Europe 23/24

[Sbooker]

Before leaving to study in Nice in 1986, I remember being advised to sew a maple-leaf flag on my backpack as anti-American sentiment was especially strong back then due to Reagan. Really annoyed me that we were expected to walk around in Canadian drag considering how many of my generation's grandfathers (WWII) and great-grandfathers (WWI) died over there. Rant over.

Interesting. I was 14 at the time. I can’t recall why Reagan would have been unpopular at the time. I do remember something about nuclear tests in the French pacific?

A hugely stereotypical question regarding your profession here but being from the NE of USA are you a banker or law guy by any chance?

 

[jamesdeluxe]

being from the NE of USA are you a banker or law guy by any chance?

The exact opposite. I'm a nonprofit fundraiser. "Banker" is especially curious given my near constant references (e.g. "bankrupt jetset") to how limited our discretionary income is.

 

[Sbooker]

The exact opposite. I'm a nonprofit fundraiser. "Banker" is especially curious given my near constant references (e.g. "bankrupt jetset") about how limited my discretionary revenue is.

Cool.
There are those of us who don’t have comparatively limited discretionary revenue that choose not to be big spenders. I thought you may be one.

 

[jasoncapecod]

Interesting. I was 14 at the time. I can’t recall why Reagan would have been unpopular at the time. I do remember something about nuclear tests in the French pacific?

A hugely stereotypical question regarding your profession here but being from the NE of USA are you a banker or law guy by any chance?

I was just about to answer for James..Being you are a 180 degs off on being a banker...
The post of the WW1 memorial is very interesting..I am a big ww2 buff..Going to Normandy was very interesting and cemetery was a moving experience...
On the subject of banking, my wife has been a fx trader for 35 yrs, which enables me to travel and play..Since i'm just a lowly Chef..

 

[Tony Crocker]

Before leaving to study in Nice in 1986, I remember being advised to sew a maple-leaf flag on my backpack as anti-American sentiment was especially strong back then due to Reagan. Really annoyed me that we were expected to walk around in Canadian drag considering how many of my generation's grandfathers (WWII) and great-grandfathers (WWI) died over there. Rant over.

In the early Reagan years he wanted to put intermediate nuclear missiles in Europe to offset what the Soviet Union was deploying. later Reagan and Gorbachev signed a treaty banning them completely.

They Euros are likely singing a different tune now. I overheard some Canadians today saying they were glad the US continues to have big defense budgets in view of China and particularly Putin. Due to proximity to Russia I'm sure that's even more true with the Euros now.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

In the early Reagan years he wanted to put intermediate nuclear missiles in Europe to offset what the Soviet Union was deploying.

That ^^ and other examples of nation-building. In addition to the Canadian flag thing, those of us going abroad to study were formally instructed to STFU and keep our voices down when in public. I remember how we Yanks at the University of Nice were shocked by the drunk-and-disorderly antics of our Brit counterparts. Aussies OTOH were well-behaved, like us!

 

[ChrisC]

That’s good to know. My experience with “tree” skiing in the alps has basically just been below tree line skiing that is skiable and certainly more pleasant than above tree line in a storm or not skiing at all but not particularly good. Not real tree skiing. Great for a stormy day when you’re there for a decently long trip and need to make lemonade, annoying if only there for 5 days. I would say 3/5 days looking sunny would be good enough to merit heading over. It’s still too far out to know what will be, we will probably make a decision on the 22nd or 23rd and I’d think the forecast will be clear by then. Flights shockingly remain really affordable even only a week out. 600 round trip from New York, well less than a flight to Salt Lake.

It's looking quite good for the ski resorts around Milan. It appears some of these upcoming storms might be on the southern side of the Alps - higher snowfalls at Zermatt, Val d'Isere, St. Mortiz, Aosta, and Dolomites.


WePowder

OpenSnow - Tries to forecast further out.
St. Moritz resorts

And the Dolomites

Aosta Valley

Saas Fee and Zermatt might be too exposed

 

[ChrisC]

Yes. Doing tourist things. Highlight being the Australian WW1 Western Front Memorial at Villers-Brettoneux.

Did you take a train from Austria/Germany to Northern France?

 

[skiandgolfnut]

It's looking quite good for the ski resorts around Milan. It appears some of these upcoming storms might be on the southern side of the Alps - higher snowfalls at Zermatt, Val d'Isere, St. Mortiz, Aosta, and Dolomites.


WePowder
View attachment 39399



OpenSnow - Tries to forecast further out.
St. Moritz resorts
View attachment 39394


And the Dolomites

View attachment 39396

Aosta Valley

View attachment 39398



Saas Fee and Zermatt might be too exposed
View attachment 39397

Looking good for new snow. And for Milan as point of arrival. Now am just hoping to see some sort of defined clearing on the backend to give us a few days of pleasant weather. Could be great timing, fingers crossed

 

[Sbooker]

Aussies OTOH were well-behaved, like us!

Must have been strange times.

 

[Sbooker]

Did you take a train from Austria/Germany to Northern France?

Yes. But with stops in Strasbourg and Paris.
I understand train travel is not everyone’s cup of tea but we find it enjoyable.

 

[Sbooker]

Aosta Valley

I’d love to get Pila on a week day powder day.

 

[skiandgolfnut]

I’d love to get Pila on a week day powder day.

If off piste looks good which it sure looks like it could I think basing in Aosta with a car could be a great bet. Staying in town always appealed to me and the trip reports raised the stoke.

We hope to be avoiding the weekend but weather might force us to push a few days and ski over the weekend. The GFS and Euro showing crazy differences in next week.

