Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding

Sunday, 01 December, 2002

First Pyrenean Resorts Open

Piau-Engaly, the highest of the resorts in the French Pyrenees opened this weekend. Piau is a traditional earlier opener but the good snow, 45cm in resort mean that 12 out of 20 lifts were open along with 60% of the pistes.

Posted by davidof at 05:34 PM
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Friday, 15 November, 2002

New Station for Les Arcs

This new section of the station will be built geographically below Arc 2002 and will be called Arc 1950. It will be roughly under the chair lift of Prés St Esprit. The resort will initially comprise 1000 beds to be built by the end of 2003 with a total of 3500 beds. The first stone of the village was laid in June 2002 and landscaping work is moving ahead.

Posted by davidof at 08:35 PM
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Monday, 11 November, 2002

La Plagne – New Lifts and Pistes

The longest piste in La Plagne, the Mont de la Guerre has been linked to the Bois on its lower half. It was always on the more exposed side of the valley to Champany and this should now enable it to open for more of the season.

Posted by davidof at 06:37 PM
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Saturday, 09 November, 2002

Val Thorens opens for Winter

Val Thorens, located at 2300 meters in the Three Valleys ski area is traditionally the first resort to open the winter domain. This had been schedule for the 1st of November but in the end had to be put-off to the 9th due to lack of snow. Under grey skies and flurries of snow the funitel and glacier lifts were opened but it was possible to return all the way to resort on light powder.

Posted by davidof at 11:10 AM
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Wednesday, 06 November, 2002

Chamonix aux Pyrenees

Big changes for the new season at the Pyrenean resort of Barèges / La Mongie. With the freeride craze in full swing the Burghers of Barèges have taken the bold decision to open the legendary Pic du Midi to off-piste skiers.

Posted by davidof at 11:09 AM
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Wednesday, 23 October, 2002

Snow Cannon Aid Raises Eyebrows

In the same week that French President Jacques Chirac has been telling the British to contribute more to the EU budget while refusing change to the subsidy paid to French farmers a new drain on the EU budget has surfaced: Snow Cannon Aid. With the bulk of the money going to ski stations, which according to studies on global warming, have poor long term prospects even some French are fuming.

Posted by davidof at 10:06 AM
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Sunday, 20 October, 2002

L’Alpe d’Huez to Open for Half Term

After last season’s green fields l’Alpe d’Huez obviously wants to show that they are capable of opening the ski area despite any snow difficulties. They’ve taken a leaf out of Autran’s book, the tiny Vercors station that opened their small ski area at the end of November last year. They benefited from a great deal of publicity in the French press.

Posted by davidof at 10:01 AM
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Tuesday, 15 October, 2002

Val Thorens Bouquetin Funitel News

One of our informers was up at Val Thorens a few days ago. He took a look at the work on the new Bouquetin Funitel (two wire cable car) which will replace an exiting chair and give quicker access to the other parts of the Three Valleys.

Posted by davidof at 09:59 AM
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