General News

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.

An extraordinary video has emerged showing a British skier head first in deep snow with her legs flailing in the air. The footage was captured by her British rescuer.

The area has the highest number of cases of Coronavirus in Europe and if you believe some of the hype you may think bubonic plague is here. Not so.

It’s a dilemma troubling Jill Helm and her family.  They are booked to travel to Val Gardena in the Dolomites this Saturday.  She tells PlanetSKI her story.

Events with large gatherings across Europe are being called off. All the major alpine resorts, except France, have closed for skiing. Read our our rolling blog.

The Engadin Ski Marathon in Graubünden is the world’s second largest cross-country skiing event. It was due to take place this weekend. Coronavirus impacts on Switzerland.

A raft of new measures has been announced as the number of cases rises. PlanetSKI reports from the Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps.

The specialist ski insurance broker, MPI, has put together some guidance if your trip to the mountains is affected by the outbreak of the virus.

PlanetSKI is currently in Northern Italy scene of the worst outbreak Europe. We report on the impact of  the Coronavirus in Italy & what it is like to be near the worst affected areas in Europe.

– International Matteo Baumgarten Award goes to Swiss skier
– Logo for 2020 Freeski & Snowboard Championships unveiled
– Mountain Rescue in Scotland could be affected by coronavirus
– Planning permission sought for repairs to Cairngorm Funicular

* 8th Feb Departure – 4★ Hotel Kertess, St Anton now £642
* 50% off Intersport Ski Equipment Hire in France
* Luxury Chalet L’Hotse in Val d’Isere now £2,014pp with Sno
* SHORT BREAK – Hotel Centrale Courmayeur from £625pp, in March 2020 with Ski Solutions
* 4* Hotel Marietta, Obertauren, Austria from £669pp, 21st March 2020 with Inghams

See here for last minute ski deals for March & April & looking ahead for 2021 for trips to Norway, Aosta Valley in Italy and France. ROLLING

Britons who have been to northern Italy – the area with most of the country’s ski resorts – have been warned to keep themselves isolated if they show any symptoms of the virus. Some schools where pupils have returned from ski trips are closed, and now the virus has spread to other alpine countries.

The leading B2B international snowsports event goes from strength to strength as it launches a new event.

Ski Line doesn’t offer cruises or city breaks, it just does skiing and snowboarding. It was founded 25 years ago and continues to go from strength to strength.

It’s a comprehensive annual look the state of skiing and snowboarding across the world.  It’s seeking your help. 

The 55-year-old man was beaten over the head several times with a ski pole in a row with a snowboarder.

The Travel Association ABTA has launched a new digital campaign offering advice to young skiers and snowboarders heading to festivals on the slopes.

They were staying in Les Contamines and came into contact with a Briton who had been in Singapore. PlanetSKI reports.

The Travel Association ABTA is stepping up its work on behalf of the industry to ensure its voice is heard in the post-Brexit trade talks.

The man was in the French resort of Les2Alpes.  He’s the second skier to die in similar circumstances in the Isère region this season.

The US ski racer is in mourning after her father, Jeff Shiffrin, died unexpectedly at the weekend. Tributes and condolences are being paid by the ski world. UPDATED