Europe 24/25

ChrisC said:
Meanwhile, Zermatt/Gornergrat, Davos, Flims, etc are tracking their worst seasons since record keeping on Swiss snowfall sites.
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I did not know that.

ChrisC said:
Some people are content to cruise red/blue pistes, eat great lunches - sure a day or two. But rather drive, cancel or wait.
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I used to be perplexed at how you ski experts were so fussy. I saw zooming around on pistes in the mountains as no great hassle if fresh snow wasn’t to be had but now - even though I am far from expert - I have to admit I’d get a little bored of that after a few days in the one place. Luckily there’s usually interesting skiing off the groomers if there’s an adequate base and someone to show you where to go. I actually hope I get a day or two of fine weather so I get a corn skiing opportunity next month.
 
Bad natural snowpacks are not good for groomer skiing either. If most of the snow is manmade and you’re at a typical Alps resort with 95% of skier traffic on piste, the snow gets scraped down and slick or alternatively on warm days churned to thick and heavy slush.

In these scenarios you must zealously seek out the pistes with lowest skier density. We usually manage this and in a few cases we will download at the end of the day to avoid the most unpleasant situations.

But overall sbooker is correct. The more technically challenging the terrain is, the more important good snow conditions are.
That’s the main reason Alta/Snowbird is North America's top ski area. You can count on the exciting terrain having good snow more consistently than anywhere else. I'd hazard a guess that Val d'Isere/Tignes claims that role in the Alps.
 
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To provide some data for my Swiss/Austria/Italy conditions:

These are not standard deviations from the mean but long-term min/max snow bases.


Zermatt - Gornergrat 3000m

Gornergratsee - 2953 m.a.s.l. | White Risk

whiterisk.ch whiterisk.ch

It's worse than last year, where the Hohtali yellow off-piste never opened (and its secondary tram)
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Davos - Parsenn - Weissfluhjoch - 2536 m

Weissfluhjoch - 2536 m.a.s.l. | White Risk

whiterisk.ch whiterisk.ch

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St. Moritz - Corvatsch 2700m

Corvatsch - 2690 m.a.s.l. | White Risk

whiterisk.ch whiterisk.ch

Recent snows brought them back from the brink.

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Lenzerheide - 2500m

Plang Bi - 2495 m.a.s.l. | White Risk

whiterisk.ch whiterisk.ch

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And Aosta Valley - Monterosa - Gressoney

Snow graphs

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Almost two different winters are happening in the relatively small Aosta Valley (Courmayeur/Monte Bianco/La Thuile/Crevacol and Cervinia) vs. the rest (Monterosa, other southern areas). I assume the Italian side of Matterhorn Ski Paradise (Zermatt-Cervinia) is skiing much better than the Swiss side since it's less steep and has more snow.

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My friend from Solitude, Bryan, is based at Cervinia for the next week. I'll forward his report on conditions.
 
I will download at Whistler sometimes during early or late season - when it's just one WROD or a slush run.

I downloaded the gondola to La Daille at Val d'Isere last year - primarily due to staying at Folie Deuce and watching the Cirque du Soleil-like experience, table dancing, and apres skiing till 5pm+.

Scariest ski runs to the valley in Europe:
  • St. Anton at 7 pm when the Krazy Kangaroo and Moosewirt close. Drunk, night skiing. People cannot find their skis. People are sliding down in ski pants. It's just a mess! On Friday or Saturday night, you will see people out in their ski boots at 12 am, 1 am, etc. - about 10-15% of the population. They never went home to change.
  • Ischgl end of day. After people have been celebrating at the Grand Central station of the Alps mid-mountain
  • Val Thorens. When Folie Deuce closes, many people are in costumes that do not lend themselves to making turns.
  • Zermatt. Hennu Stall bar. Everyone's ski equipment (skis/poles) spills onto the narrow village path - you cannot get around them. Taking the last leg of the Gondola down is safer.
 
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Sbooker said:
Luckily there’s usually interesting skiing off the groomers if there’s an adequate base and someone to show you where to go. I actually hope I get a day or two of fine weather so I get a corn skiing opportunity next month.
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Changing and/or canceling travel plans is mostly dictated due to lack of snow/inadequate snow bases.

There is almost no ski area in North America that can reliably open its double black terrain by January 1st - unless there is an exceptional storm track. Some places come close: WA Cascades, Whistler, Alta/Snowbird, BC, etc.

