What’s happening? Is it bad? Is it terrible? Is it OK? Is it normal? Should we start to panic? These (and many other) questions have been flying about the internet as well as the resort. But there’s also been a mildly panicy and negative tone to it all. So we thought, “how about we try to give a pragmatic view?”
And it’s certainly not the best ever start to a season in Verbier. It’s my seventh and I can only remember one that was close to this light on snow.
But every other season I can remember we were open to Ruinettes by now. And currently there’s only a little of the real stuff in the shade (but not a lot). The rest is artificial.
Certainly not ideal.
It’s also certainly a lot less than normal but – and it’s a big one – it’s cold. Not baltic but consistently below freezing so the cannons are firing.
I remember about four season’s ago when we were short of snow at the start of the season, and it was warm. So the snow came, and didn’t settle well.
Today you really get the feeling that if we get some snow now it’ll settle on very cold ground and we’ll get the benefit of it all – not lose the first few days’ fall on wet ground.
So why haven’t we got any yet? Well, there’s been a big and unyielding area of high pressure over us. And all that swirling, unpleasant and wet weather that’s been lashing the west of Europe simply can’t push the high pressure away.
Which is why we have the same cold, clear weather over us. Have a look at the charts here – they give you a pretty clear idea of the front trying to smash through to the Alps and getting bounced away and off to the north and east by the high pressure.
Thing is, it might snow two feet next Friday and we’ll all forget about the stress and panic. So cross your fingers, keep an eye on the webcams and the weather forecasts (although don’t take them as gospel) and remember that massive fall back in October. Can happen again. And it always does.
Yes, after a decided draught of snow Verbier has opened. And despite the doubts about what we’d actually be skiing on, it’s turned out to be a lot better than we were expecting.
Lac des Vaux has been the beneficiary of a lot of artificial snow and the piste was pretty good, although naturally limited.
But it’s been cold up top and the canons were on first thing, and there are whispers of snow next week when the high pressure finally heads off and some of the dodgy weather that’s been swirling around the atlantic comes over…
It might not be powder snow but the cannons have done their work up at Lac des Vaux, and added to the snow that fell way back in October. And you know what? It looks pretty promising.
Mike was up there today and as ever played a blinder by taking photos whilst messing about on the piste machines.
And with Verbier opening this weekend (well, the bit of Verbier that is Lac des Vaux) it’s looking good. Better than expected, actually.
Now, crucially, you won’t catching me claiming it’s about to dump here or making vague projections about when the snow comes back. But I can say that when it does, the ground will be nice and cold and it should all settle rather nicely.
So think happy thoughts people.
Yes, it’s the perfect temperature for this time of year – bang on zero outside. But those weather fronts that usually make life in the UK horrible, don’t seem to be interested in the long trek across France.
Still, it’s cold, so TeleVerbier, who haven’t had the snow cannons on so far have fired them up this week and it looks like they’re really cranking it out, covering bits of the mountain with spaceship-sized sheets of snow.
Anyway, so that you don’t lose hope here are some nice pictures of those very webcams.
Meanwhile, as they say, don’t panic. It’s still early.
Yes, finally starting to feel like winter. And despite the sun this morning the temperatures have definitely plunged. So much in fact they’ve had the snow cannons on up at Lac de Vaux for (we think) the first time this winter. I say winter, but it’s really only been Autumn so far…
To see if they’re on or off (they switch them off when the sun gets on them) you can check the webcams here. The Mont Fort webcam is particularly splendid.
But the really good news today is that the Norwegians say snow next week. And I trust the mighty yr.no – almost as much as Kent does.
Anyway, this is what they say. You’ll notice there are lots of subzero temperatures, but if you can exepnd the energy scrolling down to the bottom, you’ll get cheered up.
Now, everyone, please cross your fingers and think happy thoughts…
So, whilst we haven’t yet had winter sink it’s icy claws in to Verbier (see how prosaic I can be early in the morning?), the good news is it’s allowed plenty of progress on the new lift, as well as helped the guys who are fitting all the usual ones.
And, as ever, Mike has been working on things and sent us a few photos. Which is always good, isn’t it?
So, first up are the new drag lifts he’s been fitting. Mike claims that it’s like building IKEA furniture as they actually come flat-packed and he has to build them in the workshop. Now, we love everything about that Swedish blue and yellow temple of stuff, it’s not a parallel that’s filling us with confidence… But he says he read the instructions before he started, and it’ll all be fine.
Next up is the main course – the new lift. Now, Olly has already struck with a cracking suggestion for the name. If you imagine that there’s already the “James Blunt Chair” (aka the Attelas Chair Lift) which got it’s nick name after it was opened by the singer, he has suggested “The post-Carrefour Digestion Express” as, let’s face it, we’ll be using it extensively after a nice lunch in the sunshine on the Carrefour terrace.
But the seats have arrived and rumbled through town the other day on the back of a whopping lorry, and they’re already fitting them and frankly it’s looking good to go – especially the development of the new housing at the start of the lift which was looking worryingly like a big hole in the ground last time we checked and rather unlike a lift. How things have changed…
And finally we have the preparations at Les Essertes. Many of you will have forgotten all about our little magic carpet on the beginners slope in town, but for our instructors it’s always nice to see it getting prepared – we’ll spend a lot of time there this winter, so let’s hope Mike’s read the instructions on this too…
The IKEA drag lifts:
The new chair lift:
Ahhh, Les Essertes:
