Ski season 2015/16

prunudo

CardinalJ wrote: »

Seven of us off to Mayrhofen in the morning. Have been keeping my excitement in check because of poor snow. Few decent dumps this week so now letting it off the leash.

Have a great time, I'm heading there with a few mates next month so will be interested to hear how the conditions are.

a148pro

Meh tried to post picture of today's powder but, and perhaps I am some kind of illiterate, but I find it very hard to post a picture from boards from a phone. And to be honest, if I find it hard there's a problem.

Rew

Heading for Squaw Valley in Tahoe today...

maddness

jvan wrote: »

Have a great time, I'm heading there with a few mates next month so will be interested to hear how the conditions are.

Exactly what he said⬆️

Fattes

Three photos taken in the same resort on the same day 1,500 meters in the difference

prunudo

Was watching the webcams from Morzine and the rain had melted any of little amount of snow they had in the village. Freezing level is really high at the moment.

a148pro

Snowing heavily down to 1500m in 3vs today, temperatures due to fall next week with snow down to below 1000m so should be some welcome respite from the conditions.

Timmaay

Just back from a great week in Chamonix, got 2 epic powder days which we spend off piste! The town itself got a serious dump of snow I think thur, but with all the rain falling yesterday I'd say most if it is gone. From a resort point of view I'm happy I've ticked chamonix off the list (especially for the nightlife in the town ha), but wouldn't bother with it again 2bh, esp during early season like this when you got too much bus'ing around to be able to find enough open runs.

Skibunny77

Will be in St Anton, this day six weeks. The thoughts of a ski holiday is pretty much the only thing getting me through dreary January!

AlternateID

Two weeks to go for me.

This might be difficult to see in the photo but it's snow here in Ireland. Spotted it on my way back to Dublin today near Carlow. Think it's Mount Leinster and Blackstairs Mountain.

a148pro

Timmaay wrote: »

Just back from a great week in Chamonix, got 2 epic powder days which we spend off piste! The town itself got a serious dump of snow I think thur, but with all the rain falling yesterday I'd say most if it is gone. From a resort point of view I'm happy I've ticked chamonix off the list (especially for the nightlife in the town ha), but wouldn't bother with it again 2bh, esp during early season like this when you got too much bus'ing around to be able to find enough open runs.

Timmaay how deep was it actually? Every report I read had Chamonix getting hit harder than anywhere else, crazy amounts. Its the same for this coming week again.

a148pro

AlternateID wrote: »

Two weeks to go for me.

This might be difficult to see in the photo but it's snow here in Ireland. Spotted it on my way back to Dublin today near Carlow. Think it's Mount Leinster and Blackstairs Mountain.

Looks class, think I remember seeing the same mountain hold snow a few weeks after the cold had left a year or two ago, was very warm at the time (its to the right if you were driving from Kilkenny to Dublin, right?). Hoping to bring the kid up the Dublin mountains soon if I can figure out a road that's safe to drive up and down. He's super jealous that I went skiing last week so colder weather is well timed.

AlternateID

a148pro wrote: »

Looks class, think I remember seeing the same mountain hold snow a few weeks after the cold had left a year or two ago, was very warm at the time (its to the right if you were driving from Kilkenny to Dublin, right?). Hoping to bring the kid up the Dublin mountains soon if I can figure out a road that's safe to drive up and down. He's super jealous that I went skiing last week so colder weather is well timed.

Yep that's the place. If I had time and a suitable vehicle I'd venture up for a look.

Timmaay

a148pro wrote: »

Timmaay how deep was it actually? Every report I read had Chamonix getting hit harder than anywhere else, crazy amounts. Its the same for this coming week again.

Varied between resorts and heights, and 2bh I didn't bother reading any reports on how much actually fell, but over the course of the week it must have been an easy 50cm up on the slopes, well over a metre in some of the off piste stuff! That was funfun, finding them lovely pure powder undisturbed runs weaving around trees!

Fattes

The snow is starting to return to the Alps, this is the first 30cm off the 1.4 meters we are due the next 4 days

Fattes

Oops here is the link of today's conditions

http://youtu.be/awHYejCO37Y

dzer2

Second day of big dump in Tyrol good job I packed a second set of gear, visibility poor but conditions great after yesterday:-!

cormee

dzer2 wrote: »

Second day of big dump in Tyrol good job I packed a second set of gear, visibility poor but conditions great after yesterday:-!

I've gone from worrying if there will be enough snow, to worrying that there will be too much snow, in the space of a week, for my Holiday in Val Thorens.

a148pro

cormee wrote: »

I've gone from worrying if there will be enough snow, to worrying that there will be too much snow, in the space of a week, for my Holiday in Val Thorens.

