Snow for the Euros.

[klar]

hohes, for a first post i think that was quite ok

nice slideshow too, looks like a great place. curious what elevation and aspect the colouir is? (not sure if you are referring to it or the oberwald bowl in your last edit)

[neck beard]

Sorry man, I was editing whilst you were reading and accidentally deleted... Will post again.

(truth was, I got a cold foot)

The Coulior is NE but only 450m of vert.

In my last edit I was referring to the Oberwald bowl. It is also N thru NE.

The original post is below, sorry for the confusion.

[neck beard]

You guys are whining a little bit But understandable since we are in the middle of a party sized puke and the popular resources, like ski lifts, are shut.

I followed this EU thread all season but never signed up. The TGR plunge... here goes:

I'm touring alone Saturday and Sunday, got no choice but wouldn't mind some company so we can hit the steeper business together rather than me stay on the flats alone. Plus the stoke is worth sharing.

- You have to get to Oberwald early Saturday morning,

- I will be driving down from Dusseldorf (like every other weekend) on Fri evening and can offer a pick up on the way... but its gotta be a fast one. Its a long haul, not much time for stoppin.

The hike up at this time of year will normally be about 1000m on track without snow, partly drivable. But given this storm the drivable part of the track will be out of question. If so I reckon I can skin from pretty low in the valley... a big bonus. Budget an 800m vert skin starting early. If my tiny girl can do it, so can you. Pity she ain't here.

After that 800m vert you reach the typical snow line for this time of year, the recent snow will likely be marginal for quality riding lower than that point. I'll dump my tent and booze here. From there the actual ski tour begins. It is now depending on av conditions. If they are bad, I/we lap gentles with terrain features and just have fun. But if av conditions are good then we get a solid 1000m of worthy vert. Which has to be earned. So if all goes well count on 1800m skinning that day. After that you could then go home in the early evening or you could hang up there with me and my dog for the night in the tent. If I am alone I just ride the gentle stuff and stay safe.

Sunday: more of the same. The terrain is good, but not extreme. You could easily get two laps of 1000m vert that day. I would then split late Sunday evening back down to Oberwald and start my long drive home.

OR...

If conditions are good I will head back down to Oberwald and on Monday morning (early) return to a coulior that I rode on exactly the same day last year, ride it and then shoot through for a long haul back north Sunday midday. Its an easy skin to get up there: snow covered sealed road (unless they cleared it)

That's my plan and yeah I should have joined this thread 6 months ago so I could have partners today,,, but I didn't. Besides the fact I am a complete stranger I am also the normal deal, not some fuckwit you wish you never met. I will be on a split board (and have a spare if a fellow boarder needs one). At the risk of being desperate, this is a genuine offer for some fun touring that I would rather have some crew to share it with. I've ridden this valley untracked for days in a row in the past. Cant promise the same this time. But its usually totally empty.

Here is the snow conditions about 6 weeks ago. Its a slide show TR and its a bit corny for you guys, but, I didn't originally make it for TGR consumption so go easy on the sniggering. Hey, my dad really liked it. Girly and I did it igloo style back in April. It fucking rocked my world, and I'm still stoked, hence the need to share it this weekend. http://www.accumulationzone.com/igloo.html

And here is the terrain and cover on 1 June last year, I guess it will look the same right now with a much lower temporary and thin snow line from this storm. We are looking at the far upper right for the goods if av conditions are doing it for us. Just watch the slide show, it explains the terrain better.




And this is the possible Monday coulior and associated "story".
Pic also taken 1 June last year. Just after a dump just like this one.
Story: http://www.accumulationzone.com/grimselcouloir.html


If nothing else consider this a first post TR. Hope I didn't come across too smelly.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, many good Swiss passes open 1st of June and if they clear the road up to Grimsal pass then the coolie is, literally, on the side of the road. I don't reckon it will be open though.

(Verb61... if you read this... by chance are you a guy visits Japan every now and then, name begins S, or is that another Milanese dude that helped me out a whole bunch in the past via email?)

(Believe it or not I actually edited this to make it shorter)

Fuck - one more: north aspect. Snow stays good and might last in ok condition till the w/e.

[IridePow]

Hey damian.....aeh hohes.
Why do you not post under your other splitboard.com name damian?

Anyway.... just makes it easier to keep track of people's stuff.

[klar]

whoa, i thought there was a glitch in the matrix there for a second...

so what is the starting altitude for the couloir?

[neck beard]

Yes, sorry about that.

The start altitude is... not in that story link I posted so now I have to get out the map....

[neck beard]

Yes, sorry about that.

