Dress as Santa and ski free at Whistler

The first 100 people to arrive at Whistler mountain's base dressed as Santa or Mrs Claus will receive a free lift ticket on Saturday 22 December.

The outfit must include black or red trousers or a skirt for Mrs Claus, a red jacket with white trim, a black belt, a beard for Santa and a hat for Santa or Mrs Claus.

If you're in Whistler and can get your hands on this kit by tomorrow, meet at the GLC at 8.30am. There will also be a draw for Oakley goggles and a C$500 Whistler gift certificate.

Find out more at www.whistlerblackcomb.com.

Vancouver 2010 mascots revealed

The mascots for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics will be Quatchi, Miga and Sumi.

Find out more about these cute little critters on the official Vancouver 2010 website.

Image credit: Vancouver 2010

Manchester Chill Factore snowdome opens

Manchester's new indoor snowdome, Chill Factore, opens today. It boasts the UK's longest and the world's widest real snow indoor slope.

The main slope is 180m long and 100m wide. There are also two beginner areas, plus a luge run and kiddies' snowplay area.

Alternatively you can try your hand at tubing or test your skills on the climbing wall. And there's a handful of restaurants and outdoor shops should you feel the need to burn some more cash.

Check out the Chill Factore website for full details.

Whistler Mountain to open early

Thanks to a powdertastic start to November (see entry below), Whistler Blackcomb has decided to open Whistler Mountain a few days early.

Whistler is now set to open on 17 November, while Blackcomb's season will kick off on 22 November.

All the usual early-season lifts will be open: Whistler Village Gondola, Creekside Gondola, Red Chair, Emerald Chair and Franz's (weekend only). A small park with five rails will be open at the top of Emerald.

The snow report should be returning at some point today.

Photo credit: Paul Morrison/Whistler Blackcomb

80cm dump in Whistler

It looks like it's going to be a great start to Whistler's season. The resort received 80cm of fresh pow over the weekend, with another 108cm forecast during the week.

Whistler Blackcomb opens for skiing and riding on 22 November.

Photo credit: Dave Lakey/Tourism Whistler

Canadian resort openings

If, like me, you're a sucker for Canadian pow, here's the latest on opening dates and current snow bases (where available) for some of the major Canadian resorts:

Alberta
Lake Louise - open, 34cm mid-mountain, 46cm top
Marmot Basin (Jasper) - 16 November, 30cm
Norquay - open (earliest ever opening on 1 November), 30cm (top of mountain)
Sunshine - 15 November, 44cm base

British Columbia
Big White - 22 November, 3cm (let's hope there's a big dump soon)
Fernie - 8 December, 15cm
Revelstoke - 22 December, base unavailable
Silver Star - 22 November, 20cm
Sun Peaks - 17 November, 49cm
Whistler Blackcomb - 22 November, base unavailable

I've not been able to get hold of dates for Kicking Horse or Red yet.

Quebec
Tremblant - 21 November, base unavailable
Mont-Sainte-Anne - 17 November, base unavailable

Kitzbuhel opens six weeks early

Kitzbuhel opened on 2 November, six weeks earlier than planned. It was the earliest opening in the resort's history.

The Austrian resort is already boasting a 130cm base, with 25cm in the valley.

Compared to last year's dismal early season snow, it seems even the low-level Austrian ski areas are seeing a stonking start to winter 2007/8.

Photo credit and further information: www.bergbahn-kitzbuehel.at

Copper Mountain opening day

The season kicks off at Colorado's Copper Mountain today, with top-to-bottom skiing and riding. The resort plans to open five lifts.

To celebrate the beginning of winter, Copper is running a three-day festival, Lift Off at Copper, from 2-4 November. Events will include showings of the latest ski and snowboard films, live music, equipment demos and apres parties.

Check out the latest snow report before you go.

Image credit and further information: Copper Mountain.

Keystone opens 2 November

Keystone is opening a week early, thanks to good dumps of early-season snow. The resort opens for skiing and riding tomorrow, 2 November.

The mountain has received 66cm of snow so far this season and currently has a 30cm mid-mountain base.

Check out all the details on Keystone's website.

Free skiing at Crested Butte

If you're a bit short of cash and looking for some early-season pow, head to Crested Butte, Colorado, where the skiing is free for the first three weeks of the season.

Yes, there's no catch. Ski or ride free from 25 November until 15 December.

