Messages posted by : Avalanche Academy
|
La Thuile is a great resort. It's linked to La Rosiere and provides a pretty big ski area that is never too busy. There is also some fantastic off-piste (if you know where to go), and some top tree skiing for poor vis days.
That said, there's not enough there for a full week. Courmayeur is well worth a visit (or two) and is a short bus ride from La Thuile. Pila is also worth a look, but not a patch on Courmayeur. Be aware that the off-piste at Courmayeur is brilliant, but also very dangerous. Most of the big runs are terrain traps that should be approached with caution. Just e mail me if you want a Guide for a day there. |
|
Heads Up - Incoming Snow - Alps - 4th January onward
Started by User in Snow Forecasts and Snow Reports, 28 Replies |
|
|
Latest news from the Alps on snowfall:
Chamonix: 1m of snow at 2000m in just 24hrs.Cat 5 Avalanche Risk tomorrow (Friday) Les Arcs: All roads in/out closed due to Avalanches. St Anton: Likely to be completely shut this weekend with no way in/out due to 2m of predicted snow. So, there you are. More neige than you could shake a stick at ! Oh, and it's coming on really strong winds so massive amounts of windslab too. And there's more coming.... Suggest you put your transceivers on before you leave UK...... |
|
|
I live in the Alps, and I once hired a car from the French side of GVA. What a pain in the derriere that was ! Never again.
More importantly, if you saw the state of the roads out here at the moment you would not even consider getting a car without snow tyres. Chains are not a substitute. When it gets really bad you'll be using both. The roads round here are often blocked by people who have driven up from the French cities, and are sliding all over the place. If you have an accident, and are not using snow tyres, you'll probably be found liable whether it was your fault or not. Safe Driving..... |
|
|
I've managed to find out some more information on this accident, and it would seem that the family involved were not the most responsible of off-piste skiers.
None of them carried any avalanche safety kit, and they were descending a South facing slope at mid-day when the accident occurred. The avalanche risk category that day was 3/5, and the freezing level was quite high (possibly 3000m - unconfirmed). All in all, not very good. |
|
|
I think it might be a little while yet before we see a truly harmonised system across Europe. There are still wranglings over the exact words to be used (The Swiss prefer "Very High" to Extreme for example), and other details. However, the different countries involved are working together to find a solution.
One system for the whole planet has to be the way to go, but personally I don't like the idea of "Don't go, Experts etc". I think people have to make their own judgements. |
|
|
It's a shame there wasn't a little more detail in the original article in the Nouvelliste. It would have been interesting to see the angle and aspect of the slope that released, as well as the Avalanche Forecast for that day.
In Chamonix it was 2/5 on Boxing Day, and things were generally pretty stable. However I don't know what Verbier was. They MIGHT have actually been experienced, well equipped, and acting responsibly. They MIGHT have just been very unlucky. Avalanches can release on mellow slopes when the risk is low - it's just not as likely. 34% of reported avalanche accidents actually occur on Cat 2 days (European statistics covering accidents 1993 to 2010). However, without a few more details it's very hard to really draw any conclusions from the incident. We just need to take it as reminder that the risks off-piste are not always visible. Safe skiing folks.... |
|
|
As a Chamonix resident, I feel I know the area pretty well.
The key question is, are you all intending to ski on-piste ? If so, as a general rule (and I know conditions can vary) Le Tour and Les Houches are probably similar levels, with Brevent/Flegere being harder (but very nice in the sun). Les Houches is great on bad vis days as it's mostly tree-lined runs. Then you have Grand Montet. There are some good long runs there, but personally I think it's a place to go for off-piste. The pistes are not great, and are not particularly well maintained. Queuing for the main lift in the morning can also be a pain. That aside, hope you have a great trip to one of Europe's premier mountain towns. Many think that is the best thing about Chamonix - it is a real town, not a manufactured ski resort. Enjoy.... |
|
Thanks for pointing that out Bandit. Perhaps I should have been more specific. I don't think anyone thought I was stating the risk for the whole of the Alps. Just to put the record straight, it's Cat 2 in Chamonix, where I live. Tomorrow it's going up again to 3/5, and it wouldn't surprise me if it's back up to 4/5 by Saturday as we are expecting a huge amount of snow to arrive on a pretty strong wind. If anyone's blowing the dust of their transceiver at the moment, then this may be a good time to brush up on your skills. So far it's looking like a BIG snow year ! Stay safe folks |
|