James Cove

15th April 2025

Below Average Number of Avalanche Deaths in Switzerland

Ten people died in avalanches in the Swiss Alps this winter, according to the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research. This is below the average for the past 20 years.

15th April 2025

Clear Up Continues as Skiing Re-starts After Monster Snowstorm

Resorts have been shut with transport severely affected. The weather is now clearing with resorts opening some slopes. UPDATED

14th April 2025

An Introduction to Ski Touring

It’s one of the fastest growing activities in the mountains and can begin with a gentle walk up a marked path and returning on a piste or by its side. Here’s how you can give it a try to see if it’s for you.

14th April 2025

FWT Returns to Alaska Next Winter

The FIS Freeride World Tour by Peak Performance will be in Haines as Freeride’s elite head back to the legendary spines for the YETI Alaska Pro in March 2026.

11th April 2025

Copper Horse GBR Series is Back this Summer

The events bring together the UK’s most promising alpine skiers, giving them a chance to participate in regular ski races on artificial slopes across the country. The first event has taken place. UPDATED

11th April 2025

Poor Winter for Scottish Ski Areas

Resorts have described conditions as poor. There was the lowest number of avalanches in the past 40 years – an indication of limited snowfall.

11th April 2025

Ski Club of GB Gives Evie Pinching Award to Ski Racer Molly Butler

The Ski Club of Great Britain will give the 2025 Evie Pinching Award to 18-year old Molly Butler for her outstanding achievements in Alpine ski racing during the past year.

10th April 2025

Snow Camp In Andorra

50 young people from Snow Camp charity’s London and North West programmes are experiencing the mountains for the very first time. More join from Scotland and the Midlands next week.

9th April 2025

Investigation Underway After Major Fire at Hotel in La Plagne

The fire broke out at MMV Plagne 2000 in the early hours of Wednesday morning. UPDATED

8th April 2025

GB Ski Tests Move to Italy

The 2026 SIGB Snow Test, Slide on Snow, will take place in Champoluc, Italy, from 26–30 January 2026. It has been held at La Clusaz in France in recent years.

8th April 2025

Swiss Ski Areas Report Good Season

Swiss ski lift companies report an overall rise of 12% over the previous season with the largest growth at low altitude ski areas. Low ski areas in Austria have also seen growth.

7th April 2025

Bankes Looks to Winter Olympics After Cruel End to Season

She broke her collarbone in training before the weekend’s final races of the season and it ended her hopes of winning a third snowboard cross World Cup title in four years. NEW

4th April 2025

Powder, Peaks & Picnics: A Week of Ski Touring around Chamonix

PlanetSKI has been touring with the Ski Club of Great Britain from its base in Chamonix. Here we pull together our articles into a single post. Sit back and enjoy a long read…

3rd April 2025

The PlanetSKI Snow Report

There are now some fabulous Spring conditions in parts of the Alps as Easter gets closer. Head high for the best snow. UPDATED

1st April 2025

April Ski News in Brief

– Last Chance for Tickets to The Big Ski
– Another Fire at Derelict Sheffield Ski Village
– Gatwick Worst UK Airport for Flight Delays
– Scandinavia Glacier Melt Accelerates
– Ski Ballet Returns UPDATED

31st March 2025

PlanetSKI Slows Down in Val d’Arly

The French Ski area is not the most obvious place for a late-season ski trip. All the more reason to visit in our opinion and soak up ‘slow-tourism’ as the season draws to an end.

30th March 2025

PlanetSKI Visits the Swiss Resort of Arosa

Tucked up at the end of the Schanfigg valley in the southeastern canton of Graubünden, Switzerland is the resort of Arosa. Not heard of it? No surprise, given that over 90% of the visitors are Swiss.

30th March 2025

What a Weekend for GB Athletes!

