Snow for the Euros.

**Kevo** · 01-27-2017, 05:42 PM

Hey Euro mags. I'll be in Barcelona for work the week of 2/27. I'm contemplating brining skis and skiing for a long weekend the following weekend- I'm open to flying anywhere within Europe from Barcelona. Any ideas what the best bet will be for snow at that time?

**rod9301** · 01-28-2017, 12:52 AM

Drive two hours and go to baqueira beret, lots if snow and great terrain, or 4 to andorra

**klar** · 01-28-2017, 01:51 AM

Yeah, interesting options quite close to Barcelona that don't require flying. No one knows what the snow will be like. Right now I certainly would not go to the alps if the pyrenees were on my doorstep. Technically, everything is a good bet in late feb.

**Tri-Ungulate** · 01-28-2017, 07:13 PM

When I visited CommanderBaker when he lived in Barcelona, we drove to Andorra for a day trip - Arcalis prolly gets the nod. We did another road trip to Boi Taull, which was excellent . Conditions dependent, of course.

**crevasshole** · 01-29-2017, 05:21 AM

Originally Posted by Kevo

Hey Euro mags. I'll be in Barcelona for work the week of 2/27. I'm contemplating brining skis and skiing for a long weekend the following weekend- I'm open to flying anywhere within Europe from Barcelona. Any ideas what the best bet will be for snow at that time?

Hi there, if you are thinking of Chamonix it's pretty easy from Barcelona, andcheep with EasyJet. Anyway I'm giving Mags good deals again this winter if interested you can e mail me at vitamin_ski@yahoo.com
http://www.skiingthebackcountry.com/...le_Gary_Bigham

**Rossymcg** · 01-31-2017, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by me50c6

new to EU. doing a ton of research to ensure successful scud missions to the alps from Paris. The sites i have found have super variable snow reports/forecasts...anyone have a good one that they rely on?
thanks!

Wepowder

**beer30** · 01-31-2017, 05:30 PM

must have rained to 2000m today, damn this is a fickle mountain range

**rod9301** · 02-01-2017, 12:35 AM

Originally Posted by beer30

must have rained to 2000m today, damn this is a fickle mountain range

Where was this?

**klar** · 02-01-2017, 05:06 AM

Pretty much everywhere from Salzburg to Berner Oberland.

**peds** · 02-02-2017, 04:49 PM

Rained here in Cham up to 2000m, but with it we did get some wet, warm snow sticking to the steep faces up high! Winter is finally starting in a big way here now, we've got some good snow coming over the next few days.

Apologies that I haven't been hanging out here as much, I'm working pretty horrible hours at the moment, up early every morning and back late every night, with only a couple of hours off in the middle of each day. Ho hum, it pays the bills, but I'm not skiing nearly as much as I'd like to.

I do have a short film to share with the congregation of how I spent a day off last week, if it interests anyone? Crust at the top, some good snow in the middle, more crust at the bottom. It is what it is, and still a great day out. One that I'd love to go back for when we get some good powder snow.

Hope you are all happy, healthy, and getting some turns in on something other than rain crust.

**beer30** · 02-03-2017, 03:25 AM

Originally Posted by klar

Pretty much everywhere from Salzburg to Berner Oberland.

.
what she said, my local is Garmisch P specifically. Had a damn good day yesterday up high though.

**McDee** · 02-03-2017, 04:51 AM

Are those some shiney new skis there peds?

**peds** · 02-03-2017, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by McDee

Are those some shiney new skis there peds?

Haha, quite the opposite in fact... during the three-month November we've just had, I pretty much completely destroyed my beloved Navis... the bases are just one big hole, the edges are warped and rock-chewed, there's a lot of slop in the heel pieces of the bindings... so I'm borrowing my wife's skis until I've had them ground down and remounted.
They are a couple of hundred grams lighter and, being ten centimetres shorter, fit better into really small spaces, so they work great on couloir days. Plus, seeing as she's giving birth in six weeks and five days (ish), she isn't really using them right now.

**Foggy_Goggles** · 02-04-2017, 08:06 AM

Looks like winter is back! Four of us will be in La Grave starting Tuesday night with no particular plan 'till the 16th. Have mini van, will travel. At this point we are simply "Quatre stupides américains" going skiing. Le freeride, moderate ski mountaineering, touring to huts etc.

Let me know if anyone is getting out, what the conditions (avalanche) are, any any other suggestions. I'll reciprocate by telling you had rad Colorado is.

**Kevo** · 02-04-2017, 06:11 PM

Thanks for the advice, Euro mags. I'll be in Chamonix from March 3rd to 6th. I may have a place to crash with some friends that will be up there, otherwise I'll be in touch with Gary.

**rod9301** · 02-05-2017, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by peds

Haha, quite the opposite in fact... during the three-month November we've just had, I pretty much completely destroyed my beloved Navis... the bases are just one big hole, the edges are warped and rock-chewed, there's a lot of slop in the heel pieces of the bindings... so I'm borrowing my wife's skis until I've had them ground down and remounted.
They are a couple of hundred grams lighter and, being ten centimetres shorter, fit better into really small spaces, so they work great on couloir days. Plus, seeing as she's giving birth in six weeks and five days (ish), she isn't really using them right now.

