Descending on Saalbach, Austria; Europe’s Sexiest Ski Town.

On the Top of the World with uplifting beats and the very best atmosphere watching the sun set into the ‘Valley of Dreams’ …… could it be Magic?

What is the Magic?
It’s a happy fact that the ski town of Saalbach, Austria plays host to the 2010 EuroSki Pride ski week. A modern and stylish resort with a host of gay friendly venues, there’s much to do even for non-skiers and as for fans of boarding and skiing the resort offers a layout of over 200 kilometres of well prepared ski slopes, 55 modern cable cars and lifts. And your lips whisper a silent; geeeeee!

Working in collaboration with the Austrian Tourist Board; EuroSki Pride is a unique pride event and gay ski week all wrapped into one with a host of entertainment including Mid-Station and Mountain dance parties, Club Nights, Fun Ski Runs, Cocktail Parties, Live Performances and Mr Gay Snowman and Snow Lady Competitions with massive prizes and free gifts galore throughout the whole week.

Euroski Pride is proud to host a ‘Main Stage’ day with live performances, dance sessions, Charity Presentation and a fireworks finale. Amongst the acts, artists, DJ’s and performers already confirmed include The Boy George Experience who will be performing a special ‘An Audience With’ evening. We have DJ Phil Romano (Italy) – (Rapido Holland / Brussels / Tel Aviv / Rome Italy / Amsterdam). Joining Phil is DJ Rick Parker resident and favourite on Canal Street Manchester. Further artists T.B.C

Our Partnership with C.W.A.C
Euroski Pride’s exclusive charity partner for 2010 is C.W.A.C (Children With A.I.D.S Charity). C.W.A.C has a host of high profile Patrons and Supporters including; George Michael, Christopher Biggins, Yasmin and Simon Le Bon.

We are proud to partner a charity that helps children and their families in the UK, Europe and Worldwide improve the quality of their lives. Under this exclusive partnership EuroSki Pride are making a substantial donation to this worthy organisation with a full charity presentation at our Main Stage event.

Our partnership with the Tourist Board, Austria
Partnering with the Tourist Board of Austria has enabled EuroSki Pride to offer some very special prices on a host of packages from event pass only through to inclusive accommodation offers with further discounts on already highly competitive prices available on bookings confirmed before 30th September 2009.

Of course confirming a booking doesn’t mean that you have to pay for it all now and with some great offers on flights there has not been a better time to confirm a booking.

Please note:
» The Official Euroski Pride website is www.euroskipride.com
» Saalbach-Hinterglemm is located in the Pinzgau region and is reported as one of Austria’s premier ski resorts.
» The nearest large city is Zell am See, located 20km away.
» C.W.A.C (Children With AIDS Charity) is a registered charity in England & Wales number: 1027816

Photos courtesy of www.euroskipride.com.

Annual Event to Attract Nearly 4,000 January 11-18

ASPEN, CO (January 3, 2009)—Aspen Gay Ski Week, the nation’s largest and oldest gay ski event, will celebrate its 32nd anniversary January 11-18, 2009.

“We have pulled out all the stops for this year’s gay ski week, themed ‘Fire & Ice,’ featuring après ski events, comedy night, and the popular downhill costume competition,” remarked Bryan Gonzales, co-producer of Aspen Gay Ski Week and Executive Director of Roaring Fork Gay and Lesbian Community Fund.

The week’s events also include a Prince cover band, “Purple Reign,” a SnowBall, and the infamous pool party on Saturday night. Comedy Night at the Wheeler Opera House showcases top comics Mark Alan Smith, Erin Foley, Scott Kennedy, and Paul Williams—the producer of the show and hilarious emcee of the downhill costume contest.

“Opening in November 2008, the new Limelight Lodge will be the host hotel for Aspen Gay Ski Week,” said Gonzales. “The 20 person hot tubs at the Limelight will be the perfect spot for après ski sightings.”

Event passes and lodging are still available. For the entire schedule and to purchase event passes, lodging, and ski lift tickets, visit www.gayskiweek.com.

Aspen Gay Ski Week is a fundraiser for Roaring Fork Gay & Lesbian Community Fund. This year, a portion of the proceeds from Gay Ski Week activities, pass sales, and lift ticket purchases will directly benefit the Western Colorado AIDS Project, as well as local schools.

