 Poster: A snowHead
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| Cookiemonsterhahaha wrote: |
| Zermatt's website shows VT slopes are open but no connection to top of 7...is that true? i.e. VT side can only be reached through the cable from Salette? |
Just a glitch on the Zermatt website. The Cervinia website shows all the connecting slopes as open.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| JohnMo wrote: |
The GFS models getting confident that the temperatures will drop back to normal soon. So snow making can start again. But the hope for much snow next week seems to be going.
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Ive seen reports that 28th-30th will be snowy
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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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| JohnMo wrote: |
| Cookiemonsterhahaha wrote: |
| Zermatt's website shows VT slopes are open but no connection to top of 7...is that true? i.e. VT side can only be reached through the cable from Salette? |
Just a glitch on the Zermatt website. The Cervinia website shows all the connecting slopes as open. |
Good to know, thanks John
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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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| rachelb wrote: |
| @Idb1213, If you were still looking for winter tyres on a hire car, we've just booked a car to rent with winter tyres for £206 for the week 4th Dec to 11th Dec. Like you, we found the taxi to Cevinia was very expensive. We booked through discovercars.com |
Coming back to this topic. Some regions in Italy (mostly northern ones for obvious reasons) have laws on mandatory winter tyres or snow chains carried from 15Nov to 15Apr. Does anyone know if that means all rental cars automatically come with one of the two if I rent from Milan/Turin?
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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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| Cookiemonsterhahaha wrote: |
| rachelb wrote: |
| @Idb1213, If you were still looking for winter tyres on a hire car, we've just booked a car to rent with winter tyres for £206 for the week 4th Dec to 11th Dec. Like you, we found the taxi to Cevinia was very expensive. We booked through discovercars.com |
Coming back to this topic. Some regions in Italy (mostly northern ones for obvious reasons) have laws on mandatory winter tyres or snow chains carried from 15Nov to 15Apr. Does anyone know if that means all rental cars automatically come with one of the two if I rent from Milan/Turin? |
Answering my own question: I checked a few rental companies, they all include snow chains if the cars are not fitted with winter tires when you make a booking, either for free or for a minimal extra charge (£20-30ish)
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I had to hire a top of the range Audi Quattro to get winter tyres from Bergamo. Chains are no good without full snow cover on road. Beware.
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Do you know if the cars without winter tyres fitted with all-season or summer tyres? Impossible to find out from the rental websites! 
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I had summers previously on a Renault, ( the big seven seat people carrier. Forget name. It was the first on the market though). I slid all over the place in Selva, and had to pay for an underground car park for the week otherwise I was going nowhere. We go to Zermatt a lot and train all the way from Geneva so no issue. We are going via a tour operator for the first time in many years as we are going to Cervinia this year due to a beginner in our party. I did not want to hire!
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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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Obviously no skiing below Plan Maison!
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Link between VT and Crrvinia didn’t seem to be open - it was v crowded at Plan maison esp at going home time - maybe they were worried about people getting stuck in wrong valley?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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| Quote: |
Big queue to get down at p maison so took the sort cut!
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Is that the blue down to Cretaz or the red?
It looks like they could open it soon, maybe with a bit of extra snow making once the temperature drops again.
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They’d need need to fill two gaps one 30 m the other 100 m op the blue to Cretan - they really ought to try, but who knows!
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You know it makes sense.
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Don’t understand how you could go down the cretaz piste if its closed? 
