Snow for the Euros.

[GPendleton]

@ TeleAl - Been on the ChamServe trying to find an open room. Thinking about just getting a studio but can't decide. I have heard it isnt too hard to just show up and find a room to live in. Thoughts?

[TeleAl]

There's alot of housing in that valley, and lots of people there for the fun of the outdoors.
Somehow I imagine a space to rent will present itself, even if to defer someone else's costs.

You might need a car to get around.

Sorry, I don't have more specific info, nor do I know anyone there.

[GPendleton]

Thats perfect - thank you for the advice.

[miketheskier]

I have got myself a job working for a TO in St. Anton for this season. Would be cool to meet up with some mags on my days off. 64 sleeps to go!

[geo039]

Snow in CH!
[ame="http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100871"]Live Webcams: Switzerland - Teton Gravity Research Forums[/ame]

[McDee]

Snow in tyrol

[freak]

hmyeah, it looks like it were more from down here...

freak[&]

[subtle plague]

50cm and counting.
central CH.

[TeleAl]

So far, a good start for the glaciers.
Snow to 1600m this morning, meaning our hill is covered up high.

[powdherb]

Cham today was sick. It didn't snow as much as I thought it was going to have, considering it rained a meter at my house in Morges, CH. It was exactly what I needed. Watch out for holes and slabz.

[ulty_guy]

Damn powdherb, nice shots! Grand Envers? I haven't been up to ski yet cause I don't get the year-round pass but it was nice to hike the Grand Balcon du Nord yesterday in a few inches of fresh.

How was the walk out and the bottom of the Mer de Glace?

[powdherb]

The original plan was to ski grand envers, but honestly I think it would be a complete disaster. For one, the lower part of the first pitch looked really complicated. We decided to ski past point lachenal towards helbronner (A good tour this time of year would be to ski up to helbronner and back) but we didn't have enough time to go all the way to Italy.

I would imagine the walk out the mer de glace would be a complete nightmare.

[ulty_guy]

Yeah that's what I thought. Good to hear that down and back up to Hellbroner looks ok, would be nice to at least get back on snow and do a little skin. I might have to give that a shot next weekend.

Nice work!

[Orash111]

So jealous of your weekend powderherb. I would have loved to get to cham on Sunday, but I didn't get the annual pass. Next year though...

How far down were you able to ski?

[The Schralper]

kinda wish I was in Cham now, seeing those pics!

I'm gunna be working in the fuaj youth hostel in serre chevalier this winter if there's any mags out that way gimme a shout!

[dr_phil]

first week in Lausanne has been beyond epic. lots of partys and drinking. and beautiful french girls.

I was wondering... any legit ski shops IN downtown Lausanne? I've checked out a few but they were mostly "lifestyle oriented"

I'll probably buy the Gd St Bernard pass which gives access to a bunch of sweet spots for 400chf ... nowhere I saw that it gave 1/2 tarif to verbier and les 4 vallées though (like uli said) ... anyone can link me up? I need to step my google game up.

[uli]

Was this the info you'd like to get:

http://www.marecottes.ch/index.php/f...OMAINE-SKIABLE
http://ski.intermaps.com/saintbernard/index.swf?lang=fr

?

[dr_phil]

myeah I had found the .pdf about the Gd St-B. pass but it doesn't say that you get 1/2 price on ALL Verbier/4 Vallées tickets. Or there is something I don't get?

[uli]

In the pdf, as you found out there isn't written anything about. But it is like this, be assured It works like this:

http://www.vicheres.com/ski/tarifs

(Description of the - same! - seasonal on the site of Vicheres - for the last season ticket). If you have any doubt, you could also make a phone call.

What was new to me is the Saison hiver "Ski Au Pays du St-Bernard" Premium ticket. I've to ask what that means (i guess something like a "donation" but not sure).

In any case, if you'll get that ticket, i'd suggest to buy it at Les Marecottes because as far as i know, they're the only one giving you a 10% rabais when you're an "early bird" (buying it before the 1st dec).

[Ripzalot]

i know uli might have a different take on this, but i don't think the GSB pass is a good idea for a lausanniose. i just don't think you will get enough good days there to justify the pass. you will need to ski the GSB at least 14 times to break even. i'm not sure that i could ski them 14 times per season in good conditions. (however, they might be nice a lift-assisted start for ski touring). they are pretty low altitude with the exception of super st bernard, and that is ususally windripped. (and will it be open for certain this season?) most have limited steep terrain, some really good, but pales in comparison to verbier. you will likely be spending most of your time buying verbier passes at half price, which is a nice benefit, but unless you max out your GSB trips its irrelevant. plus consider the GSB resorts all have 20chf weekends rotating during the season, so you will have cheap ski options there without a pass.

if i had a chalet in the area, i would do it. but being in lausanne, there are just so many other options to consider. and the way the snow falls around here, it's quite often that the snow favors one valley or one side of the mountain more than the other. it can dump at les diablerets and not a flake in GSB. and vice versa.

the problem, as stated before, that that we have too much choice. i'm passing on my alpes vaudiose pass this season, the first time in 7 years or so simply because i want don't want to be tied down to one area anymore. i prefer to follow the snow and explore.

[dr_phil]

mmmm ok.

and the valais card? if I ski a bunch of different places this season I guess it's better than nothing ...

some people told me I GOT TO buy avy gear and get training (edit: even if skiing inbounds) ... being from the East (Jay Peak last year) ... getting such gear and knowledge wasn't a necessity.

So ... is it worth shelling out 600+ for the gear or the inbounds terrain is more than enough/safe.

Keep in mind that I'm a student and money IS a factor.

