Lovely skin up to St Bernard pass on Sunday. About 20cm of fresh snow and blowing a howling gale, but the monks were customarily hospitipal and we enjoyed our best value lunch of the winter.
That's seven months on snow for us this winter.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Realizing these questions are disliked, I’ll ask it anyway. How “risky” is it to book an mid January trip, say 1/18-25? Knowing of course one has no clue as to conditions for a given year, but based on you guy’s knowledge of historical snowfall. Thanks.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Verbier is high, plenty of snowguns, and has one of the best snow records in the world.
Ski area is consistently open from Dec to Apr.
Jan, in the peak-cold of midwinter, will be absolutely fine.
Book it.
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.
@Ptspeak, not very risky I'd say!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Thanks. I have an option to go in late February early March but it’s a bit iffy if my work schedule will allow it so it’s one of these two weeks. I’ve been in late January with good conditions except for 1/17 which was a poor winter, at least at the start. The negatives of February/March are crowds and a greater chance of a warm spell.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Ptspeak, it would be an exceptional winter for you to be disappointed with the conditions on either option. Late Feb/March won’t be too busy as long as you miss the school hols.
If there’s a shortage of easily accessible powder, there are plenty of people here who will show you how to find some.
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.
Every year the same first world problems ptspeak
You should do a graph showing amount of snow that fell state side on each of your trips
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've had an apartment in the 4 Vallées (Verbier, la Tzoumaz, Nendaz & Veysonnaz) ski area since 2003 and always go end of Jan / beginning of Feb, which is the quietest time (schools are all back) and when snow is most likely. In those 16 years, we've been there once with bizarrely high temps (18ºC at 1500 metres!), and cancelled once because of obviously poor conditions. Given we've gone out up to three times in the Jan-Mar period, I'd say you have about a 1 in 10 chance of being unlucky (in terms of poor snow). You're probably more likely to hit whiteout or heavy snow conditions that would curtail your skiing.
Verbier tops out at 3300m (11,000 ft.) and the town is at 1500m (5,000 ft.), so it's one of the high resorts. As mentioned, there's been a lot of new snowmaking installed recently as well. And most of the lift system is modern (there are only a few drag lifts) mostly comprising 6-seater chairs and gondolas.
Here is a photo' taken this year of part of one of the main Verbier runs at exactly the period you are contemplating visiting. The building on the right centre is the Ruinettes station, and the one at the top is Fontanet (take a look at the ski map at https://www.verbinet.com/maps). This is about a third of a continuous drop from the Attelas station (2'727m/9,000ft) down to one of Carrefour, Mayentzet or Médran (1'532m/5,000ft) stations - about a 4,000ft drop in one go. Which is fun (I'll let others like BobInCH extol the virtues of the off-piste areas). This was taken on a fairly 'busy' afternoon (you can see the individual skiers on the piste).
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
8611 wrote:
Every year the same first world problems ptspeak
You should do a graph showing amount of snow that fell state side on each of your trips
Please accept my sincere apology for seeking feedback on a ski forum about skiing. Don’t be such an ass.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
As above late Jan / late Fab about as snow sure as it gets. Jan colder, more chance of proper cold smoke and Bruson tree fun. Feb/March deeper snow depths, more sun, hopefully better up high. Check the previous pages of this thread or the previous years for examples of actual conditions. Last 2 years have been long and great, couple before that not so good. Fingers crossed for this season...
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Ptspeak wrote:
8611 wrote:
Every year the same first world problems ptspeak
You should do a graph showing amount of snow that fell state side on each of your trips
Please accept my sincere apology for seeking feedback on a ski forum about skiing. Don’t be such an ass.
I was joking, don't be so sensitive! As someone who would love to ski over there I am envious of those who ski over here. And I'm pretty sure you post here each season seeking tips?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
8611 wrote:
Ptspeak wrote:
8611 wrote:
Every year the same first world problems ptspeak
You should do a graph showing amount of snow that fell state side on each of your trips
Please accept my sincere apology for seeking feedback on a ski forum about skiing. Don’t be such an ass.
I was joking, don't be so sensitive! As someone who would love to ski over there I am envious of those who ski over here. And I'm pretty sure you post here each season seeking tips?
Well I’ve now entered second world problems. Ha ha.Microdiscectomy the next week so it’ll be February at the earliest. before I’ll attempt to ski. A chronic mild problem has escalated to an acute one. I’ll still shoot for early March there if all goes well. I’ve been very fortunate over years so this sucks. But could be worse.
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?
Ptspeak wrote:
8611 wrote:
Ptspeak wrote:
8611 wrote:
Every year the same first world problems ptspeak
You should do a graph showing amount of snow that fell state side on each of your trips
Please accept my sincere apology for seeking feedback on a ski forum about skiing. Don’t be such an ass.
I was joking, don't be so sensitive! As someone who would love to ski over there I am envious of those who ski over here. And I'm pretty sure you post here each season seeking tips?
Well I’ve now entered second world problems. Ha ha.Microdiscectomy the next week so it’ll be February at the earliest. before I’ll attempt to ski. A chronic mild problem has escalated to an acute one. I’ll still shoot for early March there if all goes well. I’ve been very fortunate over years so this sucks. But could be worse.
I do agree a lot of unnecessary anxiety I spent on snow conditions. Any day skiing is a good one. And I do tend to be irrational at times.
@Ptspeak, Every year, multiple times a year, I do the same thing, I think we all do. Its because we're passionate about it and we want the best. However, on reflection (and this won't stop me doing it) we get nothing extra for the torture. We should just go and enjoy it whatever the conditions are.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Bored at work today. Way way to early planning, but skiing is such a satisfying distraction. Sooo.. Any off piste guide recommendations for verbier?, either group or private/semi private? Is guide necessary?, seems like a good idea given all the options in 4V. Our M.O is me and my teenage daughter, both with off piste experience, although I am not comfortable reading for avi danger, etc. Strong skieers and have been guided in st anton and 3V in the past. Didnt need one in zermatt given itineraries, which were mostly closed when we went a few years ago. Used ski club of UK for the 3V guide (group), which was great and saved a bit of $$s. Thanks for ideas and suggestions.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Beautiful day in the mountains. View of Verbier’s big 3 peaks - Attelas, Mt Gelé and Mt Fort
Autumn colours looking down towards La Tzoumaz
After all it is free
After all it is free
This thread rebumping is just reminding me of how unfair it is that @BobinCH's kids got to ski better powder than I did last season, and in April at that! I got a bit of that ridiculous snowfall in Austria but it didn't look that light, I was lower down though
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.
I think it’s unfair too. In fact most everything @BobinCH posts seems unfair!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@8611, not to worry. More powder on the way soon!
Still enjoying the balmy end of season sunshine. The view back up to yesterday’s peak - Pierre Avoi
Playing follow the pup on the dry and dusty downhill trails!
A new 'Verbier Express' train will be launched this winter and will run weekends from Geneva Airport direct to Le Chable, although it looks like it is intended more for local day-trippers rather than those arriving at the airport
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Have a great day.
