 Poster: A snowHead
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Re. the Solaise developments, is the Ouillette rope drag still in place?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Steve Angus, cheers, entered 
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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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HoneyBunny - competition closes at the start of the season so in about 6 weeks time! Look forward to seeing your entry!
Dr John - ALL lifts at the top of the Solaise have all gone (Madelaine of course is still there and the Solaise Express is still there too until next Winter when the new lift goes in).... magic carpet on the town side and double magic carpet on the Madelaine side gone in!
kitenski - great!
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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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@Steve Angus, I've entered as well
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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've entered too, I'm going to Tignes in January.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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EXCELLENT PEOPLE - thanks!
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Hi all
I know not weather related but this post is everything Val Disere !
Have a choice of the following ski schools for our kids during half term (Feb).
BASS
Progression
Oxygen
Both the girls are always the top group (10 years and 7 years) and have been skiing 2/3 weeks a year since 3 years old.
Any local knowledge would be great ! Almost no availability ! Use Evo 2 normally. They are full.
Cheers
Alex
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 20-10-15 23:47; edited 1 time in total
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ps.. would love Private mornings Steve, but finding no one will let you book this !
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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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@Alex A, I have booked private mornings with TDC for years
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Thanks ! Have emailed to check!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Hi all
I know not weather related but this post is everything Val Disere !
Have a choice of the following ski schools for our kids during half term (Feb).
BASS
Progression
Oxygen
Both the girls are always the top group (10 years and 7 years) and have been skiing 2/3 weeks a year since 3 years old.
Any local knowledge would be great ! Almost no availability ! Use Evo 2 normally. They are full.
Cheers
Alex
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We used progression in VD last year, they were very good.
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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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Alex A Thanks for the question. YES half term in Val is very hard to get availability for - any of those schools will give you good experiences for kids. BASS and Progression would be my slight preference (and I used to work (MANY years ago) for Oxygene) I think. Yes you need to book NOW - I am already fully booked for HT 2016! We do take private am's bookings I can assure you - even for Feb Ht - but it is always first come first served and all that! Good luck!
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Thanks a lot Steve. Went with Progression and got last spots they had. Crazy busy, but it is half term! 9am - 1pm Group lessons... couldn't get any private. All full up. Now just want to go skiing !
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You know it makes sense.
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@Steve Angus, I've just been buzzing around looking for your competition only to discover I've already entered it!!! Only, I can't see it on there at the moment. Have I been disqualified? It's still on Jamie's page.
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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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henzerani I've seen it for sure via Jamie so dont worry you are entered!
Alex A - Great
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Steve Angus, I'd be interested to know whether you think the Solaise lift changes are going to bring major benefits. I'm still in therapy over the closure of the 3000 drag lifts to the Tunnel...and now this!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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intermediate - Hmm good question..... three parts to the developments really 1) the new top station with picnic area and I believe restaurant and viewing area for pedestrians etc.... will this make a difference / benefits - yes great! 2) the replacement of the various drags and chairs up there and the new high speed gondola from the bottom - overall great but worried about skier congestion up there still! 3) the new magic carpets and beginner / fun areas may work well and will be great in many ways - you can be up the mountain with your fiends learning etc... however it is not that protected from the elements up there and unless the actual learner sides of the magic carpet are well segregated it could be a problematic thoroughfare in the middle of a beginner zone. However overall I think the changes will be very largely beneficial. At the bottom end down in town the ability to move people out of town quickly and up the two mountains will have massive benefits and hopefully reduce queues massively - but as is always the case ONLY if people are managed in queues to stop gondolas going up with one person inside! There will be those who HATE taking skis off to get up BOTH mountains - unless two chairs option up Bellevarde of course but I think that is quite minor. So yea 90% good and 10% ? for me at the moment. I have ONE other major reservation relating to the actual magic carpets - many resorts install them as lifts that dont require operators to manage - the bottleneck to get from the base of the Madelaine and back over the hump to ski back down into town will still exist at times and I worry that it will be a massive free for all... ski school kids and adults could be elbowed out the way unless a proper ski school lane exists and either way the problem with a magic carpet is that it only takes one person to fall over going up it (and early performers as well as more experienced amongst us) can do so.... you then have a pile up that takes a while to sort if it is half way up.... the queue for the other carpet next to it would be overwhelmed. And finally most magic carpet engines can only cope with a certain mass of people which is why you have to space yourself out as you go up them - most people dont know this and / or ignore the signs to space yourself out.... unless there is a gate or person manually managing the spacing then the machine could grind to a halt temporarily! EEEK
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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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@Steve Angus, lovely. Thanks Steve
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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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Er, are those pics ^^^ current?? I thought freezing levels had rocketed of late - and it's looking like a very mild and sunny week (at least) ahead.... 
EDIT: Just saw reports elsewhere of snow to resort levels in France on 29 Oct. Been away for a few days and had missed that...
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sun 1-11-15 21:24; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Last year on the 31st Oct it was 23c in Sherwood Forest !
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@Steve Angus, thanks for your views on the new lifts at the top of the Solaise. Sounds good, eventually, other than 'Magic Carpets' up top, as I've never liked those. Nevertheless, they usually get lift improvements right in Espace Killy IMHO. Personally I'd be happy with a very long drag lift up that vallee tranquille to the bottom of the Manchet Express chair. Then I could get to the excellent Arcelle piste faster, with an occasional switch to Marmottons, when snow good. They must have a spare dismantled drag lift lying around to recycle?
Thanks also for very encouraging pics of snow and hope you've had a safe and enjoyable trip back to Val D.
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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 one Steve.
I had a lesson with you back in 2013 and it really helped me along.
