 Poster: A snowHead
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Weather continuing to be very odd..... the slopes on Friday up to about 1600m had clearly been rained on; off piste was horrid and anything on piste was either icy or wet and heavy. Above that level the new snow was fine but VERY flat light. Gave Saturday a miss.
However, overnight last night the promised "light rain" turned into about 15cm of light powder from Chinaillon upwards. Also, for the most part, not nearly so crowded as I'd feared with half term starting. Great on and off piste all over the mountain, spoilt only by the overcast conditions...seems to be turning into the season of flat light.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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gvj, yes I was thinking it didn't look too bad on web cams re numbers of half- termers, maybe conditions prevented a full turn out. Interesting to see what tomorrow and next day brings with better weather.....
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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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OK so the sun is out today and so are the half term crowds, well, by LGB standards anyway.. Snow still v good cover, although some icy patches deveoping at the tops of some of the more popular and lower lifts. Envers finish back to it's usual slush. Think it's time we used some of the day pass vouchers to explore some of the smaller resorts round these parts. Does anyone have any recommendations for some cruisy relatively quiet local stations ?
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 17-02-14 22:28; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
Does anyone have any recommendations for some cruisy relatively quiet local stations ?
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I think Les Saisies could be quite busy (have family out in my apartment and they have worked out the best way to avoid the crowds) but you could try Praz sur Arly if you can get a pass for there. A very big free car park at the bottom of the fast Crets du Midi lift - some good skiing up there, and you can easily link over to the top of Notre Dame de Bellecombe (lifts Lac and Plan du Four) which is usually a bit quieter than some of the other areas. Flumet is usually quiet too but the lifts aren't great (long, very slow, Evettes chair and some fairly fearsome drags).
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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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Nowhere is particularly quiet in the Paris holidays.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks Pam.
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Nowhere is particularly quiet in the Paris holidays.
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Too true, too true. In the end we decided to avoid the travel time and went snow shoeing instead today. We have a cross country ski lesson booked tomorrow at Lac des Confins. Crowds avoided so far. Will bear your suggestions in mind for later in the season.
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ArseCaptain, Nice pics - shame about the crowds though 
Re-kindled my enthusiasm to get over to La Clusaz for a day again in a few weeks time.
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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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| gvj wrote: |
| OK so the sun is out today and so are the half term crowds, well, by LGB standards anyway.. Snow still v good cover, although some icy patches deveoping at the tops of some of the more popular and lower lifts. Envers finish back to it's usual slush. Think it's time we used some of the day pass vouchers to explore some of the smaller resorts round these parts. Does anyone have any recommendations for some cruisy relatively quiet local stations ? |
Last year we did ours at Chamonix, Flaine and Megeve.
Flaine was rubbishbobs, the other two were exceptional. Don't use the precious vouchers on something crap. The smaller ones like Praz de Lys or Semnoz or whatever you're entitled to will all be gash, and those sorts of places are always rammed full with locals!
Would it be ok now if everything went a bit soft focus, and I had a little reminisce?
There we are. There it is.
Ahhhhh.
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Mr Pieholeo, you make a v good point. Maybe we should wait until after half term hols. Sunday the sun came out and LGB was absolutely rammed with day trippers and holidaying families. Even our favorite ski shop said they'd never seen it so busy....so we've been ski de fonding and raquetting and jolly nice and peaceful it's been too.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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OK - quick update on Aravis conditions. Bad news then good news. What with it being half term in this area of France last week and this week things have been horribly crowded in the resorts. Parking areas heaving, queues for the ski pass caisses etc etc. Sunny weather only making it worse.
The good news is, the few times we've ventured onto the hill, pistes and lift queues don't seem too bad - especially if you hit the slopes when the families are having lunch. Snow-wise it's very much spring conditions and doesn't look like changing anytime soon. Luckily snow depths remain very good despite the sun.
One more bit of local info from LGB - we've been told that the town's accommodation was 100% fully booked last week but has only 50% occupancy booked this week and for the rest of the season - we plan to check out conditions later today.
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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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Sorry - no good news.....LGB Conditions remain mild and sunny. All in resort off piste very tracked out. Great practice if you want to perfect your mogul technique. Snow increasingly wet and heavy as the day goes on. Envers run to village probably won't stay open much longer - bare brown patches rapidly spreading. Very little sign of the snow pack freezing overnight. Going to need a cold snap very soon to prevent a premature end to the season at this rate. 
