J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

A new lift connecting the Austrian Alpbachtal ski region with the neighbouring Wildschonau ski region is scheduled to be completed for next winter 2012-13.

Full details of the connection are not yet available but it is known that two eight-passenger gondola lifts, one 1.6km and one 1.8km long are under construction, each capable of carrying 2,400 skiers and boarders per hour.

The first gondola will link the Hankopf lift on the Schatzberg to the Pechalm mid-station at 1460m with a 1.6kmp'iste complete with snowmaking between them.

A second gondola will then run from the Pechalm mid-station to the Pogalm gondola in Inneralpbach providing access to the Alpbach ski area.

Some reports pout the total cost of the project at around 20 million Euros.

The new joint ski area will offer 130km (81 miles) of connected piste.

After a warm February and march it has been cold with lots of rain in the valleys of Scotland, but up on the mountains that means fresh snow and while most on the world's ski areas have been closing for the season, Scotland's ski areas are re-opening for weekends. Well, some of them at least.

On the West Coast Glencoe has some terrain open for intermediate to advanced skiers and Nevis range has opened its chairlift for access to back country terrain, although is stressing the ski area itself is not officially open and there's no ski patrol.

On the Eastern side of the country The Lecht and Glenshee have had snow but say not enough to open, however CairnGorm ski area near Aviemore is re-opening for the weekend which the resort's operators plan to celebrate what they describe as 'Winter part 3'.
"Following another day of frequent snow showers above 700m and further fresh snow overnight and with light winds forecast, the prospects for skiing and snowboarding for the weekend are looking good," said a resort statement.

"The M1 run is set up perfectly with 'pisted corduroy' and is probably in the best condition it has been all season with full width down to below the steep section and one machine width below that. The M1 Poma, Polar Express, Ciste and Ptarmigan Tows are all open with the top bowls and Ciste fairway providing great snowsports on the firm base which has now been established. We urge all snowsports fans to take advantage of these conditions and in particular we hope that season ticket holders and those who have bought multi-day vouchers will take this opportunity to get value from them," said CairnGorm's Marketing Manager Colin Kirkwood.

To celebrate this late boost for the season, CairnGorm has a number of fun competitive snowsports events planned for 'The Big Weekend'. There will be a Dual Slalom and a Ski Touring event within the ski patrolled area which will be run with the assistance of Aviemore-based activity providers G2 and Mountain Spirit. There will also be a Park Jam with four rails and a jump set up for a competition amongst freestyle fans.

These events will take place on both Saturday and Sunday and will be very informal with registration in the Ptarmigan restaurant from 10am and a prize-giving in the bar there at 3.30pm each day. Equipment hire will be available and reduced snowsports ticket prices of £15 (adult) and £10 (Junior) will apply.

More than 90% of ski areas have closed in North America after what for many has been a winter to forget - unseasonably warm when it should have been cold, and now cold and snowing to rub salt in the wounds at resorts that have already closed!

North Western North America has had a banner season, in contrast to much of the rest of the continent, with resorts in Alberta and BC in Canada posting record, or near-record snowfall tallies.

This is especially good news for Whistler (open to end of May at Blackcomb having extended its season after biggest ever March snowfall), Lake Louise (open to may 7th and a few centimetres off all time snowfall record), Marmot Basin near Jasper and Sunshine near Banff which is open to late may and has already beaten it's all time snowfall record.

South of the border only around a dozen ski areas are still open in Western USA, three in Colorado, a couple in Utah and half a dozen in California (which has reported up to a metre of fresh snow in the past week) among them. A repeat of last year's 11 areas open on July 4th seems unlikely though with only Alpine Meadows and Mammoth so far the only two areas to commit to opening in to May, the former at weekends only to the middle of the month.

Fresh snow in the past few weeks has not stopped the melt down on the East coast and only Killington and Jay Peak in Vermont remain open of the hundreds of ski centres in the area.

Work is underway this week at several resorts that are building new lifts for winter 2012-13.

At Vail, which closed along with most Colorado resorts last weekend (leaving only A Basin, Loveland and Winter Park open) work on a new gondola, billed as the fastest in the world to date and replete with heated padded seats and wifi in its 190 passenger cabins, began on Monday. It is due to be open in timed for the start of the resort's 50th anniversary season on November 16th.

At Snowbird in Utah, which is in fact still open and aims to remain so on weekends through may and possibly longer if the snowpack remains serviceable, a new quad chairlift is promised for next winter to replace an old double chair.

China Gets Fully Westernised' Ski Resort for 2012-13
There's no official word, not even a rumour, but it could be that China is the next new ski destination nation for UK tour operators like Crystal (who offered Sochi in Russia for the first time this season) as the country's first fully Westernized ski resort is signed over for use next season.

Changbaishan has had its lifts built by Austrian-based world leader Doppelmayr and has now been officially 'dual branded' by Starwood Hotels as The Westin Changbaishan Resort and Sheraton Changbaishan Resort and will begin taking paying guests this summer.

The new resort follows on from the re-development of China's leading ski area of Yabuli on the north east of the country which was 'rebranded' and largely taken over by Club Med in winter 2010-11.

The Changbai region is part of a nature reserve covering nearly half a million acres and known for its natural beauty. In the winter skiing and boarding is promised with ski-in/out access from the new hotels on unspoilt trails through pine forests with ice skating and ice fishing also on offer.

It's not clear yet how much up-market Sheraton and slightly-more-up-market Westin will be making of The Changbai ski area's location right on the border with North Korea.

Their press release merely states that, "The highly anticipated resort complex will lengthen Starwood's lead as the largest international luxury and upper upscale hotel operator in China."

