General News

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has outlined the plans of the country as it looks to ease some of the country’s tough restrictions. It will affect the summer season and people are beginning to look at what the next winter season may look like.

Our ever-popular rolling blog continues as we report on its impact on the world of snowsports. There is, as always, good news and bad news.

That’s the verdict of the latest International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism.  The conclusion is based on the number of skiers and snowboarders visiting resorts worldwide.

Two British ski seasonaires who caught coronavirus while working in Italy have completed marathons while in quarantine in their small apartments to raise money for charity.

Ischgl, St Anton and Soelden in the Tirol were sealed off in mid-march. Extensive testing for covid-19 has been carried out and the authorities have now lifted the quarantine 3- days earlier than expected.

The pandemic is having a devastating impact on the travel industry.  How is the snowsports world faring and what might next season look like?  PlanetSKI assesses the situation.

The country went into full lockdown early and quickly.  It shut its ski resorts in a single move on Friday 13th March. It now claims some success in dealing with coronavirus with some restrictions lifted on Monday.

As we enter another week under the cosh from coronavirus our ever-popular rolling blog continues as we reports on its impact on the world of snowsports.

From Googles for Doctors in the USA, to Michelin starred chefs preparing meals for health staff in France. Burton Snowboards is sourcing 500,000 masks & a paralympic silver medalist is working as a nurse.

Like many other alpine nations the country remains in lockdown with ski resorts closed, tight restictions on movements with shops and businesses closed.  The government has released details of its exit strategy.

The resort has come under attack for not closing quickly enough or heeding early warnings. Some claim its actions helped to spread the virus across parts of Europe, but others believe it acted in good faith. PlanetSKI reports.

All three resorts in the Tirol have been under strict quarantine since March 13th.   Extensive testing has revealed the resorts are still hotbeds of the virus with widespread infections.

We have been updating our blog on a daily basis here on PlanetSKI with all the news on how it impacts on the world we live in and the one we love – skiing and snowboarding.

Ian Holt has stepped down with immediate effect.  A general manager has been installed to take over the day to day running of the Club, but the future looks bleak.

The resorts are preparing, but will there be one as the coronavirus pandemic continues? Resorts are hiring, plans are being made but it is unlikely to start as normal in June.

People can now leave their villages and towns, plus limited outdoor exercise is allowed as cases drop. The ski resorts of Ischgl, Soelden and St Anton remain under full quarantine.  PlanetSKI reports.

We bring you all the latest news on Covid-19 and its effect on the snowsports community. PlanetSKI reports.

That’s the finding as initial information is released by official investigators. The first case may have happened a month earlier than previously thought, but there is a dispute over it.

Some ski areas shut on Sunday and others will close on Monday. Some believe they should have done so sooner to prevent further spreading of coronavirus. PlanetSKI reports.

Some PlanetSKI readers are facing an uphill battle to get their money back for ski holidays that aren’t happening or were brought to an end when ski resorts closed.  Others say the service providers are doing well in difficult circumstances.

– Mt Rose in the USA set to expand
– Lift operator not paying attention as man suffocates
– Tina Weirather retires
– New indoor snow centre for Middlesborough

Over the weekend there were more skiing and snowboarding accidents requiring emergency and rescue intervention. PlanetSKI reports.

It is reported that around 400 people exposed to coronavirus while on ski holidays to Austria are interested in joining a class action lawsuit against the ski authorities. Some say lawyers are circling before official investigations are concluded.

We’re bringing you all the latest news on Covid-19 and its effect on the snowsports community as it happens. Our rolling blog enters another week.

A total of 260 British people, most of whom are seasonal workers in ski resorts, were able to fly home from Austria on Saturday.  PlanetSKI reports.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on the build-up to the Games and snowsports in general.  Preparations, though, are still on track as the country gets back to work. And back to skiing. PlanetSKI reports.

