Europe 2025/26

[ChrisC]

The Skier's Lodge La Grave got back to me with a proposal for 4 nights (single room), 3 guided days, 4 half-board meals (dinner & breakfast), and an equipment package (ABS pack) during the week of February 11th. Given current conditions and expected snowfalls, I think I am going to take it! Not getting younger nor quicker! And every run is memorable.
The total cost for 3 days of food/lodging/guiding was almost as much as a single guided day at Vebier.

Just need to rearrange Val d'Isère & Ste. Foy slightly. And will need to get rid of another ski area or two like Gstaad, La Clusaz, or Les Contamines/Mégève. Might ski Alpe d'Huez or La Clusaz on the way back to Zurich airport - long drive!

La Grave is an experience like no other: incredible, scary terrain of couloirs, glaciars, required rapeling, trees, etc. High quality, low run count, lower verticals. Reality: I don't know when I'll ever be able to ski La Grave again, so need to take this shot. Fun to eat, drink and ski with the other skiers who seek out La Grave. And of course you visit other ski mountains in the valley if the La Grave gondola is closed: Serre Chevalier, Les 2 Alpes, etc.

 

[Sbooker]

That sounds cracking value. If only I was expert level……
Send pics.

 

[skiandgolfnut]

Sounds like you've got a nice long trip. My dad actually decided to join for this trip and hes not physically able to ski on arrival day at this point so I will have a day to reposition. Expands my range quite a bit so verbier or even zermatt is fine. Sounds like a better mountain for a mixed skill group anyways, especially in poor visibility. Anyways I just got an email from Swiss that my sunday night flight from JFK is already cancelled. So for now I am in a holding pattern. Looking forward to hearing how your first few days on the ground go Chris. I'd imagine we will likely try to rebook for midweek or next weekend. Will see if Swiss lets us rebook to Geneva without a change in fare.

 

[tseeb]

@jimk has been posting about his trip to Europe with his son, wife and more of his family. I haven't kept up with all of his posts or had time to read the last couple of pages here as I'm not likely to ski in Europe this winter.
See https://www.skitalk.com/threads/chamonix-valley-france-21-25-jan-2026.39241/

My only time in Chamonix was when I quit working for Southern Pacific Railroad in Truckee after two drought years living in the area. I had a 6-week round-trip on World Airways flying from Oakland to London on 7/7/1977, my first time in a jet plane. Friend's family lived outside London and we took off with Eurail passes and backpacks. After going through Paris and a couple of nights in Biarritz, we did a loop around the Iberia Peninsula that included a ferry to Ibiza and a couple of nights camping on the beach in Formentera, we went to Chamonix.

We took what I remember as a two-stage cable car up Le Brevent. The second stage only had a base and top station, no towers and rose very steeply up cliff at the end. We walked down to below the start of the second stage and probably drank cheap wine and ate French bread and cheese and slept on a flat spot along trail without tents. In the morning, we found it was a very busy trail with many people walking past us, and probably some were laughing at the Americans who didn't know where or how to camp properly.

 

[ChrisC]

That sounds cracking value. If only I was expert level……

I cannot emphasize enough (especially for anti-social/no human interaction/no phone/text-chat-only GenZers, Millennials, and others) that if you contact (email/phone) European lodges/instructors/guides to tell them what you want, you will be surprised by what they can offer. They are not Marriott; not everything is online and accessible by an app or browser. (I constantly supply my own dates, and ask for meals - even at partner restaurants for dinner.)

USA Skiing has about zero value anymore unless you live relatively close to a mega-pass resort, have a flexible schedule, and maybe have a lodging connection to a Mega Pass destination resort. (The number of $300/night mid-range motels/hotels in Colorado, Big Sky, Park City, and others is astounding.) There are still some smaller independent ski areas providing value, but most larger/destination resorts are past that point.

Skier's Lodge La Grave (3 nights/3 guide days/6 meals) at a bit more than $1k is about 70-80% less than any British Columbia snowcat operator. And there are lots of $550-650 Economy or FF tickets (sometimes) to Geneva and Milan all winter. USA and Canada Snowcat (and Heli) skiing had value when operators opened in the 2000s (Golden Age) before the Financial Crisis, but that value disappeared later in the 2010s amid 10+ years of huge stock market gains.

