J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by SwingBeep

As it's a new service I think you will struggle to find anybody in the UK who has actually used it. Unfortunately they don't say how long the journey takes http://www.lovevda.it/en/database/8/highlights/aosta-valley/winter-bus-matterhorn-monte-rosa/1984
assuming the roads are clear it takes around 1½ hours to drive from Cervinia to Champoluc. Alternatively, if you have decent off-piste skills and avi gear you could ski from the Colle Cime Bianche to Saint Jacques and get the bus back. If you wait a while there will be a lift connecting Cervinia to Champoluc.

Admin wrote:
Yes. Winter tyres are mandatory in Austria and Germany.

This is a common misconception, the laws regarding winter tyres in almost all the European countries that have them are situational, they are only required in wintry conditions.

The Automobilclub von Deutschland (AvD) has put together a table detailing the requirements on a country by country basis https://www.avd.de/wissen/recht/verkehrsvorschriften-ausland/winterreifenpflicht/?L=2 Unfortunately it's all in German, but if you copy the text under "Winterreifenpflicht" for the countries you plan to drive through into Google Translate you should get most of the information.

Here in Switzerland the driver is obliged to ensure that his/her vehicle is in a safe operating condition at all times. Driving in winter conditions with summer tyres is not considered safe and therefore liable to prosecution. In the case of an accident, the driver may be found liable if the car is not properly equipped for the winter. The insurance company may not cover the full cost of the damage and may even take action against the driver for negligence. Furthermore, drivers can be fined if they impede the flow of traffic due to not having winter tyres and if necessary chains.

Livigno is in the province of Sondrio, from 15th November to 30th April it is obligatory to either carry chains or use winter tyres on some of the roads there including the SS301 http://giornaledisondrio.it/attualita/scatta-lobbligo-per-i-pneumatici-invernali-e-catene-a-bordo/

Summer tyres don't function properly below 7°C, stopping distances increase dramatically. It's pretty cold in the Alps at the moment and temperatures are likely to remain below zero for the rest of the week, so it would be unwise to attempt the journey on summer tyres.

There are free ski pass deals from 31th March until the end of the season http://monterosa-ski.net/wp/ski-for-free-2017-18/

The most convenient place to stay for lift access is Staffal, but it's a very small place.

J2SkiNews wrote:

The competition was won by Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen, with Austria's Marcel Hirscher taking silver and Switzerland's Daniel Yule the bronze.

GOLD: Andre Myhrer (SE) 1:38.99
SILVER: Ramon Zenhäusern (CH) +0.34
BRONZE: Michael Matt (AU) +0.67

Hirscher skied out in the first run!!!!

The repair looks OK to me. If can find out the part number you should be able to order new brakes from any Marker dealer. This is the current Marker technical manual http://vsso.at/dokumente/File/THB-Marker-1718-deutsch(1)_compressed.pdf the brakes and their part numbers are listed on pages 83-85. Anything Technical in Kendal might also be worth a try https://www.skiequipmentuk.co.uk/products/spares/ski-binding-spares/

It's too early to be certain, but conditions should improve sufficiently to enable he reopening of the railway line to Zermatt before the weekend. Hopefully the line won't get hit by a landslide the snow line is around 1300m below that altitude it has rained heavily, which has caused lots of landslides.

According to this evenings SLF snow forecast the weather should get better over the next few days:

"Outlook through Thursday, 25.01.2018
Wednesday
Wednesday will be mostly sunny, and in the north it will be mild with temperatures around +5 °C at 2000 m. The wind will change direction, becoming westerly to southwesterly. The enormous snow quantities of recent days will stabilise quickly so that the risk of large avalanches will decrease significantly. The situation will remain precarious for winter sport participants venturing off piste. The strengthening wind will also give rise to local snow drift accumulations as the day progresses.
Thursday
The morning will be quite sunny, but then cloud will build up from the west and south. The wind will be strong from the southwest, and a foehn wind will develop in the northern valleys. Snow drift accumulations that are prone to triggering will form. Large avalanches are becoming unlikely."

https://www.slf.ch/en/avalanche-bulletin-and-snow-situation.html?no_cache=1#snowpack

J2SkiNews wrote:Apparently only 30 of 1500 people hoping to leave by the helicopter link got out today due to logistical issues, and rail will remain closed tomorrow.

Strangely they did managed to fly 250 people in. A tourist in the village is worth a lot more than one on his way home!

We have probably got as much snow now as we had in the avalanche winter of 1999. The helicopter shuttle is now in operation so strictly speaking Zermatt is no longer cut off. The avalanche danger level over a large part of the Swiss alps has now risen to 5 https://www.slf.ch/en.html?no_cache=1 so lots of places are cut off and houses are having to be evacuated.

Not yet, it's assumed that most of it is buried in the avalanche cone at the bottom of the cliff behind the concrete block. Before they can open the pistes that ran down to it they will have to check that there are no bits of metal under the snow and do something with what's left of the haul rope and also build linking piste to a run on the other side of the valley that leads down to a lower lift.

Even if your knowledge of French or German is not that great it would be worth looking at the SLF bulletin for this week https://www.slf.ch/en/avalanche-bulletin-and-snow-situation/weekly-and-winter-reports.html?no_cache=1