 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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Short term to me is next three days during which mild temps and no snow is forecast.
Wyoming might be better - or it might not - point is, I'm considering other options.
We had a season start just like this last year (which was the main point of my post). Lots of snow making kit here but cannons are not much help with the current temps.
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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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Headed out to LGB tomorrow, I was wondering if anyone had a handle on the current snow conditions? I am staying a while, and the forecast looks to improve things for the next week, but my girlfriend is coming along till around the 5th, is it worth going up the mountain on the 31st? would conditions at la cluaz be any better than LGB for the day? Or should we just go out and hike for a bit?
As I said, I am find waiting a few more days for the snow to arrive, but I imagine my girlfriend would like to squeeze more slope time as possible (if possible)
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Weather breaking here after wall to wall sunshine of last weeks. Rain is steadier than forecast at our place (800m) can see new snow for the first time this month on the top of the other side of our valley (1500m) so should at least start to look prettier.
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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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@escooler, if you want to try La Clusaz you need to head high. Friends had a nice day at La Balme on Sunday. Skiing at LGB currently very limited.
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Hey thanks for getting back to me:) think it might be a better bet for the 31st of lgb is rough or are we just better holding fire and having a look around town, to see if some more snow comes through?
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Certainly on the current weather forecast the slopes should look a lot better next week, plus the New Year week's hordes will have gone home so worth waiting until after the weekend before hitting the slopes.
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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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Well looks as though we may have brought the snow with us - Feared the worst as we landed in Geneva in pouring rain but by the time we drove up to chinaillon it had turned to snow and has been non stop ever since. Looking out from the balcony now there is a good covering developing everywhere. Genuinely gutted for the people having to leave today - our friends in Valloire couldn't believe it as they were leaving to drive home earlier today. Will be interesting to see what runs are opened up tomorrow - forecast is for a clear day before the snow returns on Monday.
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Snow fall stopped overnight. sunny morning and cloudier in the afternoon. Piste 2000 and a few others now open. The snow cover meant that for us it was better skiing off the pistes than on them as still a bit icy in some places on piste. Off the pistes was fantastic as there was enough cover to ski pretty much anywhere but not enough to get bogged down in. Not sure what tomorrow's weather is bringing but today was a good day.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thinking of popping into La Clusaz Wed afternoon for half a day's skiing - anyone any updates re conditions? Any off piste in the patrolled area (assume it may be closed)?
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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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@8611, the weather fronts of the last few days have made off piste a reality again for the first time this year. However, there is a variable amount of new snow (maybe 10 to 70cm because it has been wind blown too) on no base whatsoever. So take skis you don't mind dinging. Also, at least in LGB down the road, the avi risk is now 3. All this means that, as far as the resorts are concerned, a lot of pistes are still officially closed and using them or off piste is "not advised". Having said that, the new snow is not nearly as heavy as expected given the mild temperatures and there is a lot of fun to be had between the whiteouts. Suggest you check Chamonix meteo to know if you're going to be able to see anything first. Have fun.....
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Thanks qvj! Have a feeling there's going to be a lot of whiteouts over next few days so its going to prob be pot luck as to whether I can see anything. I tend not to mind too much as long as its fresh, but am prob headed to val thorens afterwards and my memory of it is that it was pretty bare. Dilemma is that I have to go high in order to ensure best snow and as a consequence lose the trees.
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You know it makes sense.
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As ever I find myself a bit "homeless" with regard to where to update about La Giettaz, but it is "La Giettaz en Aravis" so thought I'd pop in here.
La Giettaz and the rest of the Portes du Mont Blanc area fully opened this morning (at last!) and it's currently snowing heavily. Spoke to the piste manager (not sure what his actual title is) today and he was confident that the bottom bits of the slopes (1200m) could cope with any rain that is forecast over the next couple of days as there is enough to play with now.
I have had lots of work today so didn't get out myself but guests who did had a great time.
