Tignes and the Espace Killy 2017/18 (Closed - No more posts please!)

A snowHead

@moosepig, I suspect you have been consolidated or they only had a half charter and forgot that the 'mainline' flight had had a schedule change. It had a 1030 departre time this morning. sadly it still has not left.

Weather deteriorated rapidly after your departure, sky obscured by 9, really flat light and damp in the village now. So with a cold it really wasn't worth getting out of bed!

A snowHead

Now due to departSOU at 1511....

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@chocksaway, good day to habe a cold then in the end (typo unintended but appropriate so I left it in). We're now just hoping we get home today to be honest. A large Grimbergen Blanche is relieving the agony of the wait a little (and the wallet of quite a bit) Toofy Grin

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@moosepig, Look out of the window there is an aircraft that left Southampton at 1325 just approaching the lake. It has no callsign on FR24, it is not showing on the Chambery arrivals but did show on the SOU departures as 9613 - is there hope?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

This morning's weather was very tempting, blue skies and sunshine but by 9am a thin layer of cloud covered the blue and it thickened quite quickly killing the light. By lunchtime it was damp in the villaages and quite dark. At 4pm it started snowing lightly and we are now sat in cloud in Tignes. So I decided on a day of cleaning and cooking and drinking lemsip!

The snow will stop sometime in the early hours and as far tomorrow its anyone's guess really. As Toyah sang:

It's a mystery

The weather is a bit wishy washy and the various models are disagreeing, some have light snow in the morning, some have sun. So the best advice is to LOOTW (look out of the window)! It will be quite a few degrees cooler, so less dripping around the villages. There is more agreement about Tuesday, sunny periods, quite cool and a strong breeze building up in the afternoon and night. Wednesday currently looks sunny with a strong wind at altitude early on, some more work for the pisteurs. Thursday looks similar without the wind, but still cool for the time of year.

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@chocksaway, lots of hope, I can see it through the window here at CMF, boarding due soon Very Happy

Hope your cold clears up soon Skullie

and thanks for the ongoing reportage and forecasts snowHead

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@moosepig, All fairy tales should have a happy ending. Bon Vol!

After all it is free

@chocksaway, "Interesting" trip home after an "interesting" week in the EK. We left a very snowy Tignes at 11-15am yesterday to travel to GVA via Bensbus. Bus left on time but three hours later we hadn't cleared Moutiers, eventually arriving at the airport at 16-55.

Having very nearly had our fingers burned last year with an "extended" transfer we'd booked a later flight (20-30 EZY to Manchester). Due to de-icing and other delays in the UK it eventually took off 3 hours late. This meant that we arrived home at 1-30am. There were quite a few people sleeping on benches and the floor at the Airport (Mcr). Also a diverted flight from Leeds/Brad came in as we were collecting baggage. Our approach into a strong easterly was strictly rock & roll. Mrs G7 squeezing the blood from my fingers was testament to this.

The weeks skiing? From the sublime to the ridiculous. Bluebird days to braille.. and everything in between. Powder to porridge. Wednesday was the highlight. Beautiful light snow and sunshine. On Friday afternoon we had skied down Triffolet to Rosie's to grab a late lunch. As we were going back up to the Folie D' we saw a large natural slide start up on the ridge above the Triffolet piste. We were trying to see if there was anyone skiing below but thankfully the energy of the avalanche was dissipated as it reached the trees. Sobering!

Thanks again for helping out the family when they arrived. That apartment worked really well for them. Also thanks to the "Locals" who help us out with our kit etc each year. (you know who you are wink

)

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@GeorgeVII, Glad you are back in one piece, just another epic odyssey between resort and airport that seem to be the recurring theme this season. I had you down for another week - sorry we didn't get to slide together. Next time!

Bluebird to Braille - Powder to porridge! That might be a good title for an autobiography for an aging ski bum Very Happy

In the time it took to eat breakfast we had sun, snow and clouds so pretty much every forecast was right!! But overall it was not a bad day - enough light to see and only the odd snow shower in the afternoon. It was relatively warm in the villages but there was a cold breeze high up. The pistes are still in really good shape and if you knew where to look there was up to 30cm of untracked fresh snow (especially the areas where people didn't go yesterday because of the cloud). Todays song is by OK Go and is dedicated to those competing in the Half Pipe World Cup Finals:

Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it, feel it

You can just spot the shadow of one of the riders - honest!

