Snow for the Euros.

[j,the snowboarder]

well guess what. it changed again. no GFS snow anymore in the 12z, pretty much as the other models saw it from the beginning. .

BAM! It´s on in the south again

[Wickedbrew4u]

Watching the models shape up over the last few days. Super stoked for my trip over there. Staying around Chamonix 22nd to 28th. Headed there solo - Would be great to ski with a Mag.

[subtle plague]

BAM! It´s on in the south again

I'm still not very confident. no other model sees it that big and the GFS main model run has two or three times as much precip as the rest.

[ArchieD]

Comfortable in the BC and have the Freeski in Dolomiti book in the mail but since it will be our first time (and the snowpack stability is 'interesting' this year) we are planning on getting wired on amazing Italian coffee and using guides and/or hooking up with mags to get a feel for the place.

Anyone in the neighborhood then or have any guide recommendations?
Cheers (and beers on me)

If you can't be bothered to read the book then drop the author, Francesco, an email (see proguide.it). We did that on spec last year and ended up skiing with him for a day - he was a pretty chilled out guy and seemed really nice (despite us testing his patience with our incompetence). And obviously he knows his way around...

[sqikunst]

Good day in Vorarlberg Today. Before work good times were had, we kind of knew where we were going but the morning ended in a pretty epic slog out of a beautiful little valley.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

My GF and I are planning (well, fingers crossed the next 6 weeks) to pop over from Dublin and check out the Dolomites Mar 19-22. The pics of Canale Joel and Holzer and all the rest in the TR'a make my mouth start to water.

Comfortable in the BC and have the Freeski in Dolomiti book in the mail but since it will be our first time (and the snowpack stability is 'interesting' this year) we are planning on getting wired on amazing Italian coffee and using guides and/or hooking up with mags to get a feel for the place.

Anyone in the neighborhood then or have any guide recommendations?
Cheers (and beers on me)

I'll be around next week, albeit with a four month old baby and a bunch of family and social obligations. Anybody else going to be around? Would love to find a partner for a day or two early in the week.

I had a great day skiing with Dieter from Catores (in Ortisei) a couple years back. We managed to ski 4 great lines off the Pordoi tram (Joel, Holzer, and two lines in Val Mesdi) in one day, starting and returning to Val Gardena. He was pretty psyched, as was I.

[subtle plague]

Southern Stau has become likely. Im slightly optimistic for my carnival holidays.

[subtle plague]

The southern Stau has become quite a real possibility and the powderguide alert will probably come out tonight, I'm stil very unsure about the numbers, but it should be 50cm+. Snow until Tuesday without a lot of wind. Then pretty cool weather in the south, not too windy not too hot.

On the other hand I'm thinking about where to go. Unfortunately the Monte rosa is not an option because I do not know any trees there and I have to be back on Wednesday...

[panchosdad]

We found good tree skiing on a zero vis storm day below the mid station of the Gressoney gondola and on the Champoluc side.

[subtle plague]

yeah. besides those there is not much that is not full of cliff bands and everything gets tracked quite fast. I just have better storm skiing closer to where I live. I usually go there for the Big Lines, but I have to be back on the first bluebird day, so I'm not making the 6 hour treck.
P.S. you will receive grumpy PMs from other board members for revealing those "secrets."

[j,the snowboarder]

Any idea how the base is around Passo Tonale and Madesimo? I think I'll avoid Switzerland, because I might just drive through once this season, not willing to enjoy their 40€ highway stamp for that. Last year it actually felt very reasonable as we drove through Gotthard tunnel like 25 times :P

Any suggestions on snow chains? I've never bought ones to keep. I only had to buy one pair for a rental car as the Avis desk didn´t have any left. They were like 200€ on the gas station at Oulx, lucky we got them, because we needed them in 15 minutes as we had to pass Montgenevre :P Avis payed them so I didn´t really care, but I´m assuming a reasonable price is something around 50-100€? What HW store should I stop on my way through germany or is it the same to just pickup whatever they have at some gas station? People always say don't buy the cheapest. What to look for in them? What makes them easy to put on? We don´t really use them in Finland, it's flat and the problem ice rather than big amounts of snow in short time, so everybody just has studded tires.

