 Poster: A snowHead
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| Whitegold wrote: |
The hard facts (numbers) don't lie.
Zermatt gets 50-80% less snowfall than the best Japanese and American resorts. And 20-50% less than the best European resorts. |
This old chestnut always ends the same way....all other resorts aren't Zermatt.
I rest my case.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think the amazing thing about Zermatt is the number of lifts that take you above 3,000m and the lack of people using them (the price of the pass may have something to do with that!).
On a warm spring day you still have plenty of vertical all over the resort that still stays in good condition. I don't know of another resort/area in Europe that compares in that respect.
I have skied Jackson/Taos/Alta/Snowbird and the powder has been great but they certainly lack the sheer scale of Z and that's before we get onto charm, convenience, cuisine etc etc.
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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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I have noticed that several people mentioned the quality of the food and overall dining experience as a big plus. That leads me to believe that a lot of people have different priorities than I do when it comes to skiing (and also probably deeper pockets)  I always pack lunch and snacks when I ski.
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| altaski8 wrote: |
| I have noticed that several people mentioned the quality of the food and overall dining experience as a big plus. That leads me to believe that a lot of people have different priorities than I do when it comes to skiing (and also probably deeper pockets) I always pack lunch and snacks when I ski. |
My “children” do the same when they go out without my wife and me. Unless I am with friends and we are having a treat the most I will do is grab something easy from one of the self services. It is a lot cheaper over on the Italian side mind.
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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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| JohnMo wrote: |
| altaski8 wrote: |
| I have noticed that several people mentioned the quality of the food and overall dining experience as a big plus. That leads me to believe that a lot of people have different priorities than I do when it comes to skiing (and also probably deeper pockets) I always pack lunch and snacks when I ski. |
My “children” do the same when they go out without my wife and me. Unless I am with friends and we are having a treat the most I will do is grab something easy from one of the self services. It is a lot cheaper over on the Italian side mind. |
Rosti and Sausage from the Riffleberg self service set me back something in the order of £25 last time I ventured inside....the joys of the GBP to CHF exchange rate.
Our priorities when skiing are first lift and then off the mountain within 30 mins of the last lift....and we still get time for a slap up meal at Zum See.
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| Run28 wrote: |
Rosti and Sausage from the Riffleberg self service set me back something in the order of £25 last time I ventured inside....the joys of the GBP to CHF exchange rate.
Our priorities when skiing are first lift and then off the mountain within 30 mins of the last lift....and we still get time for a slap up meal at Zum See. |
Aye. It is a good advert for the packed lunch - or at least making it over to Italy to eat. My favourite self-service is not any of the lift stations but the hut down at Furgg (which I guess is close to two lift stations but strictly is not a lift station restaurant.
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Important questions:
1. How much does a half litre mug of beer cost?
2. How much does an electro tax from centre to Matterhorn Express (or visa versa) cost?
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1. c.6 CHF for 0.5lt of local beer - imported will be more expensive (more on the mountain depending on where you are buying it).
2. The taxis are at a set rate depending on distance. JohnMo might know this years as they were increased last year I believe?
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I am pleasantly surprised about the cost of beer. That's about £4.60 - and you can pay as much, or more, in the UK in places. In Norway you'd be paying £7 or £8. In fact, £4.60 strikes me as being cheaper than I paid in France two years ago.
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| mitcva wrote: |
| How much does an electro tax from centre to Matterhorn Express (or visa versa) cost? |
By “Centre” do you mean the train station? I don’t use the taxis very often. I think from memory from the train station square down to the Matterhorn Paradise lift is CHF13. However there is also a shuttle bus which is free if you have a ski lift pass.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks.
So, if you don't want to take the free bus, it costs barely more than the equivalent of two local beers to get a taxi (which can hold what, up to four?) one way. Sounds good to me.
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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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@mitcva, There are fare zones and a surcharge for additional people, fares are regulated and advertised on the outside of the cabs. My taxi would have seated 6 - luggage on the roof.
