Snow for the Euros.

[sassa]

Skied Courmayeur both sat and sun, as ulty_guy said complete different world once you cross the tunnel, they got about 40cms on friday and snowing all day again yesterday. I stuck mostly to groomers and a few easy trees next to the pistes as was solo and with the high temperatures and plenty of new snow not wanting to take any risks. Snow heavy but coverage/base very good.

[Toby]

Got about 10cm in NW CH. Not enough. I took a first run off piste and got a bit lost in the cloud and where I thought coverage was good it wasn't and a large shark took a bite out of my skis and sent me flying. My first run was also my last off piste. A sprinkling of new snow over the next few days.

[jumpturn]

More crusty mank ....
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[subtle plague]

you went out of bounds in this europe resort? crazy!

on a more serious note: did you trigger something down the hellbronner? (assuming you skied the couloir next to the stairs and not something more direct from the top station (not sure on the photo angle) which even I would not have considered with that much new snow and the danger level. And i have an ABS and no safety concerns whatsoever )

edit: maybe you went somewhere else because the glacier looks weird and unfamiliar.....

[jumpturn]

Only the 3rd run was warm and slidy, so we bailed up to the top.




Everything was good up top except some of the steep drops down the center of the Toula glacier were moving, but nothing big. Needless to say, the return is spooky with 1000m of snow over head, temps above 0, and zero vis ....

That said, be EXTREMELY careful off Youla as there is a dodgy layer from about 2000m and lower that is not supporting the new snow very well. I was back there yesterday and we set off a fairly scary 2 foot crowned slide on a ski cut. Once down into the chutes, please stick only to treed lines even if it means missing out on all that gorgeous pow, trust me, you'll be glad you did! All of those chutes end in big terrain traps, getting caught would be nasty.

Like he said. We did a ski cut at the top of the coulie in the vid from friday, and it ran the distance (class 1->2). You don't want to be below when someone cuts loose a class 2 above you!! If the whole Dolonne system flushes, it will be a class 3-4 and you will be smoked!

Watch out for considerable snow sitting on grass ready to rip out both at the Youla and Pavillon....Southern aspects are worst.

[blondin]

now jumpturn why you want to do that???
snow was very good from the pavillion to the valley floor - but I'd wait a bit before hitting the big slopes above...wise decision
should be pretty damn good the next few days

[cberry]

Any word on conditions in Engelberg so far this year? I'm there in 10 days and wondering how the snow (depth and stability) are forming.

[subtle plague]

computer models give us more hope concerning the 20th and onward !
im not counting on anything, but they have at least other solutions than permanent sunshine now.

I'll quote myself 6 years after
maybe weather forecasters should repeat their forecasts every few years

[patxi]

Any word on conditions in Engelberg so far this year? I'm there in 10 days and wondering how the snow (depth and stability) are forming.

So far it's been a pretty good season. However, right now it pretty much sucks. The good news is that there is a "decent" base above 2000 m so it won't take much to get things back into shape. This week I've been improving my carving capabilities if that's any consolation. Stability is fine for the moment. You might want to consider a change in your itinerary.

[sqikunst]

This has to be one of the warmest Januaries ever!!!

I know December was pretty cold but this is just getting hard to take. In the east the freezing level is meant to go back up above 2500m before anything new is meant to come so good bye base.

Got a big case of the no snow blues. After an amazing December of Utah style blower its back to waiting it out for cold temps and new snow.

[uli]

any recommendations as to where to ski by geneva for the next couple days. les marecottes looked like there are getting some snow, but i was wondering about some other small areas around there. any ideas for me?

Between sunday night and yesterday morning over 1.500 m ca. we got 20-25 cm of new snow, nice to ski because not ultralight so you didn't feel so much the old, traced and irregular frozen ground.

Exactly since noon today it's snowing hard.

Anyway, here around most snow got the Gd-St-Bernard region (complessively 1 m only last week - recently the snow won't reach there since it comes from nordwest) and so, i'd presume, La Fouly as well (but they might be hidden hard by the wind), Crevacol tomorrow for sure, and thursday eventually. In any case thursday - sunday are presumed to be very warm, especially on the south of the central crest des Alpes.

Cheers.

[jumpturn]

The snow is not so bad in cham even when you don't get up the Aiguille de Midi until 10:30! 35cm fresh with no bottom and it is dumping in town now!!
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[uli]

jumpturn! Please explain your technique of measurement of snow depth! From your photo i'd say 15-20 cm at max!!!

Cheers!

[jumpturn]

jumpturn! Please explain your technique of measurement of snow depth! From your photo i'd say 15-20 cm at max!!!

Push the pole down to the hard layer, mark the snow level on the pole, estimate the depth.

You are right, I just checked my pole and it was actually 40cm!

Of course, it is variable (especially on rollovers) and the skis are fat, but there was no bottom, which is what counts!

[Meathelmet]

Big avy at Val D´Isere.


Group of 7 people,5 caught,4 dead.2 French,1 swede and 1 Brit.

Be careful guys!!

[teosickrider]

^^^ I wanted to post something about this too....be careful.

[cberry]

So far it's been a pretty good season. However, right now it pretty much sucks. The good news is that there is a "decent" base above 2000 m so it won't take much to get things back into shape. This week I've been improving my carving capabilities if that's any consolation. Stability is fine for the moment. You might want to consider a change in your itinerary.

Thanks for the heads up. Accommodation already booked in Engelberg, but still 10 days to go. Will have to hope for some new snow between now and then and maybe reconsider closer to the day.

What is day trip-able from Engelberg that would be better right now? We'll have a car.

[uli]

Today it was absolutely not bad in "my" backyard, ca. 25 cm of fresh snow over night, and sticking to the meteo (if the snow/rain limit will be at 1.800 m) in the upper part we aspect other 30 - 40 cm of snow up to tomorrow. Therefore, tomorrow morning could be another nice (half) day (after up to sunday newly very warm).





Cheers!

[sqikunst]

Anyone want to head out in Tirol tomorrow?? Its gonna be manky and warm and it might even rain but if anyone is up for it post up.

[Ripzalot]

well, i'm back in CH and jonesing for pow. unfortunately looks like i am stuck as a weekend warrior in the short term.


squikunst - did you get my PM about the protest? let me know if i can help.

[Toby]

Rxxx at 1600m right now. It was dumping an hour ago, but the warm front converted it pretty quickly.

[sqikunst]

Yea i did.Sorry about no reply. The foen came and I went back and there it was sitting in a river bed!!! Got it back now riped out the heel piece and I think that is how it got burried so deep. When I lost the ski it did not seem that violent.

Anyways praying for snow not rain. Rain skiing tomorrow is on if anyone needs a lift I got a seat open!! Do not know where I am going yet. Any suggestions...

[jumpturn]

Found the deeps...
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[Ripzalot]

Yea i did.Sorry about no reply. The foen came and I went back and there it was sitting in a river bed!!! Got it back now riped out the heel piece and I think that is how it got burried so deep. When I lost the ski it did not seem that violent.

cool! well, that's one good thing about the foehn.

[hutash]

The snow is not so bad in cham even when you don't get up the Aiguille de Midi until 10:30! 35cm fresh with no bottom and it is dumping in town now!!

Woot Woot

I'm getting a tad excited by that picture.