Yep, last night above 2000m there was a dusting of snow, leaving a great green and white backdrop to Verbier. Lets hope it’s a good omen for the season to come.

I know being a weatherman (or woman) is probably a desperately difficult job, one requiring a towering intellect and terrifying understanding of the Earth’s complicated and chaotic weather cycles.

However, the one’s responsible for telling us what’s going on seem to be a little behind the pace, because for the last week we’ve been looking at reports that have told us that we’re about to receive rain and cloud, and we’ve promptly enjoyed days of blistering sunshine and blue skies, with a few cotton wool clouds thrown in for aesthetic effect…

There are probably complex things happening in the stratosphere that make forecasting Verbier’s weather dead tricky, but the net result is that there are a lot of people walking round looking a bit like matchsticks - crimson faces supported by slightly pasty rest-of-thems.

(Sadly there are no photos today as I neglected to take my camera, so you’ll have to use your imaginations - just picture a photo with lots of blue in it, a load of dramatic mountains in the bottom bit, and lots of people swanning about with pink faces. Good isn’t it?).

Sun, sun, sun in Verbier on Easter weekend. A few clouds were seen in the sky this afternoon but that didn’t really cool things down too much. There was also some wildlife seen on La Chaux - anyone spot the rabbit? There were quite a few wearing T shirts to ski in and getting the red arms to match!!

Lots of people were enjoying the facilities on slope such as the Chateaux Carlsberg with resident DJ and deckchairs. The 1936 bar further down the mountain has also proved irresistable to those seeking a sofa in the snow.

The Alpimages photography guys were out in force making the most of the great weather with their Great Bernard - Sheena and a palm tree at Lac des Vaux and Chris and Yovo ready to take outstanding shots at La Chaux.

Les Esserts saw its final day today and well done to the team at Televerbier that kept it going so long. Beginners will now need to head up to Ruinettes or La Chaux to find suitable terrain. The Bruson ski area is also now closed for the season. However, all the itinerary routes are currently open including Col des Mines and Vallon D’Arbi. Fontaneys in the afternoon is great for getting to grips with those slush moguls!!

Skiing to the other resorts of the 4 valleys is still blocked due to the breakdown of the Siviez to Tortin chairlift. The run down to Medran is also critically thin - best advice is to take the lift down from Ruinettes at the end of the day.

Weather for the next couple of days will continue to be sunny with on mountain afternoon temperatures of up to 12 C - get that sunscreen on to avoid the lobster look. Later in the week more cloud cover is forecast - lets hope this brings some late season snow with it.

Rumours were rife today that our illustrious leader had been spotted on the Les Esserts beginners slope - Could this be true??????????

Well photographic evidence doesn’t lie and in the first appearance in living memory the great man was indeed spotted hiding amongst numerous other E.S. jackets and even riding the magic carpet.

Blue skies and high temperatures again in Verbier made for a great start to the Easter weekend. People have been sunning themselves on deckchairs and enjoying the spring snow. The Cabane Mont Fort (pictured) has been heaving at lunchtime - advice is to get there early for the great Tartiflette and other good offerings.

Conditions at Mont Fort and the Tortin and Col des Gentianes itinerary runs are good. Sadly skiing to the rest of the 4 valleys is currently blocked due to the breakdown of the Siviez to Tortin chairlift - rumours are that thios should be fixed by Sunday but check out at Medran before begining your journey!

The Les Esserts beginners slope will be closed from Monday 9th April due to lack of snow. However Bruson and Savoleyres remain open for the moment. Those valuing their skis may decide that taking the lift down from Ruinettes is wise late afternoon. There has been a river running down the the last few turns down to Medran and we expect the route to be formally closed soon.

The Verbier Rugby 7s match was well attended on Wednesday afternoon and resulted in a final match between Altitude and European Snowsport. ES won the tournament and a great time was had by all.

