General News

New drone technology is allowing mountain rescue teams to improve how they search for people who get stuck and stranded amoung Britain’s highest peaks.

The 12th edition of World Snow Day will take place on the 15th January 2023. The World Snow Day Awards will also be handed out.

Maison Sport, the independent ski and snowboard instructor provider, has expanded its service to offer the full range of disability disciplines for skiers & snowboarders of all needs.

An investigation is underway after a 29-year old man from England died on Sunday morning in the French resort. Few details have been released.

Three ski tourers died and another was injured last Friday in an avalanche in the Oetscher area in Lower Austria. It’s emerged that the group included members of mountain rescue and alpine police. UPDATED

Police Scotland is appealing to hill users and mountaineers to plan ahead and take extra care in the coming weeks. The deaths have occurred in the past two weeks. NEW

People in Switzerland will no longer have to show a Covid certificate to enter bars, restaurants and other indoor venues.  Ski resorts will continue to get back to normal, but masks remain needed in cable cars & gondolas. Border restrictions to enter Switzerland have been dropped.

It was the ambitious target the country sought to achieve before the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.  It claims it’s done it. Some are sceptical about Chinese claims.

A French man in his 40’s was arrested shortly after the accident in Flaine and has been has been in custody since Saturday in Bonnevile. There are growing concerns about collisions on the slopes and people out of control. UPDATED

Brides-Les-Bains in Les3Vallees is added to the existing portfolio of Meribel, Les Arcs, Les Menuires, Val d’Isere, Tignes and La Plagne. All are now on offer as part of a package reaching the Alps by train.

The French government has announced that being double jabbed is not enough. The new measure applies to all people from non-EU countries. UPDATED

You may love it or you may loathe it, whatever your view Black Friday is upon us. And there are some rather good ski and snowboard deals out there. UPDATED

The Austria Province which is home to some of the major ski resorts in Austria has provided PlanetSKI with the answers to some of its Frequently Asked Questions to keep people informed.

The 250 French ski areas now have a roadmap for opening and the measures needed. Much is known already but this is final confirmation. Resorts in France are already starting to open over the next few weeks. However cases are rising sharply and further measures are expected shortly. UPDATED

Cases are surging in the Alpine nation with health services coming under growing pressures. It comes as ski resorts open and others are preparing for the approaching season. UPDATED

The alpine nation is battling a surge in cases as its ski resorts begin to open. Unvaccinated people will need to follow further constraints as the government implements Level 4 restrictions. UPDATED

Teton Gravity Research Releases ‘In Pursuit of Soul’ featuring Indy Resorts. PlanetSKI has visited a few of them.

61% of the population are fully vaccinated with a significant number of people declining a vaccine. It has the lowest take up of the main skiing nations with some worries growing for winter.

People returning to England will now need to take a lateral flow test rather than a PCR test. It follows the ending of the traffic light system and has given a further boost to people booking a ski holiday.

The International Ski Federation has had just four presidents in its 97-year history. That is about to change. Also more women will need to be on the ruling council.

12-year-old Louis Watkiss was seriously injured in an accident at the end of last month. The slope has reopened after an investigation was carried out.

The expansion will support self-employed ski instructors in Scotland as working legislation is affected by Brexit. Many ski instructor jobs in Europe have now gone for British instructors as the free movement of labour ends.

The indoor ski centre in Staffordshire cannot resume full operations following orders from the Health & Safety Executive. The child who died has been named as Louis Watkiss from Sutton Coldfield. Investigations are continuing. UPDATED

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee has said that all athletes competing at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics must be vaccinated against Covid-19. NEW