Messages posted by : admin
J2Ski Holiday 30th January 2016 - Alpe d'Huez
Started by User in Find a Ski Buddy / Group Trips, 149 Replies |
|
:( Nothing too serious I hope; but good to hear you the Rep was on the ball. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to "the casualty"! Look forward to some more detail of the trip. Well done Andy; have you been volunteered for next year? |
|
|
J2Ski Snow Report - February 4th 2016
Heavy cloud around Les Arcs this afternoon Our first February Snow Report is a bit of corker! We're excited... This Week's Snow Headlines - Big resorts in the Alps report up to 60cm+ snowfalls in 24 hour periods over the last few days. - Biggest total snowfall this season, at Alyeska in Alaska, nears 12metres. - Storm boosts snow cover at some Scottish areas, diminishes it at others. - Up to 1.2m of fresh snow in 7 days reported by resorts in the Swiss Alps. - Still little fresh snow in the southern Alps or Dolomites. - Up to a metre of snow this week in Western North America It has been a mostly snowy week in the alps, although yo-yoing temperatures took rain to quite high altitudes at times, and milder days have been interspersed with snow to levels below 1,000m. Elsewhere in Europe it has been more of the same (lack of snow) in the Dolomites and Eastern Europe and nothing fresh in the Pyrenees but all are forecast to get some healthy falls in the next week. Scandinavia has seen some big dumps and in Scotland it's a mixed picture with some areas re-opening after the thaw and others not. Across the Atlantic it has also been more of the same; huge snowfalls in the West once again, not much in the East. In The Alpine Forecast As if the headlines weren't enough, it's the forecast for next week that's really piqued our interest! Although there is still some uncertainty as to the detail, this weekend should see the last warm day on Saturday before temperatures take a dip and snow moves in on Sunday. For some areas - particularly the North and West Alps - this is beginning to look like a major 3 or 4 day storm with heavy snow, but very strong winds at times. Snow continues to be a feature through next week, and throughout the following week (usual caveats apply - that's too far ahead to be certain, but it looks good!). What marks out the currently forecast snow for next week, however, is that it includes significant snowfall for all the main European mountain ranges; The Alps (of course), French and Spanish Pyrenees, and the Dolomites are ALL in the firing line. In fact, it's proving difficult to find a European ski area without snow in the forecast... Possible Travel and Transfer Disruption If you are travelling this weekend, please check the forecast. Although Saturday (currently) looks reasonably clear, Sunday's forecast snow storms will disrupt travel across a wide area. We would also expect there to be some lift closures and occasional white-outs due to high winds and blizzard conditions. If you're heading out for half-term later this month, or the weeks either side, you might want to be practicing your smug look... 8) The Alps Austria A mixed picture across Austria with most ski areas reporting at least 10cm of snow in the last week, some (Obergurgl) as much as 70cm. St Anton has reported a foot (30cm) in the past 24 hours alone (on top of 20cm on Monday and making a 70cm total for the week too) and Ski Juwel (Alpbach and Wildschonau) even more – 35cm/14 inches. The difference between the snowfall up top and down below is perhaps best illustrated by Solden which has 225cm up on its glacier but rather less in resort with just 15cm. But all in all most Austrian resorts have good cover on higher slopes and moderate to good on lower runs. France The snow has been falling thick and fast in France too with up to 90cm (three feet) of fresh reported in the last seven days (at Chamonix – where the base has started to build again too, up from 3m to 3.2m). Many areas have reported 25-50cm of new snow this week. The snow has been falling heavily in the last 24 hours with Alpe d'Huez, La Rosiere, Flaine and Tignes all reporting 20-30cm or more since yesterday. Les Arcs, Val d'Isere , La Plagne and Flaine are all reporting upper slope base depths at or around the 2m mark and even at the base of the slopes most areas have at least 50cm lying and many much more – 90cm in Avoriaz for example, 110cm at Val Thorens. Only the far southern Alps and resorts like Isola 2000 (35cm base) are not performing so well with no fresh snow. Italy For much of Italy East of the Alps it has been another fairly dry week with the snow cloud passing to the north. In the Dolomites resorts continue to rely on machine made snow on brown slopes, bases