Europe 2025/26

[ChrisC]

Andermatt Ski Guides (andermatt-guides.ch) posted a video showing current conditions. Below, they summarize: not great, but some pockets.

"A Great Friend, a Classic Line, and epic snow (in the couliour) makes a great Day! Although conditions are not amazing, there is some great skiing to do!"

This is a good example of some of the types of off-piste terrain found in Andermatt. Half of it is open faces/bowls that connect to couloirs for 5k vertical. The other half is more open faces. I think @skiandgolfnut was interested. Conversely, Engelberg's famed Big 5 does not really have tight couloirs unless you seek them out; more open faces or glaciers.

You can see write-ups
Engelberg, CH, Jan. 24, 2019
Andermatt, Switzerland: March 6, 7 and 8, 2020

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[ChrisC]

Both WePowder and Luke Stone of OpenSnow mention the possibility of that big dump from the west 5 days out, but don’t quote anything specific until it gets closer.

Looks like models are converging on the forecast for the coming week. However, the snow seems heavily NW focused (French Alps, Switzerland - till about Interlaken/Engelberg/Andermatt/Zermatt) and these areas have a decent base, especially at altitude. Unfortunately, Eastern Switzerland and Austria - about 50-75% less.

 

[ChrisC]

Not sure Vallee Blanche will be open this early. You should inquire before committing as many as 5 days, in view of the fact that the Grands-Montets upper tram is still not rebuilt. I'd say 2-3 days, mainly to check out the mind blowing scenery, best viewed from Brevant-Flegere

Chamonix is a beautiful area (Chamonix, Zermatt, Jungfrau, Saas Fee are most impressive IMHO), but it can be a bit of a PITA.

One really needs to take advantage of 'unique' Chamonix experiences for the benefits to outweigh difficulties. What is special about Chamonix:

• Vallee Blanche. The Aguille du Midi Cable Car is an engineering marvel, ascending to 12.8k ft (same as the highest in North America). The Vallee Blanche is over 20km long and a vertical drop of 9k+ and you are skiing the most unique glaciated terrain possible. You can sometimes ski to town or take a gondola to a train. It is more ski mountaineering than a ski resort, and nothing else is like it. Also, it is approachable for intermediates.
• Grand Montets. It's Jackson Hole that faces due north, a 6k vertical, and some glacier routes. It kills me that the cable car has taken forever to rebuild, but next year 26/27, a new gondola and S3 gondola with a rebuilt summit house. It's still OK without the summit, but I have avoided Chamonix, specifically Gands Montets, without this lift.
• Views of Mont Blanc/Mer de Glace from Brevent-Flegere. Brevent-Flegere offers solid skiing, a series of south-facing bowls. I really like it, but it can get cooked on a sunny day. In mid-winter, they will hold new powdery snow for about 48 hours.
• Domaine de Balme. I hesitate a bit to put this on here, since some might say - it's a bunch of surface lifts and mellow terrain. However, I like it since you are at the head of the Chamonix Valley, with great views, easy off-piste skiing, 360-degree exposure, relatively high and good snow preservation.
• Chamonix town. It's the global mountaineering center! There are often more ice axes and ropes than skis around town. There is a unique vibe, and it's a big place with all types of restaurants/lodging. It's almost the antithesis of Verbier, Val d'Isere, etc.

Chamonix has quite a few downsides that can make it highly unpleasant for casual skiers used to 'ski resorts' - especially if they do not value what makes Chamonix unique. Downsides include:

• Only Brevent is accessible from Chamonix proper - and that is up a hill at the edge of town. Not easy. A 10-20 minute schlep depending on where you stay.
• Otherwise, it's get in your car or try to get on a bus.
• I found out in 2024 that on weekdays in late January, buses around 9 am do not guarantee a spot and will not stop since they are full. In short, you are traveling a bit every day, and the Chamonix Valley is quite large.
• Chamonix town is at a low altitude (1000m), and sometimes there is no snow. Typically, one needs to take a gondola up to the skiing.
• Skiing is not interconnected, and most areas are medium-sized.
• Lifts. Chamonix, for some reason, does not invest in its lift system. There are still lots of slow lifts and/or surface lifts at Domaine de Balme, Les Houches, and parts of Brevent-Flegere.
• Crowding. Sometimes crowds can appear, especially on weekends, and overwhelm infrastructure.

