http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/news/ en wendyking@editors.co.uk Copyright 2010 2010-09-02T14:30:54+00:00 http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/metre-of-snow-saved-on-italian-glacier/ http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/metre-of-snow-saved-on-italian-glacier/#When:14:30:54Z It’s a bit of a sorry sight in September but … Italy’s Presena glacier will unveil its slopes again on 13 September, to prepare for some autumn fun before the main season. The good news is that its protective covering during the warm summer months has saved over a metre of snow melt. The special protective sheet, used successfully elsewhere in the Alps, was deployed on the Presena this summer. Results reveal that up to five feet / 150cm of snow has been saved during the process – which amounts to 90,000 square meters of slope. And apparently, a good 30-40cm dump of fresh snowfall should allow an October opening – at least for limited skiing. The glacier slopes have retreated quite extensively in recent years, but they still provide a good level of sport with fresh snow. The Presena holds some of the more challenging runs associated with glacier slopes, and is accessible from Passo Tonale – a small village and good novice skiing area high on the Tonale Pass. It’s location separates the Adamello range of mountains in the Dolomites, from the Ortler Alps. The top of the glacier has two main lifts: ‘Destra’ (meaning ‘Right’) and Sinistra (‘Left’), plus two red and one black main runs. There is another drag and a chairlift. New for this winter will be a bar and self-service restaurant, at the top of the access gondola for the glacier – at 2585m, Passo Paradiso. This is expected to be ready to open in December, when the rest of the area is due to open as well. Resorts, Snow 2010-09-02T14:30:54+00:00 http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/the-book-new-edition-available-now/ http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/the-book-new-edition-available-now/#When:12:52:33Z We’re delighted to announce that Where to Ski and Snowboard 2011 is here and available to order now. The 15th edition of our splendid guidebook, fully revised for the season ahead, is bright, detailed and waiting for you to plan those special winter trips to the snow. Britain’s annual resort guidebook is invaluable when it comes to choosing your skiing or boarding destination - over 580 pages are devoted to detailed description and evaluation of over 400 resorts worldwide –  and there is as much news on resort developments as we can cram in before it goes to press…. New this year are chapters on resorts in the French and Spanish Pyrenees, Slovenia, Austria and Italy. As well as the resorts, there are features, shortlists and comprehensive ratings to help you find you choose where to go. And the biggest resort price survey of food and drink costs has got bigger: fully revised and now including a list of the 50 best budget resorts. To keep you on your toes with sending us those excellent resort reports and photographs, we also have two super-duper competition prizes up for grabs in 2011 too. The heart of the book’s success is the importance our two editors, Chris Gill and Dave Watts, attach to honest and impartial assessments of the resorts and keeping each edition as up to date as possible. Their experience, knowledge and passion for the resorts are evident throughout. So if you want guidance as a beginner, taking the kids skiing, to know where is best for scaring yourself silly on the steeps and deeps, or maybe just chill out with a decent meal and gaze at the mountains; the book will help. Don’t just take our word for it ... order your copy now. Books are available for purchase online at a discounted rate. Go to our Buy the Book page here>> [NOTE: If you are already on our newsletter mailing list, you will have received a limited offer email today (Friday 27 August), to purchase at a special price until 4 September] Where to Ski and Snowboard 2011 is published by NortonWood Publishing and complemented by this website. General 2010-08-27T12:52:33+00:00 http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/free-passes-for-davos-guests/ http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/free-passes-for-davos-guests/#When:13:32:36Z In an effort to attract more early season visitors, Davos and Klosters have announced free lift passes to hotel guests during December. The ‘Skipass Gift’ will be offered for every overnight stay during the valid period and on all the mountain railways and lifts open at that time. So far, 26 hotels in Davos and 13 in Klosters are supporting the campaign. “We want to give our guests positive and exhilarating experiences at the beginning of the season so that they come back to us again. All the local hotels can take part (Davos hotels from 26 Nov to 19 Dec and Klosters hotels from 3-19 Dec). In return, the DKM (Davos Klosters Mountains) will provide a guarantee of snow for Jakobshorn and the Parsenn region.” Sounds like a good option for a short break - Davos and Klosters are easily accessible from Zurich airport, with a good range of places to stay. Resorts 2010-09-02T13:32:36+00:00 http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/madonna-link-delayed/ http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/madonna-link-delayed/#When:15:33:51Z You’ll have to wait another season to experience one of Italy’s major new lift developments: The long-awaited lift link between Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo, which the region fully expected to open for the coming winter season, has been delayed a bit longer. Trentino Tourism gave us the disappointing news today, Monday 31 August, stating that contrary to their expectations earlier this summer, work on the new gondola connecting the resorts is not quite finished. So, the two ski areas will not be joined this season as we reported in the new edition of the book. Instead, the new lift should open for 2011/12. However, a second gondola planned to serve Pinzolo’s high point (Doss del Sabion) from nearby Tulot, will be up and running – hopefully serving new red and black runs there; you’ll just need to take a bus or drive to explore them this winter. Long standing plans to link Madonna and Pinzolo had moved along significantly last year and the resort had been confident that the 5km long new gondola system would open for 2010/11, along with the Pinzolo expansion. The new lift is being constructed from a starting point on Madonna’s Cinque Laghi sector, at the edge of town, to just below Malg Grual on Pinzolo’s small ski area (incidentally, almost entirely served by fast lifts). To move between the two areas, you’ll need to ride the lift both ways. Altogether this is a big development that, when complete, will increase the skiable terrain by 25%, giving a combined area of 150km of pistes (including Folgarida and Marilleva) – all amid stunning Dolomite scenery. Resorts 2010-08-31T15:33:51+00:00 http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/les-gets-and-morzine-improve-access/ http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/les-gets-and-morzine-improve-access/#When:15:31:21Z Les Gets and Morzine have been busy with new developments over the summer, in particular to upgrade access to Chamossière – which has some of the most challenging slopes on the Morzine side. A new six-pack is being installed to the top of Chamossière, above the main Morzine slopes, replacing an old triple chair and a draglift. It will cut travel time to 5-7 minutes, and should help to reduce waiting times at Le Grand Pré – a busy link for ‘traffic’ moving between the two ski areas. At Les Gets, the Chavannes gondola has received an upgrade. The base station has been reworked to offer access on one level and new cabins installed – keeping their distinctive red colour, we’re told. To make life easier for part-time skiers and beginners, the resort is also introducing a four-hour consecutive lift pass – replacing the former half-day one – that you can start at any time during the day. New all-in beginner packages will also be made available to encourage use of the recently expanded nursery slopes on Chavannes too. And if you’re already a confident skier or boarder looking for a bit of extra fun, Les Gets will offer a new boardercross course on Mont-Chéry next season too; it is supposed to have been influenced by Olympic silver medallist snowboarder in Whistler, Deborah Anthonioz! 2010-08-31T15:31:21+00:00 http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/ferry-company-launches-ski-packages/ http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/ferry-company-launches-ski-packages/#When:21:34:39Z Brittany Ferries will offer a collection of ski-drive packages to the French Alps this winter, improving choice and flexibility for skiers and boarders wishing to avoid flying. The new range of holidays is based around ferry crossings from Portsmouth to Caen, for self-drive trips to the main resorts of Val Thorens, Val d’Isère, Avoriaz, Alpe d’Huez and Paradiski (Les Arcs and La Plagne). There is a choice of hotels or self-catering accommodation included in the price, along with the overnight ferry. And with prices starting as low as £150 for a family of four, it is worth considering – you can pack as much into the car, and don’t have concerns over additional baggage and equipment transport costs. www.brittanyferries.com/ski General 2010-08-30T21:34:39+00:00 http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/sion-airport-wins-top-safety-status/ http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/sion-airport-wins-top-safety-status/#When:21:31:36Z Switzerland’s Sion airport has won a new safety certificate that gives it full international approval by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which should help to promote and market the airport to a wider audience. The award is given for top-level snow-clearance, plane defrosting, fire control and similar procedures. Sion is one of five Swiss airports to now hold the prestigious recognition, the others being Zurich, Geneva, Bern and St Gallen’s Altenrhein. Despite its mountainous surroundings, the regional airport in the Rhone Valley generally handles small to medium-sized aircraft - including new charter flights from the UK introduced by Snowjet last winter; these proved a popular addition to the skiing and boarding industry, halving transfer times to resorts such as Zermatt, Saas Fee and the Four Valleys. Its location in the wide valley below Crans-Montana makes it ideal as a gateway to numerous Swiss ski areas. And the historic town provides an ideal year-round base. Sion airport can process almost 3000 passengers a day, and increased total numbers during 2010 (just under 30,000 passengers). The airport’s deputy director Patricia Fellay commented: ‘This is important for us, as it will make it easier to attract new traffic to Sion. They will now know that landing and taking off here is as safe as anywhere.’ Snowjet plan to operate their aircraft to Sion again during 2010/11, and we would highly recommend it having enjoyed a relaxed, crowd-free and punctual flight there last season. General 2010-08-26T21:31:36+00:00 http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/movie-follows-freeride-artists/ http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/movie-follows-freeride-artists/#When:19:30:34Z Hot on the heels of last year’s ‘Lives Of The Artists’ film, an adventure documentary, the follow up, ‘Follow Me Down’, starring James Lavelle is about to go on release. And including some inspiring freeriding footage. ‘Follow Me Down’ is the next installment from Relentless Energy and explores the theme that there are no easy rides in life. The film studies the psyche and motivation for backcountry snowboard legends Jeremy Jones and Xavier de la Rue as they travel through wild terrain in Antarctica, journeying on foot and with a deep passion to ride new routes. They face freezing waters, avalanches, 70 degree gradient slopes and treacherous hiking - all on slopes that no snowboarder has ever ridden, (and only about 2 skiers) apparently. Xavier also appeared in the first film, shot in the snowy wildernesses of Greenland. As well as the great outdoors, the movie follows the British musical outfit UNKLE on tour with the Heritage Orchestra. Lives of the Artists: Follow Me Down is released in early September. The premier is on 7 September in London, but here’s the trailer ...   Events 2010-08-26T19:30:34+00:00 http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/record-snow-for-australian-resorts/ http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/record-snow-for-australian-resorts/#When:14:58:00Z According to local reports ski resorts in Australia are experiencing some of their biggest snowfalls in years – with record dumps in Victoria and the prospect of a very good late season. Some regional news reports are calling it the biggest 24 hour snowfall in 15 years in parts of Victoria, where Falls Creek notched up a grand half metre of powder on Thursday 26 August, taking accumulated snowfall at the resort to 226cm this month. Similarly, Mt Hotham (170cm) received 47cm and its snowiest August since 1992. The resort has also recorded over 2m snow in August. The heavy snow has certainly attracted the visitors, with numbers said to be up 20% on the ten-year average for the region; those figures amount to more than 500,000 skiers and boarders hitting Victoria’s slopes apparently – and they reckon that September is going to be an exceptional one to finish the season, as well as one of the coldest in years. The wintry weather developed over Tasmania – which incidentally has not received the huge snowfalls of the main country – and brought sub-zero temperatures and stormy conditions to the Australian Alps, so it has remained cold enough to keep the new snow in good condition. Lower accumulations fell at Mt Buller (recording its snowiest August in 25 years), Lake Mountain and Mt Baw Baw – but they all still gained 20-30cm. Snow fell to about 500m; coupled with a wind chill, temperatures felt more like minus 15 in places. Snow also fell across the mountains of New South Wales, where Thredbo (192cm) reported 50cm in 24 hours, Selwyn 46cm and Perisher 38cm. So looking good there too. For many late season visitors, the new snow coincides with cheaper spring package holidays and discounts. So, resorts are expecting a surge in guest numbers over the last few weeks. Given Australia’s tendency towards warmer weather, temperatures may rise again shortly – but they believe the spring season skiing and boarding is about as good as it gets out there. Powder shot at Falls Creek, posted on Twitter [Falls Creek Resort] Snow 2010-08-26T14:58:00+00:00 http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/les-deux-alpes-announces-ski-test-weekend/ http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/site/les-deux-alpes-announces-ski-test-weekend/#When:16:23:27Z Les Deux-Alpes has announced plans to re-introduce free ski testing on its traditional autumn half term opening weekend. Come On 4 Ski will take place on 23 and 24 October, with free equipment testing on the resort’s glacier slopes and joining forces with the snowboard event - Rock on Snowboard: back for its second year and providing two days of freestyle fun and entertainment for all. There are competitions in the terrain park, with events for families and children too. Autumn ski tests are popular way of kick-starting the new season, with glacier skiing operating again after the summer stint. Les Deux-Alpes regularly opens for half term, then closes again until the end of November when (hopefully) more significant snowfall has arrived. For 2010/11 the resort is due to open officially on 27 November. Events, Resorts 2010-08-25T16:23:27+00:00