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Ski ResortsWeather

Where in the World is Open For Skiing or Boarding in June 2017?

The southern hemisphere gets its 2017 season rolling, Europe and North America’s glacier resorts start re-opening for summer and some resorts just haven’t closed since last autumn! So in fact this is the first of three months of the year when you can ski on all seven continents. Europe In Austria the year-round Hintertux glacier is open and the Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun is still going from last Autumn as is the Stubai, though it is currently scheduled to close mid-May. The Molltal glacier re-opens a few days later though for its 10 month season through to spring 2018! There are no ski areas open in France at the start of June but the three summer glacier areas above…

snowhunter 8th June 2017

Ski ResortsWeather

Ski Areas Re-open in Europe and North America in June and July

The number of ski areas that will re-open for summer skiing or boarding over the next four weeks in the northern hemisphere, just as the main season gets underway in the southern hemisphere, looks set to be more than usual in 2017. Ski areas will re-open in Canada and the USA in North America; Finland and Norway in Scandinavia; and France, Italy and Switzerland in the Alps, in addition to the half-dozen or so ski areas including Mammoth (pictured below), Squaw Valley, Arapahoe Basin and Timberline in the US plus the Zermatt, Hintertux (pictured top) and Kitzsteinhorn glaciers that have been operating since last autumn, 2016. Finland’s Saariselkä ski area announced at the weekend that it will be re-opening for…

snowhunter 7th June 2017

Ski Resorts

Skistar Spends on St Johann

Scandinavia’s biggest ski resort operator, SkiStar, recently made their first foray outside their usual northern operating location and snapped up a famous destination in the Austrian Tirol – St Johann, close to Kitzbuhel, when the company became a majority shareholder of the ski business. After spending a first winter reviewing the resort’s operations, SkiStar have announced plans for a big spend this summer, with another 17 Million Euros being invested in a new gondola, chairlift and snowmaking. “With St. Johann we have found a very good ski resort to establish SkiStar in the Alps. The investment will increase the offer for families, beginners and intermediate skiers, who want to enjoy skiing, surrounded by a wonderful panorama of the Alps,” said…

snowhunter 6th June 2017

EnvironmentSki ResortsTravel

The History Of Chacaltaya, Bolivia | The World’s Highest Ski Resort That Disappeared Because of Climate Change

Chacaltaya Ski Resort stands at an altitude of 5,375m (17634 ft) above sea level. It's the world's highest ski resort, or rather it was... Only memories of the good old days remain at this place. Snow is gone, and so has the skiing. The worst part of all this? It is not coming back. History During the last century, Bolivian citizens enjoyed this resort in the heart of the Andes, and only half-an-hour away from the city of La Paz, one of Bolivia's capital cities. It was a ski area, with only one mechanical lift, placed over a glaciar, also called Chacaltaya. Furthermore, there was a restaurant and a chalet for tourists. Lots of visitors…

MatiasR 5th June 2017 4

EventsSki Resorts

Freeride World Tour: Four FWQ Events In South America For 2017

The Freeride World Tour (FWT) is freeriding's Premier Event. This series of five events take place every year in Andorra, Chamonix, Fieberbrunn, Alaska and the iconic Xtreme Verbier. Only 50 of the best riders in the World compete in the FWT. But there is also another program, known as the Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ), which is designed to develop the talent and skills of up-and-coming athletes. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5lqwmv_top-5-biggest-stomps-fwt17_sport In the Freeride World Qualifier, riders accumulate points via 60 events held around the world (including 40 in Europe). The score system is based on the star ranking of the qualifying events (1-4 stars) and the event region: region 1 (Europe, Asia, and Oceania) and region 2 (USA, Canada, Chile, and Argentina). Freeride World Tour is…

MatiasR 31st May 2017 1

Weather

Australian Ski Area to Start Season Early Following Heavy Snowfall

Ski areas in Australia, where the 2017 ski season is due to start the weekend after next, have reacted with glee to heavy snowfall over the past 24 hours. Although few official snowfall stats are available yet as the season is not underway, accumulations of 15-30cm have been reported at most of the country’s leading resorts. Temperatures have also been sub-zero allowing snowmaking systems to work at capacity. So far, the country’s largest ski area, Vail-owned Perisher has announced plans to open some terrain a week early – this Saturday, June 3rd. https://www.facebook.com/PerisherResort/videos/10154393816590653/ The news follows the early-opening of El Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado ski areas in Chile, up to a month earlier than planned, after…

snowhunter 29th May 2017

Ski Resorts

Work Resumes on World’s Highest Tri-cable Gondola Lift

Work’s on the world’s highest ‘tri-cable’ or ‘3S’ lift has resumed above Zermatt for the second summer. The new lift, which will offer an additional way of reaching the year-round skiing area known as the ‘Matterhorn Glacier Paradise’ besides the existing cabled car, is due to open for winter 2018-19. Work commenced last year and, due to the high altitude and exposed nature of the site, the lift is being built during 100 day ‘weather windows’ each spring and summer over three years. Ascending to 3,883m (12,740 feet) above sea level, the tricable’s 25 modern Pininfarina cabins will have 28 seats each. The new gondola lift will make the journey up to the Matterhorn glacier paradise significantly more comfortable and…

snowhunter 26th May 2017

Ski ResortsWeather

Second Big Snowfall Leaves Valle Nevado and La Parva Ready for Today’s Opening | 40+ Photos Of All South American Resorts

Valle Nevado and La Parva ski resorts will open for the season today Friday, May 26th. This way, they will join their neighbor, El Colorado, which opened for the season last week. The Storm By yesterday's morning, Valle Nevado and La Parva had gotten about 40 centimeters of fresh snow. This, added to the consistent snowpack that both resorts already had, will allow them to habilitate lifts and slopes almost one month before the winter starts, and weeks before all other resorts in the Southern Hemisphere. The big storm took place overnight. However,…

MatiasR 26th May 2017

Weather

Squaw Valley Boss Urges Skiers and Riders to Argue against Trump Plan To Cut US Commitments to fight Climate Change

Andy Wirth, the President and CEO of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows ski areas has published an open letter in which he urges skiers and boarders to encourage the American government department, EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency) to, “…maintain and even increase the critical regulations that combat climate change.” Mr Wirth’s call comes as President Trump, who vowed during his campaign to eradicate President Obama’s policies related to climate change, plans to sign an executive order directing Scott Pruitt, the new E.P.A. administrator, to begin the legal process of undoing Mr. Obama’s regulations surrounding the reduction of greenhouse pollution generated from coal-fired power plants. These regulations are the cornerstone of the Obama Administration’s program that supports our nation’s compliance with…

snowhunter 24th May 2017

Weather

Rapid Growth In Sales for ‘All Weather’ Snowmaking Machines

Special snow making machines which can produce snow in positive temperatures are seeing a rapid growth in sales around the world. The machines have existed for around 20 years in various forms, and have commonly been used to make snow for events in urban areas and outside the ski season, but the past Northern Hemisphere ski season and the coming Southern Hemisphere one has seen a rapid growth in sales of the machines, in particular to low altitude resorts and ski areas located in areas where snowfall is not guaranteed, particularly at the start of the season. The most popular machine is the ‘Snow Factory’ unit from Techno Alpin, but the units follow a similar model of making the snow…

snowhunter 22nd May 2017