Snow for the Euros.

[twat]

my season pass goes up 100 bucks.
how does your passes do?

[Charlie Don't Surf]

Effectively 200 cheaper! Glacier 3000 is now included in the main magic pass and no long an add on.

Possibly bad for crowds. Saves me some coin.

[beer30]

Ours has stayed the same price. I think they are going to start charging to park however.....

[bw_wp_hedonism]

I think the top card (Davos- laax-arosa) stayed the same


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[bobinch]

Major dumpage incoming


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[Two06]

Hi all,

I'm going to be flying into Zurich in mid December for a 3 week solo ski trip. My main objective is to ski Verbier and maybe ski the Bec.

I have a lot of experience skiing big mountain terrain in Whistler and Jackson hole. I've never skied Europe. I'm proficient with ice axe and crampons and would consider skiing some bigger lines with a guide.

How would you recommend I plan the ski trip? Stay in one place (Verbier?) Or maybe two (Verbier and Chamonix)? I see that all these areas are connect by tram: Mont Gele, Mont Fort, Les 4 Vallees, Mont Rouge, Thyon.

1. Is the terrain around those areas near Verbier all worth skiing?

2. Should I go to Chamonix or stay in Switzerland the whole time?

3. Recommendations on where to stay in Verbier/Cham?

4. Recommendations on finding a Guide?

5. Places to eat, non skiing things to do?

6. Anyone want to meet up and ski?

TIA

[rod9301]

When you select a guide, make sure he skis steep stuff regularly, a lot of them do.

You will find much more steep stuff in Chamonix, but it typically involves a suffer fest to get to them.

Also, a lot of objective dangers, seracs, crevasses. And lots of people skiing at the same time, including on consequential terrain.

Most of the steep stuff in Chamonix is hairy, similar to the grand in the tetons, ie you fall you die. Including serious exposure

If you want to mostly ski lift serviced terrain, Chamonix is not worth it.

Verbier would be better for that.

Keep in mind that avalanche danger in the Alps is similar to Jackson, ie pretty high.



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[Mr. Mike]

Pm bobinch. Verb based at least weekends. I don’t know him except in the internet way but have seen lots of helpful posts from him here and on another forum.

[Rossymcg]

If you want future rad points when talking about areas you've skied, you gotta throw Cham in there.

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[bobinch]

Hi all,

I'm going to be flying into Zurich in mid December for a 3 week solo ski trip. My main objective is to ski Verbier and maybe ski the Bec.

I have a lot of experience skiing big mountain terrain in Whistler and Jackson hole. I've never skied Europe. I'm proficient with ice axe and crampons and would consider skiing some bigger lines with a guide.

How would you recommend I plan the ski trip? Stay in one place (Verbier?) Or maybe two (Verbier and Chamonix)? I see that all these areas are connect by tram: Mont Gele, Mont Fort, Les 4 Vallees, Mont Rouge, Thyon.

1. Is the terrain around those areas near Verbier all worth skiing?

Verbier has some of the best steep skiing in the Alps but it needs a good base so in December you need to hope for a couple of good early dumps and for sure Mont Gele won’t yet be open so you’d have to skin up

2. Should I go to Chamonix or stay in Switzerland the whole time?

I’d stay in Verbier in December and possibly also look at Zermatt with its height and glacier. Too early for AdM which is IMO the main reason to go to Cham for steep skiing (especially with Argentiere top bin out of action).

3. Recommendations on where to stay in Verbier/Cham?

Airbnb for long stay. On a budget you could look in Le Châble - Una Lodge is good. In Verbier, Hôtel Bristol is reasonable and good location. Should be quite easy in December to find accommodation

4. Recommendations on finding a Guide?

Yes no problem but they’ll be limited in where they can take you so early season. in Dec I think you’re looking at Front side Mont Fort, Attelas Couloirs, maybe Vallon d’Arbi if you’re lucky. You can also hike up Mont Gele if there’s enough snow.

5. Places to eat, non skiing things to do?

Eat yes. Non ski yes but down the valley

6. Anyone want to meet up and ski?

We’ll be there weekends. Happy to hook up for a lap or 2

TIA

Answers above

You could get lucky like this a couple of years back

[Idris]

Hi all,

I'm going to be flying into Zurich in mid December for a 3 week solo ski trip. My main objective is to ski Verbier and maybe ski the Bec.

I have a lot of experience skiing big mountain terrain in Whistler and Jackson hole. I've never skied Europe. I'm proficient with ice axe and crampons and would consider skiing some bigger lines with a guide.

How would you recommend I plan the ski trip? Stay in one place (Verbier?) Or maybe two (Verbier and Chamonix)? I see that all these areas are connect by tram: Mont Gele, Mont Fort, Les 4 Vallees, Mont Rouge, Thyon.

