 Poster: A snowHead
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We went up to Theodulpass, no viz so skied back to Plan Maison and over to Bec Carre, where we could see reasonably. Stayed there until lunch, at the great value Ski Grill Motta. Came out to worse viz, went to Cielo Alto to see if trees would help, not really. We were about to go back to the car when I noticed the link was open and Plateau Rosa was above the clouds, apparently, on the webcam. Reasonable viz for most of the easy red in fact, and improved below Trockener Steg to Furgg. App said the black to Furi was shut so we headed back up to KM. Nice black to Plateau Rosa. More braille skiing from Theodulpass down to Plan Maison, where viz started to improve. Managed >8km vertical, which I think is a creditable effort given we had to check out of our hotel first thing and couldn’t see much for a fair amount of it. Helped a lot by it being our last day so already had the slopes in my head.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| 8611 wrote: |
| Settle an argument for me - I think the link to zermatt was open for most of the afternoon, correct? |
correct.
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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?
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@what...snow, thanks for all your updates over the trip, safe home. If I hit half the food locations you did I'd be delighted, but hard to find any restaurants in this weather.
Can I ask either of you, what the big hassle with going over to the Swiss side is? My recollection is you can go over and then grab a couple of T-Bars or buttons back? I'm just wondering could I pop over tomorrow quicky for an hour or two with kids or is there some hassle and time factor I am missing? I would love to see (a big ask at the mo) the Matterhorn and get up to the very top, and or do that crazy lift up from Zermatt (though given how bad snow is on this side I presume the valley run there is a disaster)
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For those after updates, raining lightly at resort level all evening, doesn't feel one bit cold so I'm not sure where the snow line would be but I seriously doubt its 2500
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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the drag lifts are no longer there so you need the matterhorn blue cable car to be running to get back over to the Italian side. its a tad frustrating they have done that.
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Oh - and I assume that makes the link more exposed? I think the idea was they'd run the drags in poorer weather. So basically, you need the cable car to the very top to be open to get out?
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yep exactly that.
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| 8611 wrote: |
| doesn't feel one bit cold so I'm not sure where the snow line would be but I seriously doubt its 2500 |
to be fair I had a look around for a weather station online and there is one in Cervinia which is showing 1 degree now and 3 degrees at most today so maybe my sense of temp is well off. I went to Supermarket this morning with one of the kids in pyjamas so definitely felt it was warm
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@8611, the blue lift to KM isn’t a cable car it’s a 3S/Funitel so should stay open for most weather. They are obviously quite conservative about sending you back if there’s a bit of wind. I don’t know if you can take skiers on the MGR3, from Plateau Rosa to Klein Matterhorn. I thought you couldn’t but I saw people with skis walking to it from the CBL-PR cable car this afternoon. We used the lifts on the Zermatt side every day but it does involve quite a long ski and much of the section from Theodulpass to Trockener Steg is fairly flat. My son wasn’t much of a fan of the 2nd gondola (hot, flat, sweaty, uncomfortable in his considered opinion) or the cable car above Plan Maison though, so Theodulpass, TS, KM, PR is a reasonable option for getting from 1 side of Cervinia to the other (if you’ve already got the right pass).
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Thanks @what...snow, yes that was my recollection, flat enough pistes until you get to the enjoyable snakey run down to Zermatt, but I assume snow on that is terrible if even open now. I think we just want visibility at this stage so if it is clearer there (and it looks it on the webcams now) it might be worth a shot. Annoyingly I have a lesson for the kids booked for 1pm at the bottom of the Cretaz chair lift which just makes everything harder. I also think KM is quite an experience and worth visiting.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Wednesday through to Thursday turning into the storm of the season! Great news is that the snowline starts at about 2000m (ie the whole ski area except the home runs is snow) and then drops down to village level.
Pretty bad news for anyone out this week as there will be a lot of closures in the short term. But Easter week should be fantastic.
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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.
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Bombing early this morning so maybe last nights rain in resort was snow up high. Either that or they're worried about wet snow avalanches.
Viz seemed better on italian side today but we rolled the dice and went to zermatt. Sun came out and snow was cold and nice down to around trokener stegg. Nice skiing and a bit of off piste off the chair above.
