Zermatt Has A Sensational Start To Winter

Vehicle free Zermatt, which has Europe's highest ski lift (at a lofty 3,899 metres) has just had the highest amount of snow, about 100cm, of any ski resort on the planet.

It is currently minus 11 C and there's 24 of 34 ski lifts and mountain transport (including the very effective quintessential Swiss cog railways) open at Zermatt which is a very good early season scenario.

The mountain is gigantic with skiing on both the Swiss and Italian sides. With such a good start you will rarely ski the same pistes and the off-piste powder skiing is limitless. There's a gigantic array of glaciers, bowls and chutes to choose from.

Zermatt is one of those rare ski resorts that has it all! Particularly when you add the most photographed snow-capped mountain in the world into the equation, the Matterhorn.

Skiers and boarders from around the world relish the opportunity to ride the world's second biggest lift-served vertical terrain and having their picture taken with the Matterhorn in the background.

...... oh and i was getting excited about our Christmas Tree ....

don't you just wish you were in Europe ?

Here's a report from our mates at snow-forecast.com

European Alps
November 2006 may have been the warmest on record in the Alps, but November 2007 has provided Austria, Germany and parts of Switzerland with the best early season conditions for at least 30 years.

Even before last week's snow storms a number of Austrian ski resorts had already opened as much as six weeks ahead of schedule - Schladming-Dachstein opened its doors on 26 October and Kitzbuehel on 2 November. On Thursday night, heavy snow falls saw thousands of drivers left stranded on a highway outside Vienna - up to 50cm of snow fell and about 5,000 cars were involved in a 21km jam along the highway. This low altitude snow followed two days of heavy snow at higher elevations and overall accumulations at ski resorts were much higher.

120cm of snow fell around Davos and Klosters, and as much as 2.5m has accumulated on the glacier at Kaprun. Low temperatures ensured that the fresh snow stayed dry and powdery through the sunny weekend and several more resorts opened early to take advantage including Badgastein, Zell am See, Saalbach-Hinterglemm and Mayrhofen. The German part of the Alps also saw very heavy snow - deep fresh powder conditions where enjoyed by huge crowds at Garmisch-Partenkirchen last weekend.

Bitterly cold temperatures at high altitude (below minus 15C at 3000m) rendered the snow on higher pistes sticky but off piste conditions were excellent from top to bottom. In Switzerland, The Jungfrau resorts of Grindelwald (45/115cm), Wengen (40/80cm) and Muerren (40/80cm) have impressive snow depths for the time of year too.

Tane Taunting and Tantalising

so you see. better snow than any time during the season. but tantalising out of touch. Why you ask? well the season pass has run out, the lifts are closed and damned if i am going to join the hundreds of other desperate die hards that walk up and down within a snow flake of a purfectly operational lift - especially when we use to rattle off 10 runs an hour instead of one .... oh me oh my how tane taunts us.

any powder on here u reckon ?

pete's post - excellent conditions on the peak

hereeeeeeeeeeeeeeee''ssssss pete

Excellent conditions over the weekend with some of the best snow of the
Winter. There has been a frost each night and there has been a continuation
of snow making.The cold nights have kept the snow in primo condition.
This weekend will be the last catered weekend of the season but please let
me know if you are coming up whether it be a weekend or week day.
The season is slowly drawing to a close so get on up here for some great
Spring skiing.

the end as we knew it ?

Coronet Peak Snow Report
Sat, 11 Aug 07, 6:26 AM
Status Closed

Coronet Peak is closed for the day due to the current weather conditions. All Masters events are cancelled for the day today.

Weather Windy, 4°C
Snow/Rain showers

Oh dear. Warm rain. Wakatipu Skie Club have cancelled leesons for tomorrow Sunday. Do they know something we don't? Is this the end of the season as we knew it?

pETE'S PEAK pOST

Hi Everyone,

We continue to get some quite strange weather for this time of the year. We have had a couple of falls of snow over the past week which has freshened the mountain up a bit. It has also become a little colder the past few days and the snow machines have been making quite a bit of snow.
Yesterday I had a run with a few Treble Cone guys and we were able to ski
from the Top of Greengates to the 6 seater chair off piste and it was
surprisingly good skiing.
With the strange weather it is hard to predict what snow we might get this
week but at the moment Coronet Peak is certainly skiing really well.
Come on up,

Pete

Otago Ski Club - Joel Lodge
Coronet Peak, Queenstown, New Zealand

Lament the lack

The Press reports on the lack of snow

Canterbury ski fields are struggling with one of the worst starts to a ski season.

Staff are languishing and bookings have been cancelled due to the lack of snow.

Despite being two-thirds of the way through winter, none of the smaller Canterbury club fields are open and the two main commercial fields, Mount Hutt and Porters Ski Area, are getting by on artificial snow.

Compounding the problem, the three days of warm nor'west conditions at the end of last week "defrosted" what little base the Craigieburn range club fields had, and opening-day projections are being moved further into August.

The situation could change, however, if heavy rain forecast for today falls as snow in the ski areas.

Queenstown and North Island ski fields are reported to be having a reasonable season and Australia is having one of its best seasons.....

For the full report see http://www.stuff.co.nz/4146237a34.html