They're also offering some enticing accommodation deals. Check out Crested Butte's website for all the details.

Crested Butte has 1,167 skiable acres, 121 runs and 846m of lift-served vertical.

Photo credit: Crested Butte

Tignes opens for winter

The 2007/8 ski season kicks off today in Tignes as the Grande Motte glacier opens for winter.

You can ski or ride 20km (13 miles) of runs on the glacier, which has an impressive 750m (2,400ft) vertical drop.

The Espace Killy, which is the entired combined Tignes and Val d'Isere ski area, opens on 1 December.

Visit the official Tignes website.

Mt Ruapehu erupts, closing ski areas

The New Zealand resorts of Whakapapa and Turoa were forced to close after Mt Ruapehu erupted unexpectedly on Tuesday evening.

About 50 people were evacuated from mountain ski lodges, while roads and train lines were also closed.

A 22-year-old climber was seriously injured in the blast when rocks flew through his mountain hut and trapped him. He later had to have part of his leg amputated.

Although the ski areas were closed on Wednesday, they are expected to open again on Thursday. Volcanologists, however, warn there may be further eruptions over the next few days and are advising people to stay away from the upper part of the mountain.

In 1996, an eruption sent ash directly onto the ski fields, closing them for most of the season.

Read Mt Ruapehu's latest news.

VisitScotland uses "misleading" footage

VisitScotland has been accused of "misleading" the public by using decade-old footage in its latest ad.

The advert, shown in cinemas and online, promotes sports activities in Scotland, including climbing up a frozen waterfall and boarding on powdery pistes.

But some clever clogs has pointed out Scotland hasn't received heavy snow or cold temperatures for seven years. VisitScotland has admitted the ice-climbing footage was shot in the 1990s, but hasn't been able to date the skiing film.

I thought everyone realised Scotland isn't exactly blessed with copious amounts of powder, but apparently ski and snowboard enthusiasts down south might be duped into believing they should ditch their annual Colorado fortnight for a trip to Cairngorm.

Photo credit (date not known, but there is snow): Ski-Scotland.

'Stash' to open in Avoriaz

European snowboarders will be whooping with joy when the Burton-designed Stash run opens in Avoriaz this winter.

You may remember last year the first Stash run was built at Northstar-at-Tahoe, and good old Jake doesn't want the Euro boarders to miss out.

The new all-natural run will be constructed in the Lindarets forest, with logs and wooden tables for sliding on, a secret passage to explore and even a cabin to hang out in.

The run opens on 10 January 2008. To get an idea, check out the Northstar version at www.thestash.com.

Find out more about Avoriaz's terrain parks at www.snowparkavoriaz.com.

Read my story about last year's Northstar opening.

Image credit: Burton

Portes du Soleil offers 'lazybones' lift pass

If you've ever had one too many in the bars of Morzine or Chatel and staggered onto the slopes somewhere towards midday, you may be pleased to hear that the Portes du Soleil ski region has launched a 'lazybones' lift pass.

The ski pass is valid from 11am and costs €35, which is €4 less than the cost of a full-day ticket.

The resort reckons the days of rushing for first lift and skiing until they close are long gone, but I know some of you would beg to differ.

Photo credit: C Margot/www.portesdusoleil.com

Snow in Colorado!

Winter is on its way in Colorado. Take a look at yesterday's snowfall in Breckenridge. Not long to go until season opening on 9 November.

Photo credit: http//breckenridge.snow.com

Wind turbine to power New England resort

It might not be up there with Vail or Whistler in terms of lifts and terrain, but Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, Massachussetts has become North America's first ski resort to install a wind turbine.

The New England ski area held a dedication ceremony for the 1.5-megawatt turbine last Wednesday. The project cost US$3.9 million, but will reduce the mountain's energy bill by 49.4 per cent, according to resort CEO Brian Fairbank.

If the turbine produces excess energy, the electricity will be sold back to the national grid.

The resort recognises that skiers and boarders are beginning to question whether taking a ski holiday is environmentally sustainable and hopes to encourage other ski resorts to follow in its footsteps.

Read Jiminy Peak's environment policy.

Photo credit: Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort

Heavenly price for Heavenly season pass

Summer is the time of year when you can snap up a bargain season pass, and Heavenly has come up trumps with its pricing this year.

