 Poster: A snowHead
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Any recommendations for ski hire in Chamonix?
I've only been in summer before (mountain biking) so don't know it very well but I think we're staying nr the bottom of the Plan Praz cable car so somewhere near there if possible (although good skis are more importance than convenience). While I'm at it - are there any lockers at or near the cable car?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Idris and all - Chamonix noob here, coming with a group in two weeks. Am I to understand that there is an hour of hiking at the end of the Vallee Blanche tour? If so, perhaps we should change our plans. Also, what are the old and new gondolas being described? Do they help with egress? Thanks
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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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Okay - I'm guessing it's the Mer de Glass Gondola that isn't running? Gosh, my group isn't going to like to hike that. Will need to rethink.
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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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Significant precipitation on the horizon... but the freezing level seems to be crawling higher every time I check. Anyone got a more positive outlook?! Arrived yesterday (here for a month) and today's small ventures off piste made my knees hurt! Base seems decent though – the runs I nabbed were in a good way considering the temperatures.
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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 - they do look good (the website anyway). They seem to be on the other side nr the Aiguille Du Midi lift whereas I'm nr the Plan Praz but that's not a deal-breaker for the right skis.
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| CJM wrote: |
| @Idris and all - Chamonix noob here, coming with a group in two weeks. Am I to understand that there is an hour of hiking at the end of the Vallee Blanche tour? If so, perhaps we should change our plans. Also, what are the old and new gondolas being described? Do they help with egress? Thanks |
Shouldn't be that long a hike. Just need to hike to the stairs, then up the stairs to the lift up to Montenvers. Then train down from there. Hike is a bit longer every year as the Glacier retreats, but it's not an hour. Unless of course, like last time I was there, there was a strike and the Montenvers train wasn't running, so we had to do the full hike and then ski down to town.
While they are putting in a new lift in from the Glacier to Montenvers due to the glacial retreat, what is being discussed here is the 2 new gondolas at Grands Montets. Nothing to do with VB.
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@TOLOCOMAN, There isn’t a lift up to Montenvers from the top of the steps anymore. It has been decommissioned. That is the whole point of his question.
It is a fairly unpleasant epic now to get to the train until the opening of the new lift (which is about a month late opening)
Look up the thread at @Idris’ post.
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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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Oh, my bad. That's new this year? So at that point then, I guess it is just best to hike up from the tie of the Glacier and then just ski down? Or is there enough snow for that this year?
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| TOLOCOMAN wrote: |
| Oh, my bad. That's new this year? So at that point then, I guess it is just best to hike up from the tie of the Glacier and then just ski down? Or is there enough snow for that this year? |
Getting off the end of the glacier would be a full on mountaineering experience until there is a lot more snow. The snow on the ski out would only get you halfway down.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| CJM wrote: |
| Okay - I'm guessing it's the Mer de Glass Gondola that isn't running? Gosh, my group isn't going to like to hike that. Will need to rethink. |
If the lift isn't running, I would recommend doing the Tula glacier off the Skyway a much better experience at the moment.
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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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| HammondR wrote: |
@TOLOCOMAN, There isn’t a lift up to Montenvers from the top of the steps anymore. It has been decommissioned. That is the whole point of his question.
It is a fairly unpleasant epic now to get to the train until the opening of the new lift (which is about a month late opening)
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That might explain why when I looked on the Compagnie Des Guides site the earliest date for a Vallee Blanche group was 27th Jan which is (a) my last day and (b) already fully booked. I guess that's when they expect the new lift to open.
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Morning! not a weather question, but lift passes... we land on Saturday so want to pick our passes up.
None of us have magnetic cards to reuse, so anybody know the best place to go in central Cham to collect cards and then load the passes on? Are there machines for both at the bottom of the Aguille du Midi maybe? thanks in advance
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You know it makes sense.
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Montenvers ticket office is probably the most central place.
