General News

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

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit Victoria with Mt Hotham, Mt Buller and Falls Creek all feeling its force.  It was felt as far away as New South Wales where the country’s other resorts are located.

Court proceedings are beginning in Vienna in a civil case against the Austrian government over its alleged mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak at the ski resort of Ischgl in March 2020. It is seen as a test case for many other cases. UPDATED

The resorts in Victoria were allowed to open to locals only earlier this month, now the lifts are firing up in New South Wales. NEW

This week Switzerland increased its restriction as Covid-19 continues to surge and there are growing fears for next winter with some tighter rules. UPDATED

It will incorporate the business that operates in British Columbia, Canada into CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures.

The stark warning comes from the federal government as cases continue to surge. The health authorities describe the situations as ‘very worrying’ and new containment measures are being considered. In a surprising move the UK has put Switzerland on its Green list. UPDATED

The local council has decided to end an agreement with the developer. There were plans to turn the derelict slope and area into a major sport and leisure destination.

There has been double the number of cases compared to last week with some scientists expressing growing concern. Hospital cases are rising and the government has launched a campaign to encourage more people to get vaccinated ahead of winter. UPDATED

New South Wales has imposed a state-wide lockdown meaning resorts such as Perisher and Thredbo have shut. Previously they had been open to locals. Ski resorts in Victoria remain open, but only for local skiers and snowboarders.

27-year old Catrin Pugh suffered 96% burns and was given a one in 1,000 chance of survival after the crash in 2013 descending from Alpe d’Huez.

The 68-year old Scottish mountaineer, Rick Allen, was attempting to open a new route on the southern face of K2. UPDATED

Mike Wiegele developed heliskiing in British Columbia in Canada in the 1970s and a whole new area of adventure skiing spread across the remote mountains of the world. He was 82. PlanetSKI looks back at his life and his legacy. UPDATED

The partner of Australian snowboarder Alex Pullin has announced she is pregnant after retrieving his sperm when he died a year ago.

It was due to have taken place this October but uncertainties over travel restrictions and Covid-19 rules have led the organisers to put it back. A snowsports party will take place this November instead.

Ski resorts in the USA had their fifth best season on record in 2020-21, according to the latest figures produced by the National Ski Areas Association. Some areas had their best season ever. UPDATED

It is much higher than previous years and is nearly double the average over the past 50 years. Covid-19 restrictions, the growth in ski touring and unstable snow are to blame.

SnowDome, the snow centre in Tamworth, is joining forces with The National Snow Show to sponsor an ‘epic’ indoor slope and offer coaching to visitors to the show.

In the latest accident two Italian skiers have died off piste in the Mont Blanc Massif in France.  Two others died last week in the same area. Caution is urged by the authorities after fresh spring snow.

It happened on Sunday near the town of Stresa in Piedmont near Lake Maggiora. 2 children survived. An investigation is underway. UPDATED

The coach driver who died saving the lives of 51 people returning to the UK from the French ski resort of Alpe d’Huez, has been awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery.

The British Association of Snowsport Instructors says Britons will not be allowed to take the European speed test needed for the top level of qualification required to work in the EU.

-Victoria in Australia Goes into Lockdown as Ski Season Approaches
-Swiss Fighter Jet Crashes in the Alps
-Austria Bans Direct Flights from the UK
-Crystal Ski Signs Up for London Ski & Snowboard Festival… UPDATED

The Swiss are able to return to cafes and restaurants outdoors from Monday. It is too late for an impact on the ski areas, with just a handful still open. With cases rising the government admits it is ‘taking a risk’. NEW

It was the year when skiing and snowboarding was stopped in its tracks by the coronavirus pandemic.  Winter 2019-20 was officially the worst of this millennium according to a major report just published.

England’s indoor snow centres are back in business as the lockdown eases still further. Most of the slopes have welcomed skiers and snowboarders for the first time this year.

It’s been a deadly winter season, with significantly more people killed than the average figure in the last 20-year period.  The majority of victims were off-piste skiers or snowboarders.

The operators of The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead are adding a second indoor facility to their business – the Chill Factore in Manchester. UPDATED

Investigators have recovered the wreckage of the helicopter. The condition of the sole survivor, a former Olympic snowboarder, is improving. The pilot, two ski guides & two of the three passengers died. One of the dead is the Czech Republic billionaire, Petr Kellner.

The Swiss health authorities say they plan to roll out a certificate for people who have been vaccinated against coronavirus. Austria is planning one for next month and other alpine nations are looking at the issue.

Cases are rising in many ski areas and countries, with restrictions changing as Easter gets underway. Check out all the latest developments in our rolling and updated blog. UPDATED

The eastern states of Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland will re-enter a strict coronavirus lockdown on April 1st. It follows rising cases in the states with a record number of people in hospital in Vienna. What may the impact be elsewhere in Austria?

The restrictions will be in place over Easter when many head to the ski resorts and their cabins in the mountains. Elsewhere in Europe cases are rising in many countries with further restrictions.

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…