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This was my second total eclipse, the first having been in Cornwall, U.K., in August 1999. So, after all the anticipation, was it worth the hype? Yes and no. We made the very late decision to head to Menorca, just a week before the event, largely because flights were ridiculously cheap –...

No, the Passo Stelvio glacier - further east in the Italian Alps.

Yes, as you say even some very fine high cloud could be a problem here but odds of completely clear skies still in our favor I think. Given we have less than a minute of totality, my biggest dilemma is whether to try and take some photos, or just make sure we are fully immersed in the experience!

In case anyone is interested, I have just posted an article on the site regarding the current state of summer skiing in the Alps. Ignore the title, that stays for historical SEO reasons, but after today we will be down to one option, and I can't see that lasting! Top 5 places to ski in the Alps...

Have just made a very late call to see the eclipse in Menorca! Lucked out by finding one of the last affordable rooms in one of the best bases - Cala Blanca on the west coast. This will be my second full eclipse - first was in Cornwall in 1999. Anyone else ever seen such a late evening one?

Correct, it does rain on the lower slopes of Val d'Isère/Tignes from time to time, but almost never in Obergurgl. Obergurgl is one of the top resorts for piste skiers in the early season, but in my opinion it's not particularly exciting. It's best suited to families and leisurely intermediates...

@Tony Crocker "And you would not say that such events are more likely in December than in February/March?" Anecdotally, yes I believe so, though I don't have any data immediately to hand to prove it. The main reason being that the big euro and Asian High pressure systems are more influential...

Not necessarily no, you do get the odd early season with poor snow across the board. However, the chances that least one corner will have good snow at any one time are reasonably high. As you allude to, the far south-western Alps stood out in this respect in late December 2025 with exceptional...

Regarding Engelberg and Andermatt, they are both very niche "steep and deep" resorts, even if the latter has connected more terrain recently and become a bit more intermediate friendly as a result. My point being though that, despite their reputation for big dumps, it would be risky to commit to...

In answer to your question, yes of course Nov/Dec will see higher rain/snow limits on average than Jan/Feb. Anecdotally December would seem to be the most troublesome month, partly because expectations are different in November. The absolute upper limit for rain in mid-winter (say December to...

To add some thoughts, as this is absolutely in my wheelhouse and something I obsess over every year! The first thing to note, as Tony and James will have realised over the years, is that Europeans are much more on-piste focused than Americans, so my advice is instinctively geared towards those...

Actually most of my visits have been in late March or April, and Les Contamine's reputation for good snow is well documented in France. As I say, it's in a league above Megeve and one of the key reasons is that you spend most of your time skiing between about 1600 and 2200m whereas in Megeve...

I am not comfortable with lumping Les Contamines in with Megeve/Espace Diamant. Les Contamines is considerably more reliable for snow, all things considered. I have skied there numerous times, including in 2 of the worse seasons ever (late 80s, early 90s) and it has always punched above its...

To answer, clarify, and expand on some of the points here: The Alpes-Maritimes are by no means immune to rain, and even Isola 2000 does experience the occasional event. However, these are very rare in mid-winter and are more likely early in the season, when the Mediterranean is still relatively...

It was an excellent season for the entire southern french Alps, that's for sure. I don't have any data for Isola 2000 yet (the one resort in the Alpes Maritimes) from where I regularly get figures) but I doubt it was among the very snowiest. Qualitatively though I can't really argue with locals...

It's very subjective obviously but purely for Alpine scenery, with no other factors considered, my list is 1) Jungfrau region 2) Dolomites, 3) Zermatt, 4) Saas-Fee, 5) Chamonix.

I often say that Auron is the best resort in the Alps that no-one has ever heard of! At least here in Britain.

Sounds like you enjoyed the area. For me it is one of the best - has a bit of everything. It does get horribly busy at peak times though - especially New Year and February school holidays. And, despite the Flaine bowl being very snow-sure, it's still not high enough to be in the top tier. It can...

My parents sold long before we knew about financial difficulties but for me the writing was on the wall so I pushed them into making that decision.

Snowfall stats here are fairly irrelevant due to area's exposure to the warming effect of the Atlantic which = volatile temperatures and frequent rain. They probably see around 7m of snow around 2000m, which sounds a lot but it can rain to 2500m or higher, even in January, which can quickly...