Category: Ski

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World First 0% Emissions Snow Groomer Was Launched by PistenBully.

PistenBully Electric Snow Groomer. World First 0% Emissions Snow Groomer Was Launched by PistenBully. Photo: PistenBully.

World First 0% Emissions Snow Groomer Was Launched by PistenBully.

Is it possible that slopes will soon be groomed 100% emission-free? At INTERALPIN 2019 in Innsbruck, the international leading trade fair for Alpine technologies, PistenBully is celebrating its 50th birthday – and in doing so, gives the industry an answer. With the study of the first electrically driven snow groomer, the PistenBully 100 E, this answer is a clear “Yes!”.

Environmental technology – Made in Germany
The first step was already taken in 2012 with the market launch of the PistenBully 600 E+ with diesel-electric drive. After all, the focus at Kässbohrer has been on sustainability for a long time now. So it should come as no surprise that, with the PistenBully 100 E study, Kässbohrer engineers have now made the impossible possible. Already well-known for their inquisitiveness and passion, paired with their claim as being drivers of innovation and possessing environmental awareness, it was only a matter of time until a study such as this was conducted. What this means is that we now have the prospect of completely clean slope grooming.

Continue reading “World First 0% Emissions Snow Groomer Was Launched by PistenBully.”

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Old knees do not need to mean no more skiing! ski~mojo’s review

Chemmy Alcott, ski~mojo's ambassador skiing with the support of ski~mojo. Photo: ski~mojo. Old knees do not need to mean no more skiing!

Old knees do not need to mean no more skiing! ski~mojo’s review

As I am writing this, I am about to turn fifty, and I still think daily on skiing. But my body is not the same one as before, and even though I consider myself pretty fit, my knees have not been great for a while. With a broken meniscus, which I never fixed as I don’t want to go through a knee-hole surgery if I can avoid it, to pain in my knees, and a recovering knee from a MCL injury, I am starting to wonder if my skiing days are going to be over soon.

So, I was thinking what I can do to keep on going – I always said that when I have no more knees, I’ll dedicate more to cross country skiing and snowshoeing, basically, to any activity to keep me in the mountains and enjoying the fresh air and scenery.

ski~mojo is an exoskeleton for the legs with a comfortable knee support containing powerful springs. Old knees do not need to mean no more skiing! ski~mojo's review
ski~mojo is an exoskeleton for the legs with a comfortable knee support containing powerful springs. Old knees do not need to mean no more skiing! ski~mojo’s review

I’ve even thought of maybe learning how to sit-ski, like people suffering with paraplegia or quadriplegia do. But that seems really hard, and I do take my hat to these sit skiers!

I have been reading for a while of some aiders to old knees, and as far as I’ve seen in the market there are two major brands- one UK that has been promoting their product with the help of ambassadors of the likes of Chemmy Alcott – called ski~mojo, and one that is from Eastern Europe that is called Againer.

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Spot on: Gran Baita Hotel – Courmayeur

Gran Baita Executive room with outside pool with jacuzzi. Photo: Gran Baita Hotel Courmayeur. Aiguille du Midi vs Punta Helbronner – which one you should do?

Spot on: Gran Baita Hotel – Courmayeur

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

The Gran Baita Hotel is a four starts hotel, part of the Alpissima group of hotels in the Aosta Valley. It is located in Courmayeur, 15 minutes from the Armani funicular, 10 minutes from the Via Roma, the elegant pedestrianised shopping road in Courmayeur, and five minutes-drive with a free hotel transfer to the Dolonne gondola.

It is located in a quiet and elegant neighbourhood in Courmayeur, with amazing vistas of the Mont Blanc chain, and the characteristic Dent de Géant peak. I totally recommend it as a lovely hotel to go for your ski or summer holidays.

Restaurant of the Gran Baita. Spot on: Gran Baita Hotel – Courmayeur
Restaurant of the Gran Baita. Spot on: Gran Baita Hotel – Courmayeur

Decoration is all in the Valdostan style, with lots of wood and cosy interiors. The hotel has 54 well-appointed rooms, many of them with balconies offering magnificent views of the Alps, as Courmayeur is located just by the Mont Blanc and the views everywhere you look at, are amazing! From the regular rooms, many of which are being renovated for the next winter holiday, to the Executive Rooms, with a wooden rustic-chic feel and mini private outside pools with jacuzzi, you have a choice for your stay. Some of the rooms are connecting, to house families. I’ve recently stayed in Room 222, that does not look towards the pool, but has a lovely feeling, with two balconies, and you can see the Dent de Géant while in the balcony. Completely loved my room. Travelled with my mum and she said she wants to buy it!

The in-house restaurant is lovely decorated in wood with oozes cosiness and offers local and international dishes.  La Sapiniere, is their newest addition, a stübe, typical from the Alps, serving Valdostan cuisine in a super cozy ambiance. The American bar has a welcoming fireplace and a spacious terrace with amazing views of the Mont Blanc and the surrounding mountains.

