 brian
brian
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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brian, looks great. As usual, some wonderful photos from ise. When do you go out?
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brian
brian
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rob@rar, Thursday. Snowing again this morning and the lifts are shut in Grimentz until Saturday so I should get a decent crack at some freshness 
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brian, excellent. Looks like there'll be a cold spell when it stops snowing, so conditions should be wonderful 
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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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I have just gotten a text ( literally) from VDA and they say they are skiing in thigh deep powder. Don't you just hate getting txt like that. ........... 
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rwgowers, we're out there on Monday to collect the keys for our apt & the Ikea lorry is also hopefully delivering to us the same day.
snow-forecast shows the weather as mainly clear up to Sunday night.
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brian
brian
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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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brian,
ha ha...I'll tell them that...... plus I want pics...!!! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The shots look great! I hope we made the right decision to go to St Anton as I expect VDA will be nice and quiet with loads of hidden off piste to go for. When I spoke to the local instructor school he said it's too early so tha lent me towards St Anton. Looking at the shots on the pistetopowder blog they're showing waist to neck deep shots so I'm confident there will be lots of powder waiting to be eaten!
Maybe I need to be setting up SWMBO on some expectations of a follow up trip for VDA .. hmm .. now that's a thought.
Keep us posted on how it's looking in VDA, I want to get a good idea for future trips of when it's worth coming,
thanks
Jed
P.S. I assume VDA is the whole valley including Grimentz and Zinal?
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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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I'll try and put together a report as I have been the last two seasons now and will probably go back again in 2009.
I will just add comments to the sking.
Zinal: main bowl facing predominantly easterly. Traverse the ridge for as long as you like and choose your line down. Maybe you will nudge 45 degrees in places and the choice is yours. Superb playground for laps. If you go to the furthest extremes of the lift system..which isn't large by any means you have drops down the other side to Grimentz one end, either by the Moiry Dam or the Chamois route, or the other end you can drop down to the dam..scope it first as finding a decent and different way in isn't obvious. You'll have to get down to the Dam to see the possibilties by the easy way..to see what else is possible. Either that or you will have to be shown. You'll not be able to pick it up from the ridge as there is too much rock exposure.
The other end of the ridge takes you into the Freeride area. None of the routes the Zinal side are very long.. so laps all day.
There are a few lines which will need a bootpack to gain the height and 1st tracks. Surprisingly, not many do this.
The Chamois is supposedly pisted but you can go down the gullies which are steep. Or do a variant of this by staying skiers right to a natural ridge. You can still pick up the route down to Grimentz which ends as a path, or stay right and traverse round to the Zinal drags. It is pretty easy to work out provding you don't lose too much height. Again, laps are the order of the day. You aren't likely to find too many tracks in here but as it is NF the snow should be good. It is just remote enough looking to stop people taking the chance.
Grimentz: Abondance is short drop off of the extreme northerly top lift and you can either traverse back to the lift or carry on down to St Jean if the snow cover is good enough. You will have to get local info on the latter.
Loads of little ridges and cut throughs which you just have to keep your eye open for. We liked a huge face over looking the Benndolla pistes which was just a cut-through and quick scramble between rocks if you come in high. Very very steep at the top but your call as to how safe it is on the day.
There may be a very good reason why yours are the only tracks that high in. You might not want to ski straight down in the fall-line, and the sides looked safer.
St Luc/Chandolin:
Nice sunny area above the main lift up out of St Luc. You can head for the main ridge which seperates the two areas and from the south you'll see plenty of gullies. All are steep steep and the ways in are tentative and very quickly there are no ways back. The gullies are about 200mtrs long before you can ski back to a run and back the lifts for the next one. Again all NF, so the snow will be as good as you'll likely find about the valley. We skied them after snow and they were just as good a few days later. Lower down the gullies you have a decent enough pitches for good s's especially if you start at the furthest gully east.
Take the long drag upto Bella tolla and traverse round the front side to end up on the west face you have been eyeing up on the drag up. The line down is obvious but follows the flow of the mountain so pick your time of day. Of course, because this is in full view of everyone, you might open it up to others.
I wouldn't advise going there just because you can see others on it at any given time.
If you have the nessecary, you might look over the top of Belltolla into the 3rd valley. Scope your way out or you'll end up all the way down and a taxi ride back. Guides were quoting us 700chf including 200chf for the transport. It is to my eternal regret we never made the best of this....   
