 Poster: A snowHead
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Weathercam, this is the first time we've been in mid- January and it hasn't been -15 with superb snow all week.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We arrived today in Serre Che. it has rained in the village since we got here after midday. you can clearly see though that the trees higher up have some snow on them so I am hopeful that things will be good up top. Either way I am going to have a great time I am sure.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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palumbex, hubby and son were up for a short while, it was definitely snowing up there.
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Hells Bells, towards the end of the week have to exchange mobiles etc and then arrange to meet up over your way in Monetier at some point the following week and take the kayaks out / down the piste 
Knee still crocked anyway (and will probably tweak it some more windsurfing this week) so will be taking it easy next week anyway me thinks!
Actually these conditions must be killing the ski du fond pistes!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Weathercam, rain is starting to turn to snow as we walked back.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Snow in the valley whoop whoop! Going ip after work!
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Snow? Woo hoo! Much of it? Could it be a great big dump of the stuff on the way...? 
Thanks
Ben
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BenW, great fresh snow today all the way down to the village, despite yesterday's rain at the bottom. Not too cold, and no wind to speak of made it a great day's skiing. I'd say a good foot of freshies at the top. Bottom could do with another dump though.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hells Bells, sounds great! Hopefully there'll be some more on the way. The weather thread indicates there may well be some tomorrow. Let's hope so!
Only another four days at work before we can set sail in the good ship Seat Leon and make way full steam ahead for Serre Che!
Four more sleeps...
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good news on the snow, seems the weathers the same there as here.. we set of Saturday morning, hopefuly the drive won't take too long. and there'll be snow at the end of it.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Was gréât today even though i didn't start tiil 2. Finnally some décent liens ib serre che
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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We begin our journey flying over on Sunday morning, bright and early. Lets hope it carries on snowing and not raining!
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You know it makes sense.
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Monday fantastic powder on unprepared pistes. Knee deep soft powder off piste. Brilliant day skiing in jacket & vest.
Tuesday just as good in the morning and after lunch skiing in light snow even at village level.
Sky blue again now and all is right in the world. Roll on tomorrow, I love this place.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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palumbex, are the runs down to village level open - with no rocks showing to damage ski bases?
Sounds great, but you might be getting the best of it!
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Poster: A snowHead
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BenW, Yes we skiid from the top to Le Bez and to Chant....? villages. No rocks and not really too iced at the bottom. Pleasant skiing all over. Even now as I look outside it is snowing very lightly so tomorrow may be fresh again.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You guys are getting a good week, looks like from Friday it really warms up with spring type conditions and then gets colder by middle of the week with maybe some snow.........
Enjoy it!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Still very nice conditions today. Snow last night was not enough to cover off piste ski tracks bit existing snow is still powder. Man, it's warm though.
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Windy on top this morning, and glorious sunshine. but yes, it was warm this afternoon, although the snow is still great. Headed over to Cucumelle, where we met Maggi and Thumbstruck at the bottom of the new Vallons chairllift. Headed over towards Villeneuve, for a bit of a ski before heading back to Monetier this afternoon. A good day blasting the pistes. . BenW, have skied back down to the village every day. I'm the first one to download if it's dodgy.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hells Bells,
Sounds great. In March last year we didn't get any fresh snow at all, so it was crisp corduroy in the mornings and slushy in the afternoons. We just ski'd Briancon side in the morning and worked our way across as the day progressed to Monetier for the afternoon. Had a great time anyway.
Only one more sleep. Skis are loaded, bags are packed. Just today and tomorrow to get through at work. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hells Bells, have sent you a PM with my mobi - out this Sat 15th - how about meeting over your way on Monday (Monetier) at the little cafe at Peyra Juana on Rochamout piste circa 11:30 - I'll be with the other half so no crazy skiing / cliff jumping etc etc
Anyone else - see you there maybe?
My jacket will either be orange RAB or RAB blue softshell - Skis Scott Missions
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Well, it's almost that time. Work is done and we leave tonight for the drive to Serre Che. Whatever the snow conditions, we're coming!