I'm skiing, mostly couloirs in the French pyrenees, on vwerks katana 184.

Do you think 177 s would make an appreciable difference in couloirs?

**osborrc0** · 02-06-2017, 01:39 PM

Advice needed. The wife and I are flying into Milan on Feb. 12 and want to ski for 4-5 days. I don't feel comfortable going off piste without a guide and my wife hasn't skied in a number of years so we want a place with decent resort skiing. I may take a day to hire a guide if possible. Any recommendations? I'm mainly looking at Courmayeur and Cortina. Any other good options?

**Rossymcg** · 02-06-2017, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by rod9301

I'm skiing, mostly couloirs in the French pyrenees, on vwerks katana 184.

Do you think 177 s would make an appreciable difference in couloirs?

What I do is ski on the 184's but cut them down and fit a hinge. Open they're 177 closed they're 184. Best of all worlds.
Tech talk jong

**knowsam** · 02-07-2017, 01:10 PM

Any mags skiing Courmayeur able to help a guy out? Heading there for a weekend with the office and I'm looking for a guide to explore what would in Canada be called the "ungroomed / inbounds". As a work trip, I don't think harnesses and glaciers are going to be a hit with the group, but I'd love to get off the pistes for just a bit... Any suggestions, whether for specific guides, or approaches (maybe a lesson is the better approach?) I know that they don't have it in Europe, but something like Whistler's Extremely Canadian / Alta Bird's Straightline Adventure, would be awesome... Any tips/ideas are well received.

Cheers

**klar** · 02-07-2017, 01:25 PM

This guy (and guide) literally wrote the book on Courmayeur. Everyone says he's cool. I have no idea what Whistler's extremly canadian or Alta Bird's Straightline Adventure is though.
https://www.facebook.com/rudy.buccella

This is the association of guides of courmayeur, of which he is a member
http://www.guidecourmayeur.com/montebianco/pg23.html

**Mr. Mike** · 02-07-2017, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by osborrc0

Advice needed. The wife and I are flying into Milan on Feb. 12 and want to ski for 4-5 days. I don't feel comfortable going off piste without a guide and my wife hasn't skied in a number of years so we want a place with decent resort skiing. I may take a day to hire a guide if possible. Any recommendations? I'm mainly looking at Courmayeur and Cortina. Any other good options?

Disclaimer: I'm American too, but I've skied Europe a few times and have spent quite a bit of time this year doing research for a trip in March, so here goes...Going west, towards Courmayeur is quite a bit closer to Milan than going to Cortina in the east. In addition, so far this year, the snow has been much better in the Italian Alps than in the Dolomites. My wife and I skied the Dolomites, staying in Corvara, a couple of years ago, and we loved it. However, for the reasons described above, I would go west rather than east if I were you.

In addition to C'mayeur, take a google at La Thuille and Pila. La Thuille appears to have quite a bit more lift served than C'mayeur, including lift connected to La Rosiere across the border into France, and the reputation is for mostly docile terrain, so that might be better suited for your wife, but there still some challenging stuff to get into from what I have read. Pila is accessed by a gondola from Aosta, which is a town as opposed to a village, and I think it would be your easiest access of all from Milan. Those 3 are all close enough to allow a day trip from 1 to the other also if you are going to have a car.

Doing all 3 of these over a period of a week is under consideration for my trip in approximately 6 weeks.

**klar** · 02-08-2017, 02:14 AM

Originally Posted by Mr. Mike

In addition, so far this year, the snow has been much better in the Italian Alps than in the Dolomites.

Seeing as they are located in Italy and in the Alps, the Dolomites technically are part of the Italian Alps. But yes, this is a good point - very little snow (as in you probably want to stay on the groomers) in the Dolomites, it is better further west.

**CarveMan** · 02-08-2017, 05:27 AM

Probably not maggot territory but worth putting out there - we've got a couple of places left on our Cham trip in 3 weeks.

http://adventures.aussieskier.com

Includes 6 days of guiding in the Cham area, lift passes, van transport to find the best conditions - will drive to Italy/Switzerland if the conditions dictate, fully catered luxury chalet with breakfast / dinner included (except for a couple of nights out)

Focus is on off-piste skiing and ski touring. No touring experience required, but you have to be the kind of person who's happy to spend a day off the groomers if the conditions are right.

**Scottish_Skier** · 02-08-2017, 06:14 PM

Good times in La Grave / Serre Chevalier last week....
We were blessed with 60cm of fresh to go play in.
Now back home awaiting 2nd offspring making an appearance in this world

Short video below.

**knowsam** · 02-09-2017, 03:34 AM

Originally Posted by klar

This guy (and guide) literally wrote the book on Courmayeur. Everyone says he's cool. I have no idea what Whistler's extremly canadian or Alta Bird's Straightline Adventure is though.
https://www.facebook.com/rudy.buccella

This is the association of guides of courmayeur, of which he is a member
http://www.guidecourmayeur.com/montebianco/pg23.html

Thanks, very useful.