 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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| GrahamN wrote: |
| easiski wrote: |
| Alpe D'Huez doesn't have any real summer skiing nowadays |
I saw an article last week (IIRC) that said they were not opening at all this year, due to the shrinkage of the Sarenne glacier. |
Last year the SATA took a decision with the community to say they wouldn't open the Sarenne but maybe with the good conditions at altitude they are thinking of opening a couple of lifts. They probably have enough permanent staff to do this. Val d'Isère is set to reopen now they have snowmaking on the glacier.
This is l'Alpe d'Huez today, as you can see there is still a lot of snow around
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| easiski wrote: |
davidof, they're working on re-aligning the lifts, which they have to do every year.Interesting that you can see the big half pipe from so far away!
I'll let you know if we can ski down as soon as we re-open. Hopefully, I should be able to find out in advance. :D |
Lets hope for an unsettled, cold and wet end to May !
I could have taken a better photo but it was so hazy yesterday... I was a bit dissapointed as I had hoped to get some nice shots.
Val d'Isère had this cryptic sentence about opening "snow making on the glacier now enables us to reopen summer skiing, snow conditions permitting". I know it kind of vaguely makes sense.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Here is a pic of the glacier and village from yesterday
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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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easiski, how much of that do you think will last until the end of the month?? 
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brian
brian
Guest
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brian
brian
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Arno, you might be interested in this link.
Type the access code displayed into the box at the bottom and you should get 4 graphs for the next week in L2A.
Top one is precipitation at about 3000m, next 3 are temperature (650mb is roughly 3500m, 700mb is roughly 3000m and bottom one is roughly village temps).
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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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brian, that's interesting as I've just looked at the webcam on the DAL site (2alpes.com) and it hasn't been renewed since 17 April!
Arno, Can't tell, but unlikely I should think. It's supposed to get warmer from sunday. It wasn't very warm last night - 6 deg on the balcony at 07.00, which is normal in April! Central heating off in the building and flat quite cold when I got back - fotunately I've hung onto that old oil filled radiator I've had for years .....
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easiski, I actually had the wood burner going at the start of June. Just hope the forecast warmer weather doesn't take the edge off that first day back on the slopes, barely more than a week to go... 
Any lessons lined up straight away in June, or does the summer season not really get going until July?
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You know it makes sense.
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PG, No, I start on 18th with a week's work straight away - good eh! I heaerd today that it's easy to ski to 2600 at the moment, so fingers crossed. A little warmer would be nice, but no rain at altitude please. Took some photos today, and will post them tomorrow. (Having a day off after the journey!)
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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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Looking good! Charlotte I'm insanely jealous. Anyone going out early this summer? Looks too good to pass by, but I have no holiday/money left whatsoever! Bah. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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PG, easiski,
Any pics?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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easiski, looks like any decision to come over will be a last minute one, as we're also haveing a few days in Italy. I've really got to decide whether wecarry the boots over or not. We had to bring them home as the storage room isn't ready.
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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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paulmck, i'm heading out in a couple of weeks' time 
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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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Arno, Lucky so and so. I'd be interested to know how far down the La Grave side you can still get. It'd be one hell of a walk-out but think of the bragging rights.
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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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paulmck, that's not really in the picture - it's just a couple of days brushing up my technique aided by easiski.
If I was there for a whole week, I'd be tempted to have a look provided that the Telepheriques de la Meije are still running
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Never mind - I've got a feeling the telepherique runs in the summer for walkers and to access the hut at the top.
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paulmck, it was originally built for mountaineers but June is still a quite early in the alpinism season
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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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nice pics
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Scorchio this weekend, the thermometer is already up to 27C and it is going to get hotter next week
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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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davidof, Yes - but it's still cool here today and this evening. All hatches battened. 
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brian
brian
Guest
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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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as far as I am concerned, it only needs to last until 2pm on 25 June
but then I am selfish like that 
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Poster: A snowHead
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easiski,
We need pics now.