Weather for the next couple of days will continue to be sunny with on mountain afternoon temperatures of over 10 C and low wind speeds. Fingers crossed for cooler temperatures when clouds arrive after the weekend.

Ski resorts are funny places - you tend to get a slightly odd combination of people who aren’t, well, normal.

For example, the kind of people who might think that holding a seven-a-side rugby tournament on snow is a good idea. Which is what happened yesterday just below the 1936 bar on the piste…

The event saw ES merge with the staff from Tara’s to create a rather impressive line-up that wasn’t made any worse by the presence of Louis in a slightly questionable head band.

Suffice to say, the boys went on to win their semi-final in extra time against a rather strong (and decidedly Antipodean) side from the Pub Mont Fort, then squeak victory - again in extra time - in the final against the boys from Altitude.

So it seemed only appropriate that it turned into an excuse for another ski school social gathering - starting at the Pub Mont Fort then naturally progressing to Tara’s and after that we can’t really remember. Can we Jules?

Anyway, it was an amazing and surreal afternoon, that looked rather like this (and I must admit Karen is responsible for the rather dynamic collection of action shots)…

New snow started falling last night and gave a completely different look to the resort of Verbier this morning. Low visibility in the early part of today has turned to blue skies and sunshine again this afternoon.

Fresh powder snow could be found for the lucky few up early. The pistes remain in good condition despite the warm weather of the last few days.

Disappointing news is that the Luge run at Savoleyres has been shut for the season - so time to pack away those sledges. The Col des Mines and Vallon D’Arbi itinerary runs are also closed at the moment due to avalanche risk. The Le Sud run down the front of Savoleyres is open only to the half way mark due to lack of snow and the Route Carrefour is also closed.

The Verbier alternative to the six nations is being held at the area between Carrefour and the 1936 bar at 4.30 today. A Rugby sevens match between five teams from around the resort including European Snowsport and Taratata nightclub should provide good entertainment!!

Well over one hundred people are expected to gather in Verbier on Thursday 5 April for the famous Verbier Challenge Cup event, organised by the Ski Club of Great Britain for visitors, reps, ski guides, locals and resort workers.Head up to Savoleyres for the start at 10.45am

Weather for the next couple of days is forecast as sunny with on mountain temperatures of around 5 C and low wind speeds. Clouds willl return for the weekend - we hope they bring some more snow!!
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Alex and Ollie - so who has the best client?????

It’s Saturday and the crowds expected for Easter have started arriving. The slopes today were full of competitors for the Verbier High Five event including some pros such as Hermann Maier. Elsewhere in the resort it was remarkably quiet on the pistes.

The snow forecast for yesterday and today has failed to materialise in the quantities expected. However clouds are gathering this evening so it could be that the forecast is a couple of days late.

Air temperatures have been chilly in the morning but snow has been fairly soft due to overnight clouds stopping frosty conditions. High on the main mountain conditions are still good - especially in the morniing. Savoleyres remains empty and still a good option for morning skiing along the top and back. Although the front Le Sud piste and Route Carrefour have been shut due to snow melt.
Tomorrow is forecast as sun and rising temperatures with more of the same at the start of the week. No more snow is forecast in the immediate future - although mid April usually sees a heavy fall so fingers crossed.

Before I bang on a bout the weather and the pistes and all the usual guff, I thought it would be only fair to give Sandy some weel earned congratulations, because - after all the stick we give him about his suspicious hair style, falling over antics and gruff northern demeanor - he’s played an absolute blinder and passed his European Mountain Security Exam.

Now that may sound like an odd qualification for french bouncers, but it’s actually a desperately difficult off-piste exam. And the wee man passed yesterday. And he’s probably still in Casbar.

As for Verbier - all’s good…

OK the forecast snow seems to have gone missing, but instead we’ve had blue skies and more uncrowded pistes, despite the fact that the Carlsberg High Five has drawn loads of people to Verbier to help celebrate the sport of skiing with a few pints of Danish Champagne.