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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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Just drove over the Col d'aravais! Looked fab up there, real winter wonderland.
Good day in la clusaz today, spitting snow from lunch time and reasonable accumulations by the time lifts closed. Pistes and off piste medium hard and improving, most rocks now covered but still some out there - rental place showed me yesterday. Good snow up high and great conditions around the trees a bit higher up than resort. Should be a good day for anyone up there tomorrow subject to the talk of rising snow line.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@miranda, sorry Miranda - I don't know how to edit the title to include lovely la Giettaz -.You'll have to start the thread next year and make sure it gets mentioned first!
Great day again in lgb especially first thing when the sun was fully out. Best again before about 2pm when weather closed in a bit and as @8611, says, the snow fell again. Really is remarkable to think this time last week we were all really depressed at the lack of snow.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@loatie, that's ok! Because of our position we tend to have guests skiing the Portes du Mont Blanc, Aravis and Espace Diamant so I just sort of float between this thread, pam w's one and a Megeve one if someone starts it!
@8611, yes it's looking so lovely round here now - I went for a short walk up the Col on Christmas Day and I could get by with some cheapo yatrax things on my hiking shoes - didn't even need raquettes - so it's a real transformation (it was beautifully sunny with amazing views of Mont Blanc on Christmas Day so it wasn't all bad).
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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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Yep today was a "is the sat nav sending me over a summer route moment" but got there in end. Was thinking there'd be great fresh tracks if we crashed anyway.
Meant to say in my original post that ski rental place showed me a ski that had been trashed on a rock so be careful and particularly if there's any thaw.
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Sorry to be a bit off topic but I will be driving from Geneva to La Clusaz next week for the first time. It doesn't look like too bad a drive but do you think we will need snowchains or will winter tyres be sufficient (especially with all the snow forecast for next 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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You should certainly be fine with winter tyres until you get off the autoroute at Bonneville at the least. Then you have the twisty drive from Saint-Pierre-en-Faucigny up through Petit-Borland and Entremont to Saint-Jean-de-Sixt. This is a single carriageway road but pretty well travelled and if snowy will certainly be ploughed. We drove down (rather than up) that road on Snowmaggedon transfer day last year on winter tyres with no problems. It would have to be a lot of snow to force you to fit chains, particularly if you're in a front (or four) wheel drive.
We've been driving to Le Grand Bornand each Christmas (and the occasional Easter) for about 7 years and I've never needed chains (do drive a 4wd with winters on though).
I wish we'd had that worry this Christmas....... 
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Thanks @MazDave will see what the situation is next week. First time for us in La Clusaz. Cant wait particularly now it looks like a ski resort.
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Was fine when we drove it yesterday but if temp drops could be different story
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cham08 Having driven both ways now we prefer to go via Annecy, on to Thônes, then up to St Jean-de-Sixt and La Clusaz. We think it's a much better road than the one from Bonneville - straighter and wider. It's a tiny bit farther than going via Bonneville but just as quick. It's also much better for geetee jr who is prone to travel sickness on bendy roads.
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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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@cham08, You should be fine so long as you're not driving on Tuesday, judging by the latest local forecasts.
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Raining solidly since Thursday pm here in chinaillon. Pleased to report this has just turned to snow and it is very heavy at the moment - not sure how long it will last though but at least it's snow at the moment.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We are thinking about driving from Geneva to La Clusaz tomorrow (Sunday) to ski for the day. From those who are there - worth doing? Any better suggestions? Our go-to places at altitude for early in the season - eg, Avoriaz, Flaine, Les Contamines, Grands Motets - all seem risky, including based on experience skiing the first three of them in December. Thanks.
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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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You will get wet wherever you go. We were out skiing LGB in the rain yesterday and it had a certain perverse appeal so long as your gear is up to it and you're not over fussed about needing to see where you are going. If you can time it right to get up a hill between deluges then at least there's snow cover now, unfortunately that's pretty impossible to predict in the current weather system. If you decide on Grands Montets let us know how it went. It's high enough for snow but everyone else may have had the same idea and could be v windy with poor visibility.
