Features

19th October 2021

5 Top Resorts for Families in the Tirol

The Tirol in Austria has around 80 ski resorts and 3,000 kilometres of pistes and is a firm favourite for families. We asked the Tirol Tourist Office to recommend its Top Five. NEW

1st October 2021

October’s Skiing Snippets – See What Catches our Eye in the World of Snowsports…

– Austria Ski Area Should Reimburse Season Pass Holders
– Maison Sport Claims Record Bookings
– New Lifts for Val Thorens
– Swiss World Cup Ski Races Open to Spectators… LIVE

25th September 2021

Ski Solutions – See What’s New for Next Winter

The ski specialist has new offerings and is urging people to book early for post-pandemic skiing and snowboarding next season. It is reporting a surge in bookings as travel restrictions are set to ease.

24th September 2021

PlanetSKI Has More Free Tickets to Snow Show to Give Away

We have been inundated with requests to extend the free ticket codes so we have negotiated a few more from the organisers. NEW

17th September 2021

PlanetSKI at the Henley Festival

It’s the latest in our adventures in the UK this summer as we have been unable to get to the mountains. Us skiers at the event decided to dedicate it to the approaching winter season as it has some snowsport connections. UPDATED

13th September 2021

PlanetSKI Heads to Henley

After a series of summer activities in the UK due to being unable to reach the mountains we are rounding things off at the Henley Festival before our thoughts turn to autumn glacier skiing and winter. Believe it or not the Festival has some associations with skiing.

1st September 2021

September’s Skiing Snippets – See What Catches our Eye in the World of Snowsports…

– How to Measure a Shrinking Glacier
– Big SNOW Indoor Slope in USA Shut Due to Fire
– Para Skiers Show Freestyle Skills
– Vaccinated Children Exempt From Norway Quarantine … LIVE

26th August 2021

Breithorn or Bust… Part Two

PlanetSKI’s intrepid Switzerland reporter, Catie Friend, has been on a women-only expedition to the summit of the Breithorn. It was part of a wider challenge for all-women teams to climb the 48 4,000+ meter mountains in Switzerland this summer: Part Two.

23rd August 2021

Breithorn or Bust… Part One

20th August 2021

Excitement Grows for National Snow Show

Ticket sales have passed the 11,000 mark with the easing of covid rules in the UK and lifting of travel restrictions for vaccinated people coming from abroad helping. PlanetSKI has met the organiser and looks ahead to the autumn event.

1st August 2021

August’s Skiing Snippets – See What Catches our Eye in the World of Snowsports…

– New Zealand Sees First Death Linked to Pfizer Vaccine
– 1,000+ Australian Covid Deaths as Resorts Remain Shut
– Forest Fire Threatens California Ski Resort
– Swiss Cow Rescued by Helicopter … LIVE & UPDATED

31st July 2021

PlanetSKI Looks Back at Being PlanetBOAT

Earlier in July we spent a few days river cruising on the Thames. We can’t access the Alps at the moment so we’re doing a few activities here in the UK. See our updated report.

20th July 2021

PlanetSKI Turns Into PlanetBOAT – Part Three

With the mountains effectively out-of-bounds PlanetSKI is confined to the UK. So, we’re trying a few outdoor activities within our shores. Next up it’s a spot of river cruising on the Thames. But have we managed to master it on our final day?

15th July 2021

PlanetSKI Turns Into PlanetBOAT – Part Two

With the mountains effectively out-of-bounds PlanetSKI is confined to the UK. So, we’re trying a few outdoor activities within our shores. We’re on the Thames for a few days of river cruising and hoping to improve after an, er, challenging start. Surprisingly there are quite a few similarities with skiing.

13th July 2021

PlanetSKI Turns Into PlanetBOAT – Part One

With the mountains effectively out-of-bounds PlanetSKI is confined to the UK. So, we’re trying a few outdoor activities within our shores. First up it’s a spot of river cruising on the Thames. But what an earth does it have to do with skiing?

8th July 2021

Winter Olympians Swap Snow for Water

Former GB ski racer Chemmy Alcott and freestyle snowboarder Aimee Fuller have been showing their style on the water after getting hooked on the growing sport of wakesurfing.

1st July 2021

July’s Skiing Snippets – See What Catches our Eye in the World of Snowsports…

-France Extends Health Pass Requirements
-Australian Family Fined After Breaking Lockdown to go Skiing
-Reduced Winter Games NZ Confirmed
-GB Snowsport Supports Fundraising efforts of BSSNF..UPDATED

1st June 2021

June’s Skiing Snippets – See What Catches our Eye in the World of Snowsports…

-Italy Ends Mask Wearing Outdoors
-Summer Season Starts At Park City in Utah
-Ski Race Series Kicks Off in GB
-Covid Outbreak in Sydney Means Ski Resorts Out of Bounds for Some
-Quarantine-free Travel for the Fully Vaccinated?….UPDATED

7th May 2021

Skiing in Scotland into May

Scottish ski tourers have been out in force on Cairngorm, making the most of what will probably be the last significant snowfall of this winter. PlanetSKI’s Scotland reporter Rod Frazer was among them.

