 Poster: A snowHead
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Ahhh, Serre Ratier....scene of one of my most embarrassing and epic full yard sale falls. Just up from all the resto/bars with their bloody terrace on-lookers and lines of deck-chair "experts" no doubt all pissing themselves with laughter. Well, I probably would have done 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A "dusting" in the valley to wake up to this morning.
And there are patches of blue sky , so viz might not be so much of an issue today.
Think I'm working most of the morning, subject to the conference call in ten mins 
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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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Just back from a brilliant day's skiing. We got fresh tracks on a couple of runs above Monetier then played on the unpisted blacks up there. Then over to above Villeneuve for lunch before a run down the pretty icy marteau then up for a quick play on the blacks off the eychauda drag. All followed by a nice blast back to Monetier. Last day tomorrow 
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@sugarmoma666, were you not tempted to ski along the ridge to the left of the Eychauda drag and then drop down after around 400m ?
Been at it all day working (though can't complain) and weather looking good for touring tomorrow hopefully.
OH had a good ski with the "client" and I can hear zzzz's coming from his room 
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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 wrote: |
| @sugarmoma666, were you not tempted to ski along the ridge to the left of the Eychauda drag and then drop down after around 400m ? |
Do you mean left at the top of the drag and then down where Isolee would be if it was open? We've never really done off piste so aren't venturing far off the marked pistes. The area under the Vallons lift was just too tempting earlier but I bottled it when I thought I might get stuck the wrong side of one of the gullies and went back to the piste. I guess it might have been a good week to get some off piste instruction but too late now. Any suggestions on where to go tomorrow?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@sugarmoma666, just use these conditions to ski just off the piste in the tracked soft snow, you will not find untracked but it's skiing the tracked is great prep for off piste ventures.
The area off the Vallons is now safe and you'll be ok playing in that as long as you do not venture to far away from the piste.
Here's hoping we wake up to bright clear skies.
Have a good one and remember speed is your friend when skiing off the piste!
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@Tom Doc,
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Our guide for the wk, Lionel Coutton-Jean
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Ah, we had Lionel last year! He was great.
Lovely photos and reports @Weathercam] and @Hells Bells, keep em coming.
T-9 daty till snowboarding for me 
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Decision time is approaching. Should I be persuaded to visit Serre Che in Feb half term? Quite happy to piste ski but would be interested to hear what the pistes are like from Serre Ratier down?
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Oooooohhh forecast freezing levels are looking much better for next week, though still a lot can change..............
Snow coming in earlier but think we'll be in the trees looking at those wind speeds!
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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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You know it makes sense.
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We heard about this yesterday from the guy in the wine shop next to Géant, sad news.
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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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@Hells Bells, are you still out next week?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yes we are. Cacciatore and his fancy are here too.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Hells Bells, fancy ??????
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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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sorry, Fiancée (Schuss in Boots), bloody predictive text.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Hells Bells, I think you'll find 'Fancy' is in fact the correct term on this occasion.
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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, a sad couple of days - just seen on pistehors 6 died in Avalanche south of briancon.
Worst accident for a number of years.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Weathercam wrote: |
@sugarmoma666, just use these conditions to ski just off the piste in the tracked soft snow, you will not find untracked but it's skiing the tracked is great prep for off piste ventures.
The area off the Vallons is now safe and you'll be ok playing in that as long as you do not venture to far away from the piste.
Here's hoping we wake up to bright clear skies.
Have a good one and remember speed is your friend when skiing off the piste! |
I really enjoyed that Serre Chevalier leave so many runs unpisted, and in most (but not all cases) mark that on the piste map. The cibout area above Monetier was great practice, since they've more marked out an area than a piste as such.
When we went up the Eychauda drag on Friday (final afternoon), we were delighted to find the Isolee run had opened. The run along the top of the ridge is spectacular, although a bit hard work if you didn't get up enough speed to get up the first big uphill section  . It was a bit of a surprise, though, when we got to the steep bit and that wasn't pisted. It's not marked as one of the "Brut de Neige" areas and if we'd realised we might not have taken one of our group who was a bit nervous and took a while to get down. In fairness, though, I thought it was actually easier skiing than caban de berger had been a few minutes earlier, but I think the initial steep pitch freaked him a bit.
I'm now feeling quite hooked on skiing in powder, which up until about a year ago I had no idea how to handle.
I hope others heading out to Serre Chevalier this season have as good conditions as us, and that the snow stabilizes a bit.
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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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Arrived yesterday and headed up the Prorel. At 9.30 the queue was long...made so by the slowness of the Prorel lift. Never seen it this slow. When we got to the top we headed for the Serre Blanc drag. Mega queue!!! After taking the new chair lift and looping down to the intermediate station of the Prorel a couple of times, the queue for the drag was no shorter. Eventually we got over and did various runs. We didn't go as far as Monetier. Stopped at the Clot Gauthier lift and the Eychauda drag. Isolee wasn't open and we headed right to where an avalanche had apparently spontaneously discharged. Probing had been going on but it looks like no one was caught TG. Didn't look like a dangerous slope. Really unpredictable at the moment it seems.
Overall the amount of snow is still below what is needed. Some great conditions on piste but also quite icy in places. Several serious looking accidents on piste. Both of us had a taste of the snow at various times!!!
Montgenevre looked to have more snow as we drove past it yesterday. Might go in that direction tomorrow.
Avalanche risk still 3 today. Touring conditions risky. Time to play it safe.
Keeping on eye on the predicted snow fall for later in the week. Given that we are leaving on Sat we may have to jump ship a day early to avoid the possibility of the road down from Montgenevre into Italy being closed for avalanche risk.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Good pootling day above Monetier, snow excellent, but occasional wind-blown icy patches and some fresh stuff would not be sneezed at. It was damn cold, and once the sun went behind the mountains, we went back to the warmth of Pré Chabert and hot chocolates. Heading over this morning to meet up with the guys and perhaps ski Clot Gauthier sector but we'll see how things pan out once we meet up.
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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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T-5 days till my SC trip - following with interest both on-piste but more importantly off-piste conditions. 
Have a nice time out there everyone!
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@kat.ryb, I'm having a couple of days off skiing (as have some work to catch up on), plus I'm not going off piste touring etc until things settle down.
Conditions we encountered on Friday was a wake call for me, and then the news of the tragic events of Thurs and the weekend, as well as the slide here sort of made that decision final, we can wait.
We're all hoping that we get the much needed snow all the way down to the valley. Could well be the trees Thurs and Fri as could well be windy, just hope the lottery that is this forecast delivers plentifully here.
Ciao
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You know it makes sense.
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So, it was Montgenevre today as planned.
Verdict: not great. The cold (brass monkeys) and the poor viz did not create a positive mood to begin. But the biggest issue was again the lack of snow. Lots of bare patches and small plants, trees etc showing through. The skiing was also quite restricted with many runs closed. The south side (where the Serre Thibaud lift goes) essentially had 1.5 runs open...the blue Pharo and the blue from TS Chalvet that merges with Pharo. Oh, and the green that meanders down somewhere following a road. Very disappointing as that south side can be good fun.
Anyhow, for the record, I was wrong about the quantity of snow...Montgenevre is no better than Serre Che.
Tomorrow, who knows. Maybe take out the snow shoes and go for a little walk. Maybe a wee tour is the risk level improves. 17 dead in the French Alps since the start of Winter. Nine of them in the Haute Alpes region.
Gloom descends.
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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, bloody hell, you'll be accused of being glass half empty, a scenario we can remedy tomorrow pm
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Poster: A snowHead
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Is Aiguilette still closed due to lack of snow? Hopefully this week's dose of white stuff should help if that's the case?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@RetroBod, It was closed yesterday but don't know if that was due to a lack of snow - don't think so. As you know there are two (lovely) red runs down to the Aiguillette lift. My guess is that they only open that during busy times. Otherwise very few people would use it and two people would have to be employed. Economics...
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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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Shh don't tell everyone. 2 of my favourite runs!! Quiet too.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It is usually open during our January trip.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Weathercam, we're not heading back to the UK, although we still have to negotiate Montgenevre as we are heading to the Dolomites.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 27-01-15 13:16; edited 1 time in total
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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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Let's hope we make it to Arabba, or it could indeed be a interesting week.
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Haven't even stuck my nose out of the door today. Think we've both got a dose of mountain lurgy.
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