Snow for the Euros.

[Hayduke]

Any pics Al?

[p@wder]

Skiied Champery in the Portes de Soleil on Tuesday. Slight icy base at around 2000m, but around 50cm of fresh on top, and falling all the time. Got some excelent powder in.
Only 2 lifts running (we had hoped to pop into france at Avoriaz). But no one was really skiiing the main lift because of the whiteout conditions. This was fine, meant no queues and endless laps of deep pow. I don't think my legs have ever ached so much after skiing. AVy danger was exceedingly high (4), best avy practices were used (all carrying full avy gear, skiied 1 at a time, no stopping in danger zones, etc.).

Yesterday took a day off work and skiied at Montana after all. More of a base above 1900m, so rocks were no real issue. Below 1800m it was pretty sketchy. Top third of mountain was beautiful light fluff, middle 1/3rd heavy porridge despite cool temps, bottom 1/3rd was poor. Got some exelent powder by putting in some hikes and ducking the avalanche ropes. Some excelent steep terrain there.

Tomorrow I may go to Villars/Gryon/les Diablerets.

[addict]

Just had two epic days in La Grave. Storming the first, tracks were blown over every run, no one on the mountain. Second day Wildstyle got his ass up on the mountain - we had windblown chalky pow, high speed charging conditions, lossa fun. More people about but mostly locals, great atmosphere.

Best news I've had in a looong time. I'll be there in a couple of weeks for the season and was getting worried.

[KANUTTEN]

Hi,

Me and friends will be in Engelberg the 18th to the 22nd of jan. It is a reported 100 cm on top and 20 cm on the lower slopes. Can anyone give some first hand info regarding the base down Laub and also on anything higher than the Trubsee level...

IN other news I want to go back to La Grave soon....

[keksie]

Hi,

Me and friends will be in Engelberg the 18th to the 22nd of jan. It is a reported 100 cm on top and 20 cm on the lower slopes. Can anyone give some first hand info regarding the base down Laub and also on anything higher than the Trubsee level...

IN other news I want to go back to La Grave soon....

i know couple guys that arrived yesterday to engelberg and had their first ski day, they said that the "base was ok" but hadnt been at laub yet.

[KANUTTEN]

i know couple guys that arrived yesterday to engelberg and had their first ski day, they said that the "base was ok" but hadnt been at laub yet.

Thanks Keksie!

[Ripzalot]

here's Al gettin some at G3000 today. windripped on top but soft and nice below. we were absolutely whooped by lunchtime.

[verbier61]

another supersweet day in verb. vallon at its best, with a lot still to track above the wood toward tzoumatz, and no queues at the lift.... the crawd disappeared...
stairway really sweeeet, some scattered insidious rocky spots from gentianes to tortin.
I'll have another vallon tomorrow early in the morning, then I'll go milan and will be back in verb friday evening

[verbier61]

... and yes, I forgot, pics will be posted.... say tomorrow or tuesday

[powders]

Great day in Cham yesterday. Skied Flegere great conditions, very very few people off piste- we had to pinch ourselves that we were in fact in cham...
Lachenal was super good in the morning, then the chutes and gullies far skiers left down from index were $$$. Pics to follow a little later.

[bigtrubs]

Kicking myself that we left Verbier for Zermatt. Today up Zermatt it was lame icy groomers all day. We ventured over into Italy for lunch but I got bored quick. Is it worth it to make the long trek down to La Grave? We are thinking of hitting up Saas Fee on Tuesday then maybe Cham or all the way to La Grave. Shoot me a pm with some advice (anyone) if you get the chance please.

[davidof]

AFter packing my skis away for the summer a couple of weeks ago and heading to the beach news of fresh powder on Tuesday finally brought me back home and we managed our first tour in Chartreuse on Thursday (soft snow in a very warm SW wind before the snow blew in over the afternoon) then the the next day first tracks in the Belledonne

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...50392831&hl=en

conditions are still pretty sketchy. Wind blown on s/w to w faces. Bare ridgelines and summits and some big accumulations on n/e to east facing bowls making up for the overall lack of snow.

here's the latest PisteHors.com snow report

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...63270268&hl=en

lots of avy activity over the week with quite a few lucky escapes and some not lucky.

This morning met Castor up on the col du Porte (site of one of France's first lift served ski resorts and still owned by the original family). He'd had the Mulletizer squatting at his gaffe before heading out from Grenoble airport. Hopefully there will be better snow conditions for the Brits' next visit - maybe some of those nice couloirs will be in condition?

