The snow is so heavy, snow boarders having to walk, skiers at a standstill when venturing off piste.
It's tragic, all that lovely snow and it's fecked, well the off piste at least.
Was meant to be with a guide again today (that's four times now the weather has beaten me), and he's still optimistic about tomorrow having breakfast here but I'm not so sure. Even with a clear night don't think it will suck the necessary moisture out.
Another Guide texted me asking me what weather was like here as it was raining heavy in La Grave!
It's not been a good week if you're a FreeRider etc but hey ho looking good for the Spring
I've been buzzing my drone do will see what the footage is like and if good make a vid.
Saw some real crazy sights on the road back and forth from super market in Briancon!
Girl here who is renting in our building is a Brechu very old family in Le Bez, and was having a chat with her, and this is the most snow she's ever seen in the valley!
Monday's forecast looking interesting. Arriving Friday night for 2.5 days skiing. Sit ski training Saturday with ESF then skiing on Sunday and Monday. If anyone around for a ski Sunday happy to meet up. Monday likely to skin Montgenevre.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@dan100, arriving Sunday but probably too late to ski.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Weathercam, yep. Have a close eye on it.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Went up the hill circa 11:45 with friends who have been staying with us and have not exactly had a good week (apart from Tuesday and Guibertes Couloir). In fact we had a guide booked for Wed-Fri and that came to nothing as it was not worth it with the bad and dangerous conditions.
The snow looked really weird going up in the lift, pocketed with holes and deep ripples and I thought off piste would be a nightmare.
However on going up Vallons the snow to the right of the lift did not look too bad and people were sort of skiing it and was quite untracked so gave it a go and was not too bad
Ended up doing three runs and was certainly better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick and as we were up at lunchtime was empty.
And then finished off with a couple of demis in the Pi Mai.
You can see the state of the snow at Pi Mail altitude - it was half way up the Vallons it was way better, should have taken another photo
And zoomed in. Those are not moguls, that's the effect of the rain and warm temps!
And should add pistes were perfect though in a few of the normal places getting a little icy with the large number of holiday skiers.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Hells Bells wrote:
@dan100, arriving Sunday but probably too late to ski.
Actually arriving Friday 12th, all day course, Saturday 13th and then free ski in SC on 14th and 2/3 day somewhere probably Montgenevre on way back to turin Monday 15th.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
dan100 wrote:
Monday's forecast looking interesting. Arriving Friday night for 2.5 days skiing. Sit ski training Saturday with ESF then skiing on Sunday and Monday. If anyone around for a ski Sunday happy to meet up. Monday likely to skin Montgenevre.
Maybe ask the guy you're staying with, heard he likes the odd ski
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Hi there. What with all this weather, is the Col du Lautaret open this weekend? Driving over Saturday. Do you need chains or are winter tyres ok?
Thanks!
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.
@eversolazy, Saturday is fine, winters will be ok, Sunday is what you have to worry about, chains may be useful in resort, 90cm forecast sun/mon...
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
Great, thanks.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Could not resist going up the hill today as could see they were really empty and had been groomed to perfection, and it was sunny!
Took CDB chair and we decided to head over to Briancon taking in the Aiguillette chair.
There were not too many people around and down to the Aiguillette twas deserted and pistes in great condition, though off piste a big No NO.
Once back at the top of the Prorel chair we dropped down to mid station via the Chemin scoping out potential lines for when conditions are better for off piste.
I had my GPS on and you can see the lifts we took and for some new to Serre you can also see how long it takes though we do not tend to stop that much. And ironic in that there were some Brits in a bar last night on holiday and they asked how long it would take to get over to Briancon and I replied that I had no idea!
Monday's forecast looking interesting. Arriving Friday night for 2.5 days skiing. Sit ski training Saturday with ESF then skiing on Sunday and Monday. If anyone around for a ski Sunday happy to meet up. Monday likely to skin Montgenevre.
Maybe ask the guy you're staying with, heard he likes the odd ski
definitely up for that though your skiing looks a tad extreme
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Weathercam bet half of that was the time coming back up aquilette. Slow chair
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@dan100, it is slow but so worth it. Made it here about 12.30 .
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?
Another dud forecast overnight that did not deliver from the looks of things as earlier this morning when I could see up the hill there was no fresh snow on the trees higher up.
Now cloud level is around 1500 so don't know what's going on but I suspect rain to about 1800 difficult to tell from the webcams at altitude.
