News
by Clare Meaney
One of Britain’s best known professional skiers has become an ambassador for top clothing brand Helly Hansen.
Warren Smith (pictured), who has his own Ski Academy, announced that he was ‘over the moon’ with the partnership. The Academy, which is based in Verbier, Switzerland, opened in 1988 and now has 15 instructors.
Rupert Longsdon, the CEO and founder of Oxford Ski, has provided an update on skiing and snowboarding in popular destinations:
Switzerland – Most resorts are open but can vary based on the Canton area, but with key resorts including Zermatt and Verbier operating, there’s plenty of piste to please even the most avid skier. Whilst most restaurants are only able to offer a take-away service, hotel restaurants and catered chalets continue to deliver first class experiences to guests staying with them.
Ski chalet specialist Le Ski has joined the list of companies which have announced they are cancelling all holidays for the rest of the 20/21 season.
The announcement comes in the same week that Hotelplan, the umbrella company for Inghams, Total Ski, and Flexiski, also announced they were cancelling all ski and snowboard holidays until the end of February (see story by CLICKING HERE).
Hotelplan, the umbrella company for Inghams, Ski Total, and Flexiski, has suspended all of its ski and snowboard holidays until 27 February 2021.
It follows a previous announcement in November when the company told its customers that it was cutting the number of ski and snowboard holidays it’s ski companies were offering this season by reducing the number of ski chalets and chalet hotels on offer.
At the last count an estimated 27 European nations will be open for skiing of some kind during the festive period – but the situation is very complicated and with restrictions already in place, and the latest news that many countries are banning visitors from the UK because of the new strain of covid, it is unlikely that British skiers and snowboarders will be able to go to the mountains for Christmas or New Year.
The UK’s longest indoor snow slope, Chill Factore in Manchester, was the scene of another world record on Tuesday (15 December 2020). Snowsports instructor Callum Mackenzie completed his attempt at recording the ‘Greatest Vertical Distance Skied Up and Downhill in 24 Hours (indoors)’ which saw the 26 year-old having to climb up the 180m indoor slope 200 times, totalling a vertical height of 12km.
The ever changing covid rules and regulations surrounding travel means that wintersports enthusiasts are all trying to see into the future so they can decide where and when they will be able to go skiing and snowboarding this season.
Looking for a good book to read? Here are some fact and fiction books that summon up the atmosphere of snow-covered mountains
The Man Behind the Maps – James Niehues
The Chalet – Catherine Cooper
Ultimate Skiing Adventures – Alf Alderson
Swiss ski resorts found themselves in the media spotlight recently when photographs appeared on social media platforms showing what appeared to be skiers and snowboarders in lift queues failing to socially distance.
The popular Inferno Downhill and Cross Country ski races in Switzerland, which are open to all comers and attracts entrants from all over the world, have been cancelled this season because of Covid.
The 78th International Inferno Races in Murren were to take place from 20 – 23 January 2021 but the restrictions on major events put in place by the authorities due to the pandemic means the races cannot be held.
Another ski holiday specialist appears to have been sunk by covid. London-based Alpine Elements announced in a letter to clients that it has gone into administration as of the 8 December 2020.
There is no announcement on its website or Facebook page yet but the letter from director James Hardiman, outlining the situation, states: “I am deeply sorry for this outcome, but it has been without question one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in 23 years of running the company.
Jungfrau Railways, Switzerland’s largest mountain railway company, performed the official opening of the V-Cableway on Friday 4 December which will now provide a quicker and more comfortable journey to the winter sports area around Eigergletscher and Kleine Scheidegg, as well as to the Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe.
Specialist ski tour operator Erna Low has come up with a plan to find a new home for some of your clothes which will help keep someone warm this winter – and could win you a prize.
To help the homeless community stay warm as winter temperatures start to dip, Erna Low is encouraging people to donate any good quality, used winter clothing that they no longer need.
Ski Amis, the French chalet specialist, has announced it has ceased trading on its website. The statement said: “It is with great regret that we have taken the decision to cease trading effective from Monday the 30th November 2020.
A demonstration was organised yesterday (Monday 30 November) in Les 2 Alpes in an effort to get the French government to change its decision to close ski resorts in France during the festive period because of the covid pandemic.
by Skier & Snowboarder publisher Frank ‘Scoop’ Baldwin
Let’s be honest, however much we try and remain positive about the start of the 20/21 ski and snowboard season it is very difficult as each day seems to bring another hurdle to overcome.
Blair Aitken, the founder of British Backcountry, extols the virtues of getting away from it all by ski touring in the Scottish Highlands
It’s March 2020 and I’m leading my British Backcountry group of ski tourers up Meall nan Tarmachan, on the Ben Lawers range. The sky is a deep blue, the air is still, and the snow is down to road level.
More UK Skiers and snowboarders are expected to head for Scottish ski areas this season because of the current pandemic restrictions on overseas travel.
Many people are not aware of the backcountry opportunities there are north of the border so Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports and Atomic have teamed up with Gavin Carruthers and Blair Aitken from the British Backcountry organisation to host a free live online session.
Hotelplan, the umbrella company for Inghams, Ski Total, Esprit and Flexiski, has cut more ski and snowboard holidays this season by reducing the number of ski chalets and chalet hotels on offer. The group has also suspended trips to Finland until next winter due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19.
The need to maintain social distancing during the covid-19 crisis has led to a prediction that there will be a rise in the popularity of ski touring – walking up mountains with skins on the bottoms of your skis to ‘earn your turns’. Iain Martin, Claire Burnet, and Briony Key, all report on why ski touring – for beginners and the more experienced – is the future in a pandemic-affected world