[verbier61]

left verb at 12 after another vallon, still reasonably nice despite the rising temperature. none, absolutely none around.... amazing considering the horrible queues of 4 days ago. an avi hit col de la mouche, one serious injury (broken leg and vertebra), but in the past days I saw much less avalanches than expected.... the avi risk never rose above 3, and apparently the avi service has been right so far

[powders]

here are some pics from Saturday...

In the Lachenal at Flegere:





Then after a few great runs far skiers left of index we did a little skin to the top of floria and found the goods





all in all an awesome day. first day too with the diamir freerides mounted on the pros- feel great

[davidof]

Nice pics... snow is ok if you aim high. Snowline is around 1400 m today but there are only a few flakes.

[subtle plague]

no major change in the next 7-10 days.......
But long range does not look as devastating anymore. we'll see.

here is what i did during the last few weeks.
playing with the new HD cam (sadly not the helmet cam while skiing ). I still don't have any ski days yet!!!!!!!

www.plaguefilms.com/Bouldern06-07web.wmv

btw. do you see the vid in 16:9?

[Gretzky]

here are some pics from Saturday...

In the Lachenal at Flegere:





Then after a few great runs far skiers left of index we did a little skin to the top of floria and found the goods





all in all an awesome day. first day too with the diamir freerides mounted on the pros- feel great

great time at grand montets on friday and saturday, sunday at flegere had terrible visibility on the index it and had got pretty wet and lumpy, hard work. back at work today knackered and happy!

[FFsup]

Wtf is up now... rain up to 2300m tomorrow and bad visibility... For gods sake, let the Grand Montets top gondola open!

By the way, anyone skied of from Midi after last snowfall? How are the glaciers looking?

[bigtrubs]

Skiing Saas Fee tomorrow then down to Cham for Wed to Fri.... hope it doesnt suck as hard as Zermatt is.

[greg]

Wtf is up now... rain up to 2300m tomorrow and bad visibility... For gods sake, let the Grand Montets top gondola open!

By the way, anyone skied of from Midi after last snowfall? How are the glaciers looking?

I skied from midi a couple of times just before last snowfall to get down again. the vrais vallees in this case as it was our logic route from where we descended. petite envers looked manageable too though. lots and lots of open cravasses and thus dead ends all over the place. don't know if that helps since i don't exactly know what kind of information you are looking for. back then it was more of a summer route. with the new snow it'll definitely be better and more enjoyable but you will still have to know pretty well where to go and where not in order to not get tangled up really badly.

[klar]

nice pictures powders.

just heard a sobering story about an avalanche death in the montafon on friday. knowledgeable local guy out touring alone near gaschurn, buried seven hours before he was found. had a beacon but rescue was only called when he didn't come home in the evening. rip.

[bbirtle]

...and another death at Les Grands Montets right next to the top of the Bochard. Danger comes with the great snow.

After two fuckingfantastic days at Chamonix schrafing up some freshies, I gave Zermatt a try on Saturday. Schwartzee trees were pretty good and well covered but ~everything~ else is fucked. Wind buffed on the glaciar and not enough cover over the rocks down low. Give it another meter, although Chamonix (Flegere and Brevent anyway) now have enough base to avoid most of the rocks.

[koolaideprived]

MOST of the rocks on Brevent and Flegere were covered when I skied on Saturday, but there were definitely some lurkers, I've got the scrapes to prove it. Thought I pulled an edge out coming into the bottom of Index once.

I skied the Lachenal a lot later in the day Powder, right exactly where you are in that top pick, and it was difficult. Higher water content plus second ski legs and a full day = pain for me on what amounted to an endless run of bumps. I thought I was going to die.

[Gretzky]

...and another death at Les Grands Montets right next to the top of the Bochard. Danger comes with the great snow.

After two fuckingfantastic days at Chamonix schrafing up some freshies, I gave Zermatt a try on Saturday. Schwartzee trees were pretty good and well covered but ~everything~ else is fucked. Wind buffed on the glaciar and not enough cover over the rocks down low. Give it another meter, although Chamonix (Flegere and Brevent anyway) now have enough base to avoid most of the rocks.

how long did it take you to get from chamonix to zermatt ?

[bbirtle]

how long did it take you to get from chamonix to zermatt ?

2 hrs 15 min by car, 4 hrs by train, or 5 days by ski.

(We drove.)