Snow for the Euros.

**verbier61** · 12-05-2005, 06:09 AM

Originally Posted by Hayduke

I trust you got some this weekend Verb?

yeah but had to stay in town

anyway verb is much better nuked right now and I'll go there tomorrow evening

**Mit** · 12-05-2005, 06:21 AM

I'm thinking of maybe going to Verbier after my jaunt with Roo and Gincognito and before grandma's in Interlaken. Do any of you know a good cheap place to stay the night? Second would any of you want to hook up sometime around Dec 14-15 if I end up getting out there?

**keksie** · 12-05-2005, 06:25 AM

skied axamer lizum on saturday, couple cm's of new snow in the morning, started dumping hard at midday. no idea where all the snow from last weekend had gone, the base looked worse than back then.. for me there was no going to off piste without rock skis. that place still needs couple of good dumps :\
decided to go to stubai glacier on sunday, ~15cm's of fluffy new stuff in some places and sunny, good day.

**bad_roo** · 12-05-2005, 07:20 AM

I'm transfixed by a streaming webcam showing fat fluffy flakes falling consistently on a chairlift that's operating but which has nobody on it. It's like a pow skier's private heaven.

**Ripzalot** · 12-05-2005, 07:31 AM

radar STILL looks like it's going off. everything from so. france to central switz. what's the total damage for alpe d'huez?

**bad_roo** · 12-05-2005, 07:43 AM

Not sure. Alpe d'Huez are notoriously casual about bothering to accurately measure snow depth. The good thing about the resort is that unlike many ski areas that are a rocky moonscape at 2000m, a lot of the lower bowl at Alpe d'Huez is alpine meadow. While this may make it more avy prone, it also means that you often only need 10cm of snow on it to make it skiable.

The resort office reckon there will be a metre of snow in the resort by the weekend with more up high. The visibility is set to improve on Saturday. If it does, I'm going to be first in line for the Pic Blanc tram. Some of the most underrated steep skiing in France off here...

**Ripzalot** · 12-05-2005, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by bad_roo

The resort office reckon there will be a metre of snow in the resort by the weekend with more up high. The visibility is set to improve on Saturday. If it does, I'm going to be first in line for the Pic Blanc tram. Some of the most underrated steep skiing in France off here...

sweet. i'm trying to scheme a way of coming down for the weekend (and possibly monday)...

**bad_roo** · 12-05-2005, 09:16 AM

They're doing a phased lift opening. The Vaujany cable car should open on Saturday and I think the Oz gondola is open already. Check before you travel what they plan to run.

**verbier61** · 12-05-2005, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Mit

I'm thinking of maybe going to Verbier after my jaunt with Roo and Gincognito and before grandma's in Interlaken. Do any of you know a good cheap place to stay the night? Second would any of you want to hook up sometime around Dec 14-15 if I end up getting out there?

I'll be in verb dec 7-10th and then maybe the 18th and then surely from 26th to January 8th. The cheapest place to stay in verb is prolly the bunker, but if you go on www.verbier.ch you'll find some B&B. I also have an apt I might offer, but after xmas.

BTW there's a LOT of snow right now everywhere in italy, BUT on the monterosa area.... they must be jinxed because they got almost NOTHING so far.

**wildstyle** · 12-05-2005, 10:33 AM

Axamer lizum wasn't too bad on sunday. There was about 15 - 20 fresh oin the morning but there wasn't much of a base. Managed to put a dent into one of my edges. Great wether though .

I'd love to try and make it to Alpe D'huez to meet up with you guys but it looks impossible. I'll have to wait til the euro summit in march ....

**supercastor** · 12-05-2005, 10:54 AM

Andy, I'm out for the moment, bad thing in my back, but maybe repaired before the WE (waiting for the osteo diagnosis tomoroow).

Fore sure this Pic Blanc thingy is underrated, but not that much... I have very bad memories of the steep couloirs (2 or 3 are skiable. Barely) on the left of the cable station (on your pic), slide triggered by skiers on top of us that nearly blowed us out. Lucky once more.

