J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by admin

How about Champoluc? Good ski area with the possibility to ski into adjoining valleys (although can be a bit of a slog if the wind is up). Night life quiet but friendly.

Or somewhere in the Dolomites like the Sella Ronda with its circuit of resorts in spectacular scenery? Late March can be getting risky with the snow although the last couple of seasons have been brilliant there.

Perhaps the SkiWelt in Austria - but be prepared for the most "challenging" piste map in the known universe...

Vail Resorts Launch Ground Breaking Technology Service for Guests on Their Slopes

In the ever accelerating move towards the use of technology on the slopes, heavy hitter Vail has announced its new Epic Mix service, a new online and mobile application which allows skiers and snowboarders to digitally capture their ski experience and the company promises that (if you opt in),

"… will completely transform the vacation experience for skiers and snowboarders this year."

Epic Mix is being offered at all five of the company's resorts in California and Colorado - Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly and unlike most of the new technology poferings now appearing does not directly require a smart phone or similar, at least not when you're on the slopes, as it works using the chip in your Epic lift pass and an RF (radio frequency) connection to the company's 89 ski lifts.

As part of the service however there is however a free EpicMix mobile app which will alert guests when their Facebook friends are on the mountain, and can be used to send private messages to meet up. EpicMix will also allow guests to share their statistics and accomplishments through updates on Twitter and Facebook and guests can create special EpicMix leader boards with their Facebook friends.

"We're describing the app as a cross between Nike+ because it tracks your physical activity (vertical feet, number of days skied) and Gowalla because it has a social gaming aspect with reward pins for milestones and location-based accomplishments - with the added ability to connect and share with friends through Facebook, Facebook Places and Twitter." said a resort spokesperson.

"To our knowledge, this is a first-of-its kind for the industry, especially considering the unique use of RFID technology to allow for a completely passive "check-in."

The mobile application will also provide trail and grooming information, snow and weather reports, as well as resort news and traffic updates. EpicMix will also have a special website for kids under the age of 14, which will allow them to connect with their parents' accounts, but will have content designed specifically for them and unique pins only kids can earn. The kids' site also will have special privacy restrictions. Parents will also be able to use EpicMix to track the lift rides of their kids in real time.

"With the advent of new technology in equipment and new features on the mountain, skiing and riding have become the ultimate form of creative expression in sports and travel. At the same time, the rapid growth of social media has given people a whole new way to express themselves online and connect with friends and family.

EpicMix is a groundbreaking experience that brings both together in a seamless and hassle free way for all of our guests," said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts.

Vail Resorts say that the privacy of their guests is of paramount importance to the company and that no information collected through EpicMix will be shared unless a guest "opts in" and specifically chooses to share their information. Guests can choose to disable the RF chip in their pass to prevent any scanning.

In any remotely decent season, both should have good conditions by mid-December so toss a coin now or wait until nearer the time and follow the snow...

I'd probably pick Zermatt for being a bit easier to get to from Geneva (I think!).

Sugarloaf mountain in Maine, USA, has announced a three year expansion plan that will dramatically increase the amount of terrain it offers and make it the largest since ski area on the Eastern side of the country, eclipsing long-term 'biggest-in-the-East' resort, Killington.

Work on the expansion has already began with trees being cleared on 270 acres in the Burnt Mountain area for the coming season, in total 655 new acres will be added over the next three years.

All of the new terrain will be, "backcountry style glades" with, upon completion, a 300m (1000 feet) wide swathe of the mountainside open for numerous possible lines. The area will be patrolled but there will be no new lifts and no snowmaking to service it, and no new property development at the base tied in with it either. The terrain will be accessed via the existing King Pine lift.

The expansion is however part of a recently unveiled ten year plan which includes new summer activities and new chairlifts and snowmaking elsewhere at the ski area.

Sugarloaf has had skiers visiting for 60 years with the resort established in 1955. It is based on-mountain beneath Maine's second highest peak. The resort, like Killington, was formerly owned by the American Skiing Company but for the past few years has been run by Boyne Resorts.

Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc

Les Gets, the peaceful resort in the giant Franco-Swiss Portes du Soleil, with its 12 linked ski-resorts and 650km of ski-slopes suitable for all skiing levels is making a lot of improvements for the coming winter.

