 Poster: A snowHead
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I would have thought that once this lot freezes it will make an excellent base for the rest of the season. 
I'm not sure there is a lot of evidence that the seasons are ending earlier ? Last May was Awseome at Argentiere, by far the best skiing I had between November and June ! The problem is that by then everyone seems to have turned to doing something else.
Perhaps if we regarded skiing as a Spring sport rather than a winter sport we wouldn't be quite so depressed in early January.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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stephen buck, fair enough, I can see from your calm response that you appreciate I'm not trying to be confrontational, but one does see the occasional huge sweeping statement on here (I am not innocent, BTW) from people who don't have your experience & I'm just checking before I stick my dainty size 39s in.
You raise an interesting point. Elsewhere, some weeks ago, someone referred to a council meeting from a well known (clearly I have forgotten which one) resort where the council had decided to advertise the season from mid-January to the end of April as they couldn't guarantee Christmas snow.
This was, IIRC, in 1934.
As they say in cheese-eating-surrender-monkey land, plus ca change...
I will take serious issue over your PDS comments though, having skied quite a bit there in the last 20 years. 1. provide stats of sensible form to back up your assertions and 2. define a good week vs a bad week?
I always have good weeks.
P.S. I have spent MANY a happy powder pig day where it's been raining in Morzine and I've been floating through the lightest and fluffiest down Le Crot...'tis true, all true...
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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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David Murdoch, I think my thoughts on the PdS are based on the times when I have skied there, either immediatly before or immediately after ski-ing in another area of greater altitude, and found the snow there to be of inferior quality.
Difficult to define good vs bad week, but perhaps a simplistic view would be that if one can ski comfortably back to resort all week, to me that generally indicates good conditions.
The other problem I had with the Pds was the links between resorts, whihc were not always straightforwad, compared to the 3V's for example.
I do, however, like the cultural and gastronmic contrast between ski-ing in France and (Italy) sorry Switzerland (an iterruption from the kids), though it does involve carrying 2 currencies.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 12-01-07 9:47; edited 2 times in total
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brian
brian
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| stephen buck wrote: |
| Trouble is, if it is raining in Morzine, the snow that is falling in Avoriaz will be sticky, wet, heavy snow, but I guess better than no snow at all. |
Sorry, but that's nonsense. Avoriaz is 900m above Morzine. Even in saturated air, that's going to be 4-5 degrees at least, and often more like 6-7. Easily enough for it to be freezing in Avoriaz but raining in Morzine.
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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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[quote="stephen buck"]David Murdoch, I think my thoughts on the PdS are based on the times when I have skied there, either immediatly before or immediately after ski-ing in another area of greater altitude, and found the snow there to be of inferior quality.
Difficult to define good vs bad week, but perhaps a simplistic view would be that if one can ski comfortably back to resort all week, to me that generally indicates good conditions.
The other problem I had with the Pds was the links between resorts, whihc were not always straightforwad, compared to the 3V's for example.
I do, however, like the cultural and gastronmic contrast between ski-ing in France and Italy, though it does involve carrying 2 currencies.[/quote] ???? I assume you mean Switzerland - as A) Italy is Euro too and B) it wasn't in the PDS last time I looked 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| brian wrote: |
| stephen buck wrote: |
| Trouble is, if it is raining in Morzine, the snow that is falling in Avoriaz will be sticky, wet, heavy snow, but I guess better than no snow at all. |
Sorry, but that's nonsense. Avoriaz is 900m above Morzine. Even in saturated air, that's going to be 4-5 degrees at least, and often more like 6-7. Easily enough for it to be freezing in Avoriaz but raining in Morzine. |
Whilst I generally agree with the general thrust brian, I'm afraid that stephen buck is right in this case - the snow that's fallen recently in Avoriaz has generally been wet.
Up at Avoriaz again today. Once again, we didn't go far - the only addition to yesterday was a trip up the Arare. It's amazing how slowly you move down a piste when you're (trying to) jump turning down the piste...