La Grave, while not a classic powder destination, offers amazing, unique, incomparable terrain (glaciers, couloirs, trees), a 7000 north-facing vertical drop, few crowds, and a historic, untouched village. The downside is that there are sometimes snow droughts, but when it snows, it lasts for days/weeks due to altitude, exposure, and low traffic.

It's nice to see a bucket-list experience priced reasonably. And not $10k+.

Legendary Routes in La Grave. This write-up is better than any guidebook!
LINK

Skier's Lodge Site

Skierslodge La Grave, with 2300 vertical metres of free riding terrain.

Authentic location with the biggest lift accessed off piste skiing in the world with 2300 vertical metres (7545 feet) of free riding terrain.

www.skierslodge.com

Last Year's Rates - Winter 2024/25

LONG SKI WEEKEND – MID WEEK | Skiers Lodge Guide Service

We are offering a tailor-made, long ski weekend or the midweek package which consist of 4-night stay with half board accommodation plus 3-day guiding.

www.skierslodge.com

 

[ChrisC]

Sounds like you've got a nice long trip.

Yes, if traveling to Europe from the West Coast, it's going to be longer than just a guys' weekend for 4 days (Thursday-Sunday), so I have been doing 1.5 weeks / about 10 ski days. However, it's easy to be available for anything important professionally in the evening with a 9-hour time difference.

Also, the Alps can vary in which regions are doing well, snowfall-wise & weather-wise, but most are within a 5-hour drive of the main gateway airports of Geneva, Zurich, or Milan, so it's easy to change plans, but you need a week's stay to reposition. It's 12 hours direct from SFO to Zurich for the Alps couloirs & big verticals (or the same to Tokyo for Ja-Pow).

Expands my range quite a bit so verbier or even zermatt is fine. Sounds like a better mountain for a mixed skill group anyways, especially in poor visibility.

For intermediates and cruising, Zermatt is likely better (especially Cervinia), because Verbier is not well-linked to other valleys/areas due to the expert Tortin-Gentianes areas. But Verbier is better for snowfall and expert terrain.

You should look at James's encyclopedia of European ski reports. He's never shut down/not skiing due to snow. He is very familiar with more local resorts that often have lower elevations, wind protection, or tree skiing. (like Vercorin, Villars-Gyron-Biablerets, Gstaad, Portes du Soleil, or Melchsee-Frutt ski areas.)

Looking forward to hearing how your first few days on the ground go Chris

We will see. My UK friends are more than happy to be away from their wives/children, so if a stormy day prevents skiing, they will find a hut, a refuge, or a local bar to drink and watch football. Not a lot of action shots.

However, one of the guys worked as a ski instructor at Engelberg for 2 years and knows every place on the mountain.

 

[ChrisC]

@jimk has been posting about his trip to Europe with his son, wife and more of his family. I haven't kept up with all of his posts or had time to read the last couple of pages here as I'm not likely to ski in Europe this winter.
See https://www.skitalk.com/threads/chamonix-valley-france-21-25-jan-2026.39241/

Quick logistics mention: our Ikon Base Passes have worked seamlessly, go straight to lifts - just like USA. They also get us on free busses throughout the valley. We're doing this trip without a car rental.

I still think the "straight to lifts" option is negligent on Alterra/Ikon, since most of its customers will be uninsured, and helicopter rescues are more common in the Alps for incidents than sleds due to big verticals. However, I doubt this is a widespread problem affecting 0.05% of people with a multi-thousand-dollar bill.

Assume that utilizing public transportation (no rental car) made Verbier a non-viable option, hence a lack of interest/response.

Chamonix seems to be skiing as predicted: Brevent-Flegere - beautiful, but needs snow to soften except for the highest altitudes. Grands Montets - amazing, but wish the lift company would get the new gondola and S3 super gondola completed. Le Tour/Balme - awesome scenery; likely decent off-piste, super fun! Chamonix - great town!

Hopefully, a good weather day for Aiguille/Vallee Blanche. Curious what conditions will be like: powder?, wind-packed?, ski touring tracks? etc

 

[Tony Crocker]

Assume why there was a lack of interest/response regarding Verbier.

