Snow for the Euros.

[Roo]

Got any pics?

[slippy]

Anyone know how Les Arcs is doing?

[vertigo]

Got any pics?

you'll just have to take my word for it as i don't own a camera! that's pretty lame i know...

but it was nice!

[geo039]

I'm with you...flat and totally skied out by 10 I don't plan on returning anytime soon.

On another not...any insight for the weekend?

geo - shhhhhh theres no terrain there to ski

the r word made its appearance out here from 2000m on down today, but Stubai was fun

[klar]

stubai was indeed fun. the föhn died in the evening, i think, but had already made for a lot of windloading (it also finally filled in the chutes some more).

[Hayduke]

Anyone know how Les Arcs is doing?

Les Arcs is doing pretty well for amount of snow. La Plagne & les Arcs got pounded in the last storm. Same story as everywhere else below 2000m, lots of windloading above.

[Hicks]

Les Arcs is doing pretty well for amount of snow. La Plagne & les Arcs got pounded in the last storm. Same story as everywhere else below 2000m, lots of windloading above.

That won't help you at Alp d'huez though....

[horizon]

Les Arcs is doing pretty well for amount of snow. La Plagne & les Arcs got pounded in the last storm. Same story as everywhere else below 2000m, lots of windloading above.

I love to hear that, given that I'm off to La Plagne tomorrow night!

[Roo]

Cedric - take the direct line from Roche de Mio to Col de la Chiaupe. Some gnar lines in there.

[geo039]

BOOOOOOOO for negative vibe I skied powder last weekend and the the weekend before that, and actually the weekend before that....hopefully more to come

huh? did i blink and miss it?
or, do you really believe in no4kast.
what's in ur pipe, dude?
POUNDED is 2 b reserved for North America storm activity this season.
POUNDED is not a valid word for this season in the Alpes.
U may use the terms of "glanced by" or "winked at" or "weak sauce incoming".

[Roo]

The three day snow forecast predictions have been pretty good this season. Not sure if it's refined the model.

It predicted last Sunday's warm spike in the French Alps with perfect accuracy. It's now telling us that next week will be spring-like. We'll see...

[subtle plague]

and that's the problem.
nearly every numeric model has a pretty reliable temperature forecast for 5+days. but none can guess the precip 48h in advance with less than 50% failure. (although the temp forecast fooled me aswell last week )

[Roo]

I'm so ready for Spring now.

[bbirtle]

huh? did i blink and miss it?
or, do you really believe in no4kast.

what's in ur pipe, dude?

POUNDED is 2 b reserved for North America storm activity this season.
POUNDED is not a valid word for this season in the Alpes.
U may use the terms of "glanced by" or "winked at" or "weak sauce incoming".

Dude I'm gonna have to open up a can of STFU on your ass.

Today I wanted to do a ski tour but ended up staying out too late last night to catch the 8 AM lift. I can ask my buds who did go how it was but I'm pretty sure the conditions are as fantastic as yesterday.

Powder Days this week = 2

Not just to LITT but to everybody else that's whinging: stop bitching about shit and get up there and find some fun stuff to ski.

[Hayduke]

Yes, it really has been a brilliant season so far.

I'm off for a shit, back in a mo.......

[Idris]

Yes there is some wonderfull stuff to ski at the moment, but it is all high altitude and high angle to be untracked.....there is also some low altitude snow on the way.......Play nice and enjoy the snow

[rungsp]

bbirtle...I'm with you on this one.
Vintage season? Obviously not.
Terrible season? Obviously not

So far for me:
10 the dec weekend...total powder frenzy
New Year....groomers were fine, some powder frenzy days too. Skied from 3300 to 800m
Feb weekend: groomers only, but 100% covereage
1/2 term week...powder frenzy for 2 days, everything well covered.
My wife is out this weekend, just phoned to report a Bluebird day, 100% coverage of the groomers which is all she and her girlfriends need for the weekend.

We've got 3 more trips planned.

I'm not worried at all about snow....partly because even if it is not vintage it will still be a LOT better than being in the office.

[Roo]

Been on four trips this season and not seen a single flake of snow fall from the sky.

Ho hum.

[philippeR]

Last week was sweeeet. And sketchy, with all the wind... For my second trip of the season.
I'd love to have one or two more in late march / early april. Is that too much to ask ?

[subtle plague]

the season was great. i had 5-6 climbing days already (one without t-shirt because it was too hot),
20 days of bouldering, and i've gotten really strong. 8a here i come.


ohhh you mean skiing...... yeah well there was this one day last week where it rained to 2000+ and avie danger was 5 above 2200. we went home early after our ski day/travel day ratio became 1:3.
Anybody who says "you have to stop whining" after the warmest winter on record (1:10000 chance for such anomalies, if the climate would not change), following the warmest fall on record, does not quite get the picture. But maybe that's just me and my whiny self....

[jskierpx]

Dude I'm gonna have to open up a can of STFU on your ass.

Today I wanted to do a ski tour but ended up staying out too late last night to catch the 8 AM lift. I can ask my buds who did go how it was but I'm pretty sure the conditions are as fantastic as yesterday.

Powder Days this week = 2

Not just to LITT but to everybody else that's whinging: stop bitching about shit and get up there and find some fun stuff to ski.

