The avant garde French resort of Avoriaz has begun work on an exciting new indoor tropical swimming pool complex, due to be completed in time for winter 2012–13. The new complex is being built in conjunction with Center Parcs, and is part of an overall development programme which will add two new ‘districts’ to the resort and several new high speed lifts too, including an improved gondola link to Morzine.

With Chamonix open in to May and the resort still reporting one of the deepest snow bases in Europe (around 4m/13 feet on top), it seems a good time to party, and so the famous resort will be staging a Winter Sessions Weekender on 16th – 18th April. The event is being organised by World Sessions who describe themselves as the leading Alpine party makers who for the last five years have worked on over 70 events and party tours, including some of the largest freesport competitions and festivals in Europe from the infamous Gumball Rally to Glastonbury Festival.

Visitors to les Menuires in the giant French three Valleys ski area this Easter will find several new attractions to try. Most novel is a fleet of Segway personal mobility vehicles. The resort has purchased the fleet of Segways or, as they’re known in France, ‘Gyropod,’ vehicles and is offering short introductory lessons on using Segways for 12 Euros, or full hour long excursions for 39 Euros.

The Paradiski region of La Plagne and les Arcs in France has announced that in its final week of operation this season, from the 17th to the 24th April 2010, it will offer a 25% discount off Paradiski lift passes. The discount applies to all lift passes in the Paradiski area including individual and family passes.

The 2010 edition of the Grand Raid race, sponsored by Gore-Tex, reaches its penultimate stage at the Paradiski ski area, which includes the resorts of la Plagne, Les Arcs and Peisey Nancroix, on April 10th. The Grand Raid Gore-Tex™ is open to both amateurs and professionals, bringing together more than 600 competitors racing in pairs.

The increasingly popular southern French ski area of Serre Chevalier has a new approach to its ski slopes this season with its “Neiges de culture” initiative. The idea is that without removing their skis, skiers can explore a range of open-air cultural trails that introduce them to the artistic, creative and historical world of the valley and mountains around them.