 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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@Chocksaway, we are heading out to Tignes for the first time on the 31st and have been reading your updates with mounting excitement!
With regards to Sache piste, you mention
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as we were down early the moguls were only as big as wheelbarrows and not transit vans.
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Is that always a heavily mogulled run ? We were thinking of having lunch one day in Les Brevieres, but some of the group are more tentative intermediates, and wont thank me if taken down a transit van sized mogul-fest!
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| seano508 wrote: |
@Chocksaway, we are heading out to Tignes for the first time on the 31st and have been reading your updates with mounting excitement!
With regards to Sache piste, you mention
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as we were down early the moguls were only as big as wheelbarrows and not transit vans.
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Is that always a heavily mogulled run ? We were thinking of having lunch one day in Les Brevieres, but some of the group are more tentative intermediates, and wont thank me if taken down a transit van sized mogul-fest! |
My advice?
Don't take them on Sache then unless the conditions are perfect - there are lots of youtube films of Sache looking tres bon - its not always like that and sometimes a right stinker.
We have variable levels of expertise in our usual Tignes group so suggest taking the Chaudannes lift, take a right off the top and go down Rhododendron, straight over the crossing point (slow down) and then schuss along Melezes and down - either continue Melezes through Boisses / 1800 but its a bit dull, or the red chardons into Breviere.
Its a nice run first day for your more tentative skiers and you will have a beer in hand by 10am !!
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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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@nelly0168, thanks for that - duly noted, and much appreciated.
Just out of interest, which black runs would you say are the more intermediate friendly (across Espace Killy, not just Tignes) ?
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| seano508 wrote: |
@nelly0168, thanks for that - duly noted, and much appreciated.
Just out of interest, which black runs would you say are the more intermediate friendly (across Espace Killy, not just Tignes) ? |
It depends on a lot of things, especially conditions and time of day.
As we said above, Sache might be lovely !
Trolles can also be lovely, especially at the top but come down it at 4pm on an icy flat light day and it can get busy and horrible - and a lot of people struggle down the last section.
I wouldn't get too fixated on the colour of the run, there are plenty of testing Reds across EK again, depending on conditions.
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I hate the bottom half of Trolles Christmas week, busy, icy, and full crazies... for a few days, I managed to navigate carefully around the obstacles by staying off to the side, but finally, that strategy wasn't working either. I either headed down around 3 or 3:30, or just took the bubble down.
The pistes were so hard, that after two weeks of skiing and taking breaks, my knees were really hurting. I didn't feel myself chipper enough to quickly react to potential crazy skiers aimlessly skiing, without regard to obstacles, including other skiers.
I'm not fit enough to take a hard fall and bounce back up. It was a successful ski holiday up to that point, and my better sense told me to keep that way, even if that meant taking the bubble back down.
And I'm not a 'take the bubble back down' type of person... were it the conditions alone, it would have been fine, but add the crowds... and it just wasn't fun. It was stressful.
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@seano508, As @nelly0168, says much depends on conditions but if you do have members of your group who are anxious to notch up their first black run you could try Leisse at the base of the glacier. Unless the conditions are truly abysmal it should be just a small step up from the reds in the Espace Killy. In fact there are blue runs on the Val d'Isere side that are harder 
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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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^ I think that has covered Sache!! There are a number of runs from down to Brev - from the easiest which is a road in the summer to Sache which passes from sublime after it has been pisted (once a week) to horrific.
Before today, a good night was head, starting with a Macmillan Coffee Afternoon - eating cake for charity seems to be a winner. We then had a few in the Embu and met up with Lord and Lady GeorgeVII and then popped off to the Eterlou for some wholesome Savoyarde Fare.
Bizarrely I have just had a drone flying very close to my bedroom window - so I shouted out (in English) "Where is the pervert that is operating this thing/" To my surprise he appeared from behind a tree to say he was taking pictures of the hotel opposite. I don't know the French rules on drone flying - but what he was doing would be illegal in the UK - he soon packed up!
We have unrestricted sun all day across the Espace Killy - great snow on piste and the odd patch off piste too. We decided to head over to Le Fornet (and so had most of the resort I think - multiple snowHeads were spotted). There are still a couple of pistes missing up there but on the whole it is very good. A couple of us also had a trek across Pays Desert - the odd patch off untacked soft stuff could be found but in the sun a lot of the snow has consolidated. The off piste snow depth over there is still not that deep so there is still a few rocks showing through. On the return the queue for the Olympique was very long for some inexplicable reason - so it was the two chairs - which they are talking about removing, I hope not!
