J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

Following on from the discovery of what's believed to be the largest ever gold nugget found in the Alps in Crans Montana (www.crans-montana.ch) last month, the resort has craftily decided to capitalise on the publicity by offering a '33 CARAT' offer which, means 33% off list prices for accommodation, ski pass, ski hire and skiing lessons during low season periods.

"Turning Crans-Montana into a holiday destination with just as much appeal as its European neighbours despite the weak Euro is what this Valais resort is proposing this winter." said Crans Montana's Xavier Bianco, Sales Marketing and PR Manager.

The unprecedented move in the face of the strong franc gives visitors 50% more purchasing power at today's rates, and about the same purchasing power they had at the time of the economic crash in 2008.

"This should be a major incentive for Swiss and foreign tourists to come and have a great value stay in the Valais resort. All the more so because, on top of reductions on overnight stays, ski passes, ski hire and skiing lessons, many of the resort's retailers will also be making customers special offers on a daily basis. These include fixed-price menus in restaurants, sports accessories, leisure activities (tobogganing...), etc.; in short, offers which are easily visible when visiting the resort. This campaign is also targeted at loyal customers with holiday properties and at Crans-Montana residents." said Mr Bianco.

The offer is valid from 19th November to Christmas Eve, from 7th January to 11th February 2012 and finally from 10th March to 6th April which includes the Easter Holidays period.

The promotional campaign is being led jointly by the resort's suppliers and the Tourist Office, with financial support granted by Crans-Montana's local council.

"The 33 CARAT campaign should enable us to counteract the effects of an excessively strong franc which is undermining the purchasing power of visitors from the euro zone, and through it, we also hope to encourage people from other regions to have a change of air, take a few days off, and forget about the economic crisis." concluded Mr Bianco.

More information is available via www.gold-fever.ch

The first ever Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place from 13th – 22nd January 2012 in Innsbruck and Seefeld (www.innsbruck2012.com).

It will be the third Olympics staged by Innsbruck, making it the first city in the world to host the Olympic Games on three occassions, having previously hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Games.

The goal for the new Youth Olympics is, we're told, to introduce young athletes to the Olympic spirit, to provide them with a public arena to showcase their talents.

Over 1000 athletes, from more than 70 nations, aged between 14 and 18 will compete across a range of disciplines from biathlon to bobsleigh to downhill skiing and ice hockey.

The construction of the Olympic Village is reported to be almost complete and many of the Olympic venues used in 1964 and 1976 have been renovated and upgraded.

Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, one of the world's 10 highest ski resorts, opened for the 2011-12 skio season today, just over three months since the last day of winter 2010-11 there in July.

The resort has won the annual battle to be "first in North America" which it usually wages against neighbouring Loveland, which plans to open tomorrow (October 14th).

Both resorts rely on their altitude to enable them to be some of the first to be cols enough to make snow each autumn, but this year there's been natural snowfall too in the past week and both have been pipped to the psost by another small ski area, Wolf Creek, which opened last Saturday in the south of Colorado having had over three feet of natural snowfall.

A second US resort also opened back then for the same reason - Las Vegas resort in Nevada didn't have as much snow but it had enough to open its terrain park. A fifth US choice is Timberline in Oregoon which is open nearly year round regardless of snowfall, although its currently only operational Fridays to Sundays.

In Europe there was also widespread snowfall earlier this week. Just over a dozen glacier ski areas are open and more than half of them in Austria which saw the lion's share of the new snow. Resorts there have reported up to four feet of snow in the past week - though more typically half that, but still plenty of powder. The Kitzsteinhorn Glacier above Kaprun is the latest to re-open. It's not all good news however as Engelberg in Switzerland has delayed its planned opening, scheduled for last weekend, as the lift company says cover remains insufficient.

Resorts on the French and Swiss sides of the giant Portes du Soleil region which straddles the two country's borders with 650km of largely lift linked pistes are installing new lifts top improve the on-mountain experience for skiers and boarders this winter.

At Champéry-Les Crosets on the Swiss side the old Grand-Conche chairlift and drag lifts are being replaced by a single high-speed six-seater lift at a cost of 13 Million Swiss Francs increasing capacity on the route from 1900 to 3000 skiers per hour.

At Chatel on the French side a new high speed six-person chairlift in the Plaine Dranse sector replaces an old double chairlift and more than doubles capacity on the route from 1200 to 3000 skiers per hour. The new lift is also twice as fast as the old one, travelling at 5 metres per second compared to the former's 2.3mps.

