 Poster: A snowHead
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Happy to report that both Mephisto Superior and Gers bowl are now OPEN!
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So, they wait for me to leave and then open Gers!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Chris Mason, it's OK - they closed it again today just to make you feel better about 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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Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 13-02-15 21:18; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Haven't posted about conditions for a few days, so thought it was time for an update.
Slopes have been busy this week with the first of the French winter holidays and there are now some bare patches about. Dahu, Marvel, Bergin all have areas where it's right down to the grass. Coming up Chariande Express today you could see that the pisteurs had been pulling snow onto the pistes from large areas to try to keep things in good condition. But the bottom line is that snow is urgently needed before it gets even busier next week. In some places the solid slabs of ice that were around at New Year have reappeared as the snow has worn down, there's a particularly nasty one on Perce Neige not far from the three poles.
Elsewhere, and particularly in Flaine, there are still some pistes with great conditions. Gers was briefly open today, but not planned for opening tomorrow. They still haven't opened Fred at all and we are hoping they will open it on Saturday, which will be our last skiing day this trip.
Fingers crossed for the promised snow to arrive early next week, for those heading over at the weekend......
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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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Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 13-02-15 21:17; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Zorrac, yes definitely gone before Paris arrives, we're only here now as the snow wasn't good earlier. I've been having severe sense of humour failures at all the bad behaviour in lift queues, people who don't look where they're going, etc. and I know it's only going to get worse next week!
Hope you manage to sell your IBIS room, if it wasn't so far down the mountain I'd offer to stand outside on Friday night offering it to the highest bidder, I'm sure there'd be takers then. 
People keep saying that it's due to snow, but neither Meteo or YR have anything for Friday, and the forecast after that is not for very much and is down as 'unreliable'.
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What is major determinant of whether or not Gers bowl is open?
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Last edited by After all it is free  on Fri 13-02-15 21:17; 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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@Zorrac, the marked piste itself doesn't seem very steep. Is it avi risk from the steeper sides of the bowl that might hit the piste? Or they just keep whole bowl closed if avi risk anywhere in bowl even if not threatening piste since so many skiers treat it like go anywhere terrain?
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Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Fri 13-02-15 21:17; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Did Gers bowl on Saturday ..it was a lot of fun but sadly being a bit of a rookie on button lifts with a tray on my feet I could nt get up the drag lift..much to the amusement of the large crowd waiting to get up..bit of a pain. Still Sixt is a nice place for an uncheduled visit all by yourself without your mates who are waiting at the top for you, but whom you can't phone because there's no signal..
Might go back to skiing..
Shipjack
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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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@Shipjack, haha - how long did your mates wait at the top? 
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Weather today better than forecast - cloudy to begin with but lots of sun later.
Fred finally opened today and I need to take back all my comments over the last week or so about them holding it back for Paris holidays. It was clear that they'd had to work really hard to get it open at all, with huge areas of snow pushed onto the piste, and still it had rocks/grass just a couple of hours after it opened. The lift queue at 11am was long, as everyone tried to get up to what I'm sure they expected would be really good snow. But I guess there was more wind about than we realised when the snow fell a couple of weeks ago, and that caused the problems.
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You know it makes sense.
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@sj1608, Was the black run (Agate?) off the top of the chair open as well? If so, how was it?
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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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@Chris Mason, no it wasn't open, although there were people going down it. I don't do blacks, so they always look a bit iffy to me! But there were certainly lots of rocks still poking out and quite a few holes.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Fly tomorrow for 6 days. Can't wait, conditions look good... Will send updates during the 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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Conditions are pretty damn fine in my opinion. Crowds seem less than usual for half term. Longest queue today was 10 mins at the GME at 9:45am then maybe 5 mins at moriliion 1100 at 3pm. Slopes busy in usual pinch points but otherwise a pleasant surprise. Not many bare patches above 1100m - happy days.
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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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Thanks steve. Looked busy on webcam but delighted to learn it is not !!!!!!
