"Endless Winter Snow"

3.03.2008

Snow Alert -Chamonix - France , Whistler Blackcomb , Snowbird, Beaver Creek

Crystal Mountain
What's Happening at Crystal Mountain : We are open daily from 9am- 4pm. Please view our interactive trailmap to view which lifts are operating and daily groomed runs (updated daily at 8am)

Crystal Mountain will host the first ever IFSA Junior National Freeskiing Championship March 7-9th: Topathletes from the Cowboy Up Junior Freeskiing Challenge event atStevens Pass and top finishers from the Crested Butte Junior ExtremeFreeskiing Championships will be invited to the National Championshipat Crystal Mountain in March. There will also be a qualifier day atthe National Championships at Crystal and top finishers from other North American junior events will also be considered. For qualifying opportunities and information on these events please visit www.mountainchallenge.org

www.skicrystal.com

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Angel Fire

FIESTA DEL SOL - MARCH 15th - 16th Now in it's third annual installment, FIESTA DEL SOL is the party that just keeps getting better and better. So, come join us for a fantastic weekend of fun under the sun. Contests, activities, music, events and even a few surprises. Did we mention great snow too?

www.angelfireresort.com

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NorthFace Masters
With the induction of the The North Face Masters 2008 comes the gathering of the big mountain snowboarding tribe from all over the world. All male and female snowboarding competitors over the age of 18 are welcomed to participate.

“Today's riders are redefining what is possible—they're taking the tricks and skills learned in the terrain parks to the big mountain environment,” said Joe Flannery, Vice President of Marketing for The North Face. “As a company that was born in the mountains, we're excited to see today’s brightest snowboarding stars with a venue that celebrates what they do.”
Fans of big mountain snowboarding can also catch same-day live coverage of the Semi-Final and Final rounds on the event website, where there are complete videos, photos, athlete profiles, detailed event schedules, registration information and more.
Please visit www.thenorthface.com/masters

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Lake Louise
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - Sunday, March 16, 2008 :
Smith Optics Big Mountain Challenge
The second and final stop in the Senior Freeski Series, Lake Louise shows off its epic Powder Bowls for the fifth annual Big Mountain Challenge. Competitors from all across North America are expected to take part in the multi-day event. The event starts with Registration and Venue Inspection on the Wednesday, a Qualifying Round on the Thursday, Semi-Final Round on Friday and Final Round, Awards Ceremony and Wrap-up Party on the Saturday. Sunday is held as a weather day.

www.skilouise.com

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Bacardi Gets the job Done

Heavenly Mountain Resort
South Lake Tahoe, CA/NV—— Heavenly Mountain Resort received 167 inches of snow in January, marking the most snowfall in a single month since the resort began keeping snowfall data in the 1975-76 season.

“We’re in one of those epic snow cycles that the Sierra mountain range is famous for,” said Blaise Carrig, Heavenly’s chief operating officer. “We beat the next closest month by 20 inches. There is no destination in the U.S. that has the kind of snow we have right now.”

In addition to the record snowfall, Heavenly’s snow pack is 23 percent higher than average, its base depth ranges from 78 to 100 inches, and it has received over 300 inches of snowfall to date this winter. In response to this amazing amount of snow, Heavenly has announced that it is extending its season into May. The resort had planned to close for the season on Sunday, April 20, 2008, but now has an expected closing date of Sunday, May 4, 2008.

“We wanted to reward our pass holders and other loyal guests with an extra two weeks of skiing,” Carrig said. “Heavenly already offers the best views, best surface conditions, best grooming and best tree skiing. Now our guests can enjoy it all into May.”

www.skiheavenly.com

2008 Subaru U.S. Freeskiing Series & Freeskiing World Tour Schedule

• Subaru Jackson Hole Freeskiing Open, Jackson Hole, WY, March 13-16

• Subaru U.S. Freeskiing Nationals, Snowbird, UT, March 18-23 (World Tour #2)

• Subaru Freeskiing World Championships and Subaru U.S. Freeskiing Series Finals, Alyeska, AK, April 9-13 (World Tour #3)

For more information log onto www.usfreeskiing.com

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Mt Fort -Switzerland

Photo: Mt Fort Tourism

Temperature at 1200 noon -2 °C Last snow area 06.02.2008
Depth of snow in resort/valley
1300 m 12 cm New-fallen snow (last 24) 1300 m 0 cm
Depth of snow on upper runs
3330 m 110 cm New-fallen snow (last 24h)
Depth of snow on lower runs 2200 m 127 cm

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La Pinilla - Spain

Camp de Freestyle - Surf3 - School of Ski the Pinilla - Ski/Snowboard first camp of Freestyle Surf3 - the Pinilla, will be celebrated during the weekend of 9 and 10 of February, in that we animated to skiers and snowboarders to introduce itself actually of the Freestyle.. For that reason we sent to this course, distributed by the best titled professors of Surf3 and the School of Ski the Pinilla, so that campers begins of safe and progressive form in freestyle. In this camp we will make a review of the technique basic and perfected in track later to introduce itself in the technique of flat-tricks, basic maneuvers of freestyle in track and initiation to jibbing. After the hours of practice in track, we will make a shutdown to eat and later we will make exercises of transference to the jumps in our elastic bed and also we will make a video session correction to visualize it in the shelter in the evening. In summary ours camp includes: 4 hours of technique in tracks every day. 1 day of video correction and later visualization. 1 day of exercises of transference in elastic bed. Menu of food (optional): 12? day 4 hours of technique in tracks every day. Lodging in the shelter on foot of tracks in MP(opcional): 30?/di'a T-shirt of camp. Like main contents that we will work: Technique perfected in tracks. Initiation to the basic maneuvers of freestyle. Initiation of flat-triks in track. Initiation to jibbing.
LA Pinilla - Spain

Patscherkofel - Austria - previous 1976 Olympic site

Patscherkofel Cam photo Today -

Innsbruck hosted the Olympic Winter Games twice and Igls as the venue for the men’s downhill was the focus of the world’s interest. Not only the Olympic winners Franz Klammer and Egon Zimmermann love the runs on the Patscherkofel, also beginners and advanced skiers are fascinated by this beautiful mountain.

Already in the year 1910 one wanted to establish an aerial ropeway of Igls on the Innsbrucker "house mountain" to Patscherkofel. As main backers the owner of the Adolf room, the planning company Heckel from Saarbruecken, the electricity company Nuernberg and the city Innsbruck drew hotel "Iglerhof". Although the route was fixed and the financial means were available, the execution bureaucracy dragging at that time, following Balkans confusions 1912/13 and that finally fell 1. World war to the victim. Individual attempts at revival of the building after the war failed however and only the establishment of an action committee in the year 1926 with seat in Igls meant the genuine stimulus for the entgueltigen building of this aerial ropeway. The action committee, in the special one the already aforementioned KR room, Leo Handl, Franz Eiler, the municipality Igls, and the municipality Schwaz, procured the necessary capital of 1.7 million Schilling (? 123.000, -) and the establishment of the "Patscherkofel Drahtseilbahn AG" followed.

The route was again specified. Original valley station variants were among other things the stations Igls and Lansersee, the Schwellerkapellle, the meadow beside the nursing center u.a.m. On 15 May 1927 the first cut of the spade took place for the building of the necessary material express course and on 14 April 1928 could the Patscherkofel - aerial ropeway already solemnly be opened. During the building arisen unexpected difficulties foundation digging, basic separations, high voltage underpasses etc. caused finally an increase of the building sum on more than the double (approx. S 3.6 millions /? 260.000, -). The increased capital requirement, for which 10-12% interest had to be paid already at that time, and which brought decreasing/going back person frequency due to the worsening economic situation, the society into large financial difficulties and finally into the bankruptcy. The country Tirol took over the majority of the shares and 1931 also the line and administration of the enterprise. The municipality Schwaz had to carry out to 1978 repayments, which enstanden from the obligations entered at that time were. By in the year 1938 in strength the stepped other legal regulations the Patscherkofelbahn had to 31.12.1940 from the national possession to be sold. Thus enstand the pool with the Innsbrucker transporting enterprises AG, up to then "local railway Innsbruck i.T. AG ". Until 1938 could be mastered traffic with the original plant without larger waiting periods. And the tourism increasing using then after the war required however in the course of the years several small Umbauten.Das time-consuming transferring in the central station "holy water" could by in the year 1962 the large change taken place to 4 cars (before 2) connected with extensive technical verb eating runes and changes, be strongly reduced. With the olympic one winter plays 1964 and 1976 the gentleman departures at the Patscherkofel were delivered. With 01.12.1996 the Patscherkofelbahn got again a private operator. In the same year at large expenditure the Patscherkofel was technically converted - to-and-from system aerial ropeway. All four cabs were reorganized 2002 and provided with a new Logo. TECHNICAL DATA OF THE PATSCHERKOFELBAHN:
Valley station Igls sea-height 904 m central station holy water 1136 m mountain station Patscherkofel 1951 m (sea-height is related to the carrying rope) Table (2 stages) 3800 m (secondarylongest aerial ropeway route in Austria)

www.patscherkofelbahnen.at

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Chamoinix - France
Excellent snow conditions and fine sunny weather !
Significant avalanche risk off-piste 3/5 on the European Scale.
33 km of cross country pistes open.

The Ski Areas Chamonix's skiing extends over 3 main areas : Brévent/Flégère, offering south-facing slopes and exceptional views of the Mont-Blanc chain, the Grands Montets, high altitude north-facing slopes which dominate the village of Argentière and the Balme area, wide open slopes at the top of the Chamonix valley, bordering on Switzerland. The sister resort of les Houches lies at the opposite end of the valley and is accessible with the Mont-Blanc Unlimited ski pass

Photo: Chamonix Resort archives
Aiguille du midi cable car
To the Top !
From the centre of Chamonix at 1035 m, the Aiguille du Midi cablecar carries you to 3842 m into the realm of high moutain peaks. A unique 360 degree panorama of the Mont-Blanc chain

• Off-piste skiing :
Vallée Blanche is a high mountain itinerary route on glacial terrain which is neither marked nor patrolled : it is strongly recommended to be accompagnied by a Mountain guide. For further information please contact the Office de Haute Montagne and consult their Vallée Blanche web page

Office de Tourisme

Chamonix Mont-Blanc
85, place du Triangle de l'Amitié
BP 25
F-74400 Chamonix Mont-Blanc
Tel +33 450 53 00 24
Fax +33 450 53 58 90
info@chamonix.com
www.chamonix.com

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