they can be just as much fun, and they're a lot cheaper. there is no doubt the cost of skiing can put some people off. but in slovenia, the attitude is very different. many slovenians see the mountains as a place that should be accessible for everyone. from the champion skiers to the ones just starting out. go on, simona. you can do it. and from the people alone on a mountaintop... this is probably the highest bedroom in all of slovenia. ..to the teams of champion snow builders. one hour? one hour. yes. we have to hurry up. i'm exploring the country's outdoor playgrounds to find out more about the relationship between the slovenians and their snow.

i've arrived in the nick of time. after weeks of mild weather, the slovenian mountains have just seen their first big dump of snow this winter. it's brought families and school groups out in force, and i'm keen to get out there and join them. this is kranjska gora, the country's oldest — and, arguably, best—known — resort. and today, the mountainside looks so inviting. hello. hi there. hi. 0k. i'm all yours. hi. let's get your boots. what's your shoe size? normally would be a 41, but i might go with a slightly bigger, 42, just for comfort. 0k. so this is the wider one. this is the narrower one. you can try one on and see which one fits better. yeah, let's do it. i've been skiing for almost 30 years, which sounds like a really long time, but it's just something that we've always done together as a family. but it's my first time

skiing here in slovenia, and it's nice out here. the slopes look pretty gentle. there's a really chill vibe, you know? and one thing that i'm definitely noticing is that it's a lot cheaper than many of the other places i've skied in. 0k. your skis are all set. and that's no secret. in recent decades, cut—price resorts in countries like bulgaria and slovenia have been turning heads for people like me, looking for a bargain. awesome. yeah, fits well. perfect. even if that means sacrificing the variety and epic scale that's made the traditional resorts so popular. a full day adult ticket... ..45. wow. and that's still almost half the price of what you would pay in, like, the three valleys in france. yeah? yeah.

half the price. yeah, but probably they have a lot more of ski slopes. here, it's like... here, it's 13 different slopes. and who are the people that come in? are they slovenians? are they foreigners usually? hmm... it used to be most mostly slovenians, but now we get a lot of italians. 0k. people from uk coming as well. so why would italians come here? they've got the dolomites, they've got the alps. yeah, that's true. because it's cheaper here. oh, yeah? yeah. they laugh so, like thea said, a ticket here is 45 euros a day. that compares to 75 a day in the three valleys, france's biggest ski area. but it gets worse. in canada, a lift pass at whistler will cost you more than $180 a day. that's four times as much. and that's before accommodation, food and drink. can i please get one

adult day pass? it can all leave you with the feeling that in some parts of the world, the sport is only for the rich. so here's an interesting titbit. in slovenia, access to sport is actually seen as so important that the government says it's a fundamental right for every person. it's almost as if it was baked into the country's dna. as a result, the ski industry receives public money. the state's provided 55 million euros this season, refurbishing nine resorts, updating things like cable cars and chairlifts. hey, alenka. 0h, hi. hey. how are you? good. alenka dovzan grew up not far from here. she won bronze at the lillehammer winter olympics in 1994. it was slovenia's first olympic medal as an independent nation, following the break—up of yugoslavia three years before. what's the skiing like here in slovenia, generally? especially kranjska gora,

i like really much because it slopes directly from the village. that's really good, especially for the families. from november till march, we have a lot of snow. and that was playground for kids, you know, and that's why so many kids, and now so many people, ski in slovenia. shall we go for a run? good luck. thanks. you, too. 0k. let's go. it's really pretty. you can have a lot of fun here. nice, huh? yeah. wow. look at her go. alenka was born into the authoritarian socialist regime of marshal tito, which held yugoslavia together following the end of the second world war, a system that prized sport and athleticism as a way of celebrating the country on the world stage.

wow. i get to ski with an olympic skier. eva laughs and she's letting me go first. come on! i'm waiting for you. woo! they laugh in that time, it was really good because everybody do everything — if you want. because all these ski lifts, i think we have in yugoslavia a lot because factories, they do that for workers and families, for workers that was not been in programme like for tourism. and that now, it stay from that time. right. so it used to be something that local workers were given access to. yes. rather than tourists. yes. that was privilege for workers. right. 0k. yes. and that spirit is still here. yes. yes, for sure. because you need to know all these competitors, which we've been. nobody come from rich families. we are from normal workers�* family.

and that's from coming from socialism. the season runs from december to march, with the best of the snow usually in february. there are 11 other mountain resorts, all within a short drive of kranjska gora. try vogel to escape the crowds, or maribor if you're after restau ra nts and nightlife. planica is normally the home of slovenia's ski jumpers, but today, something a little more down—to—earth is under way. music plays this is world snow day. it's where families who can't normally afford things like ski rentals and lift passes get free access to all kinds of outdoor activities. and as you can probably hearfrom the europop, it's quite the party. hello.

hi. nice to meet you. franz has six children and finds the cost of lessons for them all a bit of a stretch. in addition, his daughter simona has down syndrome and would need specialist coaching. so events like this allow them a taster without the expense. laughter go on, simona. you can do it. and does she enjoy skiing? yeah, enjoy. yeah! hey, simona, do you like it? yes.

