Verbier Half Term

Half term skiing in Verbier

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Verbier Half Term

Half term skiing and ski lessons in Verbier

What is half term skiing like in Verbier? Roddy Willis answers a few questions about this winter’s skiing conditions and for some of his tips for making the most of the skiing in Verbier during half term week.

When is the February half term holidays?

‘This year most European countries and the UK are having half term week in the same week which is the second week of February. It will be busy but if you think outside the box you can ski as if it was a low season week.’

How has this winter been so far for you?

‘The start of the ski season feels like yesterday, but this winter is rocketing along. I have just finished the first busy school holiday period of the season. During Christmas and New Year, I have been busy with all levels of skiers and I am now getting ready for the next school holiday half term period.

How has the snow been this winter?

‘This winter we’ve had exceptional snowfalls and some of the best powder skiing which is great for half term holidays as we now have a great base layer of snow across the whole resort.’

What are your tips for making the most of half term?

‘The trick is to plan your days to be out of sync with everyone else. Start early (be on the first lift) making the most of the first few perfectly groomed ski-runs. Ski through the normal Swiss lunch time (12 midi day to 2pm) avoiding the busy restaurants during this period, the pistes will be quieter, then have a late lunch in a quieter mountain restaurant!’

Where should you ski in Verbier during half term week?

‘It is a good idea to ski in the less well-known areas of the resort – Most people head to the big names like Mont Fort, Tortin etc. But if you head to areas that you’ve seen on the Verbier piste map that were not mentioned at last night’s drinks party, then it’s a good chance it will be less crowded!’

How about ski lessons in the half term week?

‘The biggest tip here is to book early and be sure the school knows the name of the instructor you are getting, ask if they can meet early to avoid the 9am rush at the bottom of the lifts. If the instructor knows the resort, then he or she will know the best methods to finding the best of the current conditions in Verbier.’

Do you have any other tips for the half term week?

‘Have fun, smile and enjoy the great skiing – The snow this year is exceptional.’

If you need help finding an instructor or ski lesson for half term week, then please do get in touch.

 

 

 

Pow Pow Verbier

Bluebird Powder Day December 11 2018

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First powder day winter 18-19 Verbier

Pow Pow Verbier

Today in Verbier – Say no more….

Ski Instructor Roddy Willis gives the low down on waps

More Wasps = More Snow | Verbier Snow Prediction for Winter 2018-19

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Ski Instructor Roddy Willis gives the low down on waps

Is a mega winter coming to Verbier?

Verbier Snow Prediction| More Wasps = More Snow?

This summer’s high temperatures and sustained warm weather have led to a plague of wasp. At times our garden in Bruson has looked like a wasp super highway. We have been battered all summer by the pesky blighters and the local Val des Bagnes fire service has visited our house twice to remove wasp nests from our roof. Our friendly cow farming neighbour has suggested the wasps are a sign this winter is going to be super snowy and bigger than last year!

While, I don’t personally use wasp’s as part of my magic equation to predict snowfall. However, I do enjoy the folklore and love the idea of another super snowy winter in Verbier! And there has been a lot of wasps!

If you are interested in talking climate change? or just wanting some banter on a chair lift then please do book some ski lessons with me in Verbier.

Gordon and Florence Tropical Storms

Gordon and Florence | Verbier Snow Predictions Winter 2018/19

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Gordon and Florence Tropical Storms

Verbier Snow Prediction

Climate change potentially is very bad for humanity. Extreme weather events. Last year we experienced one of the hottest summers on record. Massive autumnal tropical storms lined up one after another and then followed by one of the biggest winters on record.

This year average global temperatures are set to be the hottest on record. Europe has seen a blisteringly hot summer (hotter than last year) and today the National Hurricane Center is showing tropical storms Gordon and Florence lining up across the Atlantic.

Does this mean we are in for the biggest winter ever? Only time will tell but I think the signs are looking good for some great skiing this winter – Perhaps now is the time to book some skiing in Verbier?