"China is both our fastest growing global market and our richest source of loyal travellers, and we expect that this dual-branded Starwood resort development will resonate with Chinese travellers who stick with the brands they know and love," said Stephen Ho, Starwood's Senior Vice President of Development for Asia Pacific.

The new resort will be easy to reach from within China located close to the Yingfu Expressway and just six miles to Changbaishan Airport (NBS).

There's been increasingly heavy falls of snow over the past 48 hours in the Alps with resorts like Flaine reporting 5cm of fresh snow yesterday and Courmayeur 20cm today, Austrian areas are expected to get it next – particularly those at higher altitudes.

Saas Fee in Switzerland, which is open to mid-May before a six week closure and then re-opening in July through to May 2013, has also had 20cm/eight inches of new snow.

It's all part of an Easter trend towards cooler temperatures following the long warm spell. However most areas are in relatively good shape for April compared to most years thanks to the heavy December/January snowfall building up big bases.

Elsewhere in the world there's been heavy snow in parts of Scandinavia, with the leading resort in the region, Are in Sweden, reporting 10 inches of fresh in the past 48 hours, and some little known places up north more than six feet in the past seven days.

In North America it's fairly dire in the east with only six areas remaining open of the 100+ ski resorts there due to the warm temperatures in the region. In the west the Tahoe area has had big falls again in the past week but it's a bit more iffy in Colorado. Further north Whistler has had another 1.5m in the past week and is well above its seasonal average.

After being forced to close early for the season in late-February when Scotland came within a few fractions of a degree from its warmest ever February, which was then followed by the warmest ever March, a 20 degree drop in temperatures for the start of April and the widely-reported fresh snow has allowed two areas to re-open.

The snow has come as a surprise for the ski areas themselves which had already moved on to summer operations, in Cairngorm's case starting their guided tours to the top of the mountain from the upper funicular station a month early on Sunday.

The Ski Scotland conditions web page for the Lecht's conditions page is only showing their summer activities however roads are open after overnight closure due to the snow with wind speed 9mph, and temp at 7.15 this morning –4.5°C The Buzzard, Robin, Wren, Magic Carpet/Travelator and Kestrel lifts are running.

At CairnGorm the Ciste Fairway which suits lower ability skiers and boarders is open along with the West Wall Poma from half-way. There's thin cover top to middle via 105 with other areas offering s thin, ungroomed and unpatrolled cover with rocks showing ("at your own risk!")

Elsewhere Nevis Range does not have enough new snow for snowsports although the dry slope for beginners has 60% snow cover and at Glenshee there was good snowfall but wind has stripped the slopes – they're waiting to see if there's more.

Glencoe was saying there were patches of snow and some longer runs if you didn't mind the hike from the access chair but now that option seems to have ended.

Tignes is reported be feeling something of an "X Games blues" now the biggest event in European snow sports is behind it for another year.

The French resort ran a 21 day build up to the three days of competition which it says attracted 103.600 spectators (including 41.500 people on Thursday only, the day of the men's snowboard SuperPipe final with Shaun White).

430 journalists arrived to cover the Games delivering almost 2000 hours of broadcasting in 198 countries.

"It's enough to make you feel a bit nostalgic… and very hungry while waiting for next year!" said a Tignes spokesperson.

And the good news is that Europe's Winter X Games has now announced it will be back in Tignes in 2013 and 2014. The franchise which for more than a dozen years has been held in Aspen, Colorado; may also sprout a Canadian version in 2013 with Whistler a possible venue in April next year, as an add on to their annual World Ski and Snowboard festival.

But for now highlights of the 2012 Tignes XGames included 16 year old Torin Yater-Wallace, who took his first Winter X Games gold with a rodeo 450 on the last rail of the Slopestyle course; Kelly Clark's domination, higher than all her competitors as always in snowboard SuperPipe, and the very "rock & roll" Shaun White with his spectacular stunts.

The date of the Winter X Games Tignes 2013 has not yet been announced but the resort promises it will be posted on their Facebook page as soon as they know.

If you fancy skiing or boarding throughout the summer months but don't fancy heading to the Southern Hemisphere, then taking part in Disability Snowsport UK (DSUK) National Skiathon Olympic & Paralympic Challenge could be just what you are looking for.

The annual Skiathon takes place this year across all six British indoor snowsports centres in June and is the perfect excuse to brush off your sallopettes in the summer!

The aim is to raise much needed funds for Disability Snowsports UK. The vision of the charity is that skiers and snowboarders with a disability should be able to ski alongside the non disabled as equals at all facilities and resorts. DSUK brings those living with disabilities the chance to experience the thrill and joy of skiing and the National Skiathon is just one of the ways to increase funds that will enable them to continue their work throughout the UK.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Anyone of any ski or boarding ability can join in the Skiathon challenge either as an individual or in a team of up to six people. The challenge is to ski 2012 runs between all the participants over six hours. Entry is £15 per person with a pledge to raise a minimum of £150. The fee includes equipment hire, lift pass, goodie bag and a full day of Olympian fun. The target is to raise £35,000 from the event.

You can add runs to your team's score by winning quizzes and games, by raising the most money, wearing the best outfit... There will also be some great prizes to be won.

The first four events will be on Monday June 11 2012 at the three Xscape SNO!zones across the UK at Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, Braehead in Glasgow and Castleford in West Yorkshire as well as at the Tamworth Snowdome in Staffordshire.

The fun will continue on Tuesday June 12th at The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead and finally on Wednesday June 20 2012 at Chill Factore in Manchester.

To register or to get more information please call Lynne Wiseman on 01479 861272 or email fundraising@disabilitysnowsport.org.uk
For more information about the charity please visit www.disabilitysnowsport.org.uk