at home it is worth checking the home insurance to see if it covers you from everything. Sometimes only home emergency insurance will cover you from the less obvious things that are care potentially going to cost a lot of money to fix.