Currently, without the Grand Montets tram, Chamonix is maybe a 3-day place (one visit to Grand Montets, one or two to Brevent-Flegere, one to Balme) unless you add the Vallee Blanche. Also, one should travel to the neighboring mountains from Chamonix. The most obvious choice is Courmayeur (sunny side of Mt Blanc & cheaper, better Italian food). The best storm day mountain is really Megeve (over Les Houches). It has beautiful, tree-lined runs and is huge! And for a mega-Alps experience, Verbier is just over the pass. These are all 30-60 minutes away. When I skied in the 2000s, they were all part of the Chamonix Unlimited Pass. However, people tire of the constant grind of the car ride every morning.


I was last in Chamonix in 2024 with my partner after 1 week+ in Val d'Isere. Getting to Brevent was a bit of a pain in the AM, but skiing was good. We just visited the Aiguille du Midi complex vs. skiing the Vallee Blanche. The Vallee Blanche used to require a 30-minute+ hike out (this would have been a non-starter), but in 2025, there is now a new gondola that goes down to the Mer de Glace glacier/end of run. No more hikes required! If I had to do it again, I would have likely gone skiing in the 3 Vallees (Courchevel or Meribel) for 2-3 days after Val d'Isere for convenience/resort experience. And maybe one night in Chamonix to ride the Aguille du Midi cable car. Again, Chamonix - while beautiful - is not for everyone, and it can be 'challenging' logistically.

Is it a favorite? Yes. I have been in 2004/5, 2006, 2018 (2x), and 2024. Also, 2025 skiing over from Courmayeur on a unique Vallee Blanche variation (Vallee Noir from Pt. Helbronner). To expend the effort to ski it 6x - that's a really large number for me, who wants to try lots of places, and indicates the quality of the experience. It also speaks to how easily accessible it is, being just one hour from Geneva.

Aiguille du Midi / Vallée Blanche

Grands Montets - without its summit tram!!

 

[ChrisC]

More positivity and models are matching up.

Interesting Note: It's cold, and lots of valley snow is forecasted. Lower resorts around Geneva (La Clusaz, Megeve, Morzine, Gstaad, Jungfrau) could be excellent too - if things pan out.

Austria?

I spoke to Guide Offices in Val d'Isere. They said no powder now (as expected), however, their couloirs have stabilized and have a lot of chalky fun snow, so that's where they have been taking clients if interested. Sounds good to me.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Jimk needs to be heeding the advice ChrisC is posting now. Wherever Jimk goes, he also should hire guides for the first couple of days at least.

 

[jimk]

I'm busy traveling. Now back East for memorial services for family member, return to Utah soon
But it was very kind for @ChrisC to provide his input. I did pull the trigger and depart for Alps, Jan 19-31. Using Geneva as gateway. Likely 4-5 ski days in Chamonix including Vallee Blanche, Brevent, Grand Montet, etc. Will spend some non-ski days in Bern for family-social-business requirements involving my travel party of four. Likely to also ski a couple days in Jungfrau region. I think for both Cham and Grindelwald I may want center-town locations to facilitate activities for both skiing and non-skiing travel companions.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I think for both Cham and Grindelwald

Among consensus top 3 for scenery in the Alps (with Zermatt, though Liz among many would also cite the Dolomites). For skiing both deserve no more than 3 days under likely conditions. FYI 3 ski days in the Jungfrau will get you that Jungfraujoch train up to 11,000+ feet for 1/3 the price a scenic rider only pays. Your ski plan is likely to keep you nearly all on-piste, which given Jimk's (and presumably his Snowbird son instructor's) ability means you're missing out on the best of skiing the Alps.

Driving between Cham and the Jungfrau you could visit Verbier and/or a couple of the mom-and-pop places out of the Upper Rhone Valley. With limited time in those places for off-piste a guide is essential. Both the Jungfrau and the Upper Rhone should be conditional on next week's dump materializing as forecast. The Jungfrau ski terrain is at relatively low altitude and without a major dump resurfacing will resemble your mid-Atlantic in terms of manmade scraped frozen granular.

ChrisC loves Verbier. He can opine after this week whether there is enough snow for the off piste routes from Mont Fort and Mont Gele.

 

[ChrisC]

I did pull the trigger and depart for Alps, Jan 19-31. Using Geneva as gateway. Likely 4-5 ski days in Chamonix including Vallee Blanche, Brevent, Grand Montet, etc.

