General News

Hotelplan runs Inghams, Ski Total and Flexiski and all holidays are off until at least April 2nd. It is no great surprise with ski holidays banned by the government and the short term not looking good in the battle against Covid-19.

Snowsports holidays are included in the existing ban on all foreign holidays. The measures have been in place for a while but appear to have been flouted or misunderstood by some. A small number have found claimed loop holes.

The Austrian resort remains closed though some slopes are open for ski tourers and people going snow shoeing. It has spent €750,000 on Covid-19 protection measures and wants to ensure safety.

The government says a decision will be taken “in the coming days” on whether to impose a third lockdown. It would be a further blow on the fragile situation of ski resorts but may be needed to prevent deaths and hospitals being overrun.
UPDATED

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on…

One died in a huge avalanche Verbier and the other had a fatal fall in Torgon in the Portes du Soleil. It brings the death toll on the slopes to 4 in the Verbier area alone in the past week and 11 in Switzerland in the past 11 days. The conditions off piste are described as some of the most dangerous in recent years. UPDATED

The group is in isolation in Vallorcine near Chamonix after 16 out of the group of 26 tested positive.  Locals in Vallorcine are reported to be anxious and there are concerns in Verbier. The course organiser says all the rules have been strictly followed.

The UK’s largest ski tour operator pulls the plug as questions grow whether there will be a ski season at all.  Covid-19 and international travel restrictions to EU and Schengen countries means travel is not likely any time soon.

The outbreak happened in a group of 172 people on a course in Flachau in the Ski Amade region in Salzburg. Two Britons are among dozens on the course who have tested positive for coronavirus. All instructor courses in Salzburg have now been suspended.

Marco Eberhard worked at the resort of Bergun in the canton of Graubunden. He was fired  for breaking his relation of ‘loyalty’ to the company by speaking to the media about his concerns.

It is an economic body blow to the French resorts – the lift companies, the restaurants, the ski schools and all businesses in resorts. Let alone us that want to ski. The French government says it is necessary to save lives and beat Covid-19 and that health issues take priority.

Xavier de Le Rue is an Olympian and a Freeride World Tour winner, but this week he was another rider searching desperately for a friend under the snow.  His friend was one of 8 people that died in Switzerland in a tragic 4-day period. The authorities continue to urge extreme caution.

It is a bitter blow for the resorts and means the half term holiday period is likely gone with a huge impact. The government says it is a necessary measure and it puts the health of the nation above economic issues. UPDATED

It was the highest museum in Europe and perhaps the best motorcycle collection in the world. It housed 100s of historic vintage bikes in Hochgurgl in the Tirol. UPDATED

They had been scheduled to open today, January 18th, but it wasn’t to be with Covid-19 cases remaining stubbornly high.

The government will decide by Wednesday if and when the ski resorts can run their lifts. Some fear if there is another delay then the season will effectively be a write off, but it may be necessary to save lives in the battle against Covid-19.

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on… UPDATED

It was due to end on January 25th but has been extended until February 7th at the earliest. Ski resorts remain open, but for locals only.

He is the latest in a string of separate avalanche deaths across Switzerland after recent snow. Seven people have died in four days. 10 people were caught in the latest accident. A man died in Tignes in France on Saturday and it follows a fatality in Courchevel earlier last week. Extreme caution is urged in many parts of the Alps.

It comes as a British infection contributes to the cancellation of the Lauberhorn race in Wengen, a group of UK skiers was stopped at St Pancras station in London heading to Switzerland + other outbreaks in the Alps involving UK citizens occur. Some anti-British feeling rises as the UK variant spreads into the alpine nations.

The authorities in Austria have identified a cluster of 17 cases in the resort of Jochberg in the Tirol. They are reported to be mainly from a ski instructor training course. UPDATED

Mandatory Covid testing will now be introduced for everyone arriving in England om Monday 18th January. People will need a negative Covid-19 test taken no more than three days before departure. UPDATED

British-owned ski companies in the Alps are re-inventing themselves to provide a lifeline in these difficult times. Two business owners in France tell PlanetSKI how they’ve been forced to adapt to survive. 

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on… UPDATED

The virus is having a huge impact on skiing and snowboarding this winter, with the season perhaps over for UK-based skiers before it has even started. The World Health Organisation makes a stark assessment of the situation in Europe though there is some cause for hope.

The public is not allowed to gather to watch the races but that doesn’t mean there can’t be a crowd. A crowd of snowmen and snowwomen. By the course, in the grandstand area and around town.

It is a further blow to travel whether from ski nations or anywhere else. It comes as the South African variant is circulating.  It is seen as a necessary measure to beat coronavirus with much international travel at a halt.

