J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

Most of Scandinavia's leading ski areas are open from this weekend. Finland's biggest ski areas have already open, some for two months now, but the SkiStar group which operates the region's biggest ski areas including Sälen and Åre in Sweden as well as Trysil and Hemsedal in Norway, opens them all from this weekend. Other leading resorts are opening too.

"Finally, we can open and the conditions look great at all our destinations in Sweden and Norway. I look forward to welcoming all our guests for a long winter season, offering them safe, secure and memorable mountain experiences with fantastic skiing for everyone," said an optimistic Stefan Sjöstrand, CEO and Group Manager at SkiStar.

Scandinavian ski areas did operate through last winter but for much of that time individual country's borders were closed and it weas only people from with each country that could reach the slopes. Currently borders are open to a certain extent and chartered and scheduled flights to airports serving the ski areas, including from the UK, and currently "on" this winter.

Some Scandinavian ski areas have delayed opening plans in November as it has been warmer than average and terrain open at most areas is limited to a few kilometres so far. However recent low temperatures have been particularly favourable for the snow production.

Sälen and Hemsedal are currently holding their traditional Ski Test weekend when anyone interested can test the very latest from a wide range of suppliers of skies and apparel for alpine skiing

"The conditions ahead are very favourable and we plan to open more slopes and lifts gradually," said Jonas Bauer, Destination Manager at SkiStar Sälen.

It sounds more sensible and less hassle than having to get your phone out, especially with issues you get with phones not getting a signal or suddenly draining of power when cold.

Switzerland has removed a requirement introduced less than a week ago requiring Brits to quarantine for 10 days on arrival.

The move was a response to the new Covid variant Omicron but was not matched in the same way by other countries.

It led to people planning to ski in Switzerland cancelling trips and one of the largest UK tour operators Inghams, actually owned by a Swiss group, cancelling its holidays to the country in December.
Instead the Swiss government has announced stricter testing measures.

From Saturday, 4 December 2021, entry into Switzerland will be possible with
out having to quarantine for vaccinated and recovered travellers but they will now have to present a negative PCR test before entry.

Furthermore, they have to carry out a second test (PCR or rapid antigen) between day 4 and day 7. The test results need to be reported to the Cantonal authorities.

There are full details of the latest changes here: https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases/media-releases-federal-council.msg-id-86260.html

The return of the World Cup Racing circuit to North America last weekend after a two year break due to the pandemic has highlighted the huge differences between snow conditions in different parts of the continent at present.

Most ski regions are struggling with warmer than average temperatures and limited snowfall. The exception is a small area in Eastern BC and Western Alberta around the northern Rockies which are seeing the most snowfall in the world at present.

Ski areas around Banff, along with Sun Peaks in BC, have been posting the most open terrain of any ski areas in the world this past week, and also the most snowfall – Lake Louise (pictured top) posting over a metre (40") more in the last seven days after good snowfall already through much of November.

This is, overall, clearly good news for skiers, but the consequences have included two of three planned races at Lake Louise having to be cancelled last weekend due to the conditions (strong wind and too much snow on the course) and the past two days has seen neighbouring Banff ski area Sunshine closed due to extreme avalanche danger. It's due to fully re-open today.

By contrast Beaver Creek (pictured below), which has hosted an extra Men's Super G race yesterday to replace one of those cancelled at Lake Louise has had to delay opening to the public until this weekend as it has very limited cover with some slopes still almost snowless. TV footage shows just a white ribbon of much wetter than normal snow on its famous Birds of Prey course. Fans were pictured in T shirts and shorts with temperatures above +10C

The men continue racing at Beaver Creek (below) through the weekend with the women due to race at Lake Louise.

5 Torri sector, just stunning:

Ah brilliant, enjoy. I've been a few times and loved it. Hoping to get back soon. Hidden Valley is definitely a must do run, although you need to get a bus or taxi back as there's no lift back up it. But previously you needed to get a bus back to Cortina and now there's the gondola. Great restaurants at the top and near the bottom as you cross the border into Alta Badia too.

J2SkiNews wrote:re: Another new addition to Cortina's ski lifts is the brand new 10-seater gondola linking the Tofana and Cinque Torri areas, thanks to which all of Cortina's ski areas will be reachable from the town without the need for a car or ski bus.

You could be one of the first to ski to the Sellaronda down the Hidden Valley run and on the horse-powered drag lift and maybe round and on to Val Gardena or Val Di Fassa but without needing to use a bus (except the return!) thanks to this long-awaited new lift, exciting!

Gary Waters wrote:Thanks for the update I'm booked to Cortina in January and to be honest it's pretty confusing

Not as useful as SwingBeep's advice, but this press release just came in to J2Ski Towers from Cortina, few links at the end possibly useful?!

Cortina is all set for the ski season 2021-2022
The ski season 2021-2022 begins in Cortina, part of the Dolomiti Superski
The Faloria ski area has opened today, one day in advance on the official opening date of the slopes in the Cortina ski area. Wonderful, sunny slopes welcomed skiers as they reached the 2,120 m of the top station of the Faloria Cable Car, where the namesake Rifugio Faloria is located.
Tomorrow, 4th December, several other lifts and slopes will open, including the whole Cristallo ski area and the Freccia nel Cielo cable car on the Tofana ski area.
Skiers have been able to enjoy the snow from 25th November, when the Falzarego Chairlift on Col Gallina started operations. Since then, temperatures have dropped and fresh snow fell also in town, giving Cortina a wintry look and allowing the other slopes to programme their opening.
After the World Ski Championships 2021, Cortina is ready for a winter season with juicy news for skiers. Up in Ra Valles, part of the Tofana ski area, two lifts have been substituted by the Bus Tofana, a 4-seater bubble chairlift making it much more comfortable and faster to reach the 2,742 m of Cortina's highest slope. The official opening of the lift is set for Sunday 19th December, but it will probably open before.
Another new addition to Cortina's ski lifts is the brand new 10-seater gondola linking the Tofana and Cinque Torri areas, thanks to which all of Cortina's ski areas will be reachable from the town without the need for a car or ski bus.
For everyone to enjoy skiing safely, the slopes and lifts of Cortina follow the same rules as the rest of the Dolomiti Superski. Besides limited capacity on cable cars and gondolas and regular sanification, rules include skiers being required to have a valid green pass to access the lifts. The activation of the skipass is possible on the Dolomiti Superski website and app as well as directly at the skipass sales points.

Further info
Lifts opening dates: dolomitisuperski.com/en/Experience/Ski-areas/Cortina-d-Ampezzo/Lifts
Green pass and skipass activation: http://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/Plan-ski-holiday/Green%20Pass