There might be a few more snow showers tonight but tomorrow looks like a good day, sunny periods with just the chance of a light shower in the afternoon. It will feel colder, especially out of the sun, so perhaps another layer would be wise. Wednesday looks like a cold clear winters day with the sun shining all day with maybe the odd cloud bothering the peaks, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a cheeky breeze at altitude. Thursday looks pretty similar, a couple of degrees warmer perhaps. Currently it looks like there will be a few more clouds on Friday but still plenty of sunny periods, the temperatures will be a little more spring like.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

As dawn broke we awoke to Paul McCartney and Wings:

I'm a bluebird, I'm a bluebird
I'm a bluebird, I'm a bluebird
Yeah, yeah, yeah

It was glorious but chilly, especially above the villages. the cloud did drift up from the valley in the afternoon and there a few flocons outside now; the breeze also picked up. But it definitely struck me today that it is time to put the spring skiing hat on. After yesterday afternoon's strong sun some of the slopes had gone through a melt freeze cycle so skiing off piste is now all about the aspect, where the sun has been, is now and will be. On shady slopes there is still compacted powder, where it has been in the sun and refrozen there were some tricky things to overcome. Luckily I had Evo2 to do the thinking. More of a technique bias to today's outing so not may tales of derring do but nonetheless we found some good snow around the Palet sector in the morning. And Vallon de La Sache was excellent this afternoon, knee deep and freshtracks as you can see:

Who says that Tignes and Val D'Isere are tracked out in a morning?? The run home was via Glattier, mixed at best but some nice turns.

It might be quite windy tonight and it will be a chilly start to the morning, but it will be another day like today, blue skies and sunshine, a little cloud may appear in the afternoon. After another cold night Thursday will be the same, a couple of degrees warmer and Friday, yes difficult to believe it but another mostly sunny day and a bit warmer again. Unfortunately it goes downhill on Saturday which currently looks like being cloudy and breezy, there is weather to the south of us and I would not be surprised if it pays a visit, more tomorrow.

snow reports

Great photo!!

From my balcony there was not a cloud to be seen this morning, but that was not the full story as it wasn't the full 'Dame Vera'. There was a thin layer of cloud over the border with Italy which gradually drifted across towards Tignes. We now have a milky sky. What was notable - the temperature - it was chilly all day, so much so it felt like January on the chin. I had a day on piste, for the time of year they are in excellent condition, no hints of rocks at the top of Isolée, no signs of re-frozen slush in La Daille - all just great for an Easter break should the Boss and the wallet allow it! Today's photograph is from the top of the Borsat Chairlift. Also it does seem very quiet on the slopes this week, OK the whole resort is open but it seems less busy than the number of cars forecast for the weekend suggested.

We may wake tomorrow to find a milky sky but it should break up to leave a sunny morning. Clouds will bubble up during the day, it will be a couple of degrees warmer but a stiff northerly breeze in the afternoon will make it seem like today. Friday will be another couple of degrees warmer and mainly sunny, there is the possibility of a few clouds mainly in the morning. The forecast for Saturday has changed, the approaching weather seems to have slowed down and gone a bit further south. So essentially we will have a day of sunny periods with more spring like temperatures, which is great all round really. Sunday, on the other hand, looks like being showery with sunny periods but that forecast is subject to change!

You know it makes sense.

Brrrrrr! Cold today but great snow 😆

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I am out on Sunday for a few days. Have booked up with Evo for morning off piste sessions. Am I to miss out on the powder again? Hopefully the off-piste is skiable though as I like an adventure.

It may have been one of the best seasons on record but admittedly I have had better skiing & fresh stuff in rubbish years.

Was in Avoriaz in February - v. cold but not a turn in powder

Zell am See last week (admittedly not for the off-piste but travelled to Kitzbuhel & Saalbach). A warm sludge fest. A few cms on the piste in the morning for some turns before changing to porridge. First time my wife saw snow in the air was at Heathrow on return.

Hopefully there will be some fresh for the EOSB!

Thanks for the weather reports @chocksaway. The main weather thread has little reporting at present. Imagine nozwasonsen has returned home and looking forward to the surf. Though fair play to him for the great early season forecasting.

A snowHead

A snowHead

Thanks JoyZipper. I have been out three times in April and enjoyed the off-piste. However after all the pics of folk in knee deep powder you do wish you could have some too. However if the sun is out and the off-piste is skiable I will be chuffed.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Hi chocksaway

I am in Tignes from this Sunday for a week. Weather forecast seems to be in disagreement between the main sources I am looking at - MeteoFrance, Bergfex and Snowforecast with all coming up with different scenarios.

Would you be able to provide any clarity on what is expected from the weather for next week. I don't believe it looks as though it is going to be wall to wall sunshine but then I am also not sure that we are going to be skiing in a total white out for 6 days ! Just some light snow and decent definition of the snow would do me to be honest !

Regards

Griggs

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@hawkesbaynz, @Griggs, . We're just back from Tignes and the snow cover and pistes are just fantastic. Given the amount of snow this season I've heard a few people say that the skiing has been slightly disappointing. Mainly due to terrain not being accessible due to avy risk, closures (at times complete lock-downs), and poor visibility. We "lost" 3 days skiing this year from 3 weeks in Tignes. From memory this compares to 1 day lost in 10 previous seasons.

We had all conditions last week. Fresh powdery snow. Damp snow. Perfect blues skies and the visibility to go with it. And near complete white outs. Sitting well and truly on the fence here my guess is that you'll get a near 50/50 mix of clear and cloud covered days. It's just been that kind off unsettled season. Hopefully Chocksaway may be able to find you a bit of good news in the forecasts.

Off piste with a guide? Don't think you can go wrong. You might not be skiing fresh tracks but the sheer amount of snow means that lots of stuff is accessible and skiable.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Just to add something here about skiing in flat light and poor viz. After trawling through reviews and recommendations I was lucky enough to pick up a pair of secondhand Oakley goggles with a pink Prizm lens. I skied in them in all conditions last week without feeling the need to change to the 2nd Black Prizm lens in bright sunlight. I've tried several different goggles in the past and had settled on using the old Oakley Hi-Yellows on cloudier/dull days.

The Pink Prizm lenses are by far the best thing I've worn in flat light for contrast and some definition. They're not X-Ray or Infra Red gizmos so don't expect miracles but I reckon they must be among the best of currently available lenses. These aren't the Hi-Pinks that are available for the very worst of conditions. If you get the chance to try some then do so. I'm absolutely rubbish when the light "goes" and I feel that these helped me considerably last week.

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quick question - is there now a nursery slope at near the roundabout as you go i the car park at val claret...i saw that they were doing something with the slope when was last there and on the webcam you can see some orange netting.....?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@ajc2260626, I think you are looking at the 'Snowtubing' slope. Basically slide down in a tractor inner tube (I'm sure there is a posh name for that). Its available for 3 years and up, unlike the Palafou Luge where they had to impose a height restriction of 1.4m.

@Griggs, I only forecast for 4 days ahead as any further in the mountains is akin to astrology unless we get a persistent blocking high. You would be amazed how many people in resort say "you said 6 days ago......." That said next week looks unsettled from the Jetstream forecast, lots of snow showers but some sunny periods.

Well it was an Oklahoma Morning this morning:

Oh, what a beautiful mornin'
Oh, what a beautiful day
I've got a beautiful feelin'
Everything's goin' my way

Today was another Evolution2 off piste adventure day, and yes it was! The sky was blue, it warmed up quite quickly and apart from half an hour of poor light mid afternoon a great day to be off piste skiing. On the way round we did cross some pistes, some of which are not getting hard as you would expect, next weeks weather should sort that out.
As a starter for 10 we skied down the thumb:

Which was mostly tracked out but still enough compacted light snow to make the turns. After that we went over to Vallon de la Sache where there was still the odd freshtrack to be had and as the slope is in the shade all day it was still knee deep if a little compacted, further down you had to be careful of the slopes in the sun:

After a lazy trip up Marais we boot packed up Aiguille Percée and reappeared above the Gazex above the Aiguille Rouge Chair - untracked and quite deep:

After lunch it was time for a view of Tignes that I have not seen before:

Finger no 4 (kids don't try this at home!!) again lots of soft snow to make us look better than we really are, blimey its steep in parts. And finally we picked one of the steeper couloirs to the east of the Chardo Classique:

And then traversed across to Croix de Bruno for more untracked before retiring for a rest.

Tomorrow looks lovely, after a cold night it will warm up quickly in the strong sun, just the odd fluffy cloud to break up the blue. Remember aspect is everything, the slopes that were sunny this afternoon will be hard in the morning until the sun works its magic. Watch out off piste for sunny slopes especially below exposed rock faces. Amazingly Saturday will also be a warm spring day, maybe a little more cloud in the afternoon - deserted slopes, sun, beer ahhhhhh. Sunday will start with sunny spells and a few more clouds which will thicken late afternoon and we are expecting light snow showers as we all crawl under the duvets. Monday will be mainly cloudy with light snow showers on and off all day, it might be a bit sleety in Les Brevieres around lunchtime. Stay safe think spring and watch out for changing conditions, what is good on a morning may be lethal after lunch.

