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Le Grand Bornand in the Aravis Region of the French Alps has invested €6m in upgrading its 42-year old Duche triple chairlift.

The lift enables the return of skiers from the wild and grandiose valley of Annes, at the foot of Pointe Percée, towards the Grand-Bornand Chinaillon station via the long Maroly slopes.

The new chairlift, a fixed-grip quad, will be more comfortable and have slightly more capacity but the priority has been improving sustainability.

The chairlift follows a new route with less impact on the environment, by avoiding wetlands and sensitive natural habitats.

It's also safer than its predecessor thanks to being a greater distance from the chalets dotting the slope. In addition its better integrated from an architectural point of view and more economical in energy consumption than the old lift it replaces.

A new survey of 1,000 skiers from online ski instructor booking platform Maison Sport asked which is their favourite seat on a chairlift?

The survey found that on a quad chairlift, the coveted outside seat (furthest from the pylon) earned the top spot (50% of votes), praised for its scenic view and ease of getting out of the way of other skiers when you get off the lift.

The inside seat (nearest to the pylon) was second most popular receiving 22% of votes with voters stating they feel more stable by the pylon, whereas the middle outside seat received the least votes (10%) due to a feeling of being cramped between people who are also blocking the view. The middle inside seat scored 17%.

"There are pros and cons to the different chairlift seats, including having the most time to get on and off the chairlift, the best view and having more personal space. The cons include being more exposed to the weather, having less time to get on and off the chairlift and more sway with the chairlift feeling less stable," said Nick Robinson, Co Founder and CEO of Maison Sport, who added, "We see a lot of beginners feeling understandably nervous about getting on chairlifts, so choosing the right seat can make a big difference in building confidence. The ideal chairlift seat for you ultimately depends on your personal preference and experience level. Beginner skiers may prefer to be sat on the outside where it is easier to get on and off. Whereas, others may feel more comfortable sitting between people in one of the middle seats. If you are a chairlift newbie, try out a few different seats and see where you feel most comfortable."

Maison Sport's ski instructors are also highlighting the importance of proper chairlift etiquette, sharing some expert tips to ensure a smooth ride:

1. Don't skip the queue – unless you are with an instructor!
2. Don't stand on other people's skis in the queue
3. Move all the way to the indicated line before getting on the chairlift
4. Hold your poles in one hand when getting on the chairlift
5. If you have a rucksack, take it off and hold it in front of you when getting on the chairlift
6. Always use the safety bar – it's there for a reason
7. Be mindful of others on the lift with you – especially beginners and children who may need help getting on and off
8. Hold on to your poles tight when riding the chairlift
9. Don't sway the chairlift
10. Don't jump off the chairlift
11. Ski in a straight line when getting off the chairlift
12. Get out of the way of the exit zone as quickly as possible

Two new sections of the remarkable new FlemExpress lift are due to start operating at the Swiss resort of LAAX this winter.

Originally conceived almost two decades ago and requiring 15 years of planning, construction of the new lift, which will ultimately have five sections when its completed next year, began in June 2022 with the first sections opening last winter.

Among the things that are different about the gondola is that it's the world's first fully automatic on-demand lift with the technology behind it developed specifically for LAAX. With the resort's eco priorities, it is also exceptionally energy efficient and with cabins only going into service as required rather than constantly circulating, require less power too.

The first two sections (Flims-Foppa and Foppa-Startgels) went into operation in winter 2023/24. Two further sections (Startgels-Segnes and Segnes-Nagens Sura) will open this winter 2024/25. The final Segnes-Cassons section will follow in summer 2025.

The FlemXpress accesses the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tectonic Arena Sardona in an innovative and sustainable way, connecting Flims via Foppa, Startgels to the Segneshütte hut and from there there's the option this winter to carry on to Nagens or Cassons.

The construction work can be followed on an ongoing basis via the video construction diary or on the project website https://www.flemxpress.ch

Whistler's Jersey Cream Express is being upgraded from a quad chairlift to a 6-seater in time for North America's largest resort's opening day in less than two months' time.

Construction is reported to be in the final stages with completion targeted in time for Opening Day on November 22, 2024.

Once completed, this new lift will significantly reduce wait times, improve circulation on-mountain, and increase uphill capacity to the popular Glacier Creek Zone on Blackcomb Mountain.

The new lift follows other recent improvements to Whistler Blackcomb's lift infrastructure. In 2022 the famous Canadian resort upgraded its Big Red Express and Creekside Gondola lifts then last yeasr it was the turn of the Fitzsimmons Express.