yes?! how difficult do you think it is to access these kinds of outdoor activities? 0k. ready for a bit of adrenaline? little push? all right, let's go! eva laughs it was really great to see simona have so much fun today. and, you know, the outdoors

belong to everyone. and to see that in action here in slovenia is really inspiring. the landscape here is beautiful and it attracts around a million hikers and climbers every year. but it's also remote and can be dangerous in the winter. huts like these can be a lifeline for people out in the mountains. hey. hello. how's it going? all good. yeah. wow. so nice in here. thank you. are you living here right now? i do, yes. really? full—time. do you spend the whole winter up here? we do. do you ever get snowed in? yeah. completely? we do. sometimes. 0k. we still have to, like, wait to get rescued out. what's the longest that you've been snowed in here for? probably a month. no way! yeah. how did that feel? i mean, it's a bit like cut—off, you know, but it's also... it's pretty nice in the end.

yeah, it feels good. nice. there's about 170 huts, bivouacs and shelters scattered all across slovenia. and, you know, they're pretty cheap. you can stay in one for about 20 to 30 euros. it's very simple. just a bed and maybe a bite to eat. most of these huts close for the winter, but some don't. and for those that don't have road access, bringing in supplies, anything from food to water and fuel, can be quite the challenge. which is where the military comes in. today, lieutenant zupancic is off on a mission to resupply one of the huts that are cut off, and he's agreed to let me go with him. so today what we're bringing is basic supplies.

and, i mean, it looks beautiful and sunny here today, but what are the conditions like up in the mountains? so do you think we're safe? we are safe. eva laughs the most problematic hut is called kredarica, which is used chiefly by climbers attempting

slovenia's highest peak — mount triglav. this is slovenia's highest hut, four and a half hours�* walk from the closest road. in the winter, there aren't many visitors, but it's staffed all year round by two hardy meteorologists. so this is it. this is the famous hut. it is. now, you're very lucky, because it's very, very hot. oh, it's nice. wonderful. wow. so can you show me around here a little bit? this is your office? this is our office. this is our living room. yeah. and a little tv. do you get a lot of visitors up here? what would you say is the most difficult thing

about being here? so this is actually the highest bedroom in all of slovenia? yeah. so you've got the luxury penthouse on top of the nation. yeah. and...and few centimetres above my head is outside about sometimes 20... —20 or —40 degrees. wow. i have to be... producer: we're going to get back in the chopper. _ we have to go? yeah. 0k. we've only got a little bit of time here, but the weather seems to be changing, which means that this is our only time

to leave, right? guys, we really have to go! so we had to really quickly get out of the mountain hut because the wind is changing, it's picking up. so if we don't go now, we could be stuck. as well as resupplying huts like kredarica, the helicopter crew also finds itself getting involved with search and rescue missions. they say increasing numbers of people go missing in the hills every year. they're being called out much more regularly. you know, during a time like this, in the winter, would you advise people not to go into the mountains at all? exactly. i wouldn't recommend, if you're not trained properly, to go in the mountains.

what a day. you know, these mountains out here are a true hiker�*s paradise in the summer. but in winter, it's a completely different story. so today i feel like i got a little glimpse into what it actually takes to keep the mountain hut system here running, and being out there, you know, seeing the resupply, seeing how the rescue teams work, it really feels like a special ops mission. we're back on the ground and heading east now into a part of the mountains less visited by tourists. we're in carpathia, an area rich in folktales and tradition. so there's a legendary king here, king matjaz, who was said to be sleeping in a cave somewhere beneath these hills. according to local legend, once his beard grows so long that it encircles his chamber seven or nine times, depending on the version of the legend you believe,

he will wake up. and with that, he will bring in a new era of prosperity for the people here. once a year, the little town of crna na koroskem comes alive with a competition in honour of king matjaz. teams from all over the region come here with one aim in mind — build the biggest, and best, snow castle in just one day. hey, guys. good morning. i've been invited tojoin the student work brigade from the nearby university of maribor. they've won awards three times in the past and are hoping for a repeat victory. they're led by artist vlado vucic. so what's the plan? we will start with making castle in the centre and then go out. 0k. how tall is the castle? i.5m. this is 2.5m.

i think that's... that start really low. oh, really? our firstjob is very simple. go and get as much snow as we can. you need sharp elbows and strong arms. are you ready? come here. help! we need help. don't want to cut off your fingers. nice. with this tool, you can... he saws ah. ..makea shape. 0k. let's see what people are building. wow. that looks amazing. but this... it's not yet there. it's a work in progress. this is work in progress. yes. you know, the details at the end, i would say it's quite hard to work with small details because it's very warm and the snow is like butter.

