Jump in ski pass costs

"A $70 increase in the Queenstown early bird ski season pass - to $649 - is regrettable but unavoidable, according to Southern Alpine Recreation boss Duncan Smith. Last year it rose $30 and the year before $50. The nzski.com pass rises to $749. Mr Smith blames 18-20 percent increases in energy costs, higher compliance, capital infrastructure and labour costs."

Hmmm wonder if it has anything to with shareholder returns? Certainly nothing to do with long time loyal customer satisfaction.......

Skifield to extend beginners' slope

Skifield to extend beginners' slope
By SUE FEA - The Southland Times | Tuesday, 20 February 2007

Coronet Peak will double its existing on-slope beginner section...

Blah blah blah

...Coronet Peak is scheduled to open on June 9.

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh.

season passes on sail

yep it's the annual rush to your favourite fields website to lay down your hard won cash for the good old season pass. suck you dry spit you out and make you beg for more. easier than selling candy to a baby and more addictive than a packet of drum. season passes ....

they know the mortal snow addict is strung in to a lifelong obsession so really we should campaign for government intervention. or something.

bad news is? it ain't going to get cheaper :(

my advice. dont miss out. deals finish in march.

how to ease the pain? in the words of the great WIF Hunt - Te Kuiti farmer and dynamo of a man - "the first chairlift ride of the season costs the full price of the season pass and the rest are free"

Concern over Europe 'snow crisis'

While many mortal kiwis wander whats up at the beach spare a thought for our distant snow cousins across the globe ...... James Cove from the BBC writes about Europes snow crisis;

The French Alps are uncharacteristically lacking in snow

" Ski resorts across the European Alps are becoming increasingly worried as current bad snow conditions threaten the all important Christmas holiday period.

This autumn has been one of the worst on record with high temperatures and little snowfall.

Many resorts have had to postpone their openings and the main ski races have been cancelled because of a lack of snow.

With millions of skiers heading to the resorts over the next week there are concerns that the open runs will be very busy and people could be put off from booking again at Christmas and the New Year, costing the multi-million pound industry heavily in lost revenue, and threatening jobs.

Climate change

Many believe global warming is to blame for the lack of snow.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned that many low-level resorts could soon be unviable and predicted warmer temperatures in the future.

Already banks are refusing to offer loans to resorts under 1,500 metres as they fear for their future snow cover. Germany is threatened the most, followed by some Austrian and Italian resorts.

However, the picture is not as bleak as some say, with the high resorts having good conditions on some runs.

I am in the Swiss resort of Verbier and the open runs have good snow and more is set to open this weekend helped by artificial snow.

"We have many new snow-making cannons across our slopes and this has helped greatly," Pierre-Yves Deleze told the BBC.

"Some snow is forecast to fall next week and then everything should be OK. If not though, it will make us more nervous for Christmas."

'Higher ground'

The best skiing is to be found on the high resorts with glaciers: Tignes and Les Deux Alpes in France; Zermatt, Saas Fee and Verbier in Switzerland, and Obergurgl in Austria......

For the full report see;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6185345.stm

Canada or not

The conversation, a quick casual catch up outside the post office, went;

"Come over to Canada we have a house at Red Mountain for a month"

Those simple 14 words sent my mind spinning with ramifications exploding normality. What an option. I don't even know where Red Mountain is having never been to Canada .... one of those things in life that as a snow bum you just got to address .... sometime

snow in november ?

Snow on 10 November 2006. Halleluja. A vicious southerly front fuelled by a deep low centred over the north island slammed across us with a series of snow showers to low level in the wakatipu basin

I love it....

Cancel all meetings

11.15am, 9 October 2006

cancel all meetings !

 

Blisfull .. i think there i such a word.

As the legs throb their pleasure after a burning top to bottom onslaught with plenty of off piste to avoid those pesky snow guns and a few tumbles as skis tangle in shrubbery.

This is a shot looking down the gorge in to Queenstown from Coronet Peak on 17 June...three days after opening.

Funny thing is about the only time I feel safe from a spaniard is when it is mostly covered in snow and I've got my boots and skis on.......