Summer Ski News in Brief

Plans for Former Sheffield Ski Village Advance

1st August 2026

A New Zealand adventure tourism firm has agreed plans to re-develop the site with Sheffield City Council.

Skyline Enterprises’ vision for Parkwood Springs includes a luge ride, a family playground and long-term plans for a zipline and surf wave experience.

The project is part of the council’s investment in the country park, funded by a £19.4m Levelling Up government grant.

“Our adventure and experience brand aligns perfectly with Sheffield’s renowned ‘Outdoor City’ ethos,” said Geoff McDonald, CEO of Skyline Enterprises.

The plan for the redevelopment of Parkwood Springs has been in the works since 2016.

£12m has already been allocated by Sheffield City Council to improve road access.

“We know that Parkwood Springs has been a challenging site to bring forward over the years, but with strong support from Sheffield City Council and an experienced project team on board, the pieces are now in place to deliver something truly special for the city,” McDonald added.

See this link for the full story on the BBC.

Sheffield Ski Village opened in 1998 and provided a training base for some of Britain’s most successful Winter Olympians.

It has been permanently closed since 2012, after it was destroyed by a fire.

A public consultation is expected in September to give local businesses and residents a chance to give feedback on the plans before a planning application is submitted later in the year.

Related Articles:

• Another fire at derelict Sheffield Ski Village
• Sheffield Ski Village revival under threat

Jet2 Unveils Ski Flights for 2027/28

1st August 2026

The new Ski programme has gone on sale across 12 of Jet2’s UK airport bases.

The airline flies to Chambery, Grenoble, Geneva, Innsbruck, Lyon, Salzburg, Turin and Verona.

There are 470,000 seats on sale for its Winter 27/28 Ski programme.

Departing airports for Winter 27/28:

• Belfast International Airport – Salzburg (weekly Saturday services).
• Birmingham Airport – Chambery (Saturday and Sunday services), Geneva (up to 4 weekly services on Thursdays, Sundays and twice-daily on Saturdays), Grenoble (weekly Saturday services), Innsbruck (weekly Saturday services), Salzburg (weekly Saturday services) and Turin (weekly Sunday services).
• Bristol Airport – Chambery (weekly Saturday services), Geneva (weekly Saturday services) and Innsbruck (weekly Saturday services).
• East Midlands Airport – Geneva (weekly Saturday services).
• Edinburgh Airport – Chambery (weekly Saturday services), Geneva (Saturday and Sunday services), Salzburg (weekly Saturday services), Innsbruck (weekly Saturday services), Turin (weekly Sunday services) and Verona (weekly Saturday services).
• Glasgow Airport – Geneva (weekly Saturday services).
• Leeds Bradford Airport – Chambery (weekly Saturday services), Geneva (up to seven weekly services on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and twice-daily on Saturdays and Sundays) and Salzburg (weekly Saturday services).
• London Gatwick – Chambery (up to three weekly services on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays), Geneva (up to four weekly services on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays), Grenoble (up to three weekly services on Saturdays and twice-daily on Sundays), Salzburg (weekly Saturday services) and Turin (weekly Sunday services).
• London Luton – Geneva (weekly Saturday services).
• London Stansted Airport – Chambery (up to three weekly services on Sundays and twice-daily on Saturdays), Geneva (up to seven weekly services on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and twice-daily on Saturdays and Sundays), Grenoble (weekly Saturday services) and Salzburg (weekly Saturday services) and the recent addition of weekly Saturday services to Innsbruck.
• Manchester Airport – Chambery (up to three weekly services on Sundays and twice-daily on Saturdyas), Geneva (up to six weekly services on Mondays, Thursdays and twice-daily on Saturdays and Sundays), Grenoble (up to two weekly services on Saturdays and Sundays), Innsbruck (up to three weekly services on Sundays and twice-daily on Saturdays), Lyon (weekly Saturday services), Salzburg (weekly Saturday services), Turin (up to two weekly services on Saturdays and Sundays) and Verona (weekly Saturday services).
• Newcastle International Airport – Chambery (weekly Saturday services), Geneva (up to two weekly services on Saturdays and Sundays) and Grenoble (weekly Saturday services).