There’s a world title, a podium and glory for our GB snowsport athletes. It’s been quite a season and it’s not over yet. UPDATED

27th March 2025

Powder, Peaks & Picnics: A Week of Ski Touring around Chamonix. Part 2

PlanetSKI has spent a week touring with the Ski Club of Great Britain from its base in Chamonix. As ski touring becomes more popular we report on the full experience, plus a night in a mountain hut.

26th March 2025

Les Sybelles: The Biggest French Ski Area You Have Probably Never Heard Of

It claims to be the fourth largest ski area in France. Yet it is pretty much undiscovered by the British. Why? PlanetSKI reports.

24th March 2025

The PlanetSKI Snow Report

There are spring conditions across much of the Alps and it’s time to head high for your end-of-season turns. The recent wintry conditions that brought significant snowfall to Austria have now been replaced by spring sunshine. PlanetSKI is there. UPDATED

23rd March 2025

Powder, Peaks & Picnics: A Week of Ski Touring around Chamonix. Part 1.

PlanetSKI has spent a week touring with the Ski Club of Great Britain from its chalet base in Chamonix. With ski touring becoming more popular we report on the full experience, including a night in a mountain hut.

20th March 2025

GB Snowboarder Wins Verbier Xtreme

Cody Bramwell has taken top spot in the most prestigious event in the Freeride calendar, but misses out on the overall FWT title. UPDATED

18th March 2025

Val Gardena Hosts Longest GS Race in the World

On Saturday, March 29, 2025, top athletes will once again compete against ski legends and amateurs on the 6km course in the Dolomites in Italy. The race is in its 27th year.

17th March 2025

Istanbul in Pictures & Words

We’ve stopped off in Istanbul in Turkey on our way back from Japan. Last year we skied in Turkey, this time round it seemed a good place simply to visit. Here’s why…

17th March 2025

Skiing in April Awaits

Don’t pack away your skis just yet. Maison Sport unveils some of the best high-altitude resorts for late-season snow and Easter family fun, with SNO offering its expertise.

17th March 2025

GB Snowsport Athletes in Action

Check out the GB Snowsport athletes competing in major FIS competitions this week. Plus the key results from last week’s events.

14th March 2025

Plans for UK’s Longest Indoor Ski Slope Get the Go Ahead

It had been thought the development in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales would be rejected after an official report failed to support the project. The local council ignored the advice and the Welsh Government will now consider the plans.

14th March 2025

The PlanetSKI Snow Report

Cloud is returning to the Alps after several days of blue sky and warm temperatures. UPDATED

14th March 2025

Double Success for GB Snowsport Athletes

Mia Brookes takes Snowboard Park & Pipe Overall Crystal Globe, and Kirsty Muir takes maiden World Cup victory in Tignes Slopestyle World Cup.

13th March 2025

Skiing in Japan – What’s It Really Like?

PlanetSKI’s final post from Japan comes not from the slopes & the powder, but the fairways & the greens. We reflect on our five weeks of skiing across Japan from a golf course at the base of Mt Fuji as we separate the myths from the realities.

11th March 2025

DSUK Launches New Fundraising Campaign

Disability Snowsport UK is calling on the snowsport and travel industries to help raise £150,000 in 2025 to support grassroots adaptive snowsports in the UK.

10th March 2025

GB Snowsport Athletes in Action

GB Snowsport athletes are competing in FIS World Cup and EC Finals events this week. See also key results from last week’s competitions.

10th March 2025

Investigation After Gondola Collapse in Kicking Horse

A single gondola fell off the lift as it left the base station. Several people were in the lift, but no-one is seriously injured. An investigation is underway and the resort has partially re-opened. UPDATED

10th March 2025

Shiffrin Breaks Record for Number of Podiums

She finished third in the slalom in Are Sweden and overtook the Swedish legend, Ingemar Stenmark who competed in the 1970s and 80s.

9th March 2025

GB’s Charlotte Bankes Tops the Podium Again

Charlotte Bankes secured victory at Sunday’s Gudauri Snowboard Cross World Cup in Georgia. Her excellent run of form continues. UPDATED

9th March 2025

Ski Club GB Heads to Tignes For End of Season

Ski Club of Great Britain launches new end of season holiday for up to 100 skiers. It is billed as a ‘Tignes Takeover’.