Founded over a decade ago to provide services for the Roaring Fork Valley community, the Roaring Fork Gay and Lesbian Community Fund (RFGLCF) hosts parties, educational forums, and special events, such as Aspen Gay Ski Week. The efforts of this volunteer group of men and women have allowed RFGLCF to become a philanthropic gay and lesbian community. The organization has provided tens of thousands of dollars to schools and various charities of gay and lesbian interest and elevates Aspen’s reputation as a prominent gay and lesbian travel destination. For more information, visit www.gayskiweek.com.

Some photos of Aspen Gay Ski Week 2009 (Photo credit to Dick Mitchell):

When my sister-in-law first suggested New Hampshire for a summer vacation, I looked at her quite quizzically. I had only been to New Hampshire for skiing. I had not thought much about a summer vacation but there was an appeal to the idea.

The thought of leaving the humidity of Florida in the middle of August to go to the mountains of New Hampshire was very appealing indeed. The house we rented was a 2 ½ hour drive from Logan International Airport in Boston. The time went quickly as the scenery grew more and more beautiful as we progressed north on the interstate. When we finally arrived in town, the afternoon sun was washing the mountains with it warm rays and the sight was spectacular and worth every minute of our travels.

My partner and I were joining my family for a gay family vacation. We settled into our rental house and got the barbeque going right away for dinner. We had snacked a lot in the car but we all were looking forward to some barbequed chicken and fresh corn and vegetables that we bought at a farm stand nearby.

The next day we took off for the Basin and Cascades of the Pemigawasset River. The basin was carved by glacial waters thousands of years ago. A small waterfall spills into the basin and passes over a rock formation nick named “The Old Man’s Foot.”

The trail continues past the basin and down along the river where you can watch it run over the large granite rocks in the river’s path and on to Kinsman Cascades.

This inaugural day was for easy hiking and little discoveries. On our second day, we took on the Flume. The Flume is a natural gorge 800 feet wide with walls of granite rising 70 to 90 feet. Over the years, steps and boardwalks have been constructed to enable visitors to reach the falls easily. The trail is classified as a walk but the climb is strenuous at times. The walls of the flume are slippery and covered in moss where the water continuously rolls down the rock. At times the passage is only 4 to 6 feet wide and voices echo off the walls. The trail back down the mountain is much wider and twists around with a wonderful covered bridge takes you back over the falls. We were up and back in two hours with lots of stops for photos and appreciating the scenery.

The following day we made the mistake of taking the Mount Washington Cog Railway. It was very expensive with tickets priced at $55 per adult. I thought my nephews would enjoy the experience but it was definitely not worth the price. The ride to the top of the mountain was unpleasantly smelly, noisy, slow and sooty. The train has a coal burning engine and you are covered in soot by the time you reach the top where you are given only a half hour to take in the sights before you have to return to the base. I would never do this again.

We ventured over to Meredith for a day trip. Meredith sits on Lake Winnipesaukee. There are a few public beaches in and around Meredith. One of which is Weirs Beach that has a large sandy beach with shops and restaurants nearby. My nephews liked the arcades in particular.

The next day we hiked up to Lonesome Lake. The lake is a 1.5 mile hike up from the trail head by Lafayette Campground. This was a challenging climb over very steep slopes and rocks. By the time we reached the lake, some of our hikers had sore thighs and aching knees and looked forward to a rest at the Lonesome Lake hut. The lake did look inviting but it had gotten cloudy and cooler and we decided against a swim.

We took a ride over to North Conway for another day trip. The town is quaint with lots of shopping and a park in the middle of town. We strolled around the shops and had a nice lunch. My nephew is a die hard Yankee fan and got a lot of ribbing by the wait staff in the restaurant for wearing his Yankee baseball cap. Needless to say, they are all Red Sox fans.

On the way home we stopped along Route 302 and took an easy hike to Ripley Falls. The boys enjoyed rock hopping but neither was hot enough to get into the cold water.

To get a little historical perspective on the area we headed this day to the Robert Frost Museum in Franconia. The Frost family lived on the property full time from 1915 to 1920 but spent 19 summers here. The house is open to visitors and in the barn is a small TV to watch a 20 minute video of Frost’s life and accomplishments. There is a short hiking trail at the back of the property. At various points on the trail are Frost’s poems posted on display panels. It was a very nice way to spend a relaxing afternoon.

New Hampshire is a beautiful state and the White Mountains offer swimming, biking, hiking and relaxation. We hope we get to see the moose on our next visit!

Two very good books to use for selecting your hikes in the White Montains are:

• Waterfalls of the White Mountains: 30 Hikes to 100 Waterfalls
• Foghorn Outdoors New Hampshire Hiking