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Going to Chamonix in 14 days, looking for suggestions and snow report!

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popNfresh44
Posts: 3757 - Karma: 44
I'm going to Chamonix for the first time, never skiied Europe. Has anyone been there recently? Suggestions for areas to ski or anything else?
Jan 31 2011 2:20AM
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Toasty.
Posts: 6195 - Karma: 2,278
http://www.chamonix.com/weather-forecast,11,en.html
Jan 31 2011 5:43AM
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Ghini
Posts: 2229 - Karma: 2,883

Be shure to check out www.wepowder.com

Great weather forecasts,updated daily, avy news, good links and routes..

Also get the WePowder Iphone app!!

Jan 31 2011 6:03AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
snow forecast/condition for the french alps is terrible right now :(
i'm leaving for Les Sybelles and it hasn't snowed since 11/01 and no snow forecast either :(

let's hope you're lucky a but up higher north cause austria(northern alps) is currently the place to be in the alps, sick powder there fosho !
Jan 31 2011 6:28AM
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disastertourism
Posts: 2402 - Karma: 135
I'm going to chamonix in 25 days. Yeaaah.
There's not as much snow as I've seen in the past, I've been a few times and once we were lucky enough to get there the week after the whole ski area (or so) was closed due to avalanche risks.


Snow reports
http://www.chamonix.com/snowreport-information,89,en.html

And everyone loves the webcams.
http://www.chamonix.com/webcam,12,en.html

The mountains are so lush in the alps.

Have fuuun
Jan 31 2011 7:32AM
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TallTom
Posts: 422 - Karma: 71
Hey man, I'm off end of Feb for a week. Snow isn't exactly looking great at the moment. But there's got to be some snow sometime soon!

http://www.chamonet.com is pretty good for more detailed snow reports + pictures.

Enjoy
Jan 31 2011 7:35AM
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vauban08
Posts: 575 - Karma: 119
Nope, Austrian Alps are also below average snow depth for this time of the year.

The only place in the whole Alps which has 120-180% of average January snow depth is the southern part of Graubuenden/Switzerland, which is also called the Engadin (St.Moritz, Davos, ...).

No snowfall for the next 7 days pretty much everywhere in the Alps. We had a fantastic early season (November) and a great Christmas season (December), but at the moment, Winter seems to have made a short break. Should come back soon, though. And all of this of course doesn't mean that you can't ski. Charmonix still has between 70cm (@3000ft) and 180cm (@10000ft) of snow. Plus, sunny days in the Alps -> eye candy. Just expect that untracked terrain might be very hard to find.
Jan 31 2011 7:40AM
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Ghini
Posts: 2229 - Karma: 2,883

^ ?? Sorry, not snowing anywhere in the alps??

Last week a lot of snow in the eastern alps..

Today 80cm in Limone and 50cm in Sestriere and still snowing..

A lot of places dont get snow right now thats true, put if you want pow you have to go there where the snow is falling..

again, www.wepowder.com and the WePowder Iphone app...

Jan 31 2011 7:49AM
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snomaster
Posts: 3336 - Karma: 5,677
I'll also be out in Euro land in two weeks. I have an open game plan. My somewhat obvious mission is to find an english speaking local with big mountain pow knowledge. Some suggestions include Innsbruck and Verbier.

-Leave from London Friday, 11th Feb @ 21:00 (after week long business trip in Scotland)
-need to return to London Sunday, 20th Feb for a 19:00 flight home
My only string is that I have to get to Germany to see a friend for a day. I will bounce there when it's high and dry.

Here's my skiing resume':

section E - mostly pow from Eric Lovely on Vimeo.



I also need suggestions on whether it's easy enough to just bring boots and rent/demo/borrow shrapling sticks. I prefer to have AT capabilites and will be ready to hike my ass off, complete with full avy gear and offpiste experience.
Jan 31 2011 8:11AM
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vauban08
Posts: 575 - Karma: 119
80cm? :D More like 10cm according to various reports.