are 20-40cm in what's now becoming one of the worst snowfall seasons on record. However if forecasts are correct that may be about to finally change in the coming week with big falls of 50-100cm predicted. In the Alps in the west of Italy there's no such problem, Cervinia reported another 50cm of snow this week and continues to have the country's deepest snowbase at 2.1m with La Thuile a foot behind on 1.8m. Switzerland Swiss ski areas have reported the biggest snowfalls in Europe over the last week with Engelberg and Grindelwald reporting 105cm and nearly four feet (1.2m) of snow respectively this week, half of it in the last 24 hours. Engelberg's base has gone past the 11 foot mark to 335cm – deepest in Europe – as a result. Conditions are generally good across Switzerland but perhaps the most exciting news is that resorts which have had a poor winter for snowfall this season so far have started having significant snowstorms – including St Moritz and Arosa, the latter receiving 50cm in the past week, and both are in line for their biggest falls of the season to date over the coming week if predictions are correct. Scandinavia Some big snowfalls in Scandinavia too with the little Norwegian powder haven of Roldal reporting over a metre of new snow in the last week, whilst coastal Voss has gone back to its snowy ways and is the first in Scandinavia to pass the metre base depth mark this season at 145cm after receiving over three feet (90cm) of snow in the past week. Elsewhere the region's biggest resort, Are in Sweden, has had a foot of new snow and conditions are general good across the area. Pyrenees There's been almost no fresh snow in the Pyrenees this week but conditions are generally holding up with 60-90cm base depths the norm thanks to previous snowfalls. The good news is that more snow is in the forecast for the next few days – with up to a foot of fresh cover expected by this time next week. Eastern Europe Little fresh snow to report in eastern Europe but there has been a few inches in countries like Romania and Slovenia where bases are typically in the 30-60cm region. Down in Bulgaria bases are a bit better but there's been no fresh snow, however that seems likely to change in the coming week with up to 50cm of fresh snow expected. Scotland Storm Henry has had an odd effect on Scotland's ski areas - despite their relative proximity to one another, some seem to have done very well out of it (him?) others very badly. The Lecht, for example, is back to being virtually fully operational after a previous thaw a week ago wiped out most of its skiing, but it's near neighbour Glenshee is currently closed for lack of snow. In The West, Nevis range has limited terrain open but Glencoe is almost fully operational. Cairngorm isn't looking too good and we're just coming up to another 24 hour of warm temperatures across Scotland before they dip again on Friday. North America Canada It has been snowy again in Western Canada – at least towards the coastal side of BC, but there's not been much new snow elsewhere. Big White was the stand-out Canadian resort for snow this week issuing an 'extreme snowfall' alert on Monday and clocking up over two feet (65cm) of fresh powder since the weekend. It has the country's second deepest base at 2.6m, 10cm behind Fernie. Whistler got a foot of snow and is looking good with a 215cm (seven foot) base. There were a few inches of new snow in the East too where it's particularly needed and the good news is that significant snowfall is forecast for Quebec over the coming week too. USA Amazing pictures of deep snow at Mammoth in California, which got another 70cm of snow, have been doing the rounds on social media this week. Mammoth now has the deepest reported base of any major ski area in the world at 3.8m. Right across the Western US there's been still more heavy snow and at Alyeska in Alaska, the snowiest resort on earth this year, the snowfall-to-date this season is on 11.6m and heading fast towards 12m. However the biggest totals for the last seven days have come from Colorado with a metre at Aspen and 80cm, at Vail. Over on the East coast the numbers are less impressive with moderate cover and only a few inches of fresh snow. |
|
Snow in the Forecast - 2nd February 2016
Started by User in Snow Forecasts and Snow Reports, 6 Replies |
|
Should drop swiftly, late afternoon/evening with snow in resort overnight. The Sunday/Monday storm looks like it could be a big one... :shock: |
|
Snow in the Forecast - 2nd February 2016
Started by User in Snow Forecasts and Snow Reports, 6 Replies |
|
|
This an early heads-up for anyone away next week (Nelly!), and those of you moving around the mountains this coming weekend.
