Doctor's wife dies in ski accident

A DOCTOR'S wife from Doncaster has died in a skiing accident in the Alps after tumbling 650ft down a slope and hitting a tree.

Experienced skier Brenda Smith, 56, is believed to have lost control on black ice and skidded off the piste in the French resort of Les Deux Alpes before suffering fatal head injuries. Mrs Smith was in the resort with her oral surgeon husband Keith. Dr Smith, a consultant at Sheffield's Charles Clifford Dental Hospital, was in the region for a conference.

Maurice Barker, who is married to Mrs Smith's mother Kathleen, said: "Keith is devastated. We all are, she was such a lovely woman. They went skiing twice a year. She would easily have been able to cope with a black slope." A former neighbour said: "They didn't have children and were devoted to each other.

"It's such a shock to find out that this has happened, Keith will be absolutely distraught. Brenda had an operation about six months ago on a knee she damaged whilst skiing. She has had a couple of operations as a result of skiing but it never put her off."

Ski lift fault traps skiers in gondolas

Skiers had to be airlifted to safety yesterday, after a broken-down ski lift trapped 43 passengers in gondolas for several hours at a southern German resort.

A technical failure in the lift system at the alpine Brauneck resort in Bavaria triggered the automatic shutdown of the whole system, leaving skiers hanging up to 70 metres above the ground in 30 four-person gondolas. The rescue operation took almost three hours.

About 100 firefighters and mountain rescue specialists helped to lower many of the trapped skiers to safety, while others had to be rescued by helicopter, said police spokesman Harald Bauer. None of the skiers were injured, despite below-freezing temperatures. The resort is about 60km (40 miles) south of Munich.

"I was stuck up there for two and a half hours until the helicopter came to rescue me," skier Peter Gutmann told Associated Press. He said he was trapped alone in a gondola dangling more than 50ft (15m) above the ground.

Riddle as ski body had no shoes

Ski Brit Myles Robinson had no shoes on when his body was found, it emerged last night.

Sources in the Swiss resort of Wengen revealed he was wearing just one sock at the foot of an icy ravine.

Initial tests show the 6ft 5ins former public schoolboy, from Wandsworth, South London, was four times over the drink-drive limit.

But Newcastle University graduate Myles's relatives don't think he fell and suspect foul play.

They are demanding more answers from Swiss police.

Girl who fell from ski lift is out of hospital

A 4-year old who fell from an Alta Ski Resort chairlift is now out of the hospital.

Unified fire says the girl, who fell saturday night, is now in good condition. Witnesses saw the girl fall 30 to 35 five feet from the Sunnyside lift and called for help.

Ski patrol found the girl not breathing, but were able to revive her. She was flown to primary children's hospital.

Skiing Starts Thursday at Boise’s Bogus Basin

Thursday at 10 a.m. the first skiers and snowboarders will be screaming down the runs at beloved local ski resort Bogus Basin, and Boise snowboarders, skiers, snow retailers, resort employees and pretty much everybody else is smiling. The annual transformation to ski-town is here.

Tuesday’s storm dropped enough snow on the mountain to add up to nearly 30 inches at the base and 32 at the summit, and the resort announced a Thursday opening.

Metro Ski and Snowboard Show

Could there be a better way of ushering in the new winter sports season than with a giant snowball fight? If there is, I can't think of it - and just such an event is taking place at this year's Metro Ski and Snowboard Show, which starts this week.

Organisers of the show are transporting ten tons of the white stuff in refrigerated trucks from the Milton Keynes Snowzone to Olympia in London - and they want as many people as possible to start throwing it around in an attempt to get into the Guinness Book Of World Records for the biggest indoor snowball fight ever recorded.

The five-day show at Olympia, which starts on Wednesday, will be followed by yet another winter sports extravaganza in London - the Freeze Snowboard, Ski and Music Festival, more of which later.

Adult ticket prices are £5 for the Wednesday, £9 (advance) or £12 (on the door) Thursday and Friday, and £13 (or £16) for the weekend.

1st snow kicks off area's ski season

The first cold snap of the season brought the first snowfall of the season overnight Saturday. But the cold will be a memory by midweek, when temperatures are expected to be as high as 73, according to the National Weather Service.

Two inches of snow was reported at Mount Mitchell, an inch of snow fell near Banner Elk and in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and about a half-inch covered the ground in Waynesville, said Scott Krentz, a metereologist with the National Weather Service, on Sunday. “Areas at 3,500 feet and above got about a half or so,” he said. The shining sun doesn't mean it's going to warm up right away; Krentz said the forecast calls for temperatures 10 degrees below normal for today, with a high around 59 degrees and an overnight low of 30. A freeze warning was in effect overnight, set to expire at 9 this morning, for much of Western North Carolina.

