This is an archive of the old PisteHors.com forum

News | Gear | Ski Areas | Hiking | Mountain Biking
Powered by Google™
   
 
Current weather in the alps
Posted: 20 April 2012 06:35 PM  
Newbie
Rank
Total Posts:  9
Joined  2010-11-03

Is there anywhere that is currently free from this constant cloud ,sleet/snow that seems to be stuck over us.Not good her in Chamonix for anything other than lift asssisted off piste when you can see more than 50 metre’s and no sign of an end to it.

Regards Mark

[ Edited: 20 April 2012 06:37 PM by MarkyG]
 
 
Posted: 20 April 2012 06:45 PM   [ # 1 ]  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24

Similar further south too, Sunday Monday may be better before a return to bad weather.

 
 
Posted: 20 April 2012 07:00 PM   [ # 2 ]  
Sr. Member
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  110
Joined  2008-11-05

I can see the top of the Midi and blues skies as i type. Making me hurt inside as it seems to be cloudy whilst lifts are open.

Grand Montets was still ace today though!
but I feel your touring angst.

 
 
Posted: 20 April 2012 09:15 PM   [ # 3 ]  
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  53
Joined  2008-12-18

Can’t help but feel sorry for all the frustrated tourers in Cham at the moment. Not quite the end to the season I had hoped for but great powder in the trees at Vallorcine !

 
 
Posted: 20 April 2012 09:42 PM   [ # 4 ]  
Sr. Member
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  110
Joined  2008-11-05

Seen a lot of haute routers for the past few weeks skiing pistes with 45litre backpacks. fun fun fun.
I feel more sorry for the guides as it must be classic money earning season, but they can’t do vast amounts.

How far down the Vallorcine side have you been skiing?  Just to the main chair back up to the top? (forget the name sorry)
With lifts closing and still more snow coming it could mean great easy access touring up le tour/col de balme like the beginning of the season.

 
 
Posted: 21 April 2012 07:52 AM   [ # 5 ]  
Newbie
Rank
Total Posts:  9
Joined  2010-11-03

Hi,

Only as far as the Tete Balme chair but I think it is possible all the way.

Nice powder on Thursday but not so good yesterday a little heavy and wet + some wind blown in places.

Blue sky for the first time at this hour of the day today (Saturday) so could possibly be a good day.

Anyone planning a ski today ?

Regards Mark

 
 
Posted: 21 April 2012 09:36 AM   [ # 6 ]  
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  53
Joined  2008-12-18

I will be there again today. Best powder is on the north side of the aiguillette but don’t go too low! Be careful in the back bowls above Catogne, lots of wind slab and terrain traps. Right bank of the catogne is a no go area. The trees above the Belle Place are good and still lots of untracked stashes.

 
 
Posted: 23 April 2012 11:10 AM   [ # 7 ]  
Newbie
Rank
Total Posts:  18
Joined  2010-09-13

Bad weather survived:
Just back from a week’s touring based in Arolla. We had snow literally every day. There were only two half days of good visibility and one magic clear evening giving great views from the hut. We saw many parties in the valley who had abandoned the Haute Route. The Dix and Vignettes huts were abnormally quiet.

We had two great days in the Aiguille Rouge area north of Arolla where our strategy was to skin up and then ski down when visibility improved ever so slightly. Interesting spring like snow on one descent and powder on the other. No one else was there.

Accurate weather forecasts enabled us to benefit from the one window of clear sky. We skinned to the Pas de Chevre and descended the ladders in the clag and crossed to the Dix hut as the cloud lifted giving fantastic views of the whitest Mt Blanc de
Cheilon north face.

The next day, a cold bluebird morning enabled us and the numerous HR parties to get to the summit of the Pigne d’Arolla just as the cloud rolled back in. The descent from there to the Vignettes hut was interesting. Great sections of powder skiing interspersed with very careful navigation brought us to the crucial junction at 3190 m. and then to the hut. The planned rosti stop was abandoned and, now beneath the cloud, we skied the powdery Vignettes glacier to Arolla. The 1700+ metre descent ended on heavy new snow on the lower moraines and then the piste.

It was very impressive that as many HR parties made it as far as the Vignettes given the conditions. All credit to the skill and professionalism of the guides and every sympathy for those who had to abandon after so much hard work. Did anyone get to Zermatt from the Vignettes on the 22 or 23 April?

Many years ago, I had a very frustrating April week not getting above the Argentiere car park and have tried to have a plan B for every trip since. It means ambitions can be reduced but something interesting can be done if the weather does go sour.

From the train to Geneva airport yesterday you could see wonderful touring opportunities at lower altitudes than I’ve ever seen in late April. When the weather does settle, there will be lots to do for a while yet.

 
 
Posted: 23 April 2012 02:18 PM   [ # 8 ]  
Newbie
Rank
Total Posts:  28
Joined  2008-08-05

Reading this is making feel a little smug i admit.  Just back from possibly the best 4 days skiing of my life at La Grave.  its snowed most nights for the past week and the visisbility during the day been generally excellent although coming and going.  Some big touring mught be on the cards for those still there, although freezing level and avalanche conditions might interfere i would have thought. funny how the conditions can be so different between Grenoble and up that valley Davidof grin

 
 
Posted: 30 April 2012 02:43 PM   [ # 9 ]  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24
McHardski - 23 April 2012 02:18 PM

Reading this is making feel a little smug i admit.  Just back from possibly the best 4 days skiing of my life at La Grave.

You were right to be smug, you hit the sweet spot of recent conditions - bar a bit of cloud and wind.