...anyway things are holding up and everything we skied on today had reasonable snow. The run down to Ardent (1600m, I think) is still holding up and there's enough base to sustain the slush at present.
I do, however, worry about how things will hold up after the weekend.
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PhillipStanton, not really important but I thought Ardent is at about 1200m. Its a dark valley at this time of year and keeps the snow normally really well
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You may well be right Frosty.
It certainly keeps the snow better than (for example) Prodains - which I'm told is horrible at the moment...
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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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Fresh snow this morning in Avoriaz - not a lot but it's better than nothing!!!!
Still think there might be something in this moon lark - look at the GFS and temperature drops and precipitation goes up around the 19th/20th Jan!!
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brian, apologies - I thought from memory that Morzine was at 1300 metres. Now realise it's just 1000 - that's scarily low!
stevo_the_saddler, yes, slip of the fingers, now corrected above. Thanks!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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no need to carry 2 currencies - all places on swiss side of pds accept euros, and vice versa (apart from further out resorts, namely les gets and the small non-connected ones). exchange rates no worse normal.
no doubt the snow falling in avoriaz right now is sticky, its lucky that its snow at all ! its not the usual weather for this time of year, but its happened before. usually when it rains in morzine it is snowing in avoriaz, but thats in usual snow conditions, not when its 10°C !! c'mon, you cant exactly expect dry powder right now, and where you can, im afraid you have to expect a hell-load of people as well. up to you to choose what you prefer !
i remember having a brilliant day in avoriaz at the end of the season last year (30th april). skiing down chaux fleurie from chatel (before the snow cannons were installed), as well as down to ardent and prodains. about 1000m vertical, although bottom of prodains was strugling... looking at the webcams after that, it would have been skiable (at least up at avoriaz) easily into early june. pds is quite often very decent and does usually hold alot of snow. it is lower though, so you can't truly always expect the snow to be as good as at 3000m...
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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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Hi all,
A quick update for those interested. Skied in the Plain Dranse/Linga sector today, for the first time this season, and was pleasantly surprised. The top of all the runs was a mixture of new snow, a whole 5cms, and icy bits. Halfway down this tended to turn to slush, and the bottom (by bottom I mean 1600m ish) generally a mixture of stones and thin brown slush.
There was much fun to be had. I've always enjoyed picking my way down between patches of grass and stones. In addition there were lots of slushy bumps (DM would be in his element). Anything away from the piste was pretty rubbish; very hard due to the recent rain and subsequent freeze and very little depth.
A mate of mine skied in Les Crosets yesterday and reported similar conditions but a little less depth. The Wall was apparently a good ski with nice snow!
Whilst not ideal I would say that if you are coming out next week it's not all bad. Oh yes........and not a queue in sight.
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Just to supplement what zzz has said.
We skied our normal limited selection today, with the addition of a quick forray up to the stadium and Marmottes (under the Fornet lift). Conditions up there were really quite reasonable and had benefitted from refreezing.
The run down to Linderats and Ardent was an absolute blast (even though the mid-section was a bit of video game experience) - although I think the lack of proper overnight re-freeze has taken it's toll.
snowandtrek - there are probably more fingers crossed for 19th than digits in Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz, Chatel, etc...
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You know it makes sense.
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PhillipStanton, Didn't ski yesterday - not too upset about that! Had to go to the Post Office in Morzine and as always the conversation turned to the weather - much consulting of the calaendar and yet agin the moon cycles and the result was:-
If we don't see significant snowfall between 19th and 25th Jan then next significant snowfall will be mid-Feb. Still looks hopefull on the GFS forecasts but 7-8 days away is a long time in weather forecasting. Apparently 1979 was a really bad year must have a look at the snow records to see HOW bad!
Other news - Pleney has shut - sitting looking at the lift at 0820 and no sign of lifts running (except the old cable car). They are apparently going to try and keep the magic carpet at the top running for all those poor Crystal guests in the Viking. The workers on the lifts have been temporarily laid off. ESF Morzine lessons are now re-located to Avoriaz.
Everything is now crossed!