The Chavannes gondola is having a total facelift for the winter 2010/11 following a 4.5 million Euro investment. Still sporting its historic red paint, the new six-person bubbles allow for speedier travel and shorter queues, if any, as capacity has been increased from 900 to 1600 people per hour. Access to the lift is easier, particularly for beginners as it is now all on one level.

In addition Les Gets is upgrading the snow front and ski runs at the Carry Area. As well as the gondola upgrades the departure point of the Boule de Gomme draglift (which was the first ever automatic release draglift installed in France in 1936) will be slightly repositioned. This will be of major benefit, particularly for beginners, as it will be very easy to ski effortlessly from the ESF (Ski school) to the cable car thanks to the perfectly smooth ground. The upper ski slopes on Carry will also be remodelled to level out and widen the existing ski run.

A new six seater chairlift will also access the Chamossiere ski area. Highly rated by experienced skiers, the black and red ski runs will be accessible by the new lift which replaces both the Blanchots draglift and the old 3-man Chamossiere chairlift. It now takes only five to seven minutes to reach the summit, the link-point in the Les Get /Morzine ski area with the most breathtaking panoramic views of Mont Blanc.

Finally a new boarder-cross run dedicated to local heroine Déborah Anthonioz is being created on Mont-Chéry. This was constructed on the advice of the silver-medal winning local Olympic champion from Vancouver's 2010 winter Olympic games.

Throughout the winter, sessions will be staged when you can snowboard down this boarder cross in the presence of Déborah.
Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc

The New Zealand Herald is reporting a number of avalanches in the ski area of Mount Hutt, triggered by the earthquake off the South Island.

There was no danger to skiers or boarders, however, who suffered only the relatively minor inconvenience of late-opening lifts due to power problems.

Fresh snow and high winds created a "recipe for avalanches" at Mt Hutt ski-field during today's quake.

Safety manager John Hooker said at least 12 "reasonably large" avalanches were set off.

The 7.1 magnitude quake was centred near Darfield, 44km away from Mt Hutt.

Queenstown's skifields were not affected.

Coronet Peak Spokesperson Nadia Ellis said: "The roads are fine, the lifts are fine, we've got good crowds and great conditions."

For the full article, please click here.

Dear all,

Please see... Big Snowfall all over the world!

It's waaaaaaaayyyyyy too early to start getting excited... but don't let that stop you! :lol:

Tony - have a great holiday but get some perspective please... :wink:

'Winter 10-11' May Start Next Week

(at least 30cm/a foot of new snow on three continents in two hemispheres!)

*Huge snowfalls on glaciers in Austria and Italy

* More heavy snow in Australia, August snowfall total passes 2 metres – 25 year record.

* Treble Cone, NZ, receives 30cm of snow in 30 hours.

* Last Week Of The Season In Africa.

* Summer ski season over in France.


Image courtesy of Treble Cone

www.skiinfo.co.uk reports that there have been huge snowfalls of 60cm/two feet plus in Australia at the end of last week and in the Austrian, German and Italian Alps in the past 48 hours.

Up to 70cm (2 feet, 4 inches) of snow has fallen in the past 36 hours on northern Alpine glaciers, so it's slightly ironic that the number of ski areas open has dropped to seven, after the two French centres of Tignes and Les 2 Alpes ended the country's summer ski season last weekend. Cervinia in Italy is due to follow suit this weekend. In Tignes case the closure is only for three weeks and It will be one of the first resorts in the world to open for 'winter' 2010-11 later this month.

However all is not lost as Solden is currently hoping to start their winter 2010-11 season a month earlier than planned, this weekend September 4th, following the heavy snow fall there – they've currently got a 61cm (two foot) base. The Pitztal Glacier, which was due to be the first to open in September for 2010-11 on September 15th has not announced any plans to open early, but has announced 50cm (20 inches) of fresh snow.

The Kitzsteinhorn Glacier above Kaprun which closed unexpectedly in August due to the snow on the glacier all but melting away, has still not re-opened as yet however, even though it too has had several feet of new snow and now boasts 55 – 65cm over a 500m vertical. It's the same at present on the Dachstein glacier, although it reports a foot of new snow.

The Molltal glacier has had 50cm (20 inches) of new snow and now has a 1.3m (4.3 feet) base, the falls have been less spectacular on the Tux glacier but it still has the most terrain open, with 20km of runs to enjoy and a 95cm (three foot) base.

