@Peter Ross, chapeau for going out yesterday, certainly was windy, you know that when the Gauthier chair is closed!
Gentle piste ski today as manged to brain myself yesterday, walking into the back door of the van, and a pretty bad gash that nearly had me going to Urgencies.
Was going to go for a wander up the Granon to see what conditions are like but will pass on that today, but take just the bike and Ullr after skiing.
Then it's looking like terrace and Spring snow weather for a good few days, and depending on what forecast you look at all next week, though MeteoBlue & Ciel have rain Wednesday onwards whilst YR and Snowforecast have it dry.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Was with some friends last evening spanning a couple of generations who have spent many an Easter here, and they all said that the skiing, even with the wind and chill has been excellent and whereas normally they'd pack up at lunch, this week they've been carrying on well into the afternoon.
Whilst the chill winds have kept the piste in excellent condition, it's certainly been tough trying to get to ski Spring snow
Yesterday we scored both cold snow which some would call powder as well as Spring with two descents off the Combeynot with the final one being a road run that you can see when driving up the Lautaret that comes right down into the valley below the road, and then we have to climb back to the road and one of us hitch back, think I only had my thumb out for two secs
Out in the shade cold snow, whilst lower down and in the sun snow was more spring like.
From today conditions start to become more seasonal and could see temps reaching 20 on the terrace mid to late afternoon tomorrow
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?
@Weathercam, yes only other time I recall such persistent cold wind was Cervinia one March with serious wind chill. If I was here a season I'd have stayed home. Nice day today though, pistes holding up well, off piste needs a bit of heat to soften it in many sun exposed faces.
Finally, a return to true Spring, nigh on Summer weather, but not good for the knees
And just a minuscule breezette, and temps just about hitting 20 degrees on the terrace mid-late afternoon, which made earlier skiing the lower slope slush fests knee-wrenching
Last couple of days we've done some classic Serre Che slack country (image below), skiing nigh on 700m descent for only 190m climbing, though skiing back on the final Chemin to mid-station Prorel was harder than the climb back-up.
There are two routes here and one is through the middle of the big band of cliffs left in picture, skiing the big snow field down middle of pic.
Only two more days left for that side of the mountain now before the sector closes tomorrow
There are actually many people up for the Easter weekend, but the slopes are nigh on empty, and there's a of wannabe FolieDouce happenings at the various Mountain restos and Pointillas today has the big market for local shops selling end of season stock and then a music event tonight, and yesterday there was another event with a big Thankyou to local ski hero Arthur Bauchet.
Back up to the Galibier sector this morning, and a new route team, Swede did earlier in the week with the guide, but I'm not too sure we'll score the same cold snow that they did.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
The bumps, and there a loads, in PSV are the best I’ve ever seen them.
This is real late season Spring skiing now, nigh on half days only, so get out as soon as you can!
We went over the back at around 10:15 and skied lovely Spring snow, then a 250m skin back up to Chalet Serre Blanc as it was their last day and everything was half price, as all that sector now closes from today
My mate is loving it here, as his Camper van is only €12 a night and Holi Ski this week is only €32 a day and fifth day €1 though might have that wrong, but he's been using his Holiski in Les Arcs before he came here.
We opted for parking near his camping area by the Chaz CDB lift which was a good strategy as the Casse was way better to ski at 14:30 than Le Bez, though the best option skiing slush is hard and fast, trying to ski on your edges and don't go near any discoloured snow as that's leftovers of Saharan Sand and that really grips your skis.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Just keeps getting hotter!
So have daughter and OH off-games with sore knees brought about, we think, from skiing the slush, or maybe climbing with a brace on, or both.
We did a first lifts piste-ski day before yesterday, making the most of the corduroy before it turned to mush and some great skiing was had, and pistes so empty, and we kept saying everything was just so chilled, and made better by the lift tickets only being circa €30 and my daughter only paying €1.
Then yesterday ski-tour up from the Lautaret and scoring superb textbook Spring snow, and again just so empty, think everyone has gone to Lyngen from the reports I'm hearing/reading
As it's so warm, everyone is starting early, and we were climbing up by 08:30 and coming back down by 11:30 and then well-earned refreshments at Fred's and still one of the best places to chill with superb views.