 

[ChrisC]

Looking good for new snow. And for Milan as point of arrival. Now am just hoping to see some sort of defined clearing on the backend to give us a few days of pleasant weather. Could be great timing, fingers crossed

OpenSnow is a little aggressive with its models and snow forecasts. I am sure there will be plenty of clear days. This is likely one of the most promising Dolomites forecasts in years.

There are plenty of tree-lined slopes and some glades in the Dolomites - block wind and provide definition.

Top 10 weather-proof ski resorts - Europe

There is snow in the forecast for Alta/Snowbird next week - not quite as much. However, I would not want to deal with the canyon commute or pricey slopeside accommodations. Snowbird can have lots of control holds too - somewhat similar to the Alps.

 

[ChrisC]

Yes. But with stops in Strasbourg and Paris.
I understand train travel is not everyone’s cup of tea but we find it enjoyable.

Beautiful cities/areas. I love train travel.

However, European discount airlines often get you places quicker and cheaper. I don't mind Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling, Eurowings, etc. Most European flights are not much more than 1 hour - compact place.

I do not like overnight trains. It's often worse than a redeye plane for me. Previously, I have done Venice->Nice overnight and Madrid->Paris overnight. It's highly over-rated, with lots of jerking and sometimes switching tracks.

 

[ChrisC]

If off piste looks good which it sure looks like it could I think basing in Aosta with a car could be a great bet. Staying in town always appealed to me and the trip reports raised the stoke.

Aosta resorts can be a bit difficult to access via car sometimes. Cervinia, Gressoney/Monterosa, and La Thuile roads are narrow/one-lane in sections.

Courmayeur is a good base for its resort and La Thuile. Aosta better for Pila, Cervinia or Monterosa. I prefer to stay around a 10-15 min max walk and move every couple of nights.

 

[Sbooker]

Beautiful cities/areas. I love train travel.

However, European discount airlines often get you places quicker and cheaper. I don't mind Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling, Eurowings, etc. Most European flights are not much more than 1 hour - compact place.

I do not like overnight trains. It's often worse than a plane for me. Previously, I have done Venice->Nice overnight and Madrid->Paris. It's highly over-rated, with lots of jerking and sometimes switching tracks.

We didn’t do overnight train travel. I checked the possibility of air travel but it was expensive last minute. I guess because of school holidays.
Strangely Paris and Strasbourg were not overly busy.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I see trains working well for Euro cities, particularly since you don't use a car much while in the cities. But ski resorts, especially moving between them every few days and making flexible calls, there we want the car.

I agree with ChrisC about Aosta. Cervinia and the Monterosa have tedious driving access, best to stay in the resorts a couple of days at least, not daytrip from Aosta.

 

[ChrisC]

We hope to be avoiding the weekend but weather might force us to push a few days and ski over the weekend.

The Southern Alps will be the biggest beneficiaries of the next storm cycle.

The St. Moritz areas look really good. Their 1800m bases plus their location deep in the Alps have allowed snow to remain on the valley floor - even on south-facing aspects. However, there are not that many trees and a lot of snow on a solid base might put avalanche levels very high for a while and limit operations. IDK for sure.

St. Moritz Webcams.
Note excellent coverage on south-facing Corviglia and frozen lakes.

The Dolomites look like promising and manageable amounts of snow. I fail to believe that these resorts can get 'socked in' for a week given their high number of sunny days.

Not sure I would be wanting to commute around the Aosta Valley all that much next week. Sounds like you would get stuck at Pila and Courmayeur for the majority of the week due to well-maintained highways. I am sure one snowy commute to Cervinia or Monterosa would kill the desire for a repeat.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Wednesday 21 February 2024 – Snow on its way for the Alps, but how much?

High pressure is slipping away to the southeast of the Alps allowing Atlantic weather fronts to invade from the west. Most of the Alps can expect at least some snow over the next few days, but it now looks like the southern Alps will do best.

Milky skies this morning over the northern French Alps, heralding the arrival of a new storm cycle that will affect the Alps over the next few days. This is Les Saisies

Today it will remain mostly dry, bright and mild across the Alps. However, there are some areas of cloud drifting around, and some more general high cloud spreading into the west ahead of the approaching storm. This cloud will thicken overnight with a few showers here and there across the western Alps, and a rain/snow limit between 1700m and 2000m.

Thursday will be a messy weather day across the western half of the Alps – mostly cloudy with bits and pieces of rain/snow but also some drier interludes. It will remain very mild with the rain/snow limit around 2000m in the far western Alps, but a bit lower (1300-1600m) in the more internal valleys (e.g. Haut-Valais). The eastern half of the Alps will remain mostly dry until evening.

Late on Thursday, a much more powerful cold front will reach the western Alps before moving east overnight to reach all the eastern Alps early on Friday. It will also turn colder, with the rain/snow limit dropping to 400-800m by the end of Friday.

Between now and Saturday morning we can expect between 15cm and 30cm of new snow above 1500m across most of the Alps, but 40-50cm or even more across some central-southern and southeastern regions such as St Moritz, Livigno, Passo Tonale and Cortina.

Looking even further ahead, it seems likely that the weather in the Alps will remain cool and changeable early next week with further snow for some, the heaviest of which will again fall in the southern Alps.

Snow conditions will obviously improve in many areas over the next few days, particularly in the southern Alps. However, the lack of snow at low altitudes remains an issue and at this time of year it takes a lot of snow to rebuild any base. We will take a closer look at this in our detailed snow report out tomorrow.