Area 47 in Tirol: Non-Stop Action and Adrenaline

Area47 Water AREA Slip'n'slide- Photo courtesy www.AREA47.com . Area47 in Tirol

Tirol’s ultimate adventure park at the entrance of the Ötztal valley, AREA 47, remains at the top of its game going into its ninth season. The park, which is the only one of its kind in the Alps, offer action on water, land and up in the air. Cult sports such as wake-boarding, innovative pro camps and fantastic events make AREA 47 the place to be for fans of the outdoors in summer 2017.



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As soon as AREA 47 opened its doors in May 2010, it was clear there would be no standing still here. The location, named after the 47th degree of latitude, has a passion for innovating. The largest outdoor adventure park in Austria – with close to nine hectares – has been setting benchmarks every year since it’s opening.

Area47 - Ötztal Wake AREA - Photo by Florian Breitenberger. www.AREA47.com- AREA47 in Tirol
Area47 – Ötztal Wake AREA – Photo by Florian Breitenberger. www.AREA47.com

Visionary Hansi Neuer relentlessly pursued his life-defining project of creating a unique adventure paradise. In the first decade of the century, outdoor pioneer Hansi Neuner, the initiator of the project who died in 2015, already had the idea of creating an ‘ultimate outdoor playground’. After years of research across the world into similar top facilities and a lengthy planning and project development phase, Neuner finally got the go-ahead to complete his ambitious project. After construction officially began in August 2009, AREA 47 opened its doors in spring 2010. This was the start of a success story that continues today. The attraction has up to 250,000 visitors each summer.


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Big Sky Resort in Montana joins the Mountain Collective

Big Sky Resort in Montana joins the Mountain Collective 2018-19 ski pass.

New for 2018/19 ski season Big Sky Resort in Montana will join the Mountain Collective Pass.



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Big Ski Resort in Montana will join the Mountain Collective Pass for the 2018/19 ski season. This pass offer is on top of being part of the IKON Pass deal.

Big Sky Resort in Montana, last addition to the Mountain Collective Pass for the 2018-19 ski season.
Big Sky Resort in Montana, last addition to the Mountain Collective Pass for the 2018-19 ski season.

Big Sky Resort is bigger than your imagination. Located in Montana, United States, and with more than 5,800 acres of contiguous skiable terrain and a vertical of 4,350 feet, Big Sky Resort offers unmatched skiing. From the chutes of Headwater’s Ridge to 300 degrees of skiing off of Lone Peak, which stands at 11,166 feet. With an average of 400 inches of annual snowfall, Bit Sky Resort offers lots of powder pockets.

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Tragedy strikes again in the Verbier region of Switzerland, one skier is dead and three are missing after an avalanche.

Avalanches- Mount Aspiring, an angry mountain, New Zealand- Photo by Aleks Dahlberg- Unsplash.

Tragedy strikes again in the Verbier region of Switzerland, one skier is dead and three are missing after an avalanche.

The authorities have found this past Saturday the lifeless body of one skier in the Verbier region. The group skiing with him is missing.

Verbier - Valais - Another avalanche killed one and three are still missing -
Verbier – Valais – Another avalanche killed one and three are still missing –

 

The dead skier was part of a group of four people that an avalanche caught last Friday. The police of the area have started to look out for the rest of the group.

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Last part of our family half term trip – Picture-perfect Courmayeur Mont Blanc.

Waiting for the funicular to go down into Courmayeur- Courmayeur Mont Blanc- Picture perfect Courmayeur. Photo by The-Ski-Guru

So we left Pila that afternoon, came down the gondola to Aosta, drove to our house in Charvensod and packed the car. Off we left when the sun was setting down and said goodbye to Aosta, ready for our next adventure on our family half term trip– Courmayeur Mont Blanc.