The start altitude is... not in that story link I posted so now I have to get out the map....

2200m. Pretty low.


Hi IridePow, don't know why I didn't use my name. I nearly always do. The brand of OJ on my table means nothing to me... yet that's now what I am called.

ps - I am um, how do you say... not on SB any more

[keksie]

stubai tomorrow.. probably not as much new snow as in switzerland but with the quad chair open theres still decent lift served left.

[klar]

thanks. i was just wondering because i have a kind of similar project and am wondering how much it has melted out by now. afraid that even with the new snow there probably isn't enough base...


oh and before i forget, on the subject of snow for the euros: ibk is once more surrounded by white peaks

and keksie, i hate you.

[IridePow]

ps - I am um, how do you say... not on SB any more

Why? ... you do not like it over there anymore?
Too many run ins with bcrider?

I think with just toning down some of the posts it could have been alright.

[neck beard]

Banned before I had a chance to tone it down. Such is life

how did this come up so incredibly quickly??

[IridePow]

Banned before I had a chance to tone it down. Such is life

how did this come up so incredibly quickly??

Oh, oh... surprised to hear that. I am not sure what exactly happen, but you guys got really into it sometimes.
I guess you have to pick your battles a little wiser next time. (At least not with the moderator)
I guess you have to hang out in these parts of the woods.
But watch out: bcrirder has been a long and respected maggot. So you better do not pick any fights with him again.

[neck beard]

Bloody hell mate, you're not making this any easier for me. But I dig your concept of tact. .

I was in the wrong and was punished accordingly. No repeats will follow, 'specially not here.

Looks like stanton thru to Pitztal area got the widest distribution of this storm's meat.

My area of attention for this weekend got an ok amount, but not the most. At least it seems like conditions until Friday will stay overcast, scattered snow up high and generally not heating up too much. I am sure there are plenty of better places to focus my efforts, but I don't know them.

I really should thank everyone in this thread for the excellent rolling commentary on conditions on the ground across the alps all season. It was my primary source of weather forecasts and snow beta. Thanks.

[Ville]

Keksie, how was stubai? Pretty short lines there, but it doesn't matter in May

[j,the snowboarder]

Stubai was quite nice, we had the offpiste with keksie and a few other friends for about an hour all by ourselves Then some others arrived. There was about 20cm all over, at some spots near 40cm.

[davidof]

Some of the best day's skiing this year in the Chartreuse (French Alps)

Dent de Crolles

in fact some of the only day's skiing in the Chartreuse.



The "line" goes down the large notch in the cliff bands before tracking right below the cliffs and then skiing the south face.



I added a few hundred meters going up and over a minor summit.

[Ripzalot]

a-MAY-zing.


somebody had to say it...

[TeleAl]

I was at Zermatt yesterday, altitude about 3600m.
There is fresh snow, but it isn't that deep.
The wind got on some of it.
The access was limited to 1 lift, the other not allowing skis/boards.

I think I can officially call this season over.

However, if it dumps again...

[davidof]

a-MAY-zing.


somebody had to say it...

The trip even made the regional paper, le Dauphine Libere (the Free Dolphin)

[PeterK]

I was at Zermatt yesterday,
The access was limited to 1 lift, the other not allowing skis/boards.

Any idea if they will have the same policy during the weekend? Sunday looks like it could be some decent weather in the morning, but a 3+ hour drive one way for access to 1 lift feels a bit excessive.

[Marius]

h-tux was prettey nice on wed 30.5, too.

tr is coming

[neck beard]

"...a 3+ hour drive one way for access to 1 lift feels a bit excessive"

I used to think that. But then my geography got worse and now I pull 1500km round trips nearly every weekend since December.... and they almost feel normal now. Top autobahn speed so far is 250kph... its a dubious way to pass the time on a long drive. But not bad for a 2 litre diesel hatch back! Gotta love rentals.

Anyway, following up my post on the other page, I am heading down this evening, no TGR takers but no matter. I hope everyone gets some stoke somewhere (Klar - good luck with your project as well).

[Marius]

@keksie:
do you have some pics from stubai ?
we didnt know where to go (stubai or hintertux). so, we decided to go to h-tux. was it the right decision ?
well, after skiing it doesnt matter, but it was a very thight decision for us and so it would be nice-to-know

[davidof]

h-tux was prettey nice on wed 30.5, too.

tr is coming

yes they were nice photos you posted

[j,the snowboarder]

There´s a few pics from stubai on wednesday, we had sunshine at the top for a while, but the others were too stoked to wait for me to dig the camera out

http://users.tkk.fi/~jtautio2/austria/week22/stubai305/