After all it is free

Finger #4

!!!

@chocksaway, Given the camera's ability to flatten terrain those chutes look mighty steep.... especially the finger!

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Hi GeorgeVII

Thank you for the lens advice. I currently have Oakley goggles with yellow lenses and have found this alright in the past. However, I have managed to get my hands on a pair of Oakley with Prizm Rose lenses.

Be interesting to see how I go with these next week.

Griggs

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Its over to Katrina and the Waves for the weather report:

I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!)
I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!)
I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!)
And don't it feel good

Quite apt really as it was wall to wall sunshine (with a chilly breeze at altitude all day) and we went for a skin over the Col du Palet. The snow on the north facing slopes is still in great condition, light and deep and relatively untracked:

So we enjoyed it all the way down to Plan du Janin and then skinned back up to the Refuge for lunch served by the Gardien, Nico. Marvellous!

Tomorrow, the weather will be just about like today, perhaps a few more fluffy clouds in the afternoon. The cloud will thicken as all the new holidaymakers get off the bus but these should break up to leave sunny periods on Sunday morning. They will be a bit thicker in the afternoon and there may be the odd light shower of snow if enough clouds form over the border. Monday should start OK with a few clouds and a lot of sun before the clouds build up again and snow showers start in the afternoon. there will be a gusty wind at altitude which may close some lifts. Tuesday looks windy, snowy and cloudy and quite chilly - looks like spring has gone on hold!

As for the travel tomorrow, the roads will be clear and with 29000 vehicles arriving in the Tarentaise and 26000 leaving there should be fewer jams than in previuos weeks. the lights will still be operating in the usual places at peak times. Leave early or late. If you are flying it looks like being a dank drizzly day in most of the UK, but not enough to affect flying. Over here there may be the odd shallow fog patch floating about, at the moment it should be OK to make an approach even at Chambery if this forms.

snow reports

Hi all

Looking for some friendly snowhead assistance.
A good friend of mine is having to nip home mid trip for family stuff.
He is flying back out on Wednesday 18th to Geneva to continue the holiday in Tignes.
Does anyone have a spare place in a transfer from 10am onwards on the 18th. He is flying in to Geneva from Bristol with easyjet and is heading to Tignes.
He will of course pay his fair share.
If no options to share then what is the best way for a single traveller to get from Geneva to Tignes without costing the earth?

Much thanks in advance

Smag

You know it makes sense.

@smagsmith, 18th of April?

Not sure that Bensbus or the Altibus are running midweek then. Try posting on the Tarentaise Transfers Notice Board facebook page.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Yes sorry. 18th April

A snowHead

It was another bluebird day in Tignes and Val D'Isere today. So a couple of us set off on an exploratory skin to join the dots between 2 areas. We rode up the Col de Ves and then skinned towards the col between Grande Balme and Dome de Pramecou. Some spectacular views looking towards Borsat:

And a different view of the Grande Motte:

Having surveyed the scene we then came down Grande Balme via a gulley which has looked tempting all season.

And then on to Phase 2 of the days leisure management so today's song is dedicated to:

Those magnificent men in their flying machines,
they go up tiddly up up,
they go down tiddly down down.

It was the rescheduled Aeroclub BBQ at the altiport near the Grattalu lift hosted by the guys from Tignes Air Experience:

Yes, that is a pilot using a hair dryer to get the BBQ going at 2400m!! Some other aviators popped in to say hello via microlight, plane and parapente - it was all very convivial and a perfect day. Of course you can't have a aviators gathering without a flypast:

The weather tomorrow looks OK, it will be mainly cloudy with sunny spells and a couple of degrees cooler than today. Monday will be mostly the same with a breeze building to a wind in the afternoon, the cloud may thicken enough to produce a few flocons. Tuesday looks like being cloudy and windy with light snow showers in the morning and heavier ones in the afternoon. It will be snow to well below Les Brevieres. Unfortunately Wednesday looks grim, very windy and snowy, but as it will be warmer it will be sleeting below 1900m and raining a bit further down.

For the travellers tomorrow, there should not be any problems on the roads. For those flying then the UK will be mainly dreary, there is a chance of early fog at Luton, Stansted and Manchester which could slow things up. Over here there will be no snags!

