 Poster: A snowHead
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pam w, Where is still worthwhile in Les Saisies ? I can get one free day there with my season pass.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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rjs, The (3) runs down off the Legette down the Roche Blanche have been fine this week, and i enjoyed a trip down the Frettes blue half way to Hauteluce though that was pretty slooshy in places. If you go over towards the Douce Bowl, the north facing runs off the top of the Grattary lift (Ruine and Daoust) were fine.
Mont Bisanne is not in bad shape. the Ecureil, Chevreuil (blues) and the Eterlou, Chamois and Kamikaze (red red black) down to the new Chamois chair hold their snow OK, though there were some slushy spots there, too.
The red Sanglier run which links to Crest voland (though not at the moment) was OK till yesterday but it was looking a bit brown when I drove past this afternoon.
As I said earlier, it's not great - but a great deal better than Crest Voland, I'd say. Obviously early is better than late.
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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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Oh - and the Girolles red to the bottom of the Legette lift was good, too, as was the Chenavelle. The Perdix black alongside it is looking absolute dire and been closed for a while.
Do you know LS? You could easily whip round that lot in a day visit.
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pam w, I don't know LS, the EVA season pass has had the same deal for the last few seasons but I have not got round to using it, haven't bothered skiing outside Crest Voland.
I would probably just go up for a morning if it stops raining.
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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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rjs, I am now not going down to Genoa till Friday, so if you are coming over before then, and would welcome a local guide, send me a PM. It would be good to meet you. The best window in the weather looks like tomorrow (Tuesday) at present.
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rain just turning to sleet - quite heavy - hopefully snow up the mountain, but probably not enough to make a huge difference.... better than nowt, though.
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Our neighbour, who runs the chairlift, told me this morning our home run will close this evening - not surprising when you see this panorama, taken from our terrace at lunchtime. Our home run (small streak of white on the left, by the snow cannon) goes down to 1500m and is south facing, so they've done well to keep it open till now. He was cagey about prospects for the resort as a whole staying open beyond the end of this week - our son and grand-daughter Lily are due out for a few days next week, and the ski school say that if the resort is open, the lessons we've booked for Lily will be on, but given the summer temperatures forecast for the week, with no nighttime re-freeze, the prospects aren't good. There's still a fair bit open at present, but this week will punish the snow. [img][/img]
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looks like summer has already arrived! Sorry to hear the family may well arrive to closed ski school, what a nightmare. In some ways glad we didnt have the funds to allow a cheeky late break having seen the fast wind up of the season. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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went for a walk this afternoon - far too hot to even think about skiing. 
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This place is deserted, till they bring the cows back up.
Just flowers and birdsong. The pistes are open on the other side of the mountain, but right now I prefer this side. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pam w, lovely pictures but not sure what I wanted to see the week before going out to Megeve! Planning on binging a bike and walking boots now. Simon Butler say they will be bussing us to Les Contamines which is looking pretty dicey too, I can see lots of day trips to higher resorts being necessary if we want to ski
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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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philipb, only Côte 2000 open at Megève now. Went twice to Les Contamines from SBS the week before last - once in Simon's group and once under our own steam. Hope it holds up for you.
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laundryman, thanks, we always new it was a wee bit risky going low so late so we are pretty sanguine about it, off to Risoul the following week which is higher and holding up better. With a couple of weeks in the Alps to look forward to we can't complain and if I can fit my road bike into the car (and my wife agrees to it!) a few rides over some cols will more than compensate for any lack of skiing.
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You know it makes sense.
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not sure what I wanted to see the week before going out to Megeve!
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sorry, philipb. Maybe I should try to take some snowier pictures for you tomorrow!
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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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Sorry again, philipb, not much joy for you I'm afraid. Cote 2000 in Megeve apparently closed today, Les Saisies closes tomorrow and Les Contamines on Tuesday. I walked up our (almost snowless) side of Mont Bisanne this morning, in ridiculously high temperatures, and took this picture looking across to two of the pistes still open - but looking very threadbare. They are south facing, and go down to valley level, so it's not surprising. There was absolutely nobody on the chairs I could see running and it's hard to imagine why people would bother to pay even a reduced rate to ski a handful of slushy pistes - I'm not surprised they've closed. These tropical temperatures, with no overnight freeze, have just made the pisteurs' job completely impossible, at all but the highest altitudes.
