 Poster: A snowHead
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Ah! Silly me. Mistook the sun with rays all round for a snowflake 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Jonpim wrote: |
| Ah! Silly me. Mistook the sun with rays all round for a snowflake |
Your brain wanted to see snow!
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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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Does anyone have any recent close up photos of the new development round the back of Plagne Soleil ?
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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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Some of the La Plagne lifts will be open this Sunday (8th December) if anyone is around.
Received this message from SAP earlier today:
La Plagne opens its tracks in preview!
Hello everyone,
Who says exceptional snow conditions, says exceptional opening!
Opening of the Plagne Bellecôte - Belle Plagne sector
Day of Sunday, December 8, 2019 from 9:00.
This exclusive Sunday, the following lifts (and associated trails) will be open:
- Belle Plagne Gondola to Roche de Mio
- Arpette chair lift
- Blanchets chair lift
- Quillis chair lift
- Inversens chair lift
One-time price package 15 € on sale exclusively at
point of sale of Plagne Bellecôte from 8:30 to 15:30.
We are looking forward to meeting you on the slopes for this warm-up day and starting on December 14th for the opening of the 2019-2020 season.
Good day to you all !
Hopefully the season pass should work but if not 15 euros isn't too bad for a days warm up.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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skichampcouk, are you there already?
Lucky sod of you are. Conditions look superb.
And €15 for a day aint at all bad.
Then is it just for Sunday? Closed then until the following Saturday?
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@Jonpim, We're planning to set off tomorrow morning so should be there before it is dark.
We have a few jobs to do on the studio but plan to have Sunday off so it would be foolish not to.
It looks like it will only be open this Sunday and then the high altitude resorts open the following Saturday.
We could nip across to Courchevel next week if we have finished our work and the conditions are good.
When are you out?
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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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| skichampcouk wrote: |
@Jonpim, We're planning to set off tomorrow morning so should be there before it is dark.
We have a few jobs to do on the studio but plan to have Sunday off so it would be foolish not to.
It looks like it will only be open this Sunday and then the high altitude resorts open the following Saturday.
We could nip across to Courchevel next week if we have finished our work and the conditions are good.
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If Monday's dump happens as forecast, you could be spending all week digging out. 
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Hi everyone, will be following this thread with interest. Took my (then) 7 year old daughter to Alpe D'Huez for her first time on snow, and Snowheads was a great way to find out more about the resort and generally get excited before going. This year, we're heading to La Plagne early April, staying in Belle Plagne, which looks lovely.
So much early season snow as well. A great base to start the season, and hopefully lots being kept in reserve for those of us still months away from the slopes
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ukredsox, from past experience, a lot of snow often turns out to be not much, while not much or none often turns out to be plenty.
rutlandchris, Belle Plagne is an excellent choice for early Easter. Which bit have booked?
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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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Normally we're over for either Xmas or NY week and I'm worrying about the lack of snow (La Tania/Courchevel last Xmas was very poor).
This season we're over in Plagne Soleil mid-Jan for a week,so I'm a lot more relaxed. When we've been over at that time before, conditions have been excellent.
Previously I've just had a La Plagne skipass and taken advantage of the free one-day over Les Arcs side. Since that benefit has now been removed and we're over later, I've opted for a full Paradiski pass.
Not sure that I'll make it to the main area above Arc 1950. However, I took quite a liking to the Derby/Renard area a couple of years ago, so I'll probably just potter around there on a few days.
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| Quote: |
rutlandchris, Belle Plagne is an excellent choice for early Easter. Which bit have booked?
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Hi Jonpim - We're staying in quite a basic apartment, Licorne booked through Skiworld. Crystal also do it, but at a much inflated price + even more expensive add-ons. My daughter is already looking forward to the spa, she's made a list of expensive treatments she would 'like' 
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You know it makes sense.
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| Jonpim wrote: |
ukredsox, from past experience, a lot of snow often turns out to be not much, while not much or none often turns out to be plenty.