16th April 2021

Verbier Ends its Ski Season

It is the end of a long and strange season under the pandemic. We have recently reported from the area on how the 4 Vallees and other resorts have coped in this, the strangest of winters. Earlier we heard from some of the people lucky enough to make it to the slopes.

10th April 2021

95-year-old Goes Heliskiing

The are claims that Junior Bounous from Utah is the oldest person in the world to have gone heliskiing. He took to the skies and slopes of Snowbird this week.

8th April 2021

Last Blast of Winter For Scottish Ski Areas

The return to winter weather has brought a dusting of hope for those desperate to slide around Scotland’s summits. There was more snow over the weekend as temperatures fall. Graeme Wallace reports for PlanetSKI.

3rd April 2021

Off Piste Skiing & Photography in Zermatt

Every now and again on PlanetSKI we post videos from our readers and our friends out in the mountains. This one caught out eye and brought back many memories too – from last year and longer ago.

28th March 2021

Skiing Snippets – See What Catches our Eye in the World of Snowsports…

-GB Snowsport Supports Enough Is Enough
-Check It Out…
-Fancy a Fondue?
-Schweitzer Ski Resort Joins Ikon Pass
-Covid-19 Cases at Everest…UPDATED

24th March 2021

Marmot Basin in Canada Opens New Terrain

It is the epitome of high alpine riding – steep, snow-filled, treeless terrain with breathtaking views of the surrounding Rocky Mountain Peaks. Who are we to disagree? Check out the images from one of our favourite resorts in Canada.

12th March 2021

Where to Ski Next Winter: Norway

In our occasional series we are looking at areas to ski next winter that offer something a little bit different. Norway is one of our favourites – the Scandinavian country is most certainly not the Alps, but that’s good.

10th March 2021

A Guide to Cross-Country-Skiing

It’s taken off this winter, according to numerous reports from the Alps. If you’ve yet to be converted, have a look at the latest guide from our friends at Maison Sport.

1st March 2021

Top 5 Resorts In The Tirol for Powderhounds

With most of us turning our attention to next winter it’s time for PlanetSKI to help you decide where to go. If you love your freeriding, read on.

24th February 2021

A Beginners’ Guide to Telemark Skiing

Ski touring, cross country skiing, snow shoeing. They can all be done when the lifts are shut. And then there’s telemarking. Our friends at Maison Sport have produced the definitive guide. Why not give it a go if you’re in the mountains and wanting a new challenge?

17th February 2021

Ski-In Ski-Out: Dundee-style

It’s rare to be able to ski to your front door in Scotland, especially when living far away from the Highlands. But hundreds of people have been doing just that. Even as the big thaw begins, it’s looking good for spring touring, as PlanetSKI reader Graeme Wallace has been finding out.

17th February 2021

Coping with Covid-19 in the Alps

It is a year since coronavirus started to spread widely in Europe. In our occasional series we hear from PlanetSKI readers who have lived through it out in the mountains. Here’s Kevin Young from near Chamonix…

14th February 2021

Lockdown Ski Lessons With A Difference

Fancy some top tips on your ski technique? Let’s face it, most of us are not going to see a slope this season but we can still benefit from free coaching by expert instructors. How?

30th January 2021

5 Family Resorts in the Tirol for Next Season

The Austrian ski region is full of quiet, uncrowded resorts. Some you’ve probably never heard of. Let PlanetSKI be your guide to some of the best resorts to visit for a family trip next winter.

25th January 2021

Why Are There Currently So Many Fatal Avalanches in the Alps?

The snowpack is highly unstable in places and some people are simply skiing and snowboarding where they should not be given the current conditions. The worrying aspect is professionals have also been caught out. The conditions are some of the most dangerous in recent years.

23rd January 2021

Top 12 Must Watch Ski Movies

Not on the slopes? This is the next best thing. Get your fix of ski and snowboard action with these recommendations.

20th January 2021

Life In A Ski Resort When The Lifts Are Closed

As ski lifts in France remain closed into February and perhaps for the rest of the season we ask what’s it like to be in a ski resort in the French Alps in mid-winter when all the lifts are closed. We hear from Alexandra Beuchert and Simon Perry, who have French residency and travelled from the UK to their home in Tignes in late December.

14th January 2021

Cross Country Skiing Takes Off In France

More and more skiers are clipping into long, skinny skis to get their snow fix. PlanetSKI has been talking to a Nordic skiing instructor in the French Alps about the surge in demand for cross country lessons as the lifts remain closed.

10th January 2021

Ski Sunday… It Skis For All of Us & Still Surprises

It’s back on TV & for most of us it is likely to be the closest we get to skiing anytime soon. Our editor, James Cove, can’t remember the last time he saw the programme recently as he’s always out in the Alps away from TVs. He did though see its very first episode back in 1978. So, what did he make of it?