A snowHead

Hi All - Excellent thread as always I am heading out next Saturday - first trip to EK this year and conditions look great, cannot wait! I was wondering anyone knows if the Car Park in Tignes 1800/Boisses is still free and how full it gets? I normally park in the covered parking in Le Lac, however, its expensive for 2 weeks compared to getting the bus down to Les Bosises!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@NJClark, Its still free (as is the one in Brev), there were a few spaces last time I was past. Availability will depend on arrival time!

Well there was a distinct air of spring today. The sky was ever so slightly hazy but that burnt away leaving a strong sun. However, it is still cold at night so the pistes that soften in the day are quite hard. However, it is not yet warm enough to cause slush through the main areas of the resort. The local councils are now warning people to knock off icicles and check that basement pumps are working to avoid flooding. They must have been listening to ELO:

Melting in the sun, sun
Starts to shine, shine
Then suddenly it's gone
Melting in the sun

We had an expedition through Val D'Isere to Col Pers today and down through the Gorges du Malpasset. Out of the sun there is still some soft snow (even untracked if you traverse far enough), but the main route down is like a piste now as everybody 'bags' the Gorges before it is too dangerous with avalanches from above. This was below Pointe Pers:

Nice turns!

The weather patterns over the next few days are a bit indistinct. That's a posh way of saying that this forecast may change a bit or even be wrong! There will be some cloud tonight but tomorrow looks like starting with some sunny periods. The cloud will build up through the day and it may be thick enough to let loose a few flocons in the afternoon. The air will be warmer than today so in any sun it will feel quite warm. Tuesday will be cloudy and it will be snowing all day, light at first and then heavier. The wind will also pick up in the afternoon, causing high lifts to close. During the day it might be a bit sleety in Brevieres. Wednesday will be even windier and it looks like snow all day - a good day to have the AGM your building!! Again the rain snow line will be between the Dam and Brevieres. Thursday is still up for discussion, but probably sunny periods with some cloud.

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Great conditions on piste in EK. Very soft down in Brev mid afternoon but good elsewhere above. The temp at Solais lift was showing +10 when we finished Face this afternoon.

Apres at Coco was distinctly spring like, until around 6pm. It felt like a cold veil had been dropped on the town.

Skies here are still completely clear but we can see a wall of cloud over Bourg, down the valley.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

If you guys are suffering in the gloom, Fornet has been sunny most of the day. Still time to head there for the last 3 hours.

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It has been snowing lightly most of the day in Tignes, though there were some sunny spells. So I launched Operation Stockage (of the fridge) and Destockage (ski gear on sale) down in Bourg. The amount of snow picked up in the afternoon - this was the snow front about 1530hrs:

The Atlantic charts are a mass of swirling spaghetti over the next few days, so the timings of the weather, intensity of the snow and the strength of the wind will change from forecast to forecast, not surprisingly the various forecasting models are contradicting each other! The snow will stop some time around midnight and there may well be the odd sunny spell around breakfast time. But it will soon become overcast and light snow will start some time on the morning. The wind will pick up around lunchtime and the snow will intensify, keep an eye out for the links closing, it will be unpleasant at altitude and as the afternoon progresses the snowline will move up the hill (unusuallY0 making it a bit soggy lower down. Wednesday will be cloudy and windy, there may be a break in the snow in the morning, but it will be back in the afternoon, again expect sleet below the Dam. There is much discussion about Thursday, it look windy early and there may be sunny spells and snow showers, or maybe just snow showers. Friday will be warmer so any showers will be rain up to 1900m, this will drop in the afternoon. Saturday looks snowy at the moment, down to Bourg, certainly not time to leave the snow chains at home for an Easter arrival!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I was chatting to the guy who makes the famous Chocolat Chaud at the Bellevarde a couple of weeks ago. We chatted about the weather and he asked if I used Meteo Blue. I didn’t but said I would have look. He had been put onto it by his mates in Piste Security.

What a gem of a weather app!!

Radar, hourly forecasts, cloud height as well as cloud density. This could be the perfect weather app.

Radar

Cloud cover

After all it is free

@bar shaker, Thanks for that. Also highly recommend Bergfex as a weather app. Use on iPhone and nearly always 100% spot on.

@bar shaker, Thanks, lot's of different apps around, and talking to local mountain professionals they seem to use different ones. I tend to rely on the research of @chocksaway, based in resort.

Might be useful to post on the Val d'isere thread as well, as the screenshot is for there.

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@Tigski, It’s the same resort, just different villages.

You don’t need to use the app, but it is proving pretty damn accurate so far.

Not sure why you have a problem with it.

Help!!

Tignes and the Espace Killy 2017/18 (Closed - No more posts please!)

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