I can post pics of all of most of these suggestions if you want.
Other than that, the resorts were dead at night...
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Thu 10-07-08 22:25; edited 3 times in total
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Any snowy photos are good at this time of year......
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You know it makes sense.
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This valley is intersting me at the moment. We have flights booked to Geneva during March and my pal has read about this place it looks and sounds great. Would Grimentz be the obvious village to stay?
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brian
brian
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northantsred, it's totally rubbish (unless you want to stay in my apartment ).
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Poster: A snowHead
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brian, just had a look at your apt and as impressive as it mate, it wouldn't be suitable for us 4 middle-aged old farts!! Thanks for the offer though. We will probably looking for a bedroom each when we do get round to booking something unless it is prohibitevly expensive.
Tell me, is accomodation easy enough to secure because we will be skiing from Wed-Monday?
Cheers
Greg
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brian
brian
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northantsred, you might have trouble getting an apartment over a weekend this far out but if you wait until nearer the time you should get something ok. Hotel shouldn't be a problem though. This one is nice and very handy for the lift:
http://www.hotel-alpina-grimentz.com/
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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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brian, that's what I thought, we usually wait until a week to ten days before we leave for the lads break. Thanks.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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JT, Thanks - nice pix - that has helped put it on my list of resorts to be done. You have to love steep gullies like that. 
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stoatsbrother,
Thanks,
I should have made it a bit clearer that the last set of pics were the gullies on the Chandolin/St Luc ridge.
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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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JT - better erase those pics or brian will be back to chop your fundamentals off
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JT,
Lovely pics, It would be great to say it brought memories flooding back but alas my skiing in Val d'A was a little more mundane, still enjoyable though.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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fatbob,
Yep, I think the mafia will be after me....but I will try and bribe them with a rental...
T Bar,
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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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There's an interesting article on Grimentz & Val d'Anniviers in the ski supplement in today's Telegraph.
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brian
brian
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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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brian, You are fighting a losing battle. It is the new La Rosiere 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Frosty the Snowman, That will not work... the road up is a bit hairy, and the apre is non-existant.. brian, is that better..?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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That's done it for me.......
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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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There was also a full page advert in yesterday's Sunday Times for apartments & chalets in Grimentz
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brian
brian
Guest
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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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This valley certainly isn't for everyone...it is pretty remote and the skiing is scattered over 4-unconnected-by-lifts resorts. The drives between the 4 really need a car, the nightlife is sleepy and the mileage small but we like it just as it is.
Anyone considering the valley should weigh up how it will suit their needs... it isn't a typical UK TO destination by any stretch.
As for the UK articles, maybe they are selling properties but the village we stay in ( Zinal ) is happy with their take and do not want/encourage expansion. Whether the whole valley shares that view, I am not sure.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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brian, you're not going to like this, but Grimentz is mentioned again in today's Telegraph
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I blame the TO or developers who must be pushing this...
I think that if they shelve the Chamois lift, .. as they surely should... that'll quieten things down a bit.... 
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brian
brian
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JT, the liaison is just a few drawings at the moment, they haven't even started trying to fund it. I spoke to a guy involved with RM de Grimentz in the summer and he reckoned if it happens at all it'll be 6 or 7 years away. Meanwhile, back on planet property supplement, it'll be up and running for 09/10. Em, don't think so Laughable really.
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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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I've been to Grimentz (/Zinal) with the SCGB (they have been doing holidays there for quite a few years). I don't know if it was partly due to thin snow cover or their conservative assessment of the less good skiers, but we didn't ski anything steep. Perhaps I'll have to make up my own group and hire a guide in 2009/10 (too late for this year, I'm all booked up).
Beautiful old village.
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I am considering Grimentz for our family Easter trip next year ... a couple of questions if anybody out there has the answers :
1. Is there a local ski pass for Grimentz only - we are very unlikely to travel to the other Val d'Anniviers resorts so a full pass would be a waste - cannot see any reference to a local pass on the Grimentz web site though.
2. Anyone have any views on the Hotel Cristal ?
3. 1st week of April, would expect reasonable conditions from Bendola (2050m) upwards but could be dodgy back into Grimentz - is this a fair assumption in an average year ?
Ta muchly.
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