Weekly Snow News Roundup – 14/12/2009
Schladming, Austria has got its first Chondola
Now the 09/10 ski season is well and truly underway, what are the resorts doing to get us onto their slopes? Well, where do we start? Scotland has launched a new all areas lift pass, Tahoe has welcomed a $300 million hotel and Schladming has installed a chondola. And yes, chondola is a word. It’s a cross-between a chairlift and a gondola. All this and more in the Weekly Snow News Roundup.
THIS WEEK’S HEADLINES
New Heliski Company Launches in Greece
Schladming Installs Chondola
$300 Million Ritz Carlton Opens at Northstar-at-Tahoe
New Pass Offers Savings In The French Alps And Andorra
Whistler Aims To Grow Business From China
Åre Celebrates Centenary
Scotland Launches All Areas Five Day Ticket
Support the Polar Bear While You Ski
Longest High Speed Quad In Canadian Rockies Officially Opened
Off Piste Ski Courses For All Abilities In Chamonix
New Heliski Company Launches in Greece
A new heliskiing company will offer first descents of legendary Mt. Olympus in Greece in Spring 2010.
The mountain rises for 2,919 metres straight up from the Aegean Sea and under normal conditions runs will range from 1,000 to 1,500 vertical meters, on an exceptional year it will be possible to ski to sea level.
The new company will ski anywhere from four to six runs a day, returning back to their hotel base on the Aegean Coast at the end of each day.
Interested skiers and boarders can sign up for mixed groups, made up of two groups of four people each, with one guide per group, which will get 15 hours flying time between the two groups and pay € 6,000 per person. Or private groups of 1 to 4 people receive 10 hours flying time and one guide for € 38,000 per group.
The prices include room and board (three meals a day) Saturday to Saturday, one UIAGM guide per group of four, airport transportation from Thessaloniki Greece to the Hotel and back, 15 hours flying time in an AS355 helicopter for the mixed groups, and 10 hours with the private groups (extra flying time is 2,500 € per hour).
Schladming has installed its first ‘Telemix’ or ‘Chondola’ lift which combines chairlifts with gondolas cabins on one cable.
The new Hochwurzen Sun-Jet lift has a gondola cabin after every three chairs. The new lift makes it easier for the uplift of all mountain visitors, not just skiers and boarders, as well as increasing uplift speed and capacity on the route.
Schladming, which was one of the first non-glacier resorts to open this winter, following heavy pre-season snow in October, has also expanded its snowmaking and now operates more than 610 snow making machines
The resort believes this now gives it Austria’s largest snow making facilities, able to cover the equivalent of 410 football fields.
$300 Million Ritz Carlton Opens at Northstar-at-Tahoe
A new five star ski hotel, the Ritz-Carlton Highlands Lake Tahoe, has opened in California at Northstar-at-Tahoe following five years of design, construction and development phases.
The new hotel is located at mid-mountain in Northstar, and the operators believe it, “…offers the finest ski-in, ski-out experience in California if not all the world.”
“This is truly a first of its kind experience for North Lake Tahoe” said Allen Highfield, General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton resort. “It has been incredibly exciting to see the final details fall into place, the training of the Ladies and Gentlemen and their enthusiasm to welcome our first guests.” The Ritz-Carlton has created over 350 jobs this year in Northern California, providing highly respected hospitality jobs and excellent training.
The $300 million hotel is the first new-build resort development in the Lake Tahoe area in decades. features ski-in, ski-out access with mountain concierge services. Manzanita, the resort’s signature restaurant has been created by San Francisco’s James Beard Award Winning chef Traci Des Jardins.
The Highlands Spa is a 17,000 square foot spa and fitness center with treatments and therapies themed around water and the woods. The new Highlands Gondola also opens today and will connect guests between the nearby Village-at-Northstar and The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe resort.
Perched slope-side within a 15 minute drive of both Lake Tahoe and the historic town of Truckee, the year-round destination includes 170 guest rooms, 23 private Ritz-Carlton Residences and 25 Ritz-Carlton Destination Club residences.
