Tignes and The Espace Killy 2014/15 (Useful Links Post 1)

A snowHead

Quite windy today in Val. By 11am conditions were not great. We started the day skiing through banks of fog. By 11am it was a different story. Stronger winds and gritty snow in your face. Pistes started to empty a bit. Runs down from folie were busier as people headed for tree lined runs.

Tomorrow should be a different story. Sunshine predicted from about 11am. Friday looking good too.

A snowHead

Another duvet day! Well cleaning and other endless trivia. We had 8cm in the village and 10 on high yesterday and I suspect we have had at least that since brekky this morning as it has, on average, been snowing moderately all day. There was a brief respite about 1645 just before the lifts shut - I saw one or two nice lines being put down Palafour. There were a few blue patches in the sky - which allowed you to see the height of the active cumulous clouds - which is why we are currently experiencing heavy snow with massive flakes (the more turbulent the shower clouds the bigger the flakes generally). Very Happy

How long this will continue I'm not sure - it is supposed to be petering out as I type, the clouds are also mostly below the weather radar horizon (ie there's a mountain between us and the radar) so that's no help either. Anyway the major feature tonight and tomorrow will be the wind together with quite chilly temperatures, the wind has picked up markedly in the last couple of hours. I suspect there will be much rearranging of the current snow - so there will be a lot of slabs around - as for the quality of the snow lower down - not sure. But the sun will be shining even if some of the lifts are closed. Friday the wind will abate and the temps will be a bit warmer and the early signs of spring appear on Saturday. High pressure looks to predominate to the middle of the week - so sun and chilly mornings followed by really nice weather. May be some fog down the valleys though from Monday as the pressure gradient drops out all together.

Just an early heads up for those travelling through Geneva over the next couple of weekends - the Geneva Motor Show starts tomorrow and runs through to Sun 15th - so it will be a lot busier in the Cointrin area - expect your transfer company to add some time to the transfer (or check they have realised).

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Clear & cold but it is blowing a real gale Very Happy

Some of the top lifts are not going to open rolling eyes

You need to Login to know who's really who.

To quote Meat Loaf "All revved up with no place to go!"

Every lift is showing Vent Violent at the moment - hopefully some will open lower down - unfortunately Tignes Radio station seems to have blown away - as nothing doing on t'wireless.

You can see the effects of the wind on the Webcams at 0800hrs - Shocked

Radio Val report -14 dec C and 42mph winds at the top of the Bellevarde - that's a wind chill of -29 deg C

Lots of ski Apps - hopelessly wrong on the wind - still

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

It's a been a grim week to be out in a lot of resorts - snowy windy and bitterly cold

You'll need to Register first of course.

@chocksaway,

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@GeorgeVII, Very Happy

But looking at the forecast for the weekend it would appear that Lord And Lady George VII ticked the easy transfer and jolly nice weather option boxes (again)!!

After all it is free

@chocksaway, Just heard from Jim. They've sacked it off for the moment. Very little open. The queue for Tichot is so big that you can see it from the Toviere webcam! rolling eyes

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

heading out on the 14th, I will be gutted if there is this much bad weather...

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Heading out on Saturday and it looks like the weather will be of the other "bad" sort, ie wall to wall sunshine & no new snow...oh well, unpack the thermals and replace with T-shirts and shades...life is so hard sometimes! rolling eyes

snow reports

Lots more lifts open now, although it is still windy at altitude !

@chocksaway, just wanted to say that, although I'm not going to be anywhere near the EK this season, I really appreciate your updates. I'm guessing you were a pilot at some point, given your handle and knowledge of all things meteorological and flight related. It's an education reading your posts and sometimes even relevant, if I'm going to be in the area! But not this season - have to settle for a trip to the Grand Massif on the 19th of this month. 3rd trip of the season and unfortunately the last until next 2016.

I keep reading posts about people being worried about warm weather on the horizon. What's so wrong with spring conditions folks? There's a beauty to spring skiing that you miss if you constantly obsess about where the next powder dump is coming from. Crud/slush is great stuff to ski if you learn to embrace it. Like gixxernikick above - that's the spirit! Beats the crap anyone in EK has had to deal with in the last week or so any day. Toofy Grin

You know it makes sense.

I'm hoping for some nice spring conditions when I get there on the 15th, I LOVE skiing in slush!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Blooming cold morning. Wind blasted face and only a few lifts open in Val. Move onto midday and lifts were opening. The weather eased off for a couple of hours so skied in beautiful French sunshine. Later in the afternoon the wind returned but lots of good skiing on fairly empty slopes. Just chilling with après beer in blue note. Roll on tomorrow and more sunshine.

A snowHead

@HoneyBunny, im going on the 14th and certainly do not want slush haha, surely good snow is better?

