 Poster: A snowHead
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Clouds moved in during lunch
With a bit of luck, I'll be able to get an aerial view over to 1800 tomorrow depending on what the position is with cameras. I imagine it'll hurt if I drop the camera on someone's head whilst paragliding.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Maybe just a little bit 
Do you not have a strap on 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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Yeh, its probably be fine. But it'll be up to the operator really. Should be an ace little excursion regardless.
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Ahh, snow would work a treat on the pistes right now. But its all still great fun, fingers crossed for next weeks weather for you.
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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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| Piemonster wrote: |
| Should be an ace little excursion regardless. |
It will be awesome I am sure! Enjoy
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Back in the UK today after a fantastic time in Les Arcs. The threatened rain yesterday at 1600 fell as a light dusting of snow. Pistes were firm lower down yesterday but still fantastic conditions high up with superb conditions overhead. In terms of overall conditions it is kind of like the season is running 3-4 weeks late. Love the place and can't wait to go back.
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So first day skiing in Les Arcs today and started off exploring the runs up from 1600, over to 1950 and back down to 1800. Had a friend from Grenoble with me who has started skiing this year after 20 years on a snowboard, so I took opportunity to give him some one-to-one tuition. Fortunately the ESF Police didn't see me so a fine time was had by all.
Today dawned bright and sunny, and not particularly cold for January. This morning's runs were firm and crispy, and I took the opportunity to take my new kit out for a tryout. DPS Wailer 99s turn out to be everything they said they were, fast and taut and rail like a GS ski. There was no problem finding an edge on the firm snow. As the sun rose higher the pistes softened off nicely, and we took the opportunity to follow the sun around the hill.
Having spent a lot of time in Utah, 1950 felt very familiar. They clearly used the same architecture firm that they used for Solitude, if not they presented them with a template to follow. Still, a pleasant enough place to stay if you like that kind of thing, and I'm sure the apartments are a step up from the usual French 1970's 20 square meter ski flat. That said we're staying at Le Roc Belle Face and the apartments are spacious and nicely renovated. The building however is a ridiculous layout and we walked about 4 1/2 miles yesterday and climbed 3500 feet getting our gear to the room.
On a more annoying note I had to intercept a rogue snowboard on one of the runs under Vagere, the dumb-ass had taken the board off on a steep pitch and was surprised when it shot off down the run. I charged after it and got to it before it went ploughing into a group at speed, but it took me down hard onto my left shoulder and knocked the wind out of me. He felt the sharp side of my tongue, first in French and then in English when I realised where he was from. My board came off, was his lame excuse... how did that happen I asked, not too nicely. Don't rental boards have leashes? Luckily my skis weren't damaged or he would have felt the sharp side of my right fist...
This afternoon the mild conditions softened the pistes further, and although I didn't find any slush it was getting close.
All in all very much a spring skiing day. In January.
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24 January 2016. A day in Les Arcs!
Started with a ski across the pistes of Arc 1600 and 1800 then up the Arpette Chair and down to the Marmotte chair on piste. Up the Varet gondola and time to play off piste on the lower face of the Aiguille Rouge.
A quick coffee at the Mushroom and off piste down the Lanchette valley.
Lunch at the bottom and up the Aiguille Rouge. A few turns on the glacier then over to the Grand Col.
Finally on and off piste down to Arc 1950 and a few drinks in Georges Bar before heading home.
All the lower pistes we skied in the morning were hard packed with a thin layer of chalky snow and also some icy patches. The higher pistes were in better condition with more grippy snow which made it easier to turn, but there were also icy patches at times. On the Arc 1950 / 2000 side it was still very hard packed in the afternoon and not at all spring like. On the way down from the Grand Col at the end of the day with flat light it was very easy to catch an edge if you were not careful.
The off piste higher up was still good most of the day. We even managed to find a few small areas of untracked powder to enjoy. Lower down the snow had started to turn heavier by the afternoon. Most off piste within the Les Arcs ski area is now well tracked, but away from the station with a little walking it is still possible to make fresh tracks.
The photos for today have been posted on the Les Arcs Winter page in the January 2016 album ( Just scroll to the end for the latest photos).
Enjoy!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Well, that's warmed up. Lovely piste skiing in general with only a few of the steeper pistes getting scraped back. Rocks starting to appear on the the exposed/thin areas but the main pistes often in great condition once softened up.
A superb day, but those waiting to head out will no doubt be praying for cold and snow.
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Rocks coming through on the Bear
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Snow thinning out on the exposed to wind and sun spots
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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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A reminder to keep your guard up
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Thanks again for the great pictures piemonster.
At present looks like there might be some snow (though not a great deal) on thursday night/friday and then again sunday, looks like the pistes need it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Over in La Plagne for the day, so the only photo from Les Arcs I have is this near the end of the day at Bulle
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Looking very warm 
How are the La Plagne slopes in comparison to Les Arcs out of interest?
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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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Pretty similar, mixture of spring snow, hard packed scraped clean pistes often with big lumps of snow for rapid deceleration, and your everyday firm but fair stuff.
Mostly the pistes are solid, but there are a few spots with rocks/soil starting to come through.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 26-01-16 19:46; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Quite a lot of this
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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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Nice, thanks for posting the great pictures again Piemonster. Are you looking forward to getting home yet or are you already planning your next adventure?
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Åre or Canada for next winter, although we said that for this winter. So probably Austria.
So many places on the radar, would love to get to the Lofoten islands this year. Few Scottish island trips as well with Orkney and Fair isle in the planning.
It'll be Åre.
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I had to google Lofoten I'd never heard of it. I hear Åre is very good though very different from Paradiski obviously.
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Oh piemonster!
Those are amazing pics.
Thank you so much for psyching me up for next week.
As it happens this will be my third year in a row in paradiski & I've viewed bois de l'ours longingly from the lift every time, but have yet to get to the top without it being closed.
I do so hope I'll get onto it next week.
Cheers,
CW 
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There are 2 entrances, the one under the lift looks a bit sketchy. The one opposite the other black may well be open.
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@cardweg,@dave_m, last week the route to Fond Blanc (the black into 1600 - the other side of the ridge) and the Bois de l'Ours entry at that end of the bowl was roped off at the Arpette lift end. Avalanche risk? Who knows, but there'd certainly been minor slide activity on l'Ours, even though it was tracked out.
Be careful out there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Arctic Roll, at the start of the month when it was very snowy Fond Blanc did get opened up eventually, but the entry to Bois de l'Ours remained netted off (although that didn't seem to stop many people from skiing it), probably because the l'Ours side was wind-loaded. Got a few epic laps on Fond Blanc before it got fully tracked out
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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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Fond Blanc was open last friday (22nd), we did it a few times. I didn't even know it existed before then.
I only took that route to turn right in to L'ours.
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Flat light for much of the day with more snow stripping from the wind and sun affected areas. Nice squat!
More seriously I've contracted manbola, I fear the worst. (Sucks to sit next to me on the flight to Edinburgh Saturday)
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Snow seemed pretty good on piste today, nice and a wee bit soft in many places. Not too much hard packed icy stuff. At least around 1600/1950/2000.
Anyway, back to wallowing in my plague ridden pit of self pity.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks again for the pictures and updates Piemonster I hope you had a great holiday.
For people going next week the predicted storm/snow is getting bigger according to the latest GFS run with half a metre predicted though the snow line could be rather high meaning rain at 1600 and possibly above. High winds look like stopping play on Sunday up high which is a shame as it's my first day.
Any tips on getting out of Arc 2000 if the lifts there are shut? You can't ski down without getting up Arcabulle or Arpette, is that right?
Alternatively what's the chances of somewhere showing the tennis final on Sunday morning? 
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Cheers, I hope you feel better soon.
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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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Some stones starting to come through in more and more places, but otherwise pistes holding up well despite this week's heatwave. Still very Spring-like with hard to firm pistes in the morning, softening nicely through the day. Grass and rock is starting to appear more frequently on sun exposed ridges, but the pisteurs are doing their job well. A refreshing draught of new snow would be helpful at this stage, as would some lower temperatures.
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View from the cable car heading up the Aguille
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Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 29-01-16 20:29; 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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A superb last day, yet another sunny day and a couple of runs down from the Aguille Rouge (AG and Arrandeleis) for good measure and Malgovert for the giggles.
Pistes still holding up well, no noticeable (to me) increases in rocks and mud on piste. Still generally firm to very firm with a few places (Vallee de l'arc) actually quite soft. Visibility was good, so where it was scraped to icy you could plan well ahead. The 2000/1950 area seemed to me to have better snow than 1600/1800/Val-Peisey.
Without doubt the off pisters will be praying for snow, I'm sure with local knowledge you can find some good lines, without that knowledge....good luck. I certainly think that next time round that off piste is something to be on the cards.
Anyway, off to the Scotland snow thread to start praying for signs I can get a few more days out before my two year ski anniversary.
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