Peter wrote:
I think it depends on how badly frozen it is…
As I pointed out in the Zell am See trip report, I was surprised by the very ok quality of the artificial snow there. So I’m with Noe here: The absence of natural snow should probably not affect your go/no go decision for your “mission profile” (in terms of skiing).
Zermatt artificial snow is very very good – all runs are properly done.
Thank you all.
I am now looking at going Sunday, or maybe Saturday on the basis one should always fly at the first technically suitable opportunity.
I was going to take Justine for a week to Zermatt but am instead taking her to Madonna, in early Feb.
EDIT: Just got this: 10,48euro per day is the price for the handling on the main apron. Parking fees are 0,08 euro per ton per hour and then there are also landing/take-off fees and paxfees. the 10€/day to avoid grass is a no-brainer.
If I read this right, for tomorrow’s 0900-1400 flight
EDDM 141100Z 1412/1518 27015G25KT 9999 BKN015 TEMPO 1412/1420 1200 SHSN BKN004 BKN010TCU BECMG 1416/1418 25012KT TEMPO 1501/1507 4000 -SN OVC005 TEMPO 1507/1516 30015G25KT 1200 SHSN BKN004 BKN010TCU
the strong northerly airflow
Anyone concur?
I seriously hope you don’t plan to cross the Alps tomorrow. I just spent 40 minutes in a cablecar swinging gently from side to side in 80km/h winds. I certainly wouldn’t want to cross peaks and land into a valley in this weather. Cloudbase is quite low and visibility is bad.
Where?
Zermatt.
AFAICS, at least it snowed a tiny bit in the Dolomites over the last few days. Starting Wednesday, there will be a big and persistent high pressure area over the Alps, so waiting another week won’t help with the snow. But if you depart Tuesday or Wednesday, then at least you will enjoy nice sunshine during your skiing and also will have trouble-free flying weather both in and out.
Alternatively you can fly to Bern and enjoy more than 70cm of fresh snow in Wengen or Grindelwald… and blue slopes galore.
Zermatt is nowhere near Alta Badia, Bolzano, etc.
I flew in to Verona today on BA (running out of days before the Annual starts, and the wx keeps changing) and apart from spending some 7 hours on trains and a bus (because the advertised buses don’t actually run, and the level of customer service here is minus zero) there was no wind here to speak of. There are plenty of high tops enroute though which is why I went by airline.
The all-bus option is hopeless and when I asked some of the bus drivers about Corvara (actually pointing to it written down) most of them didn’t recognise it! That was at the main Verona bus station.
If anyone does fly into Bolzano there is a nice train which goes all the way to Munich and which stops at Bolzano and you get off at Fortezza 2hrs later, and take another 1hr train to Brunico, then a 1.5hr bus to Corvara. Total cost, peanuts.
This is not like Annecy / Grand Bornand where you land and a 1hr taxi does it.
Temps here are really cold – down to -15C at night and that is quite a challenge! Fortunately zero wind.
There is ample snow here, at 4000ft or so, artificial and natural on top of it.
