Snow for the Euros.

[peds]

160cm, fucking hell... a good base, at least!

After a good start over the last week in Chamonix, we're about to enter at least a week of blue skies and high temps, by the looks of it... with the zero degree isotherm up at 3000m! Funny way to start a season...

[Toadman]

160cm, fucking hell... a good base, at least!

After a good start over the last week in Chamonix, we're about to enter at least a week of blue skies and high temps, by the looks of it... with the zero degree isotherm up at 3000m! Funny way to start a season...

Not sure "funny" is the correct adjective. More like..."cruel". I went and pulled the trigger on a trip to the Alps for Christmas, so I guess I'll take the heat for the current weather doldrums in the Alps.

[phatty]

Looking for advice from fellow mags. I will be in Luxembourg for work the first week of January but will be looking to ski Friday/Saturday before heading home (leaving Lux Thursday evening, heading home Sunday morning). Skied all over the West in North America and also in Japan, but never in the Alps. Since this will be quick and cheap, what is the best approach? Was thinking of flying to Geneva and catching a bus from there to Chamonix as it seems easiest, but that may be the super touristy thing to do. Are there better, easy options? Since it is a short trip, I'm looking to avoid a lot of travel transfers/time. recommendations on cheap accommodations are also appreciated. I'm travelling solo, but don't need to go full dirtbag.

[butToFly]

some pow was gotten in da valais ... best powvember i remember!

As Ripz says it was an awesome powvember on Saturday. Fun finally getting out with him after 2 years of living in the same city.

Here's CDS getting deep the same day:



Sunday, went for a tour in Vaud with Matt F and my buddy Lucas. Snowing, windy, shit visibility, and not as much snow, but we still got some nice turns in a little couly. Didn't even bother with the camera though since viz was so poor.

Hopefully we're not losing too much to the warm up this week.

[rod9301]

The French Pyrenees have great snow above 1700 m, powder on North aspects, corn on South facing stuff.

Good coverage.

[Buster Highmen]

Looking for advice from fellow mags. I will be in Luxembourg for work the first week of January but will be looking to ski Friday/Saturday before heading home (leaving Lux Thursday evening, heading home Sunday morning). Skied all over the West in North America and also in Japan, but never in the Alps. Since this will be quick and cheap, what is the best approach? Was thinking of flying to Geneva and catching a bus from there to Chamonix as it seems easiest, but that may be the super touristy thing to do. Are there better, easy options? Since it is a short trip, I'm looking to avoid a lot of travel transfers/time. recommendations on cheap accommodations are also appreciated. I'm travelling solo, but don't need to go full dirtbag.

Keep checking the snow and make a decision based on that if you can defer the reservations. If it's after the first weekend after New Years, hotels will be easy and less expensive.

One thing to consider is whether you want to go to the Whistler/JH/Vail types of places like Cham, Verbier, St, Moritz, Arlberg etc or try to go to less well known places. There's so much good skiing in Yurp.

Hubs include Geneva, Zurich, Milan and Innsbruck.

From Geneva, you can train it to Chamonix via Martigny, then Vallorcine. Verbier is another easy route from Martigny.

From Zurich, access to a ton of places via train is easy as well including Engleberg (1.5 hours from airport' Hotel: Bellevue-Terminus), Andermatt (2 hours from airport;Hotel: Aurora or Gasthaus Sternen) or Davos.

From Innsbruck there's easy train access to Lech/Zurs/St Anton Arlberg or Schruns/Montafon/Silvretta Voralberg. Plus right out of Innsbruck there's bus access to Stubital, Soelden or smaller places like Axamer Lizum.

Milan provides access to a bunch of Switzerland as well as the Dolomites or Places like Courmayeur or the Milky Way via train and bus.

[phatty]

Keep checking the snow and make a decision based on that if you can defer the reservations. If it's after the first weekend after New Years, hotels will be easy and less expensive.

One thing to consider is whether you want to go to the Whistler/JH/Vail types of places like Cham, Verbier, St, Moritz, Arlberg etc or try to go to less well known places. There's so much good skiing in Yurp.