You should reach out to a Guide in the next week or so, and see what the outlook might be for the Vallee Blanche. Wait to after this next storm system.

Mid/Late January would be considered an 'earlier' opening for the Vallee Blanche. It takes longer than would think. Despite a ton of snow up high, it takes a while to cover the crevasses and allow necessary snow bridges to form. Some years, it is not ready until early February.

Also, guides will not take clients up there until ski patrol/pisteurs equip the arete with ropes (pic below) for ovious safety reasons. That really denotes whether the Vallee Blanche is open or closed.

My experience - I have skied the Vallee Blanche or variants three different times:

• Late Jan/early Feb 2006. Joined a guided group. Skied Vraie Vallee Blanche variant. Could ski to Chamonix - no train.
• Late Jan 2018. Private Guide for myself and brother. Skied Petit & Grand Envers combo. Could ski to Chamonix - no train.
• Early Feb 2025. Private Guide for myself only. Skied Vallee Noir from Courmayeur/Pt. Helbronner (after other runs). Gondola and train to Chamonix. Bus back to Courmayeur.
• Also, Heli-skied 2x (Jan 2018 (brother) & Jan 2023 (friends)) with Heli Courmayeur and skiing the backside of Mont Blanc off a subpeak.

Since you might have a decent sized group, I would look into getting a private guide. Since the Vallee Blanche is maybe 4-5 hours max, rates are reasonable. I often use the local town Guide Office. Chamonix Compagnie des Guides LINK. See the Private Booking Tab - It would cost perhaps less than joining a group for 3-4 people. Also, it allows you to go at your own pace: Tour the top of the Aiguille du Midi complex LINK, slowly go down the Arete without pressure, take your time on the Vallee Blanche Classic, perhaps stop for lunch at Refuge du Requin (cash-only) LINK, take it easy on the flats of the Mer de Glace, stop and go in a glacier cave, and then take gondola & Montenvers Train back to Chamonix.

If someone in your group is not comfortable with everything (especially heights), they should at least go to the summit with all you and take the calbe car back down. Typically, guides like an early start - 8/8:30am - mostly for the weather window in the morning. Clear or partly cloudy weather is a must due to vertigo. And winds will close the cable car, so by definition you will not be up there in extreme weather.

FYI: The Aiguille du Midi cable car is not included with the Ikon Pass. It's not on basic Chamonix multi-day tickets either. It's always been a separate add-on that requires a reservation time - especially since so many pedestrians/tourists visit it. Summer and nice Spring days (March/April for Vallee Blanche) are very busy!

Arete - Path is wider than it looks. Also, you are wearing crampons.

Refuge du Requin

Aiguille du Midi Summit Complex

 

[ChrisC]

Some good resources about the Vallee Blanche:

Vallee Blanche Guide in Chamonix Mont Blanc | valleeblancheguidechamonix.com

Vallee Blanche Guide Chamonix, the website about the Valley Blanche

www.vallee-blanche.org

The Vallée Blanche Ski Descent in Chamonix • Ultimate France

The Vallée Blanche is what skiing is all about. If you’re in Chamonix and you’re a confident intermediate skier, this run is a must. Check out our guide.

www.ultimatefrance.com

Vallée Blanche - World’s longest ski run more accessible than ever | Fall Line Skiing

allée Blanche, the world’s longest lift-served ski run, now more accessible than ever. This 23 km off-piste descent in Chamonix is suitable for intermediate skiers with a guide. The newly opened gondola simplifies the exit from the Mer de Glace glacier, enhancing convenience while raising...

www.fall-line.co.uk

Vallee Blanche Classique and Variants. They get steeper from left to right.

Rendering of the new Gondola from Mer de Glace

 

[ChrisC]

FYI 3 ski days in the Jungfrau will get you that Jungfraujoch train up to 11,000+ feet for 1/3 the price a scenic rider only pays.

I have never paid to go up to the Jungfraujoch. It's pricey, and I have seen lots of glaciated summit stations (Zermatt, Chamonix, Courmayeur, Engelberg, etc.) which are included in the price of a standard lift pass. The discount with a 3-day pass is a very good deal.