Picture perfect Courmayeur - Plan Chécrouit. Photo by The-Ski-Guru. Last part of our family half term trip – Picture-perfect Courmayeur Mont Blanc.
Picture perfect Courmayeur – Plan Chécrouit. Photo by The-Ski-Guru

We were not going to be long in Courmayeur, only a couple of nights. I have been there previously with the family every year having breakfast the last Saturday of the week, and recently visiting in November for a couple of nights during a working trip.



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But I wanted to be feeling what is to be there, staying overnight and sharing it with my family. We arrived in Courmayeur and we had a reservation in the Edelweiss hotel, a 2* hotel right in the middle of town. As this was carnival week, it was extremely difficult to find a place where to sleep, more for only two nights, when the hotel owners could sell the full week. But thanks to some contacts within Courmayeur, I’ve got this hotel, which is very simple, but really nice. I would say it is more a 3*. Maybe the breakfast is simple and that gets it down to a 2*, plus the restaurant does not open for lunch and dinner (it opens for all meals only in the summer), and that might affect the star count.

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Vail Resorts Introduces Emma, Your Epic Mountain Assistant.

Powder Skiing in Back Bowls In Vail, CO. Photo: Vail Resorts. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.

– Emma, Your Epic Mountain Assistant, is the world’s first digital mountain assistant to offer information on everything from grooming, lift line wait times and parking to recommendations on rentals, lessons and dining options.
– Guests will instantly receive expert, local information tailored to each resort and to their needs.
– Emma builds on the Company’s long track record of seamlessly using technology to improve the guest experience without impacting their connection to the outdoors.

The Vail Village is where Vail Resorts started many years ago. Vail Resorts. Vail Mountain. Emma, Your Epic Mountain Assistant uses AI to answer all your questions.
The Vail Village is where Vail Resorts started many years ago.



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Crowdfunding action for Saas-Fee wins Marketing Trophy 2018

Saas-Fee in winter- Photo credit: Matterhorn Region- Saas Fee.

The crowdfunding for the WinterCARD of the Saastal Bergbahnen AG (“That’ll blow you over!”) is considered one of the most spectacular marketing campaigns of recent years. And has now been honoured with the Marketing Trophy 2018 in the field of SMEs.



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No wonder: with an innovative marketing campaign, the cable cars sold more than 90,000 season tickets from October to December 2016, generating revenues in excess of CHF 20 million. The action was developed by matter + gretener and was based on the crowd funding principle: because more than 90,000 skiers and snowboarders wanted a season pass for 222 francs, the “Hammer Deal” became reality. And the European record in crowd funding was set up.

Saas-Fee beautiful scenery at night - Saas-Fee won the Marketing Trophy thanks to its crowdfunding campaign- Photo: Matterhorn Region AG- Saas-Fee
Saas-Fee beautiful scenery at night- Saas-Fee won the Marketing Trophy thanks to its crowdfunding campaign – Photo: Matterhorn Region AG- Saas-Fee

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Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Okemo Mountain Resort and Mount Sunappe Resort are EPIC.

Crested Butte is one of the last additions to the EPIC Pass. Photo: Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
  • Crested Butte, Okemo and Mount Sunapee join the Epic Pass beginning with the 2018-19 winter season in a long-term alliance.
  • Epic, Epic Local and Epic Australia pass holders will receive seven days of skiing and snowboarding at each of the three resorts with no blackout dates for a total of 21 days.
  • Epic 7-Day pass holders can use any or all of their seven days and Epic 4-Day pass holders can use any or all of their four days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at the three resorts.
  • Epic, Epic Local, Epic Australia, Epic 7-Day and Epic 4-Day pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets after their respective days have been redeemed.
  • Crested Butte Peak Pass Plus and Peak Pass holders; Okemo Ultimate, Classic and Gold Pass holders; and Mount Sunapee Full Ride and Skiing Is For Life Pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets at all Vail Resorts owned mountain resorts.