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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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Don't get me wrong. It's busier than January
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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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Don't get me wrong. It's busier than January
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sorry Steve, yes I expect it to be busy.......but still can't wait. See you on the slopes !!!!!
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Agree with Steve it's a lot less busy than at New Year or last Feb. Fred open today but not Agate. Piste conditions excellent and a lovely sunny day. Cascades and Gers were open too, didn't bother though, just did some nice piste cruising. Doesn't get better than this for me.
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Skied Les Carroz and Morillon today. Big queues at Kedeuse gondola, lots of ski school etc so went up on the slow chairlift next to it and topped up the tan, plenty of time to do so! Restaurant top of Kedeuse had huge queues so carried on down the green run to the second one on the right which has a good "pay in advance" system and was very efficient and pleasant. After lunch, crossed to Gron red runs, all good, then crossed to Morillon later in the day, pistes holding up well in the sun and not too busy as the runs are wider than most of Les Carroz. Liaison back to Samoens predictably busy but got back in one piece, another lovely day.
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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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Sorry about the lack of reports. Little to add really. We had a fantastic week. Skied 1 day in Les Gets/Morzine where conditions were very similar but the slopes busier. Had a lovely quiet day in Praz de Lys/Sommand (secret crowd escape place for a good day - ssshhh) where the lift system is very dated, but VERY quiet with some lovely red runs and pisted blacks. Then the rest of the time was spent in the GM. With many years of Half Term experience I now rarely spend more than a few mins in a queue... the GME in Samoens being the only exception, but even that can be kept to a minimum by waiting until 10ish... The queue management has got a lot better by the GM team, but there are still apartements being built and I think long term they need to upgrade the old bubble at Vercland and sort the old Chirande lift by speeding it up or something. Rumours of opening up the "Lanche" area for skiiing could do with coming to fruition to spread people out a bit too. That said... its only for a few weeks per year - so I suppose false economy.
Thats minor gripes from a regular... I know for a fact the GM is quieter than many places at half term so am grateful for that.
Back on topic... a week of glorious sunshine - great pistes although little more snow would do them a world of good... came back earlier this year (Friday) and am grateful having seen the weather today and knowing what the roads will be like! The snow that was required looks to have arrived!
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Can only agree with stevo..... The snow is still falling and much needed. The valley is white again. Skiing was amazing all week. Busy, but it is half term and we accept that..the new snow will make it much better.....
Home tmrw but back in 2 weeks. Was thinking it could be difficult but fresh snow has changed that....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Here's hoping the snow lasts till early March or gets a top up by then
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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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Forecast for much of this week last time I looked
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Just leaving for airport . 8-10 cm cm of fresh snow, still snowing lightly and plenty forecast this week. You will be fine in March....hope so back on 5th.... Happy skiing !!!!!
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You know it makes sense.
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Just back from Flaine. Pistes decent up high but soft and worn down low. The new snow is needed.
Sadly had my wrist broken by a complete tw*t on a board on the blue above Grand Vans. Took me out from directly behind at high speed on a crowded run into town. Pathetic.
Great service from the medical centre but now faced with 6 weeks in plaster unable to do anything with now recourse.
It's about time there was some speed control in certain areas, busy times are just far too dangerous.
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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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Sadly had my wrist broken by a complete tw*t on a board on the blue above Grand Vans. Took me out from directly behind at high speed on a crowded run into town.
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 Too many of these tales around this week. Sympathies.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Matthew Way, bad luck - did the boarder actually stop or just carry on.
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some speed control in certain areas,
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that is always up for debate isn't it. We skied in Stowe, Vermont at the NY and where there were busy junctions and likely spots for speeding there were 'patrols' (not sure what to call them) out and I saw them doing calming motions at people with their arms, basically slow down, and it seemed like a good idea and had an effect.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Matthew Way, Hope it will get better a bit faster for you. Sounds like you were on Tourmaline, which is crowded even when its not half term. It a big weakness of GM that there is only 1 run into flaine, and it faces south. Its also gets very narrow, and steep for a blue just after the veret drag, and that is uasually where the snow is thinnest as well.
The ski patrol should have the details of the boarder, if they stopped as @Pamski, asked, as your insurance company will probably want to know who they are??
We did not go for the first time in years to Les carroz for half term this year mainly due to slow recovery of daughters knee, but also last time we clashed with paris school hols she got flattened from behind twice in the same day. Just too many people going too fast, and not in control.
Can't decide what to do for next year, no clash with paris, but perhaps Italy may be better, even if we have season passes for GM..............
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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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Thanks @Pamski, , @Zorrac, and@pam w
Yes she stopped and was an intelligent 30ish year old french woman with a male ski partner. They claimed to be medics and that it probably wasn't broken. They wouldn't give me their details and I wasn't in a fit state to argue. It wasn't Tourmaline but the bottom of Serpentine I think, the snow was ok, she was basically going too fast in a crowded area and mis judged my direction. The insurance excess was £200, the exact cost of the treatment!!!
There needs to be a more formal method of dealing with these incidents. I could have a broken back and they get away without taking any responsibility.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Arrived Saturday evening. Flight delayed due to closure of GVA for a few hours while they cleared the runways of snow. Snow in Geneva? Who'd have thought it. Hey ho!
Down to Carroz, Vercland and Morillon village this morning, pistes in good condition following Saturday's snow. Visibility poor in places (most places, TBH) but better in the trees, as always. Flaine bowl this pm, vis got worse and worse, even lower down. Found some horrible off piste under the Tetes des Verds chair, powder on top of crud. Not nice. Pistes very bumpy which, combined with poor vis, made for difficult skiing.
It is quite amazing how much snow has melted in the 16 days since I was last here. The wall outside my apartment had about 75cm of snow on it when I left, it now has about 15 cm, and that includes Saturday's snow. The warm temps last week have certainly taken their toll.
Quite busy today, Paris half term, I was told. Poor vis and bumpy pistes meant there were a lot of falls.
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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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Arrived Saturday evening. Flight delayed due to closure of GVA for a few hours while they cleared the runways of snow. Snow in Geneva? Who'd have thought it. Hey ho!
Down to Carroz, Vercland and Morillon village this morning, pistes in good condition following Saturday's snow. Visibility poor in places (most places, TBH) but better in the trees, as always. Flaine bowl this pm, vis got worse and worse, even lower down. Found some horrible off piste under the Tetes des Verds chair, powder on top of crud. Not nice. Pistes very bumpy which, combined with poor vis, made for difficult skiing.
It is quite amazing how much snow has melted in the 16 days since I was last here. The wall outside my apartment had about 75cm of snow on it when I left, it now has about 15 cm, and that includes Saturday's snow. The warm temps last week have certainly taken their toll.
Quite busy today, Paris half term, I was told. Poor vis and bumpy pistes meant there were a lot of falls.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Snowed most of today. Pistes in good condition but the visibility was poor at best. In the Flaine bowl it got much brighter and at about 15.30 vis improved massively below about 2,000m and there was some great untracked powder to be skied. Off the sides of Lapiaz in particular, thigh deep powder. Temps staying cold so snow should be good tomorrow. Rumour is that there will be some sunshine tomorrow, if so the conditions could be epic.
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Rumour was true - blue skies all morning, bit of cloud at lunchtime then more wall to wall sunshine. Yesterday's snow meant the pistes were in excellent condition. Cascades this morning then an hour skiing the runs in Sixt. Still untracked powder this pm, especially off Veret. Ended the day with drinks at the top of the DMC and a run back down Flaine in the fading daylight. A truly excellent day.
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Chris.... Jealous. Leave some powder for next week !!!!
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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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Oooohhh - just when I thought skiing was over for another year - looks like I may have bagged a few days during the last week of the season. 
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