Tropical Storm Florence Update

Tropical Storm Florence

Tropical Storm Florence

Florence has been building over the weekend and is now looking like a category ‘M’ storm (M denotes major hurricane). Florence will hit the coast of America later this week.

If you are interested in some other snow-forecasting techniques then read my blog on Smart Snow-Forecasting. Or, if you just want the current real weather in Verbier check out the my weather forecast page.

The real me (Roddy Willis) skiing the bumps in Zermatt

A brief history of time… 35 ski seasons later and still loving skiing and the mountains

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My first season as a dishwasher in the Hotel Fjord

Where it all started – Hotel Fjord Val d’Isere

In 1986 I had my first attempt at Higher Education, after a term and a half my tutors thought it best we part company… that was the moment I realised life was about choosing my own course in life, creating my own destiny. In the summer of 1987 I found a job teaching windsurfing in Turkey, my mind was opened to a life outside of the conventional, after an epic summer I arrived back in the UK. All those around me said it was time to get a ‘Real Job’ …’. so, I got a job in London selling ski holidays, I had joined the race race….

Eleven months later I was ready to throw myself in the Thames, it was time to live my life. I managed to wangle a fantastic career move, hydro-ceramic engineer for the 88/89 winter season in Val d’Isere. At the end of my first season dishwashing in Val d’Isere, not only had I had an awesome time. I had more spare cash than at any moment in the real-world job back in London… the future looked bright my career path was set.

In the 30 winter seasons since 1988 I’ve had many resort job, I’ve been a dishwasher, dishwasher ski guide, chalet boy, MBO (Maintenance and building officer), tour operator resort manager, ski rental technician, floor boy for a night club, ski tester for Ski and Board magazine, ski school technical director, ski school director, ski instructor, I even managed 3 winter seasons whilst completing a degree in Fine Craft Furniture Design and Making, I’ve trained as a Master Practitioner of NLP and Sports Hypnosis.

The common thread across the last 30 years is my love of the skiing and the mountains, I still love every day in the mountains and the best days are those when I am helping others to learn to ski and enjoy the mountains.

#Verbierrammassage 2017

Verbier Ski Piste | The Big Clean Up

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‘Come and help us clean up the mountains we all love: let’s collect all the rubbish that doesn’t belong there!’ Well that’s what the leaflet said’

It didn’t sound like the greatest of family days out, trudging around the Verbier ski pistes collecting up other’s detritus…. but our collective civic responsibility kicked-in and off we trotted to collect up soggy tissues and wot-not left on the mountain after the skiing has finished and the snow has melted. I couldn’t have gauged the day more wrongly.

We met at Medran where the organiser provided free rubber gloves, plastic rubbish bags, a free oe day lift pass, coffee & croissants for breakfast, packed lunch, an end of day BBQ, and a 1 DAY SKI PASS WINTER 2017/2018 and … one BEANIE for the first 50 inscriptions online… plus the chance of winning the rubbish sculpture and the Instagram competition #verbierrammasage.

The day was a great success with a total of over 1000 kilograms of rubbish collect from Verbiers main ski areas.

Rubbish Sculpture Competition – May the Filth be with you.

Seven teams entered the sculpture competition, everyone was looking competitive, there was 150CHF first prize to be won. With an interesting selection of creations being built: Rubbish President with the soundbite ‘Make our mountains great again’, a wigwam affair and others. My team (Me, my wife Emma and our boys Thomas 5 and Jamie nearly 2) set about building Darth Rubbish. ‘May the filth be with you’.

Verbier clean up 2017

Kato Kim does the President proud

 

 

We won...

And the winner is Darth Rubbish, we won! ‘May the filth be with you’

#verbierrammasage Instagram competition and Facebook page

Instagram competition was a great success with some great entries and won by Kato Kim with his image ‘what a toad of rubbish’

 

 

V E R B I E R Selfie at Ruinette

VERBIER Skiing & The Biggest Selfie

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V E R B I E R

V E R B I E R

Le premier Gigaselfie de Suisse est aux Ruinettes V E R B I E R

Tous à vos smartphones! Depuis cette fin de semaine, la station de Verbier propose à ses hôtes d’immortaliser leur pas- sage sur les pentes des Ruinettes, via le premier «gigaselfie» de Suisse.

