france
Eyne, Les Angles, Bolquere (google Neige Catalan)
Thanks.
What about Andorra on a bad day?
La Molina can be very windy if I'm correct, no? that's said they probably won't close the whole place.
I remember there are lots of trees there too.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Cedrick, The Bubble and Kabana lift in Baqueira will almost certainly be open which gives access to some nice tree skiing and off piste behind the green run. There are also the trees to the right of the bubble as you go up.
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?
I don't know sitting here in a bar waiting for James (Fleur's husband) who has been ripping all day with us and he's blown the boys out, oh well now drinking his beer!
And as for the skiing, another bonkers day in the trees, main road from Bareges to super Bareges, where all the lifts are now shut, have more amazing GoPro but will not be editing tonight !
I don't know sitting here in a bar waiting for James (Fleur's husband) who has been ripping all day with us and he's blown the boys out, oh well now drinking his beer!
And as for the skiing, another bonkers day in the trees, main road from Bareges to super Bareges, where all the lifts are now shut, have more amazing GoPro but will not be editing tonight !
Oops sorry, Elston got a little bit tied up with me. He has had a nice spa though!
Mrs Weathercam and I arranged for us all to meet at 7pm in the Hotel du Tourmalet bar. Hope that will still work for you all as we had a brilliant time today and would love to cap it off properly!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Oh dear. We really stuffed up. Have now let hunger reign as we've given it over 40mins in the bar. Wishing our ski buddies a safe and easy return tomorrow and thanks again for a great day today. F&J
Not ours thankfully, but that car park is 100m from our hotel... I was skiing with Fleur and James up at the Ardiden at the time. I have subsequently been moving all our guests down to Luz as the have just evacuated the village.
Residents are allowed to stay though, which is a bit interesting. Obviously we arn't all that important... I will post some pics at some point... It is getting silly. It is still snowing and we reckon there is in the region of 150 tons of snow on the chalet roof. I am going to try and shift some of it tomorrow. We have about 180cm lying in the village (probably more now) and 6m+ in the resort. I think the Hautes Pyrenees are currently world numberb one for snow depth. They are reccording over 7 metres in the Cirque du Lys...
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.
in garbure we trust wrote:
Not ours thankfully
Glad to hear it!
Quote:
I think the Hautes Pyrenees are currently world number one for snow depth.
Yup, there's more snow in Cauterets than in any other resort in the world right now
Incredible season we're seeing in the Pyrenees this year. Finally the sun came out today in Baquiera, after three weeks of almost non-stop snowfall. It was picture-postcard, though the avalanche risk was inevitably sufficiently high that you had to pick and choose spots and forego a lot of the regular runs. It's snowing again right now, and looks like it'll stay that way until Thurs/Fri when the sun will arrive and we can have a weekend to remember!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Still snowing, another 60cm forecast then hopefully clearing up.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Weathercam, Great video - our type of skiing!! In and out of the trees and sometimes over them if their not too big! Brilliant
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
To give an idea of this years snowfall compared to the average have a look at the page here showing graphs for snowpack levels in the Baqueira area:
The average is 150cm while the current level is 400cm
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
It didn't snow today,which is a first this week Cloud and wind this morning,but cleared nicely late afternoon. Looks like the last significant snow has passed,and sun is promised for rest of week Conditions are awesome across the whole area,and here in Baquiera we have the snowfall record,over 16mtrs in total. Never seen anything like it!! No 1 son is out here doing a season,and is sick of clearing snow. Now hoping for a few days respite...shame
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
snowskisnow, apart from the shovel-work, how's your son liking Baqueira? (Assuming he has been to other resorts, presumably in the Alps, to compare it to.)
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?
He's pretty impressed,and is loving it generally...apart from snow clearing and toilet duty!! He's been to a number of the mega stations(as have the rest of us),and what Baquiera might lack in sheer size,it more than makes up in the generally chilled atmosphere and friendly folk. All the restos serve decent coffee,and the prices don't make your eyes water This place is the playground of wealthy Spanish,and they could easily charge a lot more...but don't. Makes a change don't ya think?
Yea,he's enjoying it,and so are we. And the amount of snow is mind blowing. This place is a bit of a gem,let's hope it stays this way.
The Pyrenees have been bathed in sun since Friday, and many people have been able to finally enjoy the snow that kept on falling during the previous four weeks. The snow levels are extraordinary in many resorts; Baqueira has 4.5 metres in some places! It's forecast to snow again tomorrow night and all through Friday, and then the weekend might be reasonable; so it could be a decent powder day on Saturday.
