August’s Summer Ski News
1st August 2023
Last modified on August 29th, 2023
– Volunteers Needed for First Cross Border World Cup Ski Race
– Mt Ruapehu Claims Deepest Snow Base in the World
– Thieves Steal Donations to Swiss Climbing Club
– ISTM Heads to Obertauern in Austria
– Fancy Owning a Ski Area?…LIVE & UPDATED
Here we cover anything that takes our fancy over the summer months.
Short news stories, eye catching videos, amusing cartoons, things that make us smile/things that make us shout at the screen… anything that catches our eye in the world of skiing and snowsports.
See here for last month’s summer ski news: July’s Summer Ski News
Tuesday 29th August
Volunteers Needed for First Cross Border World Cup Ski Race
Monday 28th August
Mt Ruapehu Claims Deepest Snow Base in the World
The ski area on the North Island of New Zealand claims a depth of 2.25m.
See here for more on TVNZ:
Sunday 27th August
Thieves Steal Donations to Swiss Climbing Club
The collection box was on a climbing route on the Gemmi pass above Leukerbad.
Around 500chf (£450) was taken.
The money would have been used to maintain the via ferrata climbing route.
The thieves would have been on the climbing route as that is the only way to access the location.
“What kind of people are these?” wrote the climbing club on its Facebook page.
“The climbing club looks after the via ferrata for no salary, we don’t ask for anything, and now someone has stolen the money donated to maintain it.”
The donation box has been found smashed open and empty.
It is reported that a local benefactor has donated 500chf to replace the stolen cash.
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Thursday 24th August
ISTM Heads to Obertauern in Austria
The International Ski Travel Market will take place in the Austrian resort next winter from April 7th to 11th 2024.
It is the 11th annual b2b event for the international snowsports industry.
It sees buyers and suppliers meet.
International Ski Travel Market. Image © PlanetSKI
It will be hosted by Obertauern Tourism and Valamar, with sponsorship from SalzburgerLand Tourism.
“‘We at ISTM are excited to work with our partners at Valamar and Obertauern,” said the Event Director, Luke Boulton.
“Their positivity and outlook for the future are a fantastic combination and we can’t wait to bring ISTM to this uniquely positioned destination.”
Obertauern is Austria’s only purpose-built ski resort.
Addressing the future of ISTM, Boulton added that “Moving the event around each year keeps us fresh and allows our delegates to do business in iconic destinations as well as discover hidden pearls and wonderful venues in inspiring locations.”
International Ski Travel Market. Image © PlanetSKI
Wednesday 23rd August
Fancy Owning a Ski Area?
Lake Ōhau Lodge and Ōhau Snow Fields in New Zealand is on the market.
It has a price tag of NZ$50 million (£23.5m).
It is situated on the South Island and is about a two and a half hour drive from Queenstown
The lodge has 72 rooms plus a restaurant, bar, spa and a golf course.
There’s 145 hectares of skiable terrain in the winter months.
“We’re very proud of what we’ve built at Lake Ōhau Lodge and Ōhau Snow Fields over the past 33 years,” said the current owner, Mike Neilson.
“We’ve created a world-class ski resort that’s enjoyed by skiers and snowboarders from all over the world.
“We’re confident that the right buyer will come along and continue to build on our legacy.”
The season so far has been pretty decent:
Ōhau Snow Fields:
- The snow fields are located 15 minutes from the doorstep of the lodge via the 9.6km access road.
- 145.2 hectares, with a DOC concession to operate the snowfield.
- A vast array of skiing and touring options, catering for all ability levels.
- Access to over 145ha of skiable terrain with opportunity to expand operations.
- Double chairlift (795 skiers per hour), 200 car park places, helipad and 30 snow machines.
You’ve got to hurry though as International Expressions of Interest closes on Thursday 7th September at 5:00pm (NZST) – that’s 6am BST.
Monday 21st August
Man Heading Restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral Dies in Pyrenees Hiking Fall
74-year old General Jean-Louis Georgelin was hiking in the French part of the mountain range when he fell near the Mont-Valier peak.
It is being treated as an accident.
