This is an archive of the old PisteHors.com forum

News | Gear | Ski Areas | Hiking | Mountain Biking
Powered by Google™
   
 
2011/2012 Euro resort openings
Posted: 25 November 2011 02:11 PM  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24

26 November

Val d’Isere joins Tignes but the links won’t be open nor resort runs
Val Thorens - http://www.valthorens.com/winter-en/val-thorens/live/livecams--webcams.61.name-mc_picto3.nb0.html
Verbier ??

2/3/4 December

The good snowfall earlier in November and recent colder weather have enabled Serre Chevalier and Montgenevre to advance their official opening dates

http://www.ledauphine.com/hautes-alpes/2011/11/24/serre-chevalier-avance-son-ouverture-au-3-decembre-comme-montgenevre

In the Pyrenees there is a lack of snow below 2000m. Piau, Le Grand Tourmalet and Grandvalira (Andorra) all originally planned to open on the 26th but have delayed by a week (2nd Dec for Piau) at the earliest.

10/11 December

Gourette - 1 week later than planned

any others outside of the CH/AUS glacier domains?

[ Edited: 25 November 2011 09:49 PM by davidof]
 
 
Posted: 25 November 2011 02:41 PM   [ # 1 ]  
Sr. Member
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  543
Joined  2006-01-24

Tomorrow Verbier will open the lac des Vaux section & Zinal has a couple of km open on manmade snow.

The conditions are still better for walking or cycling. The various models seem fairly set on snow for next weekend now but that seems to have been the case for while.

 Signature 

SwissMountainLeader.com & B&B L’Epicéa, Leysin, Switzerland

 
 
Posted: 25 November 2011 03:22 PM   [ # 2 ]  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24

A couple of km, that is a bit desperate isn’t it?

Walking has been good, was out in shorts and t shirt on Wednesday. Cold for road cycling but MTBing is ok.

It does look like we are set for the first blast of winter on the 3-5th December which should get things started even if conditions we will still lack a base below 2400m in the Northern Alps.

[ Edited: 25 November 2011 03:43 PM by davidof]
 
 
Posted: 25 November 2011 04:15 PM   [ # 3 ]  
Sr. Member
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  543
Joined  2006-01-24

I think the exact number was 4km. You can work out exactly how many litres of water that was probably, about 1cm deep, 10m wide.

Perfect weather to be up out the fog though, yesterday :

20111124-121327.jpg

 Signature 

SwissMountainLeader.com & B&B L’Epicéa, Leysin, Switzerland

 
 
Posted: 25 November 2011 09:48 PM   [ # 4 ]  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24

26/27 November

Isola 2000 - http://hiver.isola2000.com/actualites/ouverture-de-la-station (looks like the best bet for France)

 
 
Posted: 02 December 2011 08:41 PM   [ # 5 ]  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24

Tomorrow 3/Dec:

Les 2 Alpes
Courchevel will have a single piste open, les verdons, thanks to man made snow, but it is free as is the carparking

Serre Chevalier
Chamonix Grands Montets and Montgeneve have now delayed their openings

Pyrenees-

Puigmal
Vallter
Val de Nuria


Already Open

Val Thorens
Val d’Isère
Tignes
Les Diablerets - Glacier 3000 CH
Saas Fee CH
Zermatt CH
Zinal CH


Next Weekend 8/Dec

Alpe d’Huez is promising 25% of its ski area open, after 1 week of delay.

 
 
Posted: 02 December 2011 10:20 PM   [ # 6 ]  
Sr. Member
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  543
Joined  2006-01-24

Veysonnaz has a bit open as well, I was talking to a guy who’d been and he reckoned it wasn’t bad but it’s all relative. You can see their strip of cannoned snow for 20 or 30km around the area actually.

I was joking (slightly) about working out much water Zinal had used but Téléverbier have obligingly supplied figures, 5cm of snow, & 1.5km of piste from 10’000 m3 of water.

Even the glacier up the road is thin, I was there the other day and had to hop quickly over some rocks on the schuss from the lift to the operational ski area. A common glacier ski problem where some places have resorted to covering parts of the snowpack linking the cablecars, typically built into rock islands, to the glacier snow. Glacier 3000 announced problems with wind may close the lift for a while which they followed up with announcing a 2nd drag lift would be running. My guess is we’ll have all three top lifts operational at the end of next week but I’m dubious about the run to Reusch. If anyone was going up there check the web, call 0848 00 3000 or ask me as we’re normally in the loop.

After the driest November on record here and the second driest autumn on record it’s actually raining/snowing right now. Comically so in fact, we were just sat here saying “what’s that noise?” until it dawned on us it was water in the gutters, it’s so long since it rained we’d forgot what it sounded like.

We’re opening here (Leysin) next weekend regardless of snow, that basically means the cable-car to the revolving restaurant and we’ll ski, walk, snowshoe, sight-see, have lunch as the weather dictates. Villars are still optimistic for next weekend as well and it’ll be free from the last info we had.

[ Edited: 02 December 2011 10:22 PM by ise]
 Signature 

SwissMountainLeader.com & B&B L’Epicéa, Leysin, Switzerland

 
 
Posted: 06 December 2011 09:26 AM   [ # 7 ]  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24

With the new snow (20-80cm) depending on altitude, the cold weather which has enabled snow making both Chamrousse and les 7 Laux in the Isere will open this coming Saturday (10 December), joining l’Alpe d’Huez which will open on Thursday.

 
 
Posted: 07 December 2011 09:57 AM   [ # 8 ]  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24

Savoie

Already Open: , Courchevel, Tignes, Val d’Isère, Val Thorens, Bessans (ski de fond)

Partial Openings on the 10th December 2011

Les Arcs, Avoriaz (80% open), Chamonix/Grands Montets, Châtel, Flaine, Les Menuires, Méribel, Montriond, Orelle, Peisey-Vallandry, La Plagne, La Tania, Valloire.

La Clusaz: Balme, Beauregard and Manigod as well as cross country skiing

Grand Bo: Cross Country

[ Edited: 07 December 2011 12:17 PM by davidof]
 
 
Posted: 07 December 2011 01:54 PM   [ # 9 ]  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24

Grimentz CH will be partially open for the weekend before full opening scheduled for the 17/12

 
 
Posted: 08 December 2011 10:52 AM   [ # 10 ]  
Newbie
Rank
Total Posts:  17
Joined  2005-07-28

Partial opening of Les Contamines 10th-11th weekend only. Should be fully open on 17th.