 Poster: A snowHead
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| hd wrote: |
| JohnMo wrote: |
Fairly inevitable after such a dump of wet snow. Can’t have been fun even where it was snow rather than rain. However it all helps build up the base.
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Any snow in town following rainmaggedon? |
There is some snow lying in town but not as much as 48 hours ago and it all looks a bit grotty. Not if widespread interest but the potential opening of the cross country skiing in Täsch and Randa has been pushed back somewhat.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I arrive in Zermatt today. Which areas/runs have the best snow given its been raining so much? Is this going to be a disaster? 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Gturkish, Cervinia
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@JohnMo, sad to hear
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Gturkish wrote: |
| I arrive in Zermatt today. Which areas/runs have the best snow given its been raining so much? Is this going to be a disaster? |
The rain was unpleasant low down and the wet snow would not have been nice to ski in but it has added to the base. Anywhere above the home runs (which nobody skis on except to go home) should be good.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks. About to go up to sunnega. Fingers crossed
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Out to Cervinia in just over a week would love at update of how it’s shaping up?
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It was icy as expected. I thought more pistes will be open but officially over 80 kms are available ATM. Basically you could only ski in one direction in Rothorn area.
11 12 13 and 14 were closed, no access to Hohtalli.
I remembered black 25 as an interesting narrow and steep short piste. Now it is boiler plate, especially on its last part. It was either this or poling on red 26 (27 was closed too, no access from there to Gornergrat). It's still better than being at work.
BTW, no queues in Sunnegga Rothorn sector. I'm impressed, I still remember Verbier in the same week some years ago.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Thanks @drporat for that feedback. I have not skied the area before so not entirely clear on whats open and whats not but the question right now is whether to go for the area pass or just Cervinia. Will the area pass open up areas with skiable pistes across the border in Zermatt? I am going to buy my pass with the TO before I go out as this seems the cheaper option unless anyone says otherwise? As you say will always beat being at work even if it only a short breat (5 nights).
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@RetroBod, it is very windy up top today so the link is closed. Forecast is for that to die down over the next couple of days. If you are only there 5 nights you are probably better off just buying an extension to take you over to Zermatt on a day you want to go.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@JohnMo, great advice thanks
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Good advice indeed. You can use Matterhorn app, it has a Panorama submenu that shows you what's open.
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If staying on the Italian side it is better to use the Cervinia app. The Matterhorn app will show everything on the Italian side as closed if the link over is closed.
https://apps.apple.com/app/id1537364601
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You know it makes sense.
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So last minute advice on whether to hire skis or continue on my own. Ie are there many rocks showing through yet?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| RetroBod wrote: |
| So last minute advice on whether to hire skis or continue on my own. Ie are there many rocks showing through yet? |
Not out myself for another week but I can’t imagine there is any off piste worth attempting. There are no itineraries open yet. There will be no rocks on piste.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@JohnMo, Thanks. not a big off pister as broke my leg last year so still taking it easy. First obstacle to avoid however is Covid with half the family coming down with it! Albeit milder than 2 years ago I dont want to be abroad with it!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There isn't enough snow to open even the luge piste.
I don't ski off piste but in Cervinia sector above Plan Maison they had enough deep snow between the pistes to safely and enjoyably traverse.
All in all, the Italian area was more fun this time.
Black 62 coming from Furgg to the village was boiler plate even yesterday. Reminded me of going post FIS event in Tignes on Face (only happened once, for obvious reasons)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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This sounds grim.
| Quote: |
Starting today, Thursday, December 29, 2022, increasing winds from the westerly to southwesterly direction are to be expected. Wind peaks will reach over 80 km/h between Friday, December 30, 2022 and Monday, January 02, 2023.
For this reason, restrictions on rail and slope operations are to be expected. This will mainly affect the glacier area. It must be assumed that the connection to Cervinia cannot be used until Monday, January 02, 2023 due to the strong winds.