But the harsh cold isn't bad news for everyone in WNC. The folks at Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley started making snow Sunday morning and will open at 1 p.m. today. “It's the earliest opening in our history,” said Tammy Brown, spokeswoman for the ski area. “We are going to stay open as long as we can.” It was 25 degrees when they started making snow at 6:45 a.m. Sunday, Brown said.

Skiers will have to battle the heat before long, though. Warmer weather returns the middle of the week, with highs once again reaching the low 70s and lows in the mid-40s to around 50, according to the National Weather Service.

Skiing: Maier calls it a day

Austrian Alpine skiing champion Hermann Maier fought back tears as he announced his retirement from the sport. The Olympic gold medallist, who had been planning a return to the World Cup circuit in November after recovering from a knee injury, said he wanted to retire while he was still in good health.

Maier competed on the circuit for 13 years, winning four overall World Cup titles, four Olympic medals, including two golds in 1998, and three world championship titles. A late developing ski racer, who had previously mixed working as a ski instructor at his father's ski school in Flachau with brick-laying in the summer, Maier's career appeared to be over in 2001 when he nearly lost a leg following a motorcycle accident, requiring seven hours of surgery.

However, he made a remarkable comeback after more than a year on the sidelines, winning the World Cup super-G race at his favourite Kitzbuhel in January 2003.

New base for freestyle aces

Sheffield has been announced as the new training base for some of Great Britain's freestyle team.

The English Institute of Sport will now play host to the 30-strong British, English and Yorkshire squads. Peter Styring, an England Moguls coach, said: "We've got a young squad who are already performing at a high level, so it gives us great things to look forward to for future Winter Olympics."

London hosts World big air event

A World Cup big air event, featuring top British and international skiers and snowboarders, is returning to Battersea Power Station on 31 October.

More than 10,000 fans flocked to the venue last year to see the industrial site transformed with a 32m high ski jump, packed with 500 tons of snow.British Olympic hopefuls Ben Kilner and Dom Harington will compete alongside last year's winner Peetu Piiroinen.

"It will be great preparation for me in the lead up to Vancouver," Kilner said. "I'm looking forward to taking on the world's best snowboarders, especially in front of a home crowd." And in the freestyle ski event, Winter X gold medal winner Tanner Hall will compete against British hopeful Paddy Graham.

The three-day event kicks off on 30 October with a Battle of Britain ski and snowboard contest and music from acts including Orbital and Friendly Fires. Marcel Looze, snowboard race director for the International Ski Federation, said: "The very special location at Battersea, the enthusiastic crowd and great performance of the riders made the first FIS [International Ski Federation] World Cup in London a success.

"FIS is proud to have London in the calendar again." Big air is not an Olympic sport but all riders can score crucial World Cup ratings points which will improve their chances of qualifying for the Winter Olympics, which are being held in Vancouver, Canada, in February 2010.

Ski resorts cutting prices to lure locals

A struggling economy is turning out to be good news for skiers and snowboarders who live close enough to mountains that they can hit the slopes every weekend.

Many ski resorts are slashing prices on season passes and offering locals-only discounts in an effort to boost revenues from nearby metropolitan areas at a time many U.S. travelers are choosing to vacation closer to home. In few places is this trend more evident than in Utah, where snow lovers can drive from downtown Salt Lake City and be in a lift line in roughly 30 minutes.

"It's a no brainer," said Nick Como, Solitude Mountain Resort's marketing director. "There's so many people down there that don't ski. There's a great market that's just untapped." Labor Day is the traditional kickoff to preseason winter deals, with discount offers generally expiring every few weeks until the season starts.

Solitude, like many other resorts around the country, has begun offering new season ticket packages at reduced prices on the heels of a winter in which skier visits nationally dropped 5.5 percent in the 2008-09 season from the record 60.5 million visits the season before, according to the National Ski Areas Association. The association's annual report said destination resorts fared the worst last winter, with resorts close to major cities weathering the economic downturn the best. Many Utah resorts noticed a dip in room reservations from out-of-state tourists, but an uptick in season passes purchased by Utah residents.

"Salt Lake feels really fortunate to have a large local population near us. A lot of our resorts are reaching out to locals maybe more this season than you've seen in the past," said Jessica Kunzer, spokeswoman for Ski Utah, the ski industry's marketing arm in the state. "A lot of the resorts are saying they've extended their early season offerings and discounts. ... The consumer really wants to make sure they get the best bang for their buck."

