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.

Natasha Richardson dies after ski accident

The 45 year old British actress has died in hospital after suffering a head injury in a skiing accident in Mont Tremblant, Canada.

The actress fell and hit her head during a supervised ski lesson on a nursery slope. She was not wearing a helmet at the time. She initially appeared coherent but an hour later complained of a headache. As her condition worsened, she was flown to a hospital near her home in New York City, where her family gathered.

Neeson’s publicist announced her death. “Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha,” he said. “They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time.”

Part of one of Britain's great theatrical dynasties, Richardson was the daughter of Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, 72, and the late director Tony Richardson.
She was also the granddaughter of Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, the sister of actress Joely Richardson and the niece of Lynn Redgrave.

Actress in hospital after skiing accident

Actress Natasha Richardson has been left in a critical condition after a skiing accident in Canada, according to media reports.

The Canadian Press reported that the 45 year old British actress suffered a head injury yesterday whilst skiing in Mont Tremblant resort near Montreal.
She is thought to have first been brought to Centre Hospitalier Laurentien near Mont Tremblant, and then transferred to Montreal's Sacre Coeur hospital.

Richardson, 45, is the daughter of Vanessa Redgrave and is married to actor Liam Neeson with whom she has two sons. Neeson was reportedly in Toronto at the time of Richardson's accident filming the movie 'Chloe' with Julianne Moore, and has now left Toronto to be at his wife's side.

Met police officer dies in ski plunge as wife looks on

A Metropolitan police officer died in front of his wife on a skiing holiday in France.

Michael Probert, 43, lost control as he skied down a slope in Alpe d'Huez, and fell into a 10ft ditch, hitting his head. His wife Emma, a Scotland Yard Royal Protection sergeant who was praised for her work on the day of the 7/7 bombings, was watching as the tragedy unfolded. Mr Probert, a pursuit driver based in Harrow, was declared dead at the scene on Saturday. He was with his wife and friends skiing within sight of the village of Villard-Reculas, part of the vast Alpe d'Huez resort, where they had just begun a week's holiday.

Mr Probert was an inexperienced skier, and was on low slopes considered safe for beginners and intermediates. The group had just finished lunch when they began descending a low gradient blue run - the third hardest after black and red - with few obstacles. But as he approached the ditch he lost control and fell into it, said emergency workers who attended the scene by motorised sledge. They arrived in minutes, but Mr Probert had suffered a heart attack and could not be revived even though his injuries appeared slight. A spokesman for the French high mountain police said: "The emergency services reached the victim extremely quickly but could not save him. Cause of death was a heart attack caused by the shock of the fall.

"The victim has been out skiing with his family and friends, some of whom witnessed the accident." Mrs Probert was praised for her work following the 7 July terrorist attacks when she was a sergeant in Camden. She was among the first officers on the scene in Tavistock Square where suicide bomber Hasib Hussain killed 13 when he exploded his rucksack bomb on a bus. Neighbours of the couple in StAlbans said they last saw Mr Probert on Friday evening when he was looking forward to the coming week.One neighbour said: "He was a lovely man and so friendly. I think he believed in working hard and playing hard and that's why they loved their skiing holidays and, when they could, they would take their boat to go waterskiing."

In Alpe d'Huez, the slopes were crowded with weekend skiers and snowboarders enjoying unseasonably warm weather. Conditions in the resort were good with bright sunshine and excellent visibility. A spokesman for the local tourist office said: "Serious accidents, especially fatalities, usually take place off piste where conditions can be extremely dangerous." It is unusual to have a fatality on low pistes because they are usually extremely safe."

Ryanair check-in to go online by October

Skiers may soon have to think twice about taking a large suitcase on a Ryanair flight, after it was announced this week check-in desks will be scrapped and baggage fees increased.

Ryanair first announced plans to abolish check-in desks last month, saying most of its customers already check in online, and they will be able to use baggage drop desks for their luggage if needed.

Desks will be phased out and check-in fees will increase in the meantime. From 19 March the fee to check-in luggage at airport desks will double to £20 per passenger per flight. Passengers who book their tickets by 1 May will still be allowed to check in at the airport, but by 1 October, there will be no check-in desks at any of its airports and passengers will only be able to check in online.

Michael O’Leary, Chief Executive of the Irish airline, told The Daily Telegraph, “All we will have is a bag drop where passengers can drop off their luggage, otherwise everything will be done online. Ultimately, we want just one in five people to check in luggage.”

Ryanair is already known for its 'no-frills' policy, with passengers being charged for extras ranging from cups of tea to using a credit card to pay for their ticket. O'Leary also recently told the press he is thinking about installing credit card-operated toilets on airplanes and charging passengers to use them.