A snowHead

@mickv, Thanks very much for the compliment - I was actually a Tornado navigator for 20 years before climbing a little way up the slippery pole - before I decided to jump off and become a ski bum. I still have a lot of mates in the airline business so keep in touch and whilst weather forecasting has improved dramatically since I started flying none of the basics have changed - nor has my healthy scepticism of meteorologists - developed over years of being surprised Shocked

As you may have gathered I spent the morning in the gym as the queues for the few lifts that were open were horrendous, much as love most of the French I really can't do queuing with them! As lunchtime passed more opened but we have just had some monumental gusts - I hope that the links stay open to get everyone home.

As for the snow - we may have to wait for SW to come in - but the pistes look great. Off piste looks a different matter - obviously there is a large risk but even given that there have been very few people off piste at all today so I suspect its not great - the whole of the Lavachet Wall was just waves of windblown snow. As today's screaming winds (152 kph at the top of the Bellevarde at 10 this morning - that's only 8ks short of Johann Clarey's downhill speed trap record!) were from the North and North east we now have wind loaded slopes almostaround the compass. The official risk level is 4 above 2800m tomorrow due to 'wind transport' (so really its 4 already) so be very careful.

The winds will calm down slowly through the night as the zero deg isotherm climbs up the hill - so tomorrow will be sunny with a cold start and warm afternoon, Saturday will be the same (but a bit warmer) as will Sunday, Monday will be the same up here but a chance of fog down in the Valleys. Tuesday will be - you get the idea. Even I could be a forecaster in high pressure conditions wink

. Its going to last for sometime and it does appear that spring is here for at least a week, after that the Jetstream is doing starange things so we could have a return.

So what does that man for snow conditions next week - off piste will be varied at best - windblown at height and consolidation will take place rapidly lower down even in the trees. So not so much in the way of powder - however we may get into that fantastic freeze-thaw cycle of spring or corn snow which is fab if you get the timing right - and in the strong sun its renewed every day Very Happy

(but you have to know where to go wink

). On piste will be fine - if a little hard in the morning and slushyish lower down in the afternoon - by which time all sensible people will be on a terrace supping G&Ts. Now up here (lower resorts are going to suffer) and based on the metre of heavily compacted snow on my roof (still like the black hole of Calcutta in the back bedroom as no light is getting through the Velux) I would suggest that the pistes will be great for at least a fortnight without a top up. The snow on them has been compacted every night for 2.5 months so will melt a lot slower than what's on the roof (and there's no heating underneath!)

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Im arriving on the 14th and will happily settle for pleasant days. Clearly wont look a gift horse in the mouth if it snows again but have no interest in -25 wind chill

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@dan100, couldn't agree more! nice dump of snow before the 14th then let the sun come out! not asking for much...

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@GO1996, well yes, nice snow is preferable. Actually mid-March last year in Val was amazing; cold temps and great snow all week - no slush at all!

I'd take slush over ice all day long.

You'll need to Register first of course.

@HoneyBunny, true aficionados enjoy the holy trinity of ice/snow/slush that Spring Skiing provides on a daily basis - and all under the blazing March sun Very Happy

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@red 27, high 5! Cold beers, warm sun and snow, ahhhh Very Happy

After all it is free

@HoneyBunny, are you having a Spring Break this year Hon? (mines on the 15th) Very Happy

@red 27, yes indeed, mine's on the 15th too! snowHead

I'll raise a glass to you Toofy Grin

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Bring on the slush! And the beer....

Thanks chocksaway - that's an interesting change of career and one which I would love to follow were it not for debts, kids, business and like. One day maybe. When my body's too old to take the punishment probably.

Anyway, keep those updates coming.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Yesterday was an interesting day due to the high winds and restricted lift openings. As@chocksaway, says the wind at altitude was over 150KMPH and this ensured nothing opened on time rolling eyes

The wind reduced a little by 10.am and Paquis opened in Le Lac & Tichot in Val Claret but as you would expect the queues were BIG wink

We managed Paquis and a great run down piste H before catching the bus and going home Sad

The wind had reduced considerably by lunchtime and most lifts opened so I ventured back out for at a few runs in the afternoon. I only skied on piste but the snow was just fantastic with only a few people about. It was great just to hoon around in the soft snow.

This morning is once again clear and cold although the temperatures are due to increase during the day Very Happy

The conditions should excellent for anyone arriving this weekend.

snow reports

Glorious day on piste Very Happy

Had a charge round the lower slopes which were pleasantly quiet - I suspect GM Fever had set in and all the jollidaymakers were queuing to get to the top of the Glacier. very little activity off piste and what I saw just looked like windblown/frozen crud - a couple more days of warming before we get to the spring snow stage- it was still very cold this morning. Also saw a massive avalanche down the North Face of the Grande Cassse - the dark foreboding mountain next door to the Grand Motte.

And for the weather- as yesterday - warming up, sunny days and cold nights - just the chance of a bit of high cloud. So bikinis and sun tan lotion next week (ooooerrrr Missus).

