 Poster: A snowHead
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My experience with lift closures over 25 years of going to major linked ski areas is that closures during the day are very rare. For obvious reasons they know once the links are open people will be using them. High winds are the most likely cause of closure. I was in ADH once where they started to direct people at the most common intersection to ski down to their area (main ADH, Oz, Vaujany). Visibility less of a problem - I've been out in total whiteouts and links have been kept open. Ava's generally not an issue only for opening in the first place. On a general level it's a good idea to keep an eye on the weather. And if in doubt use lifts that you know you get ski back from. There is IME no proper warning system in place but then again I've never actually seen closures in action that have rendered me stuck. As I say I think they know once they are open they have to as far as sensibly possible keep them open.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Agree. Check the main lift display boards in your resort centre first thing. If there is any chance that inter-valley links will close during the day they will strongly advise you to stay in your own valley. Following whatever advice is given I have never been trapped in the "wrong" valley.
If high winds are forecast then often the ridges will not be open anyway, although sometimes they are open on the sheltered side but not the opposite side. But I have known all the lifts in the "home" valley to stop at lunchtime, in a controlled shutdown, when winds became stronger than expected.
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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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Slightly off topic but can anyone recommend an easy black that we can take the kids down for their first black experience today? We are in Courchevel with just courchevel lift passes.
They are very capable red run skiers. The 9 year old has far more confidence than his ability but the 11 year old is the opposite. I don't want to scare her.
Thank you!
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| Snowysarah wrote: |
Yes I would like to know about lift closing alert too!
We are staying in Orelle and are planning a trip to Meribel on thurs. lift closures would be a disaster as v long taxi ride home, and although my 5 years old can ski blues and reds we plan out exactly the route so she. An manage it! |
There is a “Meribel” 3V app with a piste map which shows lifts and pistes open. It also has alerts. At the start of the day it pinged about high winds and recommendations to stay in the valley. (I assume there are ones for VT and Courchevel which are the same just rebranded)
Although yesterday there were also warnings on the boards at the bottom of every lift and big warning barrier/nets at the top of advising of high winds and potential closures.
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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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@breeze11, It's been quite a few years since I was there but I don't remember the "m" black being too difficult (from the top of the Vizelle lift) - as long as it's not become bumpy. Might be worth skiing down it without kids first to check it out. Combe Pylones on the other side of the lift is very steep, probably not a good introduction. The bottom half of Suisse might also be good, but again it does get covered in moguls sometimes!
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@breeze11, I would take them down Combe Saulire first to test their legs, it's a cracking run (I particularly like the steep drop into it just to the right of the Vizelle).
Suisses is a nice black to take the kids down as is m - as other have said Combes Pylones is in the shade for a large chunk of the day and as such can be icy.
My 10Y old's favourite black is Jockeys down to Le Praz though - we did it a few times in February when it was in great nick ... I presume the bottom half would be going through a thaw / refreeze cycle now so I would leave it until midday to do.
Don't miss the 3 sweeping reds off the Chapelets chair in 1650 - all 3 are great carving reds.
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@altis, are you touring if you are worried about slides? I guess that is going to be the issue with so much snow is that the slopes are going to purge as it warms up!
My amateur view of the GFS runs is warming up over normal until 9/10th when it starts to cool down again with perhaps some snow around....
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@breeze11, get the Courchevel app and check what has been pisted...
The blacks down to le Praz (Jean Blanc (very topicl currently) and Jockeys) have both been in amazing nick all winter and my 4 year old skied Jockeys on Sunday so it can't be too bad...
Combe des Pylones always used to be a red until about 12/13 years ago (as did the Couloir des Belges just next door (skier's left) which was quite 'cheeky' at the grade!). To rephrase franga above it is in the shade for large parts of the day and as such tends to have amazing cold grippy snow on it (if it has been pisted).
Basically most of the blacks in Courch are soft touches if they have been pisted...
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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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The bonus of Jean Blanc or Jockeys is you can bail out at several points part-way down each of them if the kids aren't feeling the love (though the first wall of Jean Blanc is arguably the steepest bit...).
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@breeze11, Dou De Lanches is probably the shortest one in the area and not that steep so a good one to try?? You can see it from the chairlift with the same name if your kids wanted to have a look first!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Fantastic! Thank you all. Unfortunately we can't get up to the top ones due to the wind today. An esf instructor I was on a lift with earlier thinks snow is due in later so maybe we'll give some a go tomorrow morning. That's if their instructor doesn't beat me to it and take them this afternoon. I'll be a bit gutted if I miss their first black I think - bit like missing their first steps! 