French ski area La Rosière and their Italian neighbour La Thuile are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their joint Espace San Bernardo ski area with its 154km of slopes.

Since 1984, this domain has offered snow sports enthusiasts the opportunity to ski between the two countries, enjoying a rich diversity of landscapes and cultures.

The Chardonnet chairlift, a key link in the France-Italy connection, has been replaced as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, with a better, faster lift.

In a €9 million investment the old fixed three-seater chairlift is being replaced by a detachable six-seater. The new lift has a much higher capacity of 3,000 people per hour and a faster speed of 5.5 meters per second.

"Previously, accessing Italy was challenging for some beginner skiers, as the route involved a single red (intermediate) run. With the new lift, skiers can now ride it downhill, making the descent more accessible," a La Rosière spokesperson said.

The new lift also has less visual impact with 6 pylons instead of 10) and uses 5-8% less energy as well as less oil thanks to its Direct Drive motor system.
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In an additional celebration for the 40th anniversary, the entire Espace San Bernardo will remain open until April 21, 2025. In the past, the Italian side of the domain would close earlier than the French side.

British skiers have been advised to be aware of new EU Border checks that are likely to cause additional delays.

The EU and other countries in the Schengen free travel area are due to start rolling out increased border checks from November, just as the ski season gets started.

Brits who do not have EU passports will have to visit a booth on arrival at the EU or Schengen nation's border to complete fingerprinting and facial recognition checks.

There's not believed to be anything Brits who don't hold EU passports can do in advance to make the process quicker or easier for themselves, but the advice is to be prepared for a wait entering the EU/Schengen zone.

Implementation of the scheme has already been delayed to November to avoid problems for Brits arriving at the Paris Olympics or in the October school holidays and there are reports of further delays being likely, but the largest reports say these may just be weeks, not months.

There are concerns the registration process, which the EU says should average one minute per person, will cause fresh long Brexit-related border delays, however once an individual is registered the EU argues that the arrival/departure process will then be faster than the current manual passport checks and stamping procedure which returned from the past after the Brexit vote.

The port of Dover has been highlighted as the location where significant delays are most likely to occur with The Guardian reporting Ashford Borough Council warned of a worst-case scenario involving delays of up to 14 hours.

Almost every central and western European country, including most that are not in the EU, are part of the Schengen free travel area. Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2023 or 2024, in some cases after a decade plus wait for acceptance to join. However, Ireland has never joined whilst the UK government removed the United Kingdom from the scheme on the back of the Brexit vote.

More French ski areas will switch their piste bashers to operate on biofuel this winter.

Peyragudes in the Pyrenees is one of those announcing the switch to further reduce its carbon footprint with SEMVAL, the company operating the Valmeinier ski area in the French Alps making the same announcement.

The resorts will move all their piste grooming vehicles and snow-clearing machines to operate on HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) biofuel instead of the GNR (off-road fuel) used until now.

Made from sustainable vegetable oils or reprocessed waste (grease, cooking oil, etc.), HVO, derived from renewable raw materials, greatly reduces the impact on the environment. In addition, emissions of polluting particles such as nitrogen oxides and fine particles are reduced by 30%.

By switching all piste grooming vehicles and snow-clearing machines to HVO, Peyragudes will reduce the carbon impact of each day's skiing by 62%.

The resorts joins Europe's largest ski area operator, the Compagnie des Alpes, which, after a successful trial run in Les Arcs and La Plagne, extended the use of biofuel to their entire fleet of piste grooming vehicles from the 2022-2023 season.

Grooming machinery is one of the greatest contributes to CO2 emissions at ski areas and more difficult to migrate away from than a green electricity switch for lifts and snowmaking equipment.

All-electric and hybrid grooming tractors have been launched by a number of manufacturers but so far do not have the kind of operating hours required for a full night shift due to limited battery life.

Méribel Centre is continuing its work to improve its Snow Front area to make it easier to navigate with improved facilities for the upcoming 24/25 winter season.

The latest redevelopment of the Chaudanne snow front follows improvements ahead of 2023 Alpine Skiing World Championships the resort jointly hosted with neighbouring Courchevel.

The new features, designed for beginners, children and families, include a free, protected area and a dedicated sledging zone.

"In addition the Chaudanne lounge will be revamped to create a warmer space with a cosy, cocooning atmosphere, offering hot drinks, self-serve snacks, free Wi-Fi and smartphone charging stations - perfect for relaxing after a day on the slopes," a Méribel spokesperson said.