 

Verbier Snow Report January 2017

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Bruson Piste in the distance

Yes, my snow and piste report from Verbier has been a little bit like the propaganda from your local dictator – There is no revolution going on here and yes the snow is amazing! Since my last report I have been a little apprehensive about reporting the truth. We have had skiing and the ski lifts are open!  But January 2017 has not produced much in the way of fresh snow. Currently in Verbier, and probably like a lot of the Alps, the piste are very firm and the off piste skiing is chalky grippy snow and a lot of moguls! Stories of recent fresh powder, is….. just a story!

Having recently spoken to many old and wisened locals, I am brave enough to admit that the weather is changing, along with the moon and all the other mystical signs! This afternoon Mount Blanc and the Grand Combin had their hats on – this is a sure sign the weather is changing – So with luck we should see a dump of fresh snow just in time for the February half term.

If you want to learn to get to grips with chalky off piste conditions then maybe book some ski lessons with me.

 

 

 

 

Snowspiracy - Looking back to Verbier from Bruson

Snowspiracy – Where is the Snow? – Snow Conspiracy Theory

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Snowspiracy – Where is the snow?

Here at Snowquarters we are discussing a potential snowspiracy. I am still taking my daily security briefings from my very own ‘intelligence agency’. This mornings’ briefing concerned a security breach. The Snow Prediction Services (SPS) computer has been a hacked by unknown external forces.

The security breach mostly concerns the SPS’s snow-forecasting predictions services. Currently the SPS is unable to accurately predict snowfalls, the computer system has defaulted into only predicting ‘Epic Snow’. Which, as you can see from the photo above isn’t actually that accurate!

The SPS has sent their secret agents out to uncover the hackers and the source of the snowspiracy. The Democratic Republic of Clambin (DRC) has denied all knowledge but has indicated that the Peoples Popular Front of Clambin (PPFC) are involved.  The DRC has alleged that PPFC have developed the skills to weaponize and control the snow, or the lack of snow, in-an-attempt to stop DRC having access to their headquarters at Chez Dany in Clambin.

This is a very complicated and fast evolving situation, which hopefully will end every soon. We can then go back to the normal service of Epic Snow in Verbier!

Another Swiss Cheese - Le Chable Verbier Train Station

Verbier Insider | Secret Submarine Base

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Le Chable Verbier Train Station

Verbier Secret Submarine Base

Not satisfied with making Verbier look like a Swiss cheese, the local building firms are getting carried away digging another massive hole, but this time down in Le Châble.  And as ever the gossip is rife. There are some great rumours and bar chat, around Verbier, about what is actually going on down at the train station car park in Le Châble.

Some people have said that the Swiss Navy are building a new secret submarine base. Others have said it is going to be an artificial surf break. Some have suggested it is a new communal nuclear bomb shelter. The Democratic Republic of Clambin (DRC) has denied any involvement. A kindly man in the Fer-a-Cheval, who was looking and sounding two sheets to the wind, suggested that a group of veteran Verbier ski bums are planning ‘The Great Escape’ to the ‘Real World’ and have started digging three tunnels (Tom, Dick and Harry) with exits in Vollèges, he also said ‘have you seen the massive pile of earth by the road on the way to Vollèges’ as further evidence to back up his story.

The real story isn’t so colourful but is a great step forwards for Le Châble. The hole has taken more than 30 years of planning and is the start of a new underground train station costing 27 million CHF.  The new station platforms will be underground and will be the first train-gondola link in Switzerland, the station will also come into line with new federal directives relating to user safety and accessibility for people with reduced mobility.  The development will also make an extra 46’000 m2 of land available for ‘Urban Development’. However at this moment it is not clear what the ‘Urban Development’ will be? Obviously there is some great potential for new rumours and bar chat.

We suspect the regulars at the station PMU bar will need a new venue for their daily glass of fendent and flutter on the ponies.

The new Le Châble train station will be ready for December 2018.