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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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Meant to be shooting over to Morillon on the 17th - trying to decide if its worth while of if I should just cut my losses now!????? 
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Poster: A snowHead
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snowandtrek, looking at the charts I think we will see snowfall between these dates with a drop in temperature afterwards. Lets hope it's significant!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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New to all of this but thanks to you guys for your info on Morzine,Les gets and avoriaz -- Gonna be there in two weeks so I keep reading with interest --- Please keep letting us know the situ and also any decent snow forecasts.
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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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SP1R1T, Welcome to  , keep up your errggghhh, spirits ?? , it will all come good
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
The run down to Linderats and Ardent was an absolute blast
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PhillipStanton how much blasting do you do on your BASI course? Is there a thread somewhere where you talk about the course? Would be an interesting read.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| PhillipStanton how much blasting do you do on your BASI course? Is there a thread somewhere where you talk about the course? Would be an interesting read. |
We spent a good deal of the first week snowploughing, but we are occassionally allowed off the "leash" 
I've not written about the course yet, but will try to do so today as I'm having a day off. I just need to make a boot rack!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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How are things looking in Morzine at moment? lower slopes look terrible, any snow due in the next few days?
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Last info on these boards - Morzine and Les Gets pretty much closed, Avoriaz is "ok". I shouldn't think that's changed much over the weekend.
I'd pretty much forget Morzine at the moment - I'm going out on Thursday (to Les Gets) but will drive to Avoriaz each day via the Ardent telecabine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the higher runs will get a little snow Thursday / Friday.
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SP1R1T, just saw that you're not going out for another 12 days or so. In which case I'm sure things will have improved by then - there's a lot of posts here from the weather gurus that suggest that. Todays Metcheck forecast also looks quite promising.
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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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PhillipStanton, send me a link to the thread where you will be writing about your course. are you doing a continuous "gap year type" 9 week session?
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Thanks - fingers crossed then 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Any news from the PdS resident snowheads? How packed is the parking at Ardent, assuming that 99% of Les Gets skiers will be heading that way each morning? Would parking at Super Morzine be better, and getting free bus in one direction or the other?
Avoriaz website is hinting that most runs and lifts are open - hope it remains that way through this weekend's tropical spell.
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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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Hope Les gets gets some snow as it's such a lovely area, I'll be staying at St Jean so will be easy to get to Ardent but enjoyed the skiing over at Les Gets last March --- was hoping for that again this year, same as all of us I guess!!
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andy, parking at Ardent is fine, not many skiers around at the moment. Super Morzine link is still open from Morzine but involves taking the last chair down to the bubble. Most skiing in Avoriaz is open with a variety of conditions. Links to Plain Dranse, Chatel and Les Crosets also open. The bottom of most of these links are pretty knackered though. They are being kept open by the pisteurs moving snow at night so are fairly rock strewn.
SP1R1T, No snow due, just a little rain(again) on Thursday and Friday. Perhaps snow after that. The skiing is ok, considering, but largely a combination of hardpack and ice.
cheers
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You know it makes sense.
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SP1R1T, We are also going to St Jean, 3rd March (1st time there, and 1st time in the PdS for ages). I'm not too worried yet, and pretty confident that all will be fine by the time we go (confidence based on nothing more scientific than optimism and blind faith ) HOWEVER, should it be rubbish, how far is Ardent from St Jean? The chalet owners will drive us, but good to know it's not a trek.... Thanks!
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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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zzz, thanks for the update. Ardent has always been half empty when I've done the circuit, but I assumed it would be busier due to Les Gets decamping to Avoriaz. Was checking Avoriaz interactive pistemap, and could see there was a gap in the pistes on the SuperMorzine link... but couldn't be sure which way (just an educated guess). Never been down a chairlift before.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Anniepen, Hi Annie, We stayed with stay with a couple called stebve and Andrea Ward in St.Jean, in morinings they take us to whereever we,ve wanted to go. The closest being Ardent which was only about 10 mins away in the mini bus - so not far.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have just returned from my long weekend based in Morzine and skiing Avoriaz.
Okay, we had no snowfall.
Okay, it was crowded due to it being the weekend and the punters from Les Gets and Morzine having little if anywhere else to go.
BUT. I had the best three days of skiing I could possibly have hoped for, short of fresh snow. It was a load of fun and the terrain really suits me. I seriously considered hanging about for an extra day or two but committments would not allow it. It really was great IMHO. Maybe I'm easily pleased, but I loved it.
If you are heading out there, dont sweat it too much, just accept it for what it is and pray for snow (not just for us sliders but also for the preservation of jobs and business in a really nice place with nice people to boot)
Thanks to PhillipStanton, for advice prior.
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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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Peter Leuzzi, Thanks for a lovely, positive posting. This is what we like to hear! Glad you had a great time
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Peter Leuzzi, Thanks Peter, good to hear that. I am still very much looking forward to it and know that we will still get the skiing in whatever -- we were really spoilt last March with loads and loads of snow. When you say busy are we talking major crowds?
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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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UPDATE Monday 15th - Skied over to Les Crosets via Mosettes and then towards Champery and the Ripalle - pistes have some excellent parts then you have some patchy brown bits BUT the excellent bits outweigh the brown bits.
Went back over to Avoriaz by the chairlift over the wall and saw the most horrendous fall on it !! What they were doing on it is another thing as it was quite early in the day and the snow was bullet hard and very icey.
I would say that the best snow and skiing is to be had over the Chatel side and the tops of the runs on the Swiss side. For one they are heaps quieter and the snow is not as worn as some of the runs in Avoriaz. Best run today on Avoriaz was the Snowcross in the Chavanette bowl close second was Coupe de Monde.
Great sunny day and some fab skiing.....just waiting for the snow....some oldies on the lift were muttering about Wednesday!
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SP1R1T, yes, very crowded. But I feel that was mainly a weekend thing because Friday was okay. Put it this way - the busy, easy runs were very busy. The further you got from the easiest slopes the less crowded. It was only 3-5 minute waits at the busiest lifts and you can always find a gap in traffic on piste. If there was loads of snow there it would be heaven on earth for me. I am going to push my luck and take a sneaky weekend there if it happens.
As snowandtrek, said, Chatel is supposedly really good. I didnt go there but spoke with people that did and they were tres pleased with themselves.
Anniepen, cheers.
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Peter Leuzzi, Thanks again, don't know about Chatel - missed the last lift there last march and had to do the taxi ride back to St.Jean !!! 
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Sorry folks, I should add.
I heard a rumour that they may be closing the Lindarets bowl to preserve the snow for French half term. Not sure how much truth there is in it and suggest some resident elaborate.
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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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I'm off to stay at Drouzin Le Mont on 18 Feb. Not sure if there is anything on the local pistes there at the moment as quite low, but we usually just spend 20 minutes or so going to Avoriaz or wherever we see some snow!
Is anybody in the area at the moment close to Drouzin Le Mont who can let me know what's going on there?
The chalet owner is very kindly letting me have use of one of their 7 seater 4x4s for the week so I'm not too worried about finding somewhere - even if it means driving for an hour or so. Looking forward to it. I guess it may even snow by then!
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| Peter Leuzzi wrote: |
Sorry folks, I should add.
I heard a rumour that they may be closing the Lindarets bowl to preserve the snow for French half term. Not sure how much truth there is in it and suggest some resident elaborate. |
B@st@rds!
I've just come back from aweek inMorzine. No snow there now but plenty in Avoriaz and Lindarets was great. As long as you are prepared to put up with loads of people around (as Pleney is also barren of snow) it's fine.
I'm going back in a fortnight so hopefully it will have snowed a bit more then and my bruises from the snowpark testing out whether or not my skiis were tuned to the same level as me (they obviously weren't as I fell over) will have subsided.
Does anyone know if there is snow over the other side of Pleney? I forgot to ask but it looked as though there woulldn't be but that seems to be where the best reds and blacks are?
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