Tomorrow morning will be very similar to today but more cloud will build up during the afternoon ahead of some showers through the evening and into early Saturday - the snowline will be a high 1800m or so. By the time the lifts open on Saturday it should be dry but there will be quite a lot of cloud about, but it will still be warm but there will be a stiff breeze at altitude. Sunday will also be unseasonably mild with bubbly clouds building through the day. Monday will be similar but with a bit more cloud. Looks like Tuesday will bring us light showers.
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Quite tired now! So that's the excuse for typos.......
Tigski and I set out for a major 'skin' this morning - from 150 m below the Col de Fresse to the Panoramic restaurant - about 750m of up and quite a lot of along as well. In all there was 2 and a half hours of exerciseVery peaceful and some nice snow on the way down, also spotted some nice pitches for a short skin in the future but as we didn't care to drag any excess weight up the hill no avi kit today so no steep slopes today. Then had to report to the Jam Bar to refill the millions of calories used. The pistes are still generally very good, if a little firm this morning after a hard refreeze last night.
The cloud that has just started to arrive will thicken quickly this evening and we will have showers from around 10pm tonight. The thickest of the showers will pass well to the north and the snow level will be around 1900m. So a few cm in the morning to refresh the slopes above the main villages. There is a warning out for freezing rain just down the valley through the night so the roads could be treacherous. The showers will continue until around breakfast time or just after but they will soon dissipate and the sun will come out. It will feel warm below about 2300m but higher there will be quite a breeze which will take the edge of the heat and may mean the highest lifts will be closed. Sunday and Monday will be sunny, warm and there will be little wind. On Monday the freezing level will rise to over 3000m so expect soft pistes in the afternoon- it will feel like spring but without the Marmottes! Tuesday will be a bit cooler and a mix of showers, sun and cloud - more detail later.
As for the traveller, the authorities are forecasting 25000 vehicles coming up into the Tarentaise tomorrow and 19000 leaving so for those arriving mid afternoon there will be some nose to tail as you come up the hill (Expect the lights at Aigueblanche to be in operation to regulate the flow.) Hopefully the freezing rain will have stopped for those leaving - there might be the odd hold up and the advice is to leave before 8 or after 12. If you are flying overall conditions are good (especially over here). there is a moderate risk of fog at the London airports and Birmingham so if that appears (and the chances are it will form at least one - just don't ask me which) there may be the odd delay as everyone moves around the airport a little slower than normal. That's it - "door to automatic and cross check!"
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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 for the update, sounds great and can't wait to head over tomorrow! Flying into Geneva for 1PM so should get into Val around 6-7PM so hopefully the road conditions won't be too bad!
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As we awoke this morning Tignes was in cloud, but it was only thin and soon the resorts looked resplendent in the Spring sunshine. There was a small amount of thin cloud around after the lifts opened, especially down in the valley. We had a couple of cm in the villages overnight and 5 on top, but there was a cold breeze which kept the apparent temperature down and the very top lifts closed. We skied round Grattalu and down into La Daille for coffee where it was a bit dark. The have now opened Col De Ves so that's just about a full of house of pistes in Tignes, we are just waiting for the last few to be opened in the Le Fornet sector in Val D'Isere.
So what's in store for next week - high pressure is going to dominate meaning blue skies, sunshine, warmish days, light winds and cold nights. So that should make forecasting easier - but we are on the edge of the high pressure - the unpleasant weather is not that far to the North - so I will keep an eye on it. As it stands tomorrow will 'post card weather' as the Avalanche forecaster called it yesterday. The sun will shine all day and there will be light winds (a bit higher at the very top of the Grande Motte). The freezing level will be at 2700m by lunchtime, so just like spring. Monday will be the same and a bit warmer still. Tuesday may see a milky sky as the fronts to the North try and encroach (it will be awful in the UK!!!). Wednesday and Thursday will be made up of sunny periods and some big fluffy clouds around the peaks, one or two of which may give a light shower on Thursday. So if you have just arrived its going to be a fantastic week - but if you are a powder hound there is little on the horizon - other than a long walk to find some.
The flip side of high pressure is fog down in the Valleys - so here's tomorrow's travel news. In the UK it is going to be dank, drizzly and gloomy - there is also a chance of this being so thick that fog forms, the risk being highest at Luton, Manchester and Leeds Bradford - if this forms and it is an if, ther might be delays. And now for the not such good news, Geneva should face no weather problems but Lyon, Grenoble and Chambery are all forecasting fog until mid morning. This will slow down operations at Lyon, it may cause problems at Grenoble and if it forms as forecast at Chambery it will be shut, although the forecaster there suggests it will be temporary patches. So make sure you have a book/e reader as ther may be delays in the UK as Biggles waits for the weather to improve. As the nominated diversion airfield for any of these 3 is often one of the others they cannot be relied on tomorrow which compounds the problem, yes they can carry more fuel but if the destination is Chambery they have to be light weight before making an approach - who would be a pilot??? But when you get here - it will be fabulous! 
