J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

Customers and staff of the UK's largest ski tour operator, Crystal, have donated a total of £69,000 to charity Disability Snowsport UK (DSUK) (www.disabilitysnowsport.org.uk), a £5,000 increase on the money the company donated in 2014.

DSUK is a small national charity with a mission of giving skiers and snowboarders with a disability the opportunity to be able to ski alongside the non-disabled as equals at all ski facilities and resorts.

This donation will allow members to continue to experience heavily subsidised, fairly priced lessons with specialist instructors and equipment in all UK indoor snow centres, therefore providing access to skiing for disabled people who might not normally be able to participate, as well as helping with 'holidays of a life time' to ski resorts in Europe and North America.

"It's an amazing amount and to increase it year on year is fantastic. We realise that it's
still tough out there financially for everyone and there are so many good causes that deserve donations, so we really appreciate all the hard work and fantastic support that comes from Crystal's staff and customers. I can truly say that without Crystal's support over the last six years DSUK would not be here now," said Fiona Young, the charity's CEO.

Crystal's overseas and UK employees raised the money through year round events to support the charity, and Crystal customers donated generously. The fundraisers included:

* Crystal Christmas, end-of-season and summer party donations from employees;

* Team Austria organised hundreds of activities including fancy dress skiing and lift pass deposit donations;

* The team in France organised fun filled activities including clothes and activities auctions, pub quizzes, an office swear jar and end of season barbecue;

* Team Italy ran various events from race nights, bikini skiing, auctions & prize giveaways;

* Crystal Ski Holidays customers donated nearly £1500 directly towards the DSUK campaign "Make a Million Friends".

Snowfalls which may tally as much as 1.5m (five five) over the next five-six days will hopefully get the ski season started at South American ski areas which have been unable to open for three weeks following their planned 2015 opening dates in mid-June.

J2Ski's snow forecasts have calculated the biggest snowfalls will occur at Chile's more northerly ski centre of Portillo, one of the most famous and iconic in South America, which was due to have opened on June 21st and now aims to open four weeks late on July 19th.

https://www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast/Chile/Portillo_snow.html

Another of Chile's best known ski areas, Valle Nevado (archive picture above) near capital Santiago, is also expected to receive significant snowfall although less than half that of Portillo, around 70m during the same period. It says it will open pon the 18th.

https://www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast/Chile/Valle_Nevado_snow.html

The problems for both areas and most others in South America have been too warm temperatures and too little snow.

Across the border in Argentina the new snow is expected to be good at top areas there too. Las Lenas, which has been talking about its investment in new snowmaking, is forecast to receive over a metre of snow for example.

https://www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast/Argentina/Las_Lenas_snow.html

Some areas with significant snowmaking have been able to open limited terrain and resorts at the southern end of the continent like Corralco, have had good snow cover and started their season normally.

Details of this year's ski and snowboard shows in London have been published by sponsors The Telegraph.

After many years at Earls Court or London Olympia the show will be moving to a new venue at Battersea Park.

Now down to a four day duration it will also run a week later than last year, from Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th November 2015.

Along with the new venue, new concepts for the show include an outdoor alpine village, comedy from the stars of the Altitude Comedy Festival and the return of international pro-competition 'The London Ride' with a real-snow, 15m high kicker, presented by British Freeski Camps. It will be the first time in four years that such a contest has been staged in London.

"Set within Battersea Evolution, the indoor/outdoor hybrid will allow organisers, Telegraph Events, to create a unique mountain village experience giving exhibitors an optimal environment to promote their resorts, holidays and products," a statement from the organisers reads.

"Visitors will be transported to the mountains as they explore the resort, sampling authentic food, visiting après bars, shopping in the new outdoor village and browsing over 200 top snow sports brands and destinations within the show arena."

Tickets prices have not yet been announced but tickets will go on sale on Friday 7th August from www.skiandsnowboard.co.uk

The Norwegian summer ski destination of Fonna has launched a new 'ski-bus and fjord-cruise' service from the coastal city of Bergen for those who want to ski or board there this summer.

The service starts at either Bergen bus station or from the quay in Norheimsund (which is otherwise reached by the bus from Brfgen). The boat then takes skiers and boarders on to Herand from where a waiting bus continues on to the Fonna Glacier Ski Resort. At the end of the ski day a return service is offered.