Hope to see you and Alastair next week... For this week thursday looks like THE day. We will probably head for Les 7 Laux (if my 11th vertebra holds), depending of what is open by then (the top lifts hopefully). This resort is a rock field, but the snow is dumping, plus there was a (feeble) base...

**p@wder** · 12-06-2005, 06:36 AM

Any word from Tignes/ L'Espace Killy?

'll be there the week b4 xmas. Hard to get any info on what the real conditions are like. None of these forecast dumps seem to do much, and the website just reports an extra 5-7cm now and then.

**Arno** · 12-06-2005, 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by p@wder

Any word from Tignes/ L'Espace Killy?

'll be there the week b4 xmas. Hard to get any info on what the real conditions are like. None of these forecast dumps seem to do much, and the website just reports an extra 5-7cm now and then.

not very good, from what I have read. Some new snow but not major dumpage. All snow-making has concentrated on getting the World Cup run open

**p@wder** · 12-06-2005, 07:54 AM

Thought as much. The nsow just doesn't seem to want to fall, all these forecast syaing things like 30-40cm expected over night for nearby chamonix, when almost nothing falls at Tignes.

Theres still time to build up the base but a big dump would be really helpful to set down a solid layer.

**Arno** · 12-06-2005, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by p@wder

nearby chamonix

well, you can see Mt Blanc from VDI/Tignes, but it's plenty far enough away for v different weather patterns!

**bbirtle** · 12-06-2005, 09:31 AM

I've been sitting in my apartment in Chamonix the last two days watching giant flakes dump down outside (from the webcam):

I intend to find out exactly how much is up there VERY soon, I suspect a lot... bring it on!

**bad_roo** · 12-06-2005, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by bbirtle

I've been sitting in my apartment in Chamonix the last two days watching giant flakes dump down outside (from the webcam):

Wouldn't it be easier to look out the window?

**Ripzalot** · 12-06-2005, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by bbirtle

I've been sitting in my apartment in Chamonix the last two days watching giant flakes dump down outside (from the webcam):

I intend to find out exactly how much is up there VERY soon, I suspect a lot... bring it on!

hey now! when does cham open? and what is open this weekend?

**bbirtle** · 12-06-2005, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by bad_roo

Wouldn't it be easier to look out the window?

Sorry for the bad grammer. This is from MY webcam - I just pointed it out the window.

Les Grands Montets is barely open - the Piere a ric piste and the Marrmatton chair. I think I'll dust up there tomorrow as my friend Thomas says it's devoid of anybody and as far as pistes go pretty awesome, with more than 1m fresh up at the mid-station!! Other areas are appearently not scheduled to open until the 17th and the Aiguille du Midi is closed for maintenance.

Courmeyar is opening tomorrow according to their website, although the top lift -- and the only interesting off piste -- seems to be closed still...

- Brian

**subtle plague** · 12-06-2005, 02:58 PM

yes it's on !

You are bound to receive a full on TR

next Monday because today i persuaded enough gas sharers to make the trip down to Bovec. First I must confirm this opening date

though, or else i could be fucked very badly

If anyone needs a hookup on the way(read: cologne, frankfurt, munich, bovec) i still got one seat in the insanomobile( my mum's pretty old misubishi colt, with spoiler of course

)

**edg** · 12-06-2005, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by bbirtle

I've been sitting in my apartment in Chamonix the last two days watching giant flakes dump down outside (from the webcam):

I intend to find out exactly how much is up there VERY soon, I suspect a lot... bring it on!

Wazzaaafuck?! Your appartment is right opposite Snell? (or do my eyes decieve) Fuck me, man, kudos on the placement!

edg

**bbirtle** · 12-06-2005, 03:13 PM

Edg - Yup that's the one! I was happy to find it in just four days of searching... Zermatt last year took three weeks of hosteling before I found anything! Should be some good BBQs on the deck this summer.... can't wait for the climbing really, although with all the snow skiing is obviously on everybody's minds...

You're living in Cham' as well? Stop by for a beer sometime.

- Brian