He also didn't rent a car. Where do you stay without a car to ski Verbier if you don't want to pay the stratospheric prices in the resort?

Nonetheless those first 3 days in Chamonix looked good for decent conditions and nice weather for the mind blowing scenery. Fingers are crossed they get Vallee Blanche tomorrow. It's in the ballpark with my first Euro ski trip there in 2004 with the major exception that I got 3 runs off that missing upper tram at Grands Montets.

My guess is that they will only be in Chamonix and the Jungfrau.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Not getting younger nor quicker!

Yes, that's why La Grave was my second Euro ski trip at age 55.

And every run is memorable.

Like this one?

Skier's Lodge La Grave (3 nights/3 guide days/6 meals) at a bit more than $1k

Yes, I paid considerably more for a week with Extremely Canadian guides.

It is true that La Grave snow preservation is excellent. It had not snowed in a month when I was there, but still winter snow above 9,000 feet. Presumably ChrisC has checked that the snowpack is adequate already. If so, that would imply to me the nearby more traditional places like Alpe d'Huez, Les Deux Alpes and Serre Chevalier are in good shape.

But I commented in one my reports that La Grave is like Valdez or Las Lenas in terms of weather/exposure. You are not skiing there on bad weather days. But the above mentioned alternatives are available within an hour's drive if you have a car.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

@jimk has been posting about his trip to Europe with his son, wife and more of his family. I haven't kept up with all of his posts or had time to read the last couple of pages here as I'm not likely to ski in Europe this winter. See https://www.skitalk.com/threads/chamonix-valley-france-21-25-jan-2026.39241/

Great pix and glad that @jimk is getting a proper Euro experience, although the question is "how can he go back to LCC after he's been to Chamonix?"

The answer of course is "one adjusts." My wife and I skied at Shawnee PA for a couple hours yesterday afternoon and it was better than staying home.

 

[ChrisC]

Anyways I just got an email from Swiss that my sunday night flight from JFK is already cancelled. So for now I am in a holding pattern.

Yes, looks like one of the largest storms in years for the East Coast - Southeast-to-New England, and South Central.

Assume you will defer to March due to winter weather in the USA. The high-altitude resorts should typically only be better by early to mid-March. You have to worry about resorts with base elevations below 1500m by that month, or expect WRODs or downloading.

 

[ChrisC]

He also didn't rent a car. Where do you stay without a car to ski Verbier if you don't want to pay the stratospheric prices in the resort?

You don't! However, I used to stay at the Hotel La Rotonde (5-10 minutes from the lifts) in downtown Verbier. It was $130-150/night midweek with free parking. It was located near James's relatives' watch shop Link Unfortunately, it closed this summer for renovations, and will likely become a luxury property. Like Telluride, everything that was reasonable for skiers has become luxury redevelopment or employee/local housing. Link

Maybe one could stay carless in Nendaz? Les Chable? IDK.

Anyways, one of the shortest routes to Bern would take them right by Vebier, so it could have been a day trip only, without lodging costs.

Nonetheless those first 3 days in Chamonix looked good for decent conditions and nice weather for the mind blowing scenery. Fingers are crossed they get Vallee Blanche tomorrow. It's in the ballpark with my first Euro ski trip there in 2004 with the major exception that I got 3 runs off that missing upper tram at Grands Montets.

think there was a weather window for the Vallee Blanche this Sat AM. Winds were low, and sun breaks. Even 2 pm Chamonix time looks OK. I think they got lucky. Not sure what the wind speed cut-off is, but <50 km/hr might be low enough.

My guess is that they will only be in Chamonix and the Jungfrau.

Yes. However, Switzerland is so expensive that even trains, once you get to 4 people using mass transportation, a rental car can be the same price. But why deal with the car in Europe? And if you have friends, why bother?

Again, I have never returned a rental car correctly in Geneva, and I leave mine in random locations throughout the airport parking lots. I cannot be the only one, since the rental companies eventually find it, and I return the keys to after hours box.

 

[ChrisC]

Presumably ChrisC has checked that the snowpack is adequate already. If so, that would imply to me the nearby more traditional places like Alpe d'Huez, Les Deux Alpes and Serre Chevalier are in good shape.