Risoul is indeed doing better. The Vars area is closed, but overall there are 37 of 133 pistes and 18 of 52 lifts open. But these ferocious temperatures are going to take a toll of them, too, and all except the very highest places. Such a shame at the beginning of the school holidays - the Belgians were arriving in droves today. But I expect they've bought their walking boots; these conditions have been widely discussed.
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Poster: A snowHead
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pam w, we arrived in megeve this evening, beautiful evening but not for a skiing hol.! Simon butler apparently taking us to les saises tomorrow and then planning on les contamines later in the week, having read your report it sounds to me that they are being more than a bit optimistic. do you think there I'd any point going with them over to les sAises. Think we will do some walking and.maybe some trips further afield, maybe val thorens . Great cycling weather!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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philipb, I've not skied in Les Saisies for some days now - been busy going down to Italy, dealing with broken down car, walking in the sun etc. So it's hard to say. Certainly the Les Contamines web site states definitively that the pistes are closing tuesday - it doesn't actually say what time, but normally that would be in the evening.
The LS website now says definitely closed from tomorrow (Sunday) evening. Earlier it just said it was "susceptible" to closing shortly, but the ski school had telephoned me earlier to say that it would close tomorrow (we had lessons booked for our grand-daughter, hence the phone call). It's hard to know what to advise. It could be that tomorrow in Les Saisies might be the only chance you have to ski - but there's not a lot open now, and it's not in good nick (obviously). If you are having lessons with Simon Butler it probably is worthwhile - it will be a lovely day, the scenery is good and tuition is worthwhile even on just a couple of pistes. But just to potter round on a few pistes, without tuition? Probably not. The Simon Butler people probably have good local knowledge, but I'd say the best bet will probably be the "Legette" where two lifts - the Legette and the Roche Blanche - will be running with access to the best bunch of pistes still open. The "Chamois", if it's open, off the top of Mont Bisanne, is an excellent red piste if the snow is any good, but it's the only thing worth skiing up that side now - there's a bit more choice of the Legette. The Girolles red is a good run, and though the bottom is patchy it was certainly skiable today (that's the fat straight run just under Mont Blanc, in my photo. The black patches are grass - but it's a very wide piste so there's still plenty of room).
You'd need to be up here early to be worthwhile, though.
Good luck - sorry you've hit such a poor week!
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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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Pam - sorry to hear Les Saisies is closing. Very sad looking at the webcams and all that grass. All in all we were lucky with our sunny but cold week at the end of Jan.
Philipb - maybe you could check if the highest part of la clusaz (la balme I think) is still open?
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snowymum, yes, some of the weeks which didn't seem so good at the time seem excellent in retrospect! Our daugher and SIL had two good powder days at Christmas - best of of the season, as it turns out. Last day today. La Clusaz has been completely closed I think, for some days now. I walked into LS this morning, to get a reimbursement from the ski school for my grand-daughter's lessons this week, booked ages ago so she could be sure of having her favourite instructor! The village is very busy today -first day of the holidays - loads of people having their last ski, and loads of others sitting round in shorts and vest tops having picnics. 24 degrees and rising, when I was there.
The bus driver, on the way back, said it was the first time in 30 years that they'd had to close the whole domain early, in April. Just about everything closed in Chamonix now, too, except the Grand Montets and judging by Zero-G's recent reports, that pretty grim too. Extraordinary weather.
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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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La Clusaz has been completely closed I think, for some days now.
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I think there are still a few pistes open on La Balme looking at their website today.
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I think there are still a few pistes open on La Balme looking at their website today
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yes, your're right loatie, I misread it when I looked at it last night. My grand-daughter is very pleased at the idea of going cycling at Lake Annecy, as she has just learnt to ride a two-wheeler, so all is not lost - I've given up on the idea of any more skiing this year, and all our boot liners are out baking in the sun, and ski jackets and trousers in the washing machine. A wasp invaded our lunch on the terrace - it feels like summer, but it's going to get a lot more wintry in the middle of the week. 
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actually quite enjoyed a very warm day is Les Siases today, v.ropey snow but beautiful views and great sunbathing at lunchtime. Seems like a really nice area, will definetly return when better snow. Ridiculously warm in Megeve this evening, talk of Les Contamines being closed so Simon Butler talking of trying La Clusaz. Sumer Luge is open in Megeve for a couple of weeks so the family want to give that a go tomorrow.
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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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philipb, glad you enjoyed it - yes, you should come back when the snow is better. The LC website said they were closing Tuesday, so two more days left up there. Probably not much better, though. and only a small handful of pistes open at La Clusaz - I think there were 5 today..... but the snow is disappearing so fast.
