An annual study of business reported by Switzerland’s ski lift operators has revealed that the country enjoyed its best winter in five years last season.

In spite of the global economic turmoil it was the early arrival of reliable snow conditions, coupled with favorable weather at weekends and holidays throughout the winter season that did it,” said the report’s author Laurant Vanat.
Continue reading ‘Survey reveals Davos was the busiest ski resort in Switzerland last year’

Swiss pray that glacier's will stop melting.

Swiss news website www.SwissInfo.ch has reported that Catholics in two Swiss Alpine villages are asking the pope if they can stop a nearly 350 year old tradition of praying for the local glaciers to retreat, and instead pray for the end of global warming and the resulting melting of the glaciers.
The villagers of Aletsch have seen their prayers answered in recent decades with the dramatic melting of the local Aletsch glacier, a UNESCO world heritage site. However where once the growing glacier threatened the 20community, now its retreat means potential drought and many other related problems.

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Recognizing the impact of the recession on all holiday sectors, the ski travel industry is looking to start the upcoming season with lower capacities and earlier deals. If you have cash and time, this may be your lucky year as skiing goes on sale.

Last winter, over-capacity across the market meant lots of late bargain holidays, but for 2009-2010 this trend is reversing completely,”

said Esprit Ski Managing Director Andy Perrin.

If the trends are an indicator Ski Rebel Magazine’s research with ski deals offered in other countries is that they will not last long and the trend is headed upward with pricing. In fact as the economy begins to gain traction in North America late in 2009, the pricing trend is pointing upward claim many travel analysts.

2009 - 2010 is expected to be good for ski deals

“All the big companies have slashed capacity dramatically to avoid a repetition of last year’s pattern, and all our new ‘Crunch-Buster’ initiatives are focused on giving our early booking guests the best value and the best savings.”

Esprit Ski has chosen to take the challenge head on, launching the ‘Crunch-Buster’ Special Edition brochure and website as a part of the initiative that Perrin spoke of.
“We have always had new ideas and initiatives in our brochures every year,” said Perrin.

But the ski market has never seen anything like this before, with the sheer breadth and depth of our new ‘Crunch-Buster’ deals for the coming season.”

The campaign involves more than 20 different offers ranging from free children’s ski equipment-hire and thousands of free child holidays, to £50 ($90) or £75 ($135) off adult holiday prices and a free ‘Monday Kick-Start’ session for parents with local ski instructors.
Esprit’s range of child care services for children from four months to 12 years old continues in its 15 selected resorts across France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy, and there are two new chalets this year in Tignes and Les Gets.

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The Germans will be at Nicklaus North, the Austrians at Lost Lake and now the Swiss will be in the heart of village during the 2010 Olympics. The House of Switzerland Canada 2010 will be taking over The Mountain Club spot in its prime location on the Village Stroll.

A new international ski body, the European Ski Federation, will stage its first event this autumn on the indoor snow slope of Amneville in Northern France and claims it is not interested in competing against the International Ski Federation (FIS) despite what some bystanders are claiming.

The European Ski Federation (ESF) has been established by the Austrian, French, Italian, and Swiss ski federations but they say they do not intend to compete with the International Ski Federation, but that the Alpine nations of central Europe planned to stand together in the face of the current economic crisis.
The ESF association, according to its press release, will deal with all aspects of skiing (alpine, nordic and snowboard)
The organization intends to monitor and promote the development of European ski and snowboard sport and to organize and implement international ski and snowboard competitions at all levels
The European Ski Federation’s first event, at the Amneville Snow Hall, is being portrayed as a promotional event for snow sports in general.

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Engelberg will again stage its annual Ice Festival on Mount Titlis this summer.
The event on 12 July marks the start of a summer snow and ice sports season on the glacier, which incorporates miultiple fun activities, although no longer summer skiing or boarding.
Facilities at the top of Mount Titlis include an ice grotto, for example, where visitors can explore the glittery world of ice enhanced by light and sound effects.
Those who are more adventuresome can go trekking over the glacier or try abseiling in a glacial crevice.
The Snow Fun Park offers tobogganing and snow tubing all year round for both the young and young at heart.
www.titlis.ch

Saas Fee is gearing up for its annual meeting of not only skiers and snowboarders but also mountain bikers meeting in the glacier village
From 27 – 29 March 2009, the annual Allalin Races in Saas-Fee will be held for the 27th time, together with the spectacular 6th Glacier Bike Downhill! Skiers, snowboarders and daredevil bikers of all levels of ability will once again hurl themselves down the six mile/nine-kilometre descent.
The Allalin Races are definitely amongst the most successful and largest events in the glacier village.
Even after a quarter of a century, the exciting races still fill both young and old with enthusiasm. The start at an altitude of 3,600 metres (bikers: 3,500m), surrounded by a fantastic panorama and 13 four thousand-metre-high peaks, is an adventure in its own right.
If you add to that flinging yourself down the 9 kilometre run, mastering the altitude difference of 1,800 metres during a lightening-quick descent and finally steaming through the finish at the Kalbermatten sports ground in Saas-Fee (1,800 metres above sea level) with weak knees and burning thighs, then the excitement has no limits.
On some sections of the course, speeds of up to 130 km/h can be reached, as for example on the legendary Kanonenrohr (Barrel of a Gun).
There are four racing categories each for skiers and snowboarders. Everything starts on Friday with the “He & She” category, followed by the team races.
After a joint start, the three best times will count for the team ranking. In addition to the “normal” team races, the “Fun” team races will also take place. For these, the average time of all team members at the start (minimum three) will be counted. In this just-for-fun race, most teams simply celebrate “being there”.
Continue reading ‘27th Allalin-Rennen and 6th glacier bike downhill at Saas-Fee’