The first week of July has seen the ‘real’ start of winter at many Australian resorts after poor natural snowfall in June. Mount Hotham has reported 29cm (12 inches) of snow in the past week, with an additional 13cm (seven inches) in the past 24hrs, enough to open Heavenly Valley for skiing and riding tomorrow, Wednesday 9th July, for the first time this season. An additional 60cm (two feet fell last weekend.
The opening of the Heavenly Valley Chair will provide access to some of Hotham’s signature terrain such as Imagine, Milky Way, Black Snake, Brockhoff and Purgatory Spur. The resort’s new snowmaking expansion into Heavenly Valley has played a critical role in topping up the natural snowfall in the area
Mount Hotham and neighbouring Dinner Plain Alpine Village will be hosting the third annual Mountain Fresh Festival from July 18th to 23rd. The six-day winter festival of delicious regional food and cool climate wines from the Alpine Valleys will incorporate a diverse program of individual events held at venues that will strongly feature food and wine from the Alpine Valleys Wine Region. From wine tastings and master classes, to foodie films, pampering sessions and much more, there will be something for everyone at the festival.
www.mountainfresh.com.au
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The Sha’ar HaGilboa tourist area in northern Israel plans to open an artificial surface ski slope next year.
The new facility on Mt. Gilboa, about an hour’s drive from Tel Aviv, will offer skiing and boarding for all ability levels on a 320m long slope complete with floodlighting, a ski lift, and associated facilities at an estimated cost of $20m.
Continue reading ‘All season ski facility planned for 2009 in Israel’
Tiffindell, South Africa’s only commercial ski area, has begun a multi million upgrade project that will modernize the resort’s overall infrastructure and develop accommodation.
The expansion is aimed at luring the more than 100,000 South Africans that travel to other destinations for ski holidays.
Home of the African continent’s highest bar, and normally the first southern hemisphere ski area to open each winter, Tiffindell’s success over the past 15 years has due to snowmaking expertise learned in New England and in part due to the area’s location on the Northern Cape, where snowfalls can be big enough to close access roads and leave the resort snowed-in on occasion.
Currently the ski area has just over a kilometer of runs and a 90m vertical served by several portable surface lifts, along with accommodation for 150 people. Demolition of the existing accommodation will be carried out and new accommodation will cater for 250 guests, whilst the ski runs will be extended eight-fold to about 10km (six miles) and chairlifts will be installed.
The 2008 British Snowboard and Freeski Tour has returned this summer, with six dates, including a brand new venue and continuing to represent and showcase the highest level of Snowboard and Freeski competition in the UK.
Continue reading ‘2008 British freeski tour kicks off this weekend’