In Colorado, the reigning king of skiing in the U.S., a growing number of resorts are offering payment plans for season passes, refusing to raise prices and creating special packages for tourists and locals. "What we're finding is that people are still willing to find a way to make skiing happen this year," said Colorado Ski Country USA spokeswoman Jennifer Rudolph. "So the planning is happening, yet they're still looking for a deal at the same time. Resorts are trying to answer the call for both groups of skiers."

Rudolph said Echo Mountain, the closest resort to Denver, is offering special deals on night skiing for children in an effort to get local families on the mountain throughout the week. Early indications are that Colorado's discounts and new packages are working, Rudolph said. "We took a pulse of our members after the Labor Day weekend to see how pass sales were. The majority of them reported very robust pass sales, if not higher, than last year," she said.

In Vermont, the most skiied-in state on the East Coast, resorts are resisting offering new bargain basement deals. Only about 20 percent of the ski industry's market in that state lives in Vermont, with the rest coming from areas like Boston and New York. "The deals have always been there, but now people are doing their homework and people are seeking out deals," said Jen Butson, spokeswoman for Ski Vermont.

While Vermont noticed a decline in skier visits last season, Butson said it was on par with the state's five-year skier average. "Last year and the year before were good snow years. That makes a difference on the people making last-minute decisions and people who live in our drive market," she said. "Snow always trumps a bad economy."

Some winter enthusiasts are looking for snow a little closer to home, though. New York vaulted ahead of Utah to become the fourth-most skied in state last season by depending on the millions of people who can drive a couple of hours for a day of skiing. Western resorts aren't giving up on out-of-state skiers, though.

Utah tourism officials were meeting Thursday to finalize their winter advertising plan, which in addition to national ad buys includes targeted markets like Los Angeles and New York. "Certainly, the general feeling is that flat is the new up. We want to hold steady. Last year was the fourth largest skier day year, which despite the economy, was very good for us," said Leigh von der Esch, director of the Utah Office of Tourism. "My counterparts in New England, they love it when the gas prices are low. ... We like it when the air fares are low."

Still, von der Esch recognizes the importance of being a tourist in your own state. "We're really trying to encourage the folks who live in Utah to think, 'Greatest snow on Earth. Just around the corner,' " she said.

Still snowing in Spain

Skiers in the Spanish and Andorran resorts enjoyed a late season dusting of fresh powder over the weekend, promising good conditions for Easter.

10cm of fresh snow fell on Monday in Formigal, Spain’s largest resort, on top of an upper slope base of 230cm. Over the border in Andorra, our featured resorts also enjoyed some fresh snow on Sunday but this has not dramatically changed the skiing as typical spring conditions still dominate. It's predominantly sunny this week, which means that although the snow is firm in the mornings, it will soften during the day, especially on the lower and south facing slopes. However the good news is that temperatures are forecast to remain around freezing until next weekend maintaining the good snow conditions. Cloudy weather is also expected for the middle of the week, which could deliver further fresh snowfalls.

The Vallnord resort of Arcalis is reporting the deepest snow base depths (140/250cm), but all of the other Andorran resorts we report on have at least a metre of snow on their lower pistes and around two metres on their upper slopes. Formigal is offering free lift passes with to all new bookings until the end of the season, which has been extended by another two weeks into May thanks to the great snow conditions.

Two climbers die on Eiger

Two mountain climbers have frozen to death on the Eiger after being trapped by a storm.

The accident occurred last week, and is the first accident on the 3970m high mountain this year, which is regarded as one of Switzerland's most dangerous.

The 21 year old men were attempting to climb the peak's notorious north face, which is one of the most challenging in the Alps.

The two mountaineers, who have not yet been named, are thought to have frozen to death on a ridgeline leading back towards a mountain hut and the Jungfraujoch railway station, a popular tourist attraction.

Both climbers were from the Swiss army's mountain training centre based in Andermatt, and would have been experienced and well prepared. They are thought to have reached the summit before becoming trapped.

A rescue operation was attempted by a mountain rescue station in Grindelwald late on Monday night, but the weather deteriorated to a point where a helicopter rescue was impossible. "We just couldn't reach them," Marc Ziegler, head of the Grindelwald rescue station told Swiss news website, swissinfo.ch. "That is unusual but the conditions made it not possible.

The body of one man so far has been retrieved by rescue services.

One more time?

With fresh snow still falling in the Alps and the Easter holidays falling late this year, there's still plenty of late winter skiing to be had.

Easter is a flexible holiday, changing date every year regardless of the weather, and for many people it signals the end of the ski season. However there is often there is good snow still to be found at this time of year. Al Morgan, Information Manager at the Ski Club thinks this is definitely the year to make the most of the excellent snow conditions. "Skiing in March and April offers long days for skiing, sunny terraces for leisurely lunches and less people than the busy periods. Get out there if you can!”

