 Poster: A snowHead
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Went up to the Joux Verte with the kids this morning for a play in the snow and there was 20cm of nice thick stodgy snow. Weather was either big flat flakes or sleet. It has been raining all day down in Morzine but forecast is for snow down to 800m tomorrow and I have seen the big tractors putting on their snow chains (do they know something.....uuuhhmmm).
Will keep you all updated and let's hoping for a ski on Saturday 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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under a new name,
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Morzine Avoriaz gets more useful snowfall often than Chamlnix at lower altitudes
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heretic! unbeliever!  you aren't allowed to say these things ...
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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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DJL, Just noticed your signature, are you going to Chatel this year, I,m there from 7th to 14th jan. So far I've been to PDS 3 times once in Les Get, twice to Morgins and now booked to stay at La Bracconier (spelling)? at the foot of Linge I think, I,ve only touched on the Chatel area a couple of times though, any must does you'd recommend?
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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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Chucking it down in the Morzine Valley all the way down to St Jean D'aulp. I know as I can see it from my window 
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| DJL wrote: |
| Chatel looks white down to village level from the webcams. Anyone on the spot? |
Sat in the chalet, snow line is lower than the village. It dropped over 100m in the last hour. Its down at our chalet now at 800-900m. Might take a little drive up to per la joux today see how much its putting down.
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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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youngeratheart, This will be our 22nd season skiing in Chatel. Originally came out on the Snowtravel (Chris and Coral) bus that was running Bristol, Bath, Swindon, Reading, Victoria coach station then overnight to Chatel. Travel and accommodation £99! After a couple of years we couldn't stand the bus any more and went DIY initially driving and hiring apartments or chalets and from 1999 buying an apartment. Its a great area, nice village and despite what many others will say the PDS gets more snow than its altitude really deserves. Not sure why (Northern edge of the alps? Close to Lac Leman?).
Access into Avoriaz and the best of the Swiss side is very easy (from Linga or Pre La Joux over into Lindarets and the ridge above Avoriaz, then either through Avoriaz if you are going to Les Hauts Forts or the Fornet bowl and down to the Abricotine lift and into Switzerland) and there is some good skiing in Chatel itself (from the Cornebois lift and the runs back down to Linga). Super Chatel is OK for beginners/intermediates and gives access to Morgins and the Swiss resorts (didn't work last year as too little snow to get down into Morgins). Some of the best skiing is found above Petit Chatel - you can head down to Torgon and over to La Chapelle which is often not too busy and has some great areas for long fast turns.
If you want to ski Morzine and Les Gets we have found the best way is to drive round and park up in Morzine. I don't find the Super Morzine side very interesting so we tend to skip that and head up the Pleney. That way you can give it a full day in Morzine / Les Gets and don't have to worry about getting late lifts back over to Chatel. Only about 45 minutes by car if the roads are clear/quiet.
Some good day trips possible if you have a car - St Jean d'Aulps and Bernex are local and each worth giving a full day to and it is possible to be at Ruinettes in Verbier 75 minutes after leaving Chatel. Plenty of smaller unlinked Swiss resorts are accessible as well
Keep the snow reports coming guys. We're out for Christmas (I was getting worried about that one) then February half term (boo!) and then a lad's trip in mid March.
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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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paulio, 
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...and that is how mooguls are formed...
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You know it makes sense.
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FlyingStantoni, That is terrible
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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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Udderly.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Agree with DJL about snow in the PdS. Locals tell me it is because of the lake. I suppose being warmer than the air above it, it is always evaporating providing a constant supply of moist air, being one of the necessary ingredients of snow - I'm not a meteorologist but that's how I think of it. Oh and of course the terrain is grassy slopes, not strewn with rocks like other resorts, so it doesn't need two metres of snow to be skiable.
I'm happy to let Peter Hardy keep sending people to the higher resorts with their eight-man chairs and thirty-minute queues after lunch
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nadenoodlee,
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I know as I can see it from my window
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aren't you loving being able to say that!
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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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DJL, Thanks, I'll not have a car and I ski all alone cos the OH doesnt like it. This year I'll only have one day with the guide so I am thinking not to spend out on the full PDS pass and have a learning hol, sadly only afford a couple of hours tuition but then probably stay local and really practice. My question is though there is a discount untill the 5th dec on Chatel pass, but what if it turns out like last year, would you wait, or take the discount and hope there is snow, I dont think the local pass would get me up to Avoriaz in the event of little snow at chatel, would it? 
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youngeratheart, My advice would be to pick and choose on a daily basis. If you want to get to Avoriaz or the Swiss side you will need PDS. For pre la joux, Linga, Super Chatel, and Torgon/La chapelle the Chatel pass is OK. You can also get a 5 hour pass which might save enough for a coffee!