Still, mustn't grumble  .
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Follow up - La Clusaz today was totally adequate. We have had far better ski conditions, but we have had worse also. It was misty with low clouds moving through, so few grand vistas, but you could see where you were going & what you were doing. It was off & on dripping rain, but never pouring. At higher elevations, this rain was unpleasant, like pellets of frozen sleet coming at you in the high wind that was blocked at lower elevations. Some runs were closed, but most open. There was real snow on the ground, as well as more man-made snow on the pistes. The snow was wet & so thick, like cake frosting, esp lower on the mountain, so my legs were working, and there were some bare-ish dirty patches, though no rocks unlike Flaine a couple weeks ago and nothing that prevented skiing. The top of Beauregard, and the higher part of the run down from there toward town, was better than the top of the mountain closest to town. Bottom line, our kids had a great time and did a lot of good skiing, so it was a good day. The skies looked threateningly gray as we were leaving, which I hope means more snow is in store this week.
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You know it makes sense.
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@sullidav, glad you had a good day despite the conditions. thanks for the feedback.
Welcome to the thread, by the way!
Snow starts tomorrow according to Chamonix meteo and the SH weather thread....so it must be true!
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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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Was utterly soaking in LGB today, kind of fun, but ready for some nice snow again now.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Finally it feels like winter has arrived in the Aravis. We were initially disappointed that the much heralded change in the weather wasn't doing much for snow conditions at the start of the week. Monday and Tuesday it remained wet and mild. However, the snow started on Tuesday evening and we had a good 10cm even down at our level (800m) by Wednesday morning. Yesterday the snow conditions were super all over LGB with about 30cm of fresh snow all over the mountain. It was freezing overnight and now it's snowing briskly again as I type 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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Any news on current conditions ?
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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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@Renry, er, still snowing...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Slightly off topic so please forgive me but we are visiting La Clusaz for Feb half-term and I'm wondering about the best - most likely to be clear or being cleared - route in. D12 from Bonneville or the D909 from the Annecy direction?
And to get back on topic, the reports are being avidly followed & much appreciated here. Just hoping that it is going to last.
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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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Hi, @numbfoot. If you are coming from Geneva, the D12 route is slightly shorter and the views are more spectacular, but the Annecy route is straighter (you go through the northern outskirts of Annecy so don't get to see the lovely old part of the town and the lake). They are both major routes by alpine standards and are kept well ploughed, so the choice is yours. Both will be busy on a half term change over Saturday; the Annecy, Thônes, St. Jean section probably more so.
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Thanks for that, we're driving down from Riems on the Saturday rather than from Geneva. Saw Annecy & the lake in the summer, which is how we found La Clusaz  & got inspired to try skiing. So do either get shut often over a winter?
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Sorry, maybe I should have said the Geneva direction; the main autoroute in skirts to it's south. Neither routes close except in exceptional circumstances e.g. The "Snowmaggedon" changeover day last season when ill prepared cars with no chains turned the D12 into an obstacle course for half a day and night. Very unusual though, you should have no problem.
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Just on the way home from spending 4 days skiing in knee deep powder at La Clusaz. Hasn't been above freezing so snow conditions on and off piste is excellent. Snow cannons have been on constantly though so some of the lower slopes have that artificial feel to them.
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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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Snow has been great last few days. Only downside in LGB is that the station has gone bonkers for snow making, so that much of the new snow has been buried under huge mounds of scratchy artificial stuff - great piles of it bang in the middle of popular pistes like Gettiers and Envers. I know they've no doubt got their eye on next month's holidays but this week's skiers squeezing past diversion barriers have paid for their lift passes too.
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Where about in manigod do you get the views of Mont Blanc.
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FAQ
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