Yes, they all look quite good with 180-200cm summit snow bases, and 40-80cm resort bases. The only noteworthy issue: Alpe d'Huez will delay opening the Pic Blanc cable car until January 30th. Some verbiage about "preparation" - maybe getting the tunnel ready and catwalks built. However, Sarenne piste and others are open. Even Monterosa just opened its summit/freeride tram Point Indren this weekend.

And I like the forecasts - even if only 25-50% of it comes true. WePowder even issued a midweek Powder Alert since things are reverting to a more normal, predictable flow/jet stream.

But I commented in one my reports that La Grave is like Valdez or Las Lenas in terms of weather/exposure. You are not skiing there on bad weather days. But the above mentioned alternatives are available within an hour's drive if you have a car.

Yes. The La Grave teleferique shuts down quite a bit. During my only trip in 2006, it operated 60% of our ski days with only modest storms (4-12"). I believe it shuts down easily for safety purposes.

Skier's Lodge will take you to other locations, as we did with our guide to Serre Chevalier and Les Deux Alpes. After skiing all the locations below, I would be more than happy to be guided at any of them; there is quality freeride to be found!

If conditions in La Grave aren’t ideal, our minibuses allow us to explore any of ten nearby resorts, each with its own microclimate—just 25 minutes to an hour away. We may guide you to hidden off-piste terrain in La Grave, Alpe d’Huez, Vaujany, Serre Chevalier, Mongenevre/Claviere, or even Sestriere in Italy. The Queyras region also offers secret stashes of steeps, powder, and tree skiing.​

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[ChrisC]

Like this one?

Yes! During my late January trip, the surface lifts on the glaciers were not open yet - likely not enough snow, similar to Vellee Blanche's late January opening.

There are MANY lines at La Grave that I have not skied. Anything glacial, or into the valley besides the main runout. And I would repeat many of the lines. Also, I remember almost everything I skied on that visit to La Grave. While on the same trip, skiing some of the cruisers - like those in the 3 Vallees - blend together (but yes, remember Courchevel's couloirs, La Masse, Cime Caron, and Mont Vallon).

I also remember our guide made his own Genepi (bootleg) to share after skiing. It's essentially potent alcohol with some alpine flowers providing a bit of a floral aroma.


So, although I am repeating almost all of the ski areas I will visit this trip, they are more memorable, and have so many lines. It's like the huge tenures for cat/heli skiing in BC or Alaska.

 

[ChrisC]

Great pix and glad that @jimk is getting a proper Euro experience, although the question is "how can he go back to LCC after he's been to Chamonix?"

Nonetheless those first 3 days in Chamonix looked good for decent conditions and nice weather for the mind blowing scenery. Fingers are crossed they get Vallee Blanche tomorrow. It's in the ballpark with my first Euro ski trip there in 2004 with the major exception that I got 3 runs off that missing upper tram at Grands Montets.

JimK and son were lucky weather-wise and able to ski the Vallee Blanche today, 1/24/2026.

International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) - Chamonix Valley France 21-25 Jan 2026

Work in progress... Ongoing trip report: Not sure how regular I'll be, but gonna try to make some posts here this week on my current visit to Chamonix. 21 Jan 2026: My son and I started our visit by skiing the connected ski areas of Brevent and Flegere. Trail map. We started at the Brevent...

www.skitalk.com

It's such a classic Alpine experience and a bucket-list item. Glad they were able to experience it! Visibility looks decent, and a nice enough weather window - especially considering there was an approaching storm.

You could see the lenticular clouds (space ships) forming over Mont Blanc the previous day from Le Tour's photos, which are not good signs (especially on a NW volcano), and typically mean weather 18-36 hours later. Lucky things held together.

Cannot ask for a much better first-time Chamonix experience: sunshine for the scenery, mid-winter surface conditions, no high winds, Aiguille du Midi cable car - operational, etc.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Cannot ask for a much better first-time Chamonix experience: sunshine for the scenery, mid-winter surface conditions, no high winds, Aiguille du Midi cable car - operational, etc.

That's what I got in 2004. Jimk's description of Vallee Blanche does not fit either of my recollections though.

