 Poster: A snowHead
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Couldn't see a new thread started for this winter....gentlemen (& ladies), start your engines!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 11-10-13 13:09; edited 1 time in total
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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 was out there in mid-October, bitterly cold and about three inches of new snow. I took the bike up the track (route des lacs ?) to the lifts at 2100 where they had laid all the gondolas out on the ground. Then it was back down through the snow, legs out wide, taking in a new lift they have built - half chair, half cabin, expensive and I thought fairly pointless. It replaces an old drag lift that ran from Les Bergers slowly up the hill to connect with the bottom of the DMC, previously called Rifnel. This one goes slightly higher, and cost 5 or 6 million euros. Great for beginners, but everything these days in ADH seems to be built with beginners in mind. Think of all the recent projects - Les Romains chairlift, the new blue Les Chevreuils in Oz or Les Louvets chair on the Auris side - and now this new pricey lift. It's as though they've given up on anyone but families - what do others think ?
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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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There was an outcry (small) when they opened Marmottes 3 some ten years ago, the last time anything was built at height, opening up a second access point to 3000m. Off piste skiers didn't want any more infrastructure up there, just as people who regularly ski la Combe du Loup don't want it being turned into a piste. I think it used to be a piste long ago, though correct me if I'm wrong. My point is this is complicated, though I do agree money is being spent primarily on family friendly stuff. But if that is the way ADH is moving I don't care as it'll mean more untracked areas elsewhere on the mountain.
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FranzKlammer, agree with you. I'm still annoyed they put that new Bartavelles red in - nice piste but trashed a fun off piste area. The joy of the ADH area is that you have lifts to the top of 2 peaks (Dome des Rousses and Pic Blanc) but pistes take up very little of the terrain accessible from them
Must get back this year...
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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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I see they are still putting together the Rifnel replacement (from looking at Bergers webcam) - seems to be leaving it a bit last minute!
I'm off to ADH over New Year, hope for better conditions than last visit which was Feb half term in 2011, far too warm and too little snow, combined with vast half term crowds. 
Still, a bad day on the slopes is better than a good day at work, as they say.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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SteveM, and then 8 more snowheads follow you there a week or so later
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chrisb, so don't blame me if all the trees look a little nervous 
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FranzKlammer, Combe Du Loup was a black piste a few years back and featured as an itinerary (bit like Roche Melun at Montfrais) on the piste map until relatively recently I think. I wouldn't think they'd bother to reopen it due to the sometimes tricky traverse in but who knows, really hope not. I'm unsure about the developments, they've definitely dumbed down several pistes, Rousses Wall used to be a fun place to be late afternoon! but as long as the access to the OP isn't compromised and the queues don't get too silly I don't really have a problem with it. Chevrueils means we can now ski back to our door between the chalets so very happy with that development even if it did cause the Alpette car park to get washed away last Autumn!
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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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I'm looking forward to seeing the changes when I come in February, last visit was in 2008.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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jonty,
Yes, they need to get a shift on with that cafe don't they.
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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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skitow, I hope they've upgraded the staff and service as well as the building!
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If they are going to spend any more money, I'd like to see it go on opening up areas that don't suffer late season melt. Les Bergers in April - south facing, fast melting, starts smelling like a farmyard every year. But that area seems to be the one SATA keep investing in, not just Les Romains and Rifnel but the Marmottes 1 upgrade as well. That's three hefty capital projects in the last few years. I feel I've got us off the central subject of this thread - weather and snow conditions - but I'm a bit fed up with skiing down late season ribbons of snow. Somewhere there was a thread with some pictures of what it looked like in April 2010 ....
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You know it makes sense.
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mark cavendish, fair enough, but it seems pretty inevitable given how hard the area immediately around ADH gets pounded by the sun. For selfish reasons I would hate for them to develop Montfrais/Vaujany more than they have done already and that's the main N facing area in the domain I think
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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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Arno, Just a replacement for the Clos Giraud chair would be nice.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Nick D, slowest chair lift ever!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Arno, Played many a long game of 'spot the glove' on there!
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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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| Nick D wrote: |
| skitow, I hope they've upgraded the staff and service as well as the building! |
Couldn`t agree more.
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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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Heavy snow forecast and temperature is dropping. Fingers crossed it'll give a base which will last to the start of the season 
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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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april 2010
At the moment it is skiable above 2200 m on the pistes and the snow on Tuesday will fall at 1500 meters with, in theory, enough to open some lifts.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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davidof, I have similar pics from Easter 2010, remember well having to take our skis off and walk through the mud at the mid point DMC. We gave up and went to L2A to see out the season. Snow Guess are predicting heavy snow all week so fingers crossed!
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Webcams looking good...
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Thats more like it! hope this keeps up...
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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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15cm-ish in town at the moment. Been snowing non stop all day although it's due to drop off by tomorrow morning.
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Swadster, How's it looking today? looks like around a foot has fallen on the Bergers webcam.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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First time there with a bunch of 7 other snowheads. Where is the best area to ski in bad weather or high winds?
Looking at the webcams this morning its dumping it!
SteveM, save some snow for us!
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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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surfski, high winds can screw the place up a bit. In snowy weather, doing laps of the slopes above Villard Reculas can be fun, as can messing around in the trees above Montfrais/Vaujany
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
I have similar pics from Easter 2010, remember well having to take our skis off and walk through the mud at the mid point DMC
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that was an exceptionally warm Easter, though - lots of places closed early including much of the Chamonix Valley.
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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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| Arno wrote: |
| surfski, high winds can screw the place up a bit. In snowy weather, doing laps of the slopes above Villard Reculas can be fun, as can messing around in the trees above Montfrais/Vaujany |
If you're staying in ADH itself I'd second Arno's shout ref. Villard, Montfrais may be a little harder to access from ADH & the taxi fare from Vaujanys a bit of a crippler!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Arno, Nick D, thanks guys for the tips. I will look at the piste maps. Looking better on the cams today. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Looking much better now! I guess new the signal cafe won't be getting a proper roof this winter, looks like an architects folly to me, look forward to banging my head on those low flying angled beams.
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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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| Nick D wrote: |
| Looking much better now! I guess new the signal cafe won't be getting a proper roof this winter, looks like an architects folly to me, look forward to banging my head on those low flying angled beams. |
I think you are right, looks even better this morning. The snow that is, not the cafe.
http://alpedhuez.livecam360.net/signal
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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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Looking very good!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Bjorn_again_Daehlie, Forecast looks encouraging, kind of wished we'd planned to go over earlier now but Mrs D has to work Christmas Day this year. The Signal resto has a 'roof' (sail) now and they even have a website for it http://www.signal2108.fr/index.html
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Nick D, wish I'd planned to go down earlier too. We're going down on the 1st Jan until the 6th, so hopefully some of the good conditions will still be there. When is your first trip planned?
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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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Bjorn_again_Daehlie, 27th Dec - 6th Jan, shaping up to be decent.
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Nick D, I should see you in the Pottee then Had a look at the webcam and they have the signs lit up on the new resto. Very contemporary.
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FAQ
