The Alpine ski area straddles the Italy-Slovenia border.

The new ski piste linking Slovenia’s Kanin ski resort with the Italian resort of Sella Nevea had its official opening on December 23rd 2009, creating the first international ski area in the region and the first lift to cross the old iron curtain.

The new aerial lift and ski run provides a wider choice of slopes for winter sports enthusiasts in the region. A single lift pass will give skiers and snowboarders access to the pistes on both the Slovenian and Italian sides of the border. Daily lift passes for Kanin-Sella Nevea area start from €24 (21£) per adult and €15 (£13) per child.

Continue reading ‘New Kanin-Sella Nevea link opens across old iron curtain’

Acheampong tearing down the slopes at Val Di Fiemme.

Kwame Nkrumah Acheampong, a.k.a. Snow Leopard, has switched his training from his indoor location at Hemel Hempstead’s Snow Centre to Val Di Fiemme, in Trentino, Italy.

This is the fourth season that the African skier has based himself in this perfect location that has already seen him qualify for the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010.

The ski resort of Pampeago in Val Di Fiemme sits at 1750m (5740ft) above sea level and morning training runs leave most training skiers gasping for air. Once on the slopes Acheampong is at home, honing his technique and race speed, and continuing his interesting story. Acheampong is expected to be the first person from Ghana to take part in the Winter Olympics.

Continue reading ‘Ghana’s Snow Leopard now training at Italy’s Val Di Fiemme’

A hotel near the Arabba Marmolada glacier in Italy.

Ski resorts all over Western Euorpe are reportedly enjoying up to a metre of snowfall after a large snow storm this week.

The Italian Alps got the best of the snows, in places like Piemonte, Lombardia, Valle d’Aosta and Alto Adige. But resorts in Switzerland, France, Austria and Andorra have also benefited from the weather.

Some of the continent’s biggest resorts are now open for the winter, including Val d’Isere and Tignes in France, Zermatt and Verbier in Switzerland and Obergurgl in Austria.

Continue reading ‘Big snows cover the Alps’

Livigno is known as the "Little Tibet" of Italy.

Hoping to attract more vacationers during the early and late parts of the ski season, Livigno ski resort has announced it will offer free lift passes to those looking for an extended stay before Christmas or after April 17th.

By extended stay, the resort means at least four nights in a hotel or seven nights in apartment with participating accommodation providers. The free ski pass offer also has limited availability.

Continue reading ‘Italy’s Livigno ski resort offering free lift pass with stay’

Spain's Formigal ski resort plans to open this weekend.

With the exception of Eastern North America, which is suffering from unseasonally warm temperatures and a complete lack of snowfall, most other parts of the Northern Hemisphere have enjoyed exceptional early season conditions leading to early openings.

Europe:

Resorts across the Alps, Dolomites and Pyrenees have reported big and on-going snowfalls.

Switzerland: Engelberg was virtually closed down by snow at the start of the week as a massive storm hit central Switzerland with over three feet of fresh snow. St. Moritz and the Engadin Valley received 1.3m (4.4ft). Most other Swiss resorts have done well, too. Sedrun, for example, received about a metre (three feet) of new snow on November 30th.

Continue reading ‘Update: Ski Area Openings’

The campaign is intended to reduce alcohol abuse in European ski resorts.

The British government has decided that alcohol abuse during ski vacations is a large enough problem to act upon.

A major safety awareness initiative by the Foreign Office to tackle the problem will come into full swing in December when the first British skiers will be heading for the French, Swiss and Italian ski slopes. The security and safety awareness campaign will also emphasize the necessity of full travel insurance coverage.

Continue reading ‘British foreign office launches alcohol safety awareness program for ski resorts’

Val Thorens has opened for the season. The French ski area the highest major resort in the Alps.

Many of the world’s major resorts in at least a dozen countries opened for the season this past weekend.

In Europe, several major alpine resorts opened their doors. Europe’s highest major resort Val Thorens is the second resort to open in France, joining Tignes which has been open for nearly two months already. In Austria, Obergurgl is opening and in Switzerland, Andermatt, Davos, Klosters, Flims and Laax join Engelberg, Zermatt, Verbier, Les Diablerets and Saas Fee which are already open. In Italy, Livigno is opening early and is running its lifts free of charge this week with no lift pass required.

Continue reading ‘Update: ski area openings’