The Altitude Comedy Festival (www.altitudefestival.com) which ran for three years in Meribel before moving to Mayrhofen last spring as part of the Snowbombing event will go it alone this ski season.

Running from the 26th – 31st March 2012 and bringing with it some of the top names in comedy such as Jimmy Carr, Frankie Boyle and Al Murray, Altitude is the brainchild of commedian Marcus Brigstocke.

Previously an annual fix in Meribel it moved last year to Mayrhofen when the french resort reportedly decided it had enough live music going on with the Little World Festival.

Altitude is sold as an accommodation and entertainment package, with the event wristband included in the price of your accommodation. Mayrhofen is home to budget-friendly pensions and four star luxury hotels so there is a package to suit all.

Opt between coach travel from £128 per person or flights direct to Innsbruck with easyJet.com from £59 one way.

Les Gets - Ready To Rock

After its successful launch last winter, the series of music concerts in the Portes Du Soleil are back this March with a better name Rock the Pistes (it was previously the 'Festival des Concerts Sauvages).

Taking place from the 24th to 28th of March 2012 the idea is that the concerts are staged on the piste at locations around the vast Portes du Soleil area and guests who have registered up front receive texts telling them where the concerts will take place the day before the gig.

Last winter we were promised a mix of French and 'international' performers at the free concerts, but the line up ended up looking very French. This winter we're again promised an international mix with locations created overnight before each concert.

To carry on the party there's the festival fringe with après-ski gigs in the regions dozen participating resorts including Avoriaz, Chatel, Les Gets, Morzine and Champery. www.rockthepistes.com

Engelberg was due to re-open today but is currently closed due to heavy snow – 15cm has fallen in the past 24 hours and temperatures are currently minus nine. It should open is soon as the bad weather passes, becoming a third Swiss snowsports option along side Saas Fee and Zermatt which have been open all summer.
The resort says it has launched a "winter campaign with great free offers – and more to come!" to counter the Swiss franc which it describes as, "too strong."

"Visitors anxious about not getting much from their pounds or euros will be relieved to hear that they can now look forward to some great new deals - at no extra cost," said a resort statement.
These low season offers include a deal where women will be able to ski for free during the third week of January and during Easter week, Engelberg's ski schools will be offering free tuition for children and teenagers.

Ladies' Week from 14th-21st January 2012 also promises a varied programme with ski tests, parties and live acts will provide fun around the clock. Terms and conditions are simple: Women need to stay at least four nights in a hotel or an apartment and will then get a free ski pass. Of course, they're allowed to take their men on Ladies' Week too.

"We didn't want to wait and do nothing about the strong Swiss franc until the coming winter is here! We have so much to offer, and we really believe in our strengths. It is simply heavenly in Engelberg (which means Angel Mountain!) to experience our snow blanketed slopes and breathtaking scenery. For this reason we want to help our clients next winter - especially women, children and teenagers." said Frédéric Füssenich, director of Engelberg-Titlis Tourism.

The resort's official winter season opening is still two months away on Saturday, the 10th December 2011 Engelberg-Titlis launches the official season opening with a world premiere. DJ BoBo hosts the first celebrity-parallel slalom on one of the Titlis-Ski-Jumping hills. The proceeds will be donated to the World Food Programme.

Squaw - Not Quite This White Yet


Snow has been reported in the past 24 hours in both North America and northern Europe, including the peaks of the Scottish Highland hills and mountains.
Are, Scandinavia's leading resort reported a few centimetres of the white stuff, its first for 2011-12, yesterday.
This morning it was the resorts of California that were excitedly posting news of fresh snow with Squaw Valley announcing they've had eight inches (20xcm) so far and are expecting a similar amount more over the next 24 hours. They say this is falling on top of snow left from last winter's huge accumulations.
Heavenly Mountain Resort to the south also welcomed the first snowflakes of the 2011-2012 winter season early this morning with a total accumulation of 3"-5" inches measured by Heavenly's mountain operations team.
On October 5, 2010 last year, Heavenly also received an early gift from La Nina of 4 – 5" inches of snow on the mountain. After that early snowfall, the 2010-2011 ski and ride season went on to break all previous snowfall records with a monumental 530" inches (13.3m).
La Nina is the naturally occurring climate phenomenon that brings extreme weather patterns to the Western region and according to a recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study, La Nina is once again gaining momentum to continue this winter.
"The promise of another La Nina year means big snow early and often," said John Wagnon, senior director of brand marketing at Heavenly (yes, American ski resorts have those). "Storm clouds will give way to sunny skies and an abundant amount of snow – the two best ingredients for an epic ski and ride season at Heavenly!"