so it's melting all the time. it looked better before, but you see now it looks somehow soft. wow. this one looks pretty good. i mean, they built an entire medieval town with loads of towers and a whole castle. yeah, i reckon this...this one could win. oh, and it seems like this is an all—female team. and we are bobbin lace makers. oh, lace makers. yeah. with bobbins. and are you hoping to win? we already win twice. you won twice already? yes. last year and three years ago. 0h... yeah. so you are the experts, really. yeah. they laugh we are the champions. oh, my god. amazing. well, it looks beautiful. it looks massive. it's not finished yet, but...0k. amazing. i wish you luck. thank you. but i also hope

that my team wins. so... it's beautiful also, yeah. but it's falling apart. yeah. because of sun. the sun is on everybody�*s minds. from about 10am, it appears above the valley and bathes the entire competition ground in light and heat. some coffee for you. thank you. oh, sorry. we won. yes. how's it going? sun is tricky. what's happened ? the sun... yeah. ..it makes snow melt. yes, it does. she speaks slovenian oh, my god. it's just one hour left. one hour?! one hour, yes. we have to hurry up. so the castle is looking pretty great. there's houses all around. it's beautiful and tall. i think, architecturally speaking, it is the most risky and courageous castle anyone's built. but this concerns me a lot. that tower.

we're playing with fire on top of a very precarious snow structure. and we're done. all we have to do now is wait for thejudging. people get to cast their votes on which one they like the best. the results are about to come in. she speaks slovenian 0h! not the first, not the second, not the third. it's ok. well, to me, you guys were the best team. oh, there you are! how do you feel? next time, we come again and we attack first place again. yeah, that's the spirit! music plays

well, we didn't win. not this time. but i have a feeling, like, that's not what today was actually all about. because as the day went on, ijust had a sense that people were here to really enjoyjust being outside, you know, loving the weather and playing in the snow. and honestly, that's kind of been my general impression of slovenia — people being welcomed, in the outdoors, whoever they are. hello. friday was the first day of meteorological spring —

but it was also a day that winter refused to relinquish its grip. here in northern ireland, enniskillen, seeing a fresh fall of fairly chunky snow. there were also some snowfall over the peak district — this is the cat and fiddle road — road that goes between macclesfield and buxton — it's quite high up, but we had some problems reported on that, as well. low pressure then has been across the uk, with this cold air mass in place. we've got lots of showers at the moment, particularly across england and wales, northern scotland, and this band of rain and hill snow across parts of the far north of england and southern scotland. now there is a chance of seeing a centimetre or two of snow across the cheviots, the north pennines, the southern uplands over the next hour or two, so it could get quite icy here. and also in the showers affecting the higher parts of wales — again, above 200 metres elevation, you might come across an odd centimetre or two of snow across the high ground here. temperatures getting close, if not below freezing in a few areas, so there will be a risk of a few icy patches heading into the first part of saturday morning. then we've got this

clump of more organised showers working across wales in the midlands — well, they could have a bit of sleet or snow mixed in, probably struggling to settle, and quite a few of those showers will still have just cold rain. it is a day where showers will be really widespread on saturday, some of them with hail and thunder. and, although there'll be a bit of sunshine between the showers, those sunnier moments, probably quite short—lived. temperatures below average, about 6—9 celsius. now, the same area of low pressure stays with us through saturday night and into sunday. it will tend to drift northwards, tending to weaken somewhat. and so, of the two days of the weekend, sunday looks like it's likely to be the better, in terms of weather. should be a fair bit of dryer weather after a locally misty and foggy start to the day, a better chance of seeing some sunshine. there'll still be a few showers around, particularly for scotland and northern ireland, 1—2 for wales and western england, but bigger gaps between those showers and a bit more in the way of sunshine. it will continue to feel cool though, for the time of year. into next week, low pressures continue to move in off the atlantic from the west, but they're running into this area of high pressure that's centred over scandinavia. and so, we'll get something of an east—west split with the weather. for western areas,

it stays quite cloudy with the threat of further outbreaks of rain. eastern areas tending to become drier, sunnier, and a bit milder, as well. that's the latest, bye for now.

live from london, this is bbc news. president biden says he's hoping for a ceasefire in gaza by the start of ramadan. rishi sunak warns of extremist groups, which he says are a threat to uk democracy. and it's the killer whale versus the great white, as a solitary orca is seen making an astonishing attack off the coast of south africa.

hello, i'm kylie pentelow. president biden has signalled he hopes to see a deal for a ceasefire in the israel—gaza war in time for the start of ramadan, which is set to begin on march 10th. earlier this week he said he thought monday would be a reasonable deadline. mr biden�*s latest comments come as he announced plans to order a us military air—drop to get food and aid supplies into gaza in the coming days. the air—drops will be co—ordinated with the jordanians, who have been at the forefront of efforts to send assistance to gaza by air. president biden�*s announcement comes after more than 100 palestinians were killed on thursday as crowds formed around an aid convoy in northern gaza, desperate for food. the united nations reported on friday that �*a large number�* of people had been found with bullet wounds. yesterday�*s tragic and alarming

eventin yesterday�*s tragic and alarming event in north gaza, trying to get humanitarian assistance