Environment

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have issued an evacuation for the ski resort community of Apex Mountain Village in British Columbia, Canada. It’s the latest ski area to be threatened by the growing number of wildfires as temperatures rise and drier conditions prevail. The Keremeos Creek wildfire threatening Apex has grown to cover 22.6 square kilometres. Apex has been using its snowmaking machinery to spray mist at buildings in an attempt to protect them from the blaze, a technique that is becoming increasingly popular as ski areas seek to protect themselves. James Shalman, the resort's general manager, told CBC that several hundred people live in the village during the summer months and said that currently the resort was not…

The high temperatures in the Alps through most of spring and summer, which have seen the ‘freezing-point’ height above sea-level at which glaciers and surround ground remain frozen go to appoint high in the air above the highest peaks, is forcing Zermatt to temporarily suspend year-round skiing on its glacier.  The resort will suspend summer skiing from this Friday, July 29th. These are highest lift-accessed slopes in Europe and where the International Ski Federation plans to run four cross-border World Cup Downhill ski races this autumn.  The slopes have been open daily for many years now, except for a break of about three months at the start of the worldwide pandemic in spring 2020. Zermatt, pictured above in snowier times,…

Italy’s Passo Stelvio summer ski centre (pictured above in snowier times) is the latest glacier ski area in the Alps to close its lifts, stating, “Unfortunately due to a period of extremely high temperatures, with freezing temperatures only above 4400 meters, we gave up. We regretfully communicate that, despite our best efforts, we will temporarily suspend skiing on the glacier.” It joins the French resorts of les 2 Alpes and Tignes as well as the Molltal glacier in Austria in closing early and means only three glaciers remain open in the Alps, with one in Scandinavia. The numbers were already at an all time low before Passo Stelvio’s decision was forced on it. The rapidly diminishing number of centres open…

Ski manufacturer Elan has unveiled a new production facility that is 100% solar powered at its base in Begunje, Slovenia about 30 minutes from the ski resort of Kranjska Gora and 10 minutes from Bled. The move follows the company’s switch to sourcing 100% green energy earlier this year and means that it will also now self-produce 12% of that green energy via the new plant. Describing the new factory as “a logical strategic step” the new plant in Elan’s Slovenian homeland has 2,500 solar panels on its roof, covering 5,000 m2, which will generate1,060 MWh of electricity annually.  That’s equivalent to the average needs of 160 households and a reduction in CO2  emissions of more than 498 tonnes. "Independence…

Tignes is the latest summer glacier ski area to close after record spring and summer heat continues to impact the Alps. Of the four glacier ski areas in the Alps still open for snow sports in July, most have only part of their usual terrain open. The snow cover was already reported to be around 70% below usual at the end of winter and at record low levels after low snowfall totals were reported across the Alps. This was followed by unprecedented temperatures of +10C at 4,000m for prolonged periods in May rapidly thawing what snow cover there is. The impact on glacial ice integrity goes far beyond losing summer ski and boarding of course, with the catastrophic collapse of…

The famously light dry powder snow of Utah is under threat from the growing needs of an expanding population, and higher temperatures die to climate change, scientists say. Utah trademarked the phrase “The greatest snow on earth” in 1975 and fought legal battles with the circus that trademarked “the greatest show on earth” to be able to keep using it. The argument is that the snow  is particularly fine and dry thanks to unique geographical and climatical conditions. Unfortunately though climate change and the increasing need for water from the growing population around Salt Lake City looks likely to decrease the snow in the Wasatch Mountains, home to Park City, America’s biggest ski area, among others, scientists believe. The Great…

More and more ski resorts are stockpiling snow though the summer ready for use next autumn. Up in Finland resorts like Ruka, Kvitfjell and Levi spread the snow back out on the slopes in early m autumn as temperatures cool and the rate of thaw slows.  Levi say they are aiming to “create a glacier” from 2022 on, by keeping an area permanently snow covered year round. Italy’s Livigno announced they completed piling up and covering over 10,000 cubic metres of snow this week to be saved for next season. “The snow will be used to guarantee good conditions even in the first days of the season, saving water and energy used for the snowmaking,” a resort statement says. Along…

The Austrian ski area of Axamer Lizum on the Innsbruck area ski pass in Tirol is installing a new gondola system next winter and has plans to build a hydro-electric system that will cover its electricity needs. The new hydroelectric power plant to be built on the Axamer Bach river near Axams will generate so much clean green electricity - 3.83 gigawatts – that it should cover all of the centre’s electricity needs. The new 10-seater gondola will be in operation from next winter of 2022/23, replacing three old lifts, the Schönboden and Hoadl I+II chairlifts, one of which dates back to 1969. The new Hoadlbahn gondola will feature 75 spacious cabins, each able to carry 10 people up to…

Taos is the latest major North American ski town to be threatened by wildfires following the evacuation of South Lake Tahoe in California last Fall. The nearby ski area of Angel Fire is also under threat and residents have been told to prepare for an immediate evacuation order for the past three days. The Hermits Peak Calf Canyon fire approaching Taos has burned a 45-mile long path consuming over 235,000 acres (95,000+ hectares) of up the Sangre de Cristo mountains towards the ski town, which is also one of North America’s oldest continually settled communities with a thousand years of recorded history.  Nearly 2,000 firefighters are battling the blaze which is said to be about 35% contained. Much of Southwestern…