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General News

Park City Joins the Global Sustainable Tourism Council

It has joined the GSTC after recently concluding its draft of Utah’s first community-based Sustainable Tourism Plan. It aims to be a premier US ski area for sustainable ski tourism.

September’s Skiing Snippets

– Canada to Remove Covid-19 Border Restrictions
– IOC Has Faith in 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics
– German Glacier Disappears Leaving Four Left
– British Man Dies in Paragliding Accident in Pyrenees
– Serac Collapse on Mt Everest Caught on Camera… LIVE

New Survey Shows Lunchtime Is When Most Injuries Occur

The survey comes from New Zealand and shows that 30% of all injuries on the slopes happen around lunchtime. Tiredness and busy slopes are cited as the reason.

Vandals Set Fire to Pontypool Ski Slope in Wales

The top section of the artificial slopes has been destroyed in an arson attack. Police are appealing for help and the local race club has called it ‘devastating’.

Will Japan’s Borders Reopen for 2022/23 Ski Season?

Japan’s borders remain closed to independent tourists despite hopes that restrictions would be eased by now. One of the UK’s leading operators to Japan, Mabey Ski, remains poised. NEW

Burton Snowboards Is Not For Sale

As rumours circulate the CEO, Donna Carpenter, makes her point in a one finger salute on Instagram. She also holds a sign reading ‘Not For Sale!’

Winter Games NZ is Back

The Games are now underway with the Super G the first event to take place. After two years of disruption due to the pandemic the southern hemisphere’s biggest snowsports event runs through to September 18th. UPDATED

GB Alpine Ski Team Needs Your Help

UK Sport has axed GB’s record-breaking World Cup Alpine Team from World Class Programme funding. UK Sport said it had shifted its investment towards freestyle disciplines. The future looks bleak for alpine skiing unless backers come forward. UPDATED

Controversy as Courchevel Tourist Office Building Set to be Leased to Luxury Jewellery Shop

It has sparked a storm of protest with calls for the legality of the move to be examined and resignation demands.  The plan has divided opinion in the up-market French ski resort.

Water levels on Italy’s Lake Garda in the Alps at 15-year low

Water levels on Italy’s Lake Garda are at 15-year low as the drought continues. It comes as the body of a missing British man has been found under the waters.

Praise for PlanetSKI from Across the Pond

The recognition comes from the global US based web site, Unofficial Networks, that calls us ‘One of the best European ski websites’. It is a USA Today company.

Inquest Hears How British skier Died Off-piste in Chamonix

34-years-old Michael Rowell from Hampshire slipped and fell on to rocks while skiing with a friend. The coroner at Winchester, Jason Pegg, said he ‘simply misjudged the area’ before slipping.

Lets Go E-Bikes!

PlanetSKI’s Alf Alderson reports from the Tignes – Val d’Isere E-Bike Festival. Here are his thoughts on the event…NEW

Dog Rescued from Ben Nevis

The Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team was called up the UK’s highest mountain to bring back a dog that refused to move. NEW

Two Female Ski Athletes Die in Separate Incidents

A French ski mountaineering world champion Adèle Milloz, 26, has died in a fall near Mont Blanc. A 19-year old cross country skier from Slovenia, Hanna Jamnik, dies in accident while training on a road in Norway on roller skis.

Some Glaciers in Himalayas Resisting Climate Change Melt

Some areas of glaciers in the Karakoram Range are defying the global trend of glaciers losing mass. The glaciers of the Himalayas are melting, but not in one area. It appears to be due to an increase in precipitation from the west. NEW

Alpine Glaciers Set for Highest Ice Loss in 60 Years

The summer heatwaves in Europe are having a significant impact with glaciers shrinking sharply. This year is when many have woken up to the fact that on current projections it is likely many glaciers will disappear in the coming decades. UPDATED

Inquest Held into GB Snowboarder Who Died Following Collision

An inquest has heard that Kayleigh Harris was on a day off from her job at a hotel Les Menuires in France 2016 when a skier collided with her after she fell. NEW

Mountain Rescues in Switzerland Rise

In 2021, mountain rescuers were called out 3,680 times, according to the latest figures. This is 20% more than in 2019.

Receding Glacier Reveals Wreckage from 1968 Swiss Plane Crash

A mountain guide has found wreckage of a plane that crashed in 1968 on the Aletsch glacier in Switzerland. As the glaciers melt across the mountains more of their secrets are being given up.

Three Ski Patrollers Honoured for Saving Man’s Life

The incident happened at Wild Mountain in Minnesota, USA last December. 58-year old Charlie Mehr had a heart attack as he was getting on a lift.