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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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I assesses the risks and how I might manage them and deemed it acceptable. - and skied slowly & in control, not much different to walking it ( sometimes it was no different). The biggest one I think was hurting other people so I was careful not to allow anyone to follow me ( except swmbo) and skied the last bit v v slowly due to toboganners!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Wildsmith wrote: |
| Link between VT and Crrvinia didn’t seem to be open - it was v crowded at Plan maison esp at going home time - maybe they were worried about people getting stuck in wrong valley? |
Meaning VT can only be reached by car? That would be the deal breaker whether one should rent a car or take a transfer...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Snow starting Monday every day for a week at least by the looks of things on Bergfex. Light snows to start with then some heavy falls on 25th/26th
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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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| Wildsmith wrote: |
| Link between VT and Crrvinia didn’t seem to be open - it was v crowded at Plan maison esp at going home time - maybe they were worried about people getting stuck in wrong valley? |
@Wildsmith I am not out there now. The Zermatt website is still showing the link as not open. However the Cervinia website (which one would expect to be more reliable in this regard) is showing all the connecting lifts and slopes as open.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
Light snows to start with then some heavy falls on 25th/26th
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Bergfex's forecast seems to have changed again and the heavy falls have disappeared. Confidence seems very low and there is little agreement between the different forecasts available.
To me it seems as though anything could happen next week within a range from no snow of consequence to a steady accumulation that makes a big difference.
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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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Light snow on the 27th still
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| JohnMo wrote: |
| I am not out there now. The Zermatt website is still showing the link as not open. However the Cervinia website (which one would expect to be more reliable in this regard) is showing all the connecting lifts and slopes as open. |
Vt - Cervinia link definitely open today - I think it will be ok now with lighter crowds ( they had grand opening and a ski / board testing event this weekend so seemed super busy around P Maison an first thing there were bid queue to get up the first gondola/ cable car!
Lovely day today though - super snow on and side piste…. sunny … mmm
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So… an update on lift pass discounts for Cerv lift passes… I took some very good  advice and booked the Hotel Edelweiss ( incidentally brilliant, great food, gluten free / coeliac choice agogo, sauna / jacuzzi / mini bus to the slopes / hors d’ouevres with my pre dinner gf beer/ good sized / equipped rooms / ski room on ground floor / really good value but don’t tell them… get the picture); well I booked direct on their website www.Matterhorn.it
And they gave me 1 day free on my 6 day pass… I think there is a deal done with tourist office for some of the hotels… happy days… free advertising!
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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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About an hour ago a tiny bit of thin snow was falling on Cervinia. I wonder if any has fallen up top!
Also, this morning the snow making machines were running on full power right next to parking lot. Hope they're planning on opening the runs down the village soon.
About car rentals: from my experience, most companies that don't provide cara with winter tyres do provide chains in the trunk. Be careful in any case; yesterday we had a hard time at the parking lot, it was quite icy and we realised our tyres were nearly bald...
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Hahahah genius!! That queue was terrible
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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AM light snow in town. Now up at Ch Etoile and cloudy better in CH I hope!
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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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Yes much better in CH - best between trockener steg and furgg
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Last run… usual stop at Hotel Baita Cretaz 1/2 way into the muddy walk to the Cretaz snow patch. They are testing the chairs on the Cretaz chairlift (to P Maison
Snow in town melted now and lightly snowing!
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You know it makes sense.
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@Wildsmith, cheers for the updates, we need a bit more snow it’s fair to say before it’s anything like
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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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@Wildsmith, loving the updates, hope you’re enjoying the skiing!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Snow conditions were amazing today. As Wildsmith said, the visibility in Italy was limited, in Switzerland it was a bit better (especially at the lower parts).
Today we briefly crossed over to Valtournenche and, despite the glitch on the Zermatt website, the link is open normally and you can take the drag lift back to Cervinia. The snow conditions were not as good as in the other areas though (albeit still very nice of course - we just got a bit spoiled today), and the visibility there was probably the worst we had all day. It was veeery empty though.
Now unfortunately about to fly back to Holland...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Safe journey, Gustavo.
Another morning of wet snow in town.
Looks like viz will be best in CH again - though the snow everywhere is fantastic and the skiing great with those long 4 ish 1000m vert ++ runs from the top!
