A new airline, yet to incorporate let alone take off, wants to establish itself as the British winter sporter’s favourite, with Sion as its hub. PowdAir plans two flights a day, five days a week, from five UK airports – … Continue reading
The future of the off-piste resort of La Grave is once again in doubt, as it has been for much of its forty year existence. The operating contract for its lifts – there are two of them: a slow two-stage … Continue reading
It’s a typical Crans Montana morning: dazzling. The confident forecast is hard and fast racing conditions for the early starters in the Momentum City Ski Championships slalom; slush for the après midi skier and serious sunburn for those who forget … Continue reading
“Any chance you can supply a picture?” Cue small earthquake in south west Oxfordshire. The filing system is comprehensively rummaged, turned upside down and shaken. Could have sworn I saw it the other day …. but where? As usual the … Continue reading
It is a small detail, rarely omitted from the story. The brothers Branger, Tobias and Johann, ski pioneers in Davos c1890, conducted their experiments under cover of darkness in order to avoid the mockery of their fellow Davonians. The Brangers’ … Continue reading
Winter sports is a competitive business, and rivalry has been a powerful spur to its development. In the early days of alpinism the arch rivals were Chamonix and Zermatt. “The Matterhorn after all is not so fine a thing as … Continue reading
The dangerous influence of sat-nav smartphone apps on skiers’ behaviour has made its way up the news agenda lately, from a discreet mention in this space (‘mobile phones make us ski faster ….’) to alarm calls from Médecins de Montagne … Continue reading
The by-train ski holiday has been likened to a jigsaw puzzle, with the difference that the challenge is not complete when you have fitted the pieces together. The key piece this year was the direct train from Paris to Interlaken: … Continue reading
Switzerland’s third largest cable car has opened, bigger than many a ski chalet in the vieux village and only five weeks late. At a cost of 32 million francs (£23m), the new lift links the neighbouring ski areas of Zinal … Continue reading
I had a rare endorsement from my son recently, when he asked if he could borrow my ski helmet. “What’s wrong with yours?” I asked. “Your helmet is so beaten up, it looks really cool,” he said. He’s right. After … Continue reading