Latest posts for the topic "Swiss Snow"

Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:17:03 GMT

Anyone heading to resorts around the Rhone Valley this weekend should have a fab time. It's been snowing all day, I saw snowploughs working at Geneva Airport and also on the runway at Sion. 1st time I have been on a bus which had chains on at the railway station pickup in Sierre

Re:Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:24:25 GMT

Tick tick tick... 5 days to go...

Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:35:12 GMT

bandit wrote:Anyone heading to resorts around the Rhone Valley this weekend should have a fab time. It's been snowing all day, I saw snowploughs working at Geneva Airport and also on the runway at Sion. 1st time I have been on a bus which had chains on at the railway station pickup in Sierre

that happened to us last season coming back up after a tour, it does make the route up exciting

Re:Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:41:52 GMT

Just hope it's snowing in Flumserberg to - roll on Sunday!

Dave

Re:Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:00:26 GMT

sunday for me too

http://gozermatt.com/zermatt_weather.php

Re:Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:18:52 GMT

43 days to go.

Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:33:09 GMT

66 days for me! Not to switzerland though!

Re:Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:03:18 GMT

Me too, 43 days to France, and 88 days to Switzerland.

Re:Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:07:21 GMT

Would it make the waiting easier if I said that the lifts are not open here until the weekend, so I have to earn my turns if I want to ski

Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:11:55 GMT

ise wrote:

bandit wrote:Anyone heading to resorts around the Rhone Valley this weekend should have a fab time. It's been snowing all day, I saw snowploughs working at Geneva Airport and also on the runway at Sion. 1st time I have been on a bus which had chains on at the railway station pickup in Sierre

that happened to us last season coming back up after a tour, it does make the route up exciting

It's an interesting experience going round the hairpins with big chains on the bus rear wheels. Quite noticeable that they have to take a bigger swing to get round the bends.

Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:09:34 GMT

bandit wrote:

ise wrote:

bandit wrote:Anyone heading to resorts around the Rhone Valley this weekend should have a fab time. It's been snowing all day, I saw snowploughs working at Geneva Airport and also on the runway at Sion. 1st time I have been on a bus which had chains on at the railway station pickup in Sierre

that happened to us last season coming back up after a tour, it does make the route up exciting

It's an interesting experience going round the hairpins with big chains on the bus rear wheels. Quite noticeable that they have to take a bigger swing to get round the bends.

Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:26:04 GMT

Tony_H wrote:
I can think of a better word than interesting. I was pretty damned scared hurtling down the mountain road from VT on a bus in thick snow with the driver on his mobile phone, swining the thing round corners one handed.

the route bandit's talking about is to the VT road what the VT road is to the promenade at Brighton you have to go there to really get an idea.

Swiss Snow

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:27:47 GMT

I can think of a better word than interesting. I was pretty damned scared hurtling down the mountain road from VT on a bus in thick snow with the driver on his mobile phone, swining the thing round corners one handed.

My first experience of skiing was to VT and boy is that road scary. Especially on Saturday changeover with coaches passing in deep snow within inches of each other.

Re:Swiss Snow

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 07:41:10 GMT

Nothing to do with snow, but the scariest road I have ever been on was on a coach from Dlaman airport in Turkey down to the beach resorts. Over 2 hours, the coach driver was overtaking police cars on a one lane either direction road.

Kids were screaming, parents panicking and you could see the occasional wreck of a bus/van that had left the road.

Petrifying.

Re:Swiss Snow

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:41:19 GMT

bandit wrote:Would it make the waiting easier if I said that the lifts are not open here until the weekend, so I have to earn my turns if I want to ski

Not really . I am so jealous of you people getting out for the early season snow. I have another 51 days to go and it seems like forever .

However, I suppose some respect is due, if you have to skin up the mountain to enjoy each run, no matter how wonderful .

As regards scary journeys, my worst experience was in a minibus from St Anton back to Zurich leaving at 4am in the middle of a blizzard. As the minibus slowly climbed up the mountain roads, conditions got worse and worse - at times, it was virtually impossible to see where the road was because of the drifting snow. However, the driver still didn't see any need for chains. Thankfully, we got through it safely with only a few minor skids. Afterwards, I found out, the driver could have avoided the mountain altogether by using the Arlberg Tunnel but he was too mean to pay the toll

Re:Swiss Snow

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:04:53 GMT

still snowing so much that the weight of it's bought down tree's near the village so we were cut off this morning and I missed my train into town and was late for class

Re:Swiss Snow

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:32:39 GMT

It's still not stopped snowing here. I went snow shoeing this afternoon, and fell over Visibility is rather poor
Discovered just how steep our home run is when trying to walk down it!

Skins on my skis tomorrow, unless the weather is too dodgy.

ise What are you studying?

Re:Swiss Snow

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:37:51 GMT

bandit wrote:
ise What are you studying?

so very many things

I didn't you think you were still there for the weekend?

Re:Swiss Snow

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:47:46 GMT

ise wrote:

bandit wrote:
ise What are you studying?

so very many things

I didn't you think you were still there for the weekend?

Beanz spill

Yes I'm here all weekend, and if all goes to plan I shall ski 3 days next week as well

Re:Swiss Snow

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:01:52 GMT

bandit wrote:
Yes I'm here all weekend, and if all goes to plan I shall ski 3 days next week as well

I may ski at Grimentz on Saturday if I can be bothered to get the car out and the road's not under a couple of metres of snow

Re:Swiss Snow

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:15:39 GMT

tino_11 wrote:Nothing to do with snow, but the scariest road I have ever been on was on a coach from Dlaman airport in Turkey down to the beach resorts. Over 2 hours, the coach driver was overtaking police cars on a one lane either direction road.