Yea that is awesome you are getting powder days every weekend, but you also live in Chamonix.

Cut some slack for us that dont live at one of the Biggest tallest best resorts in the Alps that is obviously amazing even in this horrible season. Because the lower smaller resorts have been complete shyte a good amount of the season. Im thankful there is even snow to slide on, but i am also completely pissed That 366(1 Year 1 day ago) days ago there was over a meter of fresh snow on the ground here at Leysin.


All I want is one good dump, that doesnt melt off in 5 days, and if it doesnt happen, well then i'll come back next season!!!

[bbirtle]

LITT just yankin yer chain. All in good fun.

Yeah I know I'm playing devil's advocate a little here. It's one of the few times where I'd actually recommend people come to Chamonix.

BUT....

Last year we had a month where it dumped like crazy (and recently too). At that time people in Chamonix were happy to get the snow but also bitching about how nothing at the resort was opened. Then it's time to get in the car/train/bus and go somewhere else.

When I did my season in Las Lenas, everybody was bitching because of the lack of snow. But I had an awesome season. Some days, OK, we skiied on hardpack, but I enjoyed it. And I thought there was more snow than people were making out there was. I certainly had some great pow days and on the whole enjoyed it.

During the last storm lots of people in Chamonix had glum faces because MOST of the mountain was wind affected. But not ALL of the mountain...

Point being that people complain about everything, no matter what the weather is doing. And in most case, there is SOMETHING to do, and SOME way to enjoy what the weather and conditions are presenting you.

Most times I am in the negative mode, as most of you know... so I'm taking opportunity of being in a positive mode to try and motivate people.

Leysin etc has had a horrible season. But the great thing about the alps is that you can get from point A that has horrible snow to point B that has good snow pretty quickly, especially if you have some hookups from a web forum or two.

Don't have a car? Don't have cash to travel? Have a job and can't get the good days off? Not enough skills to ski the glaciars or the steep stuff? Seems like a lot of work just to ski?

OK now we're talking about your ~situation~, not the season in absolute terms. And a lot of that stuff you can change, and some you can't and so for some the season will suck.

I feel bad people are having a shit season and want to try and help. This is a season where you must work a little bit if you want to ski good stuff, and have a lot of beta and some luck, but IF you find it, you can have a blast.

Good luck euros, and of course, doing a snow dance...

[jskierpx]

LITT just yankin yer chain. All in good fun.

Yeah I know I'm playing devil's advocate a little here. It's one of the few times where I'd actually recommend people come to Chamonix.

BUT....

Last year we had a month where it dumped like crazy (and recently too). At that time people in Chamonix were happy to get the snow but also bitching about how nothing at the resort was opened. Then it's time to get in the car/train/bus and go somewhere else.

When I did my season in Las Lenas, everybody was bitching because of the lack of snow. But I had an awesome season. Some days, OK, we skiied on hardpack, but I enjoyed it. And I thought there was more snow than people were making out there was. I certainly had some great pow days and on the whole enjoyed it.

During the last storm lots of people in Chamonix had glum faces because MOST of the mountain was wind affected. But not ALL of the mountain...

Point being that people complain about everything, no matter what the weather is doing. And in most case, there is SOMETHING to do, and SOME way to enjoy what the weather and conditions are presenting you.

Most times I am in the negative mode, as most of you know... so I'm taking opportunity of being in a positive mode to try and motivate people.

Leysin etc has had a horrible season. But the great thing about the alps is that you can get from point A that has horrible snow to point B that has good snow pretty quickly, especially if you have some hookups from a web forum or two.

Don't have a car? Don't have cash to travel? Have a job and can't get the good days off? Not enough skills to ski the glaciars or the steep stuff? Seems like a lot of work just to ski?

OK now we're talking about your ~situation~, not the season in absolute terms. And a lot of that stuff you can change, and some you can't and so for some the season will suck.

I feel bad people are having a shit season and want to try and help. This is a season where you must work a little bit if you want to ski good stuff, and have a lot of beta and some luck, but IF you find it, you can have a blast.

Good luck euros, and of course, doing a snow dance...

yea good stuff, im having an awesome season, because as everyone knows its also not ALL about the snow. Living here has been amazing, but your right it is only human to wish it was the way it should be(Snow on the ground etc...)I have been getting to the higher resorts and having some fun, but again, its hard to see the amazing potential that even a smaller resort like leysin has and not see it get a solid base the whole season.


But keep the beta coming and pray for snow!!!

[bbirtle]

PS - the weather on the weekend looks SUBERB.

The stuff up high (2500m+) should be powder or at least decent where not wind affected, or tracked out. Hmm. I'm thinking it's time to climb a 4000m peak! Anybody interested? Depart tonight or very early tomorrow. Email me to get involved.

Grands Combin? Monch? Jungfrau? Barre des Ecrins? Piz Bernina?

(The Zermatt / Saas Fee 4000ers would also be OK but I've climbed them all.)

Other recommendations welcome.

Good window to do the Haute Route as well, although not sure about the low snow line for some of the bits... could be ok.

[geo039]

...bitch...bitch....bitch...I will say it..GO SKI(even if it is less than optimal)!

Roo,
Good luck this week...I was trying to make it down, but have to head to Istanbul later in the week. I will do a snow dance for you this weekend.