More UK Skiers and snowboarders are expected to head for Scottish ski areas this season because of the current pandemic restrictions on overseas travel.
Many people are not aware of the backcountry opportunities there are north of the border so Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports and Atomic have teamed up with Gavin Carruthers and Blair Aitken from the British Backcountry organisation to host a free live online session.
Hotelplan, the umbrella company for Inghams, Ski Total, Esprit and Flexiski, has cut more ski and snowboard holidays this season by reducing the number of ski chalets and chalet hotels on offer. The group has also suspended trips to Finland until next winter due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19.
The need to maintain social distancing during the covid-19 crisis has led to a prediction that there will be a rise in the popularity of ski touring – walking up mountains with skins on the bottoms of your skis to ‘earn your turns’. Iain Martin, Claire Burnet, and Briony Key, all report on why ski touring – for beginners and the more experienced – is the future in a pandemic-affected world
Skiers and snowboarders who had already booked to travel with Inghams, Esprit, Ski Total and Flexiski this December 2020 are being informed their holidays have been suspended.
The news comes shortly after another long-established ski company, Interski, which specialises in Italy, announced it was cancelling ALL holidays for the 20/21 season but says it is already taking bookings for the following season.
Skiers and snowboarders who love to visit Italy’s Alta Badia region during one of its food festivals, or just simply for great meals on the slopes, will be pleased to hear they are still on the menu this season with all the necessary measures needed to meet covid requirements.
Crystal Ski Holidays is aiming to give skiers and snowboarders added protection with a new covid cover to be used alongside normal travel insurance. The offer is available to all customers travelling on any its ski holidays between 12 December 2020 and 18 April 2021 and applies to all new and existing bookings.
Motoring expert STEVE LOADER takes us on a journey through the advantages of driving yourself to the Alps
They say it’s an ill wind that doesn’t blow somebody some good and ski drive holidays may gain from the chilly blast of Covid.
Japan has been growing in popularity with skiers and snowboarders over the last few seasons. If you are thinking of heading for the snow in the land of the rising sun as an alternative destination during the Covid-19 pandemic, here is some of the latest news from the Hokkaido region:
Ischgl is taking action to safeguard the health and safety of skiers, boarders, employees and locals in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As the Tirolean ski resort gears up for the winter season – which starts on November 26 – the decision makers in the Paznaun-Ischgl valley have devised a comprehensive package of measures including C-19 testing for locals and visitors alike.
by Lulu Sheard
With climate change at the forefront of many people’s minds, resorts are reacting to calls for them to become more eco-friendly. The large La Plagne ski area in France, for example, is introducing more measures to protect its Alpine landscape and reduce its environmental impact.
by Lulu Sheard
Ben’s Bus, the airport transfer service to resorts throughout the French alps, has now opened bookings for this season’s services to and from Geneva, Grenoble and Lyon Airports. The company will continue to run all their routes for the coming winter season, with added safety measures such as restricted numbers travelling on each bus and regular cleaning of the interiors.
by Lulu Sheard
British Skiers’ and snowboarders’ will be hoping Covid travel restrictions to Japan will be eased by this winter so they are able to enjoy the country’s legendary powder snow, plus its interesting culture and cuisine.
by Lulu Sheard
Skiers and snowboarders have had some encouraging news from Chamonix for the coming season when the resort announced that several lifts in the French ski resort have opened again for the summer after being closed due to Covid.
by Lulu Sheard
The majority of skiers and snowboarders still intend to go skiing this season, despite the current number of confirmed bookings for 20/21 being relatively low so far, according to surveys carried out by various wintersports organisations.
by Lulu Sheard
Award winning French Alps specialist Peak Retreats has announced it is offering new accommodation and going to new resorts this season. The improved winter program includes additions in Les Sybelles, the fourth largest ski area in the Alps, Les Deux Alpes, La Rosière, and the Jura Mountains.
Eurostar will not run its iconic Ski Train this winter. A campaign, Save the Ski Train, has been launched in an attempt to persuade the cross channel railway service to reinstate this service.
Since 1997, the train has run twice weekly from London and Ashford to the Tarentaise region of the French Alps, dropping skiers at Moutiers, Aime la Plagne and Bourg St Maurice stations, a short hop by bus or taxi from 16 major ski resorts, including Méribel, Courchevel, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Tignes and Val d’Isère.
Have we found the brainiest chalet owner in the French Alps? Austria loving ROB REES overcame his lifelong aversion to French skiing to make a long overdue return to The Three Valleys after 27 years away with a stay with the marvelous Ski Talini
Skiing in Japan has been on the radar of dedicated powder skiers and snowboarders for a number of years. Lisa Young went to sample Hakuba and Naeba
The snow that falls upon Japan’s resorts has to be some of the best in the world. It is light, dry and very often chest deep. With a season that lasts from December to May, snow addicts are going the extra distance to try out the near-perfect conditions.
Klagenfurt Airport, Easyjet and two of the leading ski resorts in southern Austria have joined and have come up with a money saving offer for skiers and snowboarders who want to make a low-cost fast trip to the Alps this winter.
Peak Retreats (peakretreats.co.uk; 023 9283 9310) was named Best Ski Company at the recent Telegraph Travel Awards. The annual accolades are decided by votes from Telegraph readers.
Peak Retreats’ PR, Social Media and Marketing Executive Hannah Jones accepts the Best Ski Company award from Head of Telegraph Travel Claire Irvin (right) and Environmentalist and Telegraph Columnist Benedict Allen (left).
Xavier Schouller, one of the two founders of Peak Retreats, said: “We are delighted to be named Best Ski Company. To receive recognition from Telegraph readers themselves in this way is particularly gratifying. We pride ourselves on finding traditional resorts away from the crowds yet with access to brilliant skiing and it’s fantastic to see that this resonates with Telegraph readers too. I’m extremely proud of our team at Peak Retreats, and their passion for sharing this love of discovering the real French Alps with our clients.’