Snow for the Euros.

[geo039]

LOL... give Jump a break us eastcoasters are a little slow ...... L--- F--- O- D--

no shit sherlock. perhaps you didnt get the joke?

[klar]

someone make the wind go away.

oh, and R__gg__ K___l is totally epic as always.

[j,the snowboarder]

I recognized the fence instantly Funny thing, I just looked at the pics from last year over there yesterday. I have it on various snow conditions, becouse I saw it from my window all spring :P

[cramp]

are you into cross-country skiing lately?

[jumpturn]

no shit sherlock. perhaps you didnt get the joke?

Sorry, just laughing and pulling your chains.

The La Grave locals are probably flipping out about this thread. They think the place is a BIG secret.

Yea, we are kind of slow, or we'd live somewhere else.

[j,the snowboarder]

are you into cross-country skiing lately?

I could get cross-country skis if all trails ended like that

View from the end of the trail, taken from my balcony last spring at morning.


I do have a sea view at the moment, but I´d swap it back to that any day. We only skied the obvious line from the top, but there´s a few lines over there, too bad they need to be earned meter for meter.

[Spark]

The snow is excellent in Chamonix, but yesterday you had to find the right spots. A friend of mine went to Le Tour, two others did the Pas de Chevre everybody said it was incredible, one of the better days of the season.

We went to the Midi and it was horrendous. Massive queue at the bottom, galeforce winds and blowing snow made it like being in a blizzard even though it was a sunny day. The winds continued top to bottom - in the bottom part of the Grands Envers we were fighting blinding gale lifting so much snow UP the slope into our faces that it was impossible to see even whether you were moving. You win some you lose some, and I hope the rest of the TGR folks had a better day than us!

As I'm heading there is a couple weeks and want to get the best bang for my buck are there any rules on what mountains to hit when? Such as weekends vs weekdays re. crowds, snow conditions? I read somehere for example that it's better to hit Valle Blanche earlier in the week because most people ski it at the end of the week.

[davidof]

With the warm temps and rain to high altitudes yesterday (Weds) this morning had a worst crust than a stale loaf of Hovis. Conditions a bit sketchy below 1700 meters and the rain washed out most of the snow lower down. Boooooo!

We managed to find some nice skiing but were a bit early for the crust to soften to a skiable texture.

[Semnoz]

As I'm heading there is a couple weeks and want to get the best bang for my buck are there any rules on what mountains to hit when? Such as weekends vs weekdays re. crowds, snow conditions? I read somehere for example that it's better to hit Valle Blanche earlier in the week because most people ski it at the end of the week.

February school vacation in France starts Feb 9 (this coming Saturday) and the kids go back to school on Monday, March 10th. Parisiens will be on vacation from the 23rd to the 10th.

FYI.

[BigDaddy]

I'll be in Morzine/Avoriaz with my semi skiing wife and 10 yo daughter Feb. 16-23. I'd love to hook up with someone or if you know a guide, could you let me know (most are already booked). Also, I want to heli ski for a day or two, so anyone have any experience near there? (It's about a hour to an operation that flys into Italy.) It seems to be about $500 for the day which seems resonable! Will gladly buy beers and dinner for starving maggots (and celebrate the near end of Bushism)!

[jumpturn]

I'll be in Morzine/Avoriaz with my semi skiing wife and 10 yo daughter Feb. 16-23. I'd love to hook up with someone or if you know a guide, could you let me know (most are already booked). Also, I want to heli ski for a day or two, so anyone have any experience near there? (It's about a hour to an operation that flys into Italy.) It seems to be about $500 for the day which seems resonable! Will gladly buy beers and dinner for starving maggots (and celebrate the near end of Bushism)!

Maybe if you take one of the euro magots out for a heli day (or several), they'll answer your call!

Rather than relying on that elite group of slackers, it might be more expeditious to fish some random french dudes out of the lift line and guide them down some 45-50º couloirs yourself. Hey, as long as they own a mobile phone, know how to dial the PGHM, and stay out of the same avalanche (or crevasse), you're all set!

Seriously, people probably want to know that you're competent (but not embarrassingly so ) with skiing, avalanche rescue, glacier travel, route finding, ice climbing, and, most importantly, "safety checks." Apparently among Cham skiers, Americans have a poor reputation, except for the last item. (Among climbers, we always thought the euros were dicey, above all in Chamonix.) To a lesser technical degree, it is kind of like what we used to say in Yosemite about potential partners. If they survived one El Cap route, it might have been luck. If they're still alive after several walls, they probably have a clue....

At any rate, if you want to have reliable results and to learn some skills, why not hire a certified mountain guide. Then, you know your partner has the technical skills, local knowledge, knows how to teach, and, at least once upon a time, could onsight 7b rock and 5+ ice.

There is certainly heli skiing on the Swiss side; For sure, there is an outfit near Verbier and another in Zermatt. Here the guide is included in the price of the ride!

[BigDaddy]

Thanks JT. I am not looking to do any serious mountaineering, just ski with someone who knows the area. Since I'm only there a week, I want to make sure I'm not missing out on the goods. It's a lot of acreage for me to cover on my own, so an insider would be very helpful. Either way, I'm sure I'll have fun exploring, but as you know, it's always better with friends... or random elite slackers.

