Italy’s Cervinia ski resort, which is connected by piste and lifts to Zermatt in Switzerland, has made a major investment of 11.5 million Euros in a state-of-the-art new chairlift.

The new Pancheron six-seat lift, which has all the latest safety features, departs from the top of Cretaz (close to the arrival station of the chairlift of the same name), and has an hourly uplift capacity of 3,000 people/hour.

The lift rises 512 vertical metres from 2,438m above-sea-level to 2,950m above-sea-level providing access to an expanded Cretaz sector and creates a new, even faster and more convenient, way to access the higher pistes of the ski area from the resort centre. In addition the ski area accessed by the new “Pancheron” chairlift allows off-piste skiers to access multiple lines throgh the powder snow in areas like Val Furggen.

The new lift gives great access to the Pancheron piste, regarded as one of the resort’s most spectacular with multiple changes in terrain as it descends in Cervinia, and makes a 1000m vertical descent possible.

As well as improving uplift on the mountain the new lift, which has been largely funded by the area’s local government which is the major shareholder in the ski resort, is expected to lead to a decrease in vehicle traffic in resort by making uplift more efficient.

Serbia’s Mt. Kopaonik ski area has a new four star hotel his winter, the Angela. The hotel has been created by the MK Group from the merged Zve?an and Ras buildings.

The new hotel is part of an 8 million Euro spend by the MK Group on reconstruction and modernisation of the whole tourist complex at the mountain.

The refurbished Grand Hotel will include 75 fully modernised rooms and two new presidential suites with the Aperitiv Bar, Havana Bar, and the Garden Club Restaurant all redesigned.

The building will have higher energy efficiency with power saving and heating improvements, as well as new lifts, restaurant and kitchens.

The new wellness and spa centre, Grand Oaza, covering 2,200 square metres has also been created and there are also new modern indoor children playgrounds, an eight-line bowling centre, fitness facilities and a business centre.

The giant French Paradiski area that encompasses 20 resort villages which are part of the resorts of les Arcs, la Plagne and Peisey Vallandry, is encouraging skiers and boarders to think outside the snowbox in 2010 and consider trying one of the numerous adrenalin-pumping, side-splitting and quirky sports they offer besides downhill skiing and boarding.

Not for the faint hearted, Paradiski offers the more adventurous the chance to experience bobsleighing on France’s only Olympic bobsleigh run, ski-joering, ice climbing, snow rugby, speed-flying, watersliding and much more.

With the Bobsleigh run at la Plagne, you shoot down the 1.5km Olympic bobsleigh run either in a four man ‘bob-raft’ at 80kph, a ‘mono-bob’ with speeds exceeding 90kph, or go for the awesome 120kph ‘taxi-bob’ steered by a professional driver.

Paradiski is the only ski area in Europe with a special ski-joering course where skiers sign up for a unique horse-drawn skiing experience that is an age-old Scandinavian tradition .

Ice Climbers can scale the heights of Europe’s only 22 metre artificial ice tower in Champagny le Haut. There are 26 different routes that are suitable for intermediate climbers and professionals.

If you’re in resort on St Patrick’s Day you can take to the pistes at an altitude of 2,300 metres for a game of snow rugby on a pitch approved by the French Rugby Federation. Then battle it out in the final at the end of the day in the centre of the Vallandry resort.

Finally speed-flying is a thrilling combination of skiing and paragliding you can try is Les Arcs ( www.alerion.fr)

To end the day put on your skis and take a run up and attempt to cross a 12-metre long swimming pool situated next to the Altipost high-altitude restaurant. What’s more, watersliding is free of charge and to add to the fun you can place bets on who will sink first.

If you do still want to squeeze in some regular skiing and boarding you’ll find Paradiski has 425km of runs divided in to 236 runs, a 2050m vertical, two peaks at over 3,000 m, 153 km of cross country trails, two snowparks, five boardercross courses and two half-pipes.