Image c/o Jet2

Drought in Switzerland Intensifies

1st August 2026

Between April 1 and June 28, only 185mm of rain fell nationwide on average, about half of the norm, according to Meteo Swiss.

The Swiss government raised the drought alert for a large part of the country to the maximum level.

Numerous municipalities have introduced restrictions on water consumption.

Climate change is increasing the intensity and duration of periods of water scarcity, with sometimes unforeseen impacts that go beyond dried-up rivers and yellowing meadows.

Across much of Switzerland, river flow – even on the largest ones like the Rhine – is low to very low for the season.

Below-average snowpack in the mountains reduced the contribution from spring snowmelt, with effects on the main lowland rivers.

The levels of several lakes, including Lake Constance and Lake Lucerne, are unusually low.

Groundwater levels also range from normal to very low, especially in the Alps.

Glaciers are retreating, and the snowpack at the end of winter is decreasing.

“These natural reservoirs that used to compensate for the summer water deficit are disappearing,” Vincent Humphrey of MeteoSwiss told Swissinfo.

Summer in the mountains. Image © PlanetSKI

Glacier Shrink in Chile Accelerates

1st August 2026

A study by MapBiomas Agua-Chile has revealed that between 1998 and 2025 the country lost 344 thousand hectares of glaciers.

The most affected region was Ñuble, which lost 91% of its glacier surface.

Chile has about 80% of the glaciers in the Andes and their retreat impacts the supply of fresh water.

“Glaciers are tremendously relevant because they provide a continuous flow of water to the basins, especially in summer and drought periods, which is when we need water the most,” said Alexis Segovia from the University of Chile.

The loss of glaciers and surface waters in Chile reflects the impact of the climate crisis and the megadrought on ecosystems.

The retreat of these ice bodies compromises water security, biodiversity, and human activities that depend on them.

The challenge is to strengthen monitoring and conservation policies to ensure water and resilience in the face of climate change.

In Argentina one glacier has recently been cited as the only glacier in the world growing.

Now that is not the case.

The Perito Moreno Glacier lies in Los Glaciares National Park, in Santa Cruz Province, southern Argentina.

For decades, it showed few signs of retreat compared with many other Patagonian glaciers, but that pattern has changed.

Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina. Image c/o European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery

This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image taken on 30 June 2026, shows the glacier’s broad ice front between Lago Argentino and Brazo Rico, a southern arm of the lake.

The red line marks the ice front’s position in 2016, showing how far the ice moved back over the past decade.

Copernicus satellite data provide regular observations of remote glaciers, helping to track changes in ice extent over time.

These data support long-term climate assessments and environmental monitoring in glacial regions worldwide.

Canada to Spend $33.6m (£18m) on Winter Sport Venues

1st August 2026

It comes ahead of the 2030 Winter Olympics to be held in Salt Lake City, USA.

Officials say it will support athletes and strengthen the country’s ability to host major events.

The investment, made through a federal fund, will go towards the rehabilitation and modernisation of the Olympic Oval at the University of Calgary campus.

The Winsport halfpipe at the Canada Olympic Park, is set for upgrades, as is the Nakiska National Ski Cross Training Centre, where snowmaking and security measure improvements are planned.

The Canada Snowboard National Training Centre Network project is earmarked for up to CAD $4m.

The National Alpine Ski Training Centre Network project is set to receive up to $3.6m.

A senior vice president with Alpine Canada, Jeff Thompson, said that the investments “will strengthen the development pathway, creating lasting benefits for athletes and coaches at every level.”

“We’re grateful to the Government of Canada and all of our partners for believing in the future of our sport and helping create an environment where more athletes can chase their dreams right here in Canada,” said the CEO of Canada Snowboard, Dustin Heise.

Canada took home 21 medals at the 2026 games in Milan-Cortina, Italy.

At the Beijing Games in 2022, Canada won 26 medals, performing fourth best among the countries that competed.

Sunshine Village, Banff, Canada. Image c/o Ross Young.