Latest posts for the topic "Snow"

Snow

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:51:54 GMT

Or lack of it. Sorry to be the first one to blink but things don't look great in a lot of places - and generally warming up a touch. Slight panic or just spoilt after the last two years? Thoughts?

Re:Snow

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:53:16 GMT

Have faith!

Re:Snow

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:56:52 GMT

Some resorts in Europe have opened early, Verbier for one. Skiing is open down to Val Claret in Tignes. The company running the Chamonix lift system met today, and agreed to delay opening for a week. It's still November, so it's a little early to worry.

Re:Snow

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:03:46 GMT

Some places look good bandit, but I'm going there. :( :(

Re:Snow

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:08:10 GMT

Col wrote:Some places look good bandit, but I'm going there. :( :(

Where is there?

Re:Snow

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:09:05 GMT

Hamish, I hope I have faith but I'd rather have snow. I may well be panicking.

Re:Snow

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:13:06 GMT

Bandit,

Courmayeur, seems to be disappearing in front of my eyes! :roll:

Snow

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:13:47 GMT

Col wrote:Or lack of it. Sorry to be the first one to blink but things don't look great in a lot of places - and generally warming up a touch. Slight panic or just spoilt after the last two years? Thoughts?

Get a grip, man! 8) It's not even mid-November yet so plenty of time yet.

Re:Snow

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:18:26 GMT

Yeah, slapped wrist :oops:

Re:Snow

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:33:50 GMT

The temp is scheduled to rise to 14 deg in the Alps, this week. It doesn't mean much.

Most of the Alpine sub-2000m piste skiing is formed on a base of artificial snow, right across the Alps. When the pisteurs can see several days of zero degree temp coming, (this could be night temps), then they will start up the machines, building "whales" (little hills) of snow. This will be carried out over several weeks. Look for them on your web cams, that is the start of winter.

When enough A/S has been produced, the piste machines spread the whales, aiming to form a 20cm base of heavy wet snow. Controls are computerised. Once the base is in position, lighter snow can be produced.

Then the real stuff arrives ~ happiness!

Re:Snow

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:39:22 GMT

Dave, I sleep soundly. :D

Re:Snow

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:59:05 GMT

Just read my Avalanche Bulletin from the HAT team, and they have a slightly different take on the prospect of the warm wet spell in the forecasts. Their view is that it is welcome, because it will help the lying snow to consolidate and bond = less unstable snow = lower avalanche risk during the season.

Re:Snow

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:47:45 GMT

When we were at Tignes, a couple of weeks ago, they were spraying the mountain with water at night (even though it was totally brown and no snow anywhere apart from on the piste), and I wondered what they were doing. I asked someone, and they said it was to build up a layer of ice, to cool the ground down, and encourage the snow to stay there, because it was freezing at night.

Ally

Re:Snow

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:05:07 GMT

very clever! wish scotland would try freezing the ground up north-might encourage it to lie for more than 3 hours!

Re:Snow

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:14:03 GMT

Nothing can stop the hairdryer winds.

Re:Snow

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:00:44 GMT

Must admit I'm getting a little twitchy looking at my Dec 12th departure for the ski-circus :( although the boast a 90% piste cover with artificial snow I don't fancy surfing or having my edges redone every night. Last time I rode artificial snow was down the abfarht on the Ahorn in Mayrhofen in April. My skiing buddy commented on the 6ft high swathes of water everytime I made a hard turn!!!

Re:Snow

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:13:04 GMT

Are you sure about that Tino? Wherever you ski in the Alps, (below 2000m), you are likely to be skiing on A/S. However, the quality of application and equipment varies quite significantly.

Some of the best resorts have piste bases in place, before the serious snow starts.

Re:Snow

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:40:27 GMT

Sure about what Dave? Most definately been on bases of A/S but only once to my knowledge on only that base. Mayrhofen was extreme, the bottom of that run to village is low and they only kept it going for Snowbombing week, must admit it was fun though I wouldn't want a weeks holiday of it.

Re:Snow

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:32:30 GMT

Tino, in your first sentence, I read it as linking your re-edging to the fact you were riding A/S. I now see that you were mud-riding!