J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

There's currently glorious, warm, sunny weather to end-October in the Alps which makes for lovely skiing conditions on the slopes of the 15 or so glacier areas already open, but is not such good news for snowmaking or the snowpack.

However, Mürren is undeterred and will begin its 24-25 winter season this weekend at the Schilthorn, thanks to an epic snowfarming operation.

From Saturday, November 2, 2024, the Riggli chairlift and its associated slope in Engetal will be open after a record amount of snow was stored over the summer using snow farming.

"Thanks to the expansion of the Winteregg chairlift and the new construction of the cable cars between Stechelberg and Birg, more transport capacity and less waiting time can be expected this winter," a spokesperson for the Schilthorn Lift Company said.

In fact, skiers and riders have already been on snow in the region since the end of September. Athletes from Swiss Freeski and Snowboard have been training in a specially created snow park in Engetal below Birg.

The Riggli chairlift will be open to all at the weekend, with day tickets available at a reduced price pf 63 Francs for adults, but during the week, the slopes are reserved for use by regional ski squads and training groups.

A setup of the Pända Snowpark will also remain before it moves to the Maulerhubel/Winteregg area for the actual winter season.

Continuous winter sports operations in the entire Mürren-Schilthorn area will begin on Saturday, December 7, 2024.

During the preseason, day tickets are available at a reduced price. Adults pay 63 francs. The Jungfrau Ski Region season ticket and the Top 4 ski pass are valid. The Schilthorn descent will though be closed until mid-March due to the construction of the new cable car between Birg and Schilthorn.

However, thanks to the new feeder lifts, the direct connection between Stechelberg and Mürren and the opening of the first track of the new cable car between Mürren and Birg, the transport capacity to the area can be massively increased and previous sometimes long waiting times will be eliminated.

There is also additional transport capacity on the Winteregg quad chairlift after a summer upgrade which saw the remaining 33 percent of the originally licensed transport capacity utilised with 17 additional chairs with winter protection covers, increasing capacity to 1,600 skiers per hour.

Ski areas across the Iberian peninsular, including Europe's most southerly ski area, Sierra Nevada, have seen significant weekend snowfalls, raising anticipation levels for the winter ahead.

There was even fresh October snowfall for Portugal's lone ski area, Serra da Estrela.

The cold weather and fresh snowfall currently contrasts with the Alps, which is expecting a rather warm, dry and sunny week.

However, whilst 14 ski areas have already opened in Austria, Italy and Switzerland, there's currently nowhere in the Pyrenees or elsewhere in Spain expected to open for another four weeks, until the final week of November, when several centres including Spain's largest Baqueira Beret, do plan to open.

Ski areas in the Pyrenees have opened early some years when there have been heavy autumn snowfalls, in one case managing to do so in October, but it's too early to say if there's any sign of that being a liklihood this year.

The southern hemisphere's 2024 season has ended a little earlier than expected with the final two centres that had planned to open for a final weekend, this weekend, deciding not to do so.

The only two centres still operating had been Whakapapa and Turoa ski areas on Mt Ruapehu on New Zealand's North Island. Whakapapa had been operating daily, Turoa Fridays to Sundays in the final weeks of the season. The two centres had operated as one resort until this season but are now run as separate businesses.

However, Whakapapa announced on Thursday that its season was over due to warm, wet weather conditions and Turoa announced soon after that it wouldn't be re-opening this Friday to Sunday as planned for the same reason - due to the impact on its remaining snowpack.

The last ski area that had been operating in south America, Chile's Valle Nevado, had closed last Sunday and Australia's ski season had ended in late September; Afriski in Lesotho, Southern Africa's in late August.

The southern hemisphere's 2025 season will begin in late may or early June, next year.

Japan's 24-25 season has got started today.

For the 26th successive season the small Yeti ski area in the shadow on Mt Fuji created a ski run using an all-weather snowmaking machine. Those who arrived in fancy dress received free lift passes, leading to a colourful display.

Most of Japan's big-name ski areas are hoping to open in the final few days of November or early December as usual. Currently the mood is optimistic for a good snow winter with the La Nina system in the Pacific expecting to dominate into 2025 typically meaning colder than average temperatures bringing more snowfall than usual too, fingers crossed.

Across the sea of Japan China's first ski area has also opened for its 24-25 season. Jiangjun Shan ski area is located in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Altay Prefecture near Khazakhstan and is reported to have opened after heavy snowfall by Chinese media.

The start of France's 24-25 season is just a month away with the Chamonix Valley, Tignes and Val Thorens currently expected to be opening first for the final week of November.

Tignes has officially given up on September and October opening but has announced plans for its opening weekend from 23rd of November.

A day's lift pass for the opening weekend on 23 and 24 November will cost just €30 and for the rest of the week from 25 - 29 November skiers there remains a heavy discount to €39 day. There are also opening weekend packages with two night's accommodation and a 2 day lift pass from €120 (£100).

From Saturday 30 November Tignes and neighbouring Val d'Isère will both be open for the season with daily lift passes reduced to €61 until 20 December.

