Once the ice and snow leaves, all that's left are cracked rocks which cause dangerous rock slides.

Rock slides blocking prominent alpine routes have become a prominent issue in the Alps.

Due to global warming, the permafrost is unfreezing by degrees, giving way to a fast erosion of high peaks like the Swiss Matterhorn.

An interdisciplinary team from the Universities of Basel and Zurich and other organisations are researching the processes involved in a project called “Permasense” and have installed battery-powered sensors in some of the key affected areas including the Matterhorn above Zermatt and the Jungfraujoch to gather information.

Continue reading ‘Researchers dig into Alpine rockslides caused by global warming’

Ski cross was one of the most exciting events in Vancouver.

After the introduction of Ski Cross to the Olympics last month, the sport may be taking off outside of it’s North American roots.

The next generation of ski cross racers will be taking to the slopes of Les Arcs in the giant French Paradiski region for The Gavaggio Master Cross race on the 28th of March.

The GMX race will be one of the first ever ski-cross event for youngsters aged 11 to 14. Enak Gavaggio, a multiple winner in the sport, will be spearheading the event and passing on his experience to the kids at this unprecedented contest.

Continue reading ‘Ski cross takes European leap forward with GMX’

This toboggan run has a long history.

The famous Cresta Run at St Moritz was first built as a toboggan run several decades before downhill skiing took off as a winter sport.

Built by visiting British tourists in the mid-1880s, the run celebrates its 125th anniversary this winter.

The Cresta Run remains privately-operated by the British St. Moritz Tobogganing Club, which is based in the original St Moritz luxury hotel, The Kulm. The Club still only allows men to descend the run, except on the last day of its operation each winter, and the high speed run on a small metal sled is not for the faint-hearted. The ‘Cresta kiss’ impact injury is a common occurrence.

Continue reading ‘The run that’s older than skiing itself’

Chamonix takes in number 1 spot with British skiers as per EasyJet's compilation.

European discount airline Easyjet recently released the top-10 winter ski resort destinations by  British skiers and have compiled them into a hot list. Ski Rebel Magazine has managed to get a copy and has them available for you if you read on…

Continue reading ‘Europe’s top 10 ski destinations as chosen by UK travelers’

Freeskiers love any excuse to head for the Alps.

Austria’s Zell am See-Kaprun is hosting the world’s freeskiing community this weekend at the Austrian Freeski Open.

For the first time in its history the most important freeskiing event in Austria is taking place in the holiday region between the Kitzsteinhorn and Schmittenhöhe. The four day event attracted freeski celebrities like the Swedish freeskiing legend Jon Olsson, Australian Russ Henshaw, and Bobby Brown from the USA.

The professional freeskiers are competing against each other at the ‘Slopestyle Contest’ staged in the snow park on Kitzsteinhorn, attempting to win their share of US $20,000 in prize money.

Continue reading ‘Freeskiers invade Austrian Alps’

Games organizers on a recent visit to the site: Val Aosta, Italy.

Seven hundred military athletes from 40 nations will face the snows to compete for the victory in the first Military World Winter Games this spring.

For six days at Val d’Aosta, Italy from March 20th to 25th, the whole valley will be marked by a brilliant display of uniforms from different national army, navy and airforce staff that are competing in Nordic skiing, biathlon, downhill skiing, climbing and short track.

Events will be staged in the villages of Brusson (for the biathlon), Cogne (Nordic ski races and ski orienteering), Courmayeur (climbing and short-track), Gressoney-Saint-Jean (women’s giant slalom and slalom), Flassin of Saint-Oyen (Alpine skiing), and Gressan (men’s slalom and giant slaom).

Continue reading ‘Soldiers gunning for winter glory’

Austria's Tyrol region.

Innsbruck, host city to the Winter Olympic Games back in 1964 and 1976, is inviting skiers to actually try the sports they’re seeing on TV in the current Vancouver Games.

The ski centres surrounding the capital of Austria’s Tirol region offer not only skiing and ice skating but also bobsled, luge, biathlon and even, and in the nearby HoheSalve region, ski jumping.

The Igls Bobsleigh track which was used during the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976 is available for public descents. Guest bobsleighs hold five people and a trained pilot. The minimum age limit is 12 years and runs cost 30 Euros per person, with runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the winter season.

Continue reading ‘Try the Olympic sports yourself in Austria’