Resort News

The Bruson area of the Swiss resort is to shut on Sunday March 7th for the rest of the winter. ‘The season has been very complicated’ said the lift company, Televerbier.

Some resorts in the Tirol in Austria have re-opened with a Covid-19 negative test required. Other resorts in Austria remain open for locals only + we look at elsewhere in the Alps, the Pyrenees and Scandinavia. UK citizens remain unable to travel & likely for some time to come.

It comes as several cases of the South African and Brazilian variants have been found in the Swiss ski resort. The spread of the variants will determine whether restrictions can be eased next month in Switzerland.

Resorts in Poland have opened with government backing, those in the Czech Republic have also opened but the authorities wanted them to stay closed. Plus we look at Bulgaria, Slovakia and Slovenia.

It wants to ease measures on March 1st with sports facilities reopening and more people allowed at private events. In ski resorts ice rinks would be allowed to open though bars, restaurants and sporting events must remain closed to the public.

It follows a series of raids in St Anton that revealed widespread abuse. The Interior Minister has now said the government will ‘intensify controls’.  Local Austrians have welcomed the move as some general restrictions in Austria are eased from Monday 8th February.

The extra funding is welcome news for the snowsports industry just as the Scottish Government announces the nation will stay in lockdown until at least the end of February.

The government had said it would make an announcement on Wednesday 20th but it looks as if the half-term ski holidays will not be happening. It is an economic short-term body blow to the resorts, but some think the right decision in the long run to stop the spread of Covid-19. UPDATED

Why? Because the resort tells it like it is with accurate and informative news. Er, not something we always receive from some PR people in ski resorts and certainly not in these dreadfull pandemic times.

Tighter new restrictions come into force next week including the closing of non-essential shops but ski lifts continue to turn. Covid-19 cases in Switzerland are still high, but stabilising.

Canada’s second-most populous province is to have a 4-week lockdown, including a strict curfew that will affect night skiing. Quebec contains the ski resorts of Le Massif, Mont St Anne and Stoneham.

The French Alps resort that’s a favourite with the British is reporting a busy holiday period despite the closure of ski lifts and a lack of visitors from the UK. UPDATED

Nevis Range cancelled a while back before even opening, then Cairngorm closed just as it opened. Now others are being order to close to stop the spread of Covid-19.

It was stated in December as Xmas and New Year restrictions were put in place that the lifts would open on January 7th – that’s today. The government is making an announcement later and it is expected they will remain shut. UPDATED

It opened up some ski areas on Saturday for local residents only and hopes to allow international visitors this weekend. UPDATED

That is the date that was announced by President Macron as he ordered the lifts to shut. Some doubts remain, but there are signs of hope. Whether UK skiers can get there is another matter altogether as Covid-19 coincides with Brexit. UPDATED

Val Thorens is turning up the dials for a virtual one from the slopes. It normally hosts a huge celebration with 10,000 in the resort. It is not to be this year, so it’s doing its best.

They opened on Xmas Eve but now come under tighter restrictions. Outdoor exercise is allowed, though in resort most of the facilities remain closed. UPDATED

The Scottish resort shuts at the close of play on Xmas Eve following new rules announced by the First Minister. Glencoe & the Lecht say they will remain open as Scotland goes into Level 4 restrictions from Boxing Day.

9 out the 26 cantons have decided to close their ski areas – the well-known resort of Andermatt will see some of its slopes shut. The rest are smaller resorts. The majority of ski resorts in Switzerland remain open. The Federal Government has said they may have to close if the R-rate goes above 1.2. New restrictions have been announced. UPDATED

The Saslong lift company operates part of the slopes in Val Gardena and it has said it will not open due to the chaos and confusion of Covid-19 restrictions.  It highlights the extra pressure put on hospitals if ski areas open and criticises the handling of the pandemic by the regional and national authorities.

The Council of State made its decision as the government says lifts may open on January 7th if conditions allow. Lifts will not be turning in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Jura or the Massif Central over Xmas. Resorts are set to open on January 7th but strict criteria will need to be met and it remains uncertain. UPDATED

Photos have been posted on social media showing people apparently not social distancing. The resort has now put barriers in place, but questions remain as other resorts are set to open. Switzerland has decided to allow all its resorts to open despite many European countries keeping them shut.

The Nevis Range is to stop the sale of season passes and will not be opening the resort at the start of the season. It blames Covid-19 with growing uncertainty over restrictions. Others are reviewing their positions with Glencoe saying it will open as planned in December.

The Aosta Valley, Piedmont and Lombardy have been declared “Red Zones”. People can only leave their homes for essential reasons and skiing is not one of them. Covid-19 is surging in many parts of Italy as winter approaches.

The glacier ski resorts of Tignes and Les2Alpes are closing at the end of today. Val Thorens and Val d’Isere have cancelled their openings in late November. We have all the news and latest reaction.

Normally four resorts are able to offer skiing and snowboarding at this time of year. After crowded scenes in Cervinia the national government ordered them to close except to racers and professional skiers. Some though claim autonomous powers.

The Italian resort opened for autumn skiing on Saturday 24th October. Then on Sunday it announced it was closing temporarily after an Emergency Decree from the Italian government. Some claim crowded scenes at the resort are to blame. UPDATED

The largest lift-connected ski area in the world is bracing itself for a significant drop in the number of skiers and snowboarders.

The VSV consumer association in Austria has launched a class action lawsuit. 6,000 skiers and snowboarders have contacted VSV believing to have caught Covid-19 in a ski resort. UPDATED

The resort of St Anton is the main one in the Arlberg and it saw a significant outbreak.  PlanetSKI was in the resort as it shut back in March and we report on how the lifts will operate next winter.

Stubai, Pitztal and Kaunertal in the Tirol plan to fire up their first lifts by the end of September. Then its Ruka and Levi in Finland. It will be a somewhat different experience with Covid-19 restrictions. UPDATED

We’ve heard from the mighty Vail Resorts, looked at other resorts in the Alps & kept across developments in the southern hemisphere over summer. But what about closer to home? Yad Moss in the Pennines to be precise.