Thanks for all the info tho, I appreciate a LOT.

[uli]

i know uli might have a different take on this, but i don't think the GSB pass is a good idea for a lausanniose. i just don't think you will get enough good days there to justify the pass. you will need to ski the GSB at least 14 times to break even.....

Many of your points are correct.

But: Looking at the prices, I'd doubt you could reach a break-even for a 4-Vallees seasonal skiing only the weekends.

Anyway: If you have the chance to ski also some day within a week than IMHO a Pays du Gd-St-Bernard seasonal might be justified. 14 days is easy to reach, just 7 weekends. Keep in mind, in all that small resorts you easily find economic bed&breakfast or huts. So you can stay there through the weekend without spending so much money. One of the biggest problems of the famous resorts are the "secondary costs".

As for snow coverage, please remember, that Les Marecottes together with Ovronnaz is the place with most snow in lower Wallis (in some way Champex Lac is similar). The advantage of Verbier is in the very early winter (let's say 1st half of november, normally) and in the winter late (last week of april) - that's when i'm skiing there, from time to time But keep in mind, normally Champex (and Gd-St-Bernard) closes only 1 week before Verbier.

Complessively, i'd say: if you're pointing to mainly pist (and lift assisted) skiing, than a bigger resort is of more interest (but i find Verbier is way way to expensive anyway; why not consider Ovronnaz then, for a seasonal?). If you plan, OTOH, to do a considerable amount of ski touring as well, and your skiing is mainly oriented to lift assisted off-pist skiing, then the Pays du Gd-St-Bernard skipass is an excellent option. You can do, for example chez nous or in Champex or in Vicheres excellent days with half a day lift assisted offpist or even pist skiing and half a day of touring. There's much less stress and concurrency then in Verbier for tracking fresh snow, the surrounding areas are more interesting (for skinning) and you can better choose between alternatives following snow conditions.

Some remarks for the single resorts:

Super St-Bernard and La Fouly get the most snow from the south and therefore often have different conditions than the other. But as you correctly say, they're subject to wind (foehn!). The area between Gd-St-Bernard, Combe de l'A (Vicheres) and La Fouly is a dream for ski touring and not even so much frequented

Vicheres is also, but a bit less, subjecto to windstorm but it's a very interesting place after big snowfalls because it has a light forest and practically, safe some precise places, it doesn't know avalanches (in other words: there you can even ski offpist with avalanche danger 4).

Bruson is low, but very well protected from the wind. And it offers nice offpist as well. But for the avalanches it's kind of a tricky place. Nearly in any season they have one or two deadly avalanche accidents.

Champex is a leg of the Haute Route and it suffers a bit of some landing places (in the high - Plateau du Trient) for heli-skiing. But the forest of Champex is marvelous and probably the best place for steep tree skiing in the lower Wallis. Moreover the Val d' Arpette and its lateral couloirs are among the best for skiing on the limit between steep and extreme.

Les Marecottes normally gets most snow in the region. Pist skiing is somewhat limited but off-pist and touring are great. With a small hike over a steep col (300m ca) you reach another bowl, which is completely north oriented and offers excellent powder longer than nearly any other place in this region.

A last, general remark: Consider eventually to use trains to reach your destinations. The swiss train company offers good complete tickets (lift+train).

[uli]

mmmm ok.

and the valais card? if I ski a bunch of different places this season I guess it's better than nothing ...

some people told me I GOT TO buy avy gear and get training ... being from the East (Jay Peak last year) ... getting such gear and knowledge wasn't a necessity.

So ... is it worth shelling out 600+ for the gear or the inbounds terrain is more than enough/safe.

Keep in mind that I'm a student and money IS a factor.

Thanks for all the info tho, I appreciate a LOT.

If you plan ski touring:

Yes you need avalanche gear (beacon, sonde, shovel). There are good offers at http://www.sport-conrad.com. And yes, if you find, participate at training stage (as i understand you're at the university: There will be a section of the CAS - Club Alpin Suisse, they normally do courses ecc. Get informed with them . . .)

As for saving money:

Look also if the university section of the Club Alpin does weekends or weeks, if and where they have huts with special offers for students or members etc. I know e.g. that the section of the university of Geneva has a very nice hut in Bourg St-Pierre.

[Ripzalot]

and the valais card? if I ski a bunch of different places this season I guess it's better than nothing ...

some people told me I GOT TO buy avy gear and get training ... being from the East (Jay Peak last year) ... getting such gear and knowledge wasn't a necessity.

So ... is it worth shelling out 600+ for the gear or the inbounds terrain is more than enough/safe.

the valais card saves you 10% in the end (if you buy the 450chf card). big whoop. the only benefit to me is that you don't have to queue for your tickets. unused chfs can be rolled over to next year. it does cover everything in the valais (including verbier) plus portes du soliel so it covers a lot. if it would just cover the alpe vaudiose i might get one.

yes get the avy gear. inbounds =/= safe or all controlled. and there is a lot of outtabounds you will want to ski. i am assuming you want to ski powder.

[verbier61]

some people told me I GOT TO buy avy gear and get training ... being from the East (Jay Peak last year) ... getting such gear and knowledge wasn't a necessity.

So ... is it worth shelling out 600+ for the gear or the inbounds terrain is more than enough/safe.

Keep in mind that I'm a student and money IS a factor.

Thanks for all the info tho, I appreciate a LOT.

You must be kiddin
If you want to ski powder intensively in valais, take avy gear and get trained.
If you want to disappear under an avie no one in valais will care, but you're expected to be of help in case others need you. Seriously.

For the season pass, just trust the vaudoise TGR community.
Ripzalot is THE wesern alp powderwhore by definition