Buy your 2007/2008 pass between now and 3 September and it will set you back a mere $349. The following blackout dates apply:

23-24 November 2007
27-31 December 2007
16-17 February 2008

If you must ski or ride on these dates, the price is $548.

Other benefits include access to the gondola throughout summer 2007, plus three days' free skiing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge or Keystone. You can also buy four $40 buddy passes.

To compare costs, a six-day lift ticket outside holiday periods is $384. And if you're wondering how much there is to ride in Heavenly, well there are 91 trails and 30 lifts across 4,800 acres. Construction has just begun on a new high-speed quad, the Olympic Express.

Photo credit and further information: www.skiheavenly.com

Future Aussie halfpipe stars at Perisher Blue

Now is a great time to spot fresh talent in Australian snowboarding, as the National Snowboard Halfpipe Development Team have begun training at Perisher Blue.

The programme, which is in its third year, is designed for up-and-coming athletes as a means of progressing towards the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia Snowboard Halfpipe Team. (Story continues below.)


Head coach Ben Alexander says: "It is giving athletes the opportunity to develop their skills to international standard so they are able to compete successfully in World Cup and Olympic Games competitions."

The team currently consists of five boarders: Nathan Johnstone, 17, Matthew Hunter, 19, Jarryd Williams, 17, Sam Murphy, 16 and Charlie Steinbacher, 16.

Riders are chosen at a Talent Identification Camp held at Perisher Blue each winter. The next camp takes place from 1-2 September.

Find out more at the Skiing Australia website.

Photo credit (showing Nathan Johnstone): NSWIS and Perisher Blue, taken by Ben Alexander

Jamaican dogsled team

You've seen the film Cool Runnings, based on the story of the Jamaican bobsleigh team heading to the Olympics.

But did you know there's now a Jamaican dogsled team? And I'm proud to hear Devon Anderson, Jamaica's first musher, completed his initial training in Scotland.

The team have just launched their latest promotional video and 2007/8 race schedule and are now planning to train with three-time Yukon Quest champion Hans Gatt.

Read all about Devon and his band of merry mutts on the Jamaica Dogsled Team website.

Photo credit: Jamaica Dogsled Team

Australia: Best snow for 17 years

Australian resorts have received the most snowfall in 17 years according to the Australian press, with several resorts passing the one-metre base mark.

Perisher Blue has a respectable base of 129.7cm. Temperatures are cold and more snowfall is expected this week. More than 200cm of snow has fallen so far this year.

Thredbo is boasting an identical depth of 129.7cm (hmm, suspicious). Snow showers and blizzards are forecast over the next three days.

Check out these links for further information on Perisher Blue and Thredbo.

Photo credit: Thredbo.

Sochi wins 2014 Olympics

The Russian resort of Sochi has been awarded the 2014 Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee made its announcement yesterday in Guatemala. (Guatemala?! - you might well ask.)

South Korea's Pyeongchang was beaten into second place, while Salzburg was eliminated in the first round of voting.

This will be the first time Russia has hosted the Winter Olympics.

Both Pyeongchang and Salzburg lost out to Vancouver in the bid for the 2010 games.

Check out the Sochi 2014 bid website. (Although the site is lacking in info as I write.)

Snowpark NZ opens tomorrow

Freestylers and freestyle wannabes are waxing their boards and fine tuning their edges in anticipation of Snowpark NZ's opening day tomorrow.

When your jumping's on the shaky side (or just plain non-existent), New Zealand's giant terrain park is the place to go to crank it up a gear.

And this year they've added new snazzy on-slope apartments (see pic), so you don't need to make the commute from Wanaka.

Dates for this year's Snow Girls NZ camps are:
5-8 July
30-31 July
1-4 September

Photo credit and further information: www.snowparknz.com.

Mt Buller world first: snowmaking with recycled water

For a country in its sixth year of drought, blasting artificial snow is going to be controversial.

But Mt Buller in Australia has found an innovative use for its waste water and is becoming the world's first resort to use recycled water for snowmaking.

Phil Nunn, the resort's chief executive, says the new development will increase snowmaking capacity by 30 per cent and is expected to ensure 80 per cent of the village's waste water is reused.

Read the whole story on the Mt Buller website.

Photo credit: www.mtbuller.com.au

Coronet Peak open; Mt Hutt to follow

Coronet Peak, in New Zealand's South Island, opened today, just a couple of days behind schedule.