If you've done 3 PDS trips and kept collecting the points on the same lift pass card you should be on for a free day by now.
The buses are pretty good once you get the idea.
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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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youngeratheart, This will be our 22nd season skiing in Chatel. from 1999 buying an apartment. Its a great area, nice village and despite what many others will say the PDS gets more snow than its altitude really deserves.
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I completely get what you say. My 4th year and I am completely in love with the place. 1 hour from geneva and we rent chalet apartments that work out £140 per room for a week. Stunning value when compared to other higher resorts. Large apartments and we all get a room each, two minutes from the lifts.
I am seriously looking at purchasing a property there as well, a real hidden gem, long may it stay a secret and a reasonable priced resort. Great food and beer at English prices rather than £8 a pint like the Val's.
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mheadbee, I am struggling to understand what is secret about Chatel, or indeed the PDS in general. One of the best known areas in France, particularly with the Brits and Dutch
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Sorry seem to have strayed off topic. Last time I looked there is still snow on the views from the webcams!!!!!!!!! Except the one looking at the village which seems to only show the top of the picture, anyone else watching them? is it my laptop or is it the same when you try?
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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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Snow in Morzine Village this morning.....we have a lovely white garden and it is still falling. Off to dig the snowblower out of storage just incase we get loads (which has been forecast). Looking good for a ski this weekend still.
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Webcams are showing a nice accumulation in Morzine & PDS this morning with much more forecast tomorrow! Oh how I wish I was there now...instead I have to wait for eight looooong weeks 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Out there this weekend. prayers have been answered. Just need the news that the area will open as planned.
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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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BergenBergen, Avoriaz will almost certainly open... Don't usually open everything from day one though, but i suspect you'll be far happier than this time last week!
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You know it makes sense.
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mheadbee, I am struggling to understand what is secret about Chatel, or indeed the PDS in general. One of the best known areas in France, particularly with the Brits and Dutch
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Well that is easy. Allow me to explain.
Prices are about 1/2 of the rest of the pds for food and drink. The cost of apartment a fraction of the rest of the pds. You can book a really nice and very large apartment that sleeps 12 for 500 euros per week. If more people went there the prices would be the same as the higher resorts.
Hope that helps
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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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To be fair, that's still not really a 'secret'.
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Poster: A snowHead
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To be fair, that's still not really a 'secret'.
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Well I had never heard of Chatel or paid it much attention until 4 years ago and neither had any of the 14 guys I go skiing with, all have been regular skiers for nearly 30 years. I think you will find that in the grand scheme of things it is a less known/appreciated resort which offers as much as the bigger PdS resorts. Most people tend to go for the large and higher resorts like 3 vallees etc and long may that last. If they all realised how good chatel was they would all be piling over there as well.
Just my opinion.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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I've been away for a day or so, so have been unable to get my weather "fix" - very excited now! Just didn't quite believe it was going to happen - should have kept the faith. Roll on the 3rd Jan when we'll be in Chatel for the first time, really looking forward to it. Heard good things about the resort, pistes and the offpiste. Has anyone ski toured on Pointe du Midi?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I started a thread ealier asking for suggestions for a destination for this wkend (Geneva flights already booked). Along with several for Tignes, Paulio suggested here. So, here I am!
Can anyone recommend me somewhere to stay? Half board or S/C, nothing flash or pricey!
And a quick summary of the different resorts and their differences/similarities would be great - I haven't skied the PDS before.
Thanks
Tom.
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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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No pressure then.
I hope somebody gives you some contrasting advice soon, so that I'm not responsible for anything.
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Lou,
Les Gets, great skiing, are you sure?
I'm off for a rando in Avoriaz tomorrow. I'll report back on the snow.
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Well, looks like Avoriaz are planning on opening this weekend with '80%' of the terrain open:
OUVERTURE DE LA STATION À L'OCCASION DE LA FÊTE DE LA GLISSE!
December 10 80% of the Avoriaz ski aera will be openning on Saturday,december, 10!
Come and enjoy the 6 days Avoriaz ski pass at 120 only!
Offer available on saturday, december 10, for a week holiday from the 10th to the 16th of december!
1 day Avoriaz Ski pass: 16 € during the snowsports celebration (december 10-11)
1 day Avoriaz Ski pass: 20€ from the 12th to the 16 of december!
http://www.avoriaz.com/
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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 does one actually 'get to' Avoriaz, since it's car free?
Also, is Les Gets or Morzine opening as well?
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paulio, in a car up the mountain and park at the top or drive to Prodains and park there. If Ardent is open that is a good place to park too.
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FAQ
) but nothing secret about Chatel in general.