 Poster: A snowHead
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First Italian side slope opened today. The beautiful Ventina run down from Testa Grigia to Laghi Chime Bianche.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Got to love the Italians. Slope opens, sun is out and they are all heading up.
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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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At what point does Zermatt start to publish snow depths? I'm assuming once the season opens? It has read 1.5m for a looong time.
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There's no snow below the glacier and nothing open below
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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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| twoodwar wrote: |
| @koru, the exception to this though is that they operate ‘demand’ pricing. (Oasis style). Late bought lift time could be more expensive therefore. Each to decide which way to go. |
Are you sure about that? I’ve used day passes for 3 weeks and the price never fluctuated within the week.
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| Jamo wrote: |
| At what point does Zermatt start to publish snow depths? I'm assuming once the season opens? It has read 1.5m for a looong time. |
I have not tracked it but I assume start of ski season. I would never look at it before then. The main website is simply showing "no info":
https://zermatt.swiss/en/info/weather/snow-report?tab=15
Similarly the app is not showing anything yet.
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As mentioned above, aside from the glacier there isn’t much show of note below 3000m. That will change but it’s early days!
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Ha’way the precipitation. After three weeks of nothing we have a band coming in from the North West. The Jura won’t take much and then the Alps on the north side of the Rhône will get first dibs so good for Crans Montana. The band seems to be getting pushed a little east so Saas Fee might do better than us. As it comes in to Zermatt there is another band coming up from Turin. The two then merge so Cervinia could do well.
Temperatures really fall tomorrow. Meteo Swiss are predicting a snow line as low as 1300m.
After that we have a couple of days off but then by the weekend there is more encouragement. Don’t want to jinx it but this might be winter.
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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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Let's go 
ps what app is that first image from?
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| JohnMo wrote: |
| djlippert wrote: |
Bringing my family to Zermatt for my 50th birthday (Dec. 6th) with plans of skiing December 5-7th. Would there be much benefit to delaying the trip until January or is there expected to be a good amount of terrain open in early December?
We're also going to Jungfrau from the 8th thru the 14th to meet an old friend and do more skiing.
Thanks for any feedback! |
There are two questions: what is planned to be open? and will there be sufficient snow?
The first question is easier. The winter opening is planned for 30 November. That means all four Swiss mountain areas will be open: Rothorn; Gornegrat; Schwarzsee; and Klein Matterhorn. Plus the link to Cervinia is planned to be opened. That means there will be runs from all the lifts (not Hirli on Schwarzsee). However not all pistes will be open. There will probably be none of the black runs open and none of the yellow quasi-off piste runs. That will be more than enough for a ski trip.
As to whether there will be enough snow. There isn’t at present! But as discussed elsewhere on this thread the blocking high pressure weather system over Europe looks like breaking up early-mid next week. Temperatures are coming down (allowing more snow making) and precipitation should at least be able to get into mainland Europe.
In the something like 15 years I have been going there (11 semi living there) they have always managed to get open on the planned opening date. But weather can never be guaranteed. |
Thanks for the input!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Jamo wrote: |
Let's go
ps what app is that first image from? |
it is the Meteo Swiss app. The link for the iPhone is below. Be warned though - it is seriously addictive.
There are animations for temperature, cloud and wind but the precipitation one is the most interesting. It gives 24 hours of radar readings and then 30 hours of projection. Watching bands of precipitation coming in and then seeing them bounce around the Alps makes you realise how difficult it is to forecast Alpine weather. This is particularly the case with a relatively small band of precipitation like tomorrow’s. It can be heading directly for you then suddenly be kicked away just a few hours before it is meant to reach you!
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/meteoswiss/id589772015
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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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After two trips elsewhere post pandemic I'm back to Cervinia this new year and can't wait. Appreciate this isn't directly snow related but felt best in here, maybe one for JohnMo - How is Cervinia recovering from the flooding in the summer? I think I saw a video showing utter devastation at Yeti bar and the ski hire place next door.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Raptor24 wrote: |
| After two trips elsewhere post pandemic I'm back to Cervinia this new year and can't wait. Appreciate this isn't directly snow related but felt best in here, maybe one for JohnMo - How is Cervinia recovering from the flooding in the summer? I think I saw a video showing utter devastation at Yeti bar and the ski hire place next door. |
I am afraid I don’t really know. Being based on the Swiss side I rarely go into Breuil-Cervinia town. I know the very popular Yeti bar got badly damaged but I think it is back open. The videos of the flood were very spectacular but on the Swiss side even by mid-August you’d struggle to realise anything had gone on (with the exception of one footpath that made the walk to two popular mountain restaurants much longer – will be open again next hiking season). I suspect things were the same on the Italian side. Certainly I don’t think there will be any impact on the ski season.
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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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Looking for some information about ski lockers. We're staying in the Cielo Alto area which looks like it's a bit of a walk to the main area. We don't mind that of we can ditch our skis in a locker and walk back in normal shoes.
Indoor heated lockers to also leave boots in would be great, but equally we're happy to carry our boots back to the accommodation if there's basic outdoor ones.
As we're there over Christmas, we'd like to go out for dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Any recommendations? I'm vegetarian, so something with a couple of veggie options, please.
Thanks.
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Poster: A snowHead
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It's not for beginners but for anyone else you can ski back to Cielo Alto - if at all possible do this, means a short section of quite steep but manageable black (might have been reclassified as red now) piste, you don't want to be carting ski's or boots up the hill from the bottom of the Plan Maison gondola or the Cretaz chair imo.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Raptor24 wrote: |
| It's not for beginners but for anyone else you can ski back to Cielo Alto - if at all possible do this, means a short section of quite steep but manageable black (might have been reclassified as red now) piste, you don't want to be carting ski's or boots up the hill from the bottom of the Plan Maison gondola or the Cretaz chair imo. |
You can ski back to Ceilo Alto and it is red (only the bit above it accessible only by the old chair is black). But you would have to be coming down from the Ventina (piste 7) side. You can’t get over to it from Plan Maison.
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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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Thanks. Quite happy to leave things in the centre and walk back each day as I'm also thinking about the walk from the accommodation to the Plan Maison lift each morning. We've done something similar in Austria previously. We don't mind leaving it there as it gives us more options to go straight out for a drink and a snack straight after skiing as well as being a better start to the day than a 10 minute uphill slog in boots. It looks like that lift closest to the accommodation only seves the black pistes initially before dropping to red. There's no way I'll get my husband on those. We're heading to Cervinia based on their reputation of long, chilled reds.
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Zermatt webcams show a decent level of snow covering the village. Looks like 8 to 10 cm on top of the Zermatterhof hotel.@koru, on the lift company website. You obviously may take this as you see fit. All I was saying is that prices may move, very rarely in my experience downwards.
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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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Nice to also see a healthy dusting at Findlerhof. Starts to settle the snow nerves when the snow line decides to stay there!
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Still a week away, but it looks good from the 17th.
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Looking very promising
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Yep. Meteo Swiss has a range of up to 1m of snow next week! Obviously I am going to believe the upper end. During day time could be rain in town on Tuesday (snow in mountains) but then snow line falls to 1300m (lower as week goes on). Rest of week it is snow all the way. 
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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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The two weather apps I use are in complete disagreement on the precipitation. One has close to a metre, the other reckons around 15cm cumulative next Tuesday to Friday.
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| Raptor24 wrote: |
| The two weather apps I use are in complete disagreement on the precipitation. One has close to a metre, the other reckons around 15cm cumulative next Tuesday to Friday. |
Which app forecasts 15cm?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Accuweather
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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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You know it makes sense.
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Being honest I would buy them in the resort. And regarding Cervinia - get the extension on the day. Get a Zermatt only ski pass and then add Cervinia for flexibility and cost saving.
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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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Looking for recommendations of reliable transfer companies, we need to get from Geneva to Cervinia on 22 December and from Cervinia to Turin on the 29th…
Also for ski rental NolSki has been recommended, is it better to book online or we could get a better deal in the resort?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| djlippert wrote: |
| I'm assuming buying lift tickets online rather than at the mountain is best? |
I think this is personal preference. Buying online early means you'll get a discount. Buying on the mountain means you can look at upcoming weather and possibly make a different choice. Note, adding "skicare" during your purchase means that on top of the insurance you get for any accidents, if less than 5 lifts are operating due to weather, you get reimbursed. Personally, I just bought my 6 day pass for January to get the discount.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Bella2015 wrote: |
| is it better to book online or we could get a better deal in the resort? |
I'd book before you go, and booking now would lock in the pre-season discounts that most stores have in effect. Booking usually doesn't even require a payment or credit card, just a form with your details to reserve the gear. Whilst Nol Ski requires credit card details, it has free cancellation until the day before.
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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 didn’t think they offered much if any of a discount any more for booking in advance. They have fixed pricing depending on the time of year you go - low, medium and high season.
We usually get our hotel or chalet to sort our ski passes for when we arrive. If not we just head to the HQ and buy in town the night of our arrival.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Run28, the site clearly says, it can move with demand, like hotels or easyJet. For a six day pass it’s currently 48 chf extra for an international pass. This gives you the flexibility of popping over when you wish. You also of course take the risk of not being able to utilise it at all. I’m with @Jamo, on booking in advance, if cash flow and circumstances permit of course. For us it’s worth the risk( international closed) , and the certainty of the price.
I do not know the cost of a one day add on. Does anyone?
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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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Latest gfs shows village snow from the 17th for a few days then continues for circa Riffleberg and up to the end of the forecast.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| twoodwar wrote: |
@Run28, the site clearly says, it can move with demand, like hotels or easyJet. For a six day pass it’s currently 48 chf extra for an international pass. This gives you the flexibility of popping over when you wish. You also of course take the risk of not being able to utilise it at all. I’m with @Jamo, on booking in advance, if cash flow and circumstances permit of course. For us it’s worth the risk( international closed) , and the certainty of the price.
I do not know the cost of a one day add on. Does anyone? |
It is CHF52 for a one day upgrade to go over from Zermatt to Cervinia/Valtournenche (a whopping CHF1 more to head further down the Aosta Valley).
Dynamic pricing makes absolute statements more difficult. However, if you buy an international pass you only need to go over to Italy one day to have saved money. For any trip of say four days or more it is difficult to see you wouldn’t want to (or couldn’t because of the weather) go over at least once.
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I’m getting 460 CHF for 6 days in March during a ‘low period’ or L3.
That’s by booking in advance. Not sure if I will get any hugely material benefit by booking that now vs waiting.
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| Run28 wrote: |
I’m getting 460 CHF for 6 days in March during a ‘low period’ or L3.
That’s by booking in advance. Not sure if I will get any hugely material benefit by booking that now vs waiting. |
I'm planning going in March. Was wondering if and when the prices would rise for the lift pass.
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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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| twoodwar wrote: |
| Latest gfs shows village snow from the 17th for a few days then continues for circa Riffleberg and up to the end of the forecast. |
The good thing about the storms coming this week (Tuesday from Northwest, Thursday/Friday from Southwest) is that they are large so confidence levels are high that they won’t get knocked away from us into neighbouring valleys - there is enough there for everyone).
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Very exciting indeed. Looking very very cold also.
The main Weather Outlook thread is seeming a bit negative on the mid term outlook but I’m just focused on this storm!
Excellent for getting the runs open!
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FAQ