It'll be interesting to read the avalanche report for Saturday, to find out what part the existing crazy snowpack will play. For me, a relative newcomer, it's unknown territory; the last snowfall of anything like this quantity was apparently 15 years ago. Avalanche activity in the Pyrenees typically seems tame compared to what I read about for the Alps, but with the snow levels we have at the moment it's sensible to take it pretty seriously. For example, there was a medium slab avalanche in Argulls (Baqueira) during the afternoon a couple of days ago, which appeared to be skier-triggered judging from the track that entered the slide zone just below the crown which was just under the convex head of a steep, infrequently-skied slope. The debris ended up just a few metres from the easy blue piste running down the valley below. I haven't heard anything about the incident, but fortunately the debris didn't look deep enough to completely bury somebody.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Pyremaniac, Which pitch in Arguls was that ?
After all it is free
After all it is free
Weather has been fantastic all this week and snow conditions are fab at Arcalis... None of the threatened snow for this afternoon has arrived so far... Wonder what we will find on waking tomorrow!
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.
HI
We are travelling to Ax les Thermes tomorrow. Driving up from Barcelona. Just wondering what the roads are like - assume all clear of snow? We will have chains with us but hopefully won't have to put them on. we will be going through the tunnel de puymorens and down the N20 to Ax.
Looking foward to a good week!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Same here, but driving to Cerler and to Baqueira on Tuesday. Am I really gonna need to put those snow chains on?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Clear so far - looking colder from tomorrow onwards.... Snowy Sunday and Monday here if you believe the forecast... Must admit I tend to wait and see what is outside the window of a morning! Hoping forecast is wrong as far as our early morning return to Barcelona on Monday morning is concerned!
Another fab day today as we had fresh dusting of snow overnight and then clear skies today - bit windy over lunch but it dropped late afternoon. I do seem to have quite a red nose at the end of today!
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.
AndAnotherThing.., when looking up the path of TS Manaud, immediately after it crosses that irritating flattish blue cat track that winds down to the café, then: beneath the lift is a frequently skied bit, then to the right there's a pretty much unskiable steep face, then further to the right is a skiable but steep face, then even further to the right is the very skiable end part with a couple of trees. The avalanche was in the third bit, ie after the unskiable bit. It usually doesn't have much snow but was covered this year. It's not covered any more...
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
You've probably already heard, but there's been quite a lot of snow in the Pyrenees this year .
The Bonaigua Pass between Baqueira and the neighbouring valley had been closed for more than 30 consecutive days, which I think is a record in the era of regular road clearing operations there. They opened it a couple of days ago when the snowfall finally stopped:
Up on the Baqueira mountain, they had to dig a tunnel to get to the loos at the cafeteria at 2200:
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
This looks impresive. I've come to Cerler for a couple of days before heading to BB. And it seems to be far less snowy here. A lot of uncovered patches of grass and rocks, pistes swept by heavy winds. The biggest snowfall I've met so far was on the motorway between Barcelona and Lleida.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
This looks impresive. I've come to Cerler for a couple of days before heading to BB. And it seems to be far less snowy here. A lot of uncovered patches of grass and rocks, pistes swept by heavy winds. The biggest snowfall I've met so far was on the motorway between Barcelona and Lleida.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Is snowing again this morning - biding our time to see if it brightens a bit before going out to freeze!! V cold and must admit to not looking forward to our drive back to BCN tomorrow as need to leave early... But very thankful we are not heading to TLS!!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
wyspa, yup, there are a lot of enemies of good ski conditions, and wind is right up there. Many resorts in the Spanish Pyrenees suffer from it. (I guess resorts everywhere do.) Baqueira really does have 4.5 meters in many places, but likewise a few hillsides there are almost bare, though thankfully not generally in the resort proper.
I haven't yet visited Cerler but it's on my to-do list, possibly for a day trip this season. When it's on, it's regarded as a real gem, though too small to attract general foreign tourism. I'm holding out for that bluebird power day... and am wondering if we'll ever get one in the Pyrenees this season! Cerler has complications with the weather; fronts from the north which benefit Baqueira so well tend to bring horrible winds to Cerler which destroy the snow that falls, and fronts from the south which benefit Cerler have been few and far between in recent winters. It looks decent enough from the webcams at the moment, although Gallinero is bare.
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?
Pyremaniac, Cheers. If I recall it takes a bit of walking ti get up there but it looks like it could do someone some damage. Has Escornacrabes been open much ?
katedenhaag, wow, you really hit the jackpot this season, weather-wise! OK, so the closing weekend has reverted to snowy form, but five days of full sunshine in Arcalís after a month of snowfall sounds pretty good to me Any photos?
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
AndAnotherThing.., yeah, you can get to the "end bit" that's just off the right-hand side of the photo, which has a couple of trees and a somewhat more mellow pitch, by turning right off of the flat winding lower bit of Manaud and onto a little hilltop, and then blasting it down and up to the trees. But on a board I can't get skier's right to the avalanched bit without walking (through thick snow; and I've never been especially tempted by that particular bit anyhow).