Snowmaking machines have been going full blast, thanks to consistently cold temperatures over the past few days, and have covered the Big Easy and M1 trails.

If you're a beginner, this should be enough to keep you happy, but intermediate and advanced skiers and riders will quickly tire of endless revolutions on the M1, which really does match up to it's British motorway namesake in terms of traffic.

Meanwhile, Mt Hutt is expected to open on Wednesday (13 June). Terrain will be limited, but park junkies will be able to hit a couple of rails or boxes (not sure which yet) from day one.

Photo credit and more information: www.nzski.com

New Zealand snow update

Yippee! Winter has arrived in New Zealand and the main resorts are building up to their opening days. Here's a run-down of the latest news from the main ski areas:

Mt Ruapehu (Whakapapa and Turoa): Cooler temperatures have brought fresh snow to higher elevations. With the freezing level expected to drop, conditions should be ideal for snowmaking and more snow is forecast over the next few days. Turoa has installed a brand new snowmaking system, a smart new Alpine Chalet and, best of all, a new chairlift - the High Noon Express. Turoa opens on 16 June. More info from www.mtruapehu.com.

Mt Hutt: The Canterbury field received a 25cm dump on Saturday and snowmaking is underway. Opens on 9 June.

Coronet Peak: The snow guns are blasting, but the base is still low. Opens on 9 June.

The Remarkables: This is the place to go for coaching. The mountain is introducing Afternoon Burton Freestyle Sessions (daily 2-4pm), 6 Saturday Freestyle sessions (every Saturday) and, for the girlies, the Burton Girls on Edge Camp, with instruction from New Zealand's top female coaches. Opens on 23 June. More info on Mt Hutt, Coronet Peak and The Remarks from www.nzski.com.

Treble Cone: Natural snow has fallen and snowmaking is underway. Opens 26 June. More info from www.treblecone.co.nz.

Cardrona: Snowmaking has begun and more snow is forecast. Opens 22 June. More info from www.cardrona.com.

Don't forget, the annual Queenstown Winter Festival kicks off the season in style and runs from 22 June to 1 July.

Photo credit: www.mtruapehu.com

Peak to Peak gondola to open in Whistler

Whistler Blackcomb has announced the long-awaited Peak to Peak gondola will open between the two mountains in December 2008.

The new cable car will travel 4.4km in 11 minutes between the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler and the Rendezvous Lodge on Blackcomb.

The gondola will consist of 28 cabins carrying up to 28 people each, with a total capacity of 4,100 passengers per hour.

With just two towers on each mountain, the cable will hang unsupported for over 3km (the world's longest unsupported span). The highest vertical point is at 415m over Fitzsimmon's Creek - the world's greatest distance above a valley floor.

Construction begins in May 2007. Find out more about the Peak to Peak gondola.

Photo credit: Matt Walker

Hunter Mtn: free skiing for any season pass holder

Planning a jaunt to New York in the next couple of weeks? Hunter Mountain, just a couple of hours from the city, is accepting season passes from any mountain in the world on 25 March.

So whether you have a pass for Vail, Val d'Isere or Glencoe, the generous folks at Hunter will give you a free lift ticket. (As long as the pass is valid for the 2006/7 season of course.)

And from 19 March until the end of the season, they'll give you 50% off mid-week tickets and 25% off weekend tickets if you flash your season pass from another mountain.

What's more, winter is showing no signs of abating in New York state. Hunter has reported a massive 21 inches of the fresh stuff in the last 24 hours! (The pic here was taken at about 4pm local time yesterday when the snow was starting to fall.)

Check out the details of the special offer.

Image credit: Hunter Mountain

Heavenly powder

Early last week, Heavenly, California received...wait for it...SIX FEET OF SNOW in 48 hours! That is a humungous amount.

Watch the video of all the happy skiers and boarders.

Check out the latest Heavenly snow report.

Women's week in Whistler

I know I keep bleating on about Whistler, but come on, it's already beaten its average annual snowfall and we're still only in February (64cm in the past seven days ain't bad). And now there's Women's Week to look forward to.

This girlie celebration kicks off on 3 March and packs in nine days of feminine fun, from Burton and Roxy all-girl snowboard camps to special shopping deals, spa chill-out sessions and a Le Chateau fashion show. Check out the full calendar of events for the week.

Another date for your diary: Whistler's Telus Ski and Snowboard Festival runs from 13-22 April and promises to be another unmissable bash, with 50 free concerts to choose from and the chance to watch some unbelievable ski and snowboard stunts.