A local mountain rescue team said it “discovered the body of a man who has been formally identified as General Georgelin”.
He was overseeing the reconstruction of the cathedral in Paris that was damaged by fire in 2019.
The blaze gutted its roof and sent the spire crashing down.
“The nation loses one of its great soldiers. France, one of its great servants. And Notre-Dame, the architect of its revival,” said President Macron said on the social media platform X, that was formally known as Twitter.
It is hoped the reconstruction work on the cathedral will be completed by next summer when Paris hosts the Olympic Games.
Pyrenees in the summer. Image c/o PlanetSKI
Sunday 20th August
Countdown to Inaugural International Obsidian in New Zealand
Four teams of the best freeski and snowboard athletes will battle it out at the inaugural International Obsidian in New Zealand in September.
Athletes representing Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania will compete across custom built terrain park venues at Cardrona Alpine Resort and freeride terrain in the mountains around Wānaka.
Each team will be made up of eight of the top athletes from that region, consisting of four snowboarders (two female, two male) and four freeskiers (two female, two male).
Over the five-day weather window from 9th – 13th September the teams will compete against each other in three events:
- Big Air
- Park Jam
- Heli-accessed back-country freestyle day
Freestyle in New Zealand. Image © PlanetSKI.
Friday 18th August
Swiss Rail Tunnel Under the Alps Closed After Crash
The world’s longest rail tunnel, the Gottard Base Tunnel, has been shut to passenger services after a derailment.
The route cuts through the Alps and is a high-speed link between northern and southern Europe, both for passengers and freight.
The authorities say it will take several months to repair and there is no indication when it may re-open.
Sixteen wagons derailed and are still stuck inside the tunnel.
Thousands of products including wine, lemonade and tinned tomatoes remain strewn across the tracks.
The Gotthard rail link opened in 2016 and took 20 years to build.
It cost £8.2bn.
“The fact that an accident like this could happen has hit us very hard,” said National Swiss rail operator SBB chief executive, Vincent Ducrot
“Fortunately, there were no injuries, though significant material damage was incurred.”
In a statement SBB said: that “since the derailment, the tunnel has been closed to passenger and freight traffic, and trains must be diverted.
“Currently, there is no indication of how long the tunnel will be closed.
“Diverting trains via the panorama route means longer journey times for passengers.”
Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI.
Thursday 17th August
Clean-up for K2
The second highest mountain on Earth has seen growing piles of trash, including frozen oxygen cans, broken tents and tangled ropes, left behind by climbers.
Pakistani mountaineer Sajid Ali Sadpara and his team have embarked on a mission to clean up the mountain, removing 200kg (441lbs) of trash in over a week.
The initiative is also Sadpara’s tribute to his father, who died in a 2021 expedition on the mountain.
Wednesday 16th August:
US Resort Announces Opening Date
Palisades Tahoe in California says it will open on November 22nd 2023.
It is one of the first major ski resort to declare its scheduled opening day for next season.
“OPENING DAY ANNOUNCEMENT- Just 100 more days until the 2023/24 season begins on November 22nd,” said the resort.
PlanetSKI was skiing in the resort as it closed last May.
Palisades Tahoe, California. Image © PlanetSKI
Swiss Freeskier Takes to Grass
Andri Ragettli is one of the best freestyle skiers and landed the world’s first quadruple cork 1800 in 2017.
He has 10 World Cup titles and several X-Games golds.
In the summer months, for the first time, he has taken to skiing on grass.
“I tried for the first time Grass-Skiing. It was way harder than I expected,” he said.
Check out the video:
Tuesday 15th August:
SnowKidz Claims Success
The event is run by the International Ski & Snowboard Federation and aims to encourage children into skiing and snowboarding.
FIS has released details of last season’s events:
- The number of events increased from 359 to 396
- The number of participants grew from 134’578 in 21/22 to 247’569 in 22/23
- The “How to Snowboard with Kids” series was introduced in November and has become the most viewed series in SnowKidz
- The Shred Parks were introduced in July 2022 focusing on the disciplines of Alpine and Snowboard. At the same time testing commenced on a Nordic version of the Shred Parks.
