 Poster: A snowHead
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chocksaway, the weather forecasts in the UK have been commenting on the jetstream being further south than usual. This time last year, Mr jocrad ran a half marathon in Wilmslow, with myself and some friends along as support. We were sunbathing in balmy temperatures normally seen in May or June, instead of the just-about-above-zero temps we've had this 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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Am in tignes for a short break in late April , and as I am going solo , want to use the time to work on some technique , looking for steep (steeper the better) pistes , can folk point me in the direction of some runs that can be easily lapped , cheers 
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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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stewart woodward, cheers , actually need the steepness , as want to work on tecnique for the "off piste steeps" i.e.jump turns and speed control pressure etc , but as I am on my own for three days so won't be able to ski off piste , and don't have the budget for a guide on this trip , any other quiet, away from it all black runs ?
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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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Dabber,
Drop me a pm when you are in resort & i will try and ski with you so you can do some offpiste routes.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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stewart woodward, will do cheers
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Dabber, I am also in Tignes late April, from 20th-27th, meeting up with some friends doing a season, PM me if you want to meet up for a beer or a ski as you are going alone.
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VolklAttivaS5, will do cheers
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Poisson D'Avril 
What a day - pistes were perfect - off piste varied depending on aspect. Main topic of discussion today - how long can a marmotte hibernate and are they going to be skinny when they appear this year. Answers on a postcard.......
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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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chocksaway, any pics?
Sounds great 
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Sorry - my phone is decidedly un'smart' (but it does play 'ski sunday' when it rings  )
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You know it makes sense.
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Has anyone got any pics of the drained lake/reservoir? I am out in 2 weeks for one last skid, but am curious to see how it is looking.
Cheers
Smag
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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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| Piccadilly wrote: |
smagsmith, the most recent photos I've seen were from Radio Val d'Isere. When I was there w/c 17th March, it looked much the same as this:
http://www.webtvvaldisere.com/album/album.php?p=8
(scroll down to the bottom set of photos) |
I must be doing something wrong as I cant see any photos of the empty lake
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Go to page 10 - thanks Piccadilly,
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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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| Quote: |
| Has anyone got any pics of the drained lake/reservoir? |
- Nothing on page 10  .....The empty reservoir photo is on page 11 as far as I can see. Does anybody know why it's being drained by the way?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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smagsmith, chocksaway, mountainaddict,
Nope, the ones I found are now at the bottom of Page 9 - dated 02/03/2013, titled le barrage du Chevril. It's annoying that you can't link directly to the album, and right click is disabled.
http://www.webtvvaldisere.com/album/album.php?p=9
As far as I know, it's for maintenance to the dam.
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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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We had a discussion about this when I got back 2 weeks ago and we came to the conclusion that they're probably draining it cos they need to repaint the mural!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Whats the temperatures in Tignes, we fly out on the 7th for a week and unsure if i need to pack my thermals last year they weren't needed at all when we went
Had a quick look on the net and the forecast temperatures vary from, with the weather on the tignes.co.uk website showing it down to -17 with the windchill and others giving the temp as +3
Any help would be good to know what I need to pack this year!
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In reverse Order!:
Robb84, Remind me later in the week - I'll let you know, today I was wearing a HHvest, roll neck, sweat shirt and winter ski (padded) jacket!
mountainaddict, Piccadilly, gixxerniknik, I guess the pictures move about as more are added, one more from me below. the current work on the dam is the servicing of the sluice gates and ther actuators. This is ahead of a €1.3 billion refurb of the whoe hydroelectric system which runs from way above the dam down to Malgovert near Bourg - where the main turbines are. This will be a 3 year programme employing 200 folks. I do have links to more detail in French if anyone is a dam spotter!
gixxerniknik, there has been talk of redoing Hercules but nobody has the €2 million to fund it.
To today - and just for shoogly, and smagsmith, I took my camera today so here is a more picky orientated blog:
We woke to nearly clear blue skies and a team of 6 set off down Familial - which was tracked and with varying snow conditions - some nice turns but not really powder:
As it was a bit warm for all the kit we were all wearing it was off to Fornet - a coffee at the Signal allowed me to take a picture of a most unspring-like Le Fornet Village:
So on we went up the glacier where on piste you could have carved turns on 2 bits of 4 by 2 - it was that good. You can also see the high clouds approaching:
After the 'up and over' it was down onto Tete de Solaise - where you can see there is not much water behind the dam:
And the final pic - just to demonstrate the snow depth in Le Lac at 2100m - although there is a slight gradient up to the centre of the Snow-Front you can easily see the metre and a half that the website shows:
That's it folks - oh its just started snowing! Oh and a final shout for the Freeriders in last night's Full Moon Freeride which took place last night under floodlights on the Couloir de Tufs (colloquially known as the left hand finger - to the right of the Aeroski). I wouldn't dare do it in daylight!
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gixxerniknik, Hercules is on the dry side of the wall so repainting should not need an empty dam.
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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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Adrian, Just rushed out to check a postcard, you are absolutely correct, thanks for that, but I don't remember seeing him on the dry side as I think it's all faded now. (I've only got a photo of the wet side of the dam dam taken from off the side of Cugnai) Be good to get it redone but at 2mil euros, that's a huge redecoration bill!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It's a shame it's so faded now, that would have looked amazing when it was first done in 1989.
I'm assuming there's still been no sign of the old village at the bottom of the lake?
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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 such a big cost? Time? I think when they painted it they used a grid to manually transfer the image.
I reckon you could make the equivalent of an inkjet printer but with 10cm dots across a 5 meter width. The print bar could be lowered on cables and run on wheels next to the face of the wall printing line by line as it travels down. Hoist it back up and move it across and repeat. Might take a couple weeks
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks Stewart. Please don't tell everyone though 
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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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Thanks chocksaway, need to stop looking at the webcams and clear my desk of work before I finish tomorrow
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Poster: A snowHead
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Miserable in resort at 9 this morning - so I decided today was the day for new boots! By the time I had left the shop - there was nothing but blue sky throughout the resort - so off to try the new legs. Pistes still in fantastic condition - off the sides very variable.
As ever the French have a poetic way with words - as he was sizing me up for boots - he said "ah - you are like me you have legs like a flamingo" - I mean I knew I was skinny but I wasn't anticipating standing on one leg for the rest of my life (especially in the Jam Bar tonight!). Good job we are friends - and yes they do seem to fit really well.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| chocksaway wrote: |
| and yes they do seem to fit really well. |
Obviously your new boots are TOO big. Everyone knows new boots should hurt for at least a month 
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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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Eeek so excited seeing those pics chocksaway, can't wait to get out there on 20th April!
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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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The light varied from not great to poor today - and because of the lack of sun the pistes were hard even down to La Daille late morning. Little else to report as its just started snowing lightly ahead of a day or two of light to moderate snow.
Still no Marmottes (or daffodils).
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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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chocksaway, all this snow huh! Sounds great. The last time I was in Tignes was in late April 2011 and that was the season where it was very out of character for Tignes that time of year. The marmottes were out in their droves that time it was so warm. Will be great to go back in exactly the opposite conditions this season.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If anybody is fancying a last minute deal to checkout the fantastic snow in Tignes have a look at Tignes Chalet Company web site. Catered Chalet + airport transfer from Geneva for £239/week. Cheap as chips
ps. I have nothing to do with Tignes Chalet Co.
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stewart woodward, that's who I booked with actually, have stayed there before.
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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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It sounds like Val D'Isere needs a bit of Scotland's weather !! I arrive in Val D'Isere tomorrow but as an Espace Killy 1st-timer, travelling with a small group of long-serving and dedicated piste bashers. I have been thumbing through the Vamos guide but by the sounds of conditions described above, there's not much hope for a solo off-piste artist navigating safe routes described in the book until the sun comes out, so I may well end up buying a bit of guidance.
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moffatross, I would wait and see what transpires weather wise over the weekend - you wouldn't want to pay good money to chase something that just isn't there - ask around in the village. I was chatting with an instructor doing an off piste lesson this morning who described it as awful!
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FAQ
Just did a google image search and there is a wickedly clear picture showing Herc ! 