Canadian Ski Resort Threatened by Wildfire

Apex Mountain Resort is evacuated and its snow guns are turned on as the Keremeos Creek Fire spreads. We have an updated video from the resort as the fire grows. UPDATED

August’s Skiing Snippets

– Secret Swimming Pools in the Alps Provide Windfall for French Tax Authorities
– Air France Pilots Fight in Cockpit After Geneva Takeoff
– Switzerland Trials Wind Turbine with Solar Panels
– Mummified Chamois Found as Glacier Melts
– Glaciers in the Pyrenees Set to Disappear…LIVE

Artificial Ski Slope Opens Near Ukranian City of Lviv

It claims to be the largest year-round artificial ski slope complex in the world and the facility is spread over 19,000 square metres.

Russian Invasion of Ukraine Disrupts Ski Manufacture

A significant proportion of the skis sold worldwide each year are manufactured in western Ukraine. They are mostly made in factories around Mukachevo. Most are still open but retailers have been told to expect some delays. The area remains under Ukrainian control.

Suicide Six becomes Saskadena Six

The US ski resort in Vermont changes its name as the original name is judged to be insensitive amid increased awareness of mental health.

Final Death Toll in Italian Glacier Collapse Reaches 11

It was feared a 12th person could have been killed, but rescuers now say there is no reason to believe the toll will be higher. A day of mourning has been held. Rising temperatures have been widely blamed for the tragedy. UPDATED

Warnings of Further Glacier Collapses as Climate Change Makes Mountains Unstable

In Switzerland scientists are monitoring the mountain above Kandersteg which is moving several meters a year. A new crack has been spotted on the Marmolada glacier in Italy that partially collapsed killing 11 people earlier this month. UPDATED

Six People Die After Collapse of Italian Glacier

The accident happened in the Dolomites in northern Italy.  The collapse triggered an avalanche of rocks, snow and ice that hit a number of hikers. Eight other people were injured, two are reported to be in a serious condition. It’s feared the death toll could rise as the search operation resumes. UPDATED

July’s Skiing Snippets

– British Woman Dies in Dolomites Fall
– Two Climbers in New Zealand Survive Overnight After Avalanche
– Women & Men to Race Same Distances in Nordic Skiing
– Funding Confirmed for GB Winter Sports Ahead of 2026 Olympics
– Fancy a PR Job in the UK Snowsport Industry?… LIVE & UPDATED

What Does PlanetSKI Do In The Summer? Part Two…

It’s the question we are asked most at this time of year. We’re currently hiking the South Downs Way in preparation for walking at altitude in the Alps later this summer. We’ve now done more than half the route, Eastbourne to Amberley. UPDATED

Winter Tourism Rebounds in the Tirol in Austria After Troubled Times

After Covid-19 the governor of the Austrian state proclaims ‘tourism is back’. The state is heavily reliant on the tourist industry and it faced a challenging winter in 2021/22. UPDATED

Investigation Underway After 99 Schoolchildren Rescued in Austria Alpine Hike 

They were airlifted to safety near the small ski area of Walmendingerhorn after the weather closed in. The teachers put them on a difficult trail after consulting an online guide. Criminal charges could be brought.

Glaciers Around the World Melting Faster Due to Increasing Climate Change

The pace of their melt is accelerating on all the continents on Earth. PlanetSKI examines the current situation, the issues at stake and looks at some of the latest research.

June’s Skiing Snippets

– Back in the Day in Verbier
– Eddie the Eagle Opens Indoor Ski Slope in Devon
– Scientists Investigate ‘Snow Blood’ in the Alps
– International Ski Marathon Federation Bans Russian Athletes
– Spain Backs Out Of Pyrenees 2030 Olympic Bid… LIVE & UPDATED

2022 London Ski & Snowboard Festival is Cancelled

The event was due to take place in October but has been called off due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’.  The organisers claim it will go ahead in 2023. The National Snow Show in Birmingham remains set to go ahead. UPDATED

World Snow Day 2022 Claims Success

The International Ski Federation, FIS, says the 2022 edition of World Snow Day was full of ‘positive moments’. Plans are underway for next season’s event.

Black Folks Do Ski

50 years ago, two black American skiers were introduced by a mutual friend. It led to the ‘National Brotherhood of Skiers’. The two men, both in their 80s, have made it into the US Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame. PlanetSKI has been speaking to them.

May’s Skiing Snippets

– 2 Dead & 9 Injured After Ice Fall in Swiss Alps
– ‘The Ultimate Run’ Wins Sports Emmy® Award
– Spring Ski Descent of Mont Blanc
– Foothills Above Montreux Turn White…LIVE & UPDATED

International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism Published

It looks at the winter of 2020/21 – a ski season we’d all rather forget with the impact of Covid-19. The 2022 International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism has just been unveiled during the opening conference of Mountain Planet International Exhibition in Grenoble.

