Snow for the Euros.

[edg]

edg - has the change to '05 scuppered your map reloading facility?

It would appear so; I think my host must hate me. I'll see what I can do to sort it out.

edg

[Tri-Ungulate]

So whazzup in euro land? Snowfire's interim report in FR not sounding so stellar and the pickins looking thin for the near future.

Huge dumpage here in Ootahland and I'm packing the bags to leave next week. Heading for the Engadine outside St. Moritz, and considering the LG/SC mini if I can swing it. Starting to think that I'd better bring the hardpack/rock skis instead of the Tablas.

What're conditions like? Any info greatly appreciated.

[Lostinthetrees]

So whazzup in euro land? Snowfire's interim report in FR not sounding so stellar and the pickins looking thin for the near future.

Huge dumpage here in Ootahland and I'm packing the bags to leave next week. Heading for the Engadine outside St. Moritz, and considering the LG/SC mini if I can swing it. Starting to think that I'd better bring the hardpack/rock skis instead of the Tablas.

What're conditions like? Any info greatly appreciated.

Reporting in on Fri. Jan 7th -
I am a realist, a man of science. I have been skiing Western CH. So here it is without the "resort" sugar coating:

RECO: Look at the map of CH and draw a line between Zermatt and Murren. You want to be skiing east of that line. Eastern 1/2 of CH has again gotten more snowfall so far this season. You picked a good place to start off. Check the station's website for the best info.

Austria may be a good bet, too. Saw someone posting up on the Board re: St. Anton. Ask them.

REPORTS:
Skied Gstaad (Sector #2) New Year's Day on a gorgeous bluebird day. Great views, but the ski conditions were bummer. Thin, rocks in pistes, and some red/black pistes closed. Skip-it.

PDS snow levels are 10 - 60cm on piste. Reality is there are rocks and big brown-outs on the pistes. Some pistes closed. Not sure all liasons are open.

Verbier is similar to PDS right now. Steep is rocky.

Leysin. Better ask TeleAl before heading in.

Skied Les Mosses Weds. Mostly blue runs, but the snow is holding up nicely. Nothing challenging, but good piste skiing.

Nothing off-piste anywhere in Western CH or the French Alpes Haute Savoire. (except Cham and Argentiere if you want to take chances with the glaciers.). Can't say re: Alpes east of Grenoble and south.

FUTURE PLANS:
Not buying a ski ticket until we get at least 30 - 40 fresh in Western CH.


Have you thought about driving down to Sienna and Florence? Lovely, and with this weather... Really, that would be my choice given the weather for the next 5 days. ;-)

litt

[Meathelmet]

From 5 days ago.

La Grave: Rocky.Hard.Decent base.
Serre : Rocky.Decent base. Good in the Monetier side in the woods.
Les 2 : Good base. Ice.
Alpes Dhuez: Rocky. More snow needed to make a good base.Ice.
Montgenevre: Ice in the upper parts, very thin base in the bottom.
Gressoney: Ice,ice,ice.Good base up, lousy down.
Algana : Exelent base up high.Ice,windslabs,ice and some more windslabs.


Alps definetly needs more fresh.
Problem especially in monterosa area is the goddam base.
A complete sheet of ice (need crampons for hiking) on what the new snow
doesnt stick to. Saw the most horrible slab conditions ever...
Sucks.

[supercastor]

nothing to add, except it was raining yesterday up to 1700m (~5500 ft) around grenoble (chartreuse and belledonne)

sad.

and i'm leaving for Alagna in 10 days. Time for a Snow Dance.

[Hicks]

A buddy's report from the Austrian central Alps (Soelden) 5 days ago:

Very poor coverage, tons of stones (fucked up his skis), icy, no freshies in sight.
Maybe eastern Suisse or western Austria is the best of all crappy choices right now. Check www.schneehoehen.de for latest updates. Or even better: stay home right now!

[ulty_guy]

Or even better: stay home right now!

too late heading to cham this wknd.

however, on the brighter side, at least the kandahar downhill and combined world cup will be there.

BODE, BODE, BODEEEEE!!!!!

[bad_roo]

Ullr owes me a few favours (I sorted a Bentley for his brother-in-law's stag night) so I've dialled up an air strike.

No worries.

[Hicks]

BODE, BODE, BODEEEEE!!!!!

You better watch out what you are cheering for there - the Frenchies and Austrians are thankful for a reason to kick the crap outta your skull.

[TeleAl]

Listen everyone, if you are in Europe,
drop your pants and do a snowdance!

We need f*&$^n' snow.

Me, I am doing circles naked on my balcony.

[Tri-Ungulate]

Thanks, all, for the beta. Though I wish the news were better, still looking forward to exploring new realms, and mebbe if I'm lucky meeting some of ya.

Perhaps I can look into sacrificing some BYU co-ed virgins, I'm certain there're a plenty of them lyin' about, and at least a few who might be willing to sacrifice their virginity for the greater good of Ullr's Bounteous Bukkake on Creamy European Peaks.

[subtle plague]

rejoice it's even getting worse.

warm high pressure until thursday with minimal moisture interfering. If were lucky it stays even longer
The slight chance of a change for next weekend, but red baron would be shivering if id make any further predictions concerning the future at 5 days plus.
no weather guy would /should do this.

conditions in saas fee are bad, lötschental too, we did not even consider going up the mountain in Zinal and ive NEVER been to andermatt when it had such little coverage.

edit for teleal: i've been doing naked dances for 2 weeks now !

