J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

The 2026 summer ski season has gotten underway at Val d'Isère this morning with the famous French resort reporting great conditions after fresh snowfall on its Pisaillas Glacier in the past few days and temperatures down below –3.5 °C overnight.

Slopes usage will be divided up between half reserved for race team training and the other half for use by the general skiing public. The summer ski terrain is located between 2,725 m and 3,197 m and served by the Cascade chairlift an, Montets drag lifts.

The resort has announced plans to stay open for summer skiing for five weeks to 12th July, subject to conditions, one of its longest runs in recent years.

Val d'Isère's neighbour Tignes plans to open its Grande Motte Glacier in a fortnight's time for five weeks of summer skiing from 20 June to 19 July, again dependent on snow cover. Summer skiing there spans roughly 2,724 m to 3,456 m, with early‑morning access via the Perce‑Neige funicular and Grande Motte cable car.

A third french summer ski area on the glacier at Les 2 Alpes is also currently open and plans to remain so until 5 July, although the slopes are mostly being used by race teams in training at present the resort has announced. Elsewhere in the Alps, Hintertux, Passo Stelvio and Zermatt/Cervinia remain open through June and another three centres are open in Scandinavia.

Dave Ryding, Britain's most successful men's alpine ski racer and the country's only FIS Alpine Ski World Cup winner, has joined the Ski Club of Great Britain as an ambassador following his retirement at the end of the 2025–26 season. He takes on the role alongside Chemmy Alcott, the nation's most successful women's alpine racer.

Ryding will contribute monthly content across the Ski Club's digital channels, Ski Magazine and its website, and will take part in two member events during the season: an indoor ski workshop and an online talk. The partnership marks his first major step into the snowsports industry after ending a 17‑season World Cup career that included five Winter Olympic Games, nine World Championships and seven World Cup podiums, highlighted by his landmark Kitzbühel slalom victory in 2022.



Aged 39, Ryding retired after competing at Milan‑Cortina 2026, saying he wanted more time with his family while remaining involved in the sport. He described the Ski Club as central to British skiing and said he looked forward to sharing his experience with members.

Ski Club General Manager Katy Ellis said the organisation was "delighted" to welcome him, noting that his achievements and enthusiasm would help inspire skiers of all levels.



Images top and bottom credit Fusalp.

More snowfall and low temperatures for snowmaking is continuing to ramp up excitement levels in Australia with less than 36 hours to go to the start of the 2026 season on Saturday.

Although two New Zealand ski areas have already opened small snow areas created with all-weather snowmaking systems last weekend, this coming weekend should mark the first full resort openings of the 2026 southern hemisphere ski season, in Australia.

Mt Buller, which has already had its five all-weather snowmaking machines (the most at a single resort anywhere in the world) base-building has posted the most snowfall in the past 24 hours with 25cm. Temperatures have been low enough for more extensive conventional snowfall too.

20cm of snowfall fell across the slopes of Falls Creek on Thursday (pictured above), with temperatures staying low, setting them up for another night of ideal snowmaking conditions.

"Winter is turning it on at Falls Creek, with 15cm of beautiful dry snow already fallen across the resort this morning and flakes continuing to fall heavily through the village," said Betony Pitcher, Falls Creek's Manager for Brand + Experience. "The snow gums are wearing their winter coats, the trails are blanketed in fresh white, and every step through the village feels like a true alpine winter wonderland. It's exactly what we love to see with Opening Weekend just days away. The best part? The snow is still falling!"

Despite the positive signs of low temperatures and snowfall since Sunday this week its unclear how much terrain resorts will be able to open this weekend. Most are coming from having little or no snow up to last weekend. Largest resort Perisher has said they're hoping to at least have their Front Valley conveyor running initially.

Thanks, I saw that re the relatively poor snow cover - they seem to be claiming 50-200cm in their official stats. Then again it was an official press release talking about the two new lifts but not mentioning those key details you give! :)

Australia's 2026 ski season is due to kick off this weekend and the good news is that snow has been falling and temperatures dropping further below freezing overnight for the past few evenings.

Today is the first day of winter in the southern hemisphere by the meteorological measure of the seasons with Australia's ski season traditionally starting on the first full weekend of June, which includes a public holiday on the Monday in most states including the main ski ones of Victoria and New South Wales to honour King Charles III's birthday.