And the forecast says that the weather is going to be a mixed bag of sunshine and occasional snow flurries for the foreseeable future - although these are the same people that promised us about 15cm of fresh snow last night…. pinch of salt anyone?

staff photo copy
Originally uploaded by European Snowsport.

The Team

I hate to tell you, but today has been another stunner - and none of the predicted cloud and snow arrived, leaving us free to cruise around Verbier and enjoy great empty pistes (even through the most notorous of Verbier’s bottlenecks).

Of course these benefits pale into insignificance when weighed against the fact that the flat and resort are sadly Sandy-free at the moment, while he’s off taking his European Mountain Security exam in the aptly named Le Grave.

Still, much as everyone at ES wishes the slightly-lanky-falling-over-machine all the best, we all agree that if he chooses to leave his slightly radioactive trainers somewhere in France, Verbier will not mind in the slightest…

Anyway, here’s a picture of someone standing at the top of Atalas today looking thoughtfull. Bless them.

Blue skies and warmer temperatures on uncrowded slopes have made Verbier the place to be this week. Piste conditions have been great from early in the morning right through the day. Moguls on the main mountain are best attempted in the afternoon when the snow is somewhat softer. Although the main itineraries and Mont Fort have good conditiions all day. Other areas worth trying for those seeking bumps are at Savoleyres on the north side under the 6 man Le Nord lift and under the 4 man Tailley lift.

Conditions for beginners at Les Esserts are very good with the lower temperatures allowing snowmaking to maintain the slopes.The Route Carrefour back from Savoleyres to the main mountain is also open but watch out for bare patches in the last 100m.

The Verbier High Five sponsored by Carlsberg is set to go this Saturday 31st March. Five competitions open to downhill skiers, snowboarders and telemarkers are on the agenda: a giant slalom, a boarder cross, a mogul run, a fun “triathlon” and a parallel slalom to sort out the best of each category. Providing an opportunity to race with champions, the day will finish with a lively après-ski at the resort. Sign-up under www.verbiersportplus.ch

The next couple of day are forecast as a mix of cloud and blue skies with cooler temperatures. The next snow forecast is for around 5cm on Friday and the same again on Saturday.

Perfect pistes and great weather in Verbier it hasn’t been better all season!!! The clouds of earlier in the week have now cleared to give blue skies and fantastic on-piste conditions. Yesterday there was hardly a soul to be seen early morning on Attelas but the perfectly groomed slopes were amazing.

Off-piste was also in great condition. Tortin had bumps in the main fall line but still plenty of powder along the traverse. Col des Gentianes also looked good with the bumps being soft and gentle. further afield on Combatzelline on the other side of Siviez the carving pistes were uncrowded although somewhat icier than those in Verbier. The Vallon D’Arbi and Col des Mines itinerary routes have also been opened up after the recent snowfall - so get out there and enjoy while the cold conditions keep the snow good.

The Verbier Xtreme event went ahead today in great conditions up on the Bec Des Rosses. Crowds were at Col des Gentianes to view the event and later on in the town to see close ups on the main screen. The runs down were awesome - these guys and girls really have some guts and the show was as spectacular as always.

The next couple of day are forecast as cool temperatures of around -5C with some sun and some cloud but no new snow. From Tuesday temperatures are set to rise again with the possibility of a little snow. The next main snowfall is forecast for Friday.

Actually, nothing’s really changed, so it’s no surprise that the weather has stayed the same - still cold, still cloudy and still snowing.

The only variations have been the enthusiasm with which it’s been snowing - a bit or a lot - and the distance you can see in front of you - sometimes it’s a bit, sometimes it’s a bit less…

Which is a shame as I’d planned on filling this blog entry with pictures of our instructor training with Kevin Mocherie (a wise man in the world of skiing, however, Kevin, perhaps it’s time to have a chat with Roddy about upgrading the goggles).

