The description is the same across the 3 ratings but the risk is very different. This is a generalization but IME when there’s a 3- rating (it’s closer to a 2) and you rarely see any avi activity. A 3+ is closer to a 4 and you see visible activity everywhere. On the day in question there was a lot of activity and I should have realized 3- was not right.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thats some nice looking pow! I'm here now and its been OK. Saturday the itinerary runs were in decent shape, though things were pretty crusty off the main sections Sunday. I took the L'Etegeon run yesterday and it was super crunchy windblown cr*p, very little powder to be found, and then lots of popping in and out of the skis for the bottom bit to the road.
Last night/today there was a good bit of new snow above about 2200m, the Chassoure run was awesome today, though the snow is pretty heavy. Everything higher up was closed due to wind. I'm hoping the snow will be a bit lighter powder up on Mt Gele/Fort tomorrow!
After all it is free
After all it is free
@Satchboogie, I am not around this week but I would be watching the lift openings and heading for Mont Fort when it opens. With a high freezing level you will be rewarded for going as high as possible. Mont Gele will also be good if you can get up there soon after it opens. If you are an experienced off piste skier best of all will be the backside of Mont Fort. If you don’t have suitable company PM me and I may be able to hook you up with someone
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@BobinCH, That's exactly what we did, we took the bus to Siviez in the morning (last Tuesday now) and then headed straight up for Mont Fort. We had to wait a while for the cable cars to all open (I think we finally were at the top around 10:45am), but it was well worth the wait as we got the 2nd car to open and fresh powder lines off to the left of the black piste (if looking from below). There was also some nice powder to get later from Mt Gele down to Tortin, though the bottom bit was pretty windblown. We didn't go off the backside of Mont Fort though as neither of us are that experience. Maybe next trip!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
All time conditions in the high Alpine. This is the North Face route into the backside of Mont Fort
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Thinking about an Easter trip to 4V but meteoswiss forecasting strong Foehn (and pretending Sunday/Monday rain doesn't exist for the time being). What's typically closed in those conditions? Better to stay in Nendaz or Veysonnaz area?
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
klanfa wrote:
Thinking about an Easter trip to 4V but meteoswiss forecasting strong Foehn (and pretending Sunday/Monday rain doesn't exist for the time being). What's typically closed in those conditions? Better to stay in Nendaz or Veysonnaz area?
If there’s a Foehn the high lifts (Mont Gele, Mont Fort) may close temporarily but you want to be skiing as high as possible so access to Verbier or Siviez is key
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Thanks, that makes sense. Will likely make it a last minute decision as the weather is looking quite unsettled unfortunately.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
From Nendaz, I'd get up high asap and then take it from there: i.e. Nendaz→ Siviez→ Tortin→ Col des Gentianes (2894m) then ski down via Cabin du Mt.Fort →La Chaux
If the Col des Gentianes is looking like it's a white-out or hopelessly foggy/cloudy, then take the gondola above the Chassoure mogul field from Tortin→Col des Chassoure then ski down to →Lac des Vaux
The Mt.Fort and Col des Gentianes webcams will help give you an idea on the day. On the top left of the webcam pages there's a drop-down menu of all the 'cams in the area.
Obviously, if the whole area has poor visibility then you may just opt to play around locally. Just be aware that sometimes there's a temperature inversion and it's cloudly low down but clear higher up. So take a look at the webcams before you leave: this is from Attelas, looking towards Fontanet. The cloud ceiling is at around 2500 meters:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
klanfa wrote:
Thanks, that makes sense. Will likely make it a last minute decision as the weather is looking quite unsettled unfortunately.
I would be quietly optimistic about Verbier. It’s getting enough snow today for a full refresh and although Saturday may see a few raindrops it’s far enough from the Southerly front to get some sun over the weekend. I’ll be there with the fat skis
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Thanks @LaForet and always good to see optimism from a local.
Interestingly Aletsch a bit further in Valais seems to be getting plenty of ppn every single day starting Saturday, while it's pretty much marginal in Verbier.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
klanfa wrote:
Thanks @LaForet and always good to see optimism from a local.