9th March 2025

The PlanetSKI Snow Report

Spring conditions continue in the The Alps with some light snow in places. We look ahead to March & April skiing. UPDATED

9th March 2025

Indy Pass Sees Record Interest as 25/26 Sales Set to End

Indy Pass has announced that sales for the 2025/26 season will end after midnight on Monday, March 10th. It only went on sale on March 1st. NEW

8th March 2025

Planned Artificial Ski Slope in Wales Set to be Rejected

Developers want to construct a slope at Merthyr Tydfil which would be the longest ski slope in the UK at 500m. It looks like a planning application will be rejected. UPDATED

8th March 2025

20 year old French skier Faces Jail After Snowball Assault

The person threw a giant snowball from a chairlift in Alpe d’Huez that hit a man having lunch at a restaurant terrace below. UPDATED

7th March 2025

New Spring Event for La Plagne

The high-altitude French resort hosts the first edition of the Mega Bell Course during Easter weekend on Saturday 19th April.

6th March 2025

Three Heliskiers Die in Avalanche in Alaska

They were hit by a massive avalanche and were buried under 30m of snow. They have been named, but their bodies have not yet been recovered as further details are reported. UPDATED

6th March 2025

More Success for GB Ski Athletes

Alpine skier Luca Carrick-Smith comes third in Alpine World Junior Championships Slalom, while the telemark skier Jaz Taylor takes Silver at Krvarvec Sprint World Cup.

5th March 2025

GB Athletes in Action

GB Snowsport athletes are again competing in FIS competitions this week + we update the results from last week’s competitions.

2nd March 2025

GB Snowboarder Wins FWT in Georgia

Cody Bramwell secured his first win of the season in the snowboard category. Freeride is on the up and could be included in the 2030 Winter Olympics.

1st March 2025

Indy Pass Adds More Resorts for Next Winter

There are couple in Europe plus one in South America and three more in North America. The Indy Pass is the fastest-growing multi-mountain pass in the world.

1st March 2025

Bankes Does it Again. And Again.

GB’s Charlotte Bankes won her fourth consecutive Snowboard Cross World Cup competition in Erzurum, Turkey. Then made another podium.UPDATED

1st March 2025

March Ski News in Brief

– Italy Wants Russian & Ukrainian Athletes at 2026 Olympics
– Three Heliskiers Die in Avalanche in Canada
– Injured Ukranian Veterans Learn to Ski
– Verbier’s Ultime Session 2025 Rounds Off the Season…UPDATED

28th February 2025

Onwards from Furano & Deeper into Hokkaido

The PlanetSKI month-long trip in Japan is drawing to an end, but not before we hit resorts in the Hokkaido Powder Belt. First up its was Furano, Tomamu & Kamui and now it’s Mount Racey .UPDATED

27th February 2025

SnowDome Fined After Death of 12-Year Old Boy

Louis Watkiss died after an accident on the slope. The indoor centre in Tamworth was fined for breaching health and safety regulations. NEW

27th February 2025

Cairngorm Funicular Finally Re-Opens

The funicular railway at Cairngorm Mountain resort in Scotland has returned to service.

26th February 2025

PlanetSKI Rounds Up its Two Week Ski Safari Around Sapporo

We have been based in the Japanese city skiing all the main ski areas nearby and much else besides. Here we re-produce all our posts in a single chronological blog as we head elsewhere on Hokkaido.

26th February 2025

The PlanetSKI Snow Report

There are mixed conditions in the Alps, with heavy snow easing off in Japan. UPDATED

26th February 2025

PlanetSKI Spends a Day at the Races – Japanese Style

We’re heading to the ski areas around Furano, inland into Hokkaido. Via some horse racing, bird watching and generally experiencing things that some ski tourists miss out on.

25th February 2025