jamesdeluxe
Administrator
Candide disagrees with you.not sure how Crans-Montana draws a crowd
Candide disagrees with you.not sure how Crans-Montana draws a crowd
Candide disagrees with you.
But I think this helps prove the point regarding Crans-Montana conditions. If the footage was filmed on Feb 3, 2022, you can hear the mid-winter ice/hard pack up high, and the slurpy down low.
I didn't see a date on that video, but it was probably the loudest snow I've ever heard for that kind of skiing.
I'm reasonably sure that ^^ is the upload date to youtube, not when it was shot.The date was in the description on the YouTube site itself:
Candide Thovex - Pretty tight2,626,726 views Feb 3, 2022 Candide skiing some canyons in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
I'm reasonably sure that ^^ is the upload date to youtube, not when it was shot.
Even though everyone knows about the direct-south orientation at Crans-Montana, the people on Alpinforum have posted some convincing TRs of anecdotal conditions over the years. Here's a tasting menu:
07/03/16: summer skiing
04/13/17: winter up top/spring below
03/16/18: full coverage in mid-March
03/03/19: mid-winter
02/29/20: powder day
05/15/21: obviously outlier conditions for mid-May but regardless
I skied seven different areas during my 2017 Valais visit and even though my lodging was on the Crans-Montana access road, I didn't go there -- just because I wanted to check out the less resort-y joints in the region. Regardless, it looks like an impressive place if timed correctly. They've been threatening to connect it with nearby Anzère; however, I don't believe it's going to happen in the short/medium term.
This poster gave a list of his favorite trails, which I'll consult whenever I eventually ski there.
Most south-facing resorts can ski well from late December to mid-February
As I've mentioned before, the Euros (especially German speakers) are a very demanding bunch and have high expectations for their ski experiences, ones that most American skiers wouldn't even mention. Take a look at this translation of the Feb 29, 2020 Crans-Montana report mentioned above.
Aminona is otherwise a "dead end". There are no (more) gondolas / chairlifts from the village.
At the bus stop you will find dilapidated buildings, the former station and the remains of the supports look like in neglected ski areas in the east
I took the bus to Barzettes and paid 89 francs (!) for a day pass. This seems to me to be one of the absolute premium ski areas in the Alps! Let's see how much premium is in here.
Unfortunately, the Kandahar is bad for driving, the snowcat tracks are prepared with an offset. Premium slope at a premium price
In the elevator I found that the elevator is absolutely run down. Practically all seat cushions are in a desolate condition. Haven't seen it in any ski area yet, maybe it's because you pay 89 francs? That's not enough for a minimum standard. I don't know how safe things are either. Maybe I'm too petty, but it's really not premium.
- too expensive (compared to e.g. 4 Vallées), more precisely, value for money is not right!
- unsympathetic (Premium Experience babble and first line)
- run down (former Aminona lift station, Polster chair lifts and general condition, concrete remains in the area of the Violettes Express gondola, as far as I remember correctly)
- poor slope maintenance, either icy or prepared with offset
When I was in Grindelwald for the last time in 2014, I swore to myself on the awfully long ride in the junk gondola on the Mannlichen that I would not come back here until the new V-Cableway was up and running.
The smoothness of the track is a bit disappointing compared to the 3S in Zermatt.