Yup. This system was always going to favour the more SE/E resorts. The Arlberg really needs a north-westerly system for big dumpage, but they seem to have still done reasonably well out of this system.
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International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) Skiing in Europe...off to a bad start
- Thread starter Dakine
- Start date
It looks like the lockdown in Austria will be extended to at least 18 Jan. At this point, ski lifts will still be able to start spinning on 24 Dec, but with lodgings closed, only locals will be able to make use of them.
I don’t have the full details of the announcement, but there is an outline here: https://austrianpress.com/2020/12/18/third-lockdown-in-austria-confirmed/
Apparently, FFP2 masks will be compulsory in gondolas?!?
Random comments from bloggers and interviews in the news suggest that some ski areas will not open until the end of this third lockdown, with the possibility they may not open at all. Makes sense. The big areas, like the Arlberg, rely on international tourists. With borders effectively closed, they would struggle to get enough paying customers to cover the costs.
PS: Strolz has gone into administration. I expect they restructure and trade out out of their problems, but it is another indication of how tough the past year has been for the ski industry (and just about for every other).
I don’t have the full details of the announcement, but there is an outline here: https://austrianpress.com/2020/12/18/third-lockdown-in-austria-confirmed/
Apparently, FFP2 masks will be compulsory in gondolas?!?
Random comments from bloggers and interviews in the news suggest that some ski areas will not open until the end of this third lockdown, with the possibility they may not open at all. Makes sense. The big areas, like the Arlberg, rely on international tourists. With borders effectively closed, they would struggle to get enough paying customers to cover the costs.
PS: Strolz has gone into administration. I expect they restructure and trade out out of their problems, but it is another indication of how tough the past year has been for the ski industry (and just about for every other).
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- Dec 2, 2015
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Wengen has cancelled the wcup downhill races this weekend because of the virus. Even without fans they shut it down. Will this start a cascade of closures?
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“The virus has spread very quickly in Wengen since mid-December. In just four weeks, over 60 cases were reported within the Wengen population, after almost no cases before,” reads a statement from the Canton Bern. “The people of Wengen are asked to stay at home whenever possible and to avoid contacts outside their own household.”
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skiracing.com
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“The virus has spread very quickly in Wengen since mid-December. In just four weeks, over 60 cases were reported within the Wengen population, after almost no cases before,” reads a statement from the Canton Bern. “The people of Wengen are asked to stay at home whenever possible and to avoid contacts outside their own household.”
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COVID-19 cancels Wengen races, moved to Kitzbuehel
Due to the recently deteriorating COVID-19 situation in Wengen, the 91st International Lauberhorn Races cannot be held, according to a statement from Swiss-Ski. After a new analysis of the current COVID-19 conditions in Wengen, the canton of Bern made the decision to cancel the races on the...
skiracing.com
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In France, they were supposed to reopen the lifts on Jan 7. They announced on the 7th that they would remain closed and reassess for Jan 20. The next big date for them is the beginning of French school winter holidays which this year run a period from Feb 6 to March 8. Their main decision will be whether they can open for this holiday period.
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What are the chances Switzerland ski areas will be open either at all, or for entry from France without quarantine?
Was considering going week of Feb 9th, but from US I’d have to quarantine 10 days.
Could do it in Paris, then go. But that would get too early. Thinking of March instead.
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- May 19, 2018
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- 760
Do you have a way to enter France? (EU passport, Long Stay Visa, resident card, official COVID biz?) US nationals have very limited ways to enter France right now unless you are less than 24 hour transiting.
Generally most Swiss ski areas are open.
It seems a lot of people in France are sneaking to Switzerland and back for skiing. ie Chamonix to Verbier etc. For now US nationals can't fly to Switzerland for tourism either, so getting into Europe is going to be the biggest obstacle.
Wengen has cancelled the wcup downhill races this weekend because of the virus. Even without fans they shut it down. Will this start a cascade of closures?
—————
“The virus has spread very quickly in Wengen since mid-December. In just four weeks, over 60 cases were reported within the Wengen population, after almost no cases before,” reads a statement from the Canton Bern. “The people of Wengen are asked to stay at home whenever possible and to avoid contacts outside their own household.”
————-
COVID-19 cancels Wengen races, moved to Kitzbuehel
Due to the recently deteriorating COVID-19 situation in Wengen, the 91st International Lauberhorn Races cannot be held, according to a statement from Swiss-Ski. After a new analysis of the current COVID-19 conditions in Wengen, the canton of Bern made the decision to cancel the races on the...
As said, without paying guest from outside it is very difficult that resorts will be able to economically operate sustaining themselves with "locals" entri€$ only, given that locals usually, at least here in Italy, get very good discount rates on the passes - as much as half price....
Already some areas here in Italy are asking extra $€ contributions to the racers' clubs , in order to keep lifts working for them (as of now, only racers , performing training, are allowed on the few open lifts).
I heard that some area aren't going to open at all , and have written off 2020-2021 season as a complete loss (see Selva di Valgardena lift company announcement some time ago).
