Serre Chevalier- France 2015-2016

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@joshuaharrison, Saturday will be quieter being a changeover day. Parking is not a problem.

Great little resort PSV for a day out. Lots of varied terrain for all levels on piste.

There are also some great lift served offpiste options never far from the piste, but I think you may have missed the best of the conditions for this, there are some great trees to play in and if you are lucky with conditions,off the backside into the Vallon du Nareyoux or Col du Bal is good if you have someone with good local knowledge with you.

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Good stuff - thanks a lot Hedley. Any recommendations for lunch?

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They don't do a 3 hour pass for that sector as it's effectively a double sector in comparison to the other 2 areas, already looked at this for LynnX to go up for a few hours.......
Shame, because the best green beginner runs are up at Frejus, but you can at least get a beginner pass for €29

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[quote="pam w"][quote]
I must say €41.50 does seem expensive for a half days skiing
£30 a half days skiing on pontypool dri ski slope is about £10 per hour so in the scheme of things

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@joshuaharrison, not too sure if you'll pick this up before you go. Saturday best to take a right turn just after Prelles D4 to Les Vigneaux, this way you'll avoid a very large % of the transfer traffic, plus is an interesting road Cool

Once at Les Vigneaux turn right and ignore the first turn to PSV and drive up to Vallouise, just before the village is another road up to PSV.

Have a good day.

I'm off touring early from Boussardes which is just by Le Lauzet.

After all it is free

Thanks guys - am off shortly. Not sure about the "interesting" road though, weathercam. My wife is driving and it will be interesting enough! My own fault though, realised I left my driver's licence at home when we got to Heathrow Shocked

Feeling more than a little knackered now - long 1,400m vertical climb at quite a pace, not helped by being "chased" by a load of Italians who parked up shortly after us and were asking where to go which sort of riled the Frenchie I was with. Luckily the other guy in our group was not so strong but for the final ascent he went at his own pace (we waited for him at the top) whilst my excuse was that I was team photographer Toofy Grin

Snow was very disappointing, very wind affected and at times feckin hard to ski, especially with tired legs and every variation of snow from crust through to heavy sludge though did get some nice turns in and powder was actually better once we were near the trees on North facing slopes.

We either need more snow or for snow to transform to spring.

On the way down must have been nigh on twenty or more going up and doing variations on the route with a handful tackling some pretty steep chutes you can see in the first photo.

And the group of Italians we had been climbing with at the bottom got very confused as to where they left their cars and instead of turning left to Lauzet they headed off in the direction of Le Casset rolling eyes

Friend skiing the pistes reported that still in very good condition, and here as well many Italians here (fair few coaches in Pontillas) which is strange for a Saturday and one of my Italian neighbours now nursing an arm in a sling having been taken out.

As you can see, weather was superb for the first part of the climb but soon clouded over with very flat light which also did not help the descent.

Looking at my Strava log my av heart rate was 152 for nigh on four hours - that's like running a marathon Shocked

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Looks like some snow on the way for the weekend

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@Hells Bells,

That could cause problems if it happens!!
I have 45N 7E as Tignes. Is it also the closest long / lat to Serre Chevalier?

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@Red Leon, it is on the selector I chose, although it had it as Serre chevalier and Sauze D'oulx, I'm sure there is a more accurate one somewhere.

44.9, 6.5 would be more accurate.

You know it makes sense.

All the usual forecasts have some snow predicted for the weekend but as ever, the question is how much will fall?
Some more for the following weekend too, which hopefully turns out to be accurate.
We're due some good fortune, n'est pas?

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

@Kevin Byrne, mais oui !!

A snowHead

Was the new snow above about 2100m slightly pink today?
Or was that an effect on my perception from something in the rough reds I was drinking last night?

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@Weathercam, great photos, I particularly like the 3rd and 4th, slightly different light.

Fingers crossed for plenty of snow to get things in shape for the off piste bash descending Toofy Grin

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@gordonsson, sorry I'm not in the valley at the moment but would imagine that was from the rain yesterday and an element of sand in the precipitation.

OK now doing a "Nozza" I know

But how about this to get the long term anticipation going Laughing

That said that's Friday 4th still a long way off before the OffPiste Bash.

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Last time i ws in serre che there was a sandy tinge to the snow on the briancon side of porel

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@dan100, it happens at least once every winter.

After all it is free

Piste cruising session with some friends on my pistie skis, and makes such a change!

Went out over lunch time and not at all bad. Pistes holding up very well, went over to Monetier and then one friend with us exclaimed that he always wanted to ski the steep face under the Yret chair, and he's been here seven seasons!

So me and the OH duly obliged and he was so chuffed to have skied it. Also ironic in that it's the first time I've done it this season, and was on piste skis!

He's a good skier and know he would like to do more interesting stuff, now just have to prise him away from his Mrs which he thinks could lead to his downfall Toofy Grin

As for forecast it does keep changing, looks like resorts in the Queyras (Ristolas and Abries) are going to get a dump this weekend and they are only 15 miles away as the crow flies, as well as Prali in Italy (20 or so miles). And then currently mid to back end next week Northern Alps gets it whilst we miss out again Crying or Very sad

Anyway can still all change.

@Weathercam, could be a plan Cool

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@KenX, if local Meteo France comes good for here then should be ok here that said compare it to that for Abries.

See we had a dusting of snow microns last night rolling eyes

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@Weathercam, you need one of these:

https://www.facebook.com/nrklivsstil/videos/10154044139728619/

Beats skinning up!!!

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@KenX, think we'll keep an eye on things, though Tuesday could be the best option - tis only just over an hours drive to Abries, you can ski there in the morning and then drive up to Saint Veran to ski there in the afternoon all on the same pass at €28

I just had a chat with them and doesn't look like they are doing 50% off this year after the holidays Sad

You know it makes sense.

Weather for cast looking mor promising for Wednesday and Thursday.

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

Another forecast no show overnight and as @KenX, mentioned above was it a heavy frost on the garden or light snow, and yes the latter.

Meant to have more snow today but as ever I'm seriously doubting any forecasts have it right, meanwhile 15 miles away over the Izoard Abries had around 15cm with 43cm forecast for today and 19cm tomorrow. Road trip Tuesday looking like a good option!

Meanwhile in resort fair number of Île-de-France plated cars arrived yesterday, so will be interesting to see just how busy it will be this coming week.

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@Weathercam, the risks of the Genoa low i suppose, will it or won't it.

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@Hells Bells, just back from the Cavaillou in Le Bez and it's snowing and laying though temps here +2.00.

And later edit might be on for a couple of cms

We really missed out here today where it seems every where else scored loads, just seen photos of friends from La Grave who obviously passed on skiing here and went on to Montgenevre with families and had some good powder runs in the trees, and kids a'ripping, but their fathers are guides and Mom's not too bad a skier too!

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According to Le Dauphiné access to the Queyras is closed due to avalanche risk following a dump of....wait for it....80cm. Due to the Retour d'Est phenomenon it seems. Access will probably be possible again later today following release of avalanches.

Maybe too risky there for touring for a while but at least there is now a good build up in that area.

Anything overnight in Serre Che? Webcams suggest nothing much.

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forecast looks promising from wednesday

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@Kevin Byrne, that's amazing as yesterday, during the day they did not get what was forecast - so that snow they had must have been what started here last night and didn't amount to anything - so looks like game on for a road trip tomorrow looking at the webcams there !

http://www.queyras.com/hiver/station-queyras/webcams-meteo

And maybe 1-2cms up top after last night / early hours rolling eyes

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@Weathercam, Let's just hope the same pattern doesn't repeat itself for the forecast dump next weekend. A rub of the green needed...or is that a rub of the 'white'?

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@Kevin Byrne, are you out this weekend for two weeks then?

Can't remember your schedule and are you on the Off Piste bash then ?

I might be touring 13th March but as only two of us with a guide is looking stupidly expensive, we were looking at Switzerland but not Val Maira again, though I'm not too sure it's worth it especially if we get snow here, finally.

After all it is free

We'll be out on Fri 11th for two weeks. At the OPB from Sat 12th for the week. Then a week recovering!!

Looking forward to it but as we've done so little this year up to now (and last year as well, when I think about it) we'll be more than rusty. In two weeks at Christmas we got 3 half days!!

There were some cry offs from the OPB so maybe you could still join in if that suited better?

Dropped a clanger today, should have actually done first lifts Crying or Very sad

We went up at lunchtime to meet some friends (failed luckily), and there must have been 10cm+ fresh, trouble is was getting heavy and very skied out, though through the trees was mostly untracked, and North facing was not too bad.

Did take the OH on some seriously steep stuff in the trees below the Echaillon and found a new line through the trees, skiers right of the shitty chair, after how many years!!!

We came down at 14:00 and very soft / heavy and size of the bumps, I'm nursing a bit of a knackered hip / pelvis and how sore now rolling eyes

Going to be horrible around the late rush hour coming back down.

That said around resort in the car parks seems far less people around compared to last week, though up the hill seemed busier than I expected. See what our friends say later.........

Moody shot of the day with some HDR filters

And zoomed in

Don't think road trip to the Queyras will be worth it tomorrow with these mild temps.

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@Weathercam, Montgenevre seems to have done well also from the Retour d'Est.

Help!!

Serre Chevalier- France 2015-2016

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