 Poster: A snowHead
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| Gämsbock wrote: |
| @letsgetpiste, so anything skiable should be pisted and there should be no off piste left? It's not like there is a shortage of pisted runs to enjoy in the three valleys. |
I'm pretty sure you got the wrong end of the stick there. I was merely commenting on my own inexperience of off piste skiing and my resulting inability to rate a resort based on its off piste potential! I have never been to Val Thorens and any information from people like @offpisteskiing is going to be invaluable to me when I do visit in January and April next year.
I'd love to venture off the side and experience more off piste and that is my intention in 2016, weather, conditions and guidance permitting.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@letsgetpiste, yep, I misunderstood your meaning. The joy of the written word on the internet 
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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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| andy1234 wrote: |
| What a pity the Lory route is now pisted. Kind of counter intuitive, more and more people on fat skis and less and less off piste routes left natural. |
Exactly!
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Having skied from the Bouchet lift into the valley, I personally think it's not *that* big a deal. The valley is so wide, it can easily contain a piste as well as off-piste trails. The only difference is that now, you have an audience instead of wall-to-wall solitude.
I do appreciate the sentiment, and I think the resort would have been better off with some marked off-piste trails rather than a new groomer. But ultimately, the Lory run will make many more people enjoy a new valley for a relatively small price.
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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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Back to the snow reports. Skied around LT, C1850 and a bit of meribel today. Only out for a few hours as arrived from GVA @ 12:30. Overall conditions were probably better than expected, with some firm but decent piste skiing available. Yes it's a bit icy in places, a bit narrow in places, but by focusing on following the sun, some fun was to be had.
Slightly disappointing that a number of my fave pistes are close - e.g pretty much all the reds into Meribel/Mottaret from the Saulire side
More of the same tomorrow it looks like, will try and get further afield and report back
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Skiing around Val Thorens at the moment and the pistes are better than this time last year. Less ice and more grippy snow. It was 7 degrees at 2600m yesterday and you can see the snow line just below the village. St Martin is surrounded by brown fields as is Le Menuires other then a couple of pistes into the village.
They have done a pretty remarkable job to make the pistes so good. The lakes are pretty low now.
Should be a very nice week with lots of sunshine.
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I am not doubting the above but friends in our apartment block went up to VT yesterday and one of them came out of their skis on a slope with a lot of small rocks. Unfortunately she broke her arm and is returning to UK for surgery. She added in the email that "some slopes are good but it's the worst I have seen for a few years."
They are pretty good skiers so take care all!
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sounds a bit like christmas last season, avoiding rocks on some pistes.
Come on santa deliver some presents this year of the white and cold variety
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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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06Z the precipitation wiggles look to have stopped early for Christmas, they can't be bothered to make an appearance at the moment 
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Today I skied into c1650, c1550, c1850, Mottaret, Les Menuires & La Tania and had some great skiing on a number of pistes. Creux for example was in great shape, really grippy and empty, so great for cranking it. Combe Saulire was good as were many of the runs above Les Menuires.
Yes there are stones, often in the usual places - e.g. dropping into Combe Saulire from the Meribel side, but most of the really crappy bits are marked or can be spotted. Yes there were some 'polished patches where it was hard to engage an edge but given the scarcity of people on the piste. You need to time your pistes with care as giving them an hour or so to ease in the sunshine made a massive difference to the feel of the snow.
Overall another good day. planning on going to VT tomorrow to see what's that like
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Thanks @pam w, at least it wasn't mine (touches wood).
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@bertie bassett, thanks for your good objective report of piste conditions. I am looking forward to getting there on Friday.
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You know it makes sense.
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A little screenshot from YR just now... It's looking a bit cloudy on the webcams... anybody in the Three Valleys predicting a chance of a little dusting? The squiggles seem to have dissipated for this week with some disturbance in the force around Christmas.
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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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| letsgetpiste wrote: |
| A little screenshot from YR just now... |
Just realised that this is a terrible screenshot... It's hinting at snow today and tomorrow.
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Poster: A snowHead
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As per B-Bassett's post above pistes are in reasonable condition considering - was up around the top of Les Menuires & Mottaret this morning then over in Courch this afternoon - even the last run of the day was surprisingly good and grippy right back down to Meribel! (a rare occurrence even in a good year...)
Friends & colleagues have been out getting some odd scraps of old powder, but you have to go hunting.
Worth bearing in mind that even with very little snow there is still some potential for things to slide:
Note: Pete is purely there to give it scale...!
Note 2: the snow making equipment may well have had something to do with this...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I reckon the best 'winter' snow is on La Masse at the moment. Only a couple of runs are open on the top half but they're smooth and grippy with no stones. Most of VT is more like spring freeze/thaw with rock hard rubbly snow in the shadows and ice patches elsewhere. Best piste in the whole of the 3V's though is my home run - Folyeres into La Tania - been in absolutely outstanding condition for the whole of the last 10 days I've been here. Got blown away yesterday by a race club kid who was in a full race tuck top-to-bottom - oh, the confidence of youth!
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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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Booked for La Tania now from Saturday, Bertie's middle photo is a bit concerning but I'm sure there'll be plenty to keep me entertained for the week 
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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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@bertie bassett, would agree with you feom today's mooching around. seems to me that any piste can have patches of soft grippy snow, ice and even stones. Still good fun and good to ski in tricky conditions. next week will be telling acrosd the 3vs when numbers will be 3x greater.
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@bertie bassett, the snow line in the distance is on south facing mountains, I don't worry when I see them on the web cams.
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Rained quite hard overnight in La Tania. Freezing was meant to be c.2000 so hopefully a bit of a top up higher up.
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@bertie bassett,
This is Uni ski trip week in VT. It'll be mayhem up until Xmas, students either drunk or hungover. 
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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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Crux was good around 11am but on only a limited view of the pistes around the saulire I don't think theres been much of a topup
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I've just finished four days skiing from La Tania. To be honest it is not too bad at all and much better than this time last year.
The best conditions are probably in and around Courchevel and La Tania with Folyores back to La Tania particularly good. We skied a bit in 1650 today and there is much more snow around Roc Mugnier than anywhere in Meribel. On the lift back up from Monteret today the whole of Meribel looks bare. I agree about Val T, too many people skiing fast in poor piste conditions.
Considering the lack of snowfall the past two weeks we had a good time but unless things change in the next week or so it's going to be terrible.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Tried most of the 3vs today after the little dusting last night. Above les meniures was really very good. lots of soft snow and sunshine. Meribel was also good although a few more thin bits. VT wasnt as good as the rest of the 3vs in my view today as there was a lot more icy slopes Still better than this time last year. The lakes are near the bottom so i hope the artificial snow continues.
I can see next week being ok then the worries would really set in.
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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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| emwmarine wrote: |
| Tried most of the 3vs today after the little dusting last night. Above les meniures was really very good. lots of soft snow and sunshine. Meribel was also good although a few more thin bits. VT wasnt as good as the rest of the 3vs in my view today as there was a lot more icy slopes |
Are you paying attention @Millom?
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| Raceplate wrote: |
| Are you paying attention @Millom? |
Ssssshhhh. Let sleeping dogs lie. Please!
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You know it makes sense.
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@Tom Doc, thanks for sticking your nose in. Do you have any meaningful contribution to make about current 3V piste conditions? No, thought not.
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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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right, as 2nd of jan is about to approach the wiggles, I've decided to make an offering to the snow gods, I sacrificed my first born last year and we had christmas snowmageddon on the Saturday before we left giving me a day of powder.
Thankfully I met a witch doctor in who lives in the forest above la tania, he brought my first born back, unfortunately with character flaws (she's learning to snowboard), so I'm willing to sacrifice her again in aid of another snowmageddon
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Poster: A snowHead
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We're off to La Tania on Sunday for Christmas and personally I absolutely can't wait. We've always skiied the week before February half term but the daft policy on taking the kids out of school means we're skiing Christmas this year.
I understand the snow isn't perfect but we can ski to and from our door, I'm looking forward to taking the kids down the Combe de Caron for the first time, looking forward to melted cheese based cuisine, red wine, strong continental lager, no cooking, washing up, emails, laundry or work.
Bring it on.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We're in Meribel on Sunday, so we may bump into you somewhere! Like you - no work, washing up or worrying about presents!
The thought of snow on the piste is a bonus
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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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| jonathancarty wrote: |
We're off to La Tania on Sunday for Christmas and personally I absolutely can't wait. We've always skiied the week before February half term but the daft policy on taking the kids out of school means we're skiing Christmas this year.
I understand the snow isn't perfect but we can ski to and from our door, I'm looking forward to taking the kids down the Combe de Caron for the first time, looking forward to melted cheese based cuisine, red wine, strong continental lager, no cooking, washing up, emails, laundry or work.
Bring it on. |
Where are you staying? that sounds wonderful.
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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.
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Nice place, stayed there several times. Almost ski out too.
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Heading to Val Thorens for the first time on saturday.
Will have at least 3 full days skiing.
Can anyone advise what type of lift pass I should buy? I.e. local or for the three valleys. I would be an experienced skier who likes to do challenging runs and off piste. I would ordinarily assume the larger lift pass was suitable but perhaps if the snow is poor it isn't worth it.
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@barrymct, I would.Definitely get the bigger pass the snow across the 3v seemed.pretty similar today, but by not spending time in Vt I was able to avoid the busy pistes.
Highlight of the day snow-wise was Fred Colville on La.Masses empty and great snow. Also the runs above less manures had been sun softened after lunch and also skied very nicely.
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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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@bertie bassett, thanks! Bigger pass it is.
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