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Yep, forecasts have already started to walk back the expectation of close to a metre that they showed previously
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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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ukredsox, i find the suggested amount of snowfall usually rubbish. I just note if sunny or cloudy or snowing - more likely roughly right.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Heading to La Plagne Centre at Christmas with friend and family group and couldn't be more excited! Some of the group are purely blue run skiers and get angry if I take them anywhere steeper.
The piste map shows a blue option from virtually every lift, which I thought was great. However I have read that some of the blue runs - Mira and Grenouilles were mentioned - have some steep sections which might therefore get me into trouble again.
Can anyone help me list the runs to avoid? Loving this thread and all the great info. Thanks to all.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Also, we have Paradiski passes to get over to Les Arcs but will the Vanoise Express link be open? It looks quite low for getting early snow cover.
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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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@Lorenzo, the VE will definitely be open. The links to and from it have snow cannons. I've skied Christmas and late season there many times. And it's always been open.
Can't really comment on the blue runs other than I wouldn't obsess about piste gradings, so much depends on conditions. La Plagne blue's are as blue as any.
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@Lorenzo, La Plagne is the perfect place for straighttforward wide open blue runs, so have no concerns - your group will have a great time although it can get a little bit crowded at times.
Regarding the two pistes you mention, Mira has a short steepish section near the start but you can divert to Petite Rochette if you don't like the look of it. Grenouilles is a red run which usually (always?) has a warning at the top saying something like 'Good skiers only' - it's not actually a difficult run but it has a short mogul field in the middle (which you can't see from the start) which is decidedly unblue.
If you're aiming to stay on blues, there are only two I would suggest you avoid. Firstly Route des Bauches which appears to be an easy route to the Vanoise Express but now has the unusual warning on the piste map of a 0% slope. I've never tried it but understand that the warning is accurate. I have come down the Esselets piste to find people severely out of breath at the junction. Secondly, Pravendue is unpleasant in many ways being narrow, flat in places, icy and unnecessary. It does at least have a sign telling you to take your skis off and walk just as the uphill section starts.
Worry not. La Plagne is an excellent resort if you're looking for cruisy blues.
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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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Lorenzo, webcam shows snow cover at Les Coches now.
https://www.la-plagne.com/decouvrir-la-plagne/domaine-skiable/webcams/les-coches-telebuffette
Les Coches is below the Vanois Express, and there is a decent amount of snow forecast before Christmas.
The lift will open on December 21 (see https://www.laplagnet.com/lifts/dates)
As for your runs. As Alastair says: Mira can look a bit daunting from the top where Petite Rochette peels off. However, if you make your decision to avoid Mira there you left it too late: you need to shoosh from the top to prevent a fair bit of walking to get round Petite Rochette. Such is life.
Grenouilles is red on the piste map. It starts really easy, but hidden is the steep often mogully bit referred to above. It is really not a run worth bothering with whatever your ability.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Layne wrote: |
@Lorenzo, the VE will definitely be open. The links to and from it have snow cannons. I've skied Christmas and late season there many times. And it's always been open.
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Fantastic, thanks!
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@Alastair, @Jonpim, Thanks! I'm marking up a piste map for them now!
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For those that follow La Plagne closely here is some news on future developments, from Person Plagne via Facebook, (its Google translated!)
Two documents to read to know the projects of the coming years, the minutes of the cm of la plagne tarentaise and the pmis.
It is learned that after the abandonment of the "Yeti" project, the sap proposed to build in 2020 a tsd6 lovatière instead of the north, but from plagne centre (so it's the return of the axis Z )
From 2021 to 2023, the whole rock chain of million-Glacier has to be replaced by a 810-place tcb, and the entire glacier sector modified, especially due to the fragility of the permafrost. A first gondola from plagne bellecote, with intermediate station at the col de lorcle and 2th stretch over the vallon de carrela. Then, same route to the chiaupe, but at the glacier, with the removal of the ts glacier and crossing, the gondola would arrive higher on the ridge from the rochu, in front of Mont Blanc.
To read in detail:
https://www.laplagne-tarentaise.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/CRCM07oct.pdf
https://www.laplagne-tarentaise.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/cs-14-05-2019-projet-pv-da%C2%A9finitif.pdf
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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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Thank you boredsurfin, but difficult to make any sense of that.
What was the Yet Project?