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You know it makes sense.
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@Minion1980, Haven't had a debrief with my son yet as we travelled home independently but it sounds like a comedy of errors there. Just as an example today................. Clients waiting at bus stop at 6am for transfer. Finally left Tignes at 8am. Bus too small to fit all the luggage on. 
The Crystal Maze bathroom saga:- must have had the only builders in the world that think water runs uphill! Water running into the bedrooms from the shower wet room.
I would expect to see a bit of traffic over on trip advisor soon.
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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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@GeorgeVII - we were on the other bus which left on time but overheard the rep on our bus receiving a phone call asking if he had any space on our bus (no, there wasn't). Apparently the bus company sent coaches that were smaller than requested. The 2 reps on our coach couldn't speak French so it was amusing seeing one of them making repeated calls to a French seeking colleague for translation. Met some guys from La Plagne and they too had non French speaking Crystal reps but at least theirs had the presence of mind to use Google Translate.
Yes Hotel Tignes2100 was not quite up to the job - give it another couple of weeks work and it would've fine. But on the whole, more good than bad for a week's great holiday. Yes bathroom / toilet without door, both lifts out of order for 2 days.
First time to Tignes and skiing wise, it was great. Preferred it to Val d'Isere. Food and drink wise, prices were not bad. 3 - 4 euros a pint of Stella during happy hour, about 6E if not. Lunch up the mountains - sharing a pizza and a drink cost about 10E each. We ended up at a mountain restaurant in VDI with Veuve Clicquot ads all over but cost wise was reasonable - lunch portions were enormous (e.g. Lasagne, lamb shanks) at 16E so can be shared.
We were at Tignes Le Lac and our favourite pub was the Marmot Arms. Great live music from a rock guitarist & drummer (the latter not always there) - sorry can't remember their name. They also played at the Underground Bar next door - and I'm sure other venues which we didn't venture into.
Skiing wise - lovely, lovely, lovely. We were a bunch of on piste intermediates with tame off piste and suited us perfectly. Some pistes were re-groomed part way through the day which was lovely. Preferred the Tignes pistes to VDI, maybe a bit biased as we tried out the blue Santons run - what a mistake. If ever there was a run that should be condemned....nice start followed by a narrow half pipe littered (some standing around petrified, some horizontal) with people mis-sold a blue and finally a long finish as flat as my soufle.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Kennyboyo wrote: |
| we tried out the blue Santons run - what a mistake. If ever there was a run that should be condemned....nice start followed by a narrow half pipe littered (some standing around petrified, some horizontal) with people mis-sold a blue and finally a long finish as flat as my soufle. |
Santons is legendary for being exactly how you describe. People who know the resort never do it in the afternoon for that reason! I've skied it first thing when it was admittedly icy but completely empty and groomed, and it was great fun! Don't let that put you off Val, there are plenty of wonderful runs. I do admit I love the Tignes pistes though - the likes of Sache, Double M and Grattalu take some beating.
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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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@chocksaway, Great result in the Kitzbuhel downhill race for local man Johan Clarey. In a brutal race that saw some serious crashes he just missed the podium finishing in fourth place.
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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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@GeorgeVII, That should make his Dad smile - probably not his Mum though.............
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I'm contemplating extending my planned trip to the EK at Easter so as Oscar can enter the British Champs in Tignes the following week. We are staying with Esprit in Val d'Isere from 20th to 27th March and the races for the U10s are on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th. I know that most places will only do Sat to Sat or Sun to Sun but given that Easter doesn't really seem to be as popular time with the french what is the likelihood f finding somewhere for 4 nights?
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@Gaza, it will not be busy w/c 27th March and you should get a reasonable deal. It is not a French holiday period and the only people paying top dollar will be the Brits 
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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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@chocksaway, just curious.... did you find out why the medivac heli landed on the lower section of Palafour on Friday afternoon?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@chocksaway, why are there hordes due next week? Aren't the French school holidays the week after next?
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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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why are there hordes due next week?
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'cos I'm there next week with 39 others....