Image credit: Tourism Whistler

Earlybird passes on sale in New Zealand

Earlybird season passes covering the New Zealand resorts Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt are now on sale.

A joint pass to all three mountains will set you back NZ$749 if you buy online before 8 March.

If you're only going to be kicking around Queenstown, go for the Queenstown pass (Coronet Peak and The Remarks only), which costs NZ$649.

These are a great deal and worth buying even if you're only planning on a couple of weeks' riding in NZ. Individual passes for each resort are also available.

Image credit and further information: www.nzski.com

Orange snow falls in Russia

Orange and yellow snowflakes fell in the Omsk region of Russia on Wednesday according to Russian officials.

The snow is said to have felt oily to touch and gave off a rotten smell. Scientists are investigating the cause of the usunusally coloured snow, which fell over an area of more than 1,500 sq km.

The local environmental prosecutor, Anton German, said he was waiting for the results of chemical tests. Another local official reported the snow had four times the normal levels of iron in it.

Omsk is in western Siberia where oil is the main industry. About 27,000 people live in the area affected by the snow. Residents have been advised not to use the snow for household tasks or to allow animals to graze on it.

Giant countdown clock for Vancouver 2010

Vancouver is kicking off the three-year countdown to the 2010 Olympic Games by installing a giant countdown clock.

The enormous clock will be unveiled at Vancouver Art Gallery on 12 February and will count down the remaining days, hours, minutes and seconds to the 2010 Opening Ceremony.

The clock design will represent Canadian and West Coast themes.

Free cat boarding at Copper

Copper Mountain is offering free snowcat access on Tucker Mountain.

According to the mountain' s website: "This is as close to a backcountry, big-mountain experience as you'll find in-bounds at any resort."

The cats have been in operation since 2 January and run from 10am to 1.30pm every day. Tucker Mountain closes at 2pm. It's first come, first served, so get there early.

Photo credit: Copper Mountain

Vail extends season

Vail has decided to extend its winter season by a week thanks to this year's epic snowfalls.

The Colorado resort was originally due to close on 15 April, but will now stay open an extra week, closing on 22 April.

The end of the season is celebrated with a massive spring bash, "Spring Back to Vail", which includes free concerts by top US bands, as well as deals on lift passes and lodging and the chilly-sounding World Pond Skimming Championships.

Photo credit: Vail Resorts

Another record for Whistler

Whistler snowfall hit a record high yet again this week after the latest dump brought this season's accumulation to 875cm.

That's the biggest total by this time in January since records began 27 years ago.

It won't take much for Whistler to beat its annual average snowfall of 10m.

The weather's currently clear and sunny, but another frontal system could bring more snow on Wednesday.

Photo credit: Whistler Blackcomb (webcam showing The Roundhouse restaurant, 14 January 2007)

Auf Wiedersehen Alpine skiing

Skiing and boarding in the Alps could be history within 45 years according to a new report on climate change.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development predicts that 75 per cent of Alpine glaciers will melt within this period, causing avalanches and floods and forcing ski resorts to close.

Only the highest resorts, such as Tignes (2,100m) and Val Thorens (2,300m), are expected to survive.

The reports will be handed to European governments this week.

This follows a poor start to this year's Alpine winter season. Despite a decent snowfall at New Year, mild temperatures since mean many low-level resorts are still lacking snow.

Read the full story on The Observer website.

Snow in Stowe for holiday weekend

Stowe, Vermont has been thanking the snow gods for the 10 to 18 inches (25 to 46cm) of white stuff it's received over the past week.

The fresh pow arrived just in time for the US holiday weekend. The resort also opened the Sensation Quad on Upper Spruce Peak on Friday 12th, meaning all four peaks were open in time for the holiday rush.

Stowe currently has the highest percentage of runs open in Northern Vermont, and conditions look pretty sweet on their home page video at www.stowe.com.

Photo credit: Stowe Mountain Resort

Sake and snow monkeys in Japan

The Christmas stockings are back in the drawer and the tree is shedding its last needles (unless it's one of those fancy no-drop ones of course).

The only proper way to cheer up is to book a holiday, and what better place to consider for your next snowboarding trip than Japan, this year's hot ski destination.

Check out my feature on 10 reasons to ski/board in Japan on the World Travel Guide.

Photo credit: JNTO