J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by verbier_ski_bum

Yep, snowed in Verbier and St. Moritz too. And it's getting progressively colder. Doesn't look like we'll have October anywhere like last year, September definitely feels like September, not August.

Ranchero_1979 wrote:Have to say am not a big fan of snow making, one of the least environmentally friend things anyone could wish to engage in, even if when accounting for some recent efficiency improvements. There is a natural cycle to winter that people should learn to respect. Early season you ski high alpine pastures which require little cover and bin down. As season progresses the lower slopes open up and glaciers become skiable and touring can start. Towards end of season people need to learn to bin down again. Enjoy the natural environment and the snow conditions that come with it.

Don't forget the 'fridges' for indoor skiing which IMHO is another travesty.

It's not that dark in April, so with 4.30 pm arrival if you drive in the dark it will be for a short period and only if you go to the farthest from GVA resorts. Probably worth a wait to see how the season develops. If December is warm again with no snow, lower resorts probably won't be a good bet for April as thinner base means that even only one warm week in March (which typically happens) will do a greater damage to snow pack.

Madonna, Verona and Milan are in Italy, not in Switzerland :)

The impact on environment is also smaller with rail travel. It will take longer, but overall train journeys are more relaxed. All one needs to do is to get to the railway station and board the train. Way easier than arriving at the airport two hours in advance, checking-in and going through all controls, than sitting in a jammed plane where many people cannot even stretch their legs properly, then going through controls upon arrival again, fishing one's luggage from the carousel etc. Yeah, with early enough start it might allow extra half a day on slopes, if one is up in the morning at silly hours, but to be willing to do it one must be sort of desperate especially if flying with skis. Get up later, take a train, arrive late afternoon and be up early next morning feeling fresher. Many people don't seem to value own wellbeing and comfort high enough. They focus on destination ignoring the toll that getting there takes.

I *can* understand using drones for filming off-piste but in a resort it's a recipe for disaster. Plus youtube is already flooded with rather dull videos shot with POV cameras or selfie sticks to flood it more with videos just as boring only shot using drones. I am not saying that drones cannot serve a useful purpose but it's not what they will be used for recreationally.

The court has already dismissed the case against a supervising adult. I guess there is not much a ski instructor can do to guarantee that absolutely every kid in the group behind will follow the same line at all times. There is too little information I agree, but a sudden turn of a 6 y.o. into the path of woman was mentioned and in some German-language paper there was mentioning of a skier "in a curve" and a skier "in a schuss". Being an aggrieved party doesn't necessarily mean the right for compensation if the aggrieved party's actions contributed to injuries in the first place, though partial compensation is possible. If she was overtaking and made it known to the group her chances are higher, but if she acted based on her expectations these expectations might be deemed not reasonable enough. I do sympathize with a woman, and I think the court case won't cause a child trauma but will teach some awareness and make her follow the group in the future.

Sorry about her injuries, but the law suit?? Kids can be and often are assholes, they can turn without looking, and I actually had one ski into me while perfectly seeing me too, so it's extremely important to pay attention around them, better stop and let them pass rather than try to overtake. Given the injuries it sounds like the case of too fast too close. Both slower speed and distance would have given a skier time to react to avoid collision and impact.