The forecast models have been teasing us with hints of big change for about a week now, but are starting to point at the end of this week with a good degree of consistency. All subject to change, especially in the detail - of course, but this is what it looks like right now. This week's yo-yo temperatures will continue for a few more days; it was mild today but we're expecting useful snowfall with colder air bringing it down the mountain in many areas tomorrow. The end of the week goes mild again, and Saturday looks like it'll start clear and warm in many parts of The Alps, but... Transfer Days - be aware Perhaps as early as Saturday evening, temperatures are going to fall and snow will push in to quite a wide area - followed by significant falls through Sunday. We currently expect the heaviest falls to North and West (that's Northern French Alps and Suisse in all likelihood). If your transfer / travel day is Sunday then you should expect some disruption. It's possible that the snow may arrive early enough on Saturday to start causing disruption but we think that's unlikely at the moment. If you're travelling this weekend, you should start watching your local forecast now. Next Week Well, what can we say? Right now, the forecasts are throwing out snow through most of next week - and not just for the Northern Alps this time; Southern Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites could all be joining the party by mid-week with a Mediterranean Low Pressure system pushing much-needed precipitation Northwards. Currently, it looks as if temperatures will be around seasonal averages but without the crazy roller-coaster we've seen this week; i.e. it should stay cool next week. We're expecting to see quite a storm pass through on Monday; high winds and heavy snow in many parts. After that it's too far out to have any confidence but it's looking hopeful. Time to get your snow dance on again - it's coming! |
|
|
Yes, temperatures on a roller-coaster this week; should fall by about 15C by Thursday, slightly milder for Friday and Saturday... then...
Everyone pretend not to notice! -) |
|
|
Icy - there's a quick write-up of our pre-Xmas trip here; Arc 1950 trip report
I think "the Irish Pub" is the Belle Pintes; nice enough but not particularly Irish when we were there. 8) There is a nightclub but that's about it for partying opportunities. ...but for skiing; you'll love it. |
|
|
Arc 1950 Trip Report - December 11th to December 19th 2015
Get used to this mountain - you'll be seeing him a lot... When We Went We opted for the week before Christmas; although the snow at that time was aging, the coverage appeared to be good and we knew, being that week, that the slopes would be generally quiet and the village uncrowded. 
Yep, it was quiet... Travel For this trip we flew Gatwick to Geneva with easyJet, and hired a car. Being a "low season" week, both were good value with 4 flights and two hold bags totalling around £350. The car was from Budget via rentalcars.com and a "special offer" saw us in a Peugeot SUV for less than £200 for ten days. Job done. We made the mistake of opting for the scenic route from Geneva to the Tarentaise, and found very heavy traffic all the way from Annecy to Albertville on the Friday night. Although we had plenty of time (!) to enjoy a spectacular sunset casting evening light across the lake; we'll take the Autoroute next time. We overnighted in Bourg Saint Maurice and were in resort early enough to pick up skis and passes and get a full days skiing in. Arc 1950 - The Village 
Although purpose built, Arc 1950 has been architected in a manner much more sympathetic to the eye (and to tradition) than most other high mountain resorts. It's a little more "high-rise" than your average French village, with the main accommodation generally 3-4 storeys, but there's a good feel to the place and it's been logically laid out. A key feature, of course, is the ski-in/ski-out nature of the whole development and this works well; pretty much everywhere can be reached on skis and the "high street" piste winds gently from the mountain pistes through the village and out again. 