All the itineraries were closed during the neverending snowfall, due to the impossibility of controlling them. I'm sure tons of people did them anyway, but I was a bit more cautious what with the crazy snow depths. But last week they were mostly open, and although I didn't get to Escorna I did discover Barlongueta for the first time. How had I missed that gem up until now?! (Well, I guess it's quite significantly off-piste and not usually with such good snow cover. And it's as far away from my side of the resort as it's possible to get.) Also, my "home run", Gerber, had some great moments last week.
On Friday I did another first-time route from the top of the drag lifts behind Argulls, which takes you above the Montanyó piste and out of the resort, ending up down at Peülla (unclipping to cross the road - though that wouldn't have been necessary until recently ). It used to be a controlled itinerary called Lo Boscas but it disappeared from the piste map last season. Anyhow, it turned out to be an evil traverse-fest! So although it has a proper feeling of isolation, and great snow, I'll no longer be looking at it with longing when I drive up to Bonaigua each day.
Pyremaniac, ... 6 days Friday was perfect. Enjoyed what we did the last 2 days even though short days.... Very sad to be going home.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Pyremaniac, I love the way Baqueira do their itineraries. Barlongueta is good along with the off piste to the sides of the Red they put through the area to the side. Much better when it was just off piste. I've only managed to ski Gerber once or twice but it seemed to present lots of options.
It's a shame the one you mentioned has disappeared off the piste map. I did a variation on it a couple of years ago, following the traverse around above the piste and then dropping down onto the road. The option to rejoin the piste via the steep bowl is a good one too. I think the actual itinerary looped around the back of the small peak and down to end up at the road much closer to the lift and car park.
Another good one, also unmarked, is to drop down the Luis Arias piste to where it dog legs left, and there is a wooden fence. That gives access to a gully which is nice when conditions are good. You can see the line from the Vista Beret lift.
The other excellent option if you have transport on call and there has been a decent fall of snow is to head up to Blanhiblar and traverse out behind the glass cafe. The tracks will take you to a little col which drops you into the next valley for a run down to Bagergue. Lovely when you have powder.
On that theme, there are rumors of a run down to mont garri from the top of Dossau. That would be would be very cool if a safe line was available but I've never tried it.
Where are you based if you are parking up at Peülla ?
After all it is free
After all it is free
Moved from Cerler to BB and what a fantastic change. Yesterday evening was snowing when I arrived in Vielha and this morning full on sunshine, cold air and a lot of fresh fluffy stuff. Shame it's all been already tracked out.
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.
Our journey back to Barcelona was worse than I could have imagined.... Don't think either of us had quite clocked we had a diesel hire car (silly I know as we own one ourselves and are always so careful making sure we fill up close to the resort to avoid problems). 7am departure saw us and the kids sat in a raging gale and -8.5 temps waiting for a breakdown man... Apparently was -15 this morning so I suppose I some ways we were lucky . Although everyone very helpful we still didn't end up leaving Andorra until 11am and missed our flight.... All in all a very long day!
Even with hindsight not sure what we could have done as has only used a quarter of a tank on drive up so not much room for topping up.... Maybe parking down the hill a bit would have helped... Who knows!! Not the best end to the week.... Wrap up warm if you are out there now... Sounds all very chilly!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Right on cue, the bluebird powder day arrived at Baqueira! -14 degrees, 40cm of fresh snow, and unbroken sunshine. 10 Peüllas covering all angles of attack, including two runs down to Les Ares restaurant near the bottom of the Bonaigua pass. Job done
katedenhaag, I'm confused; what went wrong with the car? Sounds like a rough day
AndAnotherThing.., I'm spending a fair bit of time in Esterri this season, having finally gone freelance!
Yeah, I don't remember seeing that red from Costarjás on the piste map from earlier years. But there's so much free space on the hillsides in that area that I guess I can't begrudge them a piste here and there .
The one you mention off of Luís Arias is known as Pasarell. My mates have all done it, but I'm not good with heights so it's a bit too steep for me! That's not even the worst one though... there are others further up (Marconi, Vinyeta) that are steeper and higher. I reckon I'll stick to Escornacrabes since it has a generous run-out which makes me feel better about it. I'd like to try crossing the river after the main gulley, which is listed as a separate itinerary - but I wonder whether it'll be too flat for boarding.
Funny you should mention the Bagergue and Montgarri routes: they're a definite aim of mine for this season and we've been talking about them quite a lot. And today we met up with some locals who seemed up for showing us. Happy days.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Cloud and wind this morning,but cleared nicely late afternoon. Looks like the last significant snow has passed,and sun is promised for rest of week 
). It used to be a controlled itinerary called Lo Boscas but it disappeared from the piste map last season. Anyhow, it turned out to be an evil traverse-fest! So although it has a proper feeling of isolation, and great snow, I'll no longer be looking at it with longing when I drive up to Bonaigua each day.
. Although everyone very helpful we still didn't end up leaving Andorra until 11am and missed our flight.... All in all a very long day!