And i will peruse the piste map to try and work out what that bit about the new gondola is all about.
Still, will probably change again before anything happens
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It's something along these lines:
2020 Replace Verdons Nord chair with a new 6-seat Lovatiere chair. Some talk of remodelling of Plagne Centre snowfront, so not sure it new lift would start from there.
2021-2023. Replace Roche de Mio & Bellecote gondolas with a new gondola, that goes via Col de Forcle rather than Belle Plagne. Remove Blanchets chair because it would no longer be needed. (A significant downside of this proposal is that it would leave Belle Plagne without any uplift! There will probably be some changes, as I think there might be a requirement to keep some sort of link between Bellecote & BP, although perhaps only for pedestrians)
Abandon Glacier chair, and skiing on the Chaupe glacier, as it is disappearing.
The Yeti project was for a lift to start from around the bottom of the Bergerie chair and go to somewhere above Plagne Villages / Plagne Centre. The controversial aspect was that it would have forced the removal of the Telebus pedestrian lift linking Villages to Centre.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thank you ecureuil, but now i think about it: my recollection (vague) is that the Yeti project was to solve the problem of long queues at the Bergerie lift by replacing the Melezes lift from 1800 with a lift that would end somewhere near where the old Vega lift stopped: see 19 Feb entry http://www.perso-laplagne.fr/Actualites2018.htm.
Us from 1800 thought it was too good to be true. Seems it was.
On busy days we take the bus round to Bellecote, or head the other way to Montalbert.
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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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@Jonpim, you could be right. It was certainly something to do with addressing the Bergerie queues. With ongoing building in Villages / Soleil those queues can only increase, so a variation might come back at some point.
I think some of the leases for apartments etc in Plagne Villages and Belle Plagne have a clause about there being a link to Plagne Centre / Bellecote respectively. So any proposal to remove either Telebus or the first stage of the existing Roche de Mio gondola will understandably generate some opposition.
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I think the replacement for the Yeti plan is now a lift following the route of the old Z drag lift. The now seemingly abandoned plan for the Yeti was from around the Bergerie lift area up to around the area of Verdons Nord or partly the route of the old Vega chairlift.
It does seem that SAP knows it has a problem with Bergerie being too busy (filling all the seats might help) and don't really know what to do!
Re -installing the dog leg poma out of Bellecote and the Forcles(sp) drag would be a great help, and at a very low cost! Admittedly that wouldn't do anything to help those poor folk in 1800, but hey they can come and use the lovely Reds through the forest down into Montalbert sample the delights in the Michelin rated Union Restaurant and then be whisked back up again in the posh Montalbert Gondola to the 360 restaurant also owned by a Michelin starred Chef!  and then take a gentle ski back to 18OO via the revamped (again) Envers lift
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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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| ukredsox wrote: |
Normally we're over for either Xmas or NY week and I'm worrying about the lack of snow (La Tania/Courchevel last Xmas was very poor).
This season we're over in Plagne Soleil mid-Jan for a week,so I'm a lot more relaxed. When we've been over at that time before, conditions have been excellent.
Previously I've just had a La Plagne skipass and taken advantage of the free one-day over Les Arcs side. Since that benefit has now been removed and we're over later, I've opted for a full Paradiski pass.
Not sure that I'll make it to the main area above Arc 1950. However, I took quite a liking to the Derby/Renard area a couple of years ago, so I'll probably just potter around there on a few days. |
Hey, over in LEs Arcs w-c Jan 13 if you're aorund. Mister E.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Lorenzo wrote: |
| @Alastair, @Jonpim, Thanks! I'm marking up a piste map for them now! |
Lorenzo
I'm a 'Blue Runs Only' type and have been to LP many times. I stick to the Blues because I'm quite a nervous skier.
The only Blues in LP that I stay clear of are the narrow-ish paths.
Everything else is fine but there can be some steepish sections (for Blues) that get heavy use, including some quite close to the villages, eg after the bridge on Ecartee and down to the Bergerie chair, after the restaurant on Trieuse on the way from PV/PS to Bellecote, the final section of Bridge\Vega\Capella approaching PC, the start of Tunnel after the main split (plus the first section after exiting the Tunnel itself), under the Quillis chair on the way to the Rossas, the drop past Belle Plagne just after the Arpette Restaurant and the aforementioned left hand drop onto Mira where it splits from Petite Rochette.
