A 30-year-old German man spent last winter skiing for free across multiple Tyrolean resorts using a forged industry pass and an old employee ID - until he got caught at the Stubai Glacier in February. The total damage to lift operators came to almost €4,000. He avoided a criminal record through an Austrian diversion agreement, but will have to repay the outstanding damages plus an additional €600 penalty.
Vail Resorts has quietly engaged takeover-defence bankers to assess its vulnerabilities, as pressure builds from multiple directions - a rough winter, union tensions, and a persistent billionaire who wants to buy Park City Mountain Resort. Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince has gone public with a $500 million offer and says activist investors are calling him. Vail's CEO isn't selling.
Tazawako sits in Tohoku, the region that makes Hokkaido look like a weekend destination for Tokyo. With 11 metres of average annual snowfall and six lifts serving 13 runs, it's the sort of place that makes you question whether you actually need more terrain when the snow keeps falling.
Slovenia's Kanin ski resort - closed since autumn 2023 when its ageing cable car lost its operating permit - has launched a formal international investor tender with binding offers due by 20 July 2026. The Slovenian government has pledged up to €30 million toward a replacement cable car, and the resort's snowfall data makes a compelling case: up to 1,200cm of annual accumulation may make it the snowiest ski area in the Alps.
Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone have launched a new app that includes New Zealand's first phone-based lift pass - no RFID card required. Skiers can now walk from the car park to the lift gates with just their phone. The Mountains App also brings live snow reports, trail maps, webcams, run tracking, and seasonal leaderboard challenges.
Todtnauberg delivers 400 vertical metres of intermediate skiing in the Black Forest, backed by cross-country trails and woodland hiking. The terrain is modest, but the location works for families avoiding the Alps pricing.
The Twinliner at Samnaun - the world's first double-decker aerial tramway cabin when it opened in 1995 - is getting a full cabin replacement this northern summer. Both cabins will be swapped out as part of a comprehensive modernisation ahead of the 2026/27 season, with the control system and platform doors also upgraded. It's part of a broader €50 million investment program at the Silvretta Arena Ischgl-Samnaun.
Wendelstein runs six trails accessed by a cogwheel railway built in 1912. The 932-metre vertical drop and north-facing aspect make this 11km Bavarian ski area worth considering for anyone within day-trip range of Munich.
New Zealand just got a reminder that winter means business. Coronet Peak, Mt Lyford, Mt Dobson, Mt Hutt, the Remarkables, and Treble Cone all picked up 11-12cm in the last 24 hours, with Cardrona adding 5cm. The commercial resorts are still finalising their opening dates, but snowfall like this has a way of accelerating those conversations. More snow is in the 14-day forecast - here's the full picture.
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