April’s Ski News in Brief
1st April 2026
Last modified on April 11th, 2026
– $60 Lift Tickets in Jackson Hole
– Rise in Ski Visits to Lower Austria
– No Doping Offences at 2026 Olympics
– Indy Pass Sells Out in 37 minutes
– Driving Back From The Alps… UPDATED
$60 Lift Tickets in Jackson Hole
8th April 2026
Winter 2025–26 marked the 60th anniversary of Jackson Hole, celebrating decades of deep powder, bold runs, and unforgettable moments shared among friends and family.
To commemorate this milestone, the resort is offering a special promotion to close out the season: lift tickets priced at just $60 for the final four days.
With limited daily capacity, visitors are encouraged to secure their tickets in advance and take part in this celebratory end to the season, beginning Thursday 9 April 2026.
Jackson Hole: www.jacksonhole.com
Jackson Hole, USA. Image © PlanetSKI
Rise in Ski Visits to Lower Austria
7th April 2026
The ski resorts in Lower Austria recorded 715,000 visits this winter season according to figures from the mountain railways.
That represents an increase of around 22% compared to the average of the three previous winters.
“This encouraging visitor figure underscores the regional economic importance of the mountain railways,” said Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, who is responsible for tourism.
“We can be proud of the businesses’ achievements and congratulate their employees.
“They make it possible for guests – from families with young children to competitive skiers – to enjoy snow sports close to home.
“For many people, this is an integral part of their lifestyle, and it’s something Lower Austria stands for.”
Lower Austria has a number of small ski areas/lift companies aimed mainly at families and locals:
- Annaberger Lifte
- Erlebnisalm Mönichkirchen
- Hochkar Bergbahnen
- Ötscherlifte Lackenhof
- Wexl Arena St. Corona am Wechsel
“This year’s ski season is certainly one of the better ones, even in the long term,” said the Chairman of the Cable Car Association at the Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Managing Director of the Jauerling Ski Arena, Michale Reichl.
“It is particularly noteworthy that we had no spell of warm weather from Christmas until the end of February and were able to offer consistently good slope conditions during this period.
“When it snowed in the lowlands, the ski resorts were also ready.
“Shorter visits during the floodlit evening skiing were very popular in this regard, offering a special experience and allowing us to utilize our infrastructure even more effectively.”
No Doping Offences at 2026 Olympics
4th April 2026
For the first time in 28 years, no athlete has been found to have taken a banned substance at an Olympics Games.
More than 3,000 samples were collected from almost 2,000 athletes during February’s Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
No anti-doping rule violations have been reported.
It is the first Winter Games since the 1998 edition in Japan to not have a positive test during the event.
One reason for the drop in positive results is a significant increase in testing in the lead up to major events.
The International Testing Agency confirmed that 92% of participants were tested at least once in the six months before Milan-Cortina began/
The director general of the organisation, Benjamin Cohen, described it as “our most extensive program ever implemented”.
However, just because there have been no positive tests yet does not mean there may not be one in the future.
Samples from athletes are kept for 10 years to allow for retrospective testing when new techniques emerge.
Image c/o Milan-Cortina 2026
Indy Pass Sells Out in 37 minutes
4th April 2026
After remarkable demand from returning passholders, waitlisters, and newcomers, this was by far the fastest sellout in Indy Pass history.
To protect the independent, less-crowded experience, Indy Pass limits the total number of passes sold each season.
We reported on the sale earlier this week and details of new resorts added including once in Europe:
2026/27 Indy Passes On Sale On Friday
“This public sale lasted just 37 minutes before we reached capacity,” said Indy Pass Director Erik Mogensen.
“That says a lot about where skiing and riding are right now.
“People want affordability, they want independence, and they want a more authentic experience on the mountain.
“We are going to keep growing Indy with purpose and passion, because protecting that experience matters more than simply selling more passes.”
If you missed your opportunity to buy, get on the waitlist now.
“That is where any future purchase opportunities will begin.
“Over the summer, our team will be working hard to recruit more resorts and add more value to the pass for 26/27.”
Click here to join the waitlist
Passholders may request a refund before December 1st, 2026, if the number of Indy Pass resort partners is less than 300 by November 1st, 2026.
A passholder can also request a refund for an unused pass by December 1st, 2026, if their favorite resort from the 2025/26 season does not renew for 2026/27.
Image c/o Indy Pass
Seven More Resorts in Colorado Set to Close
3rd April 2026
Ten Colorado ski areas have closed already and seven more will shut down for the season on Sunday.
They have a small amount of terrain open in what has been once of the worst winters on record.
Resorts closing:
- Wolf Creek
- Eldora
- Snowmass
- Crested Butte
- Keystone
- Steamboat
Telluride closed earlier this week, but it will re-open for the Easter weekend then close for good on Sunday.
Some ski areas in Colorado remain open next week, but have limited terrain on offer:
- Vail
- Loveland
- Aspen Mountain
- Copper Mountain
- Breckenridge
- Winter Park
- Arapahoe Basin
Vail and Aspen are scheduled to close on April 19. Copper Mountain has a closing date of April 26th.
