J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

Latest reports we're hearing indicate that 'crunch day' on the taxi permits has now been set back by the authorities to Feb 1st.

SwingBeep: Many thanks for the expert info on the labour costs issue. I talked to a few UK chalet operators, some said it was getting to expensive in Switzerland to work any more and cited colleagues who had given up and no longer ran chalets in the country. Others claimed that while the cash they paid their chalet workers did not match the 3407 Francs you mentioned they offered a package of benefits (food, accommodation, lift pass, travel) which "magically equalled" 3407 and thought that this was sufficient to be safe by the law?

Every winter we read reports in the media of serious injuries and deaths of skiers and boarders which can make snow-lovers concerned about ski holiday safety.

This month the British Consulate in Marseille, in partnership with tour operator Crystal, has organised a series of workshops in the French Alps supported by the police, the rescue services and tourist offices and aimed at businesses operating in the resorts.

The workshops, which will take place in Les Deux Alpes, Alpe d'Huez, Tignes and Val Thorens between 16th and 18th December, will discuss accident and injury prevention, the role of different support services (i.e. Gendarmerie, municipal police, British Consulate, tour operators) and what safety messages to get across to skiers and boarders on safety and how best to do that. There'll also be a Q&A forum to give teams an opportunity to raise their concerns and share their thoughts.

"We hope to make as many people as possible aware of the specific dangers in the Alps so that their trip remains fun and trouble-free," said British Consul Simon Taylor, "We've been working closely with tourist offices, town halls and ski companies out here and we've been sharing good practice with the Gendarmerie Mountain Rescue Team. We'll also be distributing flyers specifically aimed at the British skiing community detailing our top tips."

The initiative follows previous safety awareness initiatives in the last few years to tackle alcohol misuse in ski resorts as well as pushing the need to have full travel insurance cover.

This is just the latest in initiatives that have been run for many years by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) and its members who have worked together with accommodation and transport providers as well as other tourist services overseas to try to raise standards and promote a safer skiing environment.

In addition to this, Crystal Ski Holidays has fully-trained health and safety advisers overseas who, during the season, audit suppliers using existing guidelines. All operational staff also go through health and safety training relevant to their position before the season gets underway.

The FTO holds quarterly meetings in the UK with all ABTA ski operators at which joint initiatives on how to further improve customer safety while on holiday are regularly discussed and put into place.

With the 2013-14 ski season just getting started, not too many people will be planning ahead for NEXT winter 2014-15, but Crystal Ski (crystalski.co.uk), the UK's largest wintersports holiday tour operator, have just launched their new programme for the winter after this.

The company has been launching their preview brochures for the following season in the December a year ahead for some years now after the launch date got earlier and earlier. The start of December seems to be the earliest it's going to be.

Popular offers such as a 2 for 1 ski/board hire "to any European ski resort accessible by charter flight" is back which can save you up to £179 in Lech, Austria, for example. There's also 2 for 1 ski carriage – saving up to £35 – all you need to do is book by 31st March, 2014.

Crystal Ski Holidays are offering holidays to over 130 resorts in 13 countries, departing from 23 UK airports, St Pancras and Ashford rails stations as well as numerous ferry points.

Three new chalets have been added to the 2014-15 programme whiuch can't be booked for 13-14: Chalet Linda in Kitzb?hel, Chalet de l'Aravet in Serre Chevalier and the Chalet Favero in Les Deux Alpes.

The company has announced an example Crystal Ski Plus package from £449 per person based on four sharing in the Poblado Apartments, Arinsal, Andorra staying from 15th March 2015, with the price including flights, transfers, accommodation, local lift pass and ski/board hire or ski carriage.

A ban on taxis and minibuses 'illegally' using Geneva Airport is the second apparent attack on incoming skiers, principally from the UK, but from any other country too, in a few short months from the Swiss authorities.

Already fighting Switzerland's reputation for high overall cost following the booming value of the Swiss Franc after the 2008 economic crash, the latest headlines are probably the last thing those responsible for promoting ski tourism to Switzerland need.