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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 good snow base with warmer temps is an excellent time for skiing steeper pistes i.e., now. We were in Paradiski last week and skied a lot of the black pistes multiple times.
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| franga wrote: |
@breeze11, I would take them down Combe Saulire first to test their legs, it's a cracking run (I particularly like the steep drop into it just to the right of the Vizelle).
Suisses is a nice black to take the kids down as is m - as other have said Combes Pylones is in the shade for a large chunk of the day and as such can be icy.
My 10Y old's favourite black is Jockeys down to Le Praz though - we did it a few times in February when it was in great nick ... I presume the bottom half would be going through a thaw / refreeze cycle now so I would leave it until midday to do.
Don't miss the 3 sweeping reds off the Chapelets chair in 1650 - all 3 are great carving reds. |
I would have said M was at the steeper end of the blacks in Courchevel we are talking about and with moguls seems very steep. Pylones however is one of my favorites and always seems quiet.
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You know it makes sense.
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| musehead wrote: |
| @breeze11, It's been quite a few years since I was there but I don't remember the "m" black being too difficult (from the top of the Vizelle lift) - as long as it's not become bumpy. Might be worth skiing down it without kids first to check it out. Combe Pylones on the other side of the lift is very steep, probably not a good introduction. The bottom half of Suisse might also be good, but again it does get covered in moguls sometimes! |
I might be wrong about "Combe des Pylones" based on the above posts... perhaps it was icy when I last skied it, making it seem steeper than it is!
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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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Suisse is my favourite "introduction to blacks" piste in Courchevel. The snow always seems to be good there (perhaps due to its aspect) and good snow makes any run easier. You can easily check it out from the Suisse lift too, and then take another route if it doesn't look suitable.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I once saw someone rag doll the whole down Suisse - bump to bump.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
@breeze11, Dou De Lanches is probably the shortest one in the area and not that steep so a good one to try?? You can see it from the chairlift with the same name if your kids wanted to have a look first!
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I would second Dou De Lanches, late morning or early afternoon once the snow has softened it. It is a nice run, normally pisted, a gentle entry, then not too steep and with a red/blue bail out option half way down. Was in great nick last week.
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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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Lanches is one of my fav easy blacks especially when pisted, can get some good carving done
Vent fort stopped play for us early today, went to aquamotion instead.
Planning on 1650 tomorrow, temps dropping so hoping for some good conditions till the sun warms up.
A bit of snow this eve so far only cm or 2 but nice to see the trees white again.
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Heavy snow, sleet, rain, sunshine, high winds....we’ve had it all in the 3Vs today!
When higher lifts opened this afternoon there was an inch of fresh on the pistes.
Some more rain this eve in Meribel Village, looked sleety so hopefully falling as snow higher up.
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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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Can anyone give me some route advice? Or should I post separately?
We are staying in Orelle. Our lovely friends are in courchevel 1650 and we would like to try and meet up with them for an afternoon. I’ve got 3 kids and my 5 year old is a decent skier for her age (blues/reds generally , not bothered by wind back to Orelle today) but understandably she gets tired.
What is easiest route to get to Mottaret (where we plan to meet). Even better if it has cable cars so she could go both ways in them rather than ski the whole way there and back!
Many thanks
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| Snowysarah wrote: |
Can anyone give me some route advice? Or should I post separately?
We are staying in Orelle. Our lovely friends are in courchevel 1650 and we would like to try and meet up with them for an afternoon. I’ve got 3 kids and my 5 year old is a decent skier for her age (blues/reds generally , not bothered by wind back to Orelle today) but understandably she gets tired.
What is easiest route to get to Mottaret (where we plan to meet). Even better if it has cable cars so she could go both ways in them rather than ski the whole way there and back!
Many thanks |
It is very easy. From col de rosael, you ski to Val thorens using Niverolle and Fond (blue pistes). You then go up plein sud and Trois vallées lifts. Then you ski down on blue lac de la chambre piste untill you get to Plan des mains skilift. In theory you don't need to take this and could go further down "ours". However that is very flat and poling is necessary, so obviously a 5 year old will hate that. So rather take plan des mains. From the top you can ski down blue pistes (sitelle, Martre) and then you're already in Mottaret !
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Thank you! That’s the route is kind of pencilled but oh my, that lift map is dense and confusing. So many lifts!