The others say they will remain open as snow conditions allow.
Skiing in the USA. Image c/0 PlanetSKI
Peak Performance & FWT Renew Partnership
1st April 2026
As the Freeride World Tour comes to its close for the season in Verbier, Peak Performance and the FWT have announced the extension of their longstanding partnership through to 2031.
Building on an existing agreement running until 2027, Peak Performance will continue the Official Presenting Partner for an additional four-year period, from 2028 to 2031.
It reinforces a shared commitment to the progression of freeride skiing and snowboarding.
The partnership began in 2016.
Beyond elite competition, both partners share a vision of growing freeride within the broader mountain community.
“The renewed partnership will continue to focus on athlete-driven product development, safety initiatives, and expanding the global freeride community,” said a statement from FWT.
“Together, Peak Performance and the Freeride World Tour remain committed to pushing the boundaries of the sport while staying true to its core values.”
Freeride World Championships 2026. Image c/o FWCH26 & DDAHER
Tax Cuts for Some 2034 Olympic Tickets
1st April 2026
The Games are set to be held in Salt Lake City in Utah and the state has opted to removed sales taxes for some organisatons.
It would have raised $88 million (€76m) for state and local governments.
The measure exempts the privately funded, nonprofit Organising Committee for the Games.
No decision has been made yet regarding any separate fee for tickets or hospitality packages.
The organisers of the Games have said they are relying on private funding rather than state or local revenues.
The money will come mainly from broadcast rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales.
Tickets are projected to account for 30% of overall revenue.
Easter in Verbier
1st April 2026
On Easter Saturday, Verbier invites visitors to enjoy a lively day on the slopes that blends skiing, entertainment, and surprises for all ages.
The festivities are divided into two parts, beginning at Les Esserts from 10:00 to 11:00, where a traditional Easter egg hunt takes place with Meïno and the Easter Bunny.
Chocolate eggs are hidden in the flat area, and if snow conditions are insufficient, chocolates are distributed so everyone can still take part.
The celebration continues in the Ruinettes sector from 13:30 to 14:30, where Meïno and the Easter Bunny hide somewhere within the Verbier ski area, challenging participants to find them before time runs out.
Once located, visitors can take a photo, scan a QR code, and complete a form to enter a contest for a chance to win prizes, with entry validated by uploading the photo.
Winners are selected through a draw and contacted directly, as Verbier looks forward to welcoming guests for a festive and friendly Easter celebration on the slopes.
Verbier: www.verbier.ch
Questions Over Saudi Ski Development
1st April 2026
Two major contracts for the ambitious Trojena ski resort in Saudi Arabia have been cancelled.
It raises questions about the future of one of the Middle East’s biggest construction projects.
Trojena is planned as a mountain leisure destination with facilities for winter sports.
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the cancellations mark a potential turning point for the high-profile project.
It was designed as a year-round destination to include bringing alpine skiing to the desert kingdom as part of the broader NEOM mega-development initiative.
Last week Malaysia’s Eversendai Corporation announced that its steel fabrication and construction contract with Trojena had been terminated.
Then the Italian infrastructure giant WeBuild confirmed that its contract to construct a multi-billion-dollar dam and freshwater lake had been axed.
We reported on the Trojena project earlier on PlanetSKI and the aim to hold the 2028 Asian Games:
Driving Back From The Alps
1st April 2026
Here at PlanetSKI we are firm favourites of driving to the Alps where possible, and turning the journey into part of the holiday.
A few weeks ago as we started a road trip to various resorts in the Alps we posted about it as we crossed The Channel with LeShuttle.
See here for the full post and details of the journey:
Now we are driving back and once again stopped at Bourg-en-Bresse that is an hour and a half or so past Geneva on the return journey.
The sights of Bourg-en-Bresse. Image © PlanetSKI
Eating here:
The sights of Bourg-en-Bresse. Image © PlanetSKI
And staying here:
The sights of Bourg-en-Bresse. Image © PlanetSKI
There are many other delightful French town and cities en route to and from the Alps that are worth a stopover:
- Reims
- Troyes
- Chalon-en-Champagne
- Chalon-sur-Saone
- Macon
- Dijon
- Tournus
We could go on…
If you head over the Jura mountains to the north of Geneva when heading to or from the Swiss Alps you might want to stop at Poligny.
Poligny, France. Image © PlanetSKI
There is no getting away from it that it is a long drive with the auto-route stretching on for hours and hours.
Driving home from the Alps. Image © PlanetSKI
But driving, with stop offs, remains an excellent ski travel option.
Driving home from the Alps. Image © PlanetSKI
Driving home from the Alps. Image © PlanetSKI
And with high winds and storm clouds at Calais we were pleased to be going under The Channel rather than on it.
Driving home from the Alps. Image © PlanetSKI
Prices start from £59 one way – see here for more details about LeShuttle.com.