My journey this morning for one person in zone 1 (to the station) was 12CHF. Which was lucky as I only had 12.20 CHF left...
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Ah - thanks for this elucidation.
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You know it makes sense.
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All model guidance is showing a hideous weather pattern setting up for at least the next week after some light snow early Sunday. It's amazing how accurate and persistent the medium range models are when showing an unfavorable outcome. At least there isn't much of a base to melt/sublimate away. Different story in the rest of Switzerland and especially Austria.
Hopefully things start to look better towards the end of the month.
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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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| Quote: |
It's amazing how accurate and persistent the medium range models are when showing an unfavorable outcome
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Agreed.
What I do is to surf around until I find I forecast I like. I then stick with that until it goes "bad" whereupon I repeat the exercise.
This does wonder for morale - and its probably about as accurate as most long range forecasts!
(BTW I see it's snowing in Zermatt just now)
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Poster: A snowHead
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Little bit of an over-performer last night and this morning! Looks like 10-30cm across the area. Medium range still looks boring.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| mitcva wrote: |
(BTW I see it's snowing in Zermatt just now) |
Just looking at the radar history to see what happened. The ensembles had predicted bit of snow for today. There was a band of precipitation coming south east across the top of Switzerland. But more of the lower tail dragged across and Zermatt in reality got a good bit. Not a game changer but really nice to see. Looking at the mountain webcams (which are the only ones that count- nobody skis in Zermatt!) it is all very pleasing. It even made it down to Cervinia – they posted a great video on their Facebook page this morning.
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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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on Cervinia web site, they have announced: -
'From Saturday 25th November chairlifts Cretaz- Campetto and magic carpet Cretaz will be open in Breuil-Cernia with slopes n.2-5 and 14'
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I suppose that should read 2+5+14. 2 and 14 are short beginners pistes in the town, but 5 runs from Plan Maison to town. Unless I am being thick, there will be no piste open connecting the upper mountain to piste 5 
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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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Another bit of good news. Early opening from tomorrow (Tuesday 21 November) of pistes coming down from Schwarzsee. Red piste 51 is opening. That runs west from the top of Schwarzsee and then does the long flattish run down to Furi. Rather nice and interesting that the snow is in good condition as far down as Furi at 1867m. Usually nothing opens up lower than that until Xmas week. Also opening is red piste 61 that runs from Schwarzsee down to Furgg. Not quite so exciting. It starts off nice but that doesn’t last and it quickly becomes little more than a track to get you down to the lift station. A little later in the season it is more useful as an access point to some quite nice easy off piste terrain.
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So from what I may be missing out on quantity of pistes (flying out Saturday), certainly not with regards to verticle descent, 2000m at the end of November is not to be sniffed at.
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| Penzanceopinion wrote: |
| So from what I may be missing out on quantity of pistes (flying out Saturday), certainly not with regards to verticle descent, 2000m at the end of November is not to be sniffed at. |
Most Swiss side pistes (with the probable exception of the runs into town -you are not missing much) are due to open on Saturday and snow has been such that they should do so. If you are on the Italian side the connecting lift will be open (subject to wind of course). What actually will be open in Cervinia I have no idea (Valtournenche is not due to open until 1 December) I find their website and social media harder to follow.
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As predicted by John, its great to see 51 open from Schwarzsee to Furi this morning - anyone out currently to vouch on snow conditions on the lower runs?
Looks as if the predicted 25th opening of Rothorn and Gornergrat should be going ahead - Rothorn webcams are showing heavy cannoning ahead of that.
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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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Right now there's a lot of intra and inter model disagreement with regards to how much moisture gets to the south side of the Alps in Switzerland.
It looks like a frontal passage followed by a modest shortwave trof for the weekend. That looks to favor northern and western areas with a light to possibly moderate snow event in Zermatt.
