Links should be open until 15th when Nendaz closes. Maybe previous years was due to a lack of snow and prior to the snow making that came in recently on the link?
There will be great skiing everywhere next week. Colder temps and more snow at the weekend will set you up nicely. Then warm weather comes in so head high, ideally up towards Mont Fort
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@BobinCH, Even in good snow the Plan de Fou cable car has shut and the Tracouet Prarion link at the beginning of April.
Thanks, we usually drive up to Siviez and ski from there but if the party is splitting up it would be good to be able to ski back without getting a bus.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
We came home from La Tzoumaz on Tuesday after 4 days skiing and really, the conditions are far better than usual for this time of year. You should have a great time. We did Plan du Fou and the télécabine up from Prarion was running but, as ever, packed sardine-like. The run down from PdF to the base of the télécabine was bashed on one side, so looked much easier than the usual mogl-y surface. The rest of the area was relatively quiet even at the Weekend. On our final day (Monday 26 March) was the first time that the very base of the area around 1500-1600m was at all 'sugary' - the rest of the pistes were very sound. And it snowed lightly on the morning of 27th.
Just be sensible if you go off-piste. We talked to an English instructor from Verbier and he was very sad about the people killed in the Vallon d'Arbi: they weren't on any itinerary (quite the opposite); it was after 3pm; on a south-facing, steep slope; and had no AVI equipment. Not that it would have helped given they were buried under 6 metres of snow anyway. If nothing else remember - just because there are tracks already there doesn't mean it's safe for you.
On piste should be fine. If you're up at Savoleyres bear in mind the signs saying that the link is closed ('Carrefour fermé) are misleading. This is true (because of avalanches) but there's an alternative, proper piste which is bashed, back down into Verbier. You still go down to the gate but there's a new piste that turns to the right and takes you to the road. You have to remove your skies, walk across the road, and then ski down the learner slope. At the bottom of that there's a nifty ski-track across the road that takes you through various back gardens to the base of the Mayentzet button-lift. Sounds complicated, but isn't once you've done it. Alternatively, just catch the old gondola back down from Savoleyres into Verbier.
Flying into Geneva last Thursday (22 March), I was surprised at the long queue at passport immigration. However, the EU line moved quite fast and it was probably no more than 20 minutes to get through in the end.
Coming home on Tuesday, easyJet texted that there were long delays and they were opening baggage checkin 3 hours before: there were no queues at all. However, they did manage to comprehensively screw-up the boarding process completely and allowed the non-speedyboarding passengers to get on the 'plane before refuelling was completed. So they all had to get out their seats, and re-exit the 'plane and stand on the tarmac and stairs. Then it started raining. They they let them on again (but not the SB people). Only to have chaos as the injured were boarded. And finally have to deal with a bunch of irate SB business types who ended up with their coats and bags spread along the lockers behind them. Really, how difficult can it be to get boarding right?
After all it is free
After all it is free
A few more from the sensational conditions yesterday!
Smokey on the way into the Attelas couloirs
3 Fingers Virgins
M25 looking perfect
Best snow on upper pistes!
Sluff racing in the chimney
Want to ski the dam!
Sunny and warm today. Cold temps and more snow coming tonight. The season that keep on giving!
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.
Ouch. Savoleyres lift shut this afternoon due to wind. Some unhappy Le Tzoumaz residents stranded in Verbier 😱
Family outing to 3 fingers
Snow cover is outstanding, yesterday's warm weather caused a bit more hardback than was apparent yesterday, but stunning conditions for the time of year.
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.
PdGers - pussies! On one late season foray to Verbier we outpaced a team down the piste towards the finish. Then we realised they only had 5 skis between the 3 skiers
Quite an effort to knock 1:17 off the record.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@DJL, I think the previous record was 5;52, so 17 minutes, but that's the equivalent of taking 6 minutes approx off the marathon record!
After all it is free
After all it is free
@BobinCH, you are going to do it next time?
Just 48 hours ago I asked you...and you protested "No way! I'm not crazy!"
Fickle...very fickle
Do it for charity...I'll sponsor you...
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.
@rungsp, i’m doing it with you 🥇🏆🍺
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Snow forecast for the closing weekend. Damp squib or powder heaven? We shall see. Should still be fun though whatever the weather...
