Features

Who doesn’t love spring skiing? The days are longer, the pistes are quieter, there’s often fabulous late season snow and lots of fun events to enjoy. But it’s important to pick your resorts carefully. We look at good bets for spring skiing in the Austrian Tirol.

We are in one of our favourite alpine bases, Aosta in Italy, until the end of February. We are finally back on snow and report on what it is like in these Covid-19 times. It followed a somewhat traumatic experience even to get here.

It’s a very special golden anniversary this winter for the Carlisle Snowsports Club and its dry slope on the England-Scotland border.

Father Xmas has been busy of late, popping up in ski resorts across the world. Lets hope he is doubled jabbed with a booster and that he managed to get into France OK… UPDATED

PlanetSKI recently ran a competition to win copies of Ultimate Skiing Adventures. We don’t normally do competitions but with 187 interested in this one, then perhaps things might change.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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…

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.