Snowboarders killed in avalanche

Relatives of ten people, most of them German snowboarders, who were killed by an avalanche in Russia's remote Kamchatka region at the weekend are expected to arrive at the scene of the accident today.

The ten died when the helicopter carrying them was hit by an avalanche after landing on a ski slope on Saturday. The alarm was raised after their helicopter disappeared from radio contact and a search operation was launched. The Mi-8 helicopter had been carrying 18 people, including 12 tourists from Germany and Belgium, on an extreme heli-ski trip, and had landed at the top of a slope. When rescuers arrived they found that the helicopter had been completely crushed by the avalanche and carried more than 200 metres down the slope. Two of the three crew members died, while one miraculously survived and was cut from the wreckage.

All the snowboarders had left the helicopter at the time of the avalanche – eight of them were killed, and one was seriously injured, while five were rescued unharmed. The local authorities said that the avalanche contained around 2 million cubic metres of snow, and was most likely set off by the snowboarders moving down the slope.

Kamchatka is a sparsely populated peninsula dotted with pristine lakes and active volcanoes in the Far East of Russia, thousands of miles and eight time zones away from Moscow. Every year it attracts a small number of Russian and foreign tourists seeking extreme adventure. It is perhaps the only place in the world where it is possible to ski down the edge of an active volcano while looking out over the ocean. Tourist companies based on the peninsula say they accept only extremely competent skiers and snowboarders .

Despite the fact that the peninsula is roughly twice the size of Britain, there are few populated points outside the capital, Petropavlovsk, and most transport around Kamchatka has to be done using an aging fleet of Mi-8 helicopters.

There were two teenagers on board the helicopter – a 13-year-old German boy and the 15-year-old grandson of the captain. The Russian boy died, while the German survived but lost his father to the accident. The bodies of the victims are expected to be transported to Moscow tomorrow.

April skiing continues at resorts

With a late season delivery of new snow, Brundage Mountain Resort near McCall now plans to be open for weekends at least through the end of April, with daily operations continuing through April 11.

Resort officials said that snow conditions and depths are the best they’ve been all season, with more snow since March 21 than fell in all of February.

“We’ve had a bunch lately, we got four more inches (Monday), enough to make us confident in announcing our first two bonus weekends,” Brundage Mountain Resort communication director April Russell said. “ And if we continue to get more snow than what we’ve seen, we’ll continue to extend our weekends beyond April if that’s possible.”

People can expect discounted prices on the bonus weekends, now set for April 17 and 18, and April 24 and 25.

“One of the things that makes the bonus weekends so exciting is regionally most of the ski resorts are closing, down so we have the chance to not only draw local skiers, but the diehard skiers from farther away who aren’t ready to quit,” Russell said.

According to the Web site for Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, the resort plans to close on Sunday, with activities scheduled including a PBR ribbon hunt, spring kids’ scavenger hunt, and more. The resort on Tuesday reported a base snow depth of 71 inches, with 87 inches at the top.

At Sun Valley Resort, the 74th winter season will continue through April 18 on Bald Mountain, according to a recent press release. The final day for Seattle Ridge and The Bowls is set for Sunday.

Dollar Mountain operations concluded Easter Sunday.

Sun Valley reported 81 inches at the summit of Bald Mountain on Tuesday, with 23 inches at the base.

British Skier Killed By Avalanche In Italy

A British skier has been killed after an avalanche in the Italian Alps, mountain rescue officials have said.

The 36-year-old man, who has been named as James Richard Ryan and is believed to come from Huddersfield, was swept away by tonnes of snow as he skied with a group of five friends and a guide, who were all British. The Foreign Office has confirmed the death, and is providing consular assistance to the family.

Mountain officials say heavy snow in the last few days means there is an increased risk of avalanches, as the fresh falls have not yet had a chance to bind to the mountains. The tragedy happened at Val Di Rhemes near Aosta at an altitude of 2,800 metres on the Mt Rosso mountain, as the group made its way down a run called the Punta Paletta.

The avalanche happened at around 5pm local time and was around 400 metres long and 100 metres wide, engulfing the victim and one of his companions immediately. Rescue teams managed to pull both men alive from the avalanche, but one died en route to the Parini hospital in Aosta.

Mountain rescue commander Delfino Viglione said: ''The group were skiing off piste when the avalanche took place.'' When asked if it had been caused by the group he said: ''That will be a question for the investigating magistrate, who has opened a file and is speaking to the group and the ski guide.''

Across the Italian Alps - which is preparing to welcome holidaymakers on Easter breaks - there was a series of avalanches over the weekend.

On Friday, a Norwegian man was killed at Courmayeur and his companion, who was skiing with him off-piste, has been charged with manslaughter for causing the avalanche. A dozen people have been killed in avalanches in the region this winter, leading officials to consider whether to launch rescue attempts for people who ignored warnings and got caught out.

Ski slope report gets green light

Councillors have approved a report recommending price rises and cuts to staff costs at Scotland's biggest artificial ski slope.

The report recommended Midlothian Ski Centre at Hillend stayed open for the next five months while a series of efficiency savings were implemented. The plan is to make it more marketable to aid the search for national backers.

Midlothian Council, Scotland's second smallest authority, has spent more than £5m subsidising the centre since 1996. The plan is for council officials to come up with a strategy for the sale or lease of the site in August. It follows Midlothian Council's announcement it could not pay the site's £500,000 a year losses.

The report, which councillors voted on on Tuesday, also said it would cost £1.2m to close the slope down as there would be £300,000 in redundancy costs and £900,000 in dismantling fees. The proposed efficiency savings include increasing charges, improving the cafe and making staff changes.

Woman dies on ski slopes

A woman from Mississauga died Wednesday after crashing into a tree while snowboarding at the Beaver Valley Ski Club east of Markdale.

Police were called to the ski club at about 11 a.m. to respond to a report of a seriously injured snowboarder, Grey County OPP said in a news release. "Investigation revealed that a 48-year-old . . . woman was snowboarding on the hill when she left the ski slope and entered a wooded area where she struck a tree."

The woman was taken by ambulance to the Markdale hospital, where she died, the release said. A post-mortem was to be held today in Barrie to determine the exact cause of death, police said. The woman's name was not being released pending notification of her family.

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Briton found dead in ski resort

A 24-year-old British man has been found dead in a ski resort, the Foreign Office said.

Police believe Paul Rea wandered off and got lost in freezing temperatures after becoming separated from friends on a night out in Pas de la Casa in Andorra. His body was discovered on Friday covered in snow in the Envalira tunnel close to the French border.

A spokesman for police in Andorra told Spanish news agency Europa Press the body showed "no signs of violence" and it was likely Mr Rea died of hypothermia. He said police believed he became "disorientated" and headed off in the wrong direction away from the centre of the resort.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in Andorra on March 12. "Next of kin are aware. We are providing consular assistance and a post-mortem is under way."