
Bardonecchia
Bardonecchia: 100km slopes, 2006 Turin Olympics halfpipe, 1,312-2,800m elevation. Olympic freestyle venue 90km from Turin.
Bardonecchia delivers 100 kilometres of diverse skiing across three distinct sectors: Campo Smith, Melezet, and Jafferau, with elevations ranging from 1,312 to 2,800 metres in Italy's western Alps. The resort's Olympic heritage from the 2006 Turin Games manifests in world-class facilities, including the Melezet Snowpark that ranks among Europe's finest freestyle venues.
Varied terrain encompasses wide, open bowls, technical tree-lined descents, and the challenging Jafferau face, which offers 1,300 metres of vertical drop. Reliable snow conditions stem from the area's favourable microclimate and comprehensive snowmaking covering 80% of all marked runs.
Bardonecchia spreads 43 runs across 100 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 54%, with 23 beginner runs to find your feet and 3 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
The Bardonecchia winter season typically runs from early December through mid-April, with optimal conditions from January through March. The area benefits from its strategic position near the French border, receiving consistent snowfall from both Mediterranean and Alpine weather systems. Early season operations begin around Campo Smith before expanding to Melezet and Jafferau as conditions permit.
February offers peak snow accumulation, particularly on the north-facing Jafferau sector, while March delivers excellent spring skiing with reliable morning conditions and increasingly comfortable temperatures. Special night skiing operations extend the experience on select Campo Smith slopes throughout the season.
Positioned just 6 kilometres from the French border in Piedmont's Susa Valley, Bardonecchia sits 90 kilometres west of Turin and 150 kilometres from Milan. The authentic mountain town features distinctive Piedmontese architecture with historic buildings housing excellent regional restaurants.
Unlike purpose-built resorts, Bardonecchia evolved naturally from a traditional Alpine settlement, maintaining its authentic character while developing modern visitor facilities. The area's strategic location at the end of the A32 motorway and on the Turin-Paris railway line provides exceptional accessibility, including direct high-speed connections from both Paris and London.
Hotels and lodges near Bardonecchia, powered by Stay22.

Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.

We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.

Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.

An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.

A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.

Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.

A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.

Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.
9 live angles across the mountain. Tap any camera to go full-screen.
More Bardonecchia intelligence: snow report, lift tickets, trail map, resort overview.