A small part of Paris has been lending a hand on the slopes of Mt Hutt in New Zealand this week. A replica of Rodin’s famous bronze statue ‘The Thinker’ has made his debut on various parts of the Canterbury ski field. The statue’s presence is part of the country’s comprehensive ACC injury prevention campaign which is a government-backed programme that ensures everyone in New Zealand is covered by a no-fault scheme if they've been injured in an accident. Over the past six years ACC have accepted 6,595 snow-sports related injuries in the Canterbury region alone. The idea of ‘The Thinker’, part of ACC’s Preventable campaign, is to encourage skiers and boarders to think before they act and help prevent

Issued: 17th August 2022 By Patrick "Snowhunter" Thorne Southern Hemisphere European Roundup North American Roundup Asia Roundup World Overview It has been a good week in the main ski regions of the southern hemisphere with more snow falling and some sublime days following the falls. Ski areas in New Zealand reported ideal weather over the weekend with blue skies, light winds and temperatures a degree or two below after the snowfall last week. The snow was falling in Australia and the Andes at this point with some whiteouts before the calm returned. Afriski in Lesotho, southern Africa, is also open for a few more weeks as the season winds down there.In the northern hemisphere, we’re into the last few days of

Switzerland’s Glacier 3000 ski area, close to the village of Les Diablerets and resort of Gstaad, has been in the news for several reasons this month, some good, some bad. On the ‘good side’ for skiers and boarders is the news that the resort has dug 100 metres of a 265m long tunnel to provide new access to what it describes as the ‘mythical’ Pierres Pointes sector.  The tunnel will emerge high in the sector and the 3km (nearly 2 miles) long black run emerging from it will pitch at up to 41 degrees below it with a huge 1,000m+ vertical descent down to Pillon (1546m) in the valley below.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FwsnAXlVaE On the bad side, the melting of the

Laax already has one of the planet’s strongest reputations with boarders and freestyle skiers, including, it claims, “the largest half pipe in the world,” …but rather than rest on its laurels the Swiss resort says it will be adding a fifth terrain park this coming winter. The new "Free60" Natural Snow Park’s main selling point will be minimal intervention in whatever the natural conditions are. Located between Crap Sogn Gion and Plaun, there’ll be a total of 18 obstacles, but with the onus on keeping things natural, “The special feature: the elements lie in unprepared terrain …including ramps, rails, bridges, pillows and pale jams made of wood and covered naturally with snow,” a resort statement explains.

As hot weather continues to impact the Alps and many other mountainous areas around the world, it looks like only one ski area will be open for the final 10 days of August and into September in the northern hemisphere. The number of centres currently open is already at a historic low, with just two areas left open to the skiing public in Europe and one in North America. Two of these have announced they plan to end their seasons on August 21st. This will leave, all being well, Hintertux in the Austrian Tirol (pictured top today) the only ski area still operating. It’s one of two ski centres that usually aim to keep their glacier slopes open 365 days