The hotel is the contemporary legacy of the great mountain lodges built at the turn of the 20th century, inspired by the iconic Ahwahnee in Yosemite and the Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. The hotel was designed as a series of linked pavilions tucked into the contour of the hillside with a grand octagonal lobby at the center. The rusticity of the building has been tempered and modernized through the use of contemporary materials such floor-to-ceiling windows in the Living Room that provide dramatic views and natural light. Great care was taken to protect the natural form of the landscape and to integrate the building seamlessly into its forest setting. Landmark trees were selected and tagged important so that construction crews could work around the forest as opposed to clear cutting the site.
The Ritz-Carlton Highlands will be one of the first major five-star mountain resorts to seek LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Beyond the pedestrian-friendly design of the site, some of the environmental features include underground parking instead of outdoor asphalt lots, the use of recycled steel, and the incorporation of energy efficient heating and cooling systems. The Highlands Gondola acts as public transportation connecting the resort to the Village-at-Northstar below.
New Pass Offers Savings In The French Alps And Andorra
A new discount pass has been launched in the Alps which offers savings on a wide range of in-resort expenses.
The new SnowBall Pass allows holders to simply shoe their pass at selected venues in top French resorts to receive special prices, offers and discounts. The Pass can be bought before departure in the UK fort £15 and is valid for multiple trips, all season.
The SnowBall Pass is valid in The Espace Killy (Tignes and Val d’Isere), Paradiski Area, Trois Vallees, Alpe d’Huez, Les Deux Alpes, Chamonix with Pas de la Casa in Andorra due to be added shortly.
The size of a credit card, the pass is easily kept with credit cards in wallets and purses. It is valid all winter and can be used in multiple resorts saving the holder more every time they use it.
The team behind The SnowBall Pass has negotiated special discounts because each resort business participating realises they’ll receive multiple clients during the season, enabling them to offer discounts at a ‘bulk rate’ that would not be available on a one to one basis otherwise.
Typical discounts include equipment hire savings of 55 Euros as well as receiving savings on ski insurance (in both cases pre-booking online through the company’s site), ski or board lessons for the week savings of 14Euros. Then there are savings on lunches on the mountain, lift pass costs in selected resorts, evening meals, bar bills, skiwear accessories holder saves. Total savings can be nearly 180 Euros, but typical savings are 98 Euros. Nearly all of the special rates for SnowBall Pass holders are exclusive offers not available anywhere else.
Anyone can pick up a SnowBall Pass directly from the website, where there is a wealth of information at www.snowballpass.com. It can also be picked up at selected businesses in the resorts.
All info is on the website. Several companies offer their members a SnowBall Pass as part of their membership. SCUK, the largest online snowboard club and Ski Club of Great Britain both have this offer available to members for a limited period.
“With the exchange rate at around the £1 to 1.10€, SnowBall Pass increases the amount each pound is worth by an average of 20 euro cent.” Said Damian Knight, who has developed the pass having worked for Tour Operators for over 14 years throughout the Alps.
Whistler Aims To Grow Business From China
Tourism Whistler has announced it will work strategically to take advantage of opportunities for growth in tourism following the announcement that China is granting Approved Destination Status (ADS) to Canada.
“The Chinese travel market is considerable and will only grow in importance as that country’s economy grows and people’s means and desire to travel increase,” says Barrett Fisher, president and CEO of Tourism Whistler. “We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete with other countries and destinations to showcase all that Whistler offers to Chinese travellers, and to work strategically with our members and tourism industry partners to drive new business to our resort.”
Whistler is a growing destination for Chinese tourists, and could come to represent a significant percentage of Whistler’s visitation in the future, says Fisher. Tourism Whistler has undertaken sales missions to China in the past. However, ADS allows Canadian tourism organizations to work directly with the tour and travel industry in China and to develop opportunities for group travel from China to Whistler.
Fisher says that Whistler’s vastly increased international profile due to its role as Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games can be leveraged in China, where awareness of winter sports is growing and which will send a large contingent of athletes to the Games. Whistler’s proximity to Vancouver, a key gateway city between North America and China, also helps position itself as a destination for Chinese tourism. “There is lots of work to be done, but we will continue to develop and execute sales and marketing strategies designed to take advantage of this emerging opportunity,” says Fisher.