A few more days of this weather to see out this week, and then as the French schools break up, the weather takes a serious turn for the worse, Sunday onwards.
After all it is free
After all it is free
As ever at this time of year, the season is spluttering/stuttering to an end, with some hard-core dudes (me ) refusing to acknowledge that the time is nigh, whilst others have put the skis away and left the valley, or switched to bikes and/or skateboards.
The slopes I think, will be eerily quiet next week, even though the local kids are on their holidays for two weeks, and the Spring/Summer conditions of the past week are replaced by more Autumnal dank/grey weather for the next couple of days.
Last Friday, we had our usual end-of-season bash at the Cabanne, and that was not before I took my daughter on her last day for a slack-country ski-tour off the back, and she did brilliantly, though became a tad irate when I was encouraging her to get moving as we had a lunch to get to
Ski down from top of picture, and then the climb back up.
And then we made it lunch where it did get progressively messy, with us leaving there, ending up skiing down with a mate's grandchild, then more drinks at La Cantina, before that closed at 19:30 and then ending up at Thierry's Ma Maison, until God knows when
Yesterday day off-ski not that I could do too much, and we tied the weekly shop with a trip to suss the access to Les Fonts Telly Tuby land, and the dogs enjoyed that with a few marmottes making an appearance for them
Plenty of snow still there, though affected by Saharan sand from the looks of things, if it was sunny today I'd be back up there, and just hope the rain that is forecast does not affect it too much as there's still some skiing to be had up there, now we can drive closer to there and maybe take the e-mtb etc
And heard from friends last evening...that Folie Douce has just signed with the lift company to open at the top of Pointillas a big restaurant complex & hotel!
Though rumours abound as to what is happening, plus the old Club Med in Montier is also being developed.
But work is now well under way for the next big building next to MWV on the main road, but hopefully that will not be ready for next season, and then a third is also scheduled, though they will have to create a new piste down to handle that many skiers which then ties in with the new Folie Douce and then there's the little matter of a new lift that will be needed up there, and that's all happening alongside the new Aravet lift development.
Like I inferred, very much "heard it on the grapevine talk" which is quite apt really
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 MMV was a nice addition to SC - pretty nice spot when I stayed there in January (thanks everyone here for all the advice!). However hopefully they'll put some shops nearby as it's a bit of slog getting provisions there and back!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
After the rain we had on Monday, Tuesday I took the e-mtb together with Ullr to see what access was like up the Granon road, and was pleasantly surprised to look over towards the pistes and see how white it all was above circa 2,250m.
When I came back down and went for a coffee at La Cantina (only place open at the Aravet), I asked a Ski Solutions instructor who had just come back down from an "off-piste" lesson with a teen, and he said circa 5cms.
The lifts and pistes are gradually closing down, with the Mickey and Casse chair closed, and at night, it's obvious that there is not so much bashing going on.
Still a few skiers around as the kids are on holiday with many of the local ski-clubs active and many a Grandparent skiing with the grandchildren looking after the kids etc
So yesterday, an early start leaving the boulangerie with provisions at 07:30, parking up above Les Tronchets on the Granon road and hiking the first 1.5km in trainers before switching to ski-gear, climbing to the summit of La Gardiole (2,753) and then a cheeky descent off down the East facing flank in sublime Spring snow and then back on with the skins for another 200m to then ski the more normal SE/S facing slope.
Ullr was very knackered by the end (see video), but that didn't stop him afterwards running to every marmot he thought was whistling at him asking him to come and take a closer look
Then, as the snow ran out, it was on/off with the skis back to the van, and then again a very pleasant time at La Cantina, which was doing a good trade.
So off-games this morning as knee not too good, think climbing down in ski-boots aggravated it (again), otherwise I would have been back out there as touring conditions are so good again, but maybe the Lautatet sector as friends were scoring good Spring on the N Facing slopes at 11:30.
Nice video of the sortie, where I think you'll get a good idea of the terrain up there, and how no-one else is around.