Kids were screaming, parents panicking and you could see the occasional wreck of a bus/van that had left the road.

Petrifying.

I'd never go back to Turkey, last visit myself and Mrs W both contracted food poisoning, never again.

Re:Swiss Snow

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:04:57 GMT

ise wrote:

bandit wrote:
Yes I'm here all weekend, and if all goes to plan I shall ski 3 days next week as well

I may ski at Grimentz on Saturday if I can be bothered to get the car out and the road's not under a couple of metres of snow

The roads are looking fine, plenty of traffic around, (relatively speaking) If you are not sized by crippling apathy and make it over here to ski and want to meet up, call me.

Re:Swiss Snow

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:54:04 GMT

bandit wrote:The roads are looking fine, plenty of traffic around, (relatively speaking) If you are not sized by crippling apathy and make it over here to ski and want to meet up, call me.

sure I just prefer it when the bus is running, less hassle. Do you know how much they're planning to open at Grimentz though?

Re:Swiss Snow

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:54:07 GMT

ise wrote:

bandit wrote:The roads are looking fine, plenty of traffic around, (relatively speaking) If you are not sized by crippling apathy and make it over here to ski and want to meet up, call me.

sure I just prefer it when the bus is running, less hassle. Do you know how much they're planning to open at Grimentz though?

Yes, except of course, that you have a car with you, and won't need to catch 2 buses as I will next week!

You can use my parking space, it's private and empty, and it got ploughed at 6am today

All of the fast chairs ran last week, not totally certain if the drags will open tomorrow. I saw one skier yesterday, and I heard a piste basher somewhere on the Bendolla piste, near the top.

Re:Swiss Snow

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:23:07 GMT

Well it's finally stopped snowing in La Clusaz this morning after a solid 48 hours of snowfall. The snow report is for 110cm at the top of the mountain, but I can't remember seeing more snow than this here in the past 5 years. Some of the Swiss resorts are reporting 270cm at the top and the Italian resorts even more - safe to say it is an awesome start to the season all over the Alps!

Got to go and dig the car out now!

Re:Swiss Snow

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:27:16 GMT

Just had a look on the Zermatt web cams and it looks fantastic....there on Sunday...I hope it stops like that....can't wait

http://gozermatt.com/zermatt_weather.php

I will try and post pics as the hotel has wifi

Re:Swiss Snow

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:22:15 GMT

Pack it in, I'm green with envy

Re:Swiss Snow

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:50:51 GMT

Just back from a morning earning my turns. 520 metres vertical in 1 hour 55 mins.
i still don't have any crampons for my skis either! The lengths I go to to get some fresh pow

I saw a couple on snowshoes, and the basher drivers, and no-one else....

It's actually stopped snowing at the moment and the sky is blue

Re:Swiss Snow

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:45:09 GMT

bandit wrote:Just back from a morning earning my turns. 520 metres vertical in 1 hour 55 mins.
i still don't have any crampons for my skis either! The lengths I go to to get some fresh pow

I saw a couple on snowshoes, and the basher drivers, and no-one else....

It's actually stopped snowing at the moment and the sky is blue

Thanks bandit, I'm even greener with envy

Re:Swiss Snow

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:55:03 GMT

bandit wrote:Just back from a morning earning my turns. 520 metres vertical in 1 hour 55 mins.

well done! 260m/hr is pretty good, around guidebook time

Re:Swiss Snow

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:38:58 GMT

ise wrote:

bandit wrote:Just back from a morning earning my turns. 520 metres vertical in 1 hour 55 mins.

well done! 260m/hr is pretty good, around guidebook time

Thanks I was quite surprised and pleased at the progress I made. Not bad for an unfit fat old bird. The first climb up the main piste seems to be the toughest bit, though I did find one spot where ski crampons would have been quite useful to stop me sliding back down, and that was the very last bend on the route

Re:Swiss Snow

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:41:07 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

Thanks bandit, I'm even greener with envy

You're welcome Ian, anytime

Re:Swiss Snow

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:34:40 GMT

heres some more Swiss snow...the GORNERGRAT today ...before they shut it and there is more snow forecast for tomorrow ...but the rest of the week looks good

Re:Swiss Snow

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:41:32 GMT

Zermatt seems to be rated at 4 (high) out of 5 on the avalanche scale today. Lets hope daved is okay and still able to enjoy his holiday.

http://www.slf.ch/lawineninfo/lawinenbulletin/gefahrenkarte/index_EN

Parts of Valais are at 5, which is pretty rare.

Re:Swiss Snow

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 08:38:18 GMT

No snow in Norwich, guess I'd better put the ski's away, Damn !!

Re:Swiss Snow

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:14:24 GMT

bandit wrote:Parts of Valais are at 5, which is pretty rare.

that triggers civil defence so be careful, the Swiss army are probably allowed to shoot first and ask questions later

Re:Swiss Snow

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:18:17 GMT

ise wrote:

bandit wrote:Parts of Valais are at 5, which is pretty rare.

that triggers civil defence so be careful, the Swiss army are probably allowed to shoot first and ask questions later

Cheers ise though this bit of the Valais is at 3 currently. Yesterday seemed to be the "lets play with the munitions" day in Zinal