Super St Bernard - 1 million euros or mort...

[hutash]

here's a helpful hint for all the old failing ski resorts:
develop mountain bike trails and run lifts in the off-season.

No, the trick is to build golf courses, and fuax European villages (can it be a faux euro village still if it is in euroland?), expensive condos built cheaply and sell real estate at inflated prices...it has work wonders for ski resorts on this side of the pond.
















Oh wait, no it hasn't...never mind.

[Hugh Conway]

That's Andermatt's plan.

[subtle plague]

i never went there because there was always a place with better snow or it was closed because of wind related avie danger. (it is one of the windiest places i have seen in the alps) i guess it will stay that way even if they raise enough money....

btw. does anyone know where they measure the precip at the hospice? (in some wind shielded super lee area maybe?) because the water equivalent of the station NEVER fits the fresh snow of the surrounding ski areas (no, not even SSB which is right above/next to it).

[subtle plague]

That's Andermatt's plan.

no andermatt's plan is to whistlerize it by building a cross valley gondola which serves absolutetly no purpose. ( i don't know if it does serve any in whistler....)

[Ripzalot]

i think it would be hilarious to try to develop SSB as a posh ski resort.

tEh CrUStY mAnK

[verbier61]

IMVHO wind is the real SsB killer. I had SsB as a target 2 times this winter, and had to give up twice because of the wind.
Vicheres is trying to survive selling stock associated with season passes discount as dividend. Cool idea.

[jojoski3]

btw. does anyone know where they measure the precip at the hospice? (in some wind shielded super lee area maybe?) because the water equivalent of the station NEVER fits the fresh snow of the surrounding ski areas (no, not even SSB which is right above/next to it).

they measure the precip from a room http://www.gsbernard.net/index.php?page=meteo-2

whith this :

to see the full size , cilck on the pic there
http://lecamox.blogspot.com/2009/05/...au-col-du.html

This system is suspended (high ) along a wall of the hospice (can't find a pic of this wall )




average (period 1961/1990 ) precip at the col 2330 mm/year , but behind (for south dep ) the col , Bourg saint Pierre village receives only 890 mm (elev 1660 m)

[verbier61]

yes I believe there is no relationship between the amont of snow measured at the hospice and what you find at SsB.
Crevacol got a lot of snow in the past two winters, but the spot is OK only for 1-2 days after a snow fall, because the full south exposure kills the snow quickly. There are nice rando areas with better exposure around crevacol though

[Ripzalot]

This system is suspended (high ) along a wall of the hospice (can't find a pic of this wall )

rendering i completely irrelevant for any useful information. i wish i would've known this years ago. now i understand why so many times we've been skunked with the dreaded cRuSTY mANk.

"but the reports said 50cms of fresh pow"

which fell but was immediately transported about 50 km south and 2000m lower in elevation as rain.

[Scottish_Skier]

A little good news, web site says they raised 500 000 chf by 15th Sept deadline. Alot of money, but still only half of the total they needed.
Sounds like its still up in the air if the work can be completed and the authorities will let them run.....

Bon Chance Super St Bernard!
Any rich TGR peeps wanna buy their own euro ski resort ?

www.lesuper.ch

[uli]

On one hand i'm curious to see, if they really will close a resort.

On the other would be sad, for me personally, because i'm using, always the Pays du Gd-St-Bernard seasonal. But since Champex is keeping open the skilifts nearly as long as Super St-Bernard (normally 3rd sunday in april) the problem is relative . . .

The development plans - i read in Le Nouvelliste - about Super St-Bernard are crazy (prolongation of the skilift up to the glacier on feet of Mt-Velan and connection via Col de Barasson con Crevacol. Did they put in count the avalanche prevention? :shock: ).

Yes to ripzalot: There was, once a lift on the col.

Yes to verby: The wind is the biggest problem in the area of Super St-Bernard (like La Fouly as well, btw).

No to Tele-Al: Not always more installations are better. The area of Gd-St-Bernard in any case is - and will be - a really nice skinning area.

[Scottish_Skier]

It weird, SSB closing would make no real difference to me (living in Scotland). But it would still make me sad because...

- I have had some very good times there in the past...
- My local resort in Scotland almost got closed down 2 years ago in a similar scenario. Its not situation I would wish on any other resort!

SSB has real potential, but it probably needs new lifts. Connection to Crevacol would be crazy though. We need to look out for the rustic gems before they are gone! (for example I heard rumor that Les 2 Alpes had to pay to replace the cable on the la Grave telecabin!).

[uli]

Bah, we should be realistic.

Most installation driving companies in the alps are in deficit. Very often this deficits are compensated or by subventions of the comunes or the cantons or the states. The absolute number of skiers (at least in Europe) is going down so, no doubt, there are too much installations in relation to the skiing population. This tendency is accentuated by the financial crisis (significantly less brits in the Alps last season, e.g.).

My point of view is, that there will be big resorts even in the future like Verbier, Ischgl, Super Dolomiti you name it which will function like trash cans absorbing the "idiots". And then there will be intelligent touristic centers pointing to something which, eventually, could be called "durable" tourism (something like Braunwald, for example). Ok, it's a difficult - but necessary, at some point - discussion . . .

In any case, i wouldn't be sad if Super St-Bernard closes (exception made for the chief of the pists who is in some way a friend) nor i would be happy if that would not happen. Practical experience teaches they will continue, though . . .

[jojoski3]

Money was found but too late , closed for the season at least ....


http://www.tsr.ch/info/suisse/259073...a-l-arret.html

http://www.20min.ch/ro/news/romandie...hiver-28356805

[verbier61]

Good to know there are chances for 2011-2.........

[Scottish_Skier]

Sad times for SSB
Though as other mentioned you can still tour there.

In reality I would guess closing for a winter will make it much harder to re-open (lost momentum, rusty equipment, skiers and staff go elsewhere...).

[Ripzalot]

take advantage and skin it this season since it might be the only season possible to do this. enjoy the crusty mank in solitude....just be careful of avy conditions.

it's on my todo list.