That does look glorious! Is that what they call corn snow?
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.
8611 wrote:
That does look glorious! Is that what they call corn snow?
Yep, classic Corn Spring snow, though above 2,500 there was 5cm of fresh snow that had gone through the overnight freeze/thaw process and if anything on the East facing flank it was almost too deep and soft, ideal is 5cm tops.
And the beauty of this time of year, one day touring the next on the bike, and then up at Fred's having a coffee bumping into friends who had just come back from their ski-tour, and in the evening meeting up with yet another Swedish couple, the guy I first boarded with in La Grave in 1999 and Serre Chevalier is definetely on their 2nd home wish list, so yet more fecking Swedes, though have to say was taken aback when they said they don't cross-country ski
Just back from a first lifts piste ski and still a few tourists about taking advantage of the reduced lift passes and ski-school, but runs down to resort very sketchy.
Now end of season Paella party which I'm cooking at at mates as he's crippled with a broken leg and can't move that much, and quite a logistics issue getting all the food and paellla cooking gear there, though I've cheated by cooking most of the meat and sauce here, and then will cook the rice etc there.
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
Did first lifts from Pointillas again with KenX and OH and what a difference in 24hrs!
If anything I thought it would be softer as it was 6° at 08:30 but the lower slopes were diabolical, we always do one run back to resort to ski the corduroy but the state of them this morning!
We took Lacets round the back of the Alpage to ski pass Côtes Chevalier and then down Le Bez etc but the piste was in a right state, not pisted and just horrific with nigh on frozen trenches!
Once back down both KenX and the OH bailed after that
I persevered and decided to go over to SNO in Monetier for coffee and say ciao to the team there, and on going down to Vallons saw there was a piste ferme sign on that horrific piste so either we missed it or it wasn't there earlier?
Piste down to Monetier was still scratchy at the top and you really have to keep your wits about you as the pistes whilst groomed were so uneven as they must have bashed them when still very slushy?
Best run was on the way back off Yret though was almost tempted to ski the Spring snow under the Yret on the Neyzets face but think it would have been horrible crust to get to it.
The run down to Pointillas was war better than earlier and ended up at Mat's for some refreshments and all this feeling extremely shabby after yesterday's end of season Paella and then having one for the road in the 1420 on the way back home after the bus
Seem to recall we were asking Julian about the timings of the Aravet lift development as he has a share in the Grotte but I can't remember the exact detail but it is, along with the Folie Douce meant to be for 2028
So final resort day tomorrow and think we'll go from Monetier, but a tad later ?
Should add massive wet snow avalanche off Cibouit not too sure if natural or pisteurs using up dynamite, but the chair was closed?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
So even though Saturday was not the best we persevered and went from Monetier for the last day of the season, after coffee at SNO, and then ironically from Monetier we headed back over towards, Mea and Gauthier sectors, after Yret and Vallons and snow above mid-stations was pretty good.
Then another "final" coffee at Alpage and then headed back towards Monetier, and then that was a wrap for at least lift piste skiing though our good mate always had a wish for the end of the season, and that was the day after the resort closed that we'd skin up the piste for a ski-tour.
And this is after four or so years ago it was discovered he had stage 4 terminal lung cancer, and has been through a major battle these past four or so years, and this time last year we thought that was it!
Whist he can ski and has to be very carfeul in not overdoing it, and can cycle with his e-bike he can so very easily get out of breath, so hence this ski-tour was quite a big thing/challenge for him, that said we had taken him off the back skiing down towards Valloiuse after we dropped a van off in the morning, with me towing him along the flat section, and that was pretty damn eventful; must post a link of what happened, though not to him but another mate!
His target was to get to the Peyra Juana but he managed to soldier on to where the piste bashers are garaged, so in total we did around 450m and he was well chuffed, and we were all quite emotional.
