J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

Well since i posted this I've heard some slightly less good news (although probably good news for driving...there's always a silver lining) ...which is that it's still warm which has meant rain, not snow, below 1800m above sea level at some places. The example i was given was the Milky Way French/Italian border. So lower resorts may not be looking so good but presumably a lot of the roads are black and no ice. Sounds snowier lower in Cham though...

After six weeks with little fresh snow in the Alps, today has seen resorts across central Europe report falls of up to 80cm in the past 24 hours.

Most of Europe received heavy, and in some cases record breaking snowfalls during December and January followed by very cold weather in early February and very warm weather in late February and early March – in both cases with little fresh precipitation.

However unlike last winter when resorts had limited bases to rely on when the weather got warm, in this instance most of the major, higher resorts had so much early season snow lying to rely on that lack of fresh falls was not a major problem.

All are welcoming the new snow however – with many entering their last month of operations for 2011-12 and the start of the Easter holidays less than a fortnight away.

Heavy snow has been particularly reported in the northern Alps and with Swiss resorts reporting the biggest falls, including two feet (60cm) overnight at Andermatt; but more southerly resorts such as Serre Chevalier in France and in Italy the Aosta Valley and Madesimo have reported around a foot (30cm) each too.

Other big accumulations of similar magnitude have been reported in the French Grand Massif and Portes du Soleil, Saas Fee and Gstaad in Switzerland and the Austrian Arlberg – but most other areas have had at least some new snow too.

The snow that failed to arrive in California during December and January is now falling with increased abundance raising hopes of an extended ski season for some after all.

Back in the Autumn ski resorts all along the West coast of North America had been hoping for a La Nina year with a repeat of the huge falls on winter 2010-11. However although resorts in states to the north – Alaska, British Columbia, Washington state and Wyoming have had a consistently good winter, the snow failed to arrive in more southerly states.

But the snow has been falling increasingly heavily in more southerly states for over a month now, and as spring approaches, it seems to be just getting heavier,

"On St. Patty's day there was no better way to celebrate the luck of the Irish than to take advantage of a break in the storm and enjoy the bounty of snow that has piled up at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows," said Jenny Kendrick, Alpine Meadows/Squaw Valley spokesperson, "As predicted, heavy snow hammered the resorts dumping up to four feet (1.2m) of fresh snow in the last 24 hours, bringing storm totals up to nearly seven feet (2.1m)."

The snow is still falling further north, Whistler has passed its seasonal average with more than 10m falling and Mt Baker in Washington state, historically the world's snowiest ski resort with an average seasonal snowfall total of 19m looks set for a vintage winter with the snow depth there approaching eight metres (over 26 feet) after more than 2.4m (eight feet) of new snow fell there in the past week.

So much snow isn't always good news, roads to Mt Baker were closed last week as crews struggled to clear access.

OK, although as has been correctly pointed out, I'm a big wibble fan, I'm just posting a 'lots of snow' report which is a bit more on topic. Although it's North America again as it's a bit sunny here. I had got a 'wibble-rich' (to use the technical term) story ready about mountain bike races on snow (it's the spring silly season...) but I'll hold that off so we can talk about deep powder skiing next for a bit. There are a lot (ever more) of these music festivals - nearly all happening in the next month - and while they're not wholly relevant to 'ski' they hopefully get people out to the mountains that might not otherwise do so, and thus deliver a few more converts... End of wibble

Hey you guys have got to get down with the kids man(s), there's a hot jive talking big mama sound and something. Probably.

The final acts have just been announced for this year's The Big Snow Festival 2012 in Sauze d'Oulx, Italy in just over a week's time (25th March to 1st April 2012).

The event, which begain in Andorra three years ago, planned to move to Serbia this winter but about a month ago decided instead to re-locate to the famouis Italian ski party town, is famed for its loyal following and for not taking the snowsports too seriously, with a high proportion of first time skiers and boarders in attendance.

The news is that Pritchard & Dainton, Belle Humble, Judge Jules, Eddy Temple Morris, Stereotype, Micky Slim will be joining headline act Modestep, who are currently one of the hottest names to emerge from the alternative scene.

The fun filled week will be crammed full, with exhilarating shenanigans, the organiser promise, including an Olympic themed sports day, a fancy dress themed day with fun games raising money for Teenage Cancer Trust and a ski away day.

Professional skateboarders and dare devil legends, Pritchard and Dainton will welcome party goers to their insane live stage show. Famously known for their crazy antics from MTV's hit show, Dirty Sanchez, the original pranksters are expected to cause plenty of laughter among festival-goers with an unbelievable display of extreme stunts and pranks.

Also just announced, new up and coming singer songwriter Belle Humble joins the ranks at the Big Snow Festival. Having penned tracks for the likes of Paloma Faith and collaborated on the dubstep anthem, Freestylers' 'Cracks', Belle will share a set full of emotive raw sounds.

Sauze d'Oulx is situated at one end of the Via Lattea (Milky Way) ski area and those on holiday there can take advantage of wristband only deals for £99 giving you access to all the gigs, events and parties for the entire week.

The list of music festivals in the Alps seems to just keep getting longer. Coming up in the next six weeks we've got Meribel Live; Zermatt Unplugged; Chamonix's Weekender, Bryan Adams and Kim Wilde on the slopes above Wengen and Grindelwald in the Swiss Jungfrau; Dizzee Rascal and Fat Boy Slim headlining Mayrhofen's Snowbombing; the Big Snow festival now wisely moved from the proposed Serbian venue to good old Sauze d'Oulx; the Brits in Laax and at the end of it all, on the last weekend of April, and as yet un-named superstar will be performing at the Top Of The mountain concert at Ischgl in Austria following on from Kylie, Rihanna, Elton and the rest.

So is their room for another one? Well the organisers of the new Basscamp Festival (www.basscamp-festival.com) which launches this month in Morzine, France, are hoping so; even though this is already part of the Rock The Pistes event that will see flash gigs happening at resorts around the Portes du Soleil, including, maybe.
The Basscamp Festival promises "banging beats laid down by some of the best international DJ's" between 2nd and 6th April 2012.
Acts already on the line-up include Thomas Gandey, Benny Page, DJ Switch and Marco del Horno alongside many others.
800 tickets are available for Morzine's first five day music, ski and snowboard festival and accommodation packages including a five day festival wristband are available from €299 but you can also just buy five day festival wristbands for 100 Euros if you're already in resort on a package or stay local.

Basscamp is being organised by Morzine resident of 9 years Justin Bull, who has been responsible for bringing big name UK DJs over from the UK to play in one of Morzine's largest venues, L'Opera.

The Festival will also include three on-piste snow sports competitions for pro skiers and snowboarders - and those that would like to be! Also on the Friday afternoon following into the evening there'll be a free après ski street party with a 1980s fancy dress theme in the heart of the resort.

Anyone frustrated by the lack of a golf course at their ski destination (they're often there, buried by snow under the nursery slope, cross country ski loop or ice rink) will be delighted to hear that Engelberg (www.engelberg.ch) in Switzerland will be staging its popular annual Winter Golf Tournament this Friday, 9th March.

Rather than down in the valley however, the course is set up on the snow up at the main Titlis - Trübsee (1,800m) ski area.
The nine-hole Winter Golf Tournament is open to all and, say the organisers, rather than a cut throat competition, "the feeling of togetherness will mark this special event."

Along with the golf a special meal is lade on along with other entertainment and the event is open to all golfing abilities, although spaces are limited.