No Snow – No Problem

Photo: No Snow, No Problem. Making the most of whatever we have.

One of the constant compliments we get from customers is how good we are at creating a memorable weeks skiing when the snow conditions turn out to be not as good as expected or hoped for. Finding untracked snow when everyone thought there was none, searching out great chalky north facing slopes when everyone thought the snow would be frozen and crunchy, discovering great routes in poor visibility.

The first solution we have to ‘poor snow’ is head high. That’s why our December and April courses are in Tignes and the Espace Killy along with Hintertux on our final week. High? You bet. The resort of Tignes Val Claret is 2100m. Compare this with many other resorts of lower altitude and you can see why time after time Tignes comes up trumps for early and late season skiing. When it’s raining lower down it’s dumping snow in the higher areas such as the Espace Killy, Paradiski and The Three Valleys. Our three main destinations.

During the season? You get some great skiing in the lower resorts. Great tree skiing and less wind producing amazing snow conditions in most resorts. That’s why during the season we head off elsewhere in between hosting courses in our three main destinations. We head off to Gressoney, St Anton, the Dolomites and Japan. All these places generally have great snow records and in 2017 we’ll be in even more destinations.

In 2015 in one resort we hit it perfect. The snow was unbelievable. Waist deep. It was one of the ‘weeks’ of the season. Powder extraordinaire! Same time, same place one year later and the snow did not arrive as expected and hoped for. ‘No snow no problem’. The one thing about Snoworks staff is we will do whatever it takes to give you a great weeks skiing. We know how important it is for you. We love our skiing just as much as you do. So we want to find great skiing or create great skiing experiences all the time. It’s what we do.

Here’s some feedback from from this season.

“I was worried about the Snoworks course, as the snow was much less than the year before prior to our arrival. However, the professionalism and sheer enthusiasm of the Snoworks instructors was infectious and they and the mountain guides simply excelled themselves.  We skied what off-piste was available, learned and mastered how to ski ice, breakable crust and undertook numerous exercises, including crevasse rescues, all beyond that of a normal course, which strangely showed us that whilst perfect powder skiing is what we all desire, most of the time it is how we handle the crud that makes us a better all-round skier.  What was the icing on the cake was the trip to a nearby resort on the last day, which provided the best skiing of the holiday, after it had dumped with fresh snow overnight. I was expecting to pay for the privilege, but Snoworks were that keen to keep its customers happy, they swallowed the cost themselves. Most impressive.

“What an amazing week. I don’t know how the guys do it, but you never to fail to come up with just fantastic adventures for us every day.  Really, really enjoyed last week on the Backcountry Access course.”

“A great week last week and as ever Snoworks could not be faulted. Big thank you to Dave and Lee for finding us untracked snow every day.”

“The ultimate measure of a ski course is not where they stand in moments of comfort and perfect conditions, but where they stand at times of challenge. A great week, full on fun and learning. The Snoworks Team pulled out all the stops. “

So 2017, great snow? Who knows? As always we hope for lots and lots of snow but you can never be sure. What we can be sure of is that it you will have an awesome experience whatever the conditions and our staff will pull out all the stops for you.