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Vail Resorts, Inc. announced today that Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado, Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont and Mount Sunapee Resort in New Hampshire will join the industry-leading Epic Pass in a long-term alliance beginning in the 2018-19 winter season, bringing the total to 64 mountain resorts in 11 states and provinces and eight countries for skiers and snowboarders. Epic, Epic Local and Epic Australia will receive seven days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at each of the three resorts for a total of 21 days. Epic 7-Day pass holders can use any or all seven of their total days and Epic 4-Day pass holders can use any or all four of their total days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at the three resorts.

 

Okemo is also now EPIC.
Okemo is also now EPIC.

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The Mountain Collective Pass 2018-19 : 16 destinations with 2 days per resort for USD 409 per person

Mountain Collective pass has a collection of 16 resorts - 2 days per resort plus a third day on the resort of your choice- Mammoth Mountain - Photo: Mountain Collective.

The Mountain Collective is still alive and kicking after the announcement of the IKON Pass and the disappearance of the MAX pass – as many of the resorts that were in the latter, where absorbed by Alterra Mtn Co with its IKON pass.

Mountain Collective Pass - Niseko United.16 destinations- 2 days per resort.
Mountain Collective Pass – Niseko United.16 destinations- 2 days per resort.

Each 2018-19 pass-holder will receive 2 days at the Collective destinations for a total of 32 days, plus a third day at the destination of their choice.

 

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Alterra Mountain Company unveils long-term capital investment plan to improve guest experience amongst its resorts, including one new Gondola and three new chairlifts.

Winter Park Gondola - Cfrey- Photo courtesy of Alterra Mountain Co. Alterra Mountain Company Announces $181 Million in Capital Improvements for the 2019/2020 Winter Season.

$555 Million Budgeted at 12 Mountain Destinations Over the Next Five Years
$130 Million Budgeted for 2018/2019 Including New Gondola and Three New Chairlifts

Alterra Mountain Company reinforces its commitment to growth and investment in its family of 12 mountain destinations by announcing its initial capital improvements, with an investment plan totalling more than half a billion dollars over the next five years, spending $130 million for winter 2018/2019.

Alterra Mountain Company, created in 2017, is comprised of 12 mountain destinations spread throughout five states and three Canadian provinces: Steamboat and Winter Park Resort in Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort in California; Stratton in Vermont; Snowshoe in West Virginia; Tremblant in Quebec, Blue Mountain in Ontario; Deer Valley Resort in Utah; and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures in British Columbia.



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The famous Epic Pass is getting 10 years old this year and has launched its rates for the 2018-19 ski season.

Whistler sunset- Photo by Paul Morrison - Vail Resorts.

The EPIC pass offers access to 61 ski areas in 8 countries. The IKON Pass, its contender, goes now head to head with the EPIC Pass.

What is new this year with the EPIC Pass:
• New for 2018-19, Epic Pass holders receive limited access to Telluride in Colorado, Hakuba Valley in Japan and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies across Canada, bringing the worldwide resort access total to 61.
• In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Epic Pass, Vail Resorts is honouring its heritage with the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division with a $99 Military Epic Pass and a $1 donation for every 2018-19 season pass sold to Wounded Warrior Project.
• Vail Resorts season passes offer a number of unique advantages over other industry passes, from direct to lift access to discounted tickets for family and friends
United States. Canada. Australia. Japan. France. Switzerland. Italy. Austria. No other season pass gives skiers and snowboarders access to so many celebrated resorts around the world than the Epic Pass, including unlimited, unrestricted access to 15 mountain resorts and limited access to 46 more. Priced at $899 for the 2018-19 winter season, the Epic Pass remains unmatched in the mountain resort industry for the variety and value it offers skiers and snowboarders.



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New for next winter, the Epic Pass will feature access to Telluride in Colorado; Hakuba Valley’s nine ski resorts in Japan; and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies across Canada, including Fernie Alpine Resort, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and Kimberley Alpine Resort in British Columbia, Nakiska in Alberta, and Mont Sainte Anne and Stoneham in Quebec, all in a long-term alliance.

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