This is probably the wrong bit of the forum for this, but if anybody wants to meet up then PM me. We're staying in Chantemerle for a week.
Have fun!
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BenW, Still plenty of fun to be had. Very warm again today so sugar snow on the home run but up high is still very nice. Pistes are holding up well though so I hope you have a good holiday. I had a brilliant week. Last day tomorrow.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Sunday - first day and piste cruising..........which I think will be what the rest of the week will consist of, though will do a couple of little off piste routes later and see but will have to be North facing........my knee was not too bad, aching by the end and soon as I went into any bumps / soft snow so I could feel it complaining.
Went up on the new Vallons chair and did a couple of warm up runs down there then over to Monetier which was empty - snow very good all the way down to the bottom and no bare patches / rocks which surprised me. Pistes hard courdroy first thing and then gradually cut up producing sugar snow - but enough to get an edge on considering I'm not exactly using a full on piste ski (Scott Mission).
Back over to the Grotte for a bowl of soup and then a few runs over that way in the afternoon and then back to the hotel by 15:30.
Both me and the Mrs quite chuffed with our fitness, as we have not been doing any running (due to being members of the wounded knee club), by this time of the year we've been upping the weekly mileage as we'd be in training for Brighton Marathon etc etc
However we both have been doing Bikram Yoga three times a week and we hoped that would be good and looks like it's worked. See thread in Fitness http://www.snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=71055
Had the Mrs coming down all the way from the top to the bottom without stopping (she had to earn her hot chocolat) and she did that really well, not out of breath and no leg burn.....though the test will be how we make it down the stairs tomorrow morning 
Hopefully meeting up with Hells Bells tomorrow morning.
Should add that the Grand Aigle Hotel now have WIFI and only costs 20Euro for the season or 10 for a week - result!
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Weathercam, pistes were amazingly good today, it was just my legs that weren't.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Should have added that it was not too warm either, hence the pistes being so good - that said sun all day - at times I was bit cold but was only wearing a light merino top and a softshell jacket / light windstopper gloves - even though the sun was out, this time of year it's no where near as "powerful" as in March - hence no slush.
More of the same tomorrow then more cloud from Tuesday with snow flurries.
See you 11:30 tomorrow Helen - actually was quite reasonable there today - 5 Euro for two hot chocolats.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Great pistes today, though some icey. Off piste real hard work - hard crusty crud or heavy slushy depending on aspect. Defo best conditions early.
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Lovely sunny day, not too warm until you got back to village level. Stayed on the pistes with Weathercam and his lady. Top to bottom Monetier, then across to Cucumelle, before heading across to Chantemerle, and down the Luc Alphand to the Station for lunch. Pistes were in great nick, with only a few hard spots in the usual bottlenecks. And it was so quiet...........
No 1 son off on the train home this evening, we've still got another 4 days to enjoy 
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You know it makes sense.
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Hey All,
Two more Snowheads back here in Serre Chevalier. Nice to see some sun even if it's playing havoc with the snow. Though, as has been said, it's not as bad as we feared.
Out of interest, are there any of you regulars into ski touring - skins, shovels, ARVA's and the rest of it? We've begun to dip our toes in this water and hoping to do more of it. From reading about it, it's clear that the Queryas (on our doorstep here) is as good as it gets for touring and the tour of the Ecrins (6 days or so) more than rivals the Haute Route. We've done a few short trips round Cervieres, Laus, the Lauteret but nothing too demanding.
So, anyone else interested in sharing knowledge, experience or ambitions?
As I said we're here this week (back to Dublin on Sat) so a chance to meet up for a chat would be good. Reply or PM. We'll check the forum before heading off in the morning. 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Kevin Byrne, I think |Weathercam does a bit of touring.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Another report from Serre Che...
Beautiful sunshine and pistes holding up well, especially the casse de beuff down to villeneuve. Great late-morning.
Most pistes in the trees still have good snow but it's crusty off piste.
Fingers crossed there'll be some snow on Thursday. Hopefully.
So quiet and empty, no queues at the lifts. Excellent.