Then back over via the top lift. Unfortunately, the top was clouded and the italian side remained clouded over above the slush line for the full afternoon. Thankfully the swiss and the italians appreciated the risk associated with skiing at almost 4000m with kids in a white out and provided zero info on how to return to italy. Can you get the new cable car? Is it possible to get to theodulpass or is there only one way to ski across?
A sign loomed out of the gloom but it was unclear if it offered an option to climb up a slope a bit to avoid what was otherwise described as an expert run in super low viz. Alas we had to back the latter as at least you knew it went to italy. Braille skiing as described thereafter. Snow nice down to about 2500 I suppose. Everything under that is end of season resort run fare.
Pity as we didn't get to cervinia at all so would have liked to see what pistes were like and if they got a top up.
Raining moderately now. I assume the whole place will close on wed and certainly thurs if forecast comes good.
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While the kids were in lessons, we made it up, which was lovely, very nice snow, obviously quite a bit had fallen overnight.
Looks like tomorrow will be similar to today.
Spoke to a few folks about Wednesday - the view was that lifts unless it's windy... We shall see. With that much snow visibility is going to be pretty poor.
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You know it makes sense.
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Interesting mixed bag day. Snowing in resort in morning. Bizarrely soft powder side piste right to valley floor early on - valley runs didn't seen to have been pisted at all though?
Some vis at times, some fresh squeaky snow, 5 - 10 cms off piste in places. White out most of the day otherwise. Bizarrely warm on the second chair above plan maison. Must be a hollow or something.
Most annoying thing was trying to schlep the kids around plan maison on slow running snow, a real drag. Maybe kids skis less waxed than others but everyone struggling there.
Looking forward to snowmageddon tomorrow!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@8611, definitely a mixed bag today. Had a good morning, while the girls were having lessons, despite the mixed visibility. Snow was very nice up high (2400+).
Had lunch and then went back up only to find that the snow had softened and despite lessons, the girls were going slower rather than faster. Did a couple of runs then had a coffee and cake and then went down in the near whiteout with slush. Very hard work.
Will you ski tomorrow with the snow? Looks like the heavens will open up!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@8611, I guess you mean the ‘experts only’ sign they had out a few times at the top of Ventina/7? It was put out at random times last week. I think that if you can cross at Plateau Rosa, you can cross at Theodulpass too. Having had the benefit of seeing the whole area in bright sunshine there are clues. At Plateau Rosa there’s a Cervinia sign at the start of 7 and Cervinia and Zermatt signs to the right of the slope down from the PR Cable car (and the refugio). If it indicates that you can head to Cervinia and Zermatt, then the next junction (Theodulpass) has a Cervinia sign on the left and Zermatt to the right. Beware crossing back to Cervinia here with kids, there’s 2 fairly hefty uphill sections. If you have tired children and want a lift, there’s a magic carpet to the right of the slope at Plateau Rosa (near the Zermatt sign) which looks like it lifts you up to building level and I presume you can then get the cable car down. Stay safe tomorrow and good luck with the snow.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Rusty76, yes that was my experience too. Nice up top. Of course the clouds lifted just as the lifts closed! Will ski tomorrow as I actually love skiing while its snowing. Pissing rain in the town now though so not sure where snow line will be! Will be hard to head out tomorrow if its like this in resort. Wouldn't be shocked if the whole place closes in which case we'll try and get out of resort to avoid risk of missing flight Thurs.
@what...snow, yes that's broadly what I figured after the fact. I saw the magic carpet when dropping in to Switzerland from Plateau Rosa. But in 5m of visibility I saw Cervinia left expert piste and a somewhat ambiguous sign possibly pointing up the hill but possibly pointing left also Cervinia. I took out the snowforecast app which puts you on the piste map but between the altitude and there being like 10 people relying on me I couldn't figure out which way I had come from and which I was going and didn't want to march them all up the hill like the grand old duke of york if it was for nothing.
Anyway, no fear of it opening for the remainder of my trip but lesson hopefully learned for the next time. Some infrastructure over there. You had it right I think going over early and coming back and combining, your son must have done serious vertical with you fair play.
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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?
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@8611, according to Skiline we did >81km vertical, >500kms downhill and took 200lifts. Not had the chance to ski without a significant amount of waiting around for small children for over a decade but this year I was barely waiting around for him. It felt like a reasonable amount and we actually used a lift on the Zermatt side every day so it was worth shelling out the megabucks for the International pass.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Pretty wild forecast
Not sure i've seen anything like that all season, certainly not for us in the Zillertal!