- All tests of the Junior Ski Patrol concept were successful and the concept is on track to be officially added to SnowKidz next season
- Organiser satisfaction with SnowKidz grew to 97%
Fischer became the official ski of SnowKidz whilst Nitro Snowboards continued their support as the Official Snowboard of the programme.
To obtain the full 2022/23 SnowKidz Season report follow this link.
The International Ski & Snowboard Federation. Image c/o FIS.
Monday 14th August:
US Snowboard Coach Suspended for Sexual Misconduct
Peter Foley was fired by his federation and later sued by three national team snowboarders.
His coaching license has been suspended for 10 years by the US Center for SafeSport.
“SafeSport’s decision … effectively puts him out of business and prevents him from doing more harm and damage,” said a statement from the lawyer representing the three snowboarders.
“This is a long awaited, incredible moment for the brave Olympic snowboarders we represent.
“But this decision also represents progress and empowerment for all young athletes and their families because it sends a clear signal that those who abuse young athletes will be held to account.”
For more on the story see this article in the LA Times.
Swiss Cable Car Completes First Week Back in Operation
In late June the lift at Glacier 3000 broke down with 270 people rescued by helicopter.
We reported on it at the time on PlanetSKI:
It has proved more difficult to repair than expected, but is now back in operation and has just completed its first week of summer operation.
Sunday 13th August
Spanish Glacier Set to Disappear Within a Decade
The El Aneto glacier in the Pyrenees lost about two-thirds of its surface area between 1981 and 2022.
The heatwave this summer has sped up its melting.
“A few years ago we always talked about the glacier having about 30 years of life as an approximate figure,” said Nacho Lopez a researcher from the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology.
“And right now, with the evolution we have had in recent years, what we are seeing is that in ten years it is almost impossible for us to talk about a glacier anymore.
“Surely a little bit of ice will remain there because there are areas where there are still significant thicknesses of ice) but most of the glacier will disappear.”
Saturday 12th August
Flooding in Swedish Ski Resort
Thursday 10th August
Yoga Festival in Verbier
The Inspire Yoga Festival will take place for its fifth edition in the Swiss resort from 25th-27th August 2023.
The festival sees a roster of yogis and wellbeing gurus hold classes and give talks on their practices and life experiences.
Inspire offers participants of all levels of yoga to explore different disciplines, meet new people, and enjoy a relaxed, holistic environment.
Verbier’s south-facing disposition ensures the festival will enjoy the full extent of the Swiss summer sun.
A single ticket starts from 80 CHF / £71 pp or an unlimited pass for the whole weekend is priced from 300 CHF / £268 pp.
Yoga in the mountains. Image © PlanetSKI
Tuesday 8th August
Smoke Billows from Chairlift in Argentina
A chairlift at Cerro Chapelco broke down due to an electrical fault and the emergency diesel generator kicked in.
The authorities said it wasn’t dangerous and the lift quickly re-started taking people to the top.
“The ignition of the combustion engine does not present any type of danger for the means of elevation, and much less for the people who were in the place,” said the resort.
Monday 7th August
Summer Skiing in Zermatt
The Swiss glacier ski area is one of just a handful open in the Alps.
So, what are conditions currently like?
Here’s PlanetSKI reader, David Wilkey:
“Skied at Cervinia/ Zermatt this summer for the first time.
“It’s really only fit for training/ drills. Most people there were Italian ski schools doing race training… And about 20 mostly local kids on the bumps and park.
“The ‘piste’ is limited, narrow and patchy… I wouldn’t bother travelling far too ski it.
“But still, it’s skiing, in the summer, and the views are stunning.
“Queues not too bad, although two out of 6 days no skiing due to bad weather, and one day only 1 lift running for most of the morning, so a 20-30 min wait for each tow…. Not fun when the run is only 30 seconds.
“Queue etiquette not too bad… Some sharp elbows, but easy enough to address, and some very helpful locals boarders when the lift attendant went AWOL.”
