Just got down from a little cruise around with Kato and the pistes are looking surprisingly better than last weekend – and it wasn’t bad then.

The run to Ruinettes is now officially open and whilst if you look really closely you’ll see the odd stone lurking there waiting to trip you up, it’s actually in really good condition. It seems the combination of fresh snow (buckets of rain in resort) and having the canons on has done the trick and piste conditions are really good.

So now it’s just the usual sweepstake on when we open all week long. My money’s on a week on Monday.

DSC01160DSC01163DSC01162DSC01165

It seems that in the last few weeks somebody somewhere has flicked a switch and winter just has kicked in. I’m sure that it was only a couple of weeks ago there were still people in flip flops and shorts. Now it’s wall to wall down jackets.

Still, that’s not a complaint – it’s looking like a real (and bizarrely empty) ski resort again. And every time it snows the chance of getting the top half of the mountain open early increases…

more-snow-in-vebier-ski-school-2more-snow-in-vebier-ski-school-1

more-snow-in-vebier-ski-school-3more-snow-in-vebier-ski-school-4

|

Another trip up the hill was as rewarding as yesterday – although thankfully with no more injuries. We also skied to Ruinettes which – whilst officially closed – is skiable and won’t take much work from the canons to get it fully operational. Roll on next weekend and hopefully we’ll see them open all week long very soon…

the view towards Grand Combin

Yes, despite rumours to the contrary the lifts opened at nine  this morning and we were there to get first tracks. Naturally, the whole experience is a little muted when it’s just Lac des Vaux open (although you could ski to Ruinette, the lower section was a little ropey).

But it was brilliant to be skiing again, although it is only the first weekend in Novemeber, and anybody sitting in the T-Bar tonight boasting about  skiing their first powder of the season (there was about five inches of fresh) will have taken their life in their hands, as borne witness by one unlucky local who caught a rock when he ventured a foot from the piste at the very bottom and is currently in Sion hospital with a broken back.

But he’ll be fine and it’s a great start for the resort for everyone else…

DSC01143

|

DSC01147 DSC01146|

|

DSC01145DSC01144

|

DSC01148

Woke up and checked the list of lifts open on the TeleVerbier site. Saw this. Green ticks in all the right places. Result.

Picture 8

Well, despite technology conspiring against us this morning (the site crashed – not my fault this time) we’re back up and running able to bring you the first proper snow in town. It’s looking pretty good for Saturday – there’s meeting tonight to decide if they start the winter this weekend…

DSC01141DSC01142