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In the vague hope that this might be of interest to someone....Sometime over lunch today a big section of snowpack avalanched beneath LGB's Tolar lift - just between the unpisted red and the unpisted black. Several worrying things about this; 1. it's a N facing slope that doesn't really get any sun - maybe just goes to show any steepish slope can "let go" on a sunny afternoon in the current conditions. 2. It was a full thickness slide right down to the grass beneath - at least a metre depth of snow forming "boulders" that encroached a surprisingly long way onto the red piste (never like to see avi debris over fresh looking ski tracks). 3. There was nothing obvious to hint at any instability on that slope when we'd gone over it in the lift earlier that day. 4. The upper and adjacent parts of the slope had deep fissures and looked like it could follow on at any moment. 5. Nothing higher up the two slopes in terms of warning from the pisteurs to indicate anything untoward at all (although I guess it could have just occurred).
All in all a bit of a sobering reminder that the worries at the start of the season about the snowpack building on an initial heavy dump onto warm ground may be coming home to roost....
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Headed over to la clusaz yesterday. First time for a couple of years and had forgotten how much skiing there is to be had there. Pretty good conditions overall although pistes getting quite choppy in the afternoon but no surprise really as temps remained about 19 degrees all day. There were a few pistes turning brown and slushy but the north facing pistes were mostly ok and we finished up in la balme which was fine. All in all a good day with plenty of people taking advantage of lunch stops on sunny terraces. Coming back into lgb Envers was still clinging on but it's always the first run to close in the spring so it's not faring too badly really especially when the bottom half is only ever really an access run down into lgb. Woke up this morning to sunshine streaming in the windows and another blue sky day. I am very happy with that at this time of year especially as we have family including beginners joining us today. I think if I were a beginner it would be perfect for me. Hopefully still some good stuff to be had for the rest of us too.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Wow, what a morning! Friend from next village took me all over the "hidden bits" of LGB. Should have known what to expect when day started with issue of probe, shovel and transceiver. Lots of off piste on the meadows around Maroly and Col des Annes. Still finding untracked powder two days after Monday's snow. Finishing off the session with the free ride descent off the back of Lachet was probably not the best order to do things in but epic memories.
Oh yes, the pistes were variable. Tolar beautiful fresh soft corduroy all the way, Douche looked the same but was frozen solid; made for a fast descent anyway! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Haha, Duche always was a bit like that.
The off piste round Col des Annes always looked tempting, but I was scared of it. Seemed to be easy to get lost and end up in ditches and rivers and so on.
It makes me happy reading this thread. And by 'happy' I mean 'furious'.
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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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Mr Pieholeo, look how quiet this thread's gone this year without your sterling input - sometimes seems like it's just Loatie and I swopping snippets. There's only one thing for it - you'll have to get out here again sometime! There'd be a warm welcome for you I'm sure.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Good to hear gvj, ! Mr loatie looking forward to comparing notes with you later on today as he's been enjoying those areas too. What a fortnight weather wise - think we've had everything really! Day trip to areches de beaufort last Thursday was worth doing and off to Giettaz tomorrow but going to enjoy today first! See you later
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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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So, just an update to say that yes, there is still snow to be skied on in LGB. It continues to get less by the day. Envers is long closed. Col des Annes closed last weekend as did le Gypaete and a few other lifts & pistes. However the sun is shining and there's plenty of snow cover still in the Maroly sector. Spring conditions but not really freezing overnight so best snow to be had in the mornings. Looks like we'll have enough to get to Easter which is probably just as well as no snow forecast in the next few days. Main hazard on the mountain currently = sunburn.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I just got re-billed for home insurance on the flat I vacated last May. Still, at least my possessions, which aren't there, will be insured until this time next year!
Tenner says there'll be a huge dump of snow in about 11 days time, and the final weekend at La Balme in Clusaz will be epic. 
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Oh, that's very sad. Hadn't heard anything about that.
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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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 how very sad for all concerned.
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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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miranda, when we drove through yesterday, there was a touring snowboarder just starting a hike up, from the La Clusaz side of the 'barrier'.
Scary stuff. Sad news about the Scottish chap
Cracking day's skiing for us up at Balme on Wednesday. Have been close/through La Clusaz many times in summer and winter but this was our first ski. Very much enjoyed the runs at Col de Balme, L'Aiguille & Cret du Loup . Did pop up Beauregard but really had to come straight down the blue as little open that side.
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miranda,
might these have been the ones staying when we stayed with you? I think I recall meeting your sister over supper one evening - bit hazy now - could blame the Rose of course but there were a nice bunch staying that week.
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You know it makes sense.
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