April can produce some of the best conditions of the winter with good snowfalls, long days, uncrowded slopes and reduced prices. One of the most popular Ski Freshtracks holidays is the May Bank Holiday blast in Tignes that attracts a committed band of skiers, and they've still got loads of on and off-piste holidays, including ski touring, on offer between now and the first May Bank Holiday. Remember that the snow isn't necessarily like it is mid-winter. For the best conditions, aim for one of the high resorts, and lower slopes can get slushy by the end of the afternoon after a day in the spring sunshine so head out early.

Resorts open until 26th April include: Flaine, Les Arcs, Avoriaz, Meribel, La Thuile, Bormio, Davos, Wengen, Zermatt, St Anton and Lech.

Resorts open until 3rd May include: Val d’Isère, Val Thorens, Are, Pas de la Casa, Soldeu, Ischgl, Obertauern, Obergurgl, Solden, Andermatt, St Moritz, Cervinia and Hemsedal.

Twitter and iPhone help find lost skier

A missing skier in the Swiss Alps has been rescued with the help of Twitter and an iPhone, but a snowboarder was found dead after the two were separated from the rest of their group on holiday in Verbier.

The Foreign Office has confirmed that the man who died was entrepreneur Rob Williams, 29, who went missing on Monday. Entrepreneur Rob, from Liverpool, was discovered in a stream at the foot of a cliff. He is thought to have fallen more than 60ft after getting lost near the resort. He was on holiday with a group of internet entrepreneurs including Michelle Dewberry, a former winner of the second series of The Apprentice.

Williams, and Jason Tavaria who was also 29, got into difficulty after becoming separated from fellow snowboarders in the resort. Tavaria survived and was found after Michelle Dewberry launched an online rescue on Twitter where she reportedly wrote, "2 of our ski party been missing since 4pm. Conditions terrible. 1 guy found but trapped. 20 man team searching for other." A helicopter search was not possible due to the bad weather conditions, but a GPS signal from Tavaria’s iPhone was used to guide in the rescue services. The rescue attempt continued to unfold on Twitter as details of the whereabouts of the two men were relayed back and forth. The search sadly ended with the discovery of the body of Rob Williams but Jason Tavaria was found unharmed about 6 hours later.

Winter returns to the Alps

Looks like it's not spring just yet. The recent warm and sunny weather in Europe is expected to come to an abrupt end this week, as another winter storm is expected to hit France, Switzerland and Italy bringing lots of snow and much colder weather with it.

In France, Argentiere is expected to receive the most snow of the French resorts in the next five days. 60cm of snow is forecast to fall on the upper slopes and the temperatures will probably be fairly mild in the first half of the week with freezing levels around 1500m, so rain could fall on the lower slopes and in the towns. However on Thursday the snow is expected to start falling even harder and the temperature should drop, meaning fresh snow to all levels.

The same is true for Switzerland during the coming week. The resorts are forecast slightly more snow than France, with Verbier expecting 68cm of snow this week, and 50cm of this should fall on Wednesday and Thursday alone! The same heavy snow is forecast in Zermatt with 31cm of snow expected to fall on Wednesday followed by a further 20cm on Thursday. The combined five day total is a whopping 66cm!

And whilst the rest of Europe is catching up with the two weeks of snow that Austria has been enjoying, some Austrian resorts are still staying ahead with more snow of their own to come. Zell am Zille is also expecting lots of snow, with 48cm expected to fall in the next five days. As with France and Switzerland, this could fall as rain on the lower slopes in the first half of the week but significantly colder weather is expected by Thursday. And in Obergurgl, the snow was still falling on Monday and neighbouring Solden also received 5cm of fresh snow. So Austria is still ahead of the game!

British tourists killed in ravine fall

Two British tourists have died after falling down a ravine in Les Deux Alpes following a night out with friends.

Richard Ryan, 27, and Christopher Lockwood, 28, fell while returning home after a night out in the ski resort. The pair were both from Leeds and were last seen by friends leaving a popular British-style pub to return to their chalet at about 2am last Thursday. The two men were "probably very drunk" when they fell into the Combe Noir ravine, police in the resort have said. A Deux Alpes police spokesman added, "Their friends alerted us that they were missing in the early hours of Thursday. Interviews with friends also revealed both men had drunk large quantities of beer that evening. The spot where they fell is very steep and, although unprotected, there are signs everywhere." The two were among a party of eight British skiers who were due to fly back to Britain at the weekend. Their families have been informed by the Foreign Office.

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.

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.