I thought I should start this new thread straight away as it's been snowing right down here, or yesterday down to about 2,000m during the day. This morning it was tipping it down, but of course it must be snowing not very far up the mountain which is excellent for the opening day on 13th June. Well - TBH it's a bit soon to get excited about this, but it's a good start.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Finally some sunlight yesterday, and the scene at 08.15 this morning!
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?
easiski, great idea! Don't forget to report on Lord Ioda's first Spring in LDA as you go!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
There's a bit of sun and visibility around today, so when it cleared I rushed out to take this pic looking up the Diable. Compare this with the pic from last week and you'll see how much snow has fallen. I did think about going to LG today, but have lots of other things to do, and had already planned on going on Friday anyway. Also the clouds are moving at a fair rate, so Friday it is with the better weather forecast.
I woke up in the night a bit cold, and when I woke up properly and looked out - blimey! Of course the snow down here has melted back now, but it will have stuck higher up where it's fallen in snow rather than on warm earth. Mr Ioda is not impressed and has declined to stay outside for more than a few minutes at a time. I'm quite happy with it because I've got lots of indoor stuff to do, and it's great for the start of summer - ooh! fingers crossed.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Yesterday I went to La Grave for a last ski. Firstly I (stupidly) forgot that 1st may is a bank holiday ... I'd been thinking that it would be quieter than Saturday. Duh! I've never been there before either on a weekend or on a bank holiday, and I was amazed at how many people there were - not busy as per a major resort of course, but you could see people everywhere you looked.
There was powder at the top , but of course I'd missed the best on Thursday - idiot! Anyway I was skiing at about midday and I still managed to find turns or bits of turns in fresh on the first pitch. Tracks everywhere, and a number of people seen doing some of the very steep and difficult stuff - there were tracks everywhere you were able to ski and in some places where I would have thought it impossible.
After all it is free
After all it is free
I skied down to P2 - it was very hot BTW, and when I arrived I met a couple of LDA locals so stopped and had a chat and a drink with them. Just as I was leaving to go up again, I spotted Stuart Adamson. Laughing Well, we had a chat and then went up to the top together. It was good to catch up with him. He's had a very good season with Ski Masterclass in ADH aparently. Very Happy When we got back to the top they went off to ski back down, and I went off to walk over the top and ski back down 'our' side. Very Happy Stuart very kindly offered to drive my van back to the barrage which was great.
Here's a pic looking back down to LG with the Haut Dessus restaurant highlighted, and another one taken from the top on the home side.
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.
The whole of the glacier had been pisted since the last snowfall on Weds and although soft and needing some more bashing before the start of the summer season, it was lovely to ski on. I had a great run down the glacier to the restaurant at 3,200m where I found all the piste/off piste markers. I then skied down Serre Palas and Mura (see tracks in the photo) and thence on down the Jandri to 2,600m. It was beautiful sort of ice cream textured snow on the piste. Quite wet, but not deep - just fab.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Once I got to 2,600 I looked to see where it was pisted lower down - I did ski down the Grand Nord which was not pisted and was very soggy. A wider pair of skis would have helped here, but it was skiable, if not a pleasure. See the pic at 2,600 looking through the Jandri Express pylon at the whole Toura area - still absolutely full of snow.
so I then went across to the Goulet du Grand Nord which had been pisted and skied all the way down to the Cretes. See the depth of snow here in spite of the work of the piste machines.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
easiski, Nice photos......looks far too busy
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.
At this point I made a mistake and took a rest on the bench in the sun. When I got up I could hardly move - oh dear. In the meantime some friends had come past having had the same idea The Cretes was almost unbearably sticky and had to be straightlined, so I was thinking that the Valentin would also be foul, but actually it was quite nice corn snow. Big bumps, but otherwise fine. The last pic in the series is looking back up the Valentin from the last bit of snow where I had to take off my skis.