He posted is comments on the PlanetSKI Facebook Page after we shared an article from our good friends over at WeathertoSki.co.uk
Fingers crossed Zermatt remains open this summer.
Last year it was forced to suspend operations, as we reported at the time:
The Matterhorn, Zermatt. Image © PlanetSKI
August Snow Falls in the Alps
And while we are on the subject of summer snow conditions, it has cooled down elsewhere in the Alps.
Some August snow has fallen at the highest resort in the Alps, Val Thorens in France:
And it has fallen in Avoriaz too:
Sunday 6th August
Two People Caught in NZ Avalanche
The incident happened at the Remarkables resort near Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand.
A skier and a snowboarder were partially buried southeast of the Sugar Bowl area at an altitude of 2,000m.
The avalanche was 2m deep and 200m long.
Rescuers with sniffer dogs were flown to the area by helicopter and located the pair.
The authorities are advising people to be cautious off piste after recent snowfall.
“This is a timely reminder that the risk of avalanches in these conditions is real,” said a police spokesperson.
“Be sure to discuss your plans with ski patrol and be equipped with transceivers, shovels and probes that you know how to use.”
Skiing in New Zealand. Image © PlanetSKI.
Friday 4th August
Seems Someone is Looking Forward to Winter
Step forward GB’s Dave Ryding…
Thursday 3rd August
Global Warming Impacts Canadian Glaciers
The mountaineer, Fred Thiessen, tells CBC News many glaciers will disappear in the next 40 to 50 years.
Including British Columbia’s iconic Kokanee glacier.
Wednesday 2nd August
Mikaela Shiffrin Training At Mammoth Mountain
The resort in California closes this weekend so the greatest alpine ski racer of all time is putting in a few runs.
Tuesday 1st August
Robbie Williams to Perform in Austria Ski Resort
He will rock the stage at opening of Schladming-Dachstein on December 7th and 8th.
After ending his year-and-a-half-long world tour in Australia during the winter of 2023 he will be performing at the Planai Stadium in Schladming.
Expect all his hits, plus lasers, lights, pyrotechnics and more.
“My job is to entertain you, and I take that job very seriously – so that’s what I will do at the 2 concerts in Schladming,” said Robbie Williams as the shows were announced.
“And if I don’t do that, I didn’t do my job!”
To announce the concerts, Robbie Williams paid a visit to the Reiteralm on July 23rd, 2023.
Image credit: Harald Steiner
Image credit: Harald Steiner
Image credit: Harald Steiner
“I have a strong connection to my audience in Austria, and the memories of my shows here will always stay in my heart,” added Robbie.
He is no stranger to playing in ski resorts and performed at the Austria resort of Ischgl in 2014.
Robbie Williams. Image © PlanetSKI
Robbie Williams. Image © PlanetSKI
Robbie Williams. Image © PlanetSKI
See here for tickets and more information on the upcoming concerts: www.skiopeningschladming.com
Keeping Cool in August
With the European heatwave set to continue this month some ski areas are stressing their cool temperatures at altitude as August gets underway.
There’s the Tirol in Austria.
See here for more in the rest of Austria:
Mountain lakes in Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
Meanwhile lets not forget there is still skiing this month over in Mammoth Mountain in California.
It saw more than 18m of snow across the winter and there’s still 1m at the summit of the mountain and at 30cms at the Main Lodge at the base of the ski area.
The resort’s season of 22/23 winds up this weekend.
Mammoth Mountain. Image © PlanetSKI
New Gondola for Steamboat
The final stage of the Wild Blue Gondola is set to open next winter and will mean the resort will have the longest and fastest gondola in North America.
It will make the resort the second largest in Colorado and is part Steamboat Springs three-year project, Full Steam Ahead.
The completion of the project will also see the opening of the new Greenhorn Ranch – a dedicated beginner’s area at the top of the gondola which features advanced terrain-based learning.
The resort will also see a huge terrain expansion, a new avalanche dog programme for the 24/25 season and the reimagining of Steamboat Square which will welcome an escalator, a new free outdoor ice-skating rink, and new Range Food and Drink Hall.
Steamboat, Colorado. Image © PlanetSKI
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