Messages posted by : J2SkiNews
This coming weekend marks the end of the ski season in France with the final five areas still open marking the end of winter operations. However, three of them are set to re-open for summer skiing over the coming months. From Monday only Les 2 Alpes will still be offering lift-accessed skiing in the French Alps. It will switch to offer high-altitude skiing only until the end of May.
From June 1st the centre is open another six weeks through to July 7, however its glacier slopes are reserved for pro teams training, but its Snowpark 3200 summer terrain park remains open to all. For skiers looking for a full ski run though, there's just a short wait before Val d'Isère opens for its three-week summer ski season, from Friday, June 6th to Sunday, June 29th this year. It offers 3 slopes open to all, Moraine, Montet, Combe du Géant served by the Cascade chairlift and Montet ski lift. A further four runs are open but again reserved for race training. Tignes has the latest summer ski season opening from 20 June to 19 July this year. The resort's Perce Neige funicular operates from 6.45am daily to allow access to the summer ski slopes, which includes up to 20km of slopes open until noon daily. |
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Scotland's Cairngorm Mountain above Aviemore is one of the final 2% of ski areas still open worldwide as we near the end of April. The resort plans to celebrate tomorrow with a Retro Ski Attire Day plus an informal Park Jam in the Ptarmigan Bowl where the snow remains at the top of the slopes.
Those who arrive dressed in retro skiwear will get a 20% discount on their day pass at the ticket office. There'll also be prizes for "Best Dressed" and "Rider of the Day". Cairngorm is celebrating one of its best seasons of the 21st century, having maintained snow cover for five months, since late November. It's also the first full season with its key funicular back in action after six years of full or partial closures for repairs. A second Scottish ski area, Glencoe, has closed its lift-served in-bounds skiing but says it plans to maintain a snow sledging run with its two all-weather snowmaking machines through the May Day bank holiday, as well as its ski touring access chair which tourers can use to quickly access remaining high altitude snow.  |
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New Zealand ski area Hamner Springs has announced it plans to open tomorrow after a significant autumn snowfall. So far there are no details of the plans other than a social media post stating:
Ski areas across the country have reported several mid-autumn snowfalls in recent weeks, but the latest over the past few days have delivered heavier accumulations than usual for this early in the year to higher slopes, with drifts several metres deep. Ski areas in Australia and The Andes have also reported their first falls of the year earlier this month. The southern hemisphere's ski season really gets going in early June with most areas opening by early July. A growing number of resorts have all-weather snowmaking machines that enable them to open some limited terrain in June if they like. One of these, Australia's Corin Forest, has already created a snow play area, but is so far only offering sledging on it. Hamner Springs is one of New Zealand's non-profit club fields and runs three surface lifts. |
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The number of halfpipes in operation around the world has been falling for decades, partly because of the amount of effort and thus cost creating and maintaining the structures entails, but also because those that remain are so big and intimidating that fewer pipe newbies are taking them on. That's the theory from planners at the famous Betterpark Hintertux which is a major draw, particularly in late spring and when it reopens in early autumn when most of the other parks around the world have melted/not yet been built. Betterpark will unveil and all new beginner‑friendly halfpipe on the Hintertux Glacier this spring, with it's all new design but full-scale "Fun Pipe" to the public from 1–25 May 2026. The pilot project introduces a redesigned pipe intended to make halfpipe riding more accessible. Built with 3.5‑metre walls, a 120‑metre length and a rounder, more forgiving transition, the four‑metre‑high structure is designed to offer smoother, more controlled riding for all abilities. The concept has been developed by shaper Stefan Plattner, who is constructing the feature using the new PistenBully 400 Park Winch and Zaugg 13‑ft Pipe Designer. The Fun Pipe will be groomed daily and open to all riders, from first‑timers to those working on progression. Two public event weekends will bookend the operating period: an Opening Weekend on 2 May featuring High Air and One Hit Wonder sessions with prizes from Pure Surfcamps and Salomon, and a Closing Weekend on 24 May with a family‑friendly contest supported by Nitro and Volcom. Sessions will be held in collaboration with freestyle collective The Ästhetiker.
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Austria's leading Seatbach Hinterglemm ski area, one of the country's largest and hosts of the most recent Alpine Skiing World Championships in 2025, has announced that its key Reiterkogel lift is getting a multi-million Euro upgrade for next winter. The current lift, which dates back to 1997, is to be upgraded to a state-of-the-art 10-passenger monocable gondola from Doppelmayr, offering significantly greater comfort, quality, and flow than its 30 year old predecessor. But besides being faster and with greater capacity, the new D1 Reiterkogel will feature a new second section which will take skiers directly to the summit of the Reiterkogel, while at the same time creating direct access from the centre of Hinterglemm right into the heart of the ski area.