[Marius]

it`s time to earn your turns and ski north faces!

(Sunday 2/10/08, somewhere near Luzern/CH)

[PeterK]

I'll be in Morzine/Avoriaz with my semi skiing wife and 10 yo daughter Feb. 16-23. I'd love to hook up with someone or if you know a guide, could you let me know (most are already booked).

I know my way around there but I'm unfortunately out of town when you are there... Do you have beacon, shovel, probe and knowledge on how to use them?

Also, I want to heli ski for a day or two, so anyone have any experience near there? (It's about a hour to an operation that flys into Italy.) It seems to be about $500 for the day which seems resonable!

I've done one day of heli-skiing in La Thuile in Italy. Awesome area with lots of good places to fly to. Not exactly cheap but not super expensive either. A friend of mine flew with the heli ski center in Valgrisenche and was not so happy with them (expensive and they had to do powder farming). Snow in the area can be kind of so-so. For the moment, you need to be above 2000 meters and on north-facing slopes to find the good stuff.

[Ripzalot]

it`s time to earn your turns and ski north faces!

yeah nice! we did the same thing....

somewhere relatively close and previously mentioned.

[Ripzalot]

I'll be in Morzine/Avoriaz with my semi skiing wife and 10 yo daughter Feb. 16-23. I'd love to hook up with someone or if you know a guide, could you let me know (most are already booked). Also, I want to heli ski for a day or two, so anyone have any experience near there? (It's about a hour to an operation that flys into Italy.) It seems to be about $500 for the day which seems resonable! Will gladly buy beers and dinner for starving maggots (and celebrate the near end of Bushism)!

can't help you on the FR side but if you think to come CH side i'd be happy to hook up and ski.

check with geo039 (he'll pop up here soon i'm sure). he's been looking for heli partners. i'm afraid that kind of skiing is a bit out of my range at the moment.

[geo039]

POP!
Out of country until the 22nd. Post up on your heli trips if you get out. Enjoy Euroland.

can't help you on the FR side but if you think to come CH side i'd be happy to hook up and ski.

check with geo039 (he'll pop up here soon i'm sure). he's been looking for heli partners. i'm afraid that kind of skiing is a bit out of my range at the moment.

[BigDaddy]

can't help you on the FR side but if you think to come CH side i'd be happy to hook up and ski.

That sounds great! I'll shoot you a PM with my e-mail address. That is, if you don't mind skiing with an old fart...

Thanks Peter K. One day of heli is my budget, too. No, I do not have a beacon, probe, etc. You guys are probably way better than I am and I would have to stay out of avalanche prone areas. I'll ski most anything, but I've very limited back country experience. This is why I'm so keen on finding a guide. It looks like Marc Deshayes may be available. (Just recieved e-mail) It's always so much better skiing with someone who's familiar with the area.

[PeterK]

No experience with guides in the Portes du Soleil area so can't help you there.

If you end up skiing on your own, the Morzine/Avoriaz area is usually more busy than the resorts towards the Swiss side. Try to head towards Chatel and/or the Les Crosets and Champéry area for less crowds. Make sure that you leave yourself enough time to get back to Morzine though, taxi drivers make loads of money driving people across the mountains who didn't make the last connecting lift in time...

[stantonbum1]

Does anyone one know what conditions are like in L_ Gr_ve at the moment? A few of us are thinking of heading that way early next week and are wondering whether it will be worth the trip from verb, given the lack of new snow on the forecast.

Thanks

[Ripzalot]

Does anyone one know what conditions are like in L_ Gr_ve at the moment? A few of us are thinking of heading that way early next week and are wondering whether it will be worth the trip from verb, given the lack of new snow on the forecast.

Thanks

check with vertigo. (see "paging chamonix mags" thread).

i can PM you his number if you want it.

[stantonbum1]

Thought I would post this up here with all the discussion about secret spots:

Just saw the latest version of PlanetSnow a German skimag and in it they have published a guide that gives away quite a few of the best off piste routes in St. Anton and the Arlberg region. It really pisses me off to see this published in a magazine. Also with the always high avy danger in the arlberg region its fucking irresponsible to encourage gapers to head off piste there.

[pivko]

I am off to Chamonix for the week. I am flying solo so if anyone wants to meet up for skiing/touring or just for some beers let me know.

Hopefully I will bring some snow

[klar]

Thought I would post this up here with all the discussion about secret spots:

Just saw the latest version of PlanetSnow a German skimag and in it they have published a guide that gives away quite a few of the best off piste routes in St. Anton and the Arlberg region. It really pisses me off to see this published in a magazine. Also with the always high avy danger in the arlberg region its fucking irresponsible to encourage gapers to head off piste there.

so you mean german tourists will start skiing in st anton? well, shit, you figure they'll tell the brits too? and then the scandis will catch on and the dutch and the 'mericans and there's another secret spot gone to hell..

stubai on wed, bony. crawled around on a big pile of slabby rock. duckbills suck. skied x chute, among other things, one of our projects.







rosskogel chutes towards inzing today



dead man's tracks on rosskogel leading into the slide from monday that killed him.

[Bob O]

where's the best snow in Europe right now? are you guys expecting snow in the next 2 weeks? where can i find out info on the current snowpack. i would love to do some touring in the next 2 weeks. thanks