Arc 1950 village has a good feel, even when as quiet as it was for our stay! There is a good bakery with a range of fresh bread and cakes, and a small but well-stocked supermarket. Prices are, as you'd expect, higher than in the valley but they didn't seem to be excessive. The Skiing 
The upper sector of the Arc 1950/2000 bowl; plenty to ski! Les Arcs, as a whole, is one of a handful of resorts that genuinely has a lot of skiing for all levels of ability. It includes free lifts and runs for beginners, long Blues linking all the separate villages, a wide variety of Reds, properly challenging Blacks and vast expanses of freeride terrain ranging from mellow to scary. Directly below 1950 are the bases of the Bois de l'Ours chair (for access to Arc 1600, 1800, Peisey, etc.) and the Marmottes chair (access to 2000 bowl), and you can also ski down to Pre St.Esprit for the Comborciere chair (for the Black back to 2000, or across to 1600). Thin snow cover meant much of the terrain was out of bounds during our trip, however, and most of the Black runs were closed for the duration (although most were being skied regardless). That still left plenty of skiing to be had, however, and Les Arcs pisteurs were working hard at keeping it in good condition - and an excellent job they were doing too. NOTE - Since our visit, there has been substantial snowfall and the conditions have obviously changed completely. You can, however, find the snow reports we made during our trip here :- Les Arcs Snow - 12th December 2015 Les Arcs Snow - 13th December 2015 Les Arcs Snow - 15th December 2015 Les Arcs Snow - 16th December 2015 Les Arcs Snow - 18th December 2015 Where to eat - on the Mountain 
[The Creche restaurant - great views and decent food] We tend to take early and late snack stops rather than a long lunch, so our experience of the cafes and restaurants reflects that. Of the many options, we enjoyed good quality patisserie, coffees and snacks at Le Creche (large self-service restaurant, with bar, at the top of the Arc 2000 bowl) and good value drinks at the Boulle cafe (in the 2000 bowl). Where to eat - in the Village 
Handily, the Wood Bear Cafe and George's Wine Bar are next door to each other... We took most of our evening meals in our apartment, but we had excellent meals at the Mazot (interesting variations on the traditional Savoire favourites, including fondues and raclette) and Nonna Lisa (superb pizza). Restaurant prices are not cheap but the quality of the food and service we encountered was very good and we'd happily return to any of them. Melli's snack bar, with a fast food menu and outside seating, is great for a "lunch on the run" if you want to maximise ski time (we always do) and prices seemed reasonable. For immediate apres, we enjoyed the home-made cakes and friendly folk in the Wood Bear Cafe and a couple of beers with the patron himself, next door in George's Wine Bar. The Belle Pintes, in the centre, is a lively pub/bar with a pool table and a wide range of decent beers. Of the eateries we experienced, we enjoyed our drinks here but it was expensive; we were never going to get too far down the beer list at 9 Euros a bottle. Where we stayed We had a 2-bedroom apartment in Le Manoir de Savoie; one of the Radisson-Blu properties in the village. The apartment was spacious with a combined kitchen/dining/living area between the two bedrooms; each of which was en suite - one with a shower and one with a bathroom. The "kitchenette" was well-equipped with everything you need - including a dishwasher - and everything in the apartment was good quality and the beds comfortable. The 1950 Brasserie is on the ground floor of the Manoir and, although we didn't eat there ourselves, we've heard it highly recommended for both breakfast and evening meals. The Radisson-Blu buildings share a "wellness" complex which houses a small but well-equipped gym, sauna, steam rooms, a large jacuzzi pool and a heated outdoor pool (tiptoeing through the snow to swim with a view of Mont Blanc across the valley just has to be done - so take your swimmies). 
The "high-street" gets swept most mornings... Summary and Tips for Arc 1950 We had a great time and can't wait to go back. I've skied in Les Arcs many times but hadn't been for a good few years; since my last trip the lift system has been significantly upgraded but the extensive pistes and vast terrain are as good as ever. If banging night-life is your thing then 1950 probably won't be high on your list, but if you go to the mountains to ski... it should be near the top! - Take the Autoroute if travelling at any time likely to be busy. Geneva-Annecy-Albertville is very scenic but can be slow! - Bourg Saint Maurice is a bottleneck on transfer days, so try to time your travel early or late in the day. - Stock up on groceries in Bourg before heading up the mountain; there are two large supermarkets on the edge of town - easy to spot on your way to Les Arcs. - If using the underground car park at 1950; note where you leave your car - the parking is vast! - Make the most of it; the ski area is vast and varied - but it's very well-linked and (for a ski resort) well sign-posted! |
|
Stronger winds higher up today, and freezing level forecast to go to 3000m tomorrow :( ...still should be plenty new snow mid-mountain up, and shadier slopes should keep the new stuff well, but I think the avy risk will be very high for a day or two. |
|