The country's largest resort, Perisher, farewelled autumn on Sunday morning with a dusting of snow across the resort just days out from opening day on June 6. Temperatures dipped to .01C at daybreak with around 3cm of snow falling. While over at Hotham, the highest alpine village in Australia, overnight lows dipped to -3C with a dusting of snow across the village. Most other Australian ski areas posted snowfall too.

The first day of winter saw a further 4cm of fresh snow fall overnight at Perisher as temperatures dipped further to -2C in the valley. More snowfall is forecast throughout the coming week.

"As well as natural snowfall, we had 59 snowguns firing from 9pm all through the night, and they are still cranking this morning," said Emily Smith, Senior Manager of Brand + Experience. "The excitement is at an all-time high as we approach opening weekend."

Three Australian areas, Corin Forest, Mt Buller and Thredbo all have all-weather snowmaking machines to guarantee at least some snow cover for opening weekend. Mt Buller has five of these machines, believed to be the most of any ski area in the world.

Italy's Stelvio summer ski area, located closed to the ski town of Bormio, has opened for its 2026 season today. The centre, which reports a 2m snow depth on its upper slopes, 50cm at the base, has about 20km of slopes and two new drag lifts going into service this winter.

Stelvio has a long history with the first summer snowsports here reported back in the 1930s. It caters for all standards with complete beginners making the most of quieter slopes in summer, sharing lifts with international ski racing stars here for summer training. There are even summer cross country ski loops. It has a six-month season through to Novvember.

Passo Stelvio is also one of just a few centres in the northern hemisphere that only open in the warmer months of the year, not in winter. They include Japan's Gassan Glacier, the Galdhopiggen and Stryn Summer ski areas in Norway and Beartooth Basin in Wyoming, USA, all of which have opened for their 23026 seasons in the past few weeks.

The centre is one of five currently open in the alps along side Zermatt/Cervinia, Les 2 Alpes, Hintertux and Molltal, although the latter closes its eight-month 25-26 season tomorrow. The choice will go back up to five by next weekend though as Val d'Isère opens for its three-week summer ski season then.

After one area opened for a weekend following heavy snowfall earlier this month, New Zealand's (and the southern hemisphere's) 2026 ski season proper is due to get underway this weekend at two ski areas.

Whakapapa and Coronet Peak ski centres will launch their seasons on the country's North and South Islands thanks to their all-weather snowmaking machines, Coronet Peak's is new this year.

Coronet Peak plans to open from tomorrow, Friday 29th May, earlier than ever before, thanks to their brand new TechnoAlpin Snow Factory. Their 'Early Winter Opening' with conveyor lifts (10am–3pm) will run until 12 June when the mountain will begin full winter operations.

Over the first fortnight the resort promises, beginner terrain will be open and that there'll also be "snow play magic".

To mark the occasion the resort has announced a number of fun events including staging a Suitcase Race this Saturday, which they describe as, "…a winter throwback where contestants race down a marked course in or on a suitcase."

"Contestants will race down a marked course in or on a suitcase, it's all about speed, balance, and a touch of winter magic as participants glide, slide, and send it to the finish line as fast as they can," a spokesperson explained.

Courmayeur is preparing for a major lift upgrade, confirming plans for two state‑of‑the‑art gondolas that will replace the long‑serving Checrouit gondola and the Maison Vieille chairlift. The €40‑million project represents one of the resort's most significant infrastructure investments in recent years, aimed at improving comfort, capacity and year‑round access.

The new gondola will feature 10‑person cabins, each bright, spacious and designed for easy boarding, creating a quieter, more energy‑efficient ride thanks to the latest Leitner technology. Both lifts will follow the existing routes but deliver faster travel times and higher throughput: the Maison Vieille gondola will move up to 2,000 passengers per hour in roughly four minutes, while the Checrouit line will carry 2,200 people per hour with a journey time of around six minutes.

Courmayeur's Checrouit sector will also see a broader reorganisation, including upgraded services and an expanded beginner zone at Maison Vieille. Two new conveyor carpets will support first‑timers and families, creating a more intuitive learning environment.

Maison Vieille's gondola will also run through summer, offering improved access to the Courmayeur Mont Blanc Bike Area and to some of the region's most iconic hiking route, from the gentle walk to Lake Checrouit to the panoramic Val Veny Balcony trail on the Tour du Mont Blanc.

The lifts are scheduled to open for the 2026/27 winter season, marking a key step in the resort's long‑term modernisation strategy.