Going to Madonna this year but hope to come back to Val soon. Maybe me and the Mrs could squeeze in a long weekend.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
Er, are those pics ^^^ current?? I thought freezing levels had rocketed of late - and it's looking like a very mild and sunny week (at least) ahead....
EDIT: Just saw reports elsewhere of snow to resort levels in France on 29 Oct. Been away for a few days and had missed that... |
That snow's all long gone. We were thinking of going out for the first weekend at the end of November but I've binned that idea. I know a good dump can perform wonders but even the glacier looks incredibly patchy and the forecasts for the next 10 days is not suggesting there's going to be much of an improvement. I had a very grim week in Morzine last year at Christmas and I'm not going through that again so Jackson Hole it is for us.
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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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Hurrah!
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Good to see the start of your reports, @Steve Angus.
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You know it makes sense.
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Have a great season.
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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 Steve - I feel like we are getting closer to the start of the season now! Just need a bit of cold air and snow......
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Poster: A snowHead
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Welcome back Steve!! It's been a long summer waiting for everything to start up again, looking forward to my daily fix of your EK blog.
Here's to a great season for you and the family.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks folks ... But I'm a stuttering starter!
Thanks for your kind words everyone and yes I'm back.... However as soon as I start the daily updates I only go and forget (despite what I said yesterday) to not only do a video but forget to take a picture and then on top of that forget to actually write anything yesterday.... I must be getting old and even more forgetful than usual!
So it was pretty much the first thing I thought of this am when I woke up so I can be that out of touch.
So I spent a long day yesterday back varnishing the property I was working on on Monday and the weather was lovely again... I did a couple of other odd jobs around town too.
Of interest to everyone it was great to see all the snow cannons starting fire all over the mountain last night. Their little 'warning I'm functioning' orange lights flashing away looked like a meteor storm as you looked around the mountain. On top of that they are still very hopeful of large amounts of snow this weekend...
We had some friends around for dinner last night too which was nice... In the run up to the Winter were trying to have as much quality social time as possible before it goes mental!
So a short belated one this am but will get back on it today for sure!
Take care, TTFN.
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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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Hi Steve, you sound like you know about Val d'Isere and Tignes from stumbling on this blog. I've done 3 weeks of skiing but the last was 14 years ago. I'm pretty confident though and as we're going to Tignes next month I've been scoping out the black runs. I think I'd have a go at most of them but Paquerettes looks ridiculously steep from a YouTube clip I've seen. Is it likely to be open and, if so, would I be daft to try it?
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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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Getting to grips with technology!
White Fox - thanks for your message. I like to think I know a fair amount about the EK yes.... to answer your query.... depends on WHEN next month you are coming as early December there is generally not enough for it open. Secondly I cant answer the question directly as I haven't seen you ski but I would say that 'confidence' is not really the whole story - you have to be pretty technically sound to take on things like that and errors will be punished... It is never pisted and is steep so on balance I dont think it would be the most sensible thing to do! Have a look at it from the top of the Toviere lift and see what you think before skiing down the gentle first bit to get there only to decide it looks hideous at which stage it would be a little too late! Have fun and good luck!
Anyway folks I not only actually remember to post today but I also took a picture and managed to get a video clip.... OK so the video as you will see was more experimental than anything and I shall try and think of interesting things to film / say / do next time but hey its a start - dont laugh!
In local news the new magic carpet lifts are now up and running and ready to accept the first punters of the year.... I think they are going to call the one going away from the Tete de Solarise, Poum and the tandem ones coming back the other way in place of the Lac lift as Pim and Pam - allegedly!
It was a glorious sunny day again but there was a HIDEOS ice rink around town after we had a very short sharp shower in the early hours that froze. The storm is gathering in the Atlantic so fingers crossed we get hit hard at the weekend!
I spent the day sanding down a LARGE dining table in the Aquila building ready for re-varnishing and then in the afternoon I sanded down a window frame in an apartment down in La Daille and then gave half the apartment a lick of paint... more work in the place tomorrow!
Not much else to report really - if anyone has any good ideas for things they would like me to include / film / do (within reason) in my daily v-blog clips then please let me know.
TTFN
https://t.co/7s5Eff8Msd
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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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@White Fox, yes, you'd be daft to try it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@White Fox, welcome to snowHeads. Steve is indeed an expert on Espace Killy and enjoying mountains in general. He's also very hot on encouraging good, safe, responsible skiing and boarding. No doubt he can advise but, for what it's worth, after 3 weeks experience and no skiing for 14 years, I wouldn't launch myself down any EK black pistes. Or maybe you were kidding and it's gone right over my head? Wouldn't be the first...or last...time. 
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@Steve Angus, as an idea to video/photo how about the areas where they are running the cannons so we can see the "whales" build up, or even the tyres being laid down and (hopefully) covered over with snow....
I remember when I first came out to do my L2 I could see the tyres on the tennis courts on day one and they were about 4 ft under snow by the first weekend!!
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@kitenski, I was looking at the Nursery Slope webcam tonight and given the forecast for this weekend I expected to see the tyres on the tennis courts but they are still bare. Maybe the pisteurs are not as confident of a big dump as we are.
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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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Thanks @SteveAngus and others for the advice and welcome. I wasn't kidding but I was at least planning on doing some of the easier blacks in EK and seeing how I was getting on and Paquerettes, together with Grizzly which looks similar from the map but couldn't find a video of it, were last on my vague list. I did have a couple of hours at the Snow Centre today as well to refresh my muscle memory so all set for it (I am kidding now).
Sorry, I meant to add I'm going 13-20 December.
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@Steve Angus,
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if anyone has any good ideas for things they would like me to include / film / do (within reason) in my daily v-blog clips then please let me know.
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Please video 1m+ of fresh powder snow this weekend. Don't bother filming the wood sanding on my account!
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FAQ