Webcams at Montgenevre / Prali / Bardonecchia looking better.
Have to finish tax off this morning and might go for a pootle up the hill after to take a look, however not too inspiring at the moment
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Weathercam, definite rain at 1500, and everywhere's like a skating rink. Even the dogs couldn't cope. J's gone to find the Rud shoe chains, although that won't help the dogs much.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@Hells Bells, nigh on snowing here now and temps +2 ????
Further edit - gone back to rain now
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.
Snowing quite hard here.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Raining here (1200m) but snow on trees opposite at ~1500m..............
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Cloud cleared again and can see snow on trees - will go up around Noon to take a look.
@KenX, look at Retour Est thread and what I'm thinking about Wed maybe
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.
Well that was an interesting outing!
Went up the hill and snow line was just below top of the Frejus Gondola 1950m and did look around 10cm.
Headed straight up Vallons and was semi cursing that I'd not gone out earlier as I could "see" that there was some good skiing that had been had!
Decided to hike the ridge past the BBQ pontoon and the weather closed in, and I really mean closed in. As I took my skis off and started hiking snow was deep and no one had walked it and there was additional accumulation transported by the wind.
Viz was so bad that when I put my skis on I was having to almost snow plough and I was having second thoughts as to how sensible I was being, on my own and no avy sack etc and a suspicious wind loaded lip. In the end common sense won and I hiked back to the piste and that was quite tough to ski down in viz less than 5m.
Weather has been coming and going all day and as I write this I can see straight to the top of Clot Gauthier!!
Oh well back on the bike in the garage shortly.
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
Early evening rain seems to have turned to big snow flakes.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Looks like it snowed all night. Can't see the lift, and it's 200m away.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Website report 60cm at top , 25 cm at mid station and only 5cm in the valley .
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Wow, seems like there's a lot of snow about at the moment.
I'm a boarder and arriving in Serre Chev on 20th Jan, very tempted to buy a specialist powder board. Do people think Off Piste will be accessible by then?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@BristolAds, no stay with what you have and if it snows again, make do with it.
Today I've seen people ripping on all types of board, bad workman etc etc
That said when I boarded I had a 198 Rossignol Undertaker, google that
Twas a truly classic Monetier morning, empty pistes with knee deep powder and then the trees, pics and vid to follow
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?
Weathercam. Would imagine you would have even enjoyed skiing the pistes this morning.
@BristolAds, no stay with what you have and if it snows again, make do with it.
Today I've seen people ripping on all types of board, bad workman etc etc
That said when I boarded I had a 198 Rossignol Undertaker, google that
Twas a truly classic Monetier morning, empty pistes with knee deep powder and then the trees, pics and vid to follow
I understand anything will do and I have a Capita DOA which is not awful in the powder, but some of the pow specific boards have a lot more float and a much more surfy feel than my DOA. I'm going to invest in a board which feels like this anyhow, was just wondering whether people think (appreciate it'd be a bit of a guess at this stage) I'll have the conditions to make the most of it in a couple of weeks.
Wow, 198! What a beast, that thing really is like a surfboard... did it have the fin on the bottom as well!?
Thanks for your response Weathercam, much appreciated. Look forward to seeing your pics and vids
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@dan100, we did enjoy skiing the nigh on deserted pistes this morning.
First down the Clot Gailllard and then we more or less had Chaume to ourselves doing three laps taking the Etoile drag.
Then to finish the morning off it was the Cretes des Lauzieres.
Looks great, I'm getting excited now.
Thanks again for the updates, I'll be checking in daily
After all it is free
After all it is free
@Weathercam, nice one
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.
Out of the house a tad later than usual and headed up to Montier again as Cibouit was open even though Eychauda drag was open for the first time this season.
One run off Cibouit and then the little traverse to get back to the chair and then another Cibouit and this time skiing similar route to my little incident in the trees last season.
Run out down Tabuc was none too pleasant best option me thinks is to skin back up to the chair, probably faster and get a better line, though be it a tad shorter as most that ski there do not want to end up just down from the lift.
@dan100, arriving Sunday but probably too late to ski.
Actually arriving Friday 12th, all day course, Saturday 13th and then free ski in SC on 14th and 2/3 day somewhere probably Montgenevre on way back to turin Monday 15th.
For some reason, I thought you were here last weekend. Will be about on Sunday, so can certainly catch up.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
