Forum menu
Just starting our second season jaunt to Cervinia. Blue skies and reasonable on piste conditions, but thin in places and warmer than feels comfortable. Quelle surprise and the irony isn’t lost either 😕
I’m in Megeve / St Gervais this week so quite low. It’s really warm. 12 degrees at 1500m today.
Blue bird sunshine so my girls are enjoying that but the snow is pretty ropey. Lots of south facing pistes are brown snow or grass / shut. It’s super slushy by after lunch. Feels like bitter end of season snow.
Lift company must be tressed about the rest of the season!
Pics here……
I'm off to Austria for 9 days tomorrow. Looks like it will be warmer in St Anton than it will be back in West Wales.
Alpe D Huez for a week on sunday.
Locals resorts in Massif central are busy but snow is melting fast.
Skiwelt running well! Pretty hard in the morning and south facing getting battered in the afternoon but considering the low elevation it seems to be holding up very well. Very rare brown patches and all the valley runs are open.
Bright blue skies and lift thermometers showing 8-10C midday so it is warm and you can ski in a jumper out of the shade. Probably not boding well for the rest of the season though.
Had my second trip of the season last week. Family trip to LaTania at NY and Zermatt last week with a few mates. Pistes were great, off piste was thin and old. I’m sure with a guide, good off piste could have been found. It was a short trip with a few piste skiers so that wasn’t on the cards. Zermatt is a lovely place to ski. Great modern lift system, big mountains, big lifts, long runs. We had great weather, and it was still cold. Next trip Easter, La Plagne. I May need to hide a bike in the car if there isn’t more snow!
Got back from Val d’Isere on Sunday. No fresh snow in the last 3 weeks, pistes are hard and icy in many places in Val, Tignes was a little better. We had a pretty good week, bluebird skies everyday, but with no snow snow forecast for next 2 weeks, it’s going to be sketchy for those going anytime soon.
@cchris2lou
If you need/want a lesson in Alpe D'Huez then I would recommend an English guy who works for ESF called Cookie.
He is one of the best (top 3) instructors I have ever had ! We had a private lesson with him, 3 people with very different abilities and all of us had a great lesson, had individual things to work on and he was superb at spotting things to improve.
I cannot recommend him enough !
I’m sure with a guide, good off piste could have been found
Off piste in many places is treacherous at the moment, there've been a few fatal falls due to the recent weather - including the director of Aiguille Du Midi cable car at Chamonix, a person who you would expect to have better knowldege of the ski conditions
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=163608
It really is ridiculously warm and slushy…….
Holds a fair edge though….
I love spring snow…… In spring!
Thanks Sproolet, Wife and Kids might need lessons.
Bloodyhell creepers. I assumed that second photo was someone lying down after a fall!
Impressive riding
Third year in a row that we've not done our family Feb half term holiday. Wean has his prelims next week 🙁
I was thinking of trying for an easter trip but it looks so dire everywhere that I reckon there'll be sod all left by then. I'm sure some places will be closing early.
Have looked into Riks, but the flights are £450 each and the fly/ train option takes almost 2 days
Hmphhh
Austria has snow forecast for the last week of February
At what altitude? Looking at forecast temperatures it's going to be rain all this weekend up to about 2500 and a few snow showers that won't change a lot on 26/2. Pretty much the same in the French Alps.
Just coming to the end of our week in Warth. Its been really quiet here. Went over to Lech today - busy and slushy. Warth has been great, good snow (although no fresh) they get so much there is still plenty of cover and it has stayed cold enough to avoid the freeze-thaw. First time here but will definitely return
That was at 900 upwards
Everywhere could do with more snow. Locals resorts Will shut in a few days.
Was okay-ish in Passo Tonale last week. No powder, hard pack, crusty, but wasn't all grass at least. Above tree line so probably helps.
Getting fed up of the post trip lurgy though. Nasty cough-tastic cold (maybe) this time, COVID last trip, may have been COVID previous one (just when it all kicked off). All been horrible. Package deals are bad especially. Too many sick people and families in the same hotel, sharing flights and transfers.
Just coming to the end of our week in Warth. Its been really quiet here. Went over to Lech today – busy and slushy. Warth has been great, good snow (although no fresh) they get so much there is still plenty of cover and it has stayed cold enough to avoid the freeze-thaw. First time here but will definitely return
Spent a few days there not long after they put the link in from Lech (I was staying in Zug). Really liked it for intermediate cruising around. Can imagine it being quiet as out on a limb as a resort. Might even think about it for Christmas as usually gets lots of snow as say. Where were staying @matt_ss_xc?
@thegeneralist just to prove I made it back to my feet! Daughters camera work needs practice though 😂
It’s really pretty dire snow wise here now. Feels like the last week of the season conditions. Lots of grass showing.
🤩
Anyone in or near Saalbach? Headed out on Sunday, wondered what conditions were like!?
I've always detested snow mobiles, noisy stinking things too often driven by inconsidereate dicks. Now there's an alternative:
https://moonbikes.com/fr/moonbike
Quiet, no fumes, remains to be seen the clientel they attract.
27 days without rain/snow in SW France.
That looks like a right laugh, way more dangerous than skiing and snowboarding though
Just finished (or Finnished) a week in Levi, in arctic Finland. A small resort by alpine standards and nothing hard, but snow in good condition, typically just below freezing (usually it's -10° or lower) not one rock on the piste no queues. A bit windy which meant most of the lifts closed for a day, but no queues on the open ones, and floodlights to 7pm every day. Plus a 20 min transfer from the airport.
Just back from a week in Portes du Soleil. Morzine and Les Gets have pretty poor snow at the moment (Zore is closed and mostly mud!) but we were staying in Essert Romand; we booked fairly late so ski lessons for the small person were full up in Morzine and we ended up booking lessons in St Jean d'Aulps.
