J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

A plan delayed multiple times to bring in biometric checks for Brits entering the EU will begin being rolled out across the EU from 12 October.

It means that, thank to Brexit, UK travellers entering or leaving the EU will need to undergo biometric checks.

Although the initial checks will take longer than the current passport stamps, reintroduced after Brexit and the UK government decision to also leave the Schengen Agreement, EU officials say in the longer term the new Entry/Exit System (EES) will mean faster and more automated border processing as well as facilitate the use of EU e-gates by British passport holders who have completed the biometric registration process thanks to a recent UK-EU agreement.

This will require fingerprints and facial scans at airports, ports, and train stations. Data will be stored for three years, allowing faster future crossings via e-gates.

The rollout, originally planned for November 2024 but delayed by technical issues, will span six months, with full implementation by 10 April 2026.

Registration is free, but mandatory — refusal means denied entry. Travellers will use dedicated booths or, in some cases, handheld devices in cars. French border checks will continue at UK sites like Dover and Folkestone.

Concerns over long queues remain, especially at peak times and at busy crossings like the Eurotunnel and the UK government has warned of potential long delays.

Méribel—one of the key resorts in the world's largest ski area Les 3 Vallées—has announced several lift upgrades while deepening its environmental commitments.

To improve skier flow and comfort, the Cote Brune chairlift is being transformed into a high-capacity gondola. Featuring 10-seater cabins capable of transporting up to 2,600 people per hour, the upgrade will offer smoother, faster connections between Val Thorens and Les Menuires.

In addition, the Rhodos cable car is undergoing a full renovation focused on modernisation and sustainability. The overhaul includes the installation of new-generation cabins, upgraded electrical systems, and a mechanical refresh of the stations. Architectural improvements are scheduled in phases, with the departure and intermediate stations to be completed this year and the arrival station following in 2026.

Méribel has also been awarded two 'Flocons Verts' (Green Snowflake) labels from the French environmental organisation Mountain Riders, recognising the resort's ecological efforts through its "Méribel 2038" program.

Australia has been hit by heavy snowfall as the excellent season there continues. Up to 30cm (12") was reported over the last 24 hours with much more forecast through the weekend.

However the snowfall has arrived driven in on up to 200kph wind gusts giving blizzard conditions and leading to slope closures at some areas including Mt Buller, where the Summit Chairlift, pictured above, had to be dug out.

Hotham received 15cm (6") of fresh snowfall overnight, with an overnight low of -2.1°C. This snowfall means the base is now 107cm, passing the 1 metre mark.

"It is still dumping down and not set to stop anytime soon," said Alex Pankiw, Hotham's Field Marketing Specialist. "We've reached the metre snow base mark for the 2025 season and there's heaps more to come. It was a wild night up here at Hotham, we had winds at over 140km/h, but it's brought the snow and we are loving it today."

Falls Creek woke up to another 11cm of fresh snow after an overnight low of -1.8C. The resort has now reached a 102cm base.

Snowfall is expected to continue across Australian ski areas through the coming week.

Ski areas in Australia, New Zealand, South America and Southern Africa are set to celebrate "Christmas in July" on Saturday, 25th July.

According to Wikipedia the phrase "Christmas in July" is thought to have originated from a girls' summer camp in North Carolina called Keystone Camp, which began celebrating Christmas in July in 1933. The camp's co-founder, Fannie Holt, wanted to bring some festive magic to the summer months. The celebration included traditional Christmas elements like decorating a tree, singing carols, exchanging gifts, and even a visit from Santa Claus. The concept gained further traction with the release of the 1940 movie "Christmas in July".

The concept has proved increasingly popular at ski resorts in the southern hemisphere which almost never have snow in mid-summer there in December making a "White Christmas" all but impossible.

Australia's Mt Baw Baw (pictured above) is among Australian resorts planning similar events to Ms Holt's 1933 US summer camp, only with snow. Several other Aussie ski areas have similar plans.

At The Remarkables and Coronet Peak in Queenstown, New Zealand, festive celebrations typically feature Christmas-themed decorations, Santa suits on the slopes, festive music, food and beverages, and even spot prizes for the best-Christmassy-dressed skiers and snowboarders.

In southern Africa, what's believed to be the continent's only still operational ski area Afriski in Lesotho plans to celebrate not just Christmas in July but its 25th birthday on Saturday. It's one of the world's newest ski areas and one of the few established this century.