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Copper Mountain News and recap of the season by GM and President Dustin Lyman

Copper Mountain ski map. Copper Mountain News and recap of the season by GM and President Dustin Lyman.

Copper Mountain News and recap of the season by GM and President Dustin Lyman

In a letter from Copper GM and President Dustin Lyman, he expressed that overall, they had a successful ski season, with 313 inches of snow, receiving 98 inches in March alone, breaking the record of the resort’s snowfall for the month since the opening date, 47 years ago.

Copper Mountain. Copper Mountain News and recap of the season by GM and President Dustin Lyman.
Copper Mountain. Copper Mountain News and recap of the season by GM and President Dustin Lyman.

Copper has welcome IKON passholders for the first time and will keep on partnering with Alterra on the IKON pass next season, in addition to offering Copper Season Passes and Four Packs. With Copper’s new Premier and Premier Pass Plus options, guests will receive special access to select lifts just at the former Secret Pass offered, but a host of other benefits including the Athletic Club and close-in parking to maximise the guests’ time at the resort.

Copper Mountain is having a USD 100 million multi-year transformation and will continue this summer with several projects on and off the mountain. The new Tucker Mountain lift will provide access to expert terrain that was previously accessible only via snowcat or by hiking. It will run from the base of the Blackjack lift to the top of The Taco. Solitude Station will be no more as of the 2020/21 season as they are constructing a brand new 25,000 square foot mid-mountain lodge that will include a full – service casual restaurant, full-service bar and lounge, private dining area, cafeteria and incredible views of the Ten Mile Range.

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Crested Butte’s Teocalli Lift Replacement Approved by U.S. Forest Service

Teocalli lift - Photo: Peter Landsmen- KBUT radio. Crested Butte’s Teocalli Lift Replacement Approved by U.S. Forest Service.

​Crested Butte’s Teocalli Lift Replacement Approved by U.S. Forest Service

The U.S. Forest Service has approved the replacement of the Teocalli Lift at Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR). Beginning in early-May 2019, CBMR will begin removing the existing Teocalli Lift to replace and realign the lift for an improved on-mountain guest experience. The upgraded lift will debut in the 2019-20 winter season.

The old Teocalli lift base- photo: Coloradoskihistory.com - Crested Butte’s Teocalli Lift Replacement Approved by U.S. Forest Service.
The old Teocalli lift base- photo: Coloradoskihistory.com – Crested Butte’s Teocalli Lift Replacement Approved by U.S. Forest Service.

CBMR will replace the Teocalli Lift – a 1979 Riblet fixed-grip double chairlift – with an upgraded fixed-grip quad chairlift. By increasing the operating speed and subsequent spacing between the chairs – to accommodate the increased operating speed – the new Teocalli Lift will increase uphill capacity by more than 50 percent. The upper terminal of the Teocalli Lift will be shifted closer to the top of the Red Lady Express, while the lower terminal will remain in the existing location at the intersection of the Bushwacker, Gunsight Pass and Upper Conundrum trails.

After the existing Teocalli Lift is removed, site preparation and foundation work is expected to begin in July with the new Teocalli Lift being installed in August, weather and conditions depending.

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A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.

Via Alpina. A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.

A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.

The passes of the Via Alpina

The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine passes and six cantons of Switzerland, with a great variety of cultures, geology and topography. Broad roads give way to exposed ridge paths. The variety of flora and fauna along the route is among the most diverse in the world.

The Via Alpina goes from Vaduz to Montreux in 20 stages, staying north of the Swiss Alps. Over 390 km, hikers enjoy the many highlights that Switzerland has to offer.

Vertical drops from the Via Alpina trek. A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.
Vertical drops from the Via Alpina trek. A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.

While the sections initially pass through relatively flat terrain in St. Gallen, the altitude being climbed increases quite steadily in the Glarnerland. When it comes to that Alpine feeling, the highlight of the route can be found in the Bernese Alps.

Day by day, hikers work their way through majestic mountain landscapes, with each pass crossed opening up a new world. This trail covers a total of 14 passes in six cantons and involves 23’600 m of ascent and 24’800 m of descent.

A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.
A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.

The route takes hikers to the secluded Surenen Pass, the famous Grindelwald, the Kleine Scheidegg pass with views of the Eiger, Mönch und Jungfrau mountains, the well-visited Blüemlisalp hut, perhaps one of Switzerland’s most beautiful lakes in Lake Oeschinen, the enchanting Bunderchrinde Pass and the sleepy Rochers de Naye mountains with unique views of Lake Geneva, to name but a few highlights.

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The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities

Canyoning in the Alps - Photo: Undiscovered Mountains. The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities.

The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities.

As summer arrives in the Alps, the snow melts away revealing a spectacularly lush and colourful landscape with green pastures carpeted with alpine flowers teaming with butterflies, set against a backdrop of gnarly cliffs and glaciers with raging rivers and waterfalls cascading down to the valleys.

