• Avalanche deaths in the Alps this week served as a reminder that nobody should even think about venturing off piste without a transceiver, which can help rescuers find a victim under the snow. After last winter's tragedies, equipment shops report increased sales to British skiers. But they are selling hundreds rather than thousands and only to those who know they are likely to head off into risky areas.
For most once-a-season skiers, who rarely go off piste, the price - £180 upwards - can be a deterrent. The latest digital types cost even more. Nor can you rely on being able to rent them in resorts.
A cheaper alternative is the Recco system of reflectors, which send out a locator beam. The equipment needed to lock on to them has become much lighter and has been acquired by a wide range of resorts, listed at www.recco.com. If the reflectors do not come with your clothes or boots, they can be bought for around £13 a pair.
• Contemplating a late ski holiday? Compare tour operator prices carefully with what a strong pound will buy in resorts. A six-day adult lift pass in the French resort of Les Arcs, for example, can cost up to £127 from a tour operator. At the current exchange rate, you could save nearly £30 by buying it when you get there. Much the same goes for Austria's St Anton , where the saving could be up to £25. Tour operators justify this with the not unreasonable argument that they guarantee not to charge customers extra if sterling plunges. But if the gap becomes very wide, some operators, including Thomson, Crystal and First Choice, say they will offer refunds in the shape of après-ski extras.
• A wind-powered ski lift has helped Aspen win a top environmental prize. The Colorado resort was this week named long-haul specialist winner in the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow awards scheme, which aims to encourage working compromises between the travel industry and environmental interests. The Aspen Skiing Company's Cirque drag lift is powered by electricity generated at a wind farm north of town. Serving a fragile area of tundra, it was built by hand between animal mating and nesting periods. The judges, chaired by Professor David Bellamy, praised Aspen for other green initiatives, including the beefing up of its free shuttle bus service to cut traffic pollution.
• The final result of an internet poll, set up to discover whether Aspen Mountain should end its snowboard ban, was a close run thing. Just under half of all voters (48%) said yes. A slender majority of 51% said no, with a few don't cares.
