 Poster: A snowHead
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Monday 26
An unexpectedly good day given the forecast. It turned out to be cold and cloudy with some sunshine. The powder has thickened up a little making turns a little harder. In a couple of places we found a nasty crust on thick snow, but it was easy to go elsewhere or back onto the piste. The Sachette was good today. We went the full length of the ridge from behind the pisteurs hut and climbed up a little at the end so we could cross over the couloir. The last bit is quite intimidating: a traverse of very hard wind packed snow at maybe 40 degrees (or 45%) above a rocky entrance to the couloir. Followed by some friendly flat rocks and snow to regroup upon. We then (one at a time) traversed across and skied down a big slope. The top steeper section we skied close to a finger of rocks. Had two pitches with 40 turns and one of 80 in deep untracked powder, and a little walking between them.
Mostly we had the whole valley to ourselves and only saw one other group who had entered the Sachette much closer to the chair than us. At about the tree line there is a narrow winding path on a steep rocky face to access the Sache piste. Not taking that path looks appealing but, or so I was told, there is no easy way out. (Has anyone explored the bottom of that valley?) There were several tracks today that went below the path and there were about ten people climbing up the snow towards the path. Across the valley from the path we saw about five chamois .
The pistes are good, as they should be after all the recent snow. All the pistes we did were fairly flat, some undulations but mostly not really moguls. A lots of the pistes are hard packed with plenty of loose snow on top.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Tuesday 27
Trickier snow today. We have been spoilt by all the easy to ski powder of the last few days. The wind and sun have been messing about with the snow, in some places there is a crust and in others the snow has stiffened up. Started the day with doing the Signal bowl in a whiteout, but the snow was OK. The clouds went and the sun came out for our first trip through the Pays Desert. Below the big rock face visible from the button lift we saw a lone Chamois, it was actually quite close to us. Visibility reduced for the second Pays Desert, but the Chamois was still there. Then over Col Pers and down to close by the Refuge de Prariond and an easy ski through the Georges du Malpasset. Have been over Col Pers several times but this was my first trip through the George for several years. Shame that there was so much cloud that we could not see clearly. The road out was it usual long walk and skate, but I did see a boquetin. Only skied a little piste on the glacier today and it was fine. The off piste snow needed some commitment. There has been a little snow from today's clouds but hardly enough to measure.
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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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Wednesday 28
Cold start to a day of bright sunshine and no clouds. Overnight the cold has transformed the snow into a softer and easier powder. Skied the Lavachet wall and then did various bits of off piste near the Sache piste. Then some great snow which required a 10 minute hike up the road to the Paquis chair. Finished the skiing with the Familial. Some great snow today, although some trickier patches here and there. The pistes are in good condition, no rocks, although some are hard packed. The lower parts of Chardons down to Les Brevieres being very hard packed, it has enough loose snow to keep control but having big spaces between me and everyone else seemed a good idea.
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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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At about the tree line there is a narrow winding path on a steep rocky face to access the Sache piste. Not taking that path looks appealing but, or so I was told, there is no easy way out. (Has anyone explored the bottom of that valley?) There were several tracks today that went below the path and there were about ten people climbing up the snow towards the path
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i believe there is a way down, but that it is very difficult to find the route. Otherwise you end up on a frozen waterfall! Probably best to take the path 
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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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Thursday 29
Another lovely sunny day. The Tignes funicular had a queue outside its door then there was an announcement about "technical problems" so hurried across to Les Lanches chair before the rest of the queue. On the way up saw two or three small aircraft doing practice landings and takeoffs on the glacier. Only a few people queuing for the cable car. The glacial piste was smooth and easy to ski. Skied across the glacier, to skiers left of the piste basher tracks for catching snow. Then walked towards the Balme and skied back to the piste and the Vanoise chair. Then off piste near Genepy. Climbed up a little from Fresse chair and traversed to a steep face. On the walk out at the bottom met a small group of boarders and skiers who had climbed to the summit and then done a fast descent with very few turns. One of them made a fairly straight track but with a significant gap in it, the result of a "teddy bear roll" they said. We finished our skiing with a Familial and part of the Stade de Competition. This last piste had no slalom gates today, it was smooth and nicely pisted.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Friday 30
The sun keeps on shining and the temperature has increased a little. The busses from La Dialle to Rond Point were misbehaving this morning, reports of busses driving past bus stops with people waiting! So we started a little late. Skinned for about 35 minutes to Mont Roup today. After a rest, traversed around the top where the snow had a crust that the sun was softening. It was unpleasant to ski even though we just followed the traverse line. Round the corner it changed to be nice snow. Then we had several pitches of good deep powder. As it is my last day skiing this holiday I was forced to ski the top few pitches first after our guide. He almost always skis perfectly regardless of the snow conditions, watching the first holiday skier can help show what the snow is really like. So first after the guide is not always an advantage. Today we all had good snow and felt it worth the long traverse followed by the skinning up. Our route finished by joining the path out of the Tour de Charvet. That path is well skied but not yet like a piste, it is quite undulating but is in good condition. All the easy variations of the Tour de Charvet looked to be well skied with little untracked snow. From the path can also see part of the Cugnai off piste and it also looked well tracked. Then skied down the piste from Solaise. Over half of the Plan piste has been fenced off for the races. At the bottom a large area has now been fenced off to form the finish area of the Rhone Alpes race piste. The piste left to us holiday skiers is its usual very hard packed snow with a little loose stuff. Near the bottom of the run (from just above the sharp right-hand corner) to the bottom of the Leggetez drag the snow making machines were running.
Sadly, that is it for this holiday. I have had two weeks of great snow with lots of fresh powder. Wayne from Alpine Experience has, as always, found us challenging skiing on good snow but without going anywhere weird when the avalanche risk was high. I stayed in Finlays chalet Amelia where Emily has cooked some wonderful cakes and puddings, it is hard to resist all those naughty calories.
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Anyone in Val for the world cup weeks?
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The races were fun again this morning. Snow is ok, still plenty of it and the pistes are in good condition. For anyone coming to watch, lifts are open and you can get right up to the fences, quite a feeling when they go past at 80 plus or more. The Sun tried hard today so vis was ok, but they say it will be changing in the next few days for the worse. Off piste is well skied but still some good places sheltered from the winds. And the bus system seems to be working well. Free from down in the valley. Away from the races it does not seem that busy.
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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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Just got back from last week in Val.
Snowed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and some of thursday and then Sun on Friday and saturday.
Pistes are in amazing condition and off piste was getting tracked out in the easy to access areas. It was windy at the start of the week so there was quite a lot of crusted snow where the wind had blown it away.
Bloody cold though, coldest its every been when i've been skiing. Got frost nip in my cheek on Thursday on the Fontaine Froid chair lift.
World cup races were interesting to watch, but once you seen a few people downhill or in the GS, you'd seen them all.
However, the pistes were nearly empty and despite the resort itself being full of spectators, there were virtually no lift queues 
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Ditto above, just got back too. Quite awful weather on a couple of days, had to start my intermediate lesson on the beginners slope as most lifts shut on Tuesday to begin with (probably compounded by the fact that a lot of the resort's resources were going into the race pistes).
But had an amazing time nonetheless, especially when the visability cleared. Best snow conditions I've ever skiied, hardly any queues anywhere. If you braved the weather most of the pistes were half empty. I've never been to Val before but it certainly lived up to expectations. But i agree about the cold though, it was absolutely freezing, coldest conditions i've ever skiied.
Managed to miss President Sarkozy too ...........
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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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Going to Val d'isere on Sunday for 7 days - any update on snow conditions? Thanks
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FAQ