For outdoor lovers, the mountains also transform into a veritable adventure playground with everything from paragliding to rafting on offer!

Road Cycling in the Alps. Photo: Undiscovered Alps. The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities.
Road Cycling in the Alps. Photo: Undiscovered Alps. The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities.

Adrenalin junkies will love sliding down the natural toboggans, abseiling down waterfalls and jumping into clear alpine pools canyoning ,  testing out their head for heights on a via ferrata or even going underground caving or to do a via souterrata (underground via ferrata).

Nature lovers will adore walking in the mountains and staying in one of the many high mountain refuges amongst the chamois and marmots with the howls of wolves now a relatively common experience, especially in the Southern French Alps.

Families will have fun rafting together on the roller coaster rapids, rock climbing and swimming in the beautiful Alpine lakes.

Canyoning in the French Alps. Photo: Undiscovered Mountains. The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities.
Canyoning in the French Alps. Photo: Undiscovered Mountains. The Southern French Alps are the Best Part of the French Alps for Summer Activities.

Bikers will appreciate the summer lift access to well designed single track descents and roadies will get high on endorphins from summiting a Tour de France mountain pass!

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Vail Resorts Announces Pending Sale of Park City Mountain Base Area Site for Mixed-Use Project Development

Park City Town. Vail Resorts Announces Pending Sale of Park City Mountain Base Area Site for Mixed-Use Project Development.

Vail Resorts Announces Pending Sale of Park City Mountain Base Area Site for Mixed-Use Project Development

Vail Resorts today announced that it has entered into an agreement with PEG Companies, a Utah-based commercial real estate development and investment group, to sell and develop parcels of land currently used as surface parking lots at the base of Park City Mountain.

Park City skiing - photo: Scott Markewitz. Vail Resorts. Park City Town. Vail Resorts Announces Pending Sale of Park City Mountain Base Area Site for Mixed-Use Project Development.
Park City skiing – photo: Scott Markewitz. Vail Resorts. Park City Town. Vail Resorts Announces Pending Sale of Park City Mountain Base Area Site for Mixed-Use Project Development.

Subject to community input and an approval process by Park City Municipal Corp., the 10-acre site will feature a mixed-use project, including a full-service hotel and spa, residential units, commercial space for dining and retail, skier services, parking garages and community priorities such as improved access to public parking, traffic and transit improvements and on-site workforce housing.

“We are very excited to have found a development team that will work closely with the City and the community to carry out a vision for a vibrant base area,” said Bill Rock, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Park City Mountain. “We look forward to a collaborative partnership that will provide both our guests and Park City residents with an elevated experience at the base of Park City Mountain.”

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Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow.

Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow. Ski Map of La Rosière and La Thuile.

Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow.

From AostaSera.it

LA THUILE – The abundant snowfall on the Piccolo San Bernardo hill, at 2,200 meters above sea level, has led to the formation of a thick layer of snow along the highway that leads to the border crossing with the territory of Savoy, in France. In some sections the snow accumulations reach 7 meters in height. The reopening of the pass is scheduled for the end of May.

Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow. Photo: AostaSera
Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow. Photo: AostaSera

ANAS is at work at the Colle del piccolo San Bernardo (Petit St Bernard’s pass) for its reopening. The abundant rainfall on the Piccolo San Bernardo hill, at 2,200 meters, has led to the formation of a thick layer of snow along the highway that leads to the border crossing with the territory of Savoy, in France. In some sections the accumulations reach 7 meters in height.

“The activities are carried out with turbine blades able to cut the compact front, collecting and channelling the snow which is then ejected at a distance of several meters from the roadway using the ejector pipes”.

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Saalbach to Host 21st World Games of Mountain Biking

World Games of Mountain Biking Marathon in Saalbach - Saalbach to Host 21st World Games of Mountain Biking.

Saalbach to Host 21st World Games of Mountain Biking

Saalbach’s World Games of Mountain Biking will be held on 05th – 08th September 2019.

New for this event: The Cross-Country category celebrates its comeback!

Over 1,000 athletes from over 20 nations will battle it out for the title of the World Games Champion between 05th and 08th September at Saalbach. Five marathon distances between 21 km and 80 km demand every effort from the athletes while pushing them to their limits.

World Games of Mountain Biking Marathon in Saalbach - Saalbach to Host 21st World Games of Mountain Biking.
World Games of Mountain Biking Marathon in Saalbach – Saalbach to Host 21st World Games of Mountain Biking.

A choice of five distances is offered again this year at the World Games of Mountain Biking. Marathon newcomers can try out the Marathon 21 with 891 metres altitude difference, while experienced marathon riders can pedal between 1,160 and 2,920 metres of altitude difference on distances 31, 42 and 58 over the grass mountains of Saalbach Hinterglemm. If you have underestimated your energy levels and would spontaneously like to attempt a longer distance, you have the option to do this at each junction during the race.

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