I hid my skis at my friend Kenton's chalet and then went to hitch a lift to the barrage to collect the van. The third or fourth car picked me up and when we got down I found Stuart & co had just arrived after having had a drink at the Hotel Castillion (as you do).
It was a really nice day, and the sheer volume and depth of snow all the way down to the Cretes was incredible - I've never seen so much after the end of the season. Let's hope it stays principally cold and snowy for the next few weeks and we'll have even better skiing at the start of the summer season than we did last year - and that would be remarkable.
The only downside was that after all that my back was really bad last night and both knees were sore too, so that's why this report is a little late!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
easiski, Was wondering how you were going to get back down from the Cretes....didn't look like it was possible on the webcams! Hope you're not too sore
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
easiski, nice one, wish we'd managed one last day at La Grave.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:
both knees were sore too
is that the telemarking? or the incredibly sticky snow?
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
pam w, well the meniscus on the left is always a bit troublesome by the end of the season, and the right one seems to be slightly swollen inside - I think it's just wear and tear and abuse for too many years! I just straightlined the sticky bit - I must have been doing at least 5mph!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
easiski wrote:
I just straightlined the sticky bit - I must have been doing at least 5mph!
Gosh, nearly as fast as me then
Hope the knees/back settle down quickly - must be in need of some lubricant!
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?
easiski, my knees have long had some injury-type issues, following a major ligament damaging fall in the Cairngorms last century. But they've been OK up to now - I know them, and know my limitations. But this season they've been worse, even though I didn't do much hard skiing. They were getting sore, and hot and swollen, for no obvious reason and are still not great - getting up and down from the floor today (playing with grandchildren in a Wendy House made for pre-schoolers ) I felt like an old woman. I know I AM an old woman, but actually starting to feel like one is a bit of a bummer.
pam w, Agreed - I try to refuse the fact of getting older, but sometimes it catches up. Of course more than 30 years of professional sport doesn't help. It's been a bit ordinary today, mild and sunny in the morning and mild and cloudy in the afternoon. Having said that, it was about 5 degs this pm, so not all that mild! Lots of heavy cloud high up, it's probably been snowing, but the forecast is up and down for the next week/10 days with a fair bit of precipitation. Hopefully it will be snow all the way to 2,600m (where's the fingers crossed smilie?).
Butterfly, Lovely, but it's not on the list of smilies is it? I had a whole lot, but they don't work with Firefox.
Obviously I can't say what's happening up higher as I can't see. What I can see is that there's still an aweful lot of snow on La Muzelle, and it's interesting to compare with an identical pic that I took early in April last year. There is a difference in the snowline, but surprisingly little considering the month. There's a lot more white higher up this year.
I also added a pretty pic of the late sun in the valley.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Well, I was planning to do some gardening today, but then this happened.
After all it is free
After all it is free
easiski, is that snow?
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.
easiski, nice to see that Stuart Adamson is still chipper. He was the guy who really introduced me to off-piste on a Fresh Tracks (in the days before it had become part of the SCGB) holiday many moons ago. Great guy.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
achilles, great guy indeed.... But which was better?
pam w, It hasn't snowed down here since the last pix I posted. I'm not sure about higher up - the Tete Moute is looking a bit the worse for wear. Of course the problem at this time of year is that without doing a really, really long walk there's no way to tell what's happening higher up. A small 4x4 or something would allow me to drive up the Demoiselles to look - but I don't think the van would make it.
It's been very mild for the last 3 or 4 days and the last couple of days have been just above 0degs first thing in the morning. It's rained off and on, but not much and it's been windy (what's new there - it's the windiest year that I can remember).
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.
It's remained mild and windy with a fair bit of rain off and on. I think and hope that it's been snowing on the glacier itself, and the temps are going to drop from tomorrow, with a forecast snow/rain level of 1400m on Sat morning. Hope so! As long as I can stay nice and snug in the house. Lots of work going on around the town at the moment so here's a pic of some and showing the weather + a nice pic of pretty spring flowers, which won't mean much to all you UK types, but are a huge deal to those of us who've been in a white world for so long.
