J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by verbier_ski_bum

For skiing you are only as old as your knees:)

bandit wrote:Zermatt opens it's lifts early for summer skiing. I've been in the queue at 7.45.
The best slopes for Boarders would be the Theodul glacier area, as it has a chairlift.
Up on Plateau Rosa it's T Bar and drag lifts all the way, plus the run back to Trockener Steg is very flat and long and would be awful on a Snowboard.

To be at the lifts by 7.45 you will need to arrive in Zermatt the night before. Or, in case of hired car, leave at silly hours:) One of my friends last July wanted to celebrate his birthday with a weekend in Zermatt, but we went to Marseille instead. Takes about the same time on a train from Geneva and you don't look like an oddball on a train carrying skis and boots:)

I seriously doubt climate change has any serious impact. But what does have an impact is the current economic situation and weak pound relative to Swiss franc. I've never seen so few Brits (relatively speaking) in Verbier as last two seasons. And whoever comes here for holidays now is from London (think City). Euro dropped too so I don't think French and Austrian resorts notice big change, but Verbier certainly does. This is very good for us skiers (this year many people prefer to go to cheaper but lower PDS as they have enough snow so even now during half terms the crowds are low - I have yet to see a proper lift line since Christmas) but not so great for local business.

It will be spring conditions across most of the Alps. Don't forget a sunblock:) There were tons of snow this season so temperatures don't matter - at least next week you will have plenty to ski on.

"Good" is a very relative term. Good skiing and snowboarding are generally found in winter, or in Southern Hemisphere in August. In Switzerland you can go to either Saas-Fee or Zermatt, which offer glacier skiing. Considering it's summer time, skiing is OK - very limited though with about 10-15% open. Snow - you can't expect good snow in summer, but I heard this past year beginning of August it was fairly decent - we had a really wet summer, so above 3000m this rain was snow. If you really want to ski that will do. I wouldn't bother unless someone paid me, but I live in Switzerand. Mind you that neither Saas-Fee nor Zermatt is anywhere near Zurich and day trips are difficult, because in summer it gets really slushy quite early, so I am not sure whether it's worth it for you getting up around 4-5am, taking 6 am train from Zurich and 3 hr journey for 2 hours skiing. Also, glaciers are typically on a flatter side, so no idea how it is for boarders.

Trencher wrote:Here's an news video on the Washington avalanche and interview with the air bag user. Near the end of the interview she talks about the risk that day.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/hl-60039979/nbc_today_show_avalanche_survivor_in_shock_after_3_die_in_tragedy/

Unfortunately video is not available in Switzerland. I read a few accounts of the accident and from what I gathered it was a high risk day, and that place avalanched a year ago killing a snowboarder, it didn't have any shelter, only trees which are not the best on case the slide is big enough, avalanches in the area have a history of occuring the day after the storm, and the storm was a day before this accident with high winds and about half a meter of new powder. All red flags. It is interesting to hear what she says about their risk assessment but on the other hand with three members of her group dead she won't be able to say much. Probably something along the lines of taken calculated risks, training, equipment, experience etc. But in my training it says to obey red flags, because avalanche doesn't care about equipment and experience. Unless the standards of training differ dramatically, this group didn'tt seem to follow what they were taught in North America. Report says that they were following safety protocol, but I can't see it making any difference. Just because you know the protocol for backcountry skiing doesn't mean that you should go and ski certain slopes on high-avy days. Protocol is there to follow on normal days since there is always some risk present. No matter how experienced they were, some poor judgement made them no better than newbies. If you choose to disregard the red flags you might as well be unaware about them - result is likely to be the same. Because the avalanche doesn't care.

That's right. Only by bus from either Aeroport or Gare Routier. There used to be a train from Gare des Eaux-Vives to Saint-Gervais but the station was closed in 2007 for renovation and won't be re-opened until 2017. There must be a way to get to French ski resorts on train, but it will probably involve many change overs and take forever.

Mardi Gras in Verbier is great! I missed this year because of work commitments but last two seasons I was there and it was fanstastic!