It's not totally unheard of for snow on the slopes of southern hemisphere ski areas on December 25th too though. Mt Ruapehu has had skiing on surviving snow patches on that date at least once in the past decade and Australian ski areas have used snow farming to preserve snow under cover ready to unveil for a few fun days of sledging, snowman making and snowballing on December 25th too.

In Val di Fassa's Campitello, the historic cable car to Col Rodella is making way for what is set to become Italy's most innovative mountain transport system. Debuting this December, the new tri-cable gondola lift marks a technological leap forward for the Sellaronda circuit.

The cutting-edge Doppelmayr 3S lift will feature 22 panoramic cabins, each accommodating up to 30 passengers. With a swift travel speed of 8.0 m/s and an initial capacity of 2,177 passengers per hour (expandable to 2,812), the installation is primed to end the chronic bottlenecks that previously plagued peak ski traffic.

Beyond speed and volume, the system showcases a suite of modern features: heated seats powered by alternators, supercapacitor-driven cabin lighting, automated washing and lubrication systems, and energy recovery to warm station buildings. Environmental sensitivity is evident in underground station architecture, acoustic insulation, and vibration damping throughout the towers.

"The new 3S ropeway is the largest lift project undertaken by the company to date," said Daniele Dezulian, President of S.I.T.C. S.p.A. "As we did forty years ago, we want to bring innovation, comfort and a new quality of transport to our guests... It will be a major tourist attraction for admiring the beauty of the Dolomites and the Val di Fassa area."

With adaptable interior configurations—ready for summer bicycles, paragliders, and hang gliders as well as winter skiers—the lift is designed for year-round use. Positioned deeper into the slopes that its predecessor for direct ski access, the new lift will enhance connectivity within the vast Sellaronda network.

Archaeologists in Norway have uncovered a rare pair of prehistoric skis, shedding new light on Iron Age winter travel and climate adaptation. The second ski was found just five meters from the first, which was discovered seven years ago on Digervarden mountain. Radiocarbon dating places both skis at around 1,300 years old.

The find, part of the Secrets of the Ice initiative led by Innlandet County Council and the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, is hailed as the best-preserved prehistoric ski pair ever discovered.

Remarkably, the skis—made from birch and pine—still retain their original bindings, allowing researchers to create replicas and study ancient skiing techniques.

"This discovery proves that people braved high mountain terrain in winter for hunting and transport," said archaeologist Lars Holger Pilø. "It also offers unprecedented insight into Iron Age resilience and ingenuity."

The skis were revealed by glacial retreat, a phenomenon driven by climate change. While melting ice threatens fragile artifacts, it also exposes long-hidden relics. Pilø noted that such finds help reconstruct human responses to past climate shifts, like intensified reindeer hunting during the Late Antique Little Ice Age.

As glaciers continue to melt at increasing speed, archaeologists hope more secrets will emerge—illuminating both human history and environmental change.

After receiving 56cm (22") of snowfall over the past week, Falls Creek has announced that its famed International Poma lift is now open, allowing access to terrain only possible with peak snow conditions.

This opening makes Falls Creek the first resort in Australia's Victoria province to have 100% of its lifts and 100% of terrain open, five weeks into the 2025 season.

"After 56cm of fresh snow this past week, we are so excited to announce that the International Poma in now open for the season. This makes Falls Creek the first resort in Victoria to open 100% of lifts and 100% of terrain for the 2025 snow season," said Betony Pitcher, Falls Creek's Field Marketing Manager. "It is still snowing as I speak, and we currently have a snow base of 95cm."

There's another snowstorm in next week's forecast for Australia's ski areas, continuing the great start to the season there.

German ski resort Winterberg is giving adrenaline junkies the opportunity to slide down the dry slope on the steep landing slope of their Schanze ski jump riding on a tyre tube.

The activity has been christened "Slope Terror" and the resorts describes it as, "leisure adventure at its wildest form!"



The activity is offered on selected days and must be pre-booked. Participants must sign a waiver and wear a crash helmet as well as knee, hand and elbow pads. Sessions are offered on selected days, cost 15 Euros per person and last one hour with up to two descents. Participants need to walk up the slope each time to ride down and should be fit with no health conditions and not pregnant.

"You don't need any prior knowledge. Just a bit of guts, curiosity, and desire for something extraordinary. Whether alone, with friends or with your family - fun, speed and thrill awaits you here!" a spokesman commented.

Image credit: Sports Center Winterberg Hochsauerland / SZW