 If you look at statistics, snowfall is below average pretty much everywhere. The chance to get some 10-20cm fresh snow is always there, but a real low or even blizzard is something different.
Jan 31 2011 8:11AM
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Ghini
Posts: 2229 - Karma: 2,883

Yeah, but various reports are prob those stupid weather forecasts you find on resort websites.. This is the real deal and actual local reports..

http://www.wepowder.nl/nieuws/poederalert14-al-80-cm-vers-limone-piemonte

Jan 31 2011 8:36AM
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vauban08
Posts: 575 - Karma: 119
I'm also stuck in LON (working here atm) and will go back to Switzerland the week after your stay, probably Lenzerheide or Laax. Have a look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA5miis8PJQ

Consider yourself lucky, because the Dutch "Krokus"-Holidays start on the 19th, which means the whole of Tirol and several other regions will be flooded by people from Amsterdam etc. They're fun company but create too much traffic. :D

Anyway, since it's open game, I'd suggest you pick one of these Airports as your starting point:

Innsbruck, if you want to stay in Tirol or go to Italy
Zurich, if Eastern Switzerland (St.Moritz, Davos, Laax, Arosa,... is your game
Geneva, if Wallis, Bern or the French Alps is what you want

At this point, my suggestion would be the Engadin region, which has lots of snow already. They had the Nissan Freeride Tour yesterday: http://video.mpora.de/watch/dxMqoJYZl/

General advice:
- be spontaneous
- travel by train
- don't be afraid to use the lift as a starter :D
- stick to the locals
- bring boots and equip only and rent rest
Jan 31 2011 8:57AM
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vauban08
Posts: 575 - Karma: 119
80cm during the last days, but not today.
Anyway, I had a look at this and other reports, too. Seems Piemonte has had a very local low pressure cell. Unfortunately the rest of the alps hasn't seen decent snowfall for weeks.
Jan 31 2011 8:59AM
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-ShredTheGnar-
Posts: 2038 - Karma: 111
I love it when i see wepowder on NS

Jan 31 2011 10:11AM
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A.Eberhard
Posts: 4426 - Karma: 415
Judging from the GS race there was no snow... like nothing.
Jan 31 2011 10:13AM
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Toasty.
Posts: 6195 - Karma: 2,278
all of europe is hurting for snow. i was at kutahi austria this weekend, and there were rocks everywhere
Jan 31 2011 11:35AM
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Billiards.
Posts: 6853 - Karma: 816
Grands Montets, magical forest.
Jan 31 2011 11:36AM
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popNfresh44
Posts: 3757 - Karma: 44
Damn, not too stoked to hear about the conditions but thank you all for the input!
Jan 31 2011 11:49AM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
Bring some snow with you please. Failing that, bring a touring setup or your park skis; Les Houches park has two 10-12m kickers now.
Jan 31 2011 2:23PM
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-ShredTheGnar-
Posts: 2038 - Karma: 111
Heard Les Houches is having a shocking season. is this true?
Feb 1 2011 4:38AM
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kingskier
Posts: 1045 - Karma: 11
i was there about a month ago.
such a good resort

if you get the chance go and ski the mer de glace ( mont blanc valley) from the aiguille du midi. i recommenced hiring a guide as there ALOT of crevases and the snow bridges may not be that strong if there hasnt been much snow. its about 11 miles or something when you can ski to the bottom.

best views ever in cham

go ski all the areas but especially argentiere ( in my opinion) also called Grand montets
there is a snow park there if it is built

also check the lines down from the top cable car.( you take the black run down and when you come round the corner there is a sign pointing right to another "run". follow that sign back under the cable car ) which i think is called colle de la rochache or something similar was really fun. just open fields of pow you could carve for ages. soooooooooo fun

obviosly check all the areas. Le praz is good but not so good and le tour is also good.

but this is chamonix so compared to many places anywhere is 10x better.

you will be impressed
Feb 1 2011 12:34PM
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andre^sss
Posts: 21 - Karma: 26
well if there isnt alot of snow you might aswell be skitouring. You should go to the top of flegere and hike up into the aguille rouges. Great place for skitouring and you end up right at the buet train station. If snow arrives i wouldnt get too caught up with le grand montets. Its pretty crowded and you will end up spending most of the time in the line for the top gondola unless you figure out how to reserve spots on the gondola. I would reccomend skiing Le tour from the vallorcine side. less people, better tree skiiing, no crevases, as good if not better runs. Do the posettes or ski the back bowls skiers right from the top of the chair going from the vallorcine gondola. 
Feb 1 2011 1:35PM
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