Euro Mini Summit

I'll be there from mid-week, my flights are booked. Might change them to come earlier :)

I'll be staying with friends. Was living there last winter so there's no way I'd pay for anywhere now. If I was there I'd try to fix you up but it's not too easy when I'm not.

Don't know where the others plan to stay. Anywhere in La Grave's a safe bet - the Eidelweiss, Skierslodge/Hotel des Alpes (new but I know what to expect), Castillon are the three hotels in the village. Going outside the village (to Freaux, Terraces etc) is a pain unless you have a car. Check the website under "herbergement" for more options.

I don't know about the travel company that Hayduke linked. Pretty convenient if it's for real and runs transfers on the right day. It did not exist last season, must be new.

Truth, I don't know where we're staying yet. I do know it'll be fun though:)

I'm really hoping this run'll be in good shape
It's just the top; there's a nice 900 vertical (metres :D ) of 30-35deg huge open slope below this bit
http://www.highandlow.nu/stora/skidor/chad_01.jpg

And if this one is I'll be totally stoked:
Higher up:
http://www.highandlow.nu/stora/skidor/emily_01.jpg
Halfway down (below this bit is 900m of nice steep couloir :D :D)
http://www.highandlow.nu/stora/skidor/liz_01.jpg

If this is good I'll get a boner :D Thats a schweet 40-45deg pitch with a nice bergschrund huck below. And clearly Coombs is maching it :D

http://www.highandlow.nu/stora/skidor/doug_01.jpg

Don't forget the rope kids :D :D

Better add the harness to the checklist.:D

It's been sitting with my rope and rack in a beater crag bag set up as my fire escape rap kit since I moved back to Chicago.

Truth - I'll definitely be there from 17th through to 24th, so I'll look into the accommodation availability...

Cool...wherever you decide I'm game Roo.

BTW...will alpine gear be sufficient or will I need an AT setup?

Alpine gear should be fine for La Grave itself. It's pretty much all straightforward downhill; almost all the (few) hikes from the lift are pretty short and easily bootpackable. If the snow's good I guess no one will want to look at much touring anyway. Gear's easy to hire. :)

If the snow looks sketchy nearer the time then I'd maybe reconsider taking that AT gear.

BTW I couldn't deal with the idea of you guys there so long before me so I did a swift flight change. Will be there on the Tuesday. I couldn't live with myself if Wednesday was a bluebird pow day and I wasn't there :D

Result! Now all I need to do is dig out that figure of eight descender...

Ok i might be jinxing it now (although im not quite sure how i can possibly posses black magicabilities ;) ) but has anyone looked at the weathermaps for the La Grave area? This is insane ! They are simulating more than 100 mm precip in the next 5 days. up to 40mm in 6 hours !!!!above 1800-2000m this should lead to more than 100-150cm fresh !!!!!
Andermatt is getting it's share too. I might be up next weekend for 4 days or so....depending on what will come down(how far down is a question too..).

Sound great! :D I'm definitely up for it for either a long weekend or perhaps even the duration if I can coax some friends out.

Some Qs:

Is anyone else a snowboarder or am I going to be the only one? Is that going to be a problem? I'm good, but I don't want to be a drag ascending with a group of skiers.

What types of routes will you be doing there? Level of difficulty? i.e. steeps, couliours, or just wide open big mountain powder. I'm up for it most anything, I just need to be prepared.

Is there any reason to consider riding at Les Deux Alpes if the snow conditions are good at La Grave? Is anyone planning to ski at L2A? This would influence my choice of lodging.

I'm in Lausanne and would be driving down. Depending on who comes along with me, I may have room for someone if they need a ride down from Geneva airport.

Ripz. I'll definately be there from 17th - 22nd. I got an extended holiday pass from the minister of war

My cousin's coming along and she boards.

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Originally posted by Ripzalot


Some Qs:

Is anyone else a snowboarder or am I going to be the only one? Is that going to be a problem? I'm good, but I don't want to be a drag ascending with a group of skiers.

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It's all about descending ;) La Grave has some nasty traverses back to the lift through the trees. Twisty, bumpy, rocky etc. These are doable on a board but be prepared, lots of boarders find them tricky. Rumour is that they may run a piste machine along them this season or be putting up a new chair to avoid one of them.

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What types of routes will you be doing there? Level of difficulty? i.e. steeps, couliours, or just wide open big mountain powder. I'm up for it most anything, I just need to be prepared.

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For me it depends on the snow. Some steeps for sure. I'll bring glacier gear and stuff for abseils although I may not use it if the snowline's very high or crevasses are obviously not filled in.

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Is there any reason to consider riding at Les Deux Alpes if the snow conditions are good at La Grave? Is anyone planning to ski at L2A? This would influence my choice of lodging.

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No reason for me to go to LDA but it depends on preference. If you want to hit the park you can go over there from La G - the LA G pass will get you there and allow you to use the higher lifts but not those from the village (although there's a special extension for this if you're coming back from the valley). In around 130 days last season my only reason to be in LDA was because it was on the way home from the backside of the La Grave stuff.

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Hope this helps :)

I just emailed a bunch of La Grave hotels offering them a fair amount for a room for the week - hopefully one of them will see guaranteed income for that quiet week and bite...

hey roo, i just found the thread over at the "other place".
So you'll be there at new year too ?

Got he vacation time locked in and will be booking a flight today. Planning on arrival the morning of the 18th and leaving the 24th via Lyon. Once it's booked I'll try to figure out the ground transport, but might need some help from the other side of the pond...STOKED!

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Originally posted by subtle plague
hey roo, i just found the thread over at the "other place".
So you'll be there at new year too ?

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The plan is to drive down on the 26th and ski on the 27th and 28th at Alpe d'Huez and La Grave (staying at Bourg d'Oisans). Then it's up to Sallanches to ski at Flaine on the 29th, Chamonix on the 30th and back to good old Blighty on the 31st in time for the New Year's Eve parties. You around about that time?

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Originally posted by bad_roo
The plan is to drive down on the 26th and ski on the 27th and 28th at Alpe d'Huez and La Grave (staying at Bourg d'Oisans). Then it's up to Sallanches to ski at Flaine on the 29th, Chamonix on the 30th and back to good old Blighty on the 31st in time for the New Year's Eve parties. You around about that time?

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I'll arrive early on the 27th (nightdriving... :D) and ski la grave from the 27th to the 4th. so yes, ill be there.
so whats the meeting point and time ? :D

(although there might be the slight chance we'l have to cancel the whole trip because of my girlfriend and her diploma....... if does not get much writing stuff done in the next weeks..... but hey i wont think of that.)

It's official....I'm booked for the euro mini!

Woot woot!:D

Now that's a result :D : D

this thread shall not be forgotten......
3 days with the famous roo. :D

But i think i can not make it to the "real" summit in late january.

btw. it is puking in valley x ! I love not to see the the gondola station at 2400m on the webcam.
;)

Anything worth skiing around the Aosta Valley, besides Alanga?

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Originally posted by splat
Anything worth skiing around the Aosta Valley, besides Alanga?

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Gressoney, Champoluc are easy connections and huge in their own right. Cervinia is right there too with connections to Zermatt.

How're the slopes, Bustah?

C'mon splat...ya know ya wanna go...I dare ya....double dog dare ya.:D

My brother's coming along so that'll give us a solid four for Chalet Lance Armstrong With The Only Hot Tub In La Grave. Result.