Interestingly Aletsch a bit further in Valais seems to be getting plenty of ppn every single day starting Saturday, while it's pretty much marginal in Verbier.
Go to Monte Rosa if you want the precip but you won’t have any viz, they will be slow to open up and it will fall as rain over the weekend. Verbier will hopefully avoid the rain and have more viz and they open fast. There is already more than enough snow…
Just got this from a mate who skied Mont Fort today:
Hilarious today. Young guy visiting me from Jackson Hole, gonna be here for a month. I take him up this morning, expect to be poo-poo, see nothing. We walk on Mt Fort gondola and its incredible, snow above our head. We do 2 more walk right on, maybe 4 people in gondola. I have to go home, he does 5 more… 8 Mt Fort gondola in a day. I told him that doesn’t exist…. Decent start to the trip
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Oh I'm primarily a piste skier, and this time of the year all I want is sunshine and good pistes, the less precipitation the better!
If you don't use it already, I like the precipitation animation on the app of the official Swiss meteorological service - MeteoSwiss. It gives a good idea of the direction and degree of precipitation and I've found it to be pretty accurate. It can be useful to take a look the evening before. Like most, you can set your location and get alerts as well.
Sublime down today...quite Japan like in the savolyeres trees.
Getting windy though...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I'm not sure about the weekend with orange L3 warning for wind from meteoswiss, I can imagine many lifts will be shut down unfortunately.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Looking at MetéoSwiss this morning, and the webcams, it looks like all of the Verbier sector is closed due to high winds for the south, peaking at 160 Kph at altitude. Is that right? Only the north-facing Savoleyres sector seems to have any lifts running.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
LaForet wrote:
Looking at MetéoSwiss this morning, and the webcams, it looks like all of the Verbier sector is closed due to high winds for the south, peaking at 160 Kph at altitude. Is that right? Only the north-facing Savoleyres sector seems to have any lifts running.
Bruson is open and Medran -> Ruinettes also open. Not yet opening higher due to wind
It’s a shame as the snow was blower before the wind. Guernsey Junior Freeride team getting at it in Vallon d’Arbi
Bruson will be fine.
Savolyeres...the QUEUE to get up is looooong
We are having a balcony day...maybe drive up the valley to Plamproz for an Ibex safari....there is about a 2 week window where they are grazing almost in the (remote) village as that is where the early grass is.
They become rather habituated to people and so long as you are moderately sneaky and quiet as you climb/walk up the hill you can get with 30 yards or so...majestic!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
High winds, Sahara sand and now raining. Lovely it is not… it’s about to dump with snow. Hopefully the snowline isn’t too high and it covers the sand
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
BobinCH wrote:
High winds, Sahara sand and now raining. Lovely it is not… it’s about to dump with snow. Hopefully the snowline isn’t too high and it covers the sand
Date wise, this storm is almost identical to last year.
I drove over to CH on the 22nd March 2023 for my 5 week trip, and we'd not long had a Saharan sand storm then too. We were looking at it in the snowpack during our Mount Safety course when digging snow pits.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Back to pow and more forecast tonight. First lift tomorrow for the powder express
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@BobinCH, Stef and Jola had an exceptional last day.
In Lac de Vaux just as LDV2 opened...so first tracks down Chassoure and as they got to Tortin the Gientiennes Jumbo opened so they went up that and got first tracks down Gentiennes.
Once in a lifetime!
I can say that Chassoure was lovely but Mont Gele into LA Chaux was beyond lovely
We are off to Bloney tonight...do you want your.post collecting ?
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
happynovice wrote:
Arriving in Verbier on Thursday for a long weekend. Any hope that today's top-up will make a difference or am I in for a complete slushfest ?
And any tips for how to approach a spring ski day in Verbier would be much appreciated - thanks!!
Will make a big difference up high. Thursday should be an epic powder day. Will warm up after that but not too much so I’d expect great skiing for the next few days. In terms of where to ski, the North faces will have the best snow which means, Lac des Vaux, Mont Gelé front side, Mont Fort and down to Tortin etc
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Thanks @BobinCH, really helpful. I'm a piste skier only, so great that there's still some hope I'll have something to slide around on for the weekend
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