And the travel - flying - might be a bit bumpy in the UK first thing especially in Scotland (where there is a chance for drizzle) but fine for flying - over here will be smashing. Still a lot of traffic over here with 30000 TFEWs going down the hill and 32000 PFFWs coming up the hill - so still quite busy, so there will be jams in the favourite places but hopefully with good weather, no rocks or alien invasions it will be a lot easier than last week. Shocked

Oh and don't forget the GVA motor show - that will add to the snags there.

You know it makes sense.

We are coming from GVA tomorrow but well prepared for a long transfer with an iPad full of films Razz

conditions out there look great, can't wait to get on skis again!

Anyone know how much snow there is in the vallee perdue currently, how much scrambling/crawling?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Well the forecast was almost right - just a thin layer of high cloud which took the sting out of the sun - maybe a good job as it is quite warm now so it will have protected the snow a bit. However, for the foreseeable future it will be spring like - but again a chance of a thin layer of cloud. The resort dis seem quite busy for a Saturday - especially up the GM - no chance of a ride on the cable car this morning without a 30 minute wait or so - not for me. But the snow on piste is generally still in very good condition - and there was a chance of some high speed cruising today in the quieter slopes. Came home for a siesta - as last night well .....you know.

For flying tomorrow the UK will be breezy and therefore bumpy and the chance of a shower almost anywhere - the London airports will have mist but not enough to cause disruption if it remains as forecast. Over here all will be tickety-boo.

@belette, I skied a bit of Valley Perdue the other day but not to the bottom and there was plenty of snow - not sure if you would have to do any clambering!

As the French Hols have now finished we are back to hosting various events to help attract folks to the resort. This week it is the SFR Freestyle Tour incorporating the Ski halfpipe World Cup Final in the half pipe in Val Claret - all this means to mere mortals is a diversion from Double M to the bottom of Bollin as all the paraphernalia of such an event takes up half the piste. The schedule is as follows:

Monday and Tuesday - 9am: Trainings
Wednesday - 10am: Men’s qualifiers
Thursday :
- 11am: Women’s qualifiers
- 7pm: Finals
- 8:15pm: Fireworks

So Thursday looks spectacular!

Additionally on Tuesday and Wednesday there is the X Speed Ski Tour on the Lognan Piste in VC where you can go up against the speed gun on a segregated piste - so you can see how much all those Apps have been fibbing about your top speed wink

Next week will be Air Ladies (18th and 19th) a half pipe event with some of the best in the World raising money for Charity. We then have the natura spectacular of the Eclipse on the 20th. Following that there is Gay Pride Week 21-28 Mar and the Brits the same week. From 22 Mar - 3 April Tignes will also host the British Championships - its going to be busy.

A snowHead

Another glorious day on piste Very Happy

Sunny early doors but a very thin layer of cirrus developed through the morning - aided by some unusually persistent contrails - some of which could be seen hours after the flight had passed through. On the 1st Palafour lift and had a great charge down on an empty piste, we laso took in the Grand Motte and La Daille - all in great condition. Palafour was just getting a bit soft by 1400. Unusual site of the day was a STGM guy on a skidoo coming to rescue a boarder whose board had cracked (correct term) the full width so the front end was all floppy. Didn't seem to be as many people today which was nice.

The next few days will all be the same with a sunny start and then thin high cloud. The freezing level will be around 2800m by lunchtime.. There are signs that the high pressure will break down late Thursday into Friday when it will cool down and there may be a chance of some new white stuff.

Final Preparations are being made to the half Pipe in Val Clret - blimey it's steep Shocked

A snowHead

oooh some new snow to welcome me next weekend would be nice. I'm glued to the webcams at the moment!

I also saw some video of me skiing and I'm a lot sh*tter than I thought I was, so I will spend the week doing drills to improve my counter-rotation and stop me steering into turns with my shoulders!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Definitely a glorious day Smile

Those skies were stunning.

Pic while messing about on Sache Smile

Captain S

You need to Login to know who's really who.

. . . and to test your local knowledge - where was I about to go over the side of? What run?

Captain S

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Haven't been there for an age so my knowledge is rusty but the Signal?

You'll need to Register first of course.

0/10

Must try harder! Very Happy

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Am I allowed to answer? wink

The horizontal distortion threw me for a minute...

After all it is free

I've only been to Tignes once but maybe Isolee?

Henri?

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Yesterday a few of us went to Val d'Isere and played in the Off Piste all day. I will post the photos in the Espace Killy Album later on my Les Arcs Winter facebook page.

We managed to do about 9000 Vertical Meters. Not a bad effort. The seven off piste routes we did today were: Col Pers, Cugnai, Les Marmottes, La Spatule, Tour de Charvet, Le Lavancher and Le Grand Vallon.

Most routes had good snow and even some powder at times, but we also found hard frozen crud and wind blown crust.

The sun shone all day and it was well worth the effort of driving to Val d'Isere. We parked at Fornet which is still free. If you have a week or longer Paradiski Pass you get a free day in Espace Killy ski area. Today we were back in Les Arcs. Very Happy

Help!!

Tignes and The Espace Killy 2014/15 (Useful Links Post 1)

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Snow Reports - weather - snow conditions