1. Is the terrain around those areas near Verbier all worth skiing?

2. Should I go to Chamonix or stay in Switzerland the whole time?

3. Recommendations on where to stay in Verbier/Cham?

4. Recommendations on finding a Guide?

5. Places to eat, non skiing things to do?

6. Anyone want to meet up and ski?

TIA

As others have said, Verbier not Cham. Cham for a daytrip and a Midi lap or 2.
Guides easy to find, depends on what you want to do. A bit of a necesity in Cham, but not so in Verbier.
Early season can be great, or nothing. Could be 4 laps a day on the Cosmiques in Cham, or scratching around in Lac de Veau in Verbier.

Remind me nearer the time, I'll know better what I'm up to, might have time for a ski.

[bobinch]

Takes a while to smooth out the lumps



But in March it’s more like this

[alpinevibes]

But in March it’s more like this

Guido with another banger. Dig it

[Buster Highmen]

Looks like the base might be coming in.

subtle?

[subtle plague]

Hmm well. A bit. Nothing to froth about. It's pretty warm when the whole thing starts.

Maybe 50cm maybe a 1m in one week at 3000m at some spots.

But yeah It's finally starting.

More interesting is the possibility that the jet stream and a westerly flow might persist after the 7-10 day window.

[Buster Highmen]

looks like both east and west are getting it.

[Thatcher]

This is an idiotic question, and I'm not sure many could respond other than rod3901, but would it be insane to go to the Pyrenees for a few days post Christmas and expect anything beyond a few ribbons of man made snow? I know no one knows, but just curious is there's an "average". I'm curious if averages are the same around mid-January...
I'm very keen to explore the Pyrenees, but feel like it's a crap shoot even more so than the Alps. I see so much potential for fantastic steep skiing, and am dying to drive around. One more question: is mid-late March gambling too much for steep skiing?

[subtle plague]

The pyrenees are extremely variable. It could be fantastic or absolutely nothing. Even more so than early season alps. I've been watching it for a while now.

March is really really warm already. Base should be there but I'd go early March. Late Feb, if it's just for base.

[Rossymcg]

Id love to give the pyrenees some time and effort but as a rule of thumb would I be correct to say the place is dry compared to the majority of the the Alps?

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[Charlie Don't Surf]

I’m not sure it’s dryer then the alps. Seems like to come down in bigger and less frequent dumps however.

[rod9301]

I've skied in the Pyrenees for 6 years now.

I think every year but one we had snow before Christmas.

At least where I am, barges, there are tons of couloirs, so you can ski early and late, till about end of May.

Couloirs accumulate deeper snow than adjacent faces.

March is probably the safest mouth though, deep snowpack and still get storms.

Especially this year, you can probably get last minute flights cheap, so best to watch the snowpack and make a last minute decision.

Same for accommodations, except for February, school vacations.

BTW, I assume that you are willing to hike or skin once the chairlift deposits you to the top. If you are, you'll find untracked powder for a week after the storm, or longer.

And no competition for turns. Or crevasses.

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[Rossymcg]

I've skied in the Pyrenees for 6 years now.

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where about in the pyrenees you based? I skied once in Soldeau when I was young and more interested in chasing snatch and getting boozed up. It rained alot put us right off so we voted never to go back.

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[rod9301]

I'm in Luz st sauveur.

The reason I'm there (winters only, a opposed to Squaw where I'm the rest of year) : steep couloir skiing

I skied in many places in the alps including Chamonix.

Cham has great skiing, not the resort.

But it's really crowded. Couloirs like Mallory, which 15 years ago was skied maybe 4 times a spring, on a powder day, gets 30 people, and they all ski it at once.

Plus most of the steep stuff has objective dangers, crevasses, seracs, ice just covered by powder, and significant avie danger.

Plus they either require monster days or spending the night in a hut. I have two young kids and I can't get the time to do these. And not willing to take the risks.

Bareges, in the Pyrenees, has 80 plus couloirs, 30-1000th, 40 to 50 degrees, all within 1 h hike or skin from the top of a lift.

Low avalanche danger, so it checks all my requirements.

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[Pirene]

This is an idiotic question, and I'm not sure many could respond other than rod3901, but would it be insane to go to the Pyrenees for a few days post Christmas and expect anything beyond a few ribbons of man made snow? I know no one knows, but just curious is there's an "average". I'm curious if averages are the same around mid-January...
I'm very keen to explore the Pyrenees, but feel like it's a crap shoot even more so than the Alps. I see so much potential for fantastic steep skiing, and am dying to drive around. One more question: is mid-late March gambling too much for steep skiing?

11th time or so that I try to make my first post, hopefully this one goes through. I've grown up in the Pyrenees, it's not crazy to expect more than ribbons. I'll gladly share more details if I can get the mods to approve.
cheers

[Zach__]

11th time or so that I try to make my first post, hopefully this one goes through. I've grown up in the Pyrenees, it's not crazy to expect more than ribbons. I'll gladly share more details if I can get the mods to approve.
cheers

I'm in France until mid-late December, really hoping to get some skiing in before I leave, when is the earliest to expect anything other than ribbons in the Pyrenees?