B
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Kevin I'll send you a PM - I do a fair amount of touring all around here (see http://www.anotherharddayattheoffice.co.uk/ ) - currently I'm here in Le Grand Aigle in Villeneuve - I go back Sat - but am bacxk out here again in March for 5 weeks - you're tight Queryas is good, but all around here offers good touring - though need more snow as you can see!
Had a good social ski with Hells Bells and Jules and son yesterday - skied down into Briancon today, warm at the bottom but another pleasant day working on the carving edge technique - quite tough at times as I'm in touring boots!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hells Bells,
Thanks for that Helen. We made contact and arranged to meet up to have chat.
If I'm not mistaken, I think we may have met at Chris and Lin's a couple of years back? But maybe I'm confusing you with someone else...
We had a great day of sun, snow and empty slopes today. Only marred by a spectacular 50m slide by yours truly on the slope below the Col du Vent near the top of the Yret. Entertainment for the folk on the lift. No damage except to pride!!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Kevin Byrne, no , you're not mistaken, that was me and my family you met then.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hells Bells,
Just sent you a PM Helen. We might catch up again.
Kevin
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hello people in Serre Chevalier(and elsewhere nearby/those with an opinion)
5 of us heading off to Chantermele on tomorrow's Turin Easyjet 7am flight. Just packing my gear now. Can you help me decide what to do?
I went to Villeneuve 12 years ago for my 1st ever boarding trip. Very excited about going back. I'm with 4 other boarders, and I myself just bought a new board. However I have also been skiing for the last couple of years and have my own skis too(about 8 days but carving nicely pisted reds).
This trip I really was hoping to get some guided off-piste on the board to take advantage of what I couldn't do last time I was here.......doesn't look like it's going to happen.
So do I take my new board or should I get on the skis? I'm not sure I could bear piste bashing on the board for the 3 days whilst I gaze at the out of reach. I could practice my skiing for 3 days though though. On the other hand I also have a brand new board and could practice my switch riding, and messing around on the little kickers. Really struggling here..........
I started skiing for exactly for conditions like we are going to have, but it seems such a shame not to give the new board a run out. Could take both but don't think I can be bothered for just 3 days.
So are the pistes hard and getting harder or is there still a little bit of packed powder around up top? I'll more than likely catch a few edges on the board if I force myself to ride switch all day. But I should be able to stay upright and steady(ish) on the skis!
Also any idea of conditions in the beginner/intermediate park(s)? And are they making shedloads of snow all over the mountain now that the temp has dropped dramatically?
Thanks for any updates on conditions!
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geofferson, At this stage I guess you're already packed so maybe you've made up your mind.
The weather here is now sunny and cold. Not much change for the next 3 days. There might be some snow flurries but no big dump. The pistes are good but getting icy and stones beginning to show through in a few places. Care needed betimes. Off pistes very little powder - OK, none - but there is fun to be had on the "brut de neige" areas, which are basically unpisted areas where people go within the ski domain. Some are marked as black runs, some not.
Not being a snowboarder I can't comment on that but if your mates are boarders then you will surely want to be with them. I'm not sure that your off piste skiing is as good. So my tuppence worth of advice would be to bring your new board and join your mates.
PS, when you stop don't all sit in a row across the piste! 
PPS you can also hire skis for a day if you felt the need....
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We've had a great day cruising the pistes in Monetier today. Snow is holding up very well and the higher pistes were great over here.
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PS, when you stop don't all sit in a row across the piste! wink
PPS you can also hire skis for a day if you felt the need....
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Kevin Byrne, lol !!!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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geofferson, plenty of boarders about.
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thanks Kevin Byrne, and Hells Bells,
If you see us 5 English lads across the piste then permission to spray snow. I'll keep them in check though, don't worry 
this lot don't know I have skis as I don't normally go to snow with them(last time I saw them was when we went to Ste Foy 6 years ago).........would loved to have seen their faces when I unpacked them.......but you are correct, I have the board. And you are also correct, my off piste skiing is non-existent!
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FAQ
