Chamonix, France, Conditions Report: Sunny Skies at Brévent and Flégère Report from January 12, 2024 Chamonix The Chamonix region in France includes five main ski areas. La Balme, Les Grands Montets, Brévent, Flégère, and Les Houches. Unlike most places in Europe, Chamonix does not have a mega resort where all resorts in the area are connected by lifts. Although from town Brévent/Flégère are connected and the closest areas to the […] Conditions Report Brett Ploss | January 21, 2024 0 Comments
7 Essential Items to Pack For an International Ski Trip A U.S. TikTok influencer has been going viral for proving that some international skiing destinations may be much less expensive than staying in the country. So you’re convinced; you’ve booked your flights and the date is getting closer. Here’s a list of seven essentials not to forget if you’re going abroad this winter: #1 Your Ski Pass Ikon and Epic have […] Gear Brett Ploss | December 20, 2023 0 Comments
[PHOTOS] Surprise Wintry Spell Drops 4″ Fresh Snow on Ski Resorts in the Alps A surprising wintry spell in the midst of summer brought fresh snow to the Alps yesterday. Germany’s Zugspitze Glacier reported 4″ (10cm). Related: Only 10 Weeks Until Ruka, Finland, Opens for 23/24 Season In France, Avoriaz and Les Arcs also shared pictures of snowfall. According to J2Ski, the Hintertux glacier in Austria reported temperatures of 19ºF (-7ºC) at its summit […] SnowBrains | August 8, 2023 0 Comments
Soaring Temperatures in Alps Cause Summer Ski Resorts to Close Much like in the summer of 2022, 2023 temperatures in Europe have been soaring to record levels. This is partially thanks to the El-Niño weather pattern and human-made climate change. High temperatures in high-elevation areas such as the Swiss Alps and the Pyrenees have caused ski resorts to close summer skiing on Glaciers. In addition, many forests in the Swiss […] Weather Ian McIsaac | July 26, 2023 0 Comments
Direct Train Lines From London to the Alps Could Be Removed Due to Brexit Border Issues The European train company Eurostar, which has international routes through Northwestern Europe and the United Kingdom, has recently announced that the direct trains from London to the Alps may be canceled for the upcoming winter. These reports stem from the additional passport checks and border issues between the UK and the European Union. The UK withdrew from the European Union […] Industry News Quintin Mills | July 18, 2023 0 Comments
Fire-Ravaged Trams at Chamonix, France, to be Replaced in 2024 Lift-served access to the summit of Les Grands Montets ski area in the Chamonix Valley is slated to finally return in 2024 after a disastrous fire disabled service in 2018. As reported by Snowbrains at the time, the mid-station fire destroyed the structure that connected both the cable car from the valley floor in Argentière to mid-mountain, and the […] Industry News Christopher Leach | July 5, 2023 0 Comments
Top 9 Snowiest Resorts in Europe The 2022-2023 ski season was quite underwhelming and forgettable for most European resorts, so many skiers and riders found themselves looking for the best resort to capitalize on the goods. Neilson Active Holidays recently conducted a study to determine the best European ski resort to visit for many different categories, including average monthly snowfall. Although this last season was mild […] Industry News Tyler Hatch | June 13, 2023 0 Comments
French Ski Resort to Ban Smoking on the Slopes Les Gets, a ski resort located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France, has elected to ban smoking on its slopes. The decision takes effect on December 17th and will make the French resort the first European ski area to enact a ban on smoking. This decision is primarily motivated by environmental factors. Over 3,000 cigarette butts were found scattered across […] Industry News Matt Scribner | December 16, 2022 1 Comment
[VIDEO] It Snowed in the Alps and People Are Skiing—1st Powder Day of the Season in Italy/Switzerland View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vivian Bruchez (@vivianbruchez) It snowed in the Alps this week and people are already skiing. Need I say more? On September 5th, ski mountaineers Vivian Bruchez and Mike Arnold made creamy turns on the high alpine slopes of Lyskamm, a 14,872 ft mountain in the Pennine Alps lying on the […] Conditions Report Martin Kuprianowicz | September 9, 2022 2 Comments