The ski resort in the Tirol was the first resort in Austria to announce it was closing after a 36-year old barman contracted the disease. It is claimed the virus was passed on in the apres ski venues and partygoers then took it back to their home country.

It is one of the few countries where skiing is allowed and some question the decision as the country puts few restrictions in place to fight coronavirus.

It was inevitable given the behaviour of a small number of people on their bikes as they sped round the park in groups and some crowded round the gates.

The coronavirus crisis is having a huge impact on the snowsports world and here we bring you all the latest news as it happens. PlanetSKI reports.

One of the legends of ski journalism and Fleet Street has died.  Our editor, James Cove, pays his own personal tribute.

Around 30 turned up in the car park of the Nevis Range ski resort and many more are already in the Highlands. PlanetSKI reports.

The Snow Centre was first out of the blocks making its announcement after the new government regulations were announced.  Other UK snow centres have been following suit.

Cairngorm announced it was closing and then Nevis Range, The Lecht, Glenshee & Glencoe followed suit. Some have closed already, but two are open on Sunday amid growing criticism as the coronavirus spreads. PlanetSKI reports.

The ski industry along with other sectors of travel is facing an unprecedented crisis as the coronavirus continues its expansion.  PlanetSKI reports.

Now may not perhaps be the time to think about next winter, but at PlanetSKI we are.  Big time. We need to stay positive, support the beleaguered snowsports industry and show we care.

Police in the Haute-Savoie and Savoie regions that include many of the major ski resorts in the French Alps have issued warnings against ski touring and any other on-mountain activity. It’s banned and violators face action.

Here at PlanetSKI we are being asked when and how people should leave French ski resorts.  There is little official information and confirmation but here is our ‘best guess’ & the accounts of some still in ski areas.

PlanetSKI’s editor James Cove returned from the Alps at the weekend. He has now gone into self-isolation after covering the coronavirus story from the Alps.

It’s another day in these unprecedented times for everyone. Pretty much all the ski resorts in the world are closed as the coronavirus takes hold. Here we keep you updated with the facts – no hype & no spin. The PlanetSKI team reports.

Over the weekend the two giants of the scene, Vail Resorts and Alterra closed all their resorts. 49 between them. Some followed suit while others carried on. Read our rolling PlanetSKI blog for the latest.

While European ski areas were in turmoil over Coronovirus last Friday, our Scotland reporter Rod Frazer who lives in the Cairngorm National Park was enjoying the spoils of fresh powder snow.

The decision of France to shut has caused huge problems with a mass exit underway. Many major resorts in the USA and Canada have announced temporary closures. Sunday is another day of developments as we report the rolling news.

It was the last major alpine nation to hold out and insist its ski areas would keep running until the end of the season, despite the worsening coronavirus crisis.

Italy, Austria, Norway, Switzerland and Andorra have closed all their ski areas because of the coronavirus crisis.  In France the resorts are virtually all open.

Many thousands of people are heading out to the resorts over the weekend. It is unsure if they will get a full week and may have to come home early. If so it will be a logistical nightmare, not to say a massive health problem threatening lives and health care systems. PlanetSKI reports.

Resorts across Austria, Switzerland, Andorra, parts of the Spanish Pyrenees and others closed due to the spread of the disease. Italy had already closed. But France is holding out amid strong criticism from some quarters.

Austria has announced major closures and Norway has said all its resorts are shutting with immediate effect. Other ski resorts across the Alps are now considering following suit with the coronavirus cases growing. PlanetSKI reports from the Alps.

A group of 10 skiers has left the Austrian resort of Saalbach after being forced into isolation in a hotel there.

At least six people have died in two separate avalanches in the Austrian Alps.  Five were killed in a single incident. 

It’s the end of an era as Telegraph Events pulls the plug on the show and also stops publishing its magazine.

We are updating this rolling blog with news from the UK ski tour operators and agents. See here for the latest.

The whole country is under quarantine due to the coronavirus crisis. PlanetSKI reports on all the latest from Italy, our winter home for this season.