Most of New Zealand’s ski areas have now ended their 2022 seasons, but half-a-dozen or so are planning to keep open for a week or two more, with one aiming for at least partial operation into November. Mt Hutt currently has the deepest base in the country and plans to keep its runs open until November 24th.  It then plans to keep its terrain park operating for ‘spring sessions’  for another fortnight through to at least November the 6th - …less than four weeks from the start of summertime in the country. “Bust out that Hawaiian shirt, pack the sunscreen and get the rig ready for an additional two weeks of park focused skiing and riding. Some choose to don

Issued: 06th October 2022 By Patrick "Snowhunter" Thorne Southern Hemisphere European Roundup North American Roundup Asia Roundup World Overview As we enter October there are still – just about – more areas open in the southern hemisphere than the northern, but that’s changing quite rapidly now with more glacier ski areas opening each week in Europe, while big chunks of the remaining areas open in the Andes, New Zealand and Australia are now ending their 2022 season each Sunday.  In fact, all Australian areas closed last Sunday and this coming weekend looks like being the final one for all but a few New Zealand stalwarts, so by next Monday, we should formally see more areas open in the northern half of

A study by the Swiss Academy of Sciences released this week reports that the country’s glaciers’ ice volume declining by 6% over the spring and summer. Switzerland has more glaciers than any other Alpine nation. The Alps saw unprecedented high temperatures even at 3000-4000m altitude,  far above freezing. The hot temperatures followed below average snowfall last winter meaning there was less of a snow cot to reflect the heat from the ice and it quickly melted away. “2022 was a disastrous year for Swiss glaciers: all ice melt records were smashed by the great dearth of snow in winter and continuous heat waves in summer,” the academy said in a statement. The academy based its report on data collected by

It's already snowing the mountains above Chamonix, this picture was taken on the 29th September, credit Martin Zhor. This winter a new gondola will open at the Balme Ski Area in the Chamonix Valley, replacing the old lift up from the village of le Tour. The new-generation Doppelmayr 10-seater panoramic gondola has a capacity to transport 2,200 people/hour, which more than doubles the current capacity. It’s faster than the old lifts to with the 376m ascent completed in 5.26 minutes, a speed of 6m/second. Meanwhile work on the ambitious 53 million Euros development to replace the existing gondola down to the Mer de Glace glacier from Montenvers is well underway and due to begin opening for winter 23-24, next December.

Canada has dropped all remaining travel restrictions related to the pandemic meaning vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers from anywhere in the world can enter without restrictions. The changes came into effect on 1st October. Canada had lifted most travel restrictions ahead of last winter allowing international travellers back in, but then reintroduced random testing in the summer at a limited number of international airports – but ones key to skiers including Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver, at the time Back at the start of July “For us, bookings have slowed for Canada for 22-23 ski holidays in the last couple of weeks with the announcement they are returning to randomised airport testing on arrival,” Scott Britton, Head of Commercial at the UK’s