Look around you. Almost everyone will have either an iphone or some kind of smart phone. In fact, who doesn’t have one nowadays? As a result, most ski chalets and ski ski hotels will have wifi access so that people can still get online even while they are in the mountains.

Gone are the days of getting away from the world for a week; now people want to stay in touch with each other and with what’s happening more than ever before. Apps have consequently become more and more popular and not just for the gimmicks and games, but actually because they are useful tools to provide instant information on the go. There are a vast number of apps that exist in all kinds of category and the ski market is no different. In fact, some of these are so useful that it makes us wonder how we ever managed a few years ago.

With such a variety, it can be tricky to work out which ones are worth downloading, especially if you have to pay for them, and which ones are just a waste of time. Here is my guide to the apps I think no modern skier can do without.

Apps for Skiers and Snowboarders

Ski & Snow Report

It goes without saying that the most important element of your ski holiday is the snow. The quantity, quality and forecast will ultimately determine how much you enjoy your holiday. Consequently, you need to have a reliable app to tell you the current snow conditions and accurate weather forecast in order to make the most of your week. Ski & Snow Report is the app from OnTheSnow.com and covers 2000 global ski areas. You can locate your area by GPS and find the latest conditions, forecast by area, total recent snowfall and other statistics that are all useful for any keen skier. Ski & Snow Report on iTunes

SkiMaps

I think that all skiers will agree that the traditional paper piste maps are not the most practical thing to use when trying to work out where you are on the mountain. Thanks to SkiMaps, struggling with a paper map should now be a thing of the past. It is an iphone app that you can use to download a piste map of more or less any resort in the world before you leave home, and then it will use your GPS system to locate your position while on the mountain. You don’t need an internet connection and if your friends have the app too, you can also see each other’s location on the slopes. SkiMaps $2.99

iTrailmap 3D

So you have had an amazing day on the slopes and want to look back at where you have been. But, you don’t have an iphone app so you can’t…that is until now! Download the itrailmap 3D and you can track exactly where you have been, in 3D! You can also download piste maps and use your phone’s GPS system to plot your location, record your tracks, vertical metres and distance skied. You can then upload them to the Google Earth too. iTrailmap 3D on iTunes

Ski Tracks GPS track recorder

This is one of the most popular apps on the market for tracking your day’s skiing and analysing your speed, run duration, slope angle and miles skied. One advantage is that it uses GPS to locate and track you, therefore it doesn’t require any data or phone signal which can prove to be incredibly expensive to use abroad. Any photos that you take will be geo-tagged to your track and you can even share your day’s stats on Facebook. Ski Tracks GPS track recorder on iTunes

XE Currency

We all know that ski holidays are not cheap and so we all search for the best deal we can find in order to make the most of our money. So why not continue this while you are in resort? Work out exactly how much that beer costs or lunch on the mountain by using this handy app. XE Currency will convert every world currency and will store the latest rates. Don’t worry about having an internet connection either, as you can update it using the wifi in your chalet or hotel the night before and then use that rate to convert while you are out and about. XE Currency App


Snowboarder Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net


This is a Guest post by ski-chalets.co.uk


Are you into winter sports, would Apps for Skiers and Snowboarders be useful to you?


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