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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 hear they are now not opening to 2600 m tomorrow due to the recent heatwave, it has certainly been a massacre over the last 7 days where I am
although there looked to be a good lot of snow above 2000 meters in the Belledonne today.
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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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davidof,
Nice graph
Have you got any pics?
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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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| johnboy wrote: |
davidof,
Nice graph
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Davidof is a man after my own heart.
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brian
brian
Guest
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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HERE IT IS FOLKS!
First, it was pouring with rain, so having put on my summer gear I had to change for the GoreTex winter stuff: then off up to the lifts, on the way up the first leg of the Jandri Express this is what I saw (unfortunately it was the Roxio pod so the view's not too good
 The Grand Couloir still clearly possible with little walking (apart from getting there)
 The Tete Moute still possible
 and Grand Nord Bis ditto
At 2,600 the Toura looks like this:
In the second leg I saw: (and yes, it was raining)
 Lac Noir and Grand Creux still looking OK if you wanted to walk up, and
 looking down to Serre Palas and La Mura.
Once up on the glacier This is what I found (apart from horrid weather). the snow was soft and slow, but skiable. It was very windy but warm, and none of the chairlifts were running because of the wind - bah!
 Puy Salie and Dome - not too many peeps and
 Looking up La Lauze to 3,600 - didn't bother to go up there though!
After a couple of runs to take the pix I started down. They were going to open from 2,900 (mid station of the 8 man chair), but with the wind they decided against it. However I had a lovely time, being the only one on:
 La Mura, Serre Palas was fine as it was here, with soft corduroy, mine are the only tracks this way. Later I joined the Jandri, and found 3 other sets of tracks (shame!)
 Looking back up to see 2 ways down the Jandri skiable, and lower down
 the weather improved a little at this point.
 showing the final tracks of the descent in the Goulet du Lac Noir and then....
 the walk back up to the Jandri Express at 2,600.
The descent was really quite nice. Slow, of course with the soft snow, but very pleasant. It's always nice to be the only one. Today it was officially closed, but that's more politics than anything else - they always have to cater for the idiots who rush off, even on Jun 17th thinking a piste will be perfect!!!
[/b]
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brian
brian
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Thanks Charlotte !
How would you say it compared to an average opening ? Any chance the glacier reds will survive into July ?
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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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brian, Shedloads of snow on the glacier - the returning T bars are around hip height, you have to slalom in between them crossing the Puy Salie rather than ducking! You should be fine for the Dome, although the top of Signal is already a bit thin in places.We did it today and there's loads of soft off piste bits to play with. Snowheads wall is looking steep and fine. Quite a few peeps skiing the Echines des Chevres too, but I didn't take my guy as the risk in summer (I'm not a high mountain guide so no insurance) is too great. Might do it on my own tomorrow, and have told him that he could probably do it with almost no risk on his own!!!
We can only get down to 2,600 at the start of the summer season about 1 year in 3 or 4, so it's particularly good, and one of my pisteur friends was telling me that they were all set to open the whole domain from 2,600 until last week's hot weather and then the rain finished it off. Aparently the reason it's not open to 2,900 is that on the corner of Serre Palas the snow's quite thin, and they think that the passage of many skiers + the need to groom would make it too stoney to be safe. Shame - but of course it's still good skiing for those who don't require perfect pistes!!!
It was lovely early today, and had frozen overnight, so was quite firm to start with. Unfortunately, it came on to rain around 11.45. It was snowing at 3,400m and sleeting at 3,300m but raining heavily at 3,200m. The temps seem set to drop a little in the next few days - we don't need much - 2deg would be enough, and that should stabilise everything.
I reckon Arno will be able to ski to 2,600m with a bit of adventure along the way, but I'm afraid that won't be on by the time Brian gets here.
All for today folks 
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brian
brian
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easiski, sounds good, thanks for the report. Fingers crossed for relative coolness
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