Transforming Tignes – A Seismic Shift is Taking Place in the French Resort

Go to Val d’Isère for the 5-star experience, head to Tignes for the skiing.  It’s what we often hear about these two lift-linked French resorts.  But things are changing, and one property company is at the forefront of efforts to turn the ugly sister of Tignes into Cinderella. It’s expanding into other resorts too.

Scottish Rescue Teams Trial Drones to Find People Lost in the Mountains

New drone technology is allowing mountain rescue teams to improve how they search for people who get stuck and stranded amoung Britain’s highest peaks.

Investigations Continue After Two Women on Mountain Survival Course Die in Avalanche

They were in a party of six in Chamonix, France, with a guide when the avalanche struck. An investigation is continuing. It’s the latest in a numbers of avalanches in the north western Alps. UPDATED

Two British Brothers Lucky to be Alive After La Plagne Avalanche

One was buried under the snow for 15 minutes while the other managed to free himself. 50 people were involved in the rescue operation on Saturday. On Sunday a skier was dug out of an avalanche in Tignes. UPDATED

Inbounds Avalanche in Whistler Kills 34-Year-Old Man

The Canadian resort has expressed its deepest sympathy to the victim’s family & friends. An investigation is underway. It comes as three ski tourers died in an avalanche in Norway.

Date for 2023 World Snow Day Announced

The 12th edition of World Snow Day will take place on the 15th January 2023. The World Snow Day Awards will also be handed out.

Glencoe Says Business Down 25% 

The operator of the Scottish ski area has told a newspaper that high fuel prices have played a part in reducing the number of skiers and snowboarders attending this season.

IOC Allocates $2 million to Support Ukraine’s Olympic community

The money is being used to help athletes and their families that are in danger, and to allow for training and attending sporting competitions to go ahead as best as possible under the current circumstances.

British Snowboarder Saved by Phone Safety Feature in Crevasse Fall

41-year old Tim Blakey was riding on his own in a glacier in Saas Fee when he fell into a crevasse. He used an SOS feature on his iPhone to alert the rescue services.

April’s Skiing Snippets

– My Ikon, My Ride
– Fluorinated Wax Set to be Banned by FIS
– Lucky Escape!
– Avalanche Transceiver Recall … LIVE & UPDATED

Searching for Skiing

The ski operator allChalets reports a growing interest in skiing as travel rules and local Covid-19 restrictions ease. It also claims the Beijing Winter Olympics has provided a boost. It has been crunching the numbers.

Maison Sport Adds Disability Offerings

Maison Sport, the independent ski and snowboard instructor provider, has expanded its service to offer the full range of disability disciplines for skiers & snowboarders of all needs.

British man Dies on Slopes of Meribel

An investigation is underway after a 29-year old man from England died on Sunday morning in the French resort. Few details have been released.

UK’s First On Mountain Ski & Snowboard Festival Takes Place This Weekend

It’s called The Mighty Coe and you may not be surprised to learn that it takes place at Glencoe in Scotland.  There’s a packed programme and the great news is that there’s currently plenty of snow there. UPDATED

Investigation After Three Dead in Austria Avalanche

Three ski tourers died and another was injured last Friday in an avalanche in the Oetscher area in Lower Austria. It’s emerged that the group included members of mountain rescue and alpine police. UPDATED

Police In Scotland Issue Warnings After Six Mountain Deaths

Police Scotland is appealing to hill users and mountaineers to plan ahead and take extra care in the coming weeks. The deaths have occurred in the past two weeks. NEW

March’s Skiing Snippets

– Skiing in Scotland: the videos
– Look Who We Bumped Into
– CEO of Aspen Skiing Company Steps Down
– Ukranians Take Refuge in the Mountains …LIVE & UPDATED

Norway Calls for Full Sporting Ban on Russia

Norway won the most medals at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Its stance contradicts the initial policy of the International Ski Federation. FIS has been criticised in some quarters for its reaction to the unfolding crisis in Ukraine.

The ‘Ultimate’ Guide to Off-Piste Routes in Val d’Isère

A new book, detailing more than 200 off-piste routes in Val d’Isere is being launched in the resort next month and all the money raised will go to charity.

Switzerland Drops Most Covid Restrictions

People in Switzerland will no longer have to show a Covid certificate to enter bars, restaurants and other indoor venues.  Ski resorts will continue to get back to normal, but masks remain needed in cable cars & gondolas. Border restrictions to enter Switzerland have been dropped.

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