This winter, Åre in Sweden, Scandinavia’s most popular resort, is celebrating 100 years as a winter sports destination. The first funicular Åre Bergbana was opened in 1910 and the Åre tourist association was founded in the same year.
There will be celebrations throughout the season, with a focus on traditions and heritage. Åre has long attracted visitors: first pilgrims en route to the tomb of St Olav in neighbouring Norway, then ‘air tourists’ seeking the pristine alpine air and more recently skiers eager to explore the 102 alpine pistes.
The resort’s enduring appeal and reputation for good snowfall continue to attract skiers of all abilities from an increasing number of countries, even through the global economic downturn, with visitor numbers up 7% year on year for the 2008/9 season, which was the best on record for snow.
This season, the snow-cannons above Duved, one of Åre’s village bases, have been upgraded to start producing snow at milder temperatures and produce greater amounts of snow at a higher quality.
By introducing new oil-free compressor snow-cannons, Åre demonstrates its commitment to further improving guests’ skiing experience whilst still preserving the alpine environment.
What’s more, the Skistar snow guarantee ensures that if fewer than ten pistes are open between 12 December 2009 and 2 May 2010 visitors will be refunded. However, thanks to the excellent snow-making facilities and consistent winter climate, Åre has never had to pay up, so skiers can book early knowing that they will be able to hit the slopes.
As well as the 100th birthday celebrations, the 2009-10 season will see Åre play host to more international events than ever before. For example, December 2009 sees the world’s best women slalom and giant slalom skiers compete in Åre for the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup and in March 2010 Freestyle skiers battle will it out for the mogul and super mogul crowns.
Scotland Launches All Areas Five Day Ticket
Scotland’s five mountain ski areas are offering an all-area five-day ski pass for the first time.
This new product is the result of demand from skiers, shown through umbrella group Ski-Scotland’s extensive customer research. The passes are valid for any five consecutive days at any of the five areas: CairnGorm Mountain, Glencoe Mountain, Glenshee, The Lecht and Nevis Range.
Chair of Ski-Scotland, Heather Negus explained, “These new passes offer what must be the best-value five days of skiing in Europe! The pass can start on any day of the owner’s choosing, at any of our ski areas. You can use it for five days at one ski area, one day at each ski area – or any combination. The only requirement is that the five days are consecutive.”
The passes are now on sale, price £115, in person from any of the ski areas. From now until 22nd December they are also available by phone from Nevis Range (01397 705825), and they will also shortly be available online through www.ski-scotland.com, again until 22nd December.
For winter 2009/10, the 5-day all-area ski pass is only available for adults. All five ski areas already offer good deals for children of different ages, with prices ranging from £10 for one day to £64 for 5 days.
If buying by phone or online, Heather advises allowing sufficient time for the ticket to be sent by first class post and added, “if you’re buying in person, it’s best to check opening times with your nearest ski area – while Cairngorm and Nevis Range ticket offices are currently open seven days, until they become operational, the other ski areas are not. At the moment, Glencoe and Glenshee are only open 9-5 Monday to Friday, while The Lecht is open weekends and the end of the week but closed Mondays & Tuesdays.”
The number of people who skied or snowboarded in Scotland in winter 2008-9 was 159,885, worth around £4m to the snowsports centres and at least £12m to the Scottish economy.
Support the Polar Bear While You Ski
With the Copenhagen climate conference under way, new tour operator Zenith have decided to sponsor a polar bear and a snow leopard and donate more on the basis of bookings this winter.
“We decided that when you book one of our chalets, you’ll know that some of your cash is going towards helping two endangered species as Zenith are sponsoring a Polar Bear and a Snow Leopard.” Said director Stuart McLeod.
“It is no secret that the Polar Bear’s environment is under threat and as we have a Chalet L’Ours Blanc (Polar Bear) in Montgenevre we thought we should support the Polar Bear – so we sponsored it with the World Wildlife Fund. As for the Snow Leopard – there are not many of them left and they can only be found in the mountains of central Asia and the Himalayas –so we sponsored that too.”