So, instead, here’s a picture of clouds. But the good news is that things look like they’re about to (brace yourselves) change and get sunny.

Just in time for the Holidays, but maybe not soon enough for the Verbier Extreme tomorrow…

Crumbs.

Loads more snow in Verbier it simply hasn’t stopped for the last 3 days. While temperatures have also been much lower than recent weeks this has provided an excellent top up for the rest of the season.

Low visibility has remained a problem particularly in the afternoons where there have been shouts heards of - Hello is anyone out there????? However, today proved better all round and winds speeds have also decreased providing soft powder on -piste well below Ruinettes.

The 12th O’Neill Xstreem competition is setting up in Verbier. The famous freeskiing competition with 24 invited skiers and boarders attempting the Bec Des Rosses is set to go for this weekend. Get your position sorted at the Col des Gentianes on Saturday from 10am or see it later on the big screen on the Rue du Medran. Expect a wealth of entertainments and skills demonstrations, this is sure to be a truly great sporting event - and an opportunity for freeride pros to assist in the campaign to prevent off-piste skiing accidents.

Tomorrow morning has some sun forecast with snow arriving later. Friday and Saturday also have cloud and snow forecast with temperatures of around -5C. From Sunday expect clearer skies and time to seek out the off-piste again and get those fat skis on!!!

It’s been pretty nippy up there for the last few days, but today it wasn’t sure if it wanted to be spring or winter - so Verbier swung from sunny and beautiful to cloudy and invisible.

Still, we’re getting snow and it’s staying cold - and all the snow cannons are churning out tonnes extra - so Easter should have great conditions on piste even if Verbier has another transformation and goes dead hot like last week.

And this pretty much sums today up - is it murky and sinister or sunny and glorious? Who knows…

Verbier has been rendered almost inviisible by the low cloud and snowstorms of the last couple of days. The new snow is great but finding your way around the mountain is somewhat challenging!!

Conditions on the mountain are thick powder everywhere. Most of the runs are open but people are sticking to the lower slopes where trees make it easier to find your way around. Morning skiing is providing the best conditions - in the afternoon watch out for scraped off areas of ice in-between the piles of powder.

Also beware of large icy bumps hidden by the new snow. A BASI trainer (who will remain nameless) reportedly came to grief a number of times on attempting Fontaneys. As you can see the ES team are enjoying the weather on their all week training session.

The final run down to Medran is still shut after the melting snow last week made it almost bare. But an alternative route for the last section is available which brings you out at the top of the Medran car park.

The next few days are forecast to continue with more snow and low visibility. With on mountain temperatures of around -9C made colder by some gusting winds. Wrap up warm - winter has arrived at last.

As predicted the sunny weather has disappeared and been replaced by some pretty wintry stuff. So when the clouds parted for a few hours this morning we were treated to views of the resort that usually belong on the front of postcards.

Not a bad day at all, and made even better by the fact that top British instructor trainer and all round skiing guru Kevin Mocherie has flown in to run a week of training for ES instructors, giving us some inspired tips and advice as well as generally keeping everyone on their toes and terrifying us with his video camera…

And the wintry weather is set to continue for the rest of the week, getting even nippier - with the wind-chill the temperature could dip to -27°C tomorrow morning.

So training could be interesting.

More soon.

Verbier is expecting some more snow and lower temperatures over the week to come. Apologies for those of you missing the reports as I’ve been in Pila, Italy for the last week where conditions were even hotter than Verbier - 20 C during the day!!!

Conditions on the mountain are reported as good on-piste down to the 1936 bar - level with Carrefour. Below that things are distinctly slushy or bare in places - OK if you are on rental skis but best avoided otherwise.

The top of the mountain is still the place to head for better skiing conditions and Tortin, Mont Fort and Col des Gentaines are excellent if you enjoy moguls.

The next few days are forecast to have temperatures of around

-9C and some snow which is set to continue for the rest of the week. Wind speeds should be low so enjoy the new stuff