Ski Resort News and Updates 2015/16
There's a lot to celebrate in winter 2015/16, with daily news of superb snowfall and conditions in all our featured resorts. Not only is the snow about as good as it could be, but there are plenty of new developments, innovations and skier friendly offers around too. Here's a short guide to some of the best ski resort news and updates for this season.
Whistler Peak 2 Peak Gondola (image: Mike Crane)[/caption]
Whistler has introduced a number of new & innovative features over the years to enhance the on-mountain and in-resort experience. 50 years of trail-blazing sees no sign of abating and recent developments include:
Developments at Mille 8 in Les Arcs[/caption]
Les Arcs' latest development project - an extensive new leisure area complete with specialist enclosed beginner areas, sledging, aquatic centre and more - has added a spectacular, modern dimension to this resort, where easy access to skiing and amenities is always a priority.
Find out more in our recent blog post Mille 8, Arc 1800: Family Ski Holidays Just Got Better.
Ski the beautiful Engadin St Moritz area for free this winter[/caption]
Back again for winter 2015/16, our hotel partners in St Moritz are offering completely FREE or heavily discounted lift passes.
Canyons & Park City are now linked, offering the most skiable terrain in the USA[/caption]
Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons Resort have now linked to create the largest single ski and snowboard resort in the USA, at over 7,300 acres. An investment of more than $50M has seen the creation of a new 8 passenger gondola connecting the 2 formerly separate resorts, 2 new express chairs (King Con Express Six-pack and Motherlode Express Quad) and many more improvements. Park City now offers:
Ski in Megève using your MBU lift ticket in 15/16[/caption]
Not only does the Mont Blanc Unlimited (MBU) lift ticket give you access to all of the Chamonix ski areas - Brévent-Flegère, Les Grands Montets, Les Houches & Le Tour-Vallorcine, Courmayeur and the Funivie Monte Bianco and Verbier (for passes of 6 days or more), but now a 2 day+ Mont Blanc Unlimited lift pass also includes unlimited access to the Evasion Mont Blanc area from Megève or Saint Gervais. That's a huge amount of skiing covered on one lift pass!
So, what to do next? To visit and experience any of these fantastic ski resorts just get in touch with our expert reservations team. You can call them on 0131 243 8097 or request a tailor-made quotation online.
Do you know of any other ski resort updates for the current season, or anything in the pipeline? If so, feel free to post your comments below.
Jackson Hole is 50
Winter 2015/16 marks Jackson Hole's 50th anniversary. To celebrate, a brand new lift - the Teton Lift - has been installed and it opens up 200 new acres of terrain on the upper mountain. The resort has produced a series of retrospective videos in celebration of this legendary ski resort too. Here's Episode 1:News from the 3 Valleys
- Mottaret, Méribel's higher altitude sister village, has redeveloped its beginner areas with 2 new beginner lifts at the top of the resort, creating a self-contained beginner zone.
- Access back into the centre of Les Menuires has become easier with the addition of a new (steep-ish) green run, Les Montagnettes, where previously access was by a blue run only.
- Budding freestylers can try their hand on Val Thorens' new Easy Park, which sits adjacent to the Expert Park.
Whistler is 50
[caption id="attachment_9076" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Whistler Peak 2 Peak Gondola (image: Mike Crane)[/caption]
Whistler has introduced a number of new & innovative features over the years to enhance the on-mountain and in-resort experience. 50 years of trail-blazing sees no sign of abating and recent developments include:
- WB+ New for winter 2015/16, WB+ is an interactive platform connected to the Whistler lift system's RFID technology. Track your ski days & vertical stats, set goals or set up a group and compete with your friends and family. Download Whistler's app to make the most of this great new service.
- Crystal Ridge Express and Harmony 6 Express chairs: opened in 2013/14, these two lifts opened up vast amounts of new terrain and dramatically increased the uphill capacity of the mountain. A great addition to the Whistler experience.
- Peak 2 Peak Gondola: Whistler's Peak 2 Peak gondola was completed just before the 2010 Winter Olympics and boasts an unsupported span of over 3kms, rising 436 metres above the valley floor at its highest point. This engineering marvel links Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and has become something of an icon for this incredible destination.
Mille 8, Les Arcs
[caption id="attachment_9075" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Developments at Mille 8 in Les Arcs[/caption]
Les Arcs' latest development project - an extensive new leisure area complete with specialist enclosed beginner areas, sledging, aquatic centre and more - has added a spectacular, modern dimension to this resort, where easy access to skiing and amenities is always a priority.
Find out more in our recent blog post Mille 8, Arc 1800: Family Ski Holidays Just Got Better.
Brand New Heated Chairlift at Sunshine Village
Winter 2015/16 is the inaugural season for the new TeePee Town LX Heated Chair at Sunshine Village, one of the 3 ski areas on the Tri-Area Lift Ticket and linked to Banff and Lake Louise. Complete with heated seats and protective covers, it'll whip you up the mountain in no time and provides access to plenty of blue runs as well as Double Black Diamond terrain including the Tee Pee Chutes and local's favourite, Shoulder.Free lift passes - St Moritz
[caption id="attachment_9078" align="aligncenter" width="832"] Ski the beautiful Engadin St Moritz area for free this winter[/caption]
Back again for winter 2015/16, our hotel partners in St Moritz are offering completely FREE or heavily discounted lift passes.
- Spend at least 2 nights at the iconic Badrutt's Palace Hotel and receive complimentary full area lift passes for the duration of your stay
- Receive free lift passes for the duration of your stay at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains when you stay 3 nights or longer
- Stay 2 nights or more at the Hotel Kulm or the Nira Alpina Hotel and pre-book your ski pass for an amazing 35 CHF per day (normally 76CHF)
Park City has most skiable terrain in the USA
[caption id="attachment_9079" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Canyons & Park City are now linked, offering the most skiable terrain in the USA[/caption]
Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons Resort have now linked to create the largest single ski and snowboard resort in the USA, at over 7,300 acres. An investment of more than $50M has seen the creation of a new 8 passenger gondola connecting the 2 formerly separate resorts, 2 new express chairs (King Con Express Six-pack and Motherlode Express Quad) and many more improvements. Park City now offers:
- 300+ trails
- 38 lifts
- 7 terrain parks
- No less than 6 half pipes and 1 super pipe
- Possibly the lightest, driest powder in the world - ok, so that's not new, but it's even more accessible than ever!
Chamonix Mont Blanc Unlimited
[caption id="attachment_9080" align="aligncenter" width="539"] Ski in Megève using your MBU lift ticket in 15/16[/caption]
Not only does the Mont Blanc Unlimited (MBU) lift ticket give you access to all of the Chamonix ski areas - Brévent-Flegère, Les Grands Montets, Les Houches & Le Tour-Vallorcine, Courmayeur and the Funivie Monte Bianco and Verbier (for passes of 6 days or more), but now a 2 day+ Mont Blanc Unlimited lift pass also includes unlimited access to the Evasion Mont Blanc area from Megève or Saint Gervais. That's a huge amount of skiing covered on one lift pass!
So, what to do next? To visit and experience any of these fantastic ski resorts just get in touch with our expert reservations team. You can call them on 0131 243 8097 or request a tailor-made quotation online.
Do you know of any other ski resort updates for the current season, or anything in the pipeline? If so, feel free to post your comments below.