In Germany the Zugspitz glacier has reported 70cm (28 inches) of new snow but is not yet open. It Italy Val Senales reports 30cm (a foot) of new snow taking its total base to a metre, but Cervinia has only had an inch or so of new snow, as has its Swiss neighbours Zermatt and Saas Fee, reporting 120cm (four foot) base and 'Spring like' conditions.

There's no skiing today in North America as the only ski area due to be open, Timberline on Mt Oregon, is closed due to rain and wind. It's due to close soon shortly anyway for its annual maintainance shut down for a few weeks in late September. On the upside Loveland in Colorado, one of the world's highest resorts and typically one of the first to open in North America each year, usually in early October, has announced it has wheeled out its portable snowmaking guns on to the piste ready for temps to drop low enough for snowmaking to begin, which they think is imminent.

In the southern hemisphere the big news was Australia's leading ski areas being dumped on big time at the end of last week (and still a little bit now) and in some cases reporting the best August snowfalls for more than two decades.

"We smashed the record books with some of the best snow the mountain has seen in years! The resort received 34cms of snow, rendering it as the best August snowfall recorded since 1985!" said an excited spokesperson for Mt Buller.

It's a similar story at the country's largest resort, Perisher, which thinks this August could still end up their snowiest ever as the snow is still falling. There has been no other August since 1984 where more snow has fallen.

Perisher has had more than 30cm of fresh snow settle across the resort, that makes it 2.6m of accumulated snowfalls since 1st August with wind-drifts over 1.5m deep in places.

For Mt Hotham it's 102cm in the past week with 47cm of fresh snow overnight on Wednesday - the biggest single dump on record since 2003. 82cm fell in 48 hours last weekend making it the resort's snowiest August since 1992. All 13 lifts are operating with plenty of powder stashes to be found.

In New Zealand there's been less fresh snow but more world class competitions, with the FIS Junior World Championships at Cardrona and SnowParkNZ declared a success as they drew to a close.

Mt Hutt continues to have some of the best snow in the country receiving yet another 14cm (six inches) yesterday taking base depts. Up to 205cm (nearly seven feet). There's been fresh snow, if less of it, at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables which are both looking good though they have around half the snow depth.

But Treble Cone went one better than Mt Hutt with 30cm (a foot) of snow falling in 30 hours last Friday, just in time for the weekend. The snow is still falling there with another 5cm in the past 12 hours and base depths past 180cm (six feet) so conditions are spectacular.

Snow depths are also still good on Mt Ruapehu where Turoa has more than 1.6m (five feet) of snow and Whakapapa 112cm (nearly four feet).

Cardrona has a 105cm base but rainbow unfortunately remains closed for nearly two weeks now while waiting more snow.

Across the pacific in South America there's been fresh snow with Chapelco's base depth on upper slopes hitting 225cm (7.5 feet). Conditions are fairly amazing at cathedral too, with base depth's at the continent's biggest ski resort up to an incredible 3.3m (11 feet) on upper slopes, 80cm (nearly three feet) at the base. Although it's as cold as -10C at Las Lenas the snow is not so great 60cm (two feet) at the top but only 20cm (eight inches) at the base.

It's snowing in parts of Chile too, Valle Nevado, another of the continent's big areas, has had 9cm (four inches) in the past 24 hours, taking its season-long snowfall to 381cm – nearly 13 feet. At Portillo it's still not a memorable season, but they've had 5cm (two inches) of new snow today, a small boost to the 80cm (32 inch) upper slope base depths, but the powder skiing for which the resort is most famous remains sadly limited.

Across the Atlantic, Afriski, the only ski area that's been officially open in Africa for the southern hemisphere's winter in the continent is due to close this weekend after a successful season.

"Spring has arrived at the resort. The peach trees in the valley are blossoming and our snow is sadly melting. If you need a last snow fix, make use of our 70% discount on skiing and select accommodation for this weekend and enjoy a spring snow break with us." said a resort statement.

Snow depth on the main run which had been above 70cm (2.3 feet) for several months has dropped to 45cm (18 inches) and the run length has also decreased to 440m. The snowpark and a diminished beginners area are still open though!

All of the snow this season has been machine made and Afriski's snow guns got tantalisingly close to raking up 500 hours of operation, but it now looks like they'll finish the season with 496 hours. Temperatures are set to hit double figures for the final few days of the Lesotho ski area's season.
Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc