Trip to Verbier

[BabyG]

Hi everyone,

I'm off to Verbier early March, and I'm really tempted to send my kit over there beforehand and drive over there. (Not in any way reminiscent of a popular TV show..) Anyone got any experience of driving in the alps, particularly when it's likely to be snowy? I'm quite used to driving in the snow, but I guess the Cavalier (I know I know) I had back then would feel a bit different to the NSX!

I guess the problems I'm worried about are steering and braking with so little weight on the front? Oh, and archaic traction control. And the beating the clutch might take pulling away in 2nd?

I'd obviously have to take chains (feasible with the NSX?), but I think dropping several hundred quid on snow tyres would rule it out as an option. I'd leave enough time so if we had a big drop I could wait for the roads to clear. The plan is very much to avoid driving on snow where possible - is it fair to assume the roads are cleared as well as on the French side?

Would I have any options for leaving the car a bit lower and getting a taxi the rest of the way?

Any help appreciated

Rich

ps I'd budget one hell of a clean when I got back to get all the muck off, don't worry!

[Senninha]

Rich,

Just a thought but it might be worth contacting a few of the 'local' owners via NSXPrime. They should be able to advise (for or against) on driving in the area and conditions.

HTH, Paul

[Rob_Fenn]

Archaic traction control?! I think it's great... Manual steering is going to be beneficial too.

Personally i wouldn't want to drive around a 5mph sliding around in the snow, i doubt i'd enjoy being worried i'm going to slide off a cliff thanks to some black ice. I've already seen photos of a group who copied the TG idea and one binned his super car in nice weather...

We're all different though, any sign of dodgy weather and i want to stay under the duvet. If you want to do it, go for it!

[Kevin]

I drove to Verbier last year. It's easy. Mind you there was little snowfall last year at Xmas.

You can stay at the base of the mountains, as there is a cable car that goes up to Verbier. One option.

The actual driving up to Verbier bit, is quite short. Look at it this way, coaches have to go up and down there all the time. The roads are kept clear. Unless there has been a recent snowfall.

If you have any kind of accident without winter tyres you will be fined. Sometimes you can be stopped and your tyres checked before going up mountains. You will need to have chains, again, they check for them.

The worst part, for icy driving, wasn't up the mountain to Verbier itself, but over other hills prior to Lausanne. We saw one car in a ditch. This part of the drive, is much longer than the final stint up to Verbier.

I can't tell you the route we took, as I just followed the satnav. We put in the hotel name, and it got us there, no idea which way!

It's great to drive, much better than the cattle class airways we used this year. Next year we'll be driving again, hopefully in a new car.

Oh and we didn't use the NSX. Don't be daft. The CR-V was deployed for this mission. The winter tyres are great. I still have them on, and have been driving all year on them. They last just like any other tyre.