European Snowsport

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    Archives for 2007

    A pretty amazing day

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    As you may or may not be aware, the training for Ski Instructors is a very lengthy and ongoing process, and we all have to keep taking modules and assessments.

    Which is why six of ES’s instructors have disappeared off on an Off-piste Mountain Safety course for the week.

    Suffice to say, the skies have been perfect and blue, and there’s been a lot of bouncing down the off-piste, as well as looking at maps, climbing up things and digging snow pits, whilst all the time Roy (our guide and trainer) makes wise and intelligent observations, tells us about avalanches, animal tracks and all the kind of stuff that only he and Grizzly Adams know about.

    And so far – with two days of the six completed – everybody’s walking around grinning a lot. Hopefully the grins will still be about after Thursday and Friday’s assessments.

    Here’s what it looks like when six instructors get handed a load of maps and are sent up a mountain with the most enthusiastic man on earth…


    We can see at last……….

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    Weather conditions in Verbier have been changeable. With a couple of days with white-outs then clouds then blue skies again today

    The avalanche risk has now reduced to 2 and the off-piste is once again more accessible. With a couple of centimetres of new snow last night conditions were soft snow on a crust. On Crevlet jump turns were necessary but still great fun and a good depth of powder was to be found. Col des Gentaines and Tortin both have great coverage of snow although moguls are developing rapidly.

    On-piste skiing remains excellent above the Ruinettes station although somewhat slushy lower doen and bare in places on the run into Medran – take the lift down and enjoy it higher up is the recommendation.

    Lac des Vaux 1 lift is again operational so no need to use the traverse to get back to Attelas. However, there were some problems with the La Chaux Express later on today.

    At the top of the Funispace there is the opportunity this weekend to try out a variety of snowboards for free. Although watch out for the wild animals taking advantage of this – see picture.

    The next couple of days should be sunny with temperatures of around 2C and good visibility. Winds should also be light, more cloudy weather is due on tuesday but not the overcast low visibility we have experienced in the last few days.

    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”)…



    Sun and powder fun in Verbier

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    Sunny warm conditions again today after new snowfall last night was welcome after low visibility on Monday.The forecast was for snow today but bright blue skies amid fluffy clouds made for a perfect day’s skiing.

    The top of the mountain opened yesterday and with the better weather the Medran lift had crowds back through the entry gates by 9.30am. Keen skiers eager to sample the fresh powder weren’t disappointed as the main itineraries of Tortin and Col des Gentianes were once again available. The avalanche risk has now reduced to 3 but proper equipment including transceivers are still strongly advised for those seeking the fresh stuff.

    Conditions on-piste on the main mountain are chopped up powder – all great fun. Although the Lac des Vaux 4 man chair is out of action due to maintenance so expect a hike back along the high track if you intend skiing this area today.

    Yesterday at Savoleyres the airport blue run and adjacent red run down to the Tailley lift were perfect packed powder – as good as they have been the whole season. However, the La Tzoumaz sledge run is shut today for maintenance work.

    A mix of sun, blue skies and some cloud is the forecast for the next couple of days. Light winds and above zero daytime temperatures mean sunscreen is essential as is booking those outside table for lunch at Carrefour, Marmottes or Chez Dany. Further ahead the next prediction of snow is for a 1-5 cm fall on Saturday

    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.