I left the town yesterday and coming back up could see that the Fee's lost a lot of snow compared to a week ago, but Chalance still looks fairly full. The Super Diable is still complete but now has a bald patch in the middle. However, Fee and Super D are not all that high, so all fingers crossed.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
The last few days have been a really mixed bag: Friday night bucketed it down and it snowed above about 2,300m and there was clearly a good dumping at altitude as there were avalanches all over the Ecrins when it warmed up on Sat. The sun came out and it was postively hot most of the day, sunday was cooler but with a fair bit of sun off and on. Today started quite foggy, turned quite nice, and then turned squally in the afternoon. I think you can see it in the photo.
The good thing is that with the rain and sun everything is growing like mad. Presumably the snow on the glacier is good , and I've managed to get my garden done before going back to the UK on Weds.
I also forgot to mention that on my way back up from Grenoble the other day I saw a wild boar. I don't know if it was the one Lizzard is personally acquainted with, but I've never seen one before (except in zoos).
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
easiski,
Wonderful to see you "alive and kicking" and your place in lovely bloom !
How's life been treating you the past year since we last were there - sincerely hope it was alright ? (it seems like forever and that we've been in complete hibernation the past 10 months or so)
But things are heating up over here and we're prepping for departure and arrival GVA for mid June and stay until August 7 this time - instead of New Zealand.
Quote:
and I've managed to get my garden done before going back to the UK on Weds.
When will you be back from the UK - if so ?
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
jeu-d-esprit, Oh - that's great news - I'll look forward to seeing you all again. I'm only going to be in the UK for about 9 days as the very kind Yourspurs1 and Mrs Spurs have offered to cat sit for me (Ioda can't go to the UK until July )
Today was much cooler (almost freezing early this morning), and although it was lovely and sunny it was quite windy all day. I'm not quite sure how this will have affected the higher snow - yesterday it deffo rained certainly above the level of the Cretes.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Sounds like you're getting the same stuff we're getting here, just a tad cooler. Yesterday & today it's been showers/sun, but some of the showers are like someone emptied a bucket on your head!
Looking forward to seeing you & a BIG thanks from us here for the CD & for the cute pic of Ioda.
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?
easiski, Have a safe journey. LDA is starting to look very green on the webcams
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I got home in the middle of the night on Monday, but slept all day yesterday! Anyway, on venturing out today I can see that the whole place has had a green explosion in the last 10 days! A fair bit of snow has gone from lower down where I can see it, and the flowers are out all over the lower part of the mountain. As you can see from the photo, the Diable is nearly all green now. It's actually quite shocking how much changes in so little time.
Obviously I can't tell you what it's like up on the glacier at the moment, but the Oisans.com webcam gives you a good look at it although from a long way away.
Pic of pretty green stuff - I must say it's not nearly so hot as the SW was, and I understand that it was even hotter yesterday than the day before.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Hi there - glad you got back ok & hope the return journey was uneventful. Did the van get sorted ok?
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.
Butterfly, Yes - all fine. The journey was tiring but uneventful, and his lordship is quite clingy.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
easiski, I've had a PM from masque - trying reach you - you have emails (but you probably know that by now!)
now away for a few days than I can get offically excited about the summer camp
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
I'm quite happy with it because I've got lots of indoor stuff to do, and it's great for the start of summer - ooh! fingers crossed.
I'd been thinking that it would be quieter than Saturday. Duh! I've never been there before either on a weekend or on a bank holiday, and I was amazed at how many people there were - not busy as per a major resort of course, but you could see people everywhere you looked. 
I then skied down Serre Palas and Mura (see tracks in the photo) and thence on down the Jandri to 2,600m. It was beautiful sort of ice cream textured snow on the piste. Quite wet, but not deep - just fab. 
In the meantime some friends had come past having had the same idea The Cretes was almost unbearably sticky and had to be straightlined, so I was thinking that the Valentin would also be foul, but actually it was quite nice corn snow. 