As a moderately fit 72 yr old I was rather spent by end of day. My 35 year old son considered it a walk in the park. He enjoyed it, but would have been suited for more challenging route - next time. Both of us sweated and bringing water is mandatory.

We had several short black diamond mogul sections, long flats with poling, several 50 foot vertical side steps, and some tight low angle gullies, rocky/scratchy sections, etc.

Liz and I did it at the same time of year, but 2018 was a huge season (we could do the 500 vert bootpack past the stairs and ski into town) and the Classic Route skiing was mellow and wide open, fortunate as I was sick that day. 2004 was mid-February on Petit Envers, not as deep snowpack as 2018, but still don't recall step-ups, scratchy sections, etc. IIRC Vallee Blanche has just opened for the season, so Jimk and son were lucky to get it at all.

 

[ChrisC]

although the question is "how can he go back to LCC after he's been to Chamonix?"

I have the opposite worry, especially for this son: When can we go back to the SLC & the Cottonwoods? I want some chutes, steeps, etc.

Chamonix has extreme, challenging terrain, but it requires a guide, in-depth knowledge, or touring experience. It's not easy to access, reveal, or scan. Definitely not right off the lift, 5-10 traverse or a 10-15 minute hike. That is VERBIER! Incredibly steep, challenging terrain - couloirs/faces, glaciers - that puts the Cottonwoods to shame. And other Alps expert resorts.....

However, this Chamonix/Jungfrau itinerary might leave an expert skier without the option of joining guided groups/local friends - Europe is great! Scenery, food, glaciers, vertical - but where are the steeps? I have exprt friends who kept looking for mogual runs on piste maps, and neve explored freeride or new about guided groups.

Also I have been looking at Jungfrau - Murren (curious for myself as well), and its steep S/SE off-piste is a no-go for now. Some areas on the Piz Glora's north face look good. Curious to see photos from the Inferno Race last week. However, Murren is quite far from Grindelwald via bus/lift/public transportation. I am going to pass on Murren on my tip - it's near Engelberg.

 

[ChrisC]

although the question is "how can he go back to LCC after he's been to Chamonix?"

I have the opposite worry, especially for this son: When can we go back to the Cottonwoods? I want some chutes, steeps, etc.

Chamonix has extreme, challenging terrain, but it requires a guide, in-depth knowledge, or touring experience. It's not easy to access, reveal, or scan. Definitely not right off the lift, 5-10 traverse or a 10-15 minute hike. That is VERBIER! Incredibly steep, challenging terrain - couloirs/faces, glaciers - that puts the Cottonwoods to shame.

However, Chamonix/Jungfrau (Muren) might leave an expert skier without the option of joining guided groups/local friends - Europe is great! Scenery, food, glaciers, vertical - but where are the steeps?

Curious to see photos from Murren's Inferno Race last week. However, Murren is quite far from Grindelwald via bus/lift/public transportation.

 

[ChrisC]

Some La Grave notes:

Very good operations, snow and weather page. Shows what mountain sections are open, corresponding to elevation, weather, winds, forecasts, new snow, and snow bases. (For snow bases, measurements are at specific elevations versus lift stations, so 1500/2000/2500 meters compares to 50/100/160 cm snow bases. The summit is either 3,200 m or 3,600 m for the glacier surface lift. New snow is about 40cm over the last 3 days.

Méteo, Conseils et Conditions… - La Grave

Observations Météo, Neige & Conseils du jour... Pour que votre journée se passe au mieux, retrouvez les informations du jour.

la-grave.com

 

[Tony Crocker]

I have the opposite worry, especially for this son: When can we go back to the Cottonwoods? I want some chutes, steeps, etc.

ChrisC and I have posted a huge volume of advice on this subject. Whether Jimk's son read any of it, we do not know.

The Vallee Blanche TR tells me that it may be a bit low tide for much of the marquee expert off piste this early in the season. As for Verbier, I've noted already that became a non-starter once they declined to rent a car. The trip is further constrained by its length and that they have non-skiers along. Non-skiers plus no car is a severe combined constraint IMHO.

Since I'm in Jimk's age bracket I have more sympathy for him regarding ChrisC's comments. This might be his only shot at a full Alps experience. His son has decades to return if he wants to ski La Grave type terrain.