Holidaymakers pile onto the pistes

Ski weekend breaks are snowballing in popularity thanks to excellent conditions on European slopes, it was revealed today.

Flights for weekend trips from the UK to airports close to French, Swiss and Italian ski areas increased by more than 16% last month compared with January 2008, figures from low-fare airline easyJet showed.

Snowfalls at European ski resorts this season are thought to have been the best for many years.

EasyJet's UK general manager Paul Simmons said: "Early last year, as the credit crunch began, we noticed that ski weekends became popular even though the snowfall wasn't as good.

"This year we've really seen a jump in weekend flights with people wanting to hit the slopes quickly and cheaply."

He went on: "Airports like Innsbruck, Grenoble and Geneva are proving particularly popular for ski weekends. They have a short flight time from most UK airports and some of Europe's best ski resorts within an hour's drive, so people don't have to waste time on airport transfers.

"You can set off from the UK and be on the piste in one of Europe's top ski resorts like Chamonix and Flaine (in France) in under four hours, making them perfect for those who want to get a quick 'ski-fix' for a weekend."

Heavy snowfalls in Pyrenees bury ski lift

Cauterets ski area in the French Pyrenees has been digging out its ski lifts after recent heavy snowfalls, and the Andorran resorts have also benefitted from last week's heavy snow.

The ski area of Cauterets has reported receiving more than five feet (160cm) of snow between 11th and 12th February and a further 280cm over the following 7 days! The resort is currently reporting an impressive snow depth of 450cms on the upper slopes at 2415m.

Conditions are generally pretty good in the French Pyrenees and Andorra at the moment following the heavy snow last week. The sun is out but the pistes are remaining firm and are perfect for those wanting to fine tune their technique, with the greatest piste depth in Andorra to be found in the Vallnord resort of Arcalis (270cm on upper slopes).

The Pyrenees, which contains about 60 ski areas in France, Spain and Andorra, has had a particularly memorable winter with big snowfalls through the season. It’s good news for the region which has seen a slight drop in the numbers of British visitors over the last three seasons (from 7% in 05/06 to 4% in 07/08) but with this bumper snow figures should be back on the rise.

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Austria gets dumped on

Austria is enjoying the best of the snowfall this week, and the resorts we report on are in excellent shape as temperatures remain comfortably cold. Many resorts are expecting further snowfall this week with up to 50cm expected in some places. Wunderbar!

Most of the country is benefitting from the storm, which is set to last into this week bringing a further 50cms in places. Obertauern is in superb condition following 30cm of fresh snow falling on Sunday.The cold temperatures mixed with sunny spells this week are providing good visibility, so it's a great week to make the most of the resort's powder! The same snowstorm that dumped heavy snowfalls on Obertauern also boosted the conditions at Zauchensee which is very close by. The base depth in the whole resort is up to a metre, as is the base at Waidring in the Steinplatte area. 30cm of new snow fell there on Sunday increasing the base depth on the upper slopes by 50cm.

Kaprun's base on the upper slopes has increased significantly to 258cm, partly due to the fresh snow that has fallen this weekend but also due to improved depth measurements.

Heavy snow forecast for half term skiers

Ski resorts across Europe and North America are expecting heavy snowfalls ahead of next week's half term holiday. Forecasters are predicting up to half a metre of snow in many resorts across France, Austria and Switzerland and almost a metre in some US resorts.

In France, which last season attracted almost half of Britons 1.4 million skiers, the popular Les Trois Vallèes (Courchevel, Méribel and Val Thorens) is expecting 23cm of snow, while the Espace Killy (Tignes and Val d'Isère) has 16cm forecast. However, it is the lesser known resorts of the Portes du Soleil ski area (Morzine and Avoriaz) which will see the heaviest snowfalls in France, with around 45cm expected. In the popular family resort of Obergurgl, in Austria, forecasters are predicting 36cm, while in Arosa, in Switzerland, 45cm of snow is expected. In North America, the US resort of Mammoth is expecting up to a metre of snow, while in Whistler, Canada, 29cm is set to fall.

Thousands of British families will be heading for the slopes this weekend, with France, Canada and Austria being among the most popular destinations. February half-term is traditionally one of the busiest, and most expensive, weeks in the ski season calendar. Last year, Telegraph Travel reported that the price of a family ski holiday for this February half-term had risen by almost 65 per cent due to the half term falling on the same date for all British schools as well as coinciding with school holidays in many European countries.

However, families that do not make it to the Alps, or have opted to avoid the crowds and expense of foreign ski resorts can opt for one of Scotland's five ski resorts, which are currently experiencing some of the best conditions in more than a decade. Scotland's resorts already have a good snow base and are expecting up to 10cm to fall during the next few days. Last weekend around 15,000 skiers took to Scotland's slopes. A spokesman for Visit Scotland advised families heading to Scottish slopes to pre-book their lift passes and equipment in advance through their chosen resort. A spokesman for the Ski Club of Great Britain warned that temperatures across European resorts will be extremely low during the start of half term and that skiers should wrap up warm to feel comfortable on the slopes.

Icy temperatures plunge to -18C

Temperatures in parts of the Highlands have plunged as low as -18C overnight as much of Scotland had its coldest night of the winter.