There are loads of wide open pistes. My personal favourites are the three runs off the Arpette chair back to BP/PB, plus Tunnel*, Mira*, the top of Mont Blanc (from the rope drag to the restaurant) and Ecartee*
(* even allowing for the odd steep bit mentioned above, these are great runs)
I haven't ventured very far over Les Arcs side but I do like the Renard piste from the top of the Derby chair.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Snovillain wrote: |
| Hey, over in LEs Arcs w-c Jan 13 if you're aorund. Mister E. |
Greetings Mister E aka Snovillain
I don't arrive in LP until Sun 19th Jan, so we'll just miss each other. I won't have time to get over your way on the Sunday afternoon.
This means that I miss the home game against Watford
One of these years we'll manage to meet up on the slopes
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 12-12-19 9:17; edited 1 time in total
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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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Well, we're here 
Cold. Looks like a lorra snow.
And the new La Mine is excellent. Outside really smart. Inside much the same, but bigger. And bigger beer selection. Well worth a visit.
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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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Hello! Long time no post but I thought I’d pop in as I’ve been following this thread with interest, as I got a sneaky early season week in Plagne Village.
Conditions are excellent. As said above, loads of snow Friday and Saturday, and a lot of wind. Today the winds have dropped and there’s been pretty much day-long avi bombing.
On piste conditions are excellent down to Plagne centre level, though I haven’t yet been below that it looked pretty good yesterday down to the Roche lift. Everything from the top of Arpette to montchavin was closed, presumably opening next week, and the high bellecote sector was closed today.
Roche de Mio and Grand Rochettes opened later on today and some lovely lines were being skied off Roche de Mio. Cover is stated to be 1.60 high, 20cm down in the valley. Obviously that’s not yet particularly compacted/consolidated. Temps seem to be hovering around zero +/- and a bit of thaw in the sun.
Can’t speak for the off piste as in currently unfit and lazy but, as I say, better and less sedentary skiers were putting in some very nice lines with no obvious big sloughs or problems.
I was pretty much reconciled to a White Ribbon of Death when I booked this, given the high pressure cycles in a couple of recent seasons, but this is outstanding. Bon ski!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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As Cunners says. Conditions not bad.
The resort had some sort of weekend special offer involving accommodation and lift pass. Saturday was OK because poor visibility. Sunday was bedlam. The sun shone and the crowds poured onto the pistes, with crazy speeding flatliners everywhere.
Then they all left. Yesterday (Monday) was blissfully quiet. Dull light, but more enjoyable. We were doing fine until noticed they had opened Crozats. Checked with pisteurs at top of Arpette. Yes, fine they sad. And so we skied down, to find the lift stopped and a crowd of skiers waiting. Some sort of fault. Took some 30 minutes to fix. But we were very impressed by the lifty giving us continual supply of information on progress and timing. Made the wait quite bearable.
As mentioned, pistes above Plagne Centre and Bellecote are good. Below that not so, with freeze-thaw making them hard and lumpy.
Ridiculously warm just now - up to 6C at 2000m yesterday, but due to cool off a bit. Just how much will determine whether its rain or snow on Friday.
Bon ski.
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We're stopping at a chalet in Plagne 1800 on Jan 4th for a week, we've been to area a few time before but not 1800, from reading comments here it looks like we could get queues to get out in the morning. do i take it we need to get there when melezes opens?
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@Mr_frosty, Thats probably the quietest week of the season but if there are queues go out the other end up the 1800 lift then up Golf or down to Envers and up or up Adrets to the hidden delights of the woods above Montalbert
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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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@Jonpim, Good to see SAP at their early season best, I'm old enough to remember them doing maintenance over the summer rather than first week of the season ...
Turn it on and see what happens appears to be the name of the game these days.
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Mr_frosty, as boredsurfin says: unlikely any queues first week after New Year.
And rarely any queues on Melezes or 1800 chairs. Can be big queues on Bergerie lift.
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FAQ
