We need a Frequent Flyer Levy to address the inequality of flight use
How many flights do you take a year? Purely from the fact that you’re reading this on Ski Flight Free, the chances are that you may at least be trying to cut down. The aviation sector is projected to be the single biggest source of emissions in the UK by 2050 due to the steadily...
Hotelplan announce two new climate partnerships
As the next step in its sustainability strategy, Hotelplan has announced two new climate partnerships worth more than £1 million with Klimate and Rewilding Britain. More recent developments in the group’s carbon mitigation strategy have seen a move away from traditional avoidance-based carbon offsetting towards carbon removal and rewilding. “Protecting the planet that we and...
Case Study: Taking the train from the UK to Arinsal, Andorra
Tom Thorp recently contacted us after listening to Iain talking about train travel on The Ski Podcast: “I’ve been enjoying your podcast, thank you for all your work creating interesting episodes and insights.” Tom is a ski instructor, working both in the UK and regularly in the European mountains. He specifically wanted to share his...
Ski Racers call for FIS to take Climate Action
Last month over one hundred ski racers signed an open letter to FIS, coordinated by Protect Our Winters ambassador Julian Schütter. The letter, most recently updated on 10 March, has now been signed by over 450 athletes, including stars like Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, demands greater action from FIS and transparency on the...
5 ways Alpe d’Huez is reducing emissions
SATA Group – the company that manages the lifts in Alpe d’Huez – has been working on practical ways to reduce their emissions as part of their goal to achieve Net Zero by 2037. This is a quick look at some of the policies they have put in place already, with other measures lined up...
It’s time to end private jets to the Alps
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak loves a private jet. Last month Sunak took three trips by private jet in just over a week, including flying from London to Blackpool and London to Leeds, both journeys that could have been done by train in two and a half to three hours. The UK is in fact...
New Solar Panels for Meribel
Méribel has joined the increasing number of ski resorts to deploy solar panels on their ski lifts. This winter look out for the unique PV panels on the roof of the mid-station of the Saulire Express gondola. In the summer of 2022, 182 solar panels, measuring one meter by two meters each, were installed covering an...
We can’t wait for Midnight Trains to arrive…
We’re in the midst of creating a sleeper train company, but more precisely, we’re aiming to reinvent the night train to make it the most comfortable and sustainable mode of transport of the century, as an alternative to medium-haul flights. The new trans-continental train company ‘Midnight Trains’ is not expected to launch until the end...
Consumers want more sustainable options in travel
Recent research from Skift shows event more evidence that sustainable tourism has become more important since the pandemic. Interest in sustainable travel options by consumers has been steadily increasing over the past decades, and we are now seeing a societal shift towards sustainability that needs to be addressed by the travel industry. Details of the...
New Direct Train from Amsterdam to Austrian Alps (Updated Dec 2022)
December 2022 Update: The TUI Ski Express has started. ⛷ Big news: The very first #TUI Ski Express hit the rail. ????The special #train is a weekly direct service from The Netherlands ???????? to the Austrian alps ????????. In addition to its comfort and cosiness, the big bonus is a more #sustainable transport to winter...
Case Study: UK to Orelle (Les 3 Vallées) by train
In December 2022, Iain Martin, presenter of The Ski Podcast and founder of Ski Flight Free, travelled from the UK to Orelle – the secret fourth valley of Les 3 Vallées – by train. London to Paris As with all train journeys to the continent, my day started at London St Pancras. Although on arrival...
Record ice loss by Glacier Blanc in Ecrins National Park
No one can be unaware that last summer was devastating for the world’s glaciers. We reported previously on the record melt in the Pyrenees. New data from the Glacier Blanc in Pays des Ecrins glacier backs this up. According to this research, 2022 represented not just the lowest winter snowfall for 23 years, but also...