Your ski plan is likely to keep you nearly all on-piste

Chamonix will offer some off-piste opportunities. Brevent has couloirs under its main lift, and some open faces served by the Brevent cable car;
Flegere has nice bowls. Of course, this could be a refrozen mess. Grands Montets should be straight-forward off-piste: under the Hese 6-pack or the upper Gondola. And the Combe de La Pendant is a huge north-facing bowl the can hold powder on its edges.

given Jimk's (and presumably his Snowbird son instructor's) ability means you're missing out on the best of skiing the Alps

I am not sure his son is going. If so, they should try to stop by Verbier on the way out of Chamonix (if snow materializes). Maybe sign up for a guided group day in Chamonix. And if in Grindelwald, Engelberg is only 1.5 hours away and one should try to join a guided group to ski some of its 'Big 5' lines. Engelberg is in a pretty decent snowfall region - I am sure something will materialize.

ChrisC loves Verbier. He can opine after this week whether there is enough snow for the off piste routes from Mont Fort and Mont Gele.

Verbier looks quite boney right now / not ready for prime time. Looking at its Live Map, Mount Gele is closed and the Chassoure-Tortin, Vallon d'Arbi, Col des Mines itineraries are all closed. Currently, it's a skip for off-piste.

 

[ChrisC]

Ugly Map of Switzerland. There's snow in the W/SW Valais, but below average.

 

[Tony Crocker]

JimK and his son could join a group to ski the scenic Petit Envers through the scenic icefalls as I did with NASJA in 2004. I suspect much of his entourage is non-skiers, which is no doubt the reason for resisting some of ChrisC's and my suggestions.

Late Jan 2018.

Liz and I skied the Classic Route a few days after ChrisC was there. With the big snowpack that season, we also hiked up about 20 minutes, then skied into Chamonix, no train. ChrisC is correct that you need to be inquiring about Vallee Blanche soon, as you need an above average snowpack for it to be skiable in late January. If it's not, that's a reason to trim the number of days in Chamonix in favor of somewhere with more/better skiing available.

 

[ChrisC]

JimK and his son could join a group to ski the scenic Petit Envers through the scenic icefalls as I did with NASJA in 2004. I suspect much of his entourage is non-skiers, which is no doubt the reason for resisting some of ChrisC's and my suggestions.

I am surprised they took your group down Petit Envers - although depending on how you put the route together, it's not that intense. Sometimes guides resist because they do not know the group's abilities, or because it can be a bit wind-affected.

In 2018, we avoided the top of Grand Envers because the guide said it was wind-affected by the intense storms and quickly traversed to the lower, steeper, more sheltered 75% of the route. You miss the big Geant Seracs, and exit via couloir near the Refuge du Requin - and then continue from the hut via another couloir, missing a bit of the Mer de Glace. A lot of the itinerary was a 'no-fall' zone, so not many pictures.

Looking at your 2004 photos of the Mer de Glace, our guide said about 20 ft of ice was lost from the early 2000s to the late 2010s, on the lowest portion of the glacier.

ChrisC is correct that you need to be inquiring about Vallee Blanche soon, as you need an above average snowpack for it to be skiable in late January. If it's not, that's a reason to trim the number of days in Chamonix in favor of somewhere with more/better skiing available.

They might be OK since November snowfall was well above average, and maybe Mt. Blanc got some snow from the Italian storms. But they will need these storms with snowfall in meters to start the Vallee Blanche season.

In 2006, I skied the Vallee Blanche right around February 1st, and it was only an average snow year at best.

I suspect much of his entourage is non-skiers, which is no doubt the reason for resisting some of ChrisC's and my suggestions.

If he needs to be in Bern, the French Tarentaise resorts are a bit of a trek. And if you have non-skiers, there is more to do in Chamonix, Zermatt, Interlaken/Jungfrau, etc.

 

[ChrisC]

Update:

Looks like most are forecasting .75 to 1.5 meters of snow this weekend. Questionable storm track afterwards.

Heavy snowfall in the Western Alps starting Thursday
It will be interesting if Western Austria - specifically the Arlberg shares in this storm. Everywhere else in Eastern Switzerland/Austria is <50cm.

Summary from OpenSnow
The northwestern Alps are going to get slammed next week, with .75 to 1.5 m for much of the northern French and western Swiss Alps. The second potential storm potential is fading fast, but this will still be a significant storm for areas that need it badly. After a brief period of ridging next week, the storm track shifts west of the Alps, with some chances for snow during this setup.


Again, the valley snowfalls are very healthy! As well as the high alpine!