World Champion Skier Falls to Her Death While Climbing Mont Blanc, France A skiing world champion and her female climbing companion fell to their deaths on Mont Blanc in the French Alps. Another climbing group discovered their roped-together bodies around 6.15 pm. Adèle Milloz, 26, and her friend died while traversing from Aiguille de Peigne (10,4723ft) to nearby peak Aiguille du Midi (12,605ft), mountain guides confirmed. Related: French Mayor Wants Visitors to Pay a $15,000 […] Climbing CragBrains | August 15, 2022 5 Comments
Dust and Sand From the Sahara Turns European Ski Resorts Orange Sand and dust from the Sahara desert have been carried more than 1,500 miles in the air by currents and dumped over large parts of Europe, turning ski resorts orange and reaching as far as the UK. Strong storms across the African desert whipped-up dust turning the wintry scenes a dramatic orange color. Resorts in the French and Swiss Alps were affected […] SnowBrains | March 16, 2022 2 Comments
European Glacier Threatened by Expansion Plan to Combine 2 Ski Areas By 2050 it is predicted that the majority of the glaciers in the Eastern Alps will have disappeared due to global warming. Due to a new project in Europe, some of the largest and last glaciers may disappear from the Alps sooner than expected. The project itself is called “Europe’s largest contiguous glacier ski resort”, and the expansion is huge. […] Industry News Evan Boughey | January 7, 2022 2 Comments
Mont Blanc Plane Crash Treasure Finally Split with Discoverer In 2013, while ascending Mont Blanc in France, a French climber came across a container amongst a plane crash wreckage filled with an assortment of precious stones. Complying with French law, the finding was handed over to the local authorities. It wasn’t until this year, eight years later, that individual was finally rewarded with half of the gems, valued at […] Crash Jake Vigesaa | December 9, 2021 0 Comments
Snowstorm Dumping in Alps and Pyrenees This Weekend While Resorts in the Western US are blowing snow to open on time, many resorts in the Alps and Pyrenees are expecting huge snowstorms to bring feet of snow over the weekend. So far fall snowstorms have broken records for snowfall in the Alps this season. Early December storms in the Alps as well the Pyrenees have many resorts expecting a couple […] Aunika Skogen | December 4, 2021 2 Comments
NASA: Retreating Glaciers Revealing World War I Secrets in European Alps On November 11, the United States honors those who have served in the armed forces with the federal holiday Veterans Day. Elsewhere in the world, this date is observed as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day. Today it is a day to honor all veterans, but the date was originally chosen to mark the anniversary of the end of hostilities in […] SnowBrains | November 11, 2021 0 Comments
VIDEO: July Powder Day as Summer Storm Dumps on the Alps View this post on Instagram A post shared by SnowBrains (@snowbrains) Summer storms have brought surprise powder days to the Alps this week. The video above from Zermatt, Switzerland, and below, from Italy, show what looks like January, not July! Related: Bigger Blankets Are the Key to Saving Our Glaciers Zermatt is one of a number of glacial […] Industry News SnowBrains | July 15, 2021 6 Comments
VIDEO: Mass Carnage at Annual Megavalanche Downhill Mountain Bike Race [arve url="https://youtu.be/8mRyCxpumOY"] CycleBrains | July 14, 2021 Likes Tweets 0 Comments
Tignes Resort, France, Opens for Summer Skiing Operations View this post on Instagram A post shared by Snow Forecasts * Snow Reports (@snow.forecast) World-class French ski area Tignes is now open for summer skiing. The resort opened on Saturday, June 19, and will remain open until August 1, conditions permitting. Tignes has joined two other French ski areas, Val d’Isere and Les 2 Alpes, for glacier […] Industry News SnowBrains | June 23, 2021 0 Comments
Chief of Swiss Mountain Guide Association Says COVID-19 Lockdown to Blame for Spike in Avalanche Deaths 14 people have died in avalanches in Switzerland this winter. Eight of those deaths were in the last weekend alone. Switzerland averages eight avalanche fatalities every winter. Related: VIDEO: Intense Rescue of Jones Snowboards Rider Buried 3-Feet Deep After Avalanche in Tahoe Backcountry The Swiss Moutain Guide Association’s chief Pierre Mathey believes that COVID-19 lockdown has something to do with […] Avalanche Martin Kuprianowicz | January 22, 2021 41 Comments
World’s Highest Elevation Zip Line Opens in Switzerland [arve url="https://youtu.be/MjXOGJ4u9-c"] Liam Abbott | December 17, 2020 Likes Tweets 2 Comments
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