Ski Resort and Snow News - December 2011
Fancy a Cresta Run?
Published : 31-Dec-2011 11:08
The world famous Cresta Run at St Moritz opens in January for a surprisingly brief period.
The Cresta Run is not a bobsleigh run or indeed an ice slope for those modern Olympic sports of skeleton or luge, but a slope on which participants slide on tiny metal toboggans at high speed.
Read the full Article : Fancy a Cresta Run?
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Views : 5,431
Also on J2Ski :- St. Moritz Snow Forecast Ski Hotels Ski Rental
New Low-Cost Training Device Promises to Help Skiers Find Their Perfect Position
Published : 31-Dec-2011 11:04
A new gizmo that slots under your ski boot and has been invented by a Lancashire based firm has been created to allow skiers to find their "sweetspot" in their stance.
The inventors believe that this will result in better balance, smoother turns and a more professional style for the skiers that use it.
Read the full Article : New Low-Cost Training Device Promises to Help Skiers Find Their Perfect Position
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Views : 2,607
Heavy Snowfall Returns To The Alps
Published : 30-Dec-2011 11:44
Heavy snowfall has been reported across the Alps and other parts of Europe over the past 24 hours, ending a largely dry week where skiers and boarders on the slopes for Christmas were able to enjoy great conditions after the last big snowfalls earlier in December.
Read the full Article : Heavy Snowfall Returns To The Alps
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Views : 3,058
Also on J2Ski :- Les Arcs Snow Forecast Ski Hotels Ski Rental
Snow Forecast Summary - 29th December 2011
Published : 29-Dec-2011 01:26
European snowfall moderated a little this week, compared to the previous few weeks, but fresh snow has still fallen in many resorts in the past few days. Conditions are excellent across almost all the Alpine area now, although more snow is needed in the far South.
Read the full Article : Snow Forecast Summary - 29th December 2011
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Views : 1,470
Recommended Books about Snow and Avalanche Risk
Published : 23-Dec-2011 09:46
Partly prompted by Iceman's recent questions - Anyone interested in, er, Snow (I guess that's all of us here!) might like to have a look at two excellent little handbooks published by Cicerone.
We often refer to them at J2Ski Towers and thoroughly recommend them to anyone seeking a little understanding of how snowflakes form, fall and transform - and, crucially, how that all affects the structure and stability of the resulting snowpack.
Read the full Article : Recommended Books about Snow and Avalanche Risk
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Views : 1,967
Snow Forecast Summary - 22nd December 2011
Published : 22-Dec-2011 11:33
This past week, Europe again stole the (snow) show and last weekend's forecast storms delivered huge quantities of snow across much of the Western and Northern parts of The Alps. Many French and Swiss resorts have reported fresh snow totalling more than two metres in the last seven days, and some areas in the North have now had more snow than in the whole of last season!
Read the full Article : Snow Forecast Summary - 22nd December 2011
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Views : 1,606
Snow and Resort Openings in the Pyrenees - Formigal Now
Published : 22-Dec-2011 10:31
A quick update from Formigal...
With levels of snow from 30 to 60 at 2.000 m. Formigal is opening its season today, December 22, with 26 kilometres and 20 slopes in the 4 valleys. These levels will be increasing with more snowfalls during the following days and may enable us to open more kilometres and slopes for our clients in this weekend, about 60 kilometres.
Read the full Article : Snow and Resort Openings in the Pyrenees - Formigal Now
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Views : 2,215
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Trip Report - Powder in the Aravis - December 2011
Published : 21-Dec-2011 08:19
Powder before Xmas in Europe? Oh yes.
What a trip that turned out to be... we'd watched the forecast piling snow upon snow for mid-December, and waited as all the models swung into alignment four days out. It was time to drop everything and go.
Read the full Article : Trip Report - Powder in the Aravis - December 2011
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Views : 3,834
Also on J2Ski :- La Clusaz Snow Forecast Ski Hotels Ski Rental
Snow in the Pyrenees
Published : 18-Dec-2011 12:45
Snow has finally begun falling in the Pyrenees – one of the last major ski regions in Europe that was still warm and dry last week with almost no ski areas able to open due to no natural snowfall in a month and temperatures too warm for snow making.
