Snow report Grisons, 01/17/2016

Snow condition

The snowfall of the last few days has made the first off-piste descents possible. But you shouldn't put on new skis just yet. The base is still very poor in places. Especially in areas where the wind has been able to blow undisturbed. Forest OK - occasional wood contact in the dense vegetation.

Snow quality

The persistently low temperatures ensure loose powder. Only in wind-affected areas and steep sunny slopes is there a noticeable cap (wind, melting).

The SkiPatrol blasted continuously from 07:30 to the opening of the ski area. Several self-releases could be observed in the open terrain. Some of the edges were already quite massive (1m) - but the dimensions were all quite manageable (although the terrain was also rather moderately steep). A few longer slides in the steep sections. The conditions were less dramatic than we had feared, but we consistently avoided every slope with drift snow and the lifts only ran up to 2200m. Everything above that was still closed.

Overall impression

A day or two with slightly warmer temperatures would be great now. Then there would be a base to work on. Otherwise, good snow, but still without an adequate base.