J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by verbier_ski_bum

Somewhere high that has snow and plenty runs open, and also many restaurants with terraces. It's the season to work on your tan.

I suspect that increased number of blood wagons on slopes are mainly due to increased number of skiers rather than increased DIN settings and the relative share of injuries haven't changed all that much. Plus, generally, bindings are not designed to release in all scenarios, and can stay locked in some falls even at a very setting. DIN 5 for a person just under 90 kilos sounds quite low.

Basically, the reported levels don't reflect the situation on the ground at all. 40/200 for Flaine makes it sound great, but a friend who is based there for winter visited yesterday and said we had better conditions (and they are not great). Same time last year we had twice as much snow with more forecast to come and already forgot about the bad start that we had.

I wonder if they take into account winds that followed when reporting base depths. Or just add up snowfalls? Snow also needs to stick after falling. What I see and hear is that base is nowhere near average levels, whereas reported figures put it into average to very good category.

Skied today and by the way it looked you wouldn't guess it snowed quite a bit only a week ago :( Strong winds that followed the snowfall moved it around a fair bit. off-piste mostly unskiable unless you like "extreme" stuff like hopping over rocks and dropping cliffs with rather hard landings. I couldn't spot a single uninterrupted line. Side-pistes covered in huge moguls, itineraries are very rocky and bumpy. Some bumps are size of a car. They were blunt girl snow so that it could come down and cover some rocks so it would have been even worse. In couple places I was quite scared and the main excitement was getting down in one piece. Spoke to guides and they say Rosablanche is nice, still good powder there, but at 3+ hours climb. Or hidden valley, but traverse is windblown and sketchy exit. Pistes are very good, especially in the morning. I think until it snows again I will stick to pistes for now. Snow is not expected any time soon. The same guides said maybe February 10-12. Which will be half-way towards the end of the season, and there won't be any base. We poked around today and all the way under the snow there is nothing. The snow that has fallen didn't stick to the ground :(

Chamonix has a few ski areas so terrain is varied, so has Zermatt. Views are breathtaking in both places. This season we are not spoiled for snow do it's mainly piste skiing no matter where you go unless it changes, but sadly doesn't look it thus far. Zermatt ski areas are interconnected, so you can start a day in one place and descent elsewhere, you can also ski down to Italy. In Chamonix if you want to ski more than one area in the same day you have to take a bus. I find Zermatt more cruisey than Chamonix. Red runs in Chamonix would be black in many places. But Chamonix has an easier area too. Chamonix is a town, Zermatt is a village. Both quite lively in the evening. Zermatt has champagne bar on slopes :) I would say particularly this season Zermatt will be a better option.

Bags that can fit skis in usually qualify as oversize so if they say there is no more ski bag availability, you probably shouldn't be expecting them to let your oversize piece of luggage with skis in it pass as your normal luggage allowance. I would contact the airline and try to have it sorted now, pay whatever might be necessary or make an alternative plan. It might not be possible on a day of your departure and you really do not need this stress on your holiday. I have seen people being turned down and told they couldn't board unless they leave luggage behind, don't risk it.

Verbier. Only about 1 hr 30 min drive from Chamonix.