Snow for the Euros.

**jwolter7** · 11-16-2008, 03:06 PM

Good stuff, for November..

Amazing what a difference exposure, and a few miles makes in the Rhone valley. I was just planning a hike to Leukerbad across this sunny mountain I'm stuck on. It is an easy trail/road and is about 10 miles one way with a small vie feretta ladder down a 200' cliff at the corner of the mountain near Inden.

If the weather is good a will hike to Leukerbad on Wednesday and sit is the thermal pools and come back by bus the next day.

I hope I get at least a couple of weeks of skiing before the season ends here in Crans...?

**klar** · 11-16-2008, 04:07 PM

**CarlE** · 11-16-2008, 04:34 PM

Breathtaking klar, where is it?

**verbier61** · 11-17-2008, 03:03 AM

I had to cross the alps saturday (gotta go lausanne from milan to shop stuff for home). A lot of snow around the E face of Rosa (Macugnaga opened sat with an amount of snow they haven't seen in years), so-and-so on the other faces I saw from the car. Sunday morning I decided to go simplon pass for the first tour (spitzhornli, 2730) of the winter. Lot of snow, very enjoyable. But so hot that I doubt the place can stay in good conditions for much longer, unless you go to N faces (monte leone, breithorn, etc)

**Marius** · 11-17-2008, 03:24 AM

there was no pow at st.moritz... we had only the single powturn.
sorry

(more to come tomorrow)

**geo039** · 11-17-2008, 03:24 AM

...so if the snow comes at the end of the week (pre-thanks Ullr)....is there anywhere in CH/IT/FR that will be open for good storm riding? Sat and Sunday could be $$$$. Courmayeur is usually my go to in a storm (nice trees far skiers left..forget the name) but I don't think they are going to open or have the base.

PS: Nice pics Klar

**p@wder** · 11-17-2008, 03:33 AM

Zinal was excellent. I had to look after my GF for 90 minutes upon arrival (which I knew would be a bad idea) . I joined the lower t-bar lift line just as it was ballooning. Half-way up the t-bar it stopped and the cable ran backwards. Not a good sign. A 20 minute boot pack and I reach the top chair just to see the wall well skied already. My mate claimed first tracks apparently.

By heading lookers left quite far we ended with some very nice lines with boot top powder.

**p@wder** · 11-17-2008, 03:37 AM

Arctic blast forecast for Friday.

**stantonbum1** · 11-17-2008, 03:39 AM

For storm skiing the arlberg will be good if you know your way around.......doesnt look like there is much of a base at the moment though. Any opinions from the IBK mags?

Not really sure about CH, seems that generally in western CH you need to be skiing at around 1500m+ to get decent snow so you are almost always above the tree line.

**stantonbum1** · 11-17-2008, 03:43 AM

Originally Posted by p@wder

Zinal was excellent. I had to look after my GF for 90 minutes upon arrival (which I knew would be a bad idea) . I joined the lower t-bar lift line just as it was ballooning. Half-way up the t-bar it stopped and the cable ran backwards. Not a good sign. A 20 minute boot pack and I reach the top chair just to see the wall well skied already. My mate claimed first tracks apparently.

By heading lookers left quite far we ended with some very nice lines with boot top powder.

Did anyone have a look at the section where you drop skiers left off the side from the top chair in direction grimentz and then cut back in down to the t-bar?

**geo039** · 11-17-2008, 03:44 AM

Looks like the krustymank Marius

**geo039** · 11-17-2008, 03:49 AM

A little look...and I would say skiable except the lower T was closed along with the Chiesso lift (a good push across). One or two more dumps and Z is ready to go. We were treading lightly in the top section because I know how many rocks there are and I can pass on an early season incident. The areas were there was wind deposit were cash though.

Originally Posted by stantonbum1

Did anyone have a look at the section where you drop skiers left off the side from the top chair in direction grimentz and then cut back in down to the t-bar?

**stantonbum1** · 11-17-2008, 03:53 AM

Shit, looks like st. anton only opens on the 28th November, so the arlberg will be out for storm skiing this weekend.

**jumpturn** · 11-17-2008, 07:37 AM

Looks like the season is getting off to a good start in euro land. Nice photos!

I'll have to hit up mammoth lakes to catch up a little....

**ThrowAwayHero** · 11-17-2008, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by geo039

Looks like the krustymank Marius

spot on, and tons of it...

**davidof** · 11-17-2008, 01:18 PM

Fairly challenging conditions at the Lauteret on Sunday, a mix of crud, crust with a bit of powder, still it can only get better.

**Vihren** · 11-17-2008, 03:42 PM

It's coming , it's coming.. N Atlantic cyclones and Siberian winter T heading S-SE as we speak.. we should be getting lots of snow this weekend..

**KenR** · 11-17-2008, 06:45 PM

Excellent summary and stories of last winter's avalanche accidents in France linked from pistehors.com -- great thanks to David.

The stories are good reading in themselves -- and I can't believe he covered both the northern + southern Alps and the Pyrenees. Then David's analysis is very thoughtful -- and I tend to agree with it.

Ken

**Ripzalot** · 11-18-2008, 12:01 AM

Originally Posted by davidof

Fairly challenging conditions at the Lauteret on Sunday, a mix of crud, crust with a bit of powder, still it can only get better.

nice! i like that bivouak.net site too.

**jskierpx** · 11-18-2008, 11:42 AM

Dont want to jinx it but it looks like the first nuke is coming no?

**klar** · 11-18-2008, 11:44 AM

^actually it looks less like a nuke than like MAD

**jskierpx** · 11-18-2008, 12:56 PM

MAD??? haha optimistically guessing this means MEAN AND Destructive!

**p@wder** · 11-18-2008, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by jskierpx

MAD??? haha optimistically guessing this means MEAN AND Destructive!

Mutually Agreed Destruction. (read WIKipedia etc.)

I think we are all in agreement that the whole Alps will get annihilated.

I think the problem for us working class heroes slaving away to the man Monday-Friday is that the weekend may see us throwing snowballs in our front drive, with the resorts locking their storm shutters.

**geo039** · 11-18-2008, 01:43 PM

I hear you...but look on the bright side..it is only November

The man is keeping me down too..but I will get mine someday

Originally Posted by p@wder

I think the problem for us working class heroes slaving away to the man Monday-Friday is that the weekend may see us throwing snowballs in our front drive, with the resorts locking their storm shutters.