We ask guests to inform themselves about the respective situation before starting their skiing day.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Arrive Tuesday so hopefully a bit calmer by then. Bought a local pass for now on recommendation of yourself @JohnMo, we will see whats what when we get there. As an aside I dont suppose the lift pass gets ativated late afternoon. I know I have had this in some other resorts. I was hoping to get a few turns late Tuesday afternoon......
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I have never heard of that. You can buy a half day pass (although it is much more than half the price of a full day pass).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Yes in both Soll and Sallbach you lift pass gets activated early. Always useful to know when dusting off the cobwebs!
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Hi folks,
Can someone in Zermatt right now let me know how the conditions are? I am arriving in Zermatt next weekend, and plan on skiing from January 9th - January 14th. My friends who were in Zermatt last week/now (they go there a few times every year) said the conditions/snow and skiing were terrible. I cannot change my flights, but I can go anywhere else in the alps (via car/train). However, I wanted to hear how Zermatt was from people that were currently there before changing my plans and going to Val-d'Isère or St. Moritz. Furthermore, if I choose not to go to Zermatt, do any of you have suggestions of other places I could go to in the alps in an attempt to find the the best conditions.
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@SimpleSkier92, I can only talk about last week 'cause that's when I was there. The conditions weren't good but definitely not terrible.
The rain wasn't limited to Zermatt and everything was rather boiler plate but the south facing reds from Rothorn were a treat even then. This is a better week everywhere
I imagine @JohnMo will have updated info, I would choose according to the distance from the airport as well. OTOH, I have been to EK many times and Zermatt was high on my check list.
Enjoy, wherever you'll get to!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Anyone out in Cervinia this week? An inhumanely early start this morning on our way to Turin. Hoping to get a cheeky ski this afternoon 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Better forecast on latest gfs run. Better prospects, let’s hope it holds 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| SimpleSkier92 wrote: |
Hi folks,
Can someone in Zermatt right now let me know how the conditions are? I am arriving in Zermatt next weekend, and plan on skiing from January 9th - January 14th. My friends who were in Zermatt last week/now (they go there a few times every year) said the conditions/snow and skiing were terrible. I cannot change my flights, but I can go anywhere else in the alps (via car/train). However, I wanted to hear how Zermatt was from people that were currently there before changing my plans and going to Val-d'Isère or St. Moritz. Furthermore, if I choose not to go to Zermatt, do any of you have suggestions of other places I could go to in the alps in an attempt to find the the best conditions. |
I think it is fair to say there is nowhere in Europe that is having a great season so far. There have been high temperatures and quite a lot of rain in most places. I am not back out in Zermatt until Thursday so I can’t say for certain what it is like although I do follow what is going on there closely. The things that Zermatt has is that: (a) it is very high; (b) it has a lot of snowmaking; and (c) on the Swiss side most of the pistes are north facing. Therefore, it tends to cope with the conditions Europe has had better than most.
It is hard to compare different resorts as you would really need to have one person doing all of them. Often when you get a report you are getting the natural optimism or pessimism of the person posting – or in the case of some posters they act as the paramilitary wing of their favourite resort’s tourist office. From what I can tell Verbier (where I will be skiing a lot this month) is a bit better than Zermatt. But I am not sure the difference is sufficiently large to change bookings.
Here is a report posted today by Martin Jordan who is the SCGB rep out in Zermatt at present. He is a natural optimist but he is someone whose opinion I would respect.
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Ignore the doubters , doomsters and gloomsters, as some geezer said. Zermatt is buzzing! Saw an article yesterday in the Times about lack of snow in the Alps. It mentioned that 50% of the Zermatt runs were closed. This is rubbish…
I’m fresh off the slopes today and I can tell you that at least 80 % are open. All the links between the various ski areas are open. The pistes are in great condition although some of the home runs can be icy in the late afternoon. The off piste? Well, there isn’t any to talk of.
Today we started by getting the train to Gonergrat, and skied down to Furi. The home runs are great first thing. There we took a democratic decision that it would be fun to go to Italy.