The bigger threat might be midweek if a stronger and less progressive trof establishes itself - as is currently modeled on most guidance. All mid range guidance - American, European, Canadian, Japanese is showing a generally cool pattern with storm threats. Hopefully that look holds.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The pistes opening on Saturday have been announced:
6 Easy Run, 7 Standart, 11 Rotweng, 19 Fluhalp, 26 Grünsee, 29 Kelle, 36 Gornergrat, 44 Hohtälli, 63 Sandiger Boden, 65 Rennstrecke und 66 Theodulsee
That is pretty much what you’d expect. Combined with what has already been opened that means you can ski: most of the Klein Matterhorn down to Furgg sector; Schawarzsee down to Furgg and round the back to Furi; Rothorn down to Sunnegga via Blauherd or down to Gant; Hohtälli across/down to Gifthittli just below Gorrnegrat; and Gornegrat/Gifthittli down to Riffelberg.
Rather nice for December skiers.
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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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my goodness thats a big change from last year.....all u folks on the fence .....face it - its a pretty darn good start keeping the last decade in mind!
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I am heading there this weekend. Just for the 2 days! I will update on the conditions, but it's looking pretty decent for this time of year!
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You know it makes sense.
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I doesn't look like much precipitation made it into the Zermatt area last night or this morning. The frontal boundary has weakened and there's mostly just showers behind it. The freezing level also got really high this morning. Maybe the area can luck out with some steadier snow showers tonight and tomorrow. Thereafter it looks cool with multiple snow threats but the forecast looks drier than it had based on the direction of the weak impulses rotating down from the north.
Snow depths on Gornergrat and Kleines Matterhorn continue to be much lower than most of the rest of the Swiss Alps, even compared to lower elevations.
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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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All of a sudden the medium range forecast looks really dry.  It's frustrating to see how hard it is to get more than light precipitation into the area.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Arrived at Cervinia about 4pm yesterday to about 10cm of fresh snow. It was much needed as the previous week the slopes were decidedly barren apparently.
Then the wind picked up at about 9pm and hasn’t relented much since. The fresh snow has been scoured from the slopes.( at least now I know why almost nothing is open this side, apparently the wind a few weeks ago had blown away much of the snow that had been made.)
The wind today prevented us accessing the glacier and thus Zermatt on the other side, leaving us stuck with one blue run from the one open chair lift back the resort. . Forecast is for the same tomorrow... woe is me.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Penzanceopinion, sorry to hear about the link being closed. Did you see about the fire at Chateau Etoile (a much loved restaurant)? Looks like they reopened today - I don’t know how much damage has been done.
Here is a nice video on Facebook from a German website (you need to either understand German or be able to ignore it). They start off coming down piste 71 from Furggsattell. The snow looks good and over to skiers left the off piste is looking enticing.
https://www.facebook.com/snowplaza.de/videos/1737627699621315/
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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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Sorry, newbie here. We are due to go to Cervinia on 22 Dec and getting a bit worried about the conditions. We went at the same time in 2015 and conditions were good (or good enough for us). Any advice whether we should cut our losses and try to book somewhere else - all the webcams for other resorts look to have good coverage but Cervinia still looks pretty bare.
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Ok - so had a great days skiing today, link from Cervinia to Zermatt open and had a great days skiing on the other side. Slopes were quiet and it was cold -15 ( going to be colder in the next few days) at the Klein Matterhorn top station. More open Cervinia side also, admittedly only a hand of blue runs - more I think to open this week.
Not sure about the fire - didn’t here any mention of 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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So it was OK on the Zermatt side? Going there on Dec 15 and beginning to get a bit twitchy about the snow prospects.
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@Newbie72, don’t panic! It’s cold and getting colder- more runs due to open soon and the snow cannons are blasting. The potential ski area is vast and if only 50% of the slopes are open by then, you still have more than you need. If off piste is your thing you may be disappointed, otherwise you have nothing to worry about.
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@mitcva, lots open and it’s cold - so more to come, you’ll be fine.
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I am strictly on piste, so that's good to hear.
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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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Thank you! Will try to stop the panic 
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FAQ