The ban on taxis and minibuses has complex roots and the current situation is complicated too. The short version appears to be that Swiss taxi drivers feel they have been losing out to French and British companies running transfers and so various legal attempts have been made to limit the numbers – by adding fees both for the taxi/transfer companies and requiring hard-to-obtain certification for drivers.

Initial attempts by the Swiss authorities were declared illegal and high level 'intensive discussions;' are said to be going on between the French and Swiss governments over the issue. One option is too pick up on the French side of Geneva airport, but this has limited facilities.

The law is due to come in to force in the new year and will especially hit French taxi operators and British run transfer companies.

However it should be stressed that tour operator buses are not affected, only smaller vehicles such as taxis and mini-busses.

"It's against the European transport law and Geneva airport is against it," one tour operator told J2ski news, "That means, to put it simply, the Swiss authorities will have to back down sooner or later otherwise they'll have a court case coming. But we are all very cautious and see what will happen."

The Geneva Airport issue comes a few months after the Swiss authorities ruled that all staff working in foreign owned chalets should be paid the Swiss minimum wage, which is far higher than the normal package of perks including accommodation, skiing, food and living allowance many chalet staff receive and, some chalet operators warned, would mean they'd need to raise fees for holidaymakers making Swiss chalet holidays even less affordable.

Again that new legislation is currently being 'discussed at a high level' according to Swiss tourism officials.

Bearsden Ski Club (skibearsden.co.uk) near Glasgow, which has been one of the most influential players in British snow sports since the early 1960s, is 50 years old this month.

To celebrate the centre will operate free of charge tomorrow to allow members of the public to visit and try the centre's facilities.

Bearsden Ski Club was formed by a small band of enthusiasts and quickly grew to be recognised as one of the major influencers in Scottish and British skiing producing many world class skiers including Olympian Lesley Beck and current British number one downhill racer Douglas Crawford.

Having spent circa £1million in 2005/2006 the club, which has a membership of around 1,200, now provides one of the most advanced dry slope facilities in Britain incorporating a floodlit main Alpine slope, two nursery slopes and one of the UK's premier freeride slopes for boarders and freeriders.

The state of the art club house provides a warm, welcoming environment for snowsport enthusiasts, incorporating Café Igloo and two bars to relax in and enjoy the après ski culture to the full.

Canadian rock band Nickelback played to 21,000 fans at the Top of the Mountain Opening Concert in Ischgl earlier today (30 November 2013) to mark the start of the resort's five month long 2013-14 ski season on the same day that Canada's Lake Louise stages the first World Cup downhill of the Sochi Olympic season.

The gravelly voice of frontman Chad Kroeger singing the band's hits including 'Photograph' and 'How You Remind Me.'

The four Canadians were following in some famous footsteps with their open-air performance with stars such as Elton John, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Pink, Kylie Minogue and Alicia Keys all prior performers on the top of Ischgl's mountain.

Lifts have been operating at Ischgl since Thursday (28 November 2013) although this season many other resorts in the Alps have opened in November too – unlike some seasons when its combination of snowmaking and altitude allows Ischgl to open when other resorts cannot if it's a warmer than usual autumn.

This winter is a special one for Ischgl though as at the end of December 2013, it will extend its ski area for the first time in over 20 years. Following the opening of the new 'Piz Val Gronda' lift, skiers can now explore a new red piste and direct access to a previously unknown freeriding area.

Heavy snowfall in the Pyrenees over the past few weeks has allowed resorts on the French and Spanish sides of the mountain range, as well as in Andorra, to report some of the best opening conditions for years.

The snow is lying up to six feet (1.8m) deep on the upper slopes of the region and generally at least two feet (60cm) deep at the base.

Many of the 60 or so ski areas in the south-western European mountain range open this Saturday, 30th November, a lot with all of their terrain open from day one, including at Baqueira Beret, with 120km of runs one of the largest in Spain and the Pyrenees.

It opened a week early last weekend, as did Pic du Midi on the French side.

The excellent start to the season in the Pyrenees, mirrored in the Alps and the Dolomites, comes after record breaking snowfall in 2012-13 which saw ski areas in the Pyrenees re-opening in the summer for the first time in recent memory.