Spacious cabins and barrier-free boarding areas ensure that everyone feels comfortable here from families and bikers to winter sports enthusiasts. Large photovoltaic systems are also planned on the open areas of the stations, which will help supply the cable car with green, self-generated electricity. |
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A second pre-season snowstorm in Australia has led to the first snowboarder being pictured taking to the (thin) snow cover for some early turns. Snow started falling on the southerly Australian island of Tasmania, home to two small ski areas, late on Friday and by Sunday cover was significant enough for at least one boarder to take a ride. The picture above was taken at Mt Mawson on Sunday. 
The cold weather continued further north to the country's snow fields in Victoria and New South Wales, where the start of the 2026 ski season is just under two months away. normally on the first weekend of June. Mt Buller posted the pictured above. Snow sports - although at this point mostly snowman building and sledging - are also possible at Corin Forest, the only ski area in Australian Capital Territory, which opened for 2026 on 1st April using snow created by an all-weather snowmaking machine.  |
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More than 70 ski areas in more than 15 countries plan to keep offering lift-served skiing into May this year. The centres are spread across three continents – Asia, Europe and North America. About half of the areas are in the Alps where Austria has y=the most to choose from - about a dozen centres open into May, half of them glaciers, half snowsure high-altitude resorts. It's been a particularly good winter in the Pyrenees but that doesn't seem to have changed planned season end dates much, with the region's largest resort Andorra's Grandvalira closing as planned o er the past two weekend even though the snow is lying 3m deep up top. However Spain's La Molina/Massela area is aiming to stay open into May, as is Sierra Nevada, Europe's most southerly major ski area. In Scandinavia many areas stay open through most of April and about 10 stay open into the first week of May. Riksgransen up in the Swedish Arctic stays open through the month and several Norwegian summer ski areas also start their seasons. Scotland's Cairngorm and Glencoe haven't announced closing dates yet and are both forecast to receive more snowfall in the coming week. The Western US has had one of its worst ever seasons for snowfalls and lots of centres have closed early. However about 10 resorts there still look set to make it into May. North of the border, which has had a much more normal winter, five Canadian resorts including centres at Banff, Jasper and Whistler, also have May skiing scheduled. Other a dozen Japanese ski centres also plan to stay open into next month to reach what's known as the Golden Week holiday there. Although 70+ areas will make it into May, about half of those will; close after the first weekend of the month, by May 3rd. Only about 10 ski areas are likely to keep operating beyond May 31st however with most of them operating high altitude or far northerly latitude summer skiing in June and in a few cases later in the summer. Current expected closing dates in May 2026 1 Austria: Silvretta, Sportsgastein; Sweden: Hemavan 2 Norway – Galdhopiggen opening for 2026 summer ski season 3 Austria: Ischgl, Obertauern, Pitztal, Solden; Canada: Lake Louise, Marmot Basin; Finland: Pyha, Ruka, Yllas; France: Chamonix (Grand Montets), Tignes, Val d'Isere; Germany: Oberstdorf, Zugspitze; Italy: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno, Passo Tonale, Pila, Sulden Norway: Hemsedal; Spain: La Molina/Massela, Sierra Nevada; Sweden: Åre, Kåbdalis, Tänndalen, Tärnaby; Switzerland: Adelboden (Engstligenalp), Engelberg, St Moritz (Diavolezza), Samnaun; USA: Sugarloaf 6 Japan: Daisetsuzan Kurodake – Sounkyo, Furano, Happo One, Niseko, Nozawa Onsen, Zao 10 Finland: Levi, Saariselka; USA: Brian Head 17 Austria: Stubai; Japan: Shiga Kogen; USA: Solitude 18 Canada: Banff Sunshine, Sommet St Sauveur, Whistler 22 Norway – Stryn opening for 2026 summer ski season 25 Austria: Kaunertal, Kitzsteinhorn; USA: Mammoth Mountain, Mt. Bachelor: Snowbird. 30 Norway – Fonna opening for 2026 summer ski season 31 Austria: Molltal glacier Staying open all month and into June and/or April/May closing date not yet known: Austria - Hintertux, France - Les 2 Alpes, Japan - Gassan, USA - Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Jay Peak, Killington, Loveland, Mammoth, Palisades, Timberline, Winter Park. |
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La Plagne was set for a burst of spring mayhem as the resort's much‑loved Kamicaze soapbox race was set to return on Easter Monday 6 April 2026. But we now see this event has been cancelled Open to both participants and onlookers, the annual event, described by the resort as "a firm fixture in the spring ski calendar", invites teams to hurtle down the snow in homemade contraptions that prioritise creativity as much as speed. Festivities normally begin with an early‑evening showcase, giving spectators a close‑up look at the most outlandish builds before they're unleashed on the piste. Once racing gets underway, competitors navigate the course in a blend of ingenuity and controlled chaos, with wipeouts often as entertaining as the victories. Prizes are awarded across several categories, including fastest descent, most inventive design and boldest performance. The celebrations continue into the night with an open‑air DJ set, keeping the festival atmosphere alive long after the final run.  |
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