I'll be in Zermatt for 2 days 30th April/ 1st May, looking forward to it.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Bucketing down in cervinia. Went into cafe for less that ten minutes and 2 - 3 cm on my skis. Snow line probably around 2300m and falling, big wet flocons in resort at mo.
Hopefully doesn't fall too much so I can get out! Lots of soft snow up above, not super dry but suspect that will improve during the day.
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Cervinia closed tomorrow. Wonder if Friday at risk as well.
Closure Date: Thursday, April 17, 2025
Due to adverse weather conditions and the red avalanche alert issued by the
Autonomous Region of Valle d'Aosta and the Fondazione Montagna Sicura – Fondation Montagne Sûre,
the Cervinia – Valtournenche ski area will remain closed for the entire day of Thursday, April 17, 2025.
This decision has been made as a precaution to ensure the safety of all guests, staff, and operators within the resort.
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No real surprise given amounts, and it's still falling. Fun day, mainly just to experience that amount of snow fall. Spent most of time on button at plan maison. Kids loved it. Did a few runs up to the highest open lifts, ie, beside bontadini restaurant. Lots of snow, very little viz, not quite a powder bonanza as snow was not super light but still fun. Got colder during the afternoon so maybe the stuff that fell later was lighter.
Either way anyone skiing pistes in cervinia until I suspect the end of the season should be happy.
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What a storm this is – and it is still ongoing. Power is out in Zermatt and the trainlines and roads are inaccessible because of the snow. The avalanche risk is at 4+. The snowline fell to 1400m (ie Täsch) at 6 o’clock yesterday evening and by the time the webams went out 90 minutes later the snow was already deep. It must be off the scale up top.
This is awful for people out this week but is going to make next week possibly the best skiing of the season.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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This is Visp at 650m in the Rhône valley at the bottom of the valley leading away from Zermatt. It never snows there in April!
People in Zermatt and Täsch being told to stay indoors.
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Snow has stopped here, in the village, and I've seen the second patch of blue skies since arriving last Saturday.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Rusty76 wrote: |
| Snow has stopped here, in the village, and I've seen the second patch of blue skies since arriving last Saturday. |
Think that is a temporary break. Next band due imminently. The snow line looks like it will go above village level for a couple of hours before dropping again. All precipitation still snow up in the important areas.
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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.
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Good news is that you can get back up the main street (Bahnhofstrasse). Bad news: still no electricity.
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@JohnMo, Confirmed - reduced visibility now, but not snowing down here just yet.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Hilariously after about a two hour battle to dig out car and fit chains when I left resort, sun was shining, sky was clear and we could see the Matterhorn for the first time all trip! Absolutely stunning, the whole vista was caked with snow. If they open tomorrow anyone out will have an amazing time.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Unfortunately, tomorrow the mountain is closed.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Rusty76 wrote: |
| Unfortunately, tomorrow the mountain is closed. |
That is true for the Italian side. I haven’t seen anything from the Swiss side saying this. At present the point is moot as the Swiss still don’t have any electricity.
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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?
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No electricity in either Cervinia or Zermatt?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We have juice in Cervinia.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hello,
We're in Zermatt this week.
Still no electricity for most of the village. They have got some electricity to a few hotels and managed to open Migros during the afternoon, so we have food. At one point I thought dinner was going to be breakfast cereal by candlelight.
No mobile signal for me for most of the day either, so a very strange day being cut off with very little information.
Getting out of the resort might be interesting as we are still cut off.
Stunning amounts of snow though
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Still no electricity in Zermatt (other than a few places with generators). Still no road or rail access.
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As notified no lifts running on Cervinia side but lifties up there working to get things sorted.
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Anyone still there and get to sample the snow up higher?
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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.
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I'm up at Plan Maison. Somewhat slushy, visibility mixed. Not that many lifts open so substantial queues. 1210.
But it's lovely!
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Zermatt saw its biggest late-April snowstorm this century.
Resort and trains blocked for 3 days, Thurs to Sat.
Saas Fee also got hammered.
April 2025 is one for the Swiss history books.
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