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I skied Verbier on Sunday. Lots of snow above 2000m - doesn't even really feel like spring underfoot there - and just about possible to ski back to Verbier 1500m although pistes starting to shut and lots of slush/waterskiing. It was, overall, great.
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.
@tripowski, "just about possible"??
We have enjoyed a glorious week here, skiing every day.
The sweet spot is from 10.00am until 2pm, but by 1pm the very lowest slopes are a bit too slushy for my taste...but I am a slush-phobe. Higher up it it still lovely until 3pm, but we download from Ruinnettes at that time...a slush-phile could certainly ski down..
Pure blue skies all week (except a bit of cloud yesterday).
Pistes in 100% perfect coverage condition, top to bottom. Just enough lifts open...and very few skiers.
Whatever he said...the snow is 100% all the way to town, and it will be like that on Sunday when it all closes....there is so much snow still to melt, I've never seen anything like this season here, and I've been coming for twenty years.
What a season it has been from our first trip around the 7th of December (with mega snow), the dodgy rainy days around New Year (best forgotten!) and the best Verbier powder day I have ever had right in Half Term week. Loved it!
Last day of the season for us tomorrow, a lazy lunch at Cabane Mont Fort and then it will be up to our friends Bobinch and Steve Sparks to close this thread at the weekend.
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
We saw our first bear on the mountain today...a Swiss first for us.
Bear Grylls
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I based that on the fact that some of the runs between Ruinettes and Medran were already closed, and those that were open had some increasingly large patches of bare earth/tarmac and standing water that we had to negotiate, particuarly from Carrefour and below that. I didn't mind the skiing where there was snow, but there were some detours involved to keep to an open skiable path.
As you say, from Ruinettes upwards is just fantastic at the moment.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Trying to persuade @Snowpenguin the season isn't over and we want to go skiing this weekend (due to the holiday I have a 4-day weekend, but he'd have to book the Monday off). Is there enough open in Verbier to make it worth the trip from Basel? Preferably for off-piste/touring. The other possibilities are Engelberg or Andermatt which are quite a bit closer for us. @BobinCH's stoke on Verbier has got to me this winter though
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@tripowski, ah...if you were trying to get down La Rouge or one of the closed areas I can understand that.
The route down to Medran is 100% snow.
@Gämsbock, the lifts shut on Sunday but there is a huge, HUGE, amount of touring still available.
With a car you could drive up the valley a bit and park near Lourtier and tour up and way beyond Cabane Brunet so that would be a good no-lift day too. Have a look at your maps.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@rungsp, cheers, I'll have a look tonight. Shame about the lifts, thought everywhere open for the weekend would continue till the bank holiday on Tuesday. I'll have to do a comparison of terrain availability.
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?
@Gämsbock, the Tuesday is not a holiday in Valais/Vaud unfortunately. Mont Fort will be open until Sunday so there’s plenty of high altitude skiing, but the question is whether we will have any fresh snow and to what altitude... without fresh, the warm temps mean it’s an early start for touring and corn eg Rosablanche. If there’s some fresh steep skiing options off Mont Fort and Bec des Rosses open up. If you want to take the risk perhaps do Saturday/Sunday in Verbier and then head to Engelberg for Mon/Tues on the way back?
Pistes were ace in the morning right down into town until the Foehn got up and we dived for cover into the Dahu!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@BobinCH...you? Into The Dahu?
Who would have predicted that ?
What a season...see you in the summer...
After all it is free
After all it is free
It's amazing who you bump into in the Dahu!
As one would expect after this winter, we experienced everything yesterday, from skiing in t-shirts in the morning, a minor white out at lunchtime and multiple lift closures because of the wind.
All in all, the best of my 15 winters in Verbier.
Let's do it all again in November.
In the meantime, skins on, let's hike!
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.
Steve Sparks wrote:
All in all, the best of my 15 winters in Verbier.
Let's do it all again in November.
My best too. Just pips 2010 with its awesome April.
Great to ski with @Steve Sparks, @Rungsp and many more, new and old.
Love Verbier more with every passing year and more knowledge. But wouldn’t recommend it to others - it tracks out in minutes and is full of bankers 😉
Enjoy the silly season and here’s hoping for a powdertastic November 2018 #backtotherehab
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Decided to can our plan to skin to the St Bernard Monastery this weekend. All looks too risky with recent snowfall, high winds and forecast high temps.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