[Lostinthetrees]

It is happening somewhere in Western CH! The Jura.

Nothing to do but break out the skins. Sat 9 AM I headed to the Jura and departed from the parking at the col de la Givrine (5km beyond St. Cergue, CH) and skinned up just below La Dole.

Bluebird. 3C at 10AM and finished at 10C - 50F at 2PM. Sunscreen required.

Start elevation: 1210m finish at Col de Porte: 1590m

Good snow conditions, excellent coverage. Crispy starting out, icy in the steeps, but the descente using a red piste was excellent. The views from the col de Porte were killer today. Lac Leman, the Jet d'Eau in Geneve, Mt Blanc Massif and the entire line of les Alpes de Haute Savoire. Also, Les Dents du Midi and Les Alpes Vaudoises. Crystal clear. (Sadly my wife took my camera on a business trip).

The little ski area (Les Jouvencelles) is 1/2 in CH and 1/2 in FR. All surface lifts. The CH side is remains in the shade almost the entire day. Plenty of big trees alongside the pistes. It had plenty of coverage, no rocks in the red pistes. Hard pack powder conditions. The FR side is burnt up. Too sunny.

Surprising conditions for such low elevation. Better than Les Mosses and someone told me better than Verbier right now. At 24chf per ticket vs 61chf at Verb, that is a bargin. Heading up tommorrow AM w/ my kids for some "USA style-East Coast" piste skiing.

litt

[bad_roo]

You crystal ball gazers/Snow Forecast subscribers see anything arriving in the Southern French Alps in the next six days?

[verbier61]

and then

and then

[Meathelmet]

and then

and then

Does that mean that Ullr is vomiting white stuff every day??!!!

Whooa! Lucky you!

[TeleAl]

Anti-cyclone (French for high pressure system) is all I see.
But, I do not subscribe to the crystal ball, I simply watch the sat image.
If we were in Norway, we'd be covered in something. They seem to be getting all the weather.

All I know it is causing me a depression.

To add insult to injury, the ice on my parking lot could double for a skating rink.
And with no wind, I can't even fly a kite.
Took a nap in the sun on my balcony today, with a tee shirt on.

[subtle plague]

maps look like:










head to the states! no change in sight before the 20th(glass ball hope)..... if at all. the slight cooling predicted for friday will only bring a few cm to eastern austria. the rest will stay what ? yes youve guessed it. WARM AND DRY.


ill go climbing.


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(too much and )

[comish]

Actually you don't even want to be in Norway according to a Norwegian dude I shared the lift with on Saturday it rained all the snow away in his resort, Kjetfill or however its spelled so he was stoked to be in St. Anton where even though warm over the weekend at least had snow...

[edg]

Thursday for the Italian side is the word on the street... Might even be a France storms (Switzerland always seem to end up with it, either way!!!)

edg

[Meathelmet]

Actually you don't even want to be in Norway according to a Norwegian dude I shared the lift with on Saturday it rained all the snow away in his resort, Kjetfill or however its spelled so he was stoked to be in St. Anton where even though warm over the weekend at least had snow...

IT´S A LIE!

First they keep all the oil, then they eat all the whales as sushi and after that they go and club some seals as a digestif.

Nah, kidding.
I have heard though that at the Voss - Oppdal axle there is good/very good snow and up in lyngen it should be very good too. Especially up in the Jotunheim area there has been pucking since beginning of november quite steadily.

Rumours at least.

[Lostinthetrees]

Anti-cyclone (French for high pressure system) is all I see.
But, I do not subscribe to the crystal ball, I simply watch the sat image.
If we were in Norway, we'd be covered in something. They seem to be getting all the weather.

All I know it is causing me a depression.

To add insult to injury, the ice on my parking lot could double for a skating rink.
And with no wind, I can't even fly a kite.
Took a nap in the sun on my balcony today, with a tee shirt on.

Dude, you planning on bringing your bike to La Grave?
Wondering if I need to change out the roof rack from ski system to bike system.

[verbier61]

Thursday for the Italian side is the word on the street... Might even be a France storms (Switzerland always seem to end up with it, either way!!!)

edg

really sorry, edg (actually.... really DESPERATE..), but there's NO HOPE. Olnly appennini will get it

[Lostinthetrees]

really sorry, edg (actually.... really DESPERATE..), but there's NO HOPE. Olnly appennini will get it

V61. what the hell you skiing on up a Verb, now? Maybe there is something on the pistes backside towards Nendaz, but sunnyside, looking into Bruson...is there anything but rocks and brown on steep pistes? (forget hors-pistes).

agree

[verbier61]

V61. what the hell you skiing on up a Verb, now? Maybe there is something on the pistes backside towards Nendaz, but sunnyside, looking into Bruson...is there anything but rocks and brown on steep pistes? (forget hors-pistes).

agree

I will ski this coming WE..... on my tears! What is (hopefully....) remaining:

- some nice AT on the left of the top bruson area
- higher north face of savoleyres
- top of stairway to heaven.... but it ends in rocks and rocks and rocks

if you go to the quiver etc thread in teach talk, you can see the pair of scott aztec I took from the garbage can at n.1 rentals. At 150 CHF (after fixing 10 cm of blasted edges, thanks rick) they're the perfect rock skis