On the way back do you know if all the cable cars are two way- can we go down as well as up? She will have had enough by then for sure..
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Dou des lanches was also a red until a few years ago in my view it's only the bottom steep pitch which makes it a black.
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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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| Snowysarah wrote: |
Thank you! That’s the route is kind of pencilled but oh my, that lift map is dense and confusing. So many lifts!
On the way back do you know if all the cable cars are two way- can we go down as well as up? She will have had enough by then for sure.. |
I don't think it is possible to take a cable car down to get back to Val Thorens. However, the skiing back (shortest by taking plattieres and the cote brune in mottaret) is not that long nor difficult, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. You can always make an extra stop in a mountain resto, and your little one will be fine 
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| Snowysarah wrote: |
Can anyone give me some route advice? Or should I post separately?
We are staying in Orelle. Our lovely friends are in courchevel 1650 and we would like to try and meet up with them for an afternoon. I’ve got 3 kids and my 5 year old is a decent skier for her age (blues/reds generally , not bothered by wind back to Orelle today) but understandably she gets tired.
What is easiest route to get to Mottaret (where we plan to meet). Even better if it has cable cars so she could go both ways in them rather than ski the whole way there and back!
Many thanks |
A couple of possible alternatives to the previous answer, that would reduce the skiing on the way there significantly:
From the top of the Rosael chair out of the Orelle valley, walk UP the piste to the right for a few hundred metres and then take the Grand Fond funitel downwards towards Val Thorens. Some skiing then required to get through VT (or LM).
From the ridge between Val Thorens and Mottaret ski down the Les Menuires side, but keeping as far right / high as possible (Bd de Lance, David Douillet haut, then keep right on blues) to the Roc 2 chair. Take this to the top. Then if you walk straight ahead and slightly uphill for around 200m you can take the Plattieres 3 gondola down. And then (if you want to) walk up a further 100m and take the Plattieres gondola all the way to Mottaret centre.
This would minimise the skiing required to get there (but perhaps not that much in time), saving energy for the return trip where there are not many ways to avoid it!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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This is brilliant. Thanks soo much for taking the time to reply. We come down that run from the fond cable every day and wondered about walking up so good to know doable.
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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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@snowysarah Lac de la Chambre can get quite mogully and crowded in places, so an alternative and possibly easier route is to go down from VT to Les Meunieres on the Boulevard Cumin (a bit flat in places, so keep your speed up and wax your skis) then take Reberty to Sunny Express to Roc 2. You could then, if you didn't want to ski, take Plattieres 3 down; walk slightly up and across to Plattieres 1/2 then take it down into Mottaret. Otherwise, you can either ski Mouflon (red), Sitelle, Matrix straight down into Mottaret or take Grand Lac (blue) and Pelozet (blue) to St Martin Express then Faon (blue) to Perdrix (blue) to Mottaret, if you want the easiest (but slightly longer) route.
You can go back via Plattieres 1/2 to Cote Brune then take Funitel 3 Vallees down. You would then have a bit of a climb to Pionniers, which I think that you can take down. Otherwise, you would have to ski into VT. The new Corniche run would be the easiest route. You then have a choice of lifts to get back to the top of the Orelle valley. I am not sure if you can take the Rosael chair down or not.
I hope that this helps.
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Mixture of snow and sleet from my window in Courchevel 1550 this morning. Nice layer of snow on the trees. I'm hoping it's lovely fresh snow further up. I'm also hoping it stops soon as yesterday afternoons snow confirmed that my jacket is not waterproof!!
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You know it makes sense.
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Also, thanks for all the black run advice. We are going to try a couple this morning. They skied Jockeys with their instructor yesterday afternoon which I was hoping to try with them again this morning but it may have suffered in last night's rain being a bit lower.
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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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Out on Sunday to Meribel centre, can't wait first trip to 3V, just hope the forecast rain doesn't materialise!
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Poster: A snowHead
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In the morning I think lac de la chambre is not yet mogully nor too busy, because most people go in the direction of Val Thorens in the morning, because that is were the best snow is (usually)
Boulevard Cumin is piste I never take, because it is very flat and poling is necessary, which is very tiring for a 5 year old.