[subtle plague]

just go to a "Baumarkt" in Germany and get some mid price ones.
Madesimo has very little base compared to the areas with lost of snow in the south, but Passo Tonale has a really solid base.
Try this or any other of its kind.

http://www.obi.de/decom/category/Tec...t=Schneeketten

those for 47 euros are more than sufficient.

[Brecher]

I looked at the chains in that link and read "Oettinger" first. Wishful thinking I guess...

[j,the snowboarder]

Thanks, I'll go get those. Still have to pinpoint the destination for sunday..

[sqikunst]

Some ones model is broken. Everyone else says way way less but I like seeing red on the maps....

[subtle plague]

never ever. that much. 150cm is the upper most limit.

Just 1m of fresh is more likely resulting in 60-80cm of snow depth increase. And I'm getting my new and fancy countdown 110s mounted with a beast 14 right now. Very sexy touring setup. Im stilll not sure where to go for some touring... Engadine or Ticino. Luckily I leave tomorrow so I can sit around watching the radar all day. Other people watch soccer or basketball, I like t see snow piling up

[geo039]

Nice! Enjoy ps pm me with options this way for Tuesday or Wednesday. Might be able to escape the grind.

never ever. that much. 150cm is the upper most limit.

Just 1m of fresh is more likely resulting in 60-80cm of snow depth increase. And I'm getting my new and fancy countdown 110s mounted with a beast 14 right now. Very sexy touring setup. Im stilll not sure where to go for some touring... Engadine or Ticino. Luckily I leave tomorrow so I can sit around watching the radar all day. Other people watch soccer or basketball, I like t see snow piling up

[subtle plague]

Nice! Enjoy ps pm me with options this way for Tuesday or Wednesday. Might be able to escape the grind.

yeah will do. I'm not sure yet. right now the radar likes the Engadine lets see what the night (and for you the next two days) brings.

[teosickrider]

I am in Pontresina... 3-5cm at the bottom so far.

[Alkares]

Good day in Vorarlberg Today. Before work good times were had, we kind of knew where we were going but the morning ended in a pretty epic slog out of a beautiful little valley.

Funny, i asked if you guys were still going, dude said he went to ibk, apparently not...

On a more positive note, spent 3 days snowcamping and ski touring in the silbertal, and yes, the goods were to be had. Still creamy windblown pow up high, changing to some interesting sluffy faceted pow in the trees...

[stantonbum1]

Anyone roadtripping south this week to catch the snow in Piemonte? Seriously considering hiring a car and heading down that way from Cham

[ClarkleberryFinn]

Funny, i asked if you guys were still going, dude said he went to ibk, apparently not...

On a more positive note, spent 3 days snowcamping and ski touring in the silbertal, and yes, the goods were to be had. Still creamy windblown pow up high, changing to some interesting sluffy faceted pow in the trees...

Haha, sadly wasn't me who was on the mountain that day I didn't get out skiing at all 'til Friday afternoon last week

Glad to hear you had a good time anyway though!

We got skunked big time in Italia on Sunday...

[ulty_guy]

Cham has been ripped by the wind, not much left around. Through the tunnel it was deep, light pow yesterday.

[sqikunst]

@Alkares you didnt miss much. We only did a short hike and run down and out. We had to get to work. Sorry we didnt think to hook up with you but it was in and out and would have not really been worth your time.

[subtle plague]

yeah will do. I'm not sure yet. right now the radar likes the Engadine lets see what the night (and for you the next two days) brings.

Andermatt was deep but not perfect heavier snow on top lighter stuff. Anything steep had slid or sluffed down. Yesterday in the trees was similar. I'll be touring tomorrow right in the core and hope for some bonding to the old hardpack. The downs 110 skied well on the last test run considering the weird snow.

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