* Equity Total Ski has launched an online operation called www.rocketski.com. Unlike its parent company, which offers all-in deals including ski passes, instruction and equipment hire, rocketski.com is aimed at customers who may only want part of the package.
* Combine days on the slopes with evenings at the card table. Peterborough-based Alpine Bridge (01733 552214, www.alpinebridge.co.uk) is running one more week in the mountains this winter, starting on March 24 in the French resort of Champagny-en-Vanoise. Those seeking to hone their bridge technique, get pointers from international player Trevor Pomfrey. The holiday costs £525, including flights from Manchester or Stansted and full board hotel accommodation. Travel arrangements are handled by Handmade Holidays, a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators.
* Mix a little glacier skiing with some Alpine hiking and horse riding this summer. A new programme in French ski resorts with glacier slopes has been launched by Erna Low (020-7584 2841). In Tignes, for example, there are 20km of piste on the Grande Motte glacier. Weather permitting, the ski area is open in the mornings - it tends to be too slushy after lunch. The firm offers a week in an apartment sleeping four from £431 at the Residence Village Montana. An apartment for 6-8 people in La Plagne, where an adult summer ski pass costs around £40, starts at £460. These prices include Channel crossings by ferry or Eurotunnel.
* Organising a do-it-yourself holiday to America's less familiar resorts can cost less than you might fear. Sun Valley does not attract many British skiers, which is a pity since it combines fine skiing with a rich history. Built to persuade leisure travellers to ride the Union Pacific railroad, it became a hang out for Hollywood stars such as Clark Gable, Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman. Ernest Hemingway, who shot himself in nearby Ketchum, finished writing For Whom the Bell Tolls at the Sun Valley Lodge. The Idaho resort offers some good deals next month, when seven nights' accommodation and a five out of six days lift pass costs from around £345. For further information and central reservations call 001 208 726 3423. Trailfinders (020-7937 5400) offers a £314 return fare to nearby Boise from Heathrow via Chicago or San Francisco - but you must book by February 28.
