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TR(updated again): Welcome to Stoke-Upon-Valais

 brian
brian
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As in, "Bah, it hasn't snowed".

Oh well, still having fun out here ...

On piste conditions are very good, loads of snow. A few hard packed areas, especially lower down, but mostly pretty nice to ski.

Off piste is a bit more variable. Over in St Luc it's like Scotland Shocked , very wind blown and a hefty old crust pretty much everywhere, almost unskiable, certainly unpleasant.

Grimentz is much better, there are some powdery bits that have kept out of the wind but of course all the reachable stuff is tracked. I skinned up for some nice turns above the top lifts though. I also found some really nice bits of semi-transformed soft stuff that had been sitting out in the sun. I was expecting it to be sun crusted but I guess it's been cold enough to keep it ok and actually there were some really nice to ski bits. Again, there's plenty of snowcover, good base for the most part although, of course, I'm finding rocks with my usual alacrity.

It's unbelievably quiet. I thought it was quiet at the weekend but it's deserted now.

Headed round to Zinal today and took the camera. Conditions here are same as for G.

Nice bit of powdery-esque stuff on this slope, but some crunchy old rocks at the top !




Nice view (never tire of that view) on the way back round.




It's the Matterhorn, gotta snap it. rolling eyes




View from the top (didn't mean to pano these but gives you a good idea of the layout).




Treated myself to a wee couloir on the way home, nice snow in here, looking down.




... and back up from the bottom (steeper than it looks, natch wink ).




Oh ... and Stormriders rock. Madeye-Smiley


Last edited by brian on Thu 15-01-09 16:41; edited 2 times in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Have you skied down the dam and across Brian??
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 brian
brian
Guest
No, I looked at it today but wasn't convinced about the snow whereas I was pretty sure the Chamois couloirs would be nice.
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No freshies, but better than my office.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
brian, It's all well and good you sending us pictures of the fun you're having in the snow and sun, but can we have a bit of attention to the weather please. I'd just like to know quite how much snow I'm going to get in Verbier on Sunday. wink
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brian, I recognise those pics... Laughing Chamois variant which tracks round to the drag..and the steep gully down Chamois on your way home.

You might find good snow in the Chandolin gullies as they are all NF... that is if you want to go there again...

The top of the Dam run is often a bit thin..and if you traverse the ridge looking for the good gully entrance you end up on a concave hill where it is most loaded...not to be done on your own. If you must do the Dam....then take the rocky hit at the top where the drop in is obvious and almost touristy and that is the safest aspect, IMV... as you can position yourself to not be in the way of a slide...So, in your pic..the steep gully is off the ridge and along the spine..if you can pick that up from the pic...and the usual entrance in from the ridge with the piste heads left and inot Zinal..You of course, will drop right and head down to where the terrain flattens and then ski to the dam. Cross the dam and ski the steep small face which leads down to a stream of sorts and you will pick up the path you have no doubt walked or driven. wink


http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1055607&highlight=grimentz#1055607

Glad you like the Stocklis...good one...!! and the Dukes..?? wink
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 brian
brian
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Frosty the Snowman, this week, this is my office. wink

Steve Sparks, currently looking like it might be late-ish Sunday afternoon before it starts. Bit far out yet for any detail though. I'm ignoring the weather anyway, because I'm not getting any dumpage, so there. NehNeh
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 brian
brian
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JT, doubt even NF stuff in Chandolin will be any good. I skied a bit of the off piste cutting off left from the run back from St Luc, pretty dreadful. It's much, much better over this side of the valley.

Avvy risk is negligible atm, so that's not too much of a worry (you can tell the snowpack is bombproof, the Zinal freeride area has actually been declared open Shocked ). I know the lie of the land above the dam fairly well having walked up there in summer. Might give it a go but am wary that west facing may be the most crusty.

Dukes: I don't think I could tell they're not a regular alpine binding. Pretty happy with that.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Better a bah day in the Valais than an "awesome" day in the office.

