J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

I've got it, it's Jan 2011 I'm thinking of! That makes sense right? Fits with Dorset Boy's memory and only 15 months ago - I was forgetting we're in 2012 now... :)

Hmmm, looks like I was just unlucky in my Jan 2010 choices if I have got the right year. La Clusaz I was there until about 9th Jan and it was in melt down the whole time. It did then get very cold but I don't recall any fresh snow until start of Feb and all the freeriders moaning about the lack of fresh stuff. But that memory seems to contradict other posts so I'm not sure I'm right.

I'm going to Fernie, Kimberley, Panorama, Nakiska, Lake Louise and Banff - first time for the first four.

I have been to Revelstoke and Kicking Horse and liked both a lot. From a ski point of view Kicking Horse is pretty hardcore with not a huge amount for those who don't want loads of steeps and chutes but all in all it was very good and place had nice atmosphere.

I personally did prefer Revelstoke as had a characterful old town at the base which wasn't spoilt much I think as it's such a long haul from Vancouver or Calgary and the skiing was more varied plus huge vert by Noram standards. But other people like KH more I know...

There's been almost no snow in most of Europe for the past few weeks but one area has been dumped on – the Pyrenees.

Unusually for this time of year, resorts in Andorra have seen up to 70cm (28 inches) of fresh snow over the past week so can claim the most powdery conditions in Europe as we approach Easter.

VallNord has the deepest snow in the region with up to 3m (10 feet) lying on upper slopes at Arcalis and 1.2m (4 feet) on lower runs. The avalanche danger off piste in the different sectors of the resort range from 2 or 3 out of 5 on the danger scale.

Temperatures are cooler than in most of the rest of Europe – between -2 and +6 Celcius although they may hit double figures in the middle of the day this weekend.

GrandValira has a base of 80-180cm (nearly three feet – six feet) and it's actually looking pretty good on the French and Spanish side of the mountain range too.

The leading Spanish resort of Baqueira Beret (pictured above) reports it is 100% open with all 120km (75 miles) of piste groomed and ready and all 33 lifts operating. Snow depth ranges between 110cm (nearly four feet) and 2.1 metres (seven feet) and the centre is open until Easter weekend.

Most of the larger ski areas are open on the French side of the Pyrenees too with similarly good conditions.

Think I'm getting 2009 and 2010 mixed up (Also I was in St Moritz first weekend of Feb this year and agree it was Fab). But in 2010 - or maybe 2009 as my experience doesn't match VSB's - I was in Verbier last weekend of Jan and that was the one when I though I recalled no snow, hard icy pistes, but maybe THAT was 2009 now i think about it. Had been in La Clusaz whichever Jan it was for New Year when it had all been thawing fast and then went to Verbier three weeks later and it was cold but still no fresh... Nah, re-reading VSB's post it does look like I mixed up 09 and 10, sorry. Wonder where i was last year then, hmmm...

Tony_H wrote:Mate of mine is of to Whistler for 2 weeks this Saturday.....whats it like out there right now?

Whistler supposed to be very good - passed annual average snowfall tally with more than two months of the season left and still getting regularly dumped on. Western Canada seems to have had the most consistent season of anywhere this winter. I'm hoping so too as I'm off there for a fortnight from Saturday as well - although touring six places on Alberta/BC border.

Your Jan plan is right except as i recall this year there was so much snow that roads were blocked and many slopes closed due to avalanche danger at times, so you can never really know for sure. Jan 2010 I remember skiing in a T shirt in France as snow washed off mountains in Easter-type weather and everyone moaning snow cover was so thin there was no off piste stuff till it dumped in early Feb. Jan 2009, memory getting hazy...

Skiers and boarders heading to Europe and North America have been advised to hold their nerves as record high temperature has led to a rapid thaw at many resorts with hundreds closing prematurely for the season. …that's as long as they've followed the pundits advice and booked a stay at a high altitude ski area.

In Europe almost half of the ski areas in the Alps are believed to have closed, but almost all have ski slopes below 2000m which have suffered particularly from the high temperatures and what precipitation there has been often falling as rain rather than snow in recent weeks. This and the tendency of many casual skiers to opt for early cycling or golf means that battling to keep slopes open doesn't make economic sense for them either.


However above 2000m temperatures have largely stayed around or below zero, there have been fresh dustings of snow and many
resorts still have snow lying over 2m (seven feet) deep still from the huge snowfalls of December and January, so the warm weather is having a more limited impact and the vast majority of internationally well known resorts are fully open and plan to remain so to late April or early May.

Across the Atlantic it's ales happy picture on the East coast of Canada and the USA where record high temperatures in the 80s Farenheit or upper 20s Centigrade have and a fairly catastrophic impact on snow cover at the end of a fairly lacklustre season for reliable snow. So around 90% of ski hills have closed early, with only some of the big name international destinations soldiering on with limited terrain open. Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Loon, Waterville Valley, Jay Peak, Stowe, Sugarbush and Killington are the survivors and even hope to make fresh snow if a promised temperature drop occurs.

Fresh snow earlier this month and lots of it in California has dramatically improved the prospect for their end of season and two resorts – Heavenly and Northstar – have today announced plans to extend their season and open for the last two weekends of April to make the most of it.

Further north resorts in Alberta and BC in Canada have had the most consistent snowfall all winter and in most cases are already running well above seasonal averages. Marmot Basin, Sunshine, Lake Louise and Whistler all plan to be open in to May as scheduled.

The Saas Fee Glacier Bike Downhill(http://saasfee.ch/glacierbike) takes place next week on 24th March for the ninth time with a first prize of 7000 Swiss Francs (about £5000) up for grabs.

Mountain biking races in ski resorts are getting increasingly popular in the summertime, but a winter race, over a glacier as well as snow, down 1700 vertical metres from 3500m to 1800m is more unusual.

At last year's race 108 bikers started with a mass start at 3'500m and had to ride over glacier and snow to the glacier village at 1'800m. The winner last year, Bernhard Rösch, compled the feat in 7.59 minutes.

The race begins with a Le Mans start as participants run to their bikes but soon the best racers get clear air between themselves and the pack.

The first part of the race takes place on the Fee Glacier with competitors descending the steep Panorama Slope.

"The hill was very similar to a kicker and I flew approximately 10 metres…", said the second placed racer last year, Stephen Noser.

This is followed by as narrow, winding sector on the Valley Run Morenia, before reaching the finish area.

The cost of a lift ticket on UK slopes may be coming down following the chancellor's decision to cut VAT on passes from 20 to 5% - in line with the policy in mostly other European nations.

This important news was oddly largely unreported by mainstream media and the chancellor even neglected to mention the cut himself in the commons, preferring to focus on talking about raising the personal allowance and cutting the top rate of tax instead.

The move has been welcomed by campaigners north of the border who say they have been fighting for parity with the rest of Europe for years.

The move downwards in tax is contrary to the practice in some other countries – the rate in France rose earlier this year by 1.5% from 5.5 to 7% to the dismay of lift operators.

The focus of potential price cuts is on the five Scottish ski areas – although none are really able to pass the savings on to customers yet as they are not operational due to lack of snow after the exceptionally warm February and March. Operators are yet to comment.

It is not yet known if the price cuts may also apply to, and have an effect on pricing at, the UK's six indoor snow centres, volunteer run ski hills in Northern England and Wales or the 60+ artificial surface year-round slopes.