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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 all for the discussion. Have booked our guides. Hoping the new lift opens but we'll follow @Idris' advice if not.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@ukoldschool, my bro picked up his ticket at the Aiguille last week, as we were picking up skis from Concept. But it was the evening, so not very busy.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm looking at the current weather on snow-forecast.com - I'm assuming it is not advisable to head out to any of the nearby resorts (haven't bought a lift pass yet)?
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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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@ThinSocks, "advisable"(?) - well it's totally fine if you like skiing in the rain.
Looks like it'll be snowing all from Lognan ( ~2,250m) up. But crap vis.
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Thanks. Haven't skied in the rain before - assumed the piste would turn into some sort of icy mess...
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Is there rain forecast? does this mean snow on the mountain?
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| ukoldschool wrote: |
| Is there rain forecast? does this mean snow on the mountain? |
That depends on temperature. It could mean rain on (at least some of) the mountain.
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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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All rather wonderful today.
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@HammondR, Where were you? We opted for Les Houches as a. I'm still taking it easy on my knee and b. expected les Grands to be a total zoo.
Very pleasant highest runs, less so below 1,700m (no surprise there then, eh?).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@under a new name, Le Tour.
More by luck than skill we bagged 5 × fresh tracks from various lifts just before or after they opened. It was actual real powder above 1800m (not just fresh snow which most folk describe as powder)
Stopped at 15:00 to save our legs for the Col du Passon tomorrow.
This probably wasn't early enough to save my legs
I suspect that the next 2 days will have some of the best piste skiing of the season.
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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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Apologies if this has been answered already but...
(last minute as usual) I have just started looking at lift passes. I arrive tomorrow afternoon and will want a 4-day pass for Weds-Sat. Looking on the website I can see it says "If you wish to purchase multiple day passes, you must already possess a rechargeable hands-free badge." but I can see where to buy the rechargeable pass in the first place.
I am staying near the Plan Praz lift so ideally I'd like to buy the rechargeable card and four days 'lift pass' from there but the implication is that they don't sell the physical card.
Any help/advice appreciated.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Higs, you can buy badge and pass there.
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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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| under a new name wrote: |
| @Higs, you can buy badge and pass there. |
Thanks - I hoped it wouldn't be over-complicated but you never know these days.
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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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Coming to Chamonix later this week. A lot of the runs in Brevent/Flegere are closed today, can anyone tell me why? Weather? Snow conditions? Thanks
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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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Thanks, that's what I assumed but the runs are still closed according to the app and it says wind of only 7kmh so wondered if it was something else. The wind is probably stronger than that.
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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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@MikeskiH, avvy danger mostly.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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They are short staffed over there also. Decent powder from the lifts at Grand Montets this morning.
Saw a skier with snap links on the back of his pack clip himself to a chair. Silly billy.
Saw another one break the brake off his macho ski, which fully descended about 200m.
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Just walked into town for a coffee and the melt is astonishing. Feels like April out there. Shop owner's been here 17 years and it's the warmest he can remember. Long range is predicting lower temps and snow at approx 2,000m next Saturday... hope it's true
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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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Arrive in Chamonix tomorrow evening for a few days. Usually go to Les Houches to get my ski legs back into gear so was going to go there on Friday before heading to Le Tour on Saturday. Has anyone been to Les Houches in the last couple of days and able to tell me what piste conditions are like please? Many thanks
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| MikeskiH wrote: |
| Coming to Chamonix later this week. A lot of the runs in Brevent/Flegere are closed today, can anyone tell me why? Weather? Snow conditions? Thanks |
I was there today. Brevent in the morning then headed towards Flegere after lunch. When we got to the Sources lift it was closed (I'd been on it earlier). Reason given for closure was 'avalanche'. So we went up Cornu, came down to find that one closed as well due to 'avalanche risk'. That left going up and down Parsa as the only option so we had a beer and retired early.
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FAQ
they are really good.