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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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@Wildsmith, good to know. 12th Dec I am in Cervinia and I think if Crystal cancel my trip for any reason I will just book a flight to Geneva and get the train to Zermatt instead. Have already priced it up ready just in case!
@Gustavo the Gaper, glad you enjoyed your trip. What level is the snow line? Piste No 1 right down to the bottom at Valtourneche can’t be open can it? But there must be snow on it down to so far?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Wildsmith wrote: |
Safe journey, Gustavo.
Another morning of wet snow in town.
Looks like viz will be best in CH again - though the snow everywhere is fantastic and the skiing great with those long 4 ish 1000m vert ++ runs from the top! |
More fresh snow, the webcams are looking amazing, and the weather report says it's fairly cold. I'd be lying if I said I'm not jealous of you!
| VolklAttivaS5 wrote: |
@Wildsmith, good to know. 12th Dec I am in Cervinia and I think if Crystal cancel my trip for any reason I will just book a flight to Geneva and get the train to Zermatt instead. Have already priced it up ready just in case!
@Gustavo the Gaper, glad you enjoyed your trip. What level is the snow line? Piste No 1 right down to the bottom at Valtourneche can’t be open can it? But there must be snow on it down to so far? |
No, piste 1 down to Valtournenche is closed. According to the website, run 7 is the lowest open piste on that side, but we ended up only skiing till the end of piste 5 and then returning (partially because it was overall not as nice as in Cervinia, partially because due to the fog we didn't even see we could've skied further hahah)
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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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Snow levels looking healthy on the Riffelburg lift webcam - bashers moving snow around and getting the pistes compacted. Back in the 2019/2020 season in December they still hadn't managed to get Riffelalp or Schweigmatten open by the mid point of December. Looking at conditions a few further dumps might allows for lower runs to get up and running.
Sunnegga looking very brown still....that said Rothorn healthier! The joy of another c1000m of altitude
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@Gustavo the Gaper, thanks.
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| JohnMo wrote: |
| Run28 wrote: |
| @JohnMo, how is the case rate in Valais? Everything we are reading here is the the number is Switzerland are going bananas. |
Don’t know on the Canton specific numbers. There is speculation that the federal government don’t want to bring in any additional measures until after the referendum on 28 November on the current laws. They are expected to win this.
It is odd having a resort covering two countries. In Italy you are meant to wear a mask on the chairlifts (no-one does - there was even a policeman in front of me and he didn’t). Also you are not allowed to close the bubble. Neither of these apply in Switzerland. In Italy you need the green pass to get onto the slopes. However they do not check your green Pass in the restaurant because they assume you have already been checked - which anyone coming over from Switzerland will not have been. In Switzerland each restaurant on the mountain checks your covid pass. |
@Run28 here is your answer. Valais one of the lower case rates at present. Whether that will hold up as the ski season ramps up is a different matter.
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@JohnMo, any thoughts on likelihood of restrictions, assuming cases continue to rise? I'm taking it that, having stayed open last year, they will surely stay open this year with vaccines?
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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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| 8611 wrote: |
| @JohnMo, any thoughts on likelihood of restrictions, assuming cases continue to rise? I'm taking it that, having stayed open last year, they will surely stay open this year with vaccines? |
They were open - but almost exclusively for domestic visitors only - although a Germans mate of mine got a couple of trips (not 100% sure they were legal).
The referendum approving the current rules is on 28 November. Assuming that is approved (which seems likely) the federal government might feel they can bring in further restrictions as necessary. What is happening just over the border in Austria is undoubtedly worrying. I plan to be out first week of Jan and then again for a long weekend a couple of weeks later. At the moment I am not booking any flights.
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Interesting, thanks. I thought they were open last year fully, but visitors from certain countries had to quarantine on arrival in Switzerland. This was assessed on the basis of the prevalence of the virus in those countries? I'm coming from Ireland so would rank as EU. Last year our prevalence was at one point ok to arrive without quarantine but then that changed.
Am I wrong in that?
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