Season Plans: 2022-23
- Thread starter Tony Crocker
- Start date
We would have driven right by Crevacol, leaving Verbier last April 6 on the way to the Cinque Terre, but we saw nothing. Crevacol is on my Google Earth kml file though. Elevation range is 5,400 - 8,000. Topography looks consistent fall line, few terrain traps, ideal for between-the-pistes Euro powder. The more adventurous could ski off the east side down to the St. Bernard Pass road.
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Word on the ground is that the 'warm storm' will bring heavy rain to about 2000 metres. Given the already lower than average snow pack at lower altitudes it will mean a pretty unexciting Christmas and New Year week at the lower resorts.
I'm skiing from the 8th of January. I'm thankful I was prompted to split my time to include Tignes. That's our first stop. If anywhere will have something to slide on Tignes/Val will.
ChrisC
Well-known member
That was a little sad to read the forecast..... Still ample time for recovery.
I just want the high elevations to get filled in on Mont Blanc and Courmayeur.
jamesdeluxe
Administrator
When are everyone's arrival dates? Mine isn't until Jan 28 so no concern on my end.
Fraser from Weather to Ski just e-mailed me about the Alps:
It’s a horror show as far as I can see (about 2 weeks) with multiple episodes of rain to above 2000m and very mild sunny interludes in between. Anyone booked for somewhere like Morzine this New Year is in deep trouble!
Fraser from Weather to Ski just e-mailed me about the Alps:
It’s a horror show as far as I can see (about 2 weeks) with multiple episodes of rain to above 2000m and very mild sunny interludes in between. Anyone booked for somewhere like Morzine this New Year is in deep trouble!
ChrisC
Well-known member
Same.
I will just go high if things continue like this: Val d'Isere/Tignes or Zermatt/Saas Fee.
We land in Geneva Jan. 22 with no lodging reservations so we can go anywhere. At this time last year I was sure we would spend some time at Zermatt/Saas Fee because our trip was late March/early April, but the southern Alps had a near wipeout season.
Christmas in the Alps is a dangerous speculation IMHO. Per Fraser's summaries (he hasn't done one yet for 2021-22 despite my periodic nudges) 3 of the 8 Christmases before the pandemic were bad over the entire Alps.
Christmas in the Alps is a dangerous speculation IMHO. Per Fraser's summaries (he hasn't done one yet for 2021-22 despite my periodic nudges) 3 of the 8 Christmases before the pandemic were bad over the entire Alps.
I have both on my radar for very late January. I'm hopeful.
First day on snow is the 8th of January. Last is 2nd of February.
The good thing about being from sub tropical Australia is any snow is good snow. Of course my hope is to ski powder but if I am restricted to groomers I'll still be happy.
I'm nearing the end of being restricted to school holidays thankfully.
In the future I'll target Japan in late January to mid February. North America in February/March. Europe in March.
ChrisC
Well-known member
Saas Fee is one area in the Alps where the snow does not matter too much - except for surface conditions. There is no off-piste....or at least safe off-piste. The crevasses will eat skiers alive. Beautiful to look at ... but keep a healthy distance from.
Saas Fee is also exceptionally cold in mid-winter due to height and less sunlight.
It is perhaps even more scenic than Zermatt. You can see all the massive glaciers from the quaint town.
ChrisC
Well-known member
The early snow reports look pretty good from the high resorts:
Saas Fee - 50 cm
Andermatt - 50 cm
Val d'Isere - 30 cm
Zinal - 45 cm
I use Bergfex for snow report aggregation. Not every resort reports timely so you still need to go do one-off lookups - but Austria and Swiss resorts (German) seem to submit data.
3 Vallees seem to have been skunked so far. Obvious rain down low.
La Rosiere - 40 cm
Saas Fee - 50 cm
Andermatt - 50 cm
Val d'Isere - 30 cm
Zinal - 45 cm
I use Bergfex for snow report aggregation. Not every resort reports timely so you still need to go do one-off lookups - but Austria and Swiss resorts (German) seem to submit data.
3 Vallees seem to have been skunked so far. Obvious rain down low.
La Rosiere - 40 cm
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ChrisC
Well-known member
Flegere / Chamonix is looking decent ….maybe just can’t see the rocks.
It’s not great in the French Alps right now. We arrive in Tignes on Saturday late afternoon. We’ll have a day of boney conditions on Sunday. It’ll be fine to get our ski legs back. The kids will be in snowboard lessons.
Monday and Tuesday look to be snowy. I don’t know how we’ll go with visibility given the lack of trees.
My off piste course is on hold due to lack of participants. ESF have one that will be on regardless. Might have to swap to them.
Tomorrow we jump on a plane for a 23 hour (3 hour stopover in Singapore) flight. Kids are excited.
Monday and Tuesday look to be snowy. I don’t know how we’ll go with visibility given the lack of trees.