24th December 2020

Merry Xmas One and All!

Joyeux Noel, Frohe Weihnachten, Eguberri on, Feliz Navidad, Fijne kerst, Hyvää joulua, Buon Natale, ハッピークリスマス, Счастливого Рождества, Wesołych Świąt, Veselé Vianoce, Vesel božič and God Jul.

22nd December 2020

PlanetSKI Heads Uphill in the French Alps

Our roving reporter Chris Moran lives year-round in Les3Vallees in France. As the latest national lockdown lifted he went uphill, but there was danger around and he urges caution.

20th December 2020

Five Undiscovered Gems in the Tirol

Thinking about heading to the Tirol in Austria once conditions allow? Well, how about avoiding the well-known resorts and going for somewhere less-crowded. Somewhere you have probably never heard of. Until now…

9th December 2020

End Of The Road?

Rob Greatbach has spent 10 years working towards his goal of qualifying as a top level ski instructor to teach in France. Covid-19 and Brexit could well have just conspired to put an end to his dream.

22nd November 2020

Getting Fit for Skiing

Waste of time? Certainly not. If you want to be fit, strong and raring to go when the mountains open up again, now is the time to put the work in. So say our friends at Maison Sport.

16th November 2020

A Different Kind Of Apres

If any of us manage to get to the Alps this winter, what can we do after a day on the slopes when we can’t indulge in traditional apres?

8th November 2020

Coping with Winter Lockdown

Lockdown Two is very different to Lockdown One. Winter weather with its cold temperatures and short hours of daylight. Here are some tips from Norway.

1st November 2020

November’s News in Brief

– GB Cross Country Skiers Have Best Ever Start to Season
– British Woman Missing in the Pyrenees
– Public to Choose Logo for 2026 Winter Olympics
– Fancy Some Free Family Skis? ….UPDATED

28th October 2020

Les3Vallees This Winter

Ski areas often claim to have something for everyone but the largest linked ski area in the world really does. Here’s what to expect in Les3Vallees resorts in the Savoie region of the French Alps this ski season.

19th October 2020

French Ski Area Using Drone To Help Save Lives

Three resorts in Les3Vallees in the French Alps will this winter have access to a high-powered drone that has already proved its worth in mountain rescues.

1st October 2020

October’s News In Brief

– Snow Helps Extinguish Wildfires
– Autumn Colours in the Mountains
– Tree hugging and ice floating in France this winter
– Russia Accused of Hack Attack on 2018 Winter Olympics.. UPDATED

1st September 2020

September’s News In Brief

– Switzerland Rejects Proposal to End Free Movement
– Chemmy Alcott to be lead presenter on Ski Sunday
– Suicide-Prevention Training for US Ski & Snowboard
– Call for Openness as Cairngorm Decision Nears…UPDATED

1st August 2020

August’s News in Brief

– $1.4M Remote Control Avalanche System for Colorado Highway
– Detecting avalanche victims under 5 metres of snow
– Drones to replace ski lifts?
– Further Dramatic Loss of Ice in Greenland …. UPDATED

24th July 2020

Second Anniversary of First Ski Descent of K2

The Polish ski mountaineer, Andrzej Bargiel, became the first person to ski down the mountains two years ago this week.

1st July 2020

July’s News in Brief…

– 2026 days to go to 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic
– Investigation after 4 die in Swiss Alps plane crash
– People Turned Away from Snowdon Mountain in Wales
– FIS Reports £15.5m Profit for 2019 ….UPDATED

4th June 2020

How To Drive To The Alps

Ski tour operators are reporting increased interest in driving to the mountains next winter with people unsure of other travel options amid covid-19. PlanetSKI offers some help.

1st June 2020

June’s News in Brief

– Woodsy gets lucky
– World’s oldest heliskier is almost 95
– Squaw Valley considers name change
– The $18m ski chalet ….UPDATED

12th May 2020

Maison Sport’s Home Workout Guide

With more time on our hands and gym closures many people are choosing to do home workouts. Our friends at Maison Sport have created their own ski related home workout.

1st May 2020

May’s News in Brief

– Twelve year old boy followed by Brown Bear
– A ‘normal’ PlanetSKI summer?
– Threat to Lauberhorn World Cup ski racing lifted
– 2 men charged after Colorado avalanche … UPDATED

30th April 2020

Aosta, The Rome of The Alps

Regular readers will know PlanetSKI was based in the historic Italian city in the heart of the Alps last winter. Then coronavirus struck, but not before we had been on an historical tour of the ancient alpine city and fallen in love with the city and its surrounding ski resorts.

21st April 2020

Is It All Over For GB’s Billy Morgan?

Reports earlier this week suggested the Olympic medallist and GB Snowsport athlete had called time on his competitive snowboarding career at the age of 31. Not quite, he tells PlanetSKI.

19th April 2020