Customers can contribute further since the Zenith Holidays chalets have rooms named after animals from the Snowy Owl to the Polar Bear and for every £1,000 of revenue through the sponsored rooms, Zenith will increase their donation by £10.
Longest High Speed Quad In Canadian Rockies Officially Opened
Marmot Basin Ski and Snowboard Resort in Alberta, Canada has celebrated the official opening of the Canadian Rockies Express, the longest high-speed quad chairlift ever built in the Canadian Rockies.
As guests from throughout the mountain community and across Alberta enjoyed record early-season snowfalls, Chairman John Day said the spectacular new lift transforms Marmot Basin into an even more exceptional experience.
“The Canadian Rockies Express once again improves the skiing and riding experience in Jasper National Park,” said Mr. Day. “Skiers and boarders can now zoom from the bottom to the top of the ski area in record time, guaranteeing more time enjoying the views and our spectacular slopes and virtually none spent in lift-lines.”
Built at a cost of $8m and one of the very few new lifts in North America this winter, The Canadian Rockies Express is the largest single investment ever undertaken at Marmot Basin, located in the heart of Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It continues years of increased investment, including the opening of the Eagle’s Ridge area, the largest terrain addition of any national park resort this decade.
From the ski area base, the lift travels 2.3 km (1.5 miles), whisking skiers and boarders 596 vertical metres (1,955 ft) up to the mountain top in eight minutes. The lift was built using the most environmentally progressive construction techniques developed as part of an industry Best Practices Manual written collaboratively with Parks Canada.
With an increased carrying capacity of 4,800 people per hour from the base area, lift lines are certain to be virtually eliminated as it will now take half the time to travel up from the base of the ski area to the top of the upper mountain. Runs for every calibre of skier or boarder, from beginner to expert, are available at the top with some stretching four kilometers long.
Dave Gibson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the resort which opened in early November added, ”We have never seen such spectacular early season conditions as Marmot is being continuously blanketed with fresh powder. Another 21cm of snow fell Friday night and conditions are as good as they get anywhere at anytime.”
Since 2003, Marmot Basin, which overlooks the resort town of Jasper, has invested more than $16 million in visitor improvements.
“This was a massive project and I am absolutely thrilled with how much this new lift has improved the skiing experience at Marmot Basin”, added Mr. Dave Gibson. “We worked in complete cooperation with Parks Canada to employ the greenest construction techniques every step of the way in order to achieve an appropriate balance for both our ski area and for Jasper National Park.”
Off Piste Ski Courses For All Abilities In Chamonix
As skiers become more adventurous, the demand for courses offering the chance to improve off-piste skills rises. Every week of this winter season, adventure holiday specialist Ski Freshtracks (skifreshtracks.co.uk) offers off piste ski courses in the French resort of Chamonix.
Skiers with little experience of skiing off piste can join an ‘Aspirers Powder Practice’ week, while those with more off piste experience under their feet can opt for one of the ‘Expert Powder Experience’ weeks.
All courses are graded by standard to ensure skiers are always in small groups of the same ability and groups are lead by fully qualified mountain guides (UIAGM) to find the best of the off piste in the area.
“The mountains guides we work with have been involved with Ski Freshtracks holidays for many years”, says Caroline Boileau, General Manager of Ski Freshtracks. “They know what our holiday makers want from their off piste week and we choose guides for their knowledge and expertise. Many of our skiers return year after year to ski with their favourite guide knowing that they will be in a small group of like-minded skiers.”
Course only price £390 including a mountain guide, use of a mini bus for private transfers around the Mont Blanc valley, and a Ski Club leader on every holiday. Courses with accommodation also included, from £995.
For those looking for a Christmas get away there are still places on the ‘Christmas Cracker’ in Chamonix. For intermediate to advanced off piste skiers the course runs from 19-26 December. Course only cost – £390. As well as courses in Chamonix, Ski Freshtracks runs off-piste and ski touring trips to destinations worldwide.
Hello and thanks for a very well-written entry. My family used to go camping in the Reno area every year and I still have many fond memories of it.
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