My off piste course is on hold due to lack of participants. ESF have one that will be on regardless. Might have to swap to them.
Tomorrow we jump on a plane for a 23 hour (3 hour stopover in Singapore) flight. Kids are excited.
jamesdeluxe
Administrator
You need to go south for proper conditions. @Weathertoski arrived late yesterday in Serre Chevalier (where I'll be in three weeks) and said that there's plenty of snow there, down to resort-level at 1350m. Here's his report.
berkshireskier
Member
A story today about the record warmth across much of Europe. Not sure how this is affecting ski conditions throughout much of the Alps?
Considering that it rained heavily last week to 2,300 meters and recent temperatures in the NW Alps have been 10C above normal, neither ChrisC nor sbooker should go near Chamonix without a radical turnaround in the weather.
It is encouraging that Fraser implies no rain effect as low as 1,350 meters at Serre Chevalier. I'm going to ask him about the locations in between like Courmayeur (for ChrisC's benefit), Maurienne Valley, Milky Way.
It looks like James chose the right gateway airport for his upcoming trip. We are flying into Geneva and would have a longer drive, though not as far as in 2018 (Dolomites) or 2019 (St. Moritz).
The Milky Way group (lift interconnect from Montgenevre to Sestriere) has caught our eye. It's between Bardonecchia and the other places on James' list, but I guess that's too large a ski complex for him. I can see our first week being in the Milky Way, then perhaps crossing paths with James when he arrives a week after us. I had a day at Serre Chevalier with Extremely Canadian in 2008. We were there because weather/conditions were adverse and the highlight was the gourmet lunch. Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes are also in the neighborhood.
I think sbooker will have a good chunk of terrain to ski at Tignes above that rain line. And hopefully Les Arcs will get resurfaced during next week's storm. I hope sbooker has a car rental planned for the latter part of his trip with only 3 people. Chamonix and especially the Jungfrau region look like very poor options then. They should head south and join James and or/us. Bourg St. Maurice to Briancon (town between Montgenevre and Serre Chevalier) is a 2 hour 40 minute drive.
I inquired of Fraser about upcoming FTO destinations and he gave me prompt but candid responses.
For sbooker:
For ChrisC:
As for James and us:
The bottom line:
For sbooker:
Probably not worth hiring an off piste guide unless next week's storm delivers.
For ChrisC:
These places don't really have a lot of on piste skiing by Euro standards. It might be worth trying to relocate that trip. Since you are flying into Milan, the areas James and I are considering are very accessible. You may still be skiing on piste, but there are many more of them.
As for James and us:
The bottom line:
jamesdeluxe
Administrator
With 23 days before I'm on the chair at Bardonecchia, I find it hard to believe that there won't be a market correction between now and then.
And if there isn't, that's what FF awards are for: fee-free redepositing of miles and I'll go elsewhere.
ChrisC
Well-known member
I cannot really change the Courmayeur dates due to the logistics of a group of 8. But it looks like the heli-day will just get canceled or be sub-par. Might be enough snow on the Toula glacier to the Monter Bianco Skyways tram mid-station. Looked at webcams and reports - valleys are green. Maybe 2/3 pistes open. Could always take off a day early.
Most places in Europe are not promising for the moment. Tignes/Val d'Isere still have a lot closed. Zermatt seems to have its snowmaking pistes open, but anything steep is closed. Even Alpe d'Huez and Les 2 Alpes look sad below 2000m, but might be worthwhile to ski Serre Chevalier or Puy St. Vincent. Maybe the Skier's Lodge in La Grave can do a short midweek 3 days stay. La Thuile/Rosiere are not supposed to be too steep and might be an OK stop of snow pans out. Surprising that one region/country is not decent. No desire to go to the Dolomites.
Or I might just play non-skiing tourist in Europe, rent skis, and visit friends in London....or just cancel everything if new snow does not pan out.
Powderhounds Europe looks to have based themselves in the Southern French Alps for the near-term.
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Give it another 2 weeks.
Japan looks like it is having a banner year!
ChrisC
Well-known member
I thought the Skier's Lodge opening date says everything you need to know about Alps early season - January 19th.
Facts Long Ski Weekend Or Short Midweek Break
Organiser: Skiers Lodge Guide Service Ltd.
For further information about the Classic Ski Weeks please contact us at: info@skierslodge.com
Season dates 2023
From From 2023.01.19 to 2023.04.05
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
The upcoming storm has decreased in intensity from earlier forecasts but it has shifted to a more west than north orientation, which means the Southern French Alps will get some of it. There's a second less defined storm forecast after that one.
Base depths all over look like far from what's needed at places like La Grave, Zermatt and Chamonix. We should be looking for more intermediate slopes that have some base now and hopefully get a layer of new snow next week. In that respect Val Thorens might have more skiable off piste than Val d'Isere.