There's been snowfall in the Alps and Scandinavia as half-a-dozen more ski areas plan to open over the coming fortnight in Austria and Finland. Finland's largest ski area, Levi (pictured above), one of two aiming to start their 7-month long seasons on 6th October, reported snow falling down to village level on Wednesday morning. Levi and Ruka (library pic below) will use large amounts of snow, saved from last winter and stockpiled through the summer, to create runs several kilometres long in order to open. There has also been fresh snowfall above about 3,000m in the Alps, bringing to an end the latest period of very warm temperatures to high altitudes. Three resorts are currently open, Saas Fee and Zermatt

Issued: 20th September 2023 By Patrick "Snowhunter" Thorne European Roundup North American Roundup Asia Roundup World Overview Catedral We are reaching the tipping point in the year when northern hemisphere ski areas begin making snow. And while this is the case for some already opening for the new 23-24 season, in the southern hemisphere we'll see the first areas close for their 2023 seasons. This is the start of astronomical autumn/fall in the north, and spring in the south, three weeks after the seasons changed by the meteorological measure. So, for the next few months everyone is agreed it is autumn/fall or spring.In terms of snowfall and openings it has been a fairly quiet week. The main news from the

The famous Aiguille Rouge glacier at the top of the Les Arcs ski area, part of the world’s third largest ski region, Paradiski, is expected to have melted away completely by 2030, the resort has announced. Standing at an altitude of over 3,226m, the peak of the Aiguille Rouge is currently the highest point in the mountain area and attracts over 400,000 visitors a year. Now the area is experiencing new phenomena such as landslides, subsidence and rockfalls on the glacier.  The annual ice melt rate has accelerated to around 3m/year in the Rimaye sector, meaning that the glacier which offered summer skiing in the 20th century and marks the top of one of the world’s great ski runs with

Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London and UPM Biochemicals have embarked on a ground-breaking design collaboration to demonstrate how industry can make the urgent shift away from manufacturing products with materials based on fossil fuels to renewable, circular materials …and they’ve chosen snowboard bindings to illustrate what it’s possible to achieve. A team of 50 product and industrial design students from Central Saint Martins have been tasked to reimagine a range of everyday products - typically produced from fossil-based materials. Embracing the trio of reduced material use, introduction of new, more sustainable materials and supporting recyclability, the concepts have been imagined using UPM’s bio-based materials produced from sustainably sourced hardwood. The results will enable the more environmentally-friendly manufacture

At least four more Alpine glacier ski areas are due to open over the next few weeks, before the end of September, doubling the number currently open.  Most have plans for season opening weekends, when they offer next season’s kit to test and unveil their new autumn park set ups. At Hintertux in Tirol, the only Austrian ski area that stays open year round, the boards have been  taken out of the basement, the tuning station is set up in the garage and the wardrobe is stocked for autumn: In just a few weeks, the snowboard community will start the new winter season with the Hintertux Park Opening set for October 6 – 8 this year. As usual, the setup