Visitors to Tignes this winter will find a a new 6-seater chair lift 'Le Marais' waiting for them. The quieter, faster and more energy-efficient lift will be transporting up to 2,020 skiers and boarders to the summit of Aiguille Percée in the Tignes sector every hour.

There's also a new mountain restaurant up at 2,431 m, 'Le Palet'. The latest offspring from the Bouvier family and the sister to the Panoramic restaurant, it's accessible via the Tichot ski lift.

"The slope-side new cool canteen will be the lively place to stop for a drink and some tasty food. In the afternoon live music will be entertaining the crowds and the perfect fun stop in between skiing and snowboarding," a resort spokesperson says.

The huge Milky Way ski area, which straddles the French-Italian border, has announced a snowmaking spend amongst other upgrades ahead of the 24-25 season.

Marketed under its Italian name, Vialattea, the region has added an 8.9km extension to its snowmaking coverage in the Alpette – Borgata and Lower Banchetta Sectors, aiming to ensure cover to lower altitudes. The new machines enable faster snow production while reducing energy consumption. The initiative supports Vialattea's commitment to sustainability, already demonstrated by its use of 100% renewable energy, which cuts CO2 emissions by around 2,900 tonnes annually.

Vialattea is among Europe's largest ski resorts with 400km of slopes divided into 250 runs linking the Italian Piedmont resorts of Sestriere, Sauze d'Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana, Claviere, Pragelato and Oulx to the French resort of Montgenèvre. The region hosted the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.

The ski areas operators recently took over neighbouring Bardonecchia and this winter those who purchase a 6-day Vialattea ski pass will receive a complimentary one-day extension to Bardonecchia. Building on last season's success, the ticketing system has been upgraded with 7 new state-of-the-art 'smart points' across the region, enabling 24/7 automated and independent ski pass purchases.

Vialattea is easily accessible by road and rail. The nearest airport is Turin Caselle, but it is also well connected to Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate and Genoa City Airport, as well as being

The UK's leading adaptive ski and snowboard charity, Disability Snowsport UK (DSUK), have launched 'The Big Winter Prize Draw', as the charity seek to raise essential funds to support grass roots skiing and snowboarding for children and adults with disabilities.

With £12,500 worth of prizes available, the prize draw costs £10 per entry and runs until November 29th; with top prizes including a heli ski trip to Iceland, ski holidays to the French Alps, a Porsche driving experience at Silverstone, a cottage stay in Scotland, a piste basher experience, jewellery vouchers, theatre tickets and a host of other assorted ski clothing, gifts and gadgets.

"As a small niche charity with limited resources, going through a cost-of-living crisis, our survival continues to be a challenge," said Virginia Anderson, CEO of Disability Snowsport UK, adding, "That's why we're extremely grateful of the phenomenal support shown to us by the wider snowsports community, who have been incredibly generous in donating such a variety of fantastic prizes. Our aim is to spread the joy of skiing and snowboarding to as many children and adults living in the UK, with disabilities and life changing injuries, as possible."

£10 could help pay for slope fees at an outdoor dry ski slope; £25 could help us make an adaptive snowsport lesson more affordable by providing a direct subsidy for a disabled skier; £50 could pay for an adaptive snowsport instructor to provide a four-hour lesson in the Scottish Highlands and £100 could purchase a Bluetooth communications device and high-vis jackets to help our highly qualified instructors.

Virginia continues, "We see every day the positive impacts snowsport brings to our community. The fun, joy, smiles, laughter, friendships and sense of belonging. By entering The Big Winter Prize Draw, you're not just standing the chance of winning an amazing prize, you're helping us to change lives for the better, and that's a truly wonderful thing."

For a full list of prizes and details, or to enter The Big Winter Prize Draw, visit:
https://uk.givergy.com/TheBigWinterPrizeDraw/?controller=home

Image credit: Cameron Ross Hall

After an unseasonably warm October until late last week, cold temperatures and snowfall has arrived in the Rockies and with its announcement that it plans to open tomorrow, Wolf Creek Ski Area looks like it will be the first in the country, and the North American continent, to open for the 24-25 season (unless anywhere else manages to sneak in and open before them).

Snowfall at the end of last week brought accumulations of up to 10" (25cm) and low temperatures also allowed multiple resorts including Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain, Keystone and Loveland to begin snowmaking as the race to open hotted up. Ski areas in other states including Arizona, California and Utah also got snow and started snowmaking.

However, Wolf Creek did particularly well, reporting a storm total of nearly 21" so far over thgree days, and seems able to open on less of a manufactured base so says about 30% of its terrain, accessed by three chairlifts, will begin 7-day-a-week operations from tomorrow Tuesday, October 22, 2024. The resort's Magic Carpet will also be open for the Wolf Pup and Wolf Rider Programs.

This will be Wolf Creek's 85th Anniversary and opening day festivities will take place on Tuesday with skiers and boarders who are wearing the anniversary colours of red and gold receiving a commemorative 85th anniversary sticker.

Image credit Eric Deitemeyer