Aviemore recorded the coldest February temperature since 1986 (-18C), Altnaharra in the Highlands was down to -15C and Aberdeen was -12C. The Met Office warned of freezing temperatures leading to the risk of widespread ice on untreated roads. Temperatures in Glasgow and Edinburgh were about -1C despite snow falls. There was more snow over much of southern and central Scotland overnight.

The freezing conditions provided a boost for Scotland's ski centres over the weekend. Skiers flocked to the slopes to make the most of the weather. At Glenshee Ski Centre the car park was full by 1000 GMT, with 1,500 cars parked. However, some people were reporting that their cars were getting stuck in the snow and Grampian Police was forced to close the snow gates on the incoming roads in an attempt to persuade new arrivals to go elsewhere. The centre's website said that conditions were "nearly perfect". At Nevis Range ski centre near Fort William there were about 800 people already on the slopes by 1030 GMT.

Isola 2000 cut off by avalanches

Hundreds of people were said to be trapped by heavy snowfall in the British-built ski resort over the weekend, after three avalanches blocked the winding mountain road leading up to resort. There were no reports of injuries, but the French army and police officers had to be called in as well as an emergency team to work round-the-clock to try and clear a path to Isola 2000. According to the Isola 2000 website, the road between Isola Village and Isola 2000 has now re-opened. The resort has experienced heavy snowfall throughout the season, contributing to a huge current snowbase of 3m! The resort had around 30cm of fresh snow last week, and were expecting another 30-50cm over the weekend.

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Airboards are made exclusively from tough 'soft' materials to minimise the risk of injury in the event of falls or collisions. On impact, the Airboard acts like an airbag. The same applies on rough terrain - the flexible air cushion design compensates for ground irregularities.
Airboards were developed by Joe Steiner from Zug, Switzerland. It took 10 years of meticulous work to bring the Airboard up to his stringent requirements as far as comfort and security were concerned. Airboards are extremely convenient when you are on the move; they fold up into a small, light rucksack for carrying on your back. They also make great seats or recliners in the snow!

Going down the piste on an Airboard can be compared only to body-boarding on snow!
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British skiers make the most of the snow

More than six million people are reported to have taken the day off work yesterday, and more than 3,000 schools were shut due to the heavy snowfall. It was weather that many people have not seen for 18 years, and as a result many railway stations, bus stops or roads were closed or impassable. Many people headed instead for the nearest park or field instead to throw a few snowballs.

One North London skier told how she and some friends headed up to Primrose Hill yesterday with their skis, via the London Underground. "The reaction from everyone on the tube was pretty much as you'd expect, the odd raised eyebrow and I'm not sure everyone appreciated the safety factor of checking the tube map out on the way home to make sure we knew where we'd gone." "We bumped into some seasoned long-skis-with-rear-entry-boots chaps on the top of Primrose Hill, then bumped into some guys from our season and were able to hijack their kicker. We were mildly perturbed by the grassy nature of the run-up and the even-more-grassy landing, but we acquired an audience at the top cheering each descent and started feeling like celebrities. We then skied off down to the pub for a spot of après where we were unceremoniously refused Jaeger-bombs, Chartreuse and Genepy, so settled for pints of Amstel instead".

Heavy snow hits the UK

South-east England experienced the heaviest snowfall for 18 years yesterday, and major airports were closed, motorways slowed to a standstill and many train services were cancelled as a result of the extreme weather. In London, commuters struggled to get to work after buses were suspended and many parts of the Underground stood down due to the dangerous conditions. Despite snow ploughs working to clear tracks, rail services in and out of the South East of England were mainly cancelled or severely disrupted. On the roads thousands of gritters were out but there was gridlock reported on many major routes including the M25.

The North Downs and Pennines bore the brunt of the blizzards with at least 10 inches reported in many places. However the snow extended across much of the country with four inches of snow being commonly found. In Scotland, heavy snowfall shut dozens of schools and caused difficult driving conditions and flight cancellations. Airports in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen have cancelled more than 60 flights due to the extreme conditions south of the border. The heavy snowfall hasn't hit all the Scottish resorts as yet, but Cairngorm and Glenshee have had some light dustings and all the resorts are expecting more snow during the coming week.

The Met Office has issued an extreme weather warning for England, Wales and eastern Scotland, and more snow was forecast for today.

Clothing & Accessories for Winter Survival!

If you've had the joy of experiencing the recent heavy fall of snow across the UK, you'll understand the need to keep a supply of warm winter clothing for such unexpected weather conditions.

Here's a list of the basics to ensure you're kept warm during this cold spell

Layering is an important concept to understand

Instead of wearing one heavy jacket, wear layers so you can peel them off when you get warm and start generating sweat. You'll keep moisture from building up. Moisture, or sweat, will contribute to you being cold.

Here are some tips for dressing, whether you're going sledding for a few hours or on a backcountry trek:

Socks: Wool is best. For extra warmth you can start with a pair of light synthetic or silk socks covered with wool socks.

Footwear: Snow boots or heavy-duty, waterproof hiking boots.

First layer: Silk, synthetic or light wool thermals.

Mid-layer: Synthetic fleece (not cotton fleece), or wool sweaters make good insulating layers.

Outer bottom layer: Ski pants or wool pants.

Outer top layer: A ski jacket or wind and waterproof shell jacket is a must for the outer layer.

Gloves: Ski or snowboard gloves or wool mittens work well.

Head gear: Hats are easy. Any ski or snowboard hat works well. Also, make sure you put your safety first if you're heading for the slopes and purchase a ski helmet.

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