They were supposed to open on Thursday 7th January but the authorities in Paris have said they must stay closed.  It is a bitter blow for the resorts, many of whom had prepared their slopes. The government said it is necessary to defeat Covid-19.

Ski Total and Flexiski holidays are also cancelled. All brands are run by the Swiss company, Hotelplan.  It follows the UK lockdown and there are serious doubts about much of the rest of the season for all UK ski companies.

Restaurants, gyms and cultural venues will likely remain closed.  There is no word on the fate of ski resorts that remain open in some cantons. Talks are ongoing with final decisions made in a week’s time. NEW

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on… UPDATED

Italy has postponed the reopening of its ski resorts until later this month at the earliest. January 18th is the date pencilled in. In the Pyrenees Andorra has open some slopes for local residents only. UPDATED

Regular readers will have noticed the web site was down over the weekend. Why? We are pleased to say things are getting back to normal service.

The government has introduced new restrictions as cases continue to rise.  It is a scene that will likely be played out across ski resorts in Europe this winter as cases fall and rise, with resorts opening and closing. The main resort of Jasna has seen growing numbers from the UK in recent years.

The Scandinavian country lifts its ban at the weekend, but most other ski nations are keeping their bans in place. We look at the situation in the alpine nations, though lockdown restrictions mean overseas travel is not allowed for most people in the UK.

Skiers and snowboarders will notice some changes on how people from the UK can cross borders. There are alterations to many rules as Brexit begins.

420 people were contacted by the authorities and told to isolate in their location but only ten are left. Most people’s quarantine has now expired and the reported exodus took place over a week ago. The restrictions were put in place after the UK reported the new variant of the virus.

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on… UPDATED

Which ski resorts are open, what are the restrictions and when might we see the others opening? Check out our weekly review of where we now stand as the situation changes across the Alps, the Pyrenees & beyond. UPDATED

Some cantons have ski areas open, others have shut them. The Federal government has closed restaurants, but some were allowed to open. Now they are closed. It is, to say the least, a confusing picture.

It comes ahead of a third national lockdown on December 26th.  Details of the new restrictions and the path forward have been released, but the lucky locals are on the slopes. UPDATED

The authorities had ordered UK skiers into isolation if they arrived after December 14th. Now flights resume between to the two countries but only for nationals returning home for Xmas.

All flights are banned for the foreseeable future and all people who have arrived from the UK since the 14 of December are required to go into a 10-day quarantine.

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on… UPDATED

Which ski resorts are open, what are the restrictions and when might we see the others opening? Check out our weekly review of where we now stand as the situation changes across the Alps, the Pyrenees & beyond. UPDATED

There are new lockdowns announced in Italy and Austria, travel bans on UK tourists into Switzerland and Sweden announces more rules on facemasks. Resorts in France are opening even though the ski lifts cannot run.

Coronavirus restrictions co-incide with Brexit meaning UK citizens will not be able to cross the border except for essential reasons. Norway already has a similar policy and as things stand the ban could be extended to all EU and Schengen countries.

The lifts may not be running but hotels can open and ski touring, cross-country and snowshoeing are allowed. It’s all looking very different in these Covid-19 times.

The WHO has issued wide ranging guidance as Covid-19 spreads again. It has specific advice for ski resorts and skiers in Europe as the season gets underway.

When travel restrictions are lifted everyone should get cracking and book a holiday to the mountains. Have a look at offers from Crystal Ski and Ski Solutions, along with yoga and snow shoe trips.
3★ Grand Chalet Brides-les-Bains from £354pp – Crystal Ski
3★ Pension Furstenhof from £395pp – Crystal Ski
★ Snowshoe and yoga in the Chartreuse Mountains
★ Shinrin-yoku in Morzine
★ Ski Solutions Self-Drive/Self-Catered packages

Quarantine for people arriving in England is to be reduced to five days. Then people will need to take a test and, if negative, they can end their self-isolation. There are reports of problems though.

Plenty of restrictions remain in place from Tuesday with lifts not turning in ski resorts, but now people can travel to the mountains. Locals have been skinning up, though some districts have banned touring as so many are heading uphill and threatening extra pressure on hospitals.

The team at PlanetSKI is reporting all the news & developments as it affects the snowsports world in our ever-popular rolling blog. If you want to see its impact and the response of skiers & snowboarders then read on… UPDATED

Which ski resorts are open, what are the restrictions and when might we see the others opening? Check out our weekly review of where we now stand as the situation changes across the Alps, the Pyrenees & beyond.