Tag Archives: Verbier

Winter 2021-2022 start in Verbier

Lucky us to have gotten snow relatively early this year all the way down to the valley floors. The skiing was deep this early December. The avalanche danger was a high 3 because the layer on the ground had turned to facets. This is not an unusual situation. It happens when we get early snow in the autumn then cold, dry weather afterwards. Because the ground is relatively warm, around -.1, and the air is cold, -15 in the alpine areas, this shallow layer of snow grows into faceted crystals that can’t support the weight of new snow. As the winter progresses, it gets covers with new lawyers of snow which eventually bond to each other and create a bridge over this weak ground layer. When we have a lot of snow, this bridge insulates our impact on this weak layer. So you’ll understand what the avalanche forecasters have been writing about these past two weeks:

These avalanche prone locations are to be found especially in little used terrain and at transitions from a shallow to a deep snowpack.

The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF today

The weather forecast calls for sunny weather for another week, then possibly more snow and higher temperatures. 

Fi and I skinned above Bruson the first week of December. Still not much coverage, but a warm and cold spell gave us a thin base of ice to keep us off the ground.
The skiing was actually surprisingly good!
A week later, we got close to a meter in a few days, even low down, which was a huge bonus. The tree on Place Central looked beautiful.
The off-piste skiing was simply perfect when the weather cleared.

La Sale Pleureur La Luette Traverse

What a summer it’s been! The weather has been perfect. Not too hot so many of the alpine routes stayed in shape well into August. We just had a good dump of snow above 2500 meters so that will help keep the glaciers white as we move in the autumn season.

Fi and I moved across the valley to Bruson. It feels so good here. I can’t get over how quiet it is. We’ve lived in Verbier going on 40 years, so it’s quite the change. So psyched to still have ski in and ski out from my doorstep.

The view of Verbier from our new place in Bruson.

The view of Verbier from our new place in Bruson.

Ton and I did another sweet adventure together, following the Bagnes-Magic Valley border traversing La Sale-Pleureur-La Luette ridge.  What makes this trip so fine, is the feeling of solitude and the outrageous views and exposures above the two valleys. There all sorts of different terrain features, from obscure footpaths leading to the Bivouac Pantalons Blancs, to the solid moves up onto the summit of the Sale. The ridge between the Pleureur and Luette makes for some good route finding on crumbling dirt and rock. Then Luette gives you some relaxed rock climbing to the finish. The gang at the Dix hut have it all figured out with fine food and excellent hospitality.

Hope you’re enjoying your day wherever you are, inside or out, masked or not, and hope we get to play soon together in these mountains on dry ground or slippery. 

Opportunities present in a dry December

The driest December in this area since measurements began in 1864 created new challenges for a mountain guide like myself. I could have behaved like Chicken Little and believed the end was near, or rather taken advantage of those conditions. The foehn episode that dried the northern Alps in November, coated the southern Alps with a lovely layer of fresh powder. Living close to that main divide here in Verbier, my clients and I profited from the situation, ski touring and heliskiing in the south, and hiking and climbing in the north.

For those who enjoy being outside no matter the weather and conditions, I’ve found it so rewarding to share these mini adventures with you. Thank you! The following 20 pictures show some of our days together on skis, skins and foot, enjoying what mother nature provides.

Alps Winter 2016 Start

It rained at my house here in Verbier @1600m all day and turned to snow early this morning. 20cm of wet snow lays around me now, and looking at the data for Attelas @2700m with 45cm of new snow, leads me to believe winter has arrived. Yeehaw!

Verbier_Town_new_Snow-10

Verbier, November 21, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-11-21 at 07.09.10

Automatic measurement of 45 cm of fresh snow on Attelas

The forecast is calling for real cool temperatures over the next few days. Precipitation should peter out through the weekend, with another front from the NW passing through Wednesday. I’m guessing Televerbier will open next weekend.

This autumn in the Alps gave us a fine, extended, indian summer, providing lots of opportunities to bike, climb, sail and hike. I hope you were able to profit from it, enjoying that fine feeling of contact with Mama Nature through movement and touch. My rehab gave me lots of excuses to work on strength and flexibility through sport.

Biking above Verbier, November 18, 2015

Biking above Verbier, November 18, 2015

The knee is feeling great, ready for more fun in the snow. Wanna go for a skin this morning?

There’s lots planned for this coming winter and next summer. I hope I get a chance to share some of these experiences with you. From Avalanche Courses, Off-Piste around Verbier and neighboring little resorts, to Ski Safaris, Haute Route and Greenland Heliskiing, there will be lots of opportunity to share and learn from each other. Next summer’s planning is well under way for fun alpine climbs up and down this Alpine Chain. Send me an email or give me a call to book a private trip or join a group with myself or one of the fine guides working with me.