I appreciate the suggestions I have received. Thanks. Another question. We are taking the train from Zurich to Zermatt. I am planning to take my skis, however some have reported this to be a significant hassle on the trains. I have a nice rolling ski bag and usually combine the clothes with the skis. Is taking skis on the train really an issue? (Boots always go in the roll aboard carry on along with gear for at least 1 day of skiing....priorities)
Europe 23/24
- Thread starter Sbooker
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ChrisC
Well-known member
I do not remember exactly - but there should be a luggage area in front of most train cars for mountain bikes and skis on every train. But if everything goes to hell - sling them above your seat. The Swiss understand (for skiing) and are generally helpful. They get it.
Assume you will need to change trains in Visp.
I honestly don't remember my ski storage up to Zermatt from Tasch being an issue - but that means it was Easy. Tons of room.
Generally, there is a lot of room for luggage on a train - much more than a plane.
Just confidently put your equipment in a no-fall-on passenger zone and semi-watch it. Easy.
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I have never found a ski bag on a train a hassle.
I've only done this in Japan. On the train was not a hassle. One bus and 4 trains in one day (Hakuba to Niseko) was definitely a lot of work.
I've not done it in Japan but have in Europe a few times. When it is the two of us we carry one suitcase for our clothing and the other bag for skis, boots poles and helmets. The ski bag is a Dakine Low Roller and comes in at 22.8kg fully loaded. I take car of the ski bag and Kylie does the suitcase.
I am expecting Tony and others to chime in about having our boots in checked baggage and I understand the thoughts. I may change this method up to boots in back packs for our next trip.
Here is as good as anywhere I suppose…
When I was catering for six people last year we delighted in occasionally taking packed picnic lunch in our backpacks and eating it in on of the several ‘warming huts’ with tables and chairs in Tignes and Les Arc. We may even do it once or twice this coming year even though it is just the two of us.
I’ve never done that in North America in the past but this time next year we’ll be in SLC for Christmas with Kylie’s aunt. I’ll have the full crew on board and a couple of ring ins too apparently. Do any of the ski areas have facilities to eat a packed lunch? If a sunny day a rock is fine but if it’s cold or snowy not so much. I’m guessing Alta and Snowbird might cater to dirtbag crowd?
When I was catering for six people last year we delighted in occasionally taking packed picnic lunch in our backpacks and eating it in on of the several ‘warming huts’ with tables and chairs in Tignes and Les Arc. We may even do it once or twice this coming year even though it is just the two of us.
I’ve never done that in North America in the past but this time next year we’ll be in SLC for Christmas with Kylie’s aunt. I’ll have the full crew on board and a couple of ring ins too apparently. Do any of the ski areas have facilities to eat a packed lunch? If a sunny day a rock is fine but if it’s cold or snowy not so much. I’m guessing Alta and Snowbird might cater to dirtbag crowd?
Its been a while since I have been in Utah, however most North American resorts have cafeteria style dining. I will occasionally bring my own lunch and see others doing the same. It is unlikely that you will have any pushback.
True, and usually you can bring your own lunch to that type of facility. But not always, as from the example I mention below.
The "No Pique-Nique" signs are way more common in Europe than on North America. I do know that at Snowbird you can brown bag at Mid-Gad but not at the new cafeteria on top of Hidden Peak.
Some Alpinforum reports from Switzerland over the past eight days:
- Grindelwald/Wengen: Dec 15
- Evolène: Dec 16
- Aletsch Arena: Dec 15-17 (look at the roof accumulations)
- Vercorin: Dec 19
- Moléson/Rathvel Dec 14 (the Fribourg Alps region, just north/northwest of Montreux, has been on my to-do list for a while)
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jasoncapecod
Well-known member
I love the Alpinforum reports... No need to travel after viewing these pics..LOL
Plenty of time before we land in Milan (just under a month). Our preference is to head to Briancon area for our French leg but I’m looking at an area in the north as an alternative just in case snow is not great in the south. Kylie would like somewhere French as opposed to overly tourist (like the mega stations inhabited by English speakers). We’re happy to drive some days to ski. Has anyone stayed in St Gervais? Supposed to be a nice spa town with a ski area - albeit not very high. Any other suggestions?
I stayed two nights along the edge of St. Gervais during last season's challenging weather. "Nice spa town" sums it up. I liked the village of Megève a bit more. My wife and I had a nice couple of ski days there in February 2016 when it had proper conditions.
That's part of the Megeve complex, very low altitude. I've just had some off line correspondence with Fraser:
Accordingly I'd recommend you consider the same region we are looking at upon arrival Jan. 12: the upper Rhone Valley in the French part of Switzerland. We stayed in Sierre in April 2022. From there you have Crans Montana (ChrisC TR) to the north and St. Luc/Chandolin (my TR) and Grimentz/Zinal (James TR) to the south. The moving west, then south into the mountains you have first Evolene/Arolla (James TR), then Nendaz/Veysonnaz (my TR). All of these places aside from Crans Montana are mom-and-pop joints with a lot of surface lifts. But they were hit by the early season storms and have most terrain at sufficient altitude.