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- Dec 2, 2015
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Lol! Totally overlooked that part. Getting into France.
Yikes. Yeah, I assumed the restrictions were over.Well, I’ll go to Whistler!
Oh wait....Canada...
Geez, should’ve started here. Everyone I was talking to had EU passport entry.
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Are U.S. citizens permitted to enter France? No
- Broad restrictions on non-essential travel from many countries outside the European Union, including the United States, remain in place. The French government has defined essential travel as entry by French citizens, residents of France, all foreign (including United States citizen) students (with appropriate visa or residence permit), and spouses and children of French citizens.
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- https://fr.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
The Italian governement has delayed further the opening of the lifts until at least Feb 15th.
I think I've read somewhere that DolomitiSuperski has almost given up hopes to open this season.
Prolly, from Monday 00.00 Lombardy, Alto Adige (autonomous province of Bolzano), and two southern regions (Calabria and I don't remember which other one) will be declared "red zones" again.
Oh well.
I think I've read somewhere that DolomitiSuperski has almost given up hopes to open this season.
Prolly, from Monday 00.00 Lombardy, Alto Adige (autonomous province of Bolzano), and two southern regions (Calabria and I don't remember which other one) will be declared "red zones" again.
Oh well.
Maybe someone should send the decision makers over there this article:
Climbing coronavirus cases in Colorado's high country aren't tracking back to ski resorts
Colorado’s resort communities are teetering on the edge of increased restrictions as a potential surge in COVID-19 cases from the busy holidays looms. But public health officials in eight tourism-dependent communities have not linked any outbreaks to ski areas. “It’s not the activity of skiing...
coloradosun.com
...Ellos no hàblan Inglés...Maybe someone should send the decision makers over there this article:
Climbing coronavirus cases in Colorado's high country aren't tracking back to ski resorts
Colorado’s resort communities are teetering on the edge of increased restrictions as a potential surge in COVID-19 cases from the busy holidays looms. But public health officials in eight tourism-dependent communities have not linked any outbreaks to ski areas. “It’s not the activity of skiing...
In Italy, ski areas remain closed not because they're afraid that the activity of skiing itself would be a Corona spreading activity. Opening ski lifts would prompt travel to and from the mountains, also between regions. And travel is the main thing they want to control. Also, they have to consider the rising numbers and hospitalizations in Südtirol and Trentino. They have been rising in the past few days.
And fair is fair: there have been examples of people (foreigners mostly) discarding all rules and warnings and traveling to mountain communities infecting people there. Wengen went up from 10 cases to 60 a week ago, all because of one Brit who thought his skiing holiday was more important than his own or public health.
And fair is fair: there have been examples of people (foreigners mostly) discarding all rules and warnings and traveling to mountain communities infecting people there. Wengen went up from 10 cases to 60 a week ago, all because of one Brit who thought his skiing holiday was more important than his own or public health.
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Para eso está el traductor de Google.
With respect, when it comes to SARS-CoV-2, maybe the USA is not well placed to advise anyone.
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Equally to be fair the Wengen bloke did not break any laws. More blame on CH govt, Canton and Commune for opening themselves to the world and advertising themselves as such when everywhere else was keeping things closed. They chased the $ and it cost them the Lauberhorn.
Actually he did. Anyone from the UK entering Switzerland from 14 December (and still), has to go into quarentaine for 10 days upon arrival. He didn't comply and went out anyway. The COVID spike in Wengen was tracked back to this British tourist.
From mid-December, the UK has been one of the COVID hotspots in Europe, with an extra contageous strain of the virus too. Switzerland put in the 10-day quarantaine rule in place for all people from COVID hotspots. The Netherlands has been on that list since yesterday. That's why I don't go to Switzerland in two weeks (I had been planning to go). I guess that policy works. In my case anyway.
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The version of the story I have heard from a Wengen resident is that he arrived prior to the 14th and retroactive quarantine. I also understand that no legal action has been taken against the guy so..... But lets not prevent Wengen and the Swiss press putting all the blame on tourists not their greed.
everything open here, but Oslo near resort opend 09:00 and they stopped letting people in 09:10 today
this has happend 3 weekends in a row, but with this weather can you complain? at least very few people and supershort lift lines.
norwegian numbers are*way way way* down after requiring forrreigners to show clean test, test on arrival + 10 day quarantine
this has happend 3 weekends in a row, but with this weather can you complain? at least very few people and supershort lift lines.
norwegian numbers are*way way way* down after requiring forrreigners to show clean test, test on arrival + 10 day quarantine
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Aye, it was so, even if, when a region was classified "Yellow" during Christmas, second home owners and/or long period renters could have travelled to said second home withing the same region (in the mountains but not only), but then, to do what? The limit to move within 30km if lodged in a scarcely populated village/town (less than 5k inhabitants) was in place, then lift were still closed everywhere to all but the racers (and even then, not all lifts). Now, with the new rules in place, even in a "Red" region ppl can travel to their second home, even if in a different region (crossing inter-regional borders is thus allowed). But lifts are still closed until Feb 15 (at least, pending review, again)