Read the full Article : Snow in the Pyrenees
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Views : 4,641
Also on J2Ski :- Niseko Snow Forecast Ski Hotels
Whistler Fully Open
Published : 17-Dec-2011 01:10
Whistler has announced that it is now fully open with the most terrain in North America available to skiers and boarders.
"Today we opened the Symphony Express Lift on Whistler Mountain as well as the legendary Peak to Creek trail, the longest continuous run in North America. With these two additions, Whistler Blackcomb is officially 100 percent open, offering 8,171 acres of terrain and a mile of vertical," says Stuart Rempel, Whistler Blackcomb's vice president of marketing and sales.
Read the full Article : Whistler Fully Open
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Views : 2,164
Also on J2Ski :- Whistler Blackcomb Snow Forecast Ski Hotels
Big French Ski Regions Fully Open This Weekend
Published : 16-Dec-2011 01:48
Less than two weeks after the media was reporting 'No Snow in the Alps' some of the continent's biggest areas are preparing to fully open this weekend, with some reporting accumulations as much as 1.6m (5.3 feet) over the past seven days alone.
Paradiski – the large ski domain in the French Alps that incorporates les Arcs/Peisey Vallandry/la Plagne – and its huge cable-car the Vanoise Express will fully open this Saturday the 17th December at 9am. Fully open for the Christmas season, Paradiski can confirm that the entire 425km of pistes will be available to skiers thanks to the recent heavy snow fall resulting in ideal winter snow conditions.
Read the full Article : Big French Ski Regions Fully Open This Weekend
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Views : 3,827
Also on J2Ski :- Morzine Snow Forecast Ski Hotels Ski Rental
Skiers Prepare for Special Olympics GB In Run Up To 2013 Olympics
Published : 15-Dec-2011 09:52
Skier Beth Wragg
A delegation of 73 learning disabled skiers and 59 coaches and volunteers (see list below by region) are preparing for Special Olympics Great Britain's National Alpine Ski Championship in Pila, Italy next month to take part in vital Qualifiers for the Special Olympics World Winter Games in South Korea in a year's time (www.specialolympicsgb.org.uk).
Read the full Article : Skiers Prepare for Special Olympics GB In Run Up To 2013 Olympics
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Views : 7,033
Also on J2Ski :- Pila Snow Forecast Ski Hotels Ski Rental
Snow Forecast Summary - 15th December 2011
Published : 15-Dec-2011 10:37
NOTE :- If you are travelling to The Alps this weekend, please read all this week's update!
For a change, there's not been much new snow (very litte in fact) in North America although snow depths remain impressive in the West. East Coast resorts have been adversely affected by milder conditions but many remain open.
Read the full Article : Snow Forecast Summary - 15th December 2011
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Views : 2,703
Olympic Celebrations A Plenty
Published : 14-Dec-2011 08:57
2012 is (although you may not know it), Olympic year in London. But for skiers and boarders it's also Olympic year in Innsbruck (uniquely, for a third time) as it hosts the 2012 Youth Olympics in January and Park City will be celebrating 10 years since it staged the 2002 Olympics.
Read the full Article : Olympic Celebrations A Plenty
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Views : 2,915
Also on J2Ski :- Park City Snow Forecast Ski Hotels
Chemmy Alcott announced as the Face of Skiset
Published : 14-Dec-2011 04:36
J2Ski's favourite downhill skier, Chemmy Alcott, has been announced as the Face of Skiset for the coming season
Skiset, the world's largest ski and snowboard rental network, has announced British skier Chemmy Alcott as the face of its 2011/12 winter campaign in the UK.
Read the full Article : Chemmy Alcott announced as the Face of Skiset
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Views : 5,089
Pyrenees Still Wait For Snow
Published : 13-Dec-2011 07:54
The Pyrenees in Snowier Times
First the Rockies then the Alps have had their big snowfalls to start the season, but so far it's not looking so great in the Pyrenees.
None of France's two-dozen ski areas in the southern European mountain range which divides France and Spain have opened for the season yet, and the large resorts in Spain have been uncharacteristically quiet too.
