 Poster: A snowHead
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Just arrived back from Cervinia today (Sunday 19 Dec). Frankly if anywhere in Europe has better snow right now I'd love to know about it. Blue skies till Thursday with snow down to Cervinia via La Ventina. On the Zermatt side the snow was good down to Furgg. I didn't bother going lower as I'd been told by some in the know that below Furgg the snow was poor. Come Friday we had lower temperatures and a little fresh snow. Friday night brought alot of fresh snow and yesterday (Saturday) was a complete write off because of high winds. Brill.
You can imagine my delight at waking at 4.30am this morning in order to get the coach to Turin and finding the heavens tipping the white stuff down. Loads of it. I had to literally wade knee deep through it across the hotel car park on my way out. Not only was it coming down heavily in Valtournanche (about 1500m) but it was also laying fairly thick down in the Aosta Valley.
I just cannot find the words to describe my delight for those making their way up there while I was on my way home.
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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 know how you feel 
We were staying at the Hotel Edelweiss the last 4 days and left at 6.30 yesterday, It was absolutely throwing it down. Our flight was in the evening, so rather than risk another complete write off like the day before, we headed on down to Courmayeur for the day, after digging the car out........
Huge dump of snow going on in Courmayeur, but with plenty of lifts running and very quiet slopes had a superb day with loads of powder runs.
Anyone in either of those resorts this week is in luck
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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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Sigh. But funnily enough not sad. I may be stuck here in dull old London with snow everywhere else, including Durham and Swindon, but actually it is raising my spirits to hear of so many people finding their supposed walking holiday turning into a skiing one after all.
Best wishes to you all.
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4thefunofit, do the lifts in Cervinia shut often as it is one of our shortlisted resorts for January. We are no experts so would be quite happy on the lower lifts around 2500m but do you have any idea if these too are prone to closure?
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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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No expert.......
But when they closed the whole lift system on Saturday , this was probably because there were no runs open yet below 2500
I would presume at least any lifts below this would run once the resort is fully open.
I have heard that certainly the lifts linking to Switzerland can close regularly
(good look at weather forecasts would seem important to stop you shelling out on an international
area pass for the week or getting stuck in Zermatt  )
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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SpeedyK, that's sort of what I thought, just didn't fancy going somewhere that can close completely if the wind gets up.
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4thefunofit,
I got back from Cervinia late last night after a great few days. We arrived on Thursday and spent the afternoon and the following day enjoying the snow (including the cracking Ventina run down to Breuil-Cervinia.
Saturday was disappointing with the lifts being shut and we were dreading Sunday being closed too but we climbed one of the lower slopes and the snowboarders amongst us built kickers and jumps so the day was not totally wasted.
Sunday morning, the vis was awful and coupled with the sheer amount of powder on the slopes made things difficult. Quite a few spectacular wipeouts which were great fun in their own way. To be honest we were just glad that we could even get up the mountain. And then suddenly about 1 pm the sun came out at mid-station and I spent one of the best afternoon's skiing ever. Great snow, beautiful sunshine and fantastic long cruisy pistes. Views of the Matterhorn and the valley were awesome too!
If the weather clears a little, this week should be something special for this time of year.
It was the first time I'd been to the resort and whilst I can appreciate the comments made about the lack of challenging pistes etc, for a quick blast before Christmas it was extremly good value. Excellently timed Ryanair flights from Stansted to Turin, a great value, clean, friendly hotel (Perruquet) which if the slopes had been open at the bottom would have saved the slog up the stairs, good skis from a v. friendly hire shop, lovely food and some good bars. The skiing suited my level at this time of year when I'm still remembering what skis feel like after 9 months. Defnitely go again for a long weekend.
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Well done,crispy, nice report. You summed up the highs and lows of the skiing life perfectly.
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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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crispy,
Must have seen your lot clambering up the piste near the ice rink on Saturday, was to lazy to do it myself 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sorry fellas, been away and busy all week!
Crispey, I may well have spotted you on Saturday whilst passing on one of trawls around town on Saturday also. I saw one fella having a go at a kicker and I couldn't figure out if he was useless, enjoyed pain or plain nuts.
Up4it, its pot luck regarding the lifts really. I've been there when high winds have closed all the lifts and also when those below 2500m (around Plan Maison) have remained open while those above have closed. Its just something that comes with choosing a higher resort with no tree cover.
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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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The resorts goes from 2000-3400m so snow cover should very good. The very top may be suseptable to closure but I've not known that and I've been a few times. And there is plenty to do lower doen between lifts, had one of my best weeks.
If you can leave it a bit late then check it out as it is an intermedaites resort on-piste. The bars are more lively than most French reosrts.
The only drawback to this resort I can see is that the Italians seem a bit more laid back about getting the lifts into gear but it is a huge area and well worth a visit. Never had a problem, only lack of snow and the whole area suffered from that
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I was in Zermatt last week nad skied a fair bit in Cervinia. First time there, every one said some pleasant cruisy pistes, but that's about it.
I was really suprised though by the amount of interesting, safe but stimulating off pistes that I'm sure would open up in the right conditions. Strikes me the avalanche risk would never get too high either as there aren't many slopes looming over you.. We did a bit, (under the fast chair up from Plan Maison) one day, it was pretty cruddy, but you could see how much fun it would be in the right conditions - like this week. I was the bald bloke in the red jacket accompanied by the blonde on her a*se, if anyone spotted us! The off piste over to the Matterhorn side of the resort looked particualrly tempting, served by a chair and a drag from what I could make out.
BTW did anyone see the airforce plane that came in from the west just above the ridge that extends westward from the foot of the Matterhorn. The guy then flew straight at the Matterhorn, lifted the nose to fly straight up the south face of the mountain and did a 360 at the top. My guess is it was probsbly an italian plane rather than a swiss one!! Cool trick though.
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You know it makes sense.
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I was in Zermatt last week and skied a fair bit in Cervinia. First time there, every one said some pleasant cruisy pistes, but that's about it.
I was really suprised though by the amount of interesting, safe but stimulating off piste that I'm sure would open up in the right conditions. Strikes me the avalanche risk would never get too high either as there aren't many slopes looming over you. We did a bit, (under the fast chair up from Plan Maison) one day, it was pretty cruddy, but you could see how much fun it would be in the right conditions - like this week. I was the bald bloke in the red jacket accompanied by the blonde on her a*se, if anyone spotted us! The off piste over to the Matterhorn side of the resort looked particualrly tempting, served by a chair and a drag from what I could make out.
BTW did anyone see the airforce plane that came in from the west just above the ridge that extends westward from the foot of the Matterhorn. The guy then flew straight at the Matterhorn, lifted the nose to fly straight up the south face of the mountain and did a 360 at the top. My guess is it was probably an italian pilot rather than a swiss one!! Cool trick though.
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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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Thanks everyone for the reports, Will be in C first week in Jan & I feel like I'm there already!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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FAQ
Alas not with a view of the matterhorn. 