Hubs include Geneva, Zurich, Milan and Innsbruck.

From Geneva, you can train it to Chamonix via Martigny, then Vallorcine. Verbier is another easy route from Martigny.

From Zurich, access to a ton of places via train is easy as well including Engleberg (1.5 hours from airport' Hotel: Bellevue-Terminus), Andermatt (2 hours from airport;Hotel: Aurora or Gasthaus Sternen) or Davos.

From Innsbruck there's easy train access to Lech/Zurs/St Anton Arlberg or Schruns/Montafon/Silvretta Voralberg. Plus right out of Innsbruck there's bus access to Stubital, Soelden or smaller places like Axamer Lizum.

Milan provides access to a bunch of Switzerland as well as the Dolomites or Places like Courmayeur or the Milky Way via train and bus.

Thanks, Buster. Reservations will be pretty last minute. Just trying to have a base plan in place. My priority characteristics are snow and terrain. I'll be traveling alone (though would love to hook up with a fellow mag) and without avy gear. Hiring a guide is not going to be a possibility as I have to keep costs down. Happy to go to lesser known locations if travel is easy and it hits the snow and terrain bars.

[Buster Highmen]

Develop a list of potential places North and South of the main Alpine ridge. From what I've read, the (questionably valid as usual) long range forecast calls for better snow North. Generally speaking, Zurich is more central for the Northern resorts and Swiss trains make life easy.

Here's a link to the Swiss Train website: http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html.

Small is relative in Yurp when you're talking about places like the Milky Way, Espace Killy, Chamonix, Verbier, St. Moritz or the Arlberg, each of which are ridiculously huDge and really can't be thoroughly skied in a couple of weeks.

Engleberg is a "medium" sized resort by Yurp standards with big vertical, ah-mazing terrain, several big trams and lots of amenties. Easy access from Zurich. Some great folks there too. Known for good snow and charging Scandanavians.

Andermatt is smaller with really only 1 big tram (Gemstock) but lots of sidecountry and lots of good steep terrain. They have a good reputation for snow too. Also super easy access from ZRH.

I know more of the smaller French resorts but they're not as easy to access which seems to be key to your plan. I also haven't made it further East than St. Moritz, but Innsbruck puts you within 2 hours direct train to either Schruns (medium sized) or St. Anton (enormous).

[Meathelmet]

The French Pyrenees have great snow above 1700 m, powder on North aspects, corn on South facing stuff.

Good coverage.

You are in the pyrenees for the season or what?

Trying to check out Plan B and Plan C as the alps are not shaping up that well atm. Contemplating whether to check out pyrenees, especially Baqueira Berret in end of dec/begin of jan.

[rod9301]

Yeah, I'm in the French Pyrenees for a year.
Skiing in barreges/la mongie, supposedly the biggest resort in France.

The Spanish side gets less snow though.

Terrain is incredible, couloirs everywhere, hike to them though. Skiing my first one tomorrow.

[Alkares]

Meathelmet, did you make it TO norway or did you hang your hat on that plan?Still in the process of getting a car, hasn't gone nearly as quick as i'd have expected. Looks like Røldal and Voss will be going off in the next days once the temperature lowers, shame we cant get anything like that here in the Alps...

[Onward]

Meathelmet, did you make it TO norway or did you hang your hat on that plan?Still in the process of getting a car, hasn't gone nearly as quick as i'd have expected. Looks like Røldal and Voss will be going off in the next days once the temperature lowers, shame we cant get anything like that here in the Alps...

I'll answer for meat. I'll pick him up at the airport tomorrow morning, and then we're heading west towards voss/myrkdalen until friday. And then røldal. Or somewhere higher/colder. Depends a bit on the weather. Get a rental and join

[Alkares]

Are you guys just gonna be there for the weekend, or longer?

Sounds nice! not sure if i can get an affordable rental in that short of time, but next week i might be able to wing it

[subtle plague]

Are you guys just gonna be there for the weekend, or longer?