Read the full Article : Pyrenees Still Wait For Snow
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Views : 2,679
Also on J2Ski :- Grandvalira Snow Forecast Ski Hotels Ski Rental
Snow Storm Early Warning - for travel around 17th December 2011
Published : 12-Dec-2011 10:20
Quick heads-up for anyone travelling to/from the mountains this coming weekend... :shock:
UK Weather Warning - Friday 16th December
The Met Office have issued a warning for a Storm likely to affect much of the UK on Friday. Very strong winds, rain and snow possible to the North.
Read the full Article : Snow Storm Early Warning - for travel around 17th December 2011
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Views : 11,197
Scottish Ski Season Kicks Off
Published : 11-Dec-2011 01:56
Three of Scotland's five ski areas have opened this weekend following snowfalls through the past week (very like the Alps, but slightly less extensive!).
All five ski areas were going to open but two were thwarted by storm damage during the gales on Thursday. Surprisingly perhaps, Cairngorm, where gusts peaked at a widely reported 165mph – a little less than the official British gale force wind record, wasn't one of them and more than 400 skiers and snowboarders took advantage of clear skies and pisted powdery snow conditions to get CairnGorm Mountain's 50th season off to a great start with, the centre reports, excellent conditions in the Coire Ciste and Ptarmigan areas of the mountain.
Read the full Article : Scottish Ski Season Kicks Off
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Views : 3,899
Also on J2Ski :- Glencoe Snow Forecast Ski Hotels
It's Still Looking Good Out West
Published : 10-Dec-2011 06:22
Although the onus of the past seven days has switched from, North America to the Alps in terms of dramatic snowfall, conditions still remain excellent in most Western Canadian and US resorts.
Marmot Basin by Jasper in Alberta, Canada reports it has already received half of its average annual snowfall and there is still over five months of skiing and snowboarding remaining in their season!
Read the full Article : It's Still Looking Good Out West
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Views : 2,119
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La Plagne Looks Nice and Snowy
Published : 09-Dec-2011 08:32
In common with many resorts in the Alps, the huge snowfalls at La Plagne in France have transformed the resort for the start of the season with over three feet (90cm) of new snow falling since Monday and it is still snowing. 40cm (1.3 ft) of snow fell on Wednesday alone.
Read the full Article : La Plagne Looks Nice and Snowy
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Views : 2,717
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Snow Forecast Summary - 8th December 2011
Published : 08-Dec-2011 06:36
Well, what a week that was?
Europe went from misery to delight as a succession of snowfalls crossed The Alps and turned green, dry slopes to powder fields. Major individual falls of 70cm have been reported from the Three Valleys to Scandinavia, with accumulations of over a metre across much of The Alps in the past 7 days. Snow is still falling in some parts.
Read the full Article : Snow Forecast Summary - 8th December 2011
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Views : 1,930
Also on J2Ski :- The Three Valleys Snow Forecast Ski Hotels Ski Rental
Survey Finds 73% Of People Planning A Ski Holiday Plan To Spend Less
Published : 08-Dec-2011 04:46
In another one of those surveys we all love, a PR company working for Sainsbury's Travel Money has discovered that, "skiers and snowboarders are slashing their holiday budgets this year."
They commissioned ICM to carry out an online survey between 23rd and 25th September 2011 of 2,024 British adults across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults and the results have just been published.
Read the full Article : Survey Finds 73% Of People Planning A Ski Holiday Plan To Spend Less
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Views : 5,333
Also on J2Ski :- Vail Snow Forecast Ski Hotels
Ooh Look - More Ski Resort Webcams
Published : 08-Dec-2011 03:43
As they're showing some pretty wonderful scenes at the moment, we thought we'd add a few more... so there are now another 300-ish webcams showing on our pages.
With thanks to our new friends, the very lovely people at Feratel, some of our web cam selections now include their awesome panoramic cameras.
Read the full Article : Ooh Look - More Ski Resort Webcams
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Views : 2,355
Canadian Province Makes Helmet Wearing Obligatory For All
Published : 07-Dec-2011 09:09
The government of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia has announced that from winter 2012-13, everyone skiing or boarding at one of their four ski areas will be required to wear a helmet.
It's believed to be the first time that a region anywhere in the world has insisted that adults wear helmets for snowsports, although some ski resorts require their employees on the slopes to wear them and/or people taking lessons with their snowsports school.