The day last 11.5 hours on the return trip from Bergen and costs 960 Kronor (£77) for return bus, ferry, second bus and lift pass for an adult from Bergen. There are reductions for children and/or if you start at the ferry.

The Fonna Glacier is one of Norway's three summer glacier areas and one of the best known in Europe – and one of less than a dozen on the continent open in July and August.

When it opened for its 2015 season his May is boasted a record 8m snow depth on its slopes, and it received a 3m accumulation of fresh snow at the start of June. Snow depths remain at the 6m/20 feet mark.

Fonna is open to 31st August but the new bus/ferry link service will have its final run this year on August 16th.

https://www.norled.no/en/fjordcruise/hardangerfjord-summerski-folgefonna-glacier/

Tom Cruise's holiday home near Telluride ski resort in Colorado has been put on the market by Sotherbys at $59m.

The property, which extends to 298 acres and is located 12 minutes' drive from Telluride includes the main house, built in 1994, with seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, and an additional smaller guest house.

The listing details film star facilities including a helipad, riding stables and 'private airport' as well as more run-of-the-mill assets including a dishwasher, fridge and 'dryer included'.

It also gives advice on local schools and average property prices in the area, which averaged $615,000 for all properties in October 2014, the most recent date quoted on the site.

An American ski resort which has had two serious chairlift accidents in the past five years is to set up a website on chairlift safety and invite anyone interested to ask questions and report concerns.

Sugarloaf ski resort in Maine is also spending $1.4m (just under a million pounds) on upgrading the motors on seven lifts this summer with the aim of avoiding any further incidents.

In 2010 several chairs fell 10m to the ground from one of Sugarloaf's lifts, which was subsequently replaced, then last season another chairlift went in to reverse, leading to the injuries of seven skiers and boarders, due to an issue later diagnosed as being caused by a gear box problem.

More than half of the investment Sugarloaf is making in the lift where last season's incident occurred will see new engines with 'anti-rollback technology' and manufactured by market leader Doppelmayr installed, replacing the crucial working parts of the lift. Six other chairlifts will also be upgraded, although with less major overhauls required.

Whilst ski areas in New Zealand opening this week are reporting their best start in a decade, across the Pacific in Argentina and Chile it's a less rosy picture with many big known resorts facing bare slopes and being forced to delay opening.

Portillo in Chile, perhaps the continent's best known resort, has put a two week hold on their opening day, due last Saturday but now scheduled for July 4th.

Another leading resort, Valle Nevado, did manage to open but with a piste of machine made snow on a barren brown landscape.

The western South American coast seems to be currently suffering from the same warm dry conditions that have affected ski areas on the western North American coast for the past four seasons, with the last one being particularly bad for snowfall (lack of).

This is going against predictions that this southern hemisphere winter would be a good one for snow according to the Pacific's La Niña and El Niño weather cycles which tend to bring feast or famine for snow addicts, depending on which is in the ascendance.

Some South American ski areas are facing a triple whammy of bad luck as there have also been volcanic eruptions and mud slides in recent weeks and months affecting several resorts too.

But not every South American ski area is suffering, towards the south of the continent conditions are nearer to normality and Corralco in southern Chile, pictured above on Monday, is one of several that are fully operational.

Ski areas have opened in Europe, North America, South America and Australia today in an annual event few besides J2ski seem to notice.

It's the start of the summer ski season on the glaciers of Whistler in Canada, North America and les 2 Alpes in France, Europe, whilst the 2015 winter season kicks off in South America and more areas open in New Zealand.

Ski areas are also open already in Lesotho and South Africa in Africa, meaning that ski lift accessed winter sports are currently possible on at least five continents.

Conditions on the slopes vary dramatically however. African ski areas have had fresh snow this week and are in good shape, but New Zealand has been the snowstorm story of the last seven days with accumulations of up to a metre of fresh snow reported (Treble Cone pictured above)

South America, by contrast, has so far had a dire start to the season with almost no natural snowfall – a similar situation to the one that Pacific US states found themselves in in the Northern Hemisphere's winter a few months ago. The only skiing available is on machine made snow.

In the northern hemisphere glaciers are posting pictures of pristine snow slopes (les 2 Alpes pictured this week below), looking good for summer 2015.