And what was great was that they had pisted it for us, so not only the climb up was good, so was the ski down
Though have to say I made him use my skis on the climb as his skis were mounted with stupidly heavy Shift bindings, and I could not believe how heavy that setup was with Rossi Soul 7's as he needed all the help he could, though he drew the line at letting Ullr pull him up
Pit-stop by the Peyra Juana
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Still out there doing stuff, and have done four tours in the past week, though as you can see sometimes have to hike to get to the snow
Still plenty of snow up at Lautaret / Galibier sectors, but it is vanishing quickly, and the popular Pic Blanc route is very bare, so last week many were trying to find their way up towards Trois Eveches / Vallons Roche Noire.
Even though this season we had plentiful snowfalls, we never had substantial metre+dumps as it would seem for this time of year, there is far less snow than you would normally expect at this time of year, and yesterday we were having to carefully ski without taking skis off over the many bare patches.
We were able to drive up to around 2,200, but then we had to hike, and the OH decided, as it was the London Marathon to bootpack all the way, and really, there wasn't too much in it.
I'd been up there the day before and was exploring off the back on the East flank skiing perfect Spring snow then climbing back, and there is so much terrain up there, and then yesterday we did a lovely descent and then traversed back into the main route without having to put skins on, but we did have to hike as it was bare!
The weather is looking a little unsettled this week, we're off to Sisteron via Gap for a couple of days, and then I'm meant to be going to Chamonix for some glacier skiing and staying in a refuge at 2,700, but the weather is not looking too good.
Ullr also has a bloody nose after sticking his snout too far down a marmot den, but he hasn't learnt a lesson and was still doing it yesterday, might have to resort to some "electric" training measures next year, as he's getting a PITA
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Take a look at the webcams at altitude, look at the BBQ Picnic area atop Cucumelle and you can see how much fresh snow!
Rained all day and through into the early hours with temps dropping here to 3.5, hence the snow at altitude!
Not quite tempted to go for a ski-tour anywhere as the weather is still grim and van is in for its Control Technique (MOT) mid-morning.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 5-05-26 7:57; edited 1 time in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Weathercam, blooming heck, that's some snowfall.
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?
Well we've booked a return visit to SC, same apartment, for week after Xmas arriving 26/12. Conditions better be better otherwise there will be trouble
@Weathercam, which version of the tractive device are you using? Is that one of the old ones?
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@swskier, no idea, it's quite an old one, and have just bought the new better designed charging cable, but he's off games anyway with a paw / wrist tendon issues.
But I'm still having it
After all the rain and looking at the webcams did think that it might be rather good up there, and mate said some of his best lines and turns of the season
@Weathercam, the new model just released a couple of weeks ago has significantly battery life. We've had it for the past 6-12 months as a test.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Been out on the bike over to Italy a few times, even though the Col Echelle down into Italy it's rideable on a bike, but there are a lot of stones, rocks and boulders.
It was due to open before last weekend, (I rode it on the May 1st holiday), and then approached it the long way round, having cycled up to Montgenevre, down to Oulx then along/up to Bardonecchia and coffee just after Melezet at the cafe on the driving range, then went to cycle up and road was still closed!
It was obvioulsy they had strarted sweeping the road as all the little stones and pine combs lower down had gone, but further up there was a lot of landslide debris probably as a result of the heavy rain we've had, and if I had to guess I reckon the road might well be closed until they secure with netting some areas that are now very exposed and will continue to slide.
The weather is cold and grim, and again snow at altitude, but looking at the webcams not quite the same amounts as last week, so I'm not quite tempted, and indeed the forecast is still unseasonal with temps in single figs, and not too much in the way of sunshine, that said as we were hiking yesterday we both said how lovely this time of year is, and Ullr is back on all four legs sans limp.
And whilst typing this the PGHM helicopter has been busy on the Roche de Bez Via Ferrata right in front of us, dropping about five guys off with gear, so did think it was an exercise, but they might well be working on securing the via ferrata, though I can't actually see anyone on the main face they seem to be above that in the forest working.
Work is progressing on the new hotel along from us, and we were trying to work out where a new piste might go, but in reality, it will just go down the existing green and then drop down before the Adventure Parc so there will still be a long pole across the flat field to get to the new bridge.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
though have to say was taken aback when they said they don't cross-country ski 