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Meant to send last week. Please note if you have a season pass and want to use the 2 free days in the 3V and presumably Paradiskiyou have to get a voucher from Val C pass office before you go. You have to state the day you want to use the voucher in the 3V.@chocksaway, did warn me but I could not believe it. Tried to blag it. But the 3V pass office I went into insisted on the process. So really STGM are offering something they do not want you to use. Putting in place needless bureaucracy to ensure it as difficult for anyone to make use of the facility in a way convenient to the customer. So €64 I was not expecting to pay. Shame on STGM. I will be sending them a rant 
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You know it makes sense.
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@GeorgeVII, No feedback on that - I hope that means it was not too serious.
@Minion1980, You are right that the French hordes are 10 days away but bookings seem to be up for this week and next week chatting to the locals.
@Mark1863, I don't think its STGM being tight - I think it is a collective decision between the numerous companies involved - they are all being tight.
Nice morning - off shopping!
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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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Back from Bourg and fridge restocked!
But first a big shout for La Queue de Cochon - last night was Burn's Night and the food was just superb, it will be a struggle to find a better meal in Tignes this season. We had Cock-a-leekie consommé, Scottish Scallops, Pan Fried Haggis and Raspberry Cranachan and lashings of whisky obviously!
The piste report from friends is pretty much as yesterday, the thin layer of cloud persisted all day but didn't really detract from the light. Tomorrow should be sunny all day with similar temperatures to today (yes that weather system has tracked a bit further north!). Thursday may well be a repeat of today and there is a very small chance of a light shower in the evening. Friday should see sunny periods and Saturday will be sunny but a bit cooler as the colder air approaches. The weather front that was to bring snow on Sunday is now forecast to just brush past us - so as it stands just a few light showers with a snow level around 1900m, hopefully it will move back south and provide a lot more (please). Whatever happens, it will be windy.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Another glorious morning, just a little cooler but as soon as we got up the mountain you could see the cloud cover to the North associated with the weather up there. To the South - just sun. Luckily we stayed in the sun most of the day, but a breeze picked up after lunch. The pistes were a bit hard this morning after a night under the stars but all in all they are still good. We started around Grand Pre and then picked up a mate at the Rosée Blanche and decided to head for Le Fornet, luckily we chose the bus to Laisinant as there had been a power failure on the Solaise with Glacier Express, Madeleine and Cugnai all shut. Having spoken to another friend the diesel engine on the Cugnai was doing a more than passable imitation of the Flying Scotsman (or even an Audi 2.0 TDi!).
As ever the snow on Piste was great in Le Fornet - though the off piste cover is thin over there. We did a lap of each open piste and then lunched at the ever reliable Cascades. After that, a quick cruise home and a game of dodgeball on Trolles!
Tomorrow should see a bit more cloud and a degree or two drop in temperature and a light breeze, there might be a light shower in the early hours of Friday morning; the cloud will then clear to give a sunny day. Saturday will be a mix of sun and sunny periods and another degree or two cooler. Sunday is then the tricky one - it still looks like the main band of precipitation will pass just to the north of us and we will be left with light showers of snow down to 1900m, but we will cop for the high winds associated with the weather to the North. On Monday the temperature will rise through the day and the cloud will progressively clear ahead of mixed weather for the rest of 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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Hello Tignes people- can you help me with some info? We are arriving Saturday and will need to get our skis serviced rather urgently. We usually use Sport 2000 (?) in Le Lac (Guy Clarey's place- I am not sure if that is the correct name) but are staying in Val Claret this time. Does anyone know what time the last bus is between Le Lac and Val Claret on Saturday? Alternatively, is there any where in Val Claret you would trust to service your skis? Thanks.
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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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@lynnecha,
The buses run 24 hrs a day but Guy Clarey closes 20.00hrs on a Saturday
Ski 1 in Val Claret are very good, just below EV2 coffee shop.
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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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@lynnecha, Stand to be corrected but I'm pretty sure that the buses run all night but they become less frequent later in the evening.
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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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^^^^^^ pipped at the post......
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Any one spot the strange cloud formation over the Grand Sassiere about 16:00 today? Looked like a cross between a sailors hat and a nuclear mushroom cloud? No photo too busy dodging diddies.
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Many thanks @stewart woodward, and @GeorgeVII, . Much obliged. I think we may try Ski 1. Thanks!
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@Ski lots, I was back in by that time and my flat faces the other way but I did see some altocumulus-lenticularis (lens cloud) forming - did it look like any of these:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenticular_cloud
Time to go for an uphill ski
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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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@chocksaway - yes very similar, except the top was fluffier and broader.
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FAQ