Read the full Article : Canadian Province Makes Helmet Wearing Obligatory For All
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Views : 4,289
New Piste Basher For Nevis Range
Published : 06-Dec-2011 06:41
Snow in Scotland over the past 48 hours looks to have brought about a foot of snow to the slopes (no official figures)in places. Snow depths in the valleys below were at 15cm in places and the road over to The Lecht was closed by snow today, however none of the five centres have yet indicated the liklihood of opening in the near future. Forecasts are for more wintery weather and snow in the next few days.
Read the full Article : New Piste Basher For Nevis Range
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Views : 2,680
Also on J2Ski :- Nevis Range Snow Forecast Ski Hotels
Snow In The Alps (and Most Other Places)
Published : 05-Dec-2011 09:43
After a spate of "No snow in the Alps" stories became increasingly prominent in the world's media thanks to reports on the BBC's website and syndicated pieces from the Associated Press and Reuters (oddly all three focusing solely on Switzerland and ignoring the rest of the Alps with identical or worse problems) – there are at last reports of healthy snowfalls across Europe over the past 48 hours, with accumulations rapidly gathering pace.
Read the full Article : Snow In The Alps (and Most Other Places)
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Views : 6,534
Also on J2Ski :- Chamonix Snow Forecast Ski Hotels Ski Rental
Glencoe - 4th December 2011
Published : 05-Dec-2011 12:34
Great picture taken yesterday at Glencoe...
Picture by HighRustler (Craig Cameron) who has more pictures of the day on Facebook here.
Read the full Article : Glencoe - 4th December 2011
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Views : 4,153
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Ski Six Utah Resorts In One Day
Published : 04-Dec-2011 05:30
The Ski Utah Interconnect Adventure Tour is back for 2011-12 offering a unique way to experience the Wasatch mountain backcountry of Utah via routes in and out of up to six different ski resorts.
Tours depart daily from Deer Valley or Snowbird (on alternating days), and are head via the slopes of Park City Mountain Resort, Solitude, Brighton and Alta with seasoned guides leading the way via off-piste routes between the neighbouring areas.
Read the full Article : Ski Six Utah Resorts In One Day
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Views : 2,274
Also on J2Ski :- Park City Snow Forecast Ski Hotels
Pyrenees Begins Opening Ski Slopes
Published : 03-Dec-2011 07:38
The first ski areas have opened in the Pyrenees today – a small French resort of Puigmal has opened according to local media reports.
The big names in the region are still holding back but the biggest, Grandvalira, says it will open this Tuesday 6th December.
Read the full Article : Pyrenees Begins Opening Ski Slopes
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Views : 2,490
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Budget Skiwear Goes On Sale At Aldi
Published : 02-Dec-2011 01:07
Anyone feeling the financial pinch this winter, or just wanting to avoid paying over the odds for their new skiwear, would be wise to head straight to their nearest Aldi where a wide range of ski and board wear items for both adults and children has just gone on sale.
Read the full Article : Budget Skiwear Goes On Sale At Aldi
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Views : 10,467
Snow Forecast Summary - 1st December 2011
Published : 01-Dec-2011 05:36
Yet more heavy snowfall has been reported from North America, with some West Coast ski areas reporting up to 1 metre of fresh in the past week.
The overall situation in Europe has not yet changed (but see below), although some Scandinavian resorts reported some decent falls this week. In The Alps, the best conditions remain to the South of the main Alpine ridge with Cervinia opening 1,500 metres of vertical.
Read the full Article : Snow Forecast Summary - 1st December 2011
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Views : 4,260
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French World Cup Races Moved to US
Published : 01-Dec-2011 09:37
The FIS has decided to move the annual Val d'Isere World Cup races to Beaver Creek in Colorado due to unsuitable conditions in the French resort.
Beaver Creek was already due to stage a week of World Cup Events but will now stage two weeks and it will be the first time that the 's the first time that the ladies will race on the resort's new Birds of Prey World Cup Race course will be used. Ladies last raced in Beaver Creek during the 1999 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.
Read the full Article : French World Cup Races Moved to US
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Views : 3,498
Also on J2Ski :- Vail Snow Forecast Ski Hotels