Another update from Mike. And it seems that someone borrowed the keys to one of the trucks up the mountain and rolled it on Savoleyres. All the way down Savoleyres apparently – a front flip that lasted about 300m…

It might not be powder snow but the cannons have done their work up at Lac des Vaux, and added to the snow that fell way back in October. And you know what? It looks pretty promising.

Mike was up there today and as ever played a blinder by taking photos whilst messing about on the piste machines.

And with Verbier opening this weekend (well, the bit of Verbier that is Lac des Vaux) it’s looking good. Better than expected, actually.

Now, crucially, you won’t catching me claiming it’s about to dump here or making vague projections about when the snow comes back. But I can say that when it does, the ground will be nice and cold and it should all settle rather nicely.

So think happy thoughts people.

Yes, finally starting to feel like winter. And despite the sun this morning the temperatures have definitely plunged. So much in fact they’ve had the snow cannons on up at Lac de Vaux for (we think) the first time this winter. I say winter, but it’s really only been Autumn so far…

To see if they’re on or off (they switch them off when the sun gets on them) you can check the webcams here. The Mont Fort webcam is particularly splendid.

But the really good news today is that the Norwegians say snow next week. And I trust the  mighty yr.no – almost as much as Kent does.

Anyway, this is what they say. You’ll notice there are lots of subzero temperatures, but if you can exepnd the energy scrolling down to the bottom, you’ll get cheered up.

Now, everyone, please cross your fingers and think happy thoughts…

 

So, whilst we haven’t yet had winter sink it’s icy claws in to Verbier (see how prosaic I can be early in the morning?), the good news is it’s allowed plenty of progress on the new lift, as well as helped the guys who are fitting all the usual ones.

And, as ever, Mike has been working on things and sent us a few photos. Which is always good, isn’t it?

So, first up are the new drag lifts he’s been fitting. Mike claims that it’s like building IKEA furniture as they actually come flat-packed and he has to build them in the  workshop. Now, we love everything about that Swedish blue and yellow temple of stuff, it’s not a parallel that’s filling us with confidence… But he says he read the instructions before he started, and it’ll all be fine.

Next up is the main course – the new lift. Now, Olly has already struck with a cracking suggestion for the name. If you imagine that there’s already the “James Blunt Chair” (aka the Attelas Chair Lift) which got it’s nick name after it was opened by the singer, he has suggested “The post-Carrefour Digestion Express” as, let’s face it, we’ll be using it extensively after a nice lunch in the sunshine on the Carrefour terrace.

But the seats have arrived and rumbled through town the other day on the back of a whopping lorry, and they’re already fitting them and frankly it’s looking good to go – especially the development of the new housing at the start of the lift which was looking worryingly like a big hole in the ground last time we checked and rather unlike a lift. How things have changed…

And finally we have the preparations at Les Essertes. Many of you will have forgotten all about our little magic carpet on the beginners slope in town, but for our instructors it’s always nice to see it getting prepared – we’ll spend a lot of time there this winter, so let’s hope Mike’s read the instructions on this too…

The IKEA drag lifts:

The new chair lift:

Ahhh, Les Essertes: