 Poster: A snowHead
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It's been a horrid day, cold, cloudy, windy, bad light and snowing off and on - however this is good news for tomorrow (we hope). With a bit of luck it will be all lovely and quiet at least for the first 2-3 hours. 
Pic of a miserable view looking up to the top of the Thuit from the path (Route du Thuit) and pretty lights through a mucky window on my way down at the end of the day.
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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, Hows it looking out there? Did you get that storm or did it blow over? Tell me theres loads of fresh?
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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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Missus R32's been Easiski'd!
A beautiful day on the Cretes....very quiet as half the population of LDA were still in bed after the night before!
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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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R32, keep those thermals on for the drive home - didnt get above -2 yesterday and its been 0c all day today in Wrekenton.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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R32, looks good to me.
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R32 Great pix - hesitate to post mine now, but it's specially for Butterfly In rush for dinner. Pic is from the Petit Cretes Chair looking up at the Cretes
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easiski, Happy New Year. We're off snowshoeing today; just can't hack a lift queue. Looks like you had an excellent start to the 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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easiski, thanks - am counting the days down (64 now)! I look here for your pics every day esp as again I can't access your website & we cannot work oiut why. Pat who's coming in March can't either and she's with a totally different ISP - pipex. It's weird - wonder if it is worth you reporting it to the host of the site as there may be others with the same problem & you wouldn't know.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Poor Mrs R32's incident happened during her lesson on the fenced off safe teaching area.  The guy in question was in an ESF lesson and she was traversing on one ski (uphill). fortunately neither was going fast, and he really was fat and extremely ugly! Fab snow, fab day, cold at the glacier this morning but no wind and wonderful views. There were some little stones on the goulet du Grand Nord, but otherwise no problems, even the bottom of the Valentin was good. Posettes mid and lower sections were better than yesterday with some pow on the mid section. Ioda is at the vets tonight to have his little op, and the R32s are off on their way back to the frozen north early tomorrow.  Pix of the Diable looking up from inside a red egg, and also of the Chemin des Demoiselles (first leg) from the first corner. It gets mentioned a lot but never photographed so I thought I'd do it. You can see how narrow it is.
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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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hope all goes well with iodas little op. sure he'll be fine, although quite annoyed afterwards 
enjoying the updates as always.
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You know it makes sense.
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Great pics everyone, thanks for all the updates 71 days to go
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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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It was very cold again today. Very sunny again though. I was on the Cretes early and was frozen! I actually skied the whole of the Valentin on the way down which is unusual for me, but it was very quiet so I figured it was worth the risk. It was fine - lots of cannon fresh around at 11.00 or so - don't suppose it will last. Lots of people were coming into resort which was a surprise, but I now see that Germany, Russia and Finland are still on hols. I have a Russian girl in a beginners class this week.
Pic today is taken from the traverse path that leads from the bottom of Valentin across to the other end of the village, just about where you come down if you stick to the normal straight route down Grande Pente, and is looking over and down to the Champamé slope at the Mont de Lans end of the village.
thanks for the kind remarks. Rayscoops it's what comes of having largely north-ish facing slopes.
sorry forgot to report - the vet on duty last night forgot  to do Ioda's op, so when I finally got the van started and got down to Bourg the other vet had to do the op then and there. Poor wobbly little cat at the moment and feeling very sorry for himself.
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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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Swirly, Croatia isn't included on my Tourist Office lift. Curious - WC race there today and they come here. I'm very interested to hear about LG - I've got a couple of guys here this week who are keen, also Achilles coming next week. It sounds as though you got through the woods to P1. Clear again 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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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, Swirly, keep the reports coming - I am following ttem with great interest, now!
easiski, in what state is Chalence?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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  red 27, Huh - where was our drinky??????? Were you frightened by a couple of girlies??
TBH I've posted a number of times about New Year and how it should be avoided. Yes - the Italians come specially for it, but they just like to celebrate in the street - as you said it can be unpleasant, which is why none of the locals go anywhere on the night! 
By 'Alpine' character were you expecting little chalets? Surely you didn't expect that? Pretty little chalets and 35,000 beds are not compatible. Actually in this region the traditional building material is stone, and I hate it that they're busy covering every building in wood to try to make it look 'alpine'. I'm sorry you didn't contact either me or Lizzard we could have pointed you to the bars and restos with more charm! Smithy's is repulsive, english and expensive!
I'm glad that you enjoyed the skiing and that you found the better ways down the mountain.
Today was again very cold (-10 in the morning) and sunny and I think the snow is holding up very well. Cretes was nice, and I skied down Grande Pente at around 14.30 or so deliberately avoiding the more 'pisted' areas and actually found that the rough stuff wasn't as rough as it looked.
Pictures of the lower slopes looking 1)towards the Petite Aiguille end and 2) towards the Diable end.
Ioda is fine BTW, and back to himself (very wobbly yesterday), but annoyed at not being allowed out.
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achilles, Not great - lots of the heavy snow was blown out of it and not more dumps yet - keep fingers crossed. It's been skied, but is very rocky apparently. Pascal said he didn't think he'd take you down it when I described you.
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easiski, snivelling apologies...  I did put my head round the door of the Windsor on the Sunday but it was packed to the gunnals and I just couldn't face it and I was in a big group I tended to go with the flow... TBH I think Lizzard would have marked me down as a whining middle-class cockney knobhead, accused me of nicking her Volkls and punched my lights out, so I guess I was a bit scared yes! Thanks for all your advice about the resort which was helpful. The guys in Sport Emotion were great BTW, letting me change my skis to suit conditions and not fussing when I wiped out big-time and bent a binding...
Point taken about New Year - I didn't exactly choose to go at that time, but more joined a group a short notice to make up the numbers. Point also taken about you guys being able to point out the better places - I was well aware that lurching between the Polar Bear and Smithys was lazy, but to my shame I went with the flow despite feeling like a ghastly punter Those going later in the year would be well advised to be more thorough in their research than I was...
As for the town, no I defintely wasn't expecting vernacular Tyrolean architecture, not least because I've been to L2A before in about '88, but I stand by my opinion that the strung out and random nature of the town, combined with a mish-mash of styles and materials and the clear lack of a strategic design to control and plan development have conspired to create an unattractive resort and a blot on what is a stunning area of the Alps. Ski resorts are always an intrusion into nature's most beautiful and precious creation - I'm always concious when skiing that by doing so I am part of the reason for that intrusion - and so this I think it is imperitive that in areas where resorts have been purpose built, rather than existing villages expanded, development is controlled and sensitive. The extraordinary natural situation of Les Deax Alpes makes the insensitive nature of the town all the more jarring. In another life I was an achitect and I'm well aware that the commercial in these situations can be overwhelming; I think there can be little doubt that sadly those pressures have won the day in this case...
I forgot to mention what must be the best ski-lift in the world - the 8-man chair up from the back of Toura to the Glacier - the Baltic Express - that thing can really move the meat, but wrap up! It looks new - why in the name of God didn't they put weather hoods on the chairs?? 
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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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red 27, The best ski-lift in the world.........
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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red 27, that's very interesting, and we'll have to beg to differ " the strung out and random nature of the town, combined with a mish-mash of styles and materials and the clear lack of a strategic design to control and plan development" is exactly what I think saves the place from being like Tignes or Val Thorens or Avoriaz or Flaine or ..... Because there was a village here (actually more than one), and the land belonged to lots of different people who sold or developed it when they felt like it/needed the money/whatever. So the development has been over a long period of time, and consequently is certainly not 'purpose built'. However you prefer a 'one time' build - that's fine.
They were going to put weather hoods on the 8 man .... they just never did! Sunny again today.
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You know it makes sense.
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Just returned from LDA and had a fantastic time, the slopes were superb and the resort had a good range of shops and bars, the weather was great apart from a few flat light days which made it a bit difficult to see, but as our instructor kept saying, we had to ski with our feet not our eyes, (whatever that meant). Have already decided to return next year
Cobbled a few video clips of lifts and slopes if anyone's interested,( I apologise for the choice of music) 
http://uk.youtube.com/v/OrNowgHgTsg
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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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Bartezki, Glad you had a good time, and I enjoyed your vid and the music. the Souleil'Or is a really nice hotel and the food there is to die for.
It started out cold again today and sunny, got a bit cloudier around lunchtime and then improved again later in the afternoon. I don't doubt though, that a change is ont he way. Above about 1800m the snow is holding up. Off piste on Posettes (see pic) and Grande Pente the conditions were quite nice, but some cannons had done some water spraying down inthe village and there was some nasty crunchy stuff around down there.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just back from a great weeek at LDA...and feelin the back to work blues. Yes its not the prettiest resort , yes the 8 man chair is cold , yes the Italians are a pain, yes the place was busy at new year ... but for variety of skiing and opportunity to explore its pretty damn good...this is 4th time here and me and mini-pistemister found plenty of new bits to explore a bad day in LDA beats a Monday in central London anytime !
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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, yeah we could ride down to P1 snow wasn't great in the woods though although there was enough. The snow was variable depending on aspect fantastic in the vallons de la Meije didn't look good in the Chancel, I've slapped some words and photos on my trip thread in snowboarding.
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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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| Butterfly wrote: |
| am counting the days down (64 now)! |
By my calculations, I'll be there at the same time  Watch out!
Can you please tell me, how I can access easiski's web site?
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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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espri, there is a link in her sig. Www.Easiski.com. I am there 7th to 21st March. See link in my sig for trip info.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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pistemister, They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery  I have to agree with your comments about LDA though. (Oh, and welcome to Snowheads)
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Thanks, Butterfly. I certainly qualify under older but we're already booked into a hotel (week from the 8th). Maybe we'll bump into each other on the slopes - not too hard, I hope
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Butterfly, My sig seems to have disappeared - don't know why. pistemister, Glad you had fun - would you have 2 minis by any chance???
espri, Not everyone is staying in the same place as the Lutins doesn't suit everyone, but it will be our base - where are you staying?
Looks miz today - dusting of snow overnight.
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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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espri, look forward to meeting you
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Have they opened the link from LDA to La Grave yet or do you have to drive around?
TIA
B
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FAQ