The snow over the Cervinia side is fantastic, as good as pistes get. We blasted down the long run to Valtouneche, and stopped at Willys for a hot chocolate as is traditional.
Then went back up via the new 6 man lift that has replaced the poma, hurrah.
We flew down no 7 to Cervinia, love that run , then rushed back up for lunch at the Rifugio Teodulo.
Was tempted to have one of their famous tomahawk steaks, but resisted it.
If you thinking of some on-piste skiing , Zermatt would be a great choice.
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| Quote: |
If you thinking of some on-piste skiing , Zermatt would be a great choice.
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sounds like Cervinia might be an even better choice!
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You know it makes sense.
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@JohnMo Thanks for the insight here. It is really quite helpful. Glad to hear to the Cervinia link is open again!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| SimpleSkier92 wrote: |
| @JohnMo Thanks for the insight here. It is really quite helpful. Glad to hear to the Cervinia link is open again! |
It has not been closed much this season. Even this last weekend when the winds were predicted to be dreadful and they were expecting to close the link, it stayed open.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
If you thinking of some on-piste skiing , Zermatt would be a great choice.
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sounds like Cervinia might be an even better choice! |
At this time of year I ski over to Cervinia very regularly in any case. Skiing all day in the sun is extremely nice. Skiing back over to Switzerland at the end of the day can seem dark and cold. If the snow is slightly better on the Italian side even more reason to go there. The second SCGB rep says the piste down to Valtournenche is in the best condition she has ever seen it. That surprises me as, lovely as the run is, it can get really icy and slushy. I look forward to testing it out myself in the next few days.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| JohnMo wrote: |
| SimpleSkier92 wrote: |
| @JohnMo Thanks for the insight here. It is really quite helpful. Glad to hear to the Cervinia link is open again! |
It has not been closed much this season. Even this last weekend when the winds were predicted to be dreadful and they were expecting to close the link, it stayed open. |
Did you see this other thread, JohnMo?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| DCG wrote: |
| JohnMo wrote: |
| SimpleSkier92 wrote: |
| @JohnMo Thanks for the insight here. It is really quite helpful. Glad to hear to the Cervinia link is open again! |
It has not been closed much this season. Even this last weekend when the winds were predicted to be dreadful and they were expecting to close the link, it stayed open. |
Did you see this other thread, JohnMo? |
No. What was it about?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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That is a bit strange. I tend to look at the lifts every morning over a cup of coffee and they have been open almost all the time. There seems to be a suggestion that they were open one way but not the other which I have never heard of - and I can’t see how it could be done. Theodulpass being closed while Test Grigia being open I can just about imagine (although I have never seen it). Theodulpass can get icy and wind scraped - much more so than Testa Grigia, despite the latter being higher. All very odd.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| JohnMo wrote: |
| SimpleSkier92 wrote: |
It is hard to compare different resorts as you would really need to have one person doing all of them. Often when you get a report you are getting the natural optimism or pessimism of the person posting – or in the case of some posters they act as the paramilitary wing of their favourite resort’s tourist office.
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This should be a sticky on these pages for people torturing themselves about conditions
Its like that fable of the dog with the bone looking at the reflection in the river
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The views and the food and beer are all still good. People ski in summer in Zermatt. It will be substantially better than than that and due to the height and northerly facing aspect, better off than most other resorts. That’s the way I am looking at it.
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2/3cm of wind blown fresh this morning is no season changer but when skies cleared we had a cracking day. Pistes holding up well and have now skied twice down to the bottom of Valtournenche at 1500m albeit on man made soup this afternoon!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Good to hear @RetroBod, where are the best conditions at the moment then, is it all on the Italian side?
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@Russeh, Only here for 5 nights so not bothering to go over to Zermatt. We are making the most of our days here in Cervinia having travelled 60miles today (lifts inc obs). I feel the sun on the pistes here make for a good ski.
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FAQ