Most tricky is probably returning, because you need to take a south facing slope towards Val Thorens and then a south facing towars orelle. This means snow can be very slushy and moguls form easily. As said above you can maybe from mont de la chambre go up to Funitel 3 vallées and take that down. But that doesn't go all the way down to Val Thorens so not sure whether it is worth it.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Good dusting of new snow in VT spillage this morning, must be a couple of inches
Avi blasting been going on too
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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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Actually, just got outside for the first time and there is more like 6 inches of fresh in the village 😀
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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 two days and we will be on our way.
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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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Wow, it's beautiful out there this morning. The trees are white, the slopes are empty, the snow is fresh. Low cloud in areas but the sun is mostly out now. Looking forward to a lovely afternoon. I LOVE courchevel.
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@Snowysarah
| ecureuil wrote: |
| ... to the Roc 2 chair. Take this to the top. Then if you walk straight ahead and slightly uphill for around 200m you can take the Plattieres 3 gondola down. And then (if you want to) walk up a further 100m and take the Plattieres gondola all the way to Mottaret centre. |
Forgot to say that when you first get off the Roc2 chair, you can't see the Plattieres3 top lift station! It is hidden behind the Grange chair / restaurant. But just walk straight ahead (at the side of the piste to avoid skiers coming the other way) and it comes into view at the back of the plateau.
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@snowysarah. I checked the lift route back from Mottaret to VT this morning. It would be quite a hike up to the Funitel 3 Vallees, after a bit of a schuss down from the top of Cote Brune. It is also impossible to go down Pionniers. This made me think that if you do want to try to go back by lift that you might do best to take Bruyeres (2 & 1) down from the top of Cote Brune to Reberty, then shuttle bus to Les Menuires (every 20 mins), then bus to VT - see: https://en.lesmenuires.com/winter/ski-resort/access-and-transport/by-bus. However, I see that the Les Menuires to VT bus is supposedly only for walkers and cross country skiers. You might get away with it if you put your skis in a ski bag - or pretended to be French!
Fantastic conditions this morning with 15 cm of fresh snow. Great off piste skiing if you kept high. However, it was amazing to see most of VT tracked out within 3 hrs.
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@Snowysarah, I think you're meeting in the wrong place. Your journey from Orelle is considerably longer than theirs. They can get to Mottaret in as little as 4 lifts and only skiing a few hundred metres of blue and green paths if they download on Pas du Lac.
Would be much fairer if you met at the top of Les Menuires in between the top of Cote Brun (for them) and Trois Vallees Funitel for you. Basically, at the meeting post at the start of the Lac de la Chambre run. You can then all ski together any of the three blues that run from there to Mottaret, LM or VT. I wouldn't recommend even the blue version of Lac de la Chambre with a five year old though. Too much poling if the snow's sticky.
Your route would be Orelle, Rosael up, walk to Grand Fond, Grand Fond down. Ski to Caron/Cime Caron, take Caron down, swap to Cairn at the mid station, Cairn up. Ski to Plein Sud, Plein Sud up, Trois Vallees Funitel up. Ski to meeting point (200m). Still a bit further than your friends but much better for your child.
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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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| Raceplate wrote: |
@Snowysarah, I think you're meeting in the wrong place. Your journey from Orelle is considerably longer than theirs. They can get to Mottaret in as little as 4 lifts and only skiing a few hundred metres of blue and green paths if they download on Pas du Lac.
Would be much fairer if you met at the top of Les Menuires in between the top of Cote Brun (for them) and Trois Vallees Funitel for you. Basically, at the meeting post at the start of the Lac de la Chambre run. You can then all ski together any of the three blues that run from there to Mottaret, LM or VT. I wouldn't recommend even the blue version of Lac de la Chambre with a five year old though. Too much poling if the snow's sticky.
Your route would be Orelle, Rosael up, walk to Grand Fond, Grand Fond down. Ski to Caron/Cime Caron, take Caron down, swap to Cairn at the mid station, Cairn up. Ski to Plein Sud, Plein Sud up, Trois Vallees Funitel up. Ski to meeting point (200m). Still a bit further than your friends but much better for your child. |
4 lifts for them from courchevel 1650??
I suspect my 5 yr old is a better skier then their youngest from what my friend has said. She skied like a demon today all day from 1130-5 with just a brief sandwich stop. We made it down fro top go grand fond to 3 Vallées express at Orelle in 15 mins. However, when she’s had it, that’s it. Read and tantrums. (Understandably, sometimes forget she’s 5)
I am going to get the piste map out now and go through all these suggestions. Thanks so much!
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Can you def take Caron down ?
Cairn wasn’t working today for some reason..
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FAQ