Read online today that road from geneva to chamonix is closed due to avalanche risk which is pretty insane given that that drive is the least ski resort drive to a ski resort I know. When are you going? Should have calmed down by the weekend and will be ****ing epic as there has been no real opportunity to get off piste up there yet in last week

cormee

a148pro wrote: »

Read online today that road from geneva to chamonix is closed due to avalanche risk which is pretty insane given that that drive is the least ski resort drive to a ski resort I know. When are you going? Should have calmed down by the weekend and will be ****ing epic as there has been no real opportunity to get off piste up there yet in last week

I'm going on the 23rd , can't freakin wait! The webcams look great.

See this article about some bloke who phoned for help from the avalanche he'd been caught in, in VT: http://www.valthonet.com/news/lucky-escape-for-a-british-snowboarder-caught-in-an-avalanche-this-weekend-693512

So what happens when the roads are closed? Diversions? The first time I ever went on a snow holiday a bus driver had a heart attack ahead of us, and the road was blocked, it took 8 hours extra to get to Alpes D'Huez, in the middle of the night, along small alpine roads (pre - sat nav)

Fattes

a148pro wrote: »

Read online today that road from geneva to chamonix is closed due to avalanche risk which is pretty insane given that that drive is the least ski resort drive to a ski resort I know. When are you going? Should have calmed down by the weekend and will be ****ing epic as there has been no real opportunity to get off piste up there yet in last week

Other than the Blanche highway which is from start to finish in the middle of two high sided mountain ranges boarder it the whole way

a148pro

cormee wrote: »

I'm going on the 23rd , can't freakin wait! The webcams look great.

See this article about some bloke who phoned for help from the avalanche he'd been caught in, in VT: http://www.valthonet.com/news/lucky-escape-for-a-british-snowboarder-caught-in-an-avalanche-this-weekend-693512

So what happens when the roads are closed? Diversions? The first time I ever went on a snow holiday a bus driver had a heart attack ahead of us, and the road was blocked, it took 8 hours extra to get to Alpes D'Huez, in the middle of the night, along small alpine roads (pre - sat nav)

Road between Val Thorens and Les Menuires (the next resort down the road) was closed for a few hours today for avalanche control. I drove down it the other day in heavy snow and there was car after car headed up. They keep it open at all costs because of the financial importance of it so you should be fine. There are lifts up to the 3v from way down the valleys, St Martin and Brides des Bains also I think so if the bus gets stuck in traffic you could always hop out and get a few turns in. I would expect nothing less from you Cormee.

Fattes

http://wepowder.com/forum/topic/220662

Rew

http://www.merinet.com/news/lucky-escape-for-a-british-snowboarder-caught-in-an-avalanche-this-weekend-693512

A young British skier was this weekend caught in an avalanche in an off-pitste section between Meribel and Val Thorens and luckily escaped unharmed. Although he did not have any avalanche equipment he was able to raise the alarm by phone and was successfully located by the rescue team.

karl83

All this talk of fresh powder is great but just be cautious of where you venture. The snowpack isn't great in most resorts and there is high avalanche risk. You shouldn't go off the piste unless you have the right kit and know how to use it. In Val d'isere alone there has been a few deaths over the past week. Stay safe and enjoy yourself. The side of the pistes might look fun and safe but you don't know the risks either.
Here's a photo of proof.
https://www.facebook.com/300761126617863/photos/a.313683591992283.88148.300761126617863/1219320964761870/?type=3&theater

Fattes

karl83 wrote: »

All this talk of fresh powder is great but just be cautious of where you venture. The snowpack isn't great in most resorts and there is high avalanche risk. You shouldn't go off the piste unless you have the right kit and know how to use it.[/url]

You shouldn't go off piste, unless you have assessed the risk and are knowledgable enough to do so. Avalanche kit is a requirement it should be for when things go wrong, not a basis for going off piste under any circumstances.

This is us right now, resort is closed until at least 11 due to avalanche risk, that said there is still off piste that ewe know will be skiable and safe this am.

granty1987

The long wait before my trip to Japan is coming to a close, just over a week now. Seems like I booked it a century ago

It has been snowing ever day (bar one) since before Christmas. They basically are pressing the reset button every night and have fresh lines every day and judging by the webcams, the place is deserted!

YEOWWWW!!

cormee

granty1987 wrote: »

The long wait before my trip to Japan is coming to a close, just over a week now. Seems like I booked it a century ago

It has been snowing ever day (bar one) since before Christmas. They basically are pressing the reset button every night and have fresh lines every day and judging by the webcams, the place is deserted!

YEOWWWW!!

:mad: <- Jealousy

AlternateID

Report of an avalanche in Les Deux Alpes today at about 3pm. French school trip with teacher reportedly on a closed black run. 2 dead and 5 still missing when I last read.

a148pro

Yes very ****ing grim, there are far worse things in the world of skiing than not being able to ski