...and it was surprisingly good over there! It's on the same ski pass if you get the full PdS pass, it's a 15-minute drive away and I think because it's less popular it was much quieter. And there was decent enough snow. It's not a massive ski area, so I pootled around over there while he was having lessons in the morning, we drove back to Essert Romand for a quick lunch then headed to Morzine / Les Gets for the afternoons, but the best snow was definitely at St Jean.
With a bit more snow cover, it looks like there's some decent back country to explore too. Another time.
Hoping that this weekend's snow forecast brings enough to 'repair' the pistes.
A white out at present. The promised 60cm is happening. Although we had to wait till mid january for the resort to open it's been continuous good skiing since. Western Pyrénées
Well my (14yr old) son has just broken his bloody arm/wrist playing rugby at school. Scoring a try though!!
Gets cast off and wire out 17th March, then he'll get a splint for a bit longer, we go away on 31st/1st April. He still wants to ski if possible. Obviously docs will say no, but the pros manage it.....
I'm not saying yes or no yet* and will see how he feels closer to the time as he might change his mind when we're there anyway. Anyone got any recommendations on braces or guards to have a look at?
*His mum is more on the no side atm...
but the pros manage it…..
Some pros will also be willing live with a life long disablement if it means a win...
Speak to a doctor who skis (or who plays sport) for a proper opinion, they'll likely give you parameters where skiing is possible. Mrs Dubs has a few knee issues and her consultant gave her a list of "definitely don't do this" + "avoid this" + "this should be fine" when she's been carrying an injury or waiting for surgery
Five weeks, be fine if he doesn't fall on it. What are the odds of a 14-year-old skier getting through a week without falling?
TBF, he's very good and rarely falls......which obviously means he'd fall on the first day and rebreak it!!
Like I said, I'm not saying we'll allow it yet. Will speak to the docs and see what they say before anything.
He's absolutley gutted though, was properly welling up when he realised he wouldn't be able to ski. We we're only talking about it a few days before saying we we're both really looking forward to it this year after last years holiday ending early and a bit shit (weather). Then thinking we weren't going this year, as my younger sister has terminal cancer and we were not sure how she'd be. Then booking something with my other sister and family, as my younger sister is doing 'ok' at the moment and is planning a trip to Rome at the same time....
I know he won't be skiing, we'll just have to find some other things to do as well.
Not à lot of snow in Alpes d huez. OK above 2000meters. Very good above. A little bit of snow fell yestersay.
Well my (14yr old) son has just broken his bloody arm/wrist
Some years ago I broke my wrist 5 weeks before going on a bike holiday. I ended up getting the cast cut off on the Friday morning, rode back home, loaded the car and drove down to the Alps. Rode hard ever day for 2 weeks (in a brace) with no problems - so it can be done. I was mid 30's at the time, so your lad should heal better.
(but yes - he'll want to avoid falling on it. Good job he's a skier rather than a snowboarder as all bets would be off there)
Five weeks, be fine if he doesn’t fall on it. What are the odds of a 14-year-old skier getting through a week without falling?
As Jon says, helluva lot better than a boarder getting through a run without falling.
Or at least that's what my missus said as she skiid my son down the Grand Couloir at Courchevel at 14 weeks.
( I did the walk of shame back up the ridge)
Anyone here skied Killington in Vermont, thinking of a trip at Easter, it's about a 3 hr drive for me. I've had a couple of short breaks so far this winter in Vermont and Quebec and while skiing is fun its way off a top Alpine resort. Lots of man made snow, ice and wind. Piste map for Killington shows more promise though./
Some of my east coast USA colleagues say it’s been a poor year for snow despite localised lakes mega dumps, but these are upstate NY reports, not Vermont.
I’m just coming to the end of a week in Saalbach. Been above 10 degrees in town some days. Snow forecast for tonight and runs will definitely close if that doesn’t happen. We’ve managed to ski every day but only because of the great cannon infrastructure. Slushy as hell post 12pm
Last day was indeed a powder day! Saalbach region got quite a few cms on Saturday and it was still falling when we left. Should be better for those headed out this weekend.
Some much welcome relief for me…
My wife’s family have been bickering about booking Easter skiing and in the end we seem to have signed up for a week in Saalbach at Easter. Be amazed if there’s any snow left. Tempted to take my bike. There seems to be a week or to of cold weather coming up so you never know…
Last time we were there, there was so much snow the lifts closed and we couldn’t get out of the town because of avalanches!
Early April is often some of the best conditions in my experience, we've got the Easter weekend chalked in for going sliding before silly season kicks in on the bikes.
Friends in the Pyrenees posted up their "best day of the season" on Instabook today. It looked far better than over the last month, that's for sure. More snow forecast down this way on Monday.
We have been very lucky, pre-covid, to be able to get away once or twice a year. Still remember the feb/march 2020 discussions about how it might still be ok. Seems ridiculous now! Especially when you think about the “patient zero” hysteria about Austrian ski resorts….
Was always saalbach/hinterglem at Christmas or obergurgl at Easter. The latter being higher and near to a glacier for guaranteed snow. We’ve been really lucky with hinterglem - only one bad year and a few days of muddy scraping. The webcams look great tonight so maybe we’ll get away with it again…. A few more nights in the Goabstall!
So we have the channel tunnel booked for Monday lunchtime, a camper van and no set plan on where to go.
The idea is to land in resort Tuesday night, ready for Wednesday morning.
Looking at the forecasts where would you head? Excited about some fresh powder, not so excited about the mountain being closed whilst they try and deal with too much snow!