Did you have to leave the country in shame following Hib's cup result?
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 brian
brian
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fatbob, luckily, I was already out here. Not looking forward to the "banter" with my Jambo neighbours. Sad
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brian, I arrive on Saturday, please take care of the snow base and don't wear it out, thanks Little Angel
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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.
brian,
Quote:

doubt even NF stuff in Chandolin will be any good.


possibly..and I wouldn't make a special trip especially as you know what you know...but those gullies, which you can spot from my pic in the link I posted, have exactly the same aspect as the Chamois in regards to being sheltered and NF, ... so if you are that way... check them out...
they get steeper the further south along the ridge you come back from the drag altho' then the ridge flattens. Just for a further ref...

I will be there sat as well.. Laughing shame I couldn't join you but work has been cr@p with all sorts going on... rolling eyes
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 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
where's that cat track in the pics? Is that part of the official route to Grimentz from Zinal??

cheers,

greg
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
kitenski, No, that track is the one you walked/skated back round to the drag from the Chamois variant
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 brian
brian
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Back in Grimentz today and headed up the Roc d'Orzival first thing. Great views from the top, including this one to Leukerbad (the slopes just to right of centre).





Heading off the back, after the entry the choice is to carry on down the bowl and eventually out towards St Jean, or traverse to the right into another bowl ...




... that allows you to head into the trees and meet the blue track down to Grimentz.




Back up again, and back up Orzival, a view across the ski area.




... and then a hike along this ridge ...




... to some lovely snow I'd left marinating in the sun.




There's something deeply satisfying (or am I weird Laughing ) about laying a nice set of tracks.



So good I had to go back after lunch ... Very Happy
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
brian, so...ignore Abondance by going straight over the top of Roc d'Orzival and looking down to Vercorin...and then dive right to hook up somehow with St Jean...???

that sort of thing..?

I had heard the snow is down to St Jean so that looks like our route..?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
looks pretty busy Wink

Was it spring snow ?
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 brian
brian
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JT, yep, straight on from the top of the poma.

kitenski, yes. Really, really nice.
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brian, nice pics. I was there over New year, the snow was pretty good then, but it was very busy by Grimentz standards, up to 5 minutes wait for the Grands plans chairlift Shocked
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 brian
brian
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ssnowman, 5 minutes ? Shocked Did you ask for a refund ? Laughing
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 brian
brian
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I decided to go for the full on St Jean descent this morning and what a treat it turned out to be. The top of the poma is just over the ridge, giving access to a big north facing bowl still full of ... powder ! ... and with untracked lines. Very Happy Woot ! is I believe the modern vernacular. wink




A bit further down showing the full 1500 feet-ish of loveliness. Stoke-con to 1. Cool




Then head on round and down this big slope of easy angled pow ...




... to pick up the summer Grimentz-Vercorin path.



Just round the corner from here you have the choice of a 15 minute or so hike up to get on a traverse back to the track ultimately leading to the Grimentz blue run or carry on down through the trees to St Jean. Snow is fine all the way down. A bit crusty where the sun's been on it but not bad.

JT, allow a good 1 hour+ from the top of Orzival if you've got a bus in mind, they're not terribly frequent.

In the afternoon ... had to do it again. Well, I had to do something to work off the Tarte aux Myrtilles. wink

So, no new snow, but then again would I have been doing this without benign weather conditions and a bomb-proof snowpack ?

Will still of course be deeply jealous of the snowHead s getting maximal freshness in the next week or 2.

JT, snowbunny, kitenski - enjoy !
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Fab stuff Brian, hadn't see this report before - Looks like your own private resort Cool
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
welcome back - great weather and pics - time to plan the next trip now
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nice, spring snow one day, powder the next!


is that off the far right hand poma Orzival down to St Jean??? The same area you got the spring snow, or a different area from St Jean??

Chers,

Greg
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