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philipb, maybe get him to take you through the tunnel to Courmayeur? I've been there a couple of times with SB.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yes, that might work. It was 28 degrees in Courmayeur town last Friday but no doubt a little cooler up the mountain. It looks as though Courmayeur is holding up better than resorts on the other side of Mont Blanc - but still a lot more than half the runs are closed, including all but one of the blues and blacks - but quite a lot of reds still open.
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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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Les Contamines closed today at 1pm and to be honest it sholdn't have opened at all, there was one piste open with a v narrow session whcih was turning to mud and a lot of ski schools trying to get down it, not a lot of fun. Apparently a major part of the area was closed as the link piste couldn't be skiied.
Not sure what to do tomorrow. Simon Butler are talking about either La Clusaz or Courmayeur, think won't bother if it's La Clusaz but do are own thing.
Now off to fill all the holes in our skis! 
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philipb, what a shame, that sounds miserable. I spent the first half of the day talking to the breakdown insurance, the breakdown truck driver and the taxi driver, then got the taxi to Moutier (to pick up hire car) then drove to Geneva airport and back up here. That wasn't much fun either, but at least I didn't get holes in my skis. It was just beginning to get dark as we drove up through Megeve. If you have a car, Lac Annecy was looking beautiful today - can hire some bikes and cycle the traffic free path. though the weather forecast for tomorrow is miserable - we plan to do that on Wednesday, which is forecast to be sunny.
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You know it makes sense.
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Tried val thorens today. Much better snow buy bad viz until st headed over into orelle which was actually good, the children enjoyed getting some decent runs in SB went to la clusaz where viz not good either but snow apparently ok, so will try tomorrow.
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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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philipb, it was a very misty morning here, too, tomorrow supposed to be brighter.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Good day in la clusaz, snow ok and a bit of off piste. Lots of people around but a good day. Great views back to megeve from the top. Heading back there with SB tomorrow ,Hope the rain stays away. Some talk of a,trip to the vallee Blanche on Friday.
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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 hope your trip isnt spoilt too much by lack of snow.
In hindsight (which is a wonderful thing of course) I am so glad that I booked up for end of January to go to Les Saisies. Even though the conditions werent brilliant, in that a couple of the runs were quite icy and there was no snow falling from the sky, but the upside of that was that we had beautiful bluebird days.
We usually book and go the first or second week in March, and I was kicking myself at the time that we had not waited until March given then conditions at the time, but then as it happened, it never really did snow again much or as well as it had done in 2nd week of January, so when I look back, I am really glad we booked the end of Janaury and have some lovely memories of our time in Les Saisies. I would love to go back so we can go round the whole area of espace diamant.
Next year I am going to wait until the very last minute and just follow where the snow is. But I am sure with the snow drought this year, there will be far too much of it next year lol.
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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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Next year I am going to wait until the very last minute and just follow where the snow is
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good idea provided it's not the school holidays, and provided you are flexible about choice of accommodation.
We've sampled one of the other local activities today, the "Escaladventure" which is a kind of "Go Ape" but across a deep natural ravine, with lots of zip wires, and wobbly bridges - one had a skateboard attached to a wire and you had to stand on that and whizz across the ravine - all perfectly safe, with karabiners and pullies etc, but quite scary all the same, especially for 7 year old Lily.
Go Ape would be pretty tame in comparison, I suspect. And busier. I've seen all those wires and things frequently, on the drag lift up from Crest Voland, but never done the activity before. It was good fun, and good value - 20 euros each. Met a very nice French couple - also grandparents with their grandchildren, also finding things to do with the ski lifts all closed now.
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pam w, sounds fun but I think I would pay my 20 euros not to have to
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whizz across the ravine!
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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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Oh Pam, the kids had spotted those one day, I hadnt even noticed them. It looked a bit hairy from what I could see so you are braver than me lol
I dont think we would ever go during school holidays skiing again. One of the main reasons being is that the school ski trip is actually done during term time, so if its ok to take 100 kids out of the school on a ski trip then its good enough for me. The only thing I am a bit wary of is that Jack starts his GCSE's from September but like I say, if he was going with the school he would be missing a week anyway.
I think I have been scarred for life after our first trip during half term!
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polo99, other countries are available during half term.
You'd be amazed at the difference a few miles and a border makes when it comes to the crowds at half term.
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