Nendaz/Veysonnaz has a connection to Verbier, the marquee area of the region. If you continue up the valley past Visp, you have Aletsch Arena (James TR), which Fraser said has lots of snow and maybe a day at Saas-Fee which will be mostly manmade but you're there mainly for the on-piste and scenery.
From Milan the upper Rhone Valley is accessible by the Simplon pass or car train tunnel. We left it via Verbier and the St. Bernard tunnel into Aosta.
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Thanks. Plenty to look at there.
I’m really hoping for some snow in the south. We’d also consider Maurienne valley resorts too.
Plenty of time yet so anything could happen. It’s nice to research some options.
Do they really exclusively speak French in the area you refer to? That’s a hard ‘must have’ for Kylie. I’ve mentioned her French lessons before now. She received French language books for Christmas too.
Megève looks lovely. Those $2500 coats would now be $3500.
Megève may look lovely but it and Gstaad top Fraser's list of overrated resorts due to consistent low altitude snow reliability problems. We know that these places were hammered by two high intensity rain events during the past 3 weeks.
You have been reading Alps reports here long enough to know that it's worth seeking out the region with best conditions. Last January that was the areas in a radius from Briancon. This year if you want French speaking it's either the upper Rhone or the high Tarantaise resorts where you have been before. Verbier is only a couple of hours from Chamonix so maybe you get another shot at Vallee Blanche.
Austria and eastern Switzerland may be overall better because the rain/snow line tends to be lower there. We went that way in 2019 from Geneva because conditions were so good. But this year we finish up with Jan. 26-31 in Val d'Isere, which prompted last week's research and my new focus upon the upper Rhone. Another big attraction for us is possible off piste guidance in Verbier from Jimmy Petterson's friend Bob we skied with half a day in 2022.
Tourist areas are in general very multilingual. The local James-type places are more rustic in terms of facilities but surely have more local French-speaking ambience. French is the primary language of the upper Rhone at least as far east as Val d'Anniviers/Crans-Montana (names are a clue!). Aletsch Arena and Saas-Fee flip over to German, but you will find lots of English speakers in those places. FYI you may have noticed that French is the clear cut secondary language to Italian in Aosta.
You have been reading Alps reports here long enough to know that it's worth seeking out the region with best conditions. Last January that was the areas in a radius from Briancon. This year if you want French speaking it's either the upper Rhone or the high Tarantaise resorts where you have been before. Verbier is only a couple of hours from Chamonix so maybe you get another shot at Vallee Blanche.
Austria and eastern Switzerland may be overall better because the rain/snow line tends to be lower there. We went that way in 2019 from Geneva because conditions were so good. But this year we finish up with Jan. 26-31 in Val d'Isere, which prompted last week's research and my new focus upon the upper Rhone. Another big attraction for us is possible off piste guidance in Verbier from Jimmy Petterson's friend Bob we skied with half a day in 2022.
Fraser was quite negative on that when I inquired about Zermatt.
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Thanks. We’ll keep our options open for a few weeks yet. If we have to go to the Tarentaise again I won’t be slitting my wrists as we’ve never been to the Three Valleys but I’ll be there for the Snowheads gathering in April.
Aside from your Swiss option there’s a chance Portes Du Soleil may be ok by then so that’s another possibility too. If that general part of the world can’t offer even mediocre ski conditions somewhere at the end of January I’ll be really surprised. In that event we’ll ditch the skiing and drive to the French Riviera and check out some cities.
We’re in Austria at the end of our trip so if this is an Austrian banner year that’s fine.
Portes du Soleil is at the leading NW edge of the Alps, so overall high in snowfall. However it's still low and thus the location most damaged by those two big rainstorms.
Despite the negativity about the rained upon places and the relatively dry southern Alps, overall there should be many choices with good conditions, surely a much longer list than last year.
I'd be surprised too. There's a long list of places in eastern Switzerland, like those James just visited and where we spent much time in 2019 and where sbooker has not been that are good shape now and rate to stay that way. Eastern Switzerland has easy access from Milan due north via the Gotthard tunnel or to the northeast into St. Moritz.
Despite the negativity about the rained upon places and the relatively dry southern Alps, overall there should be many choices with good conditions, surely a much longer list than last year.
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We established back in March that Fraser had no recollection of using that adjective to describe them.
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That's a nice option if Serre Chevalier or the Maurienne Valley don't pan out for whatever reason. Simplon Pass (and Rothwald ski area) are gorgeous on a clear day and I'd happily pay 22 CHF for the car train to avoid dealing with chains during challenging road conditions.