Sounds nice! not sure if i can get an affordable rental in that short of time, but next week i might be able to wing it

since I looked it up: It's cheaper to fly. 180-240€ from Zürich. Car is an horrendous expedition.

[LiveLarger]

Friday may be good, but weekend is looking like it's going to be TERRIBLE at Voss.

[peds]

I don't want to depress anyone in the French Alps, but I was just jogging in a T-shirt at about 2200m, and the air smelled of springtime: warm pine needles and chamois droppings.

[jarvinho]

I don't want to depress anyone in the French Alps, but I was just jogging in a T-shirt at about 2200m, and the air smelled of springtime: warm pine needles and chamois droppings.

Forecast for next weekend looks pretty good though.

[Meathelmet]

Friday may be good, but weekend is looking like it's going to be TERRIBLE at Voss.

Good skiing today in Myrkdalen, 25-45cm of pow with good visibility. Afternoon brought wind with the approaching storm front.
Interesting times ahead...
Forecast promised some 80-110mm of precipitation with 16-18m/s winds...and as a bonus the Temps might spike to 3c.

Oh well, either way we will have retarded conditions tomorrow. Either it is going to be white room or water-skiing.

[rod9301]

I am tired.
This week I skinned over 10 hours, all in barreges, ski resort opens this weekend.

Great coverage and great spring snow.

I am blown away by the terrain.

Skied chamonix many times, but I like this better.

Cham has many couloirs, but most are pretty exposed, and involve a trek.
This place has tens of steep couloirs, most within a short hike from the lift.
Some are a a few hundred feet, but a lot are well over 1,000 feet.

Fair number of people touring, but the couloirs are untouched, a lot of people come down on the groomers.

And everyone is on skinny skis, with race pants. Also most seem to run uphill???

[subtle plague]

Fair number of people touring, but the couloirs are untouched, a lot of people come down on the groomers.

And everyone is on skinny skis, with race pants. Also most seem to run uphill???

That's the southern European Rando to death spirit.... geographically it already starts in Ticino and Italy. I didn't know that the southern frenchies/spanish also do it.

[peds]

After breaking trail for 1300 of a 1700m climb, I think it is my right, duty, and pleasure to declare, exhausted, that Mont Buet is now open for the winter season.
Rock skis are recommended for the Berard Valley, although definitely not needed up high!
My dog is now passed out on a chair having inhaled about a kilo of meat.

A thin veneer of cloud kept temperatures down during the climb, and the snow felt sturdy and safe for the most part.


Quick cup of tea, and a couple of minutes to enjoy the view that seems to have disappeared.


Unfortunately, the cloud ceiling thickened up and started creeping lower, meaning total flat light for the descent. A real pity, the snow was tip-top for the majority of the descent from summit until a few hundred metres above the refuge.


For anyone in Chamonix headed up the Berard Valley until the next load of snow arrives: bring skis that you don't particularly care about, or at least be willing to walk for significant parts of the descent. A sense of humour will definitely help, too.

[subtle plague]

since I'll be in BC the next two weeks and have just cleaned my Go Pro, here is an unedited line from Friday, November 27th. Switzerland. It was alright I guess. Lets hope the weather changes until Christmas and we get a few more days like that.

[panchosdad]

I am tired.
This week I skinned over 10 hours, all in barreges, ski resort opens this weekend.

Great coverage and great spring snow.

I am blown away by the terrain.

Skied chamonix many times, but I like this better.

Cham has many couloirs, but most are pretty exposed, and involve a trek.
This place has tens of steep couloirs, most within a short hike from the lift.
Some are a a few hundred feet, but a lot are well over 1,000 feet.

Fair number of people touring, but the couloirs are untouched, a lot of people come down on the groomers.

And everyone is on skinny skis, with race pants. Also most seem to run uphill???

Post some pics!

[peds]

Hey there team,

I stapled together a few bits of film from my dog walk the other day. Horrible flat light so the skiing wasn't that great even though the snow up high was tip-top, but a nice little outing all the same.

No snow on the horizon in the Western Alps, some people have decided to go back to sunny rock climbing.

[rod9301]

Sorry, can't from my phone. Or?