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    Sunshine

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    Well, the sun’s finally poked it’s head out and the views from Verbier have been pretty stunning.

    And it’s exactly what everyone’s been waiting for after loads of mixed weather – cold, clouds, snow etc – we’ve finally had one of thiose fantastic spring days.

    Which makes it a bit vexing as yesterday was my first day off for weeks, so Tom, Toby and I decided to spend it hiking up mountains. In the worst white out of the winter. We saw very little. And to prove it here’s a picture of Tom and Toby seeing very little.

    Anyway, here are a few pictures of what it all looks like when the clouds finally leave us alone, and a picture of what it looks like when the clouds are here and Tom “double eject” Howard can’t see the floor (I know mate – it was “a problem with your bindings”)…



    Not a lot to see

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    It’s been a pretty tricky day up on the hill – not only was the snow falling spasmodically and the wind picking up a little, but the cloud came in and visability got rather challenging at times…

    I took some pictures but they just came out looking like blank sheets of paper. Beleive it or not, somewhere in this picture Emma C is escorting a client down Savoleyres…

    The good news is that it cleared up at the the end of the afternoon and we were treated to stunning views across the valley as the last rays of sunshine hit the 1936 bar below the Combe chair lift (my clients decided to nip in for a quick medicinal drink, you understand).

    However, with all the wind and fresh snow, together with some varied snow types falling over the last few days, the off piste is decidedly risky – so please don’t be tempted to to nip off for a dabble if you’re not certain what you’re heading in to.

    The risks are extremely high, as the people below found out after being helicoptered from beneath the Atelas couloirs…


    Sun returns to Verbier

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    Sun returned at last to Verbier after a couple of days of rain and snow. Weekend crowds moved in to take advantage of the good weather and recent snowfall.

    Huge drifts of snow up to 8m deep in places at Mont Fort have kept the top of the mountain closed due to the high avalanche risk. However Tortin was open for ther first time in several days and was crowded out with seekers of off-piste excellence.

    Snow coverage on-piste is good but fairly compacted due to the rain and wet snow conditions below 2500m over the last couple of days. Low down and south facing areas are rather slushy in the afternoon and the run down to Medran is best avoided for the nervous at the end of the day.

    Corporate groups have moved in to replace the half term holidaymakers but things are set to get quieter over the next couple of weeks. Blue skies are set to last just for today with the return of lower temperatures cloud and 5-10 cm of snow tomorrow. Later in the week we expect to see more snow Wednesday and Thursday with fairly low wind speeds.

    A bit soggy…

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    Not the best day to be in resort – it was pouring all morning which discouraged just about everyone from heading up the hill.

    However, if you were brave enough to take the plunge it wasn’t as bad as it looked.

    OK, it was pretty windy at times and it was snowing little icy pellets, but in the afternoon the cloud started to break up and we had some amazing runs through the fresh powder on Fontanays.

    Michel also has also heard that there have been record snowfalls on Mont Fort with drifts rumoured to be up to 8 meters deep.

    The avalanche risk is correspondingly huge too… And even more snow is forecast.

    Anyway, here’s a picture of Olly trying to look brave at the top of the La Chaux Express lift:

    48hr Snowstorm in Verbier

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    The last 48hrs has seen a mix of snow rain and occasional glimpses of blue sky in Verbier. Snowstorms and high winds up top caused closures on the main mountain yesterday and today and the avalanche risk has been upgraded to HIGH (4). Rain overnight at resort level turned to snow again this morning as temperatures dropped and more snow is forecast over the next couple of days.

    Snow conditions are good on-piste but the off-piste powder is wind blown and heavy – better for boarders than for skiers. Lift queues have been longer than usual due to closures of areas and extra crowds in the busy swiss holiday week. Get out there early to avoid long waits.

    The Route Carrefour and most of the itinerary runs remain closed due to avalanche risk. Runs below Ruinettes are open on the main mountain but expect rather wet compacted conditions.

    Forecasts for the next couple of days are for slightly higher temperatures and some rain tomorrow followed by clearer skies and some sun on Sunday. More rain and snow to return by Monday. Winds are expected to drop which should open up the higher area around Mont Fort and also access to Tortin and Col des Gentianes runs.

    Rain, Winds and more snow

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    Two full days of fresh snowfall gave a great winter atmosphere in Verbier. This morning saw rain at resort level which washed away some of the slippery stuff from the roads and paths. High winds also caused closures of lifts higher up on the main mountain and on the Savoleyres gondola until lunchtime.

    Access to the itinerary runs including Tortin, Col des Gentianes, Vallon D’Arbi and Col des Mines remain closed due to avalanche risk. But there has been some great powder available elsewhere including Fontaneys and further afield in the four valleys. Rain has compacted a lot of the snow below Ruinettes but the crowds are still enjoying conditions above this area.

    Testing out the newly openedLa Tzoumaz sledge run was great fun today with powder on the upper part and thick slush on the steeper lower part – have a look at the video and try it for yourselves……….

    Forecasts for the next couple of days are for more clouds and snow. Daytime temperatures at resort level will be above zero so head up higher for fresh powder. Winds are also expected to reduce so allowing access to the top level areas.