Most areas can open their exceptionally steep terrain by Feb 1st to 15th. Some (Zermatt, Crested Butte, Telluride, Taos, etc) can take until March 1st or later.

And Some ski areas are prone to just getting skunked for an entire year: Dolomites, Monterosa, Zermatt, St Moritz, La Grave, Southern Rockies, Banff/Kicking Horse, All of South America/NZ/Australia.

So if you want to ski some steeper stuff: ski April vs. December, wait till Feb it, avoid South Facing resorts after mid-March or wait to book/travel when snow falls.

Hence, this site for 2nd guessers.
 
ChrisC said:
There is almost no ski area in North America that can reliably open its double black terrain by January 1st - unless there is an exceptional storm track. Some places come close: WA Cascades, Whistler, Alta/Snowbird, BC, etc.

Most areas can open their exceptionally steep terrain by Feb 1st to 15th. Some (Zermatt, Crested Butte, Telluride, Taos, etc) can take until March 1st or later.

And Some ski areas are prone to just getting skunked for an entire year: Dolomites, Monterosa, Zermatt, St Moritz, La Grave, Southern Rockies, Banff/Kicking Horse, All of South America/NZ/Australia.

So if you want to ski some steeper stuff: ski April vs. December, wait till Feb it, avoid South Facing resorts after mid-March or wait to book/travel when snow falls.

Hence, this site for 2nd guessers.
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Someone has been listening to me after all these years!

I'll mention that many of Mammoth's double blacks are skiable by early December in about 30% of seasons. I'm not sure if anyone else can match that record. Maybe Alta, definitely not Snowbird. By its climatology I think Whistler could be similar but management seems to hold off until closer to Christmas.
 
Bryan sez he's been enjoying the long, well-groomed pistes and stunning views in Cervinia ("Deer Valley on steroids"), and that it's painful to see so much beautiful offpiste with wind-ravaged and sun-baked cover. They ran into a couple from Montreal who skied over from Zermatt and said that Cervinia has significantly more snow.
 
jamesdeluxe said:
Bryan sez he's been enjoying the long, well-groomed pistes and stunning views in Cervinia ("Deer Valley on steroids"), and that it's painful to see so much beautiful offpiste with wind-ravaged and sun-baked cover.
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What? 130 mph winds might impact the ski conditions at Cervinia?! I have decided winds can almost be worse than sun exposure in the Alps.

High winds today! Due to a NW front, intense foehn winds are activated with gusts up to 130 mph. The video shows the situation at Cime Bianche Laghi, Cervinia, 2800m, sent to us by the pisteur @stefano_trekkingguide The plants are closed for obvious reasons.

 
ChrisC said:
What? 130 mph winds might impact the ski conditions at Cervinia?! I have decided winds can almost be worse than sun exposure in the Alps.
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Cervinia was fun last March 2024. The skiers on this lift! Good luck.

And I believe this is the HS Six-Pack lift at the base.

 
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What's the big deal? In a rare find for the West Coast, flights from San Francisco to Zurich, Switzerland, are now $359 roundtrip. To take advantage of this WOW fare on American Airlines, you'll have to act fast. It's only available for March travel but, you'll save over $440 on regular prices.

This Basic Economy fare includes a carry-on bag; checked baggage is +$150 roundtrip.
 
tseeb said:
flights from San Francisco to Zurich, Switzerland, are now $359 roundtrip
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It checks out and luckily you change planes in Philadelphia, not Heathrow. A long layover in PHL (3h40m) but you arrive early in Zurich and should be skiing by 11 am. Yowza, that's a long day of travel -- hats off to you west coasters (and Aussies) who make the pilgrimage.

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jamesdeluxe said:
It checks out and luckily you change planes in Philadelphia, not Heathrow. A long layover in PHL (3h40m) but you arrive early in Zurich and should be skiing by 11 am. Yowza, that's a long day of travel -- hats off to you west coasters (and Aussies) who make the pilgrimage.

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I obviously never try to ski the day I land. I usually do some tourist thing. This time I might rent a bike and ride around Lake Annecy or something.
 
Any recent travellers to Europe been asked for an international driving permit when renting a car? I know we discussed this recently and the general consensus was they don’t ask for it but I’m wondering if that has changed recently?
I don’t think I’ll bother wasting my time and money getting one for my trip in a couple of weeks.
 
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