Poster: A snowHead
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easiski, Brrrr! And my felines are moaning about 0-2 degrees!
Bartezki, I know someone who's booked at the Aalborg bit later in the season, so if you could post your thoughts on it and maybe a pic or two she'd no doubt be very pleased.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nice day again today, but it was still very cold. the snow in resort is improving in leaps and bounds thanks to the use of the snow cannons, which are carrying on throughout the day. I'm afraid that I forgot to take a photo today, so sorry about that.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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PaulW, Welcome to Snowheads - I hope it wasn't too much of a baptism of fire!
Today was just lovely again but very cold - the same -15 that we've had every morning this week. However with the sun shining you can put up with most things. the cannons have been working overtime day and night, and the pic of the day shows them working at almost midday today - pretty pic! Also, for interest, I took a pic looking up one leg of the old road up to LDA that most people (hopefully) don't find. It's a lovely drive if you don't mind single track roads clinging to the cliff with overhanging rocks above (higher up than in the picture) - this is the way that most Sat Nav's try to send you, even if you say you're a truck! In addition, and just for the R32s a pic of Betty all washed and spruced up on said road.
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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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easiski,
That road is like a motorway compared to the Villard Notre-Dame one!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I think we only got hit by one falling rock on that road last winter. Although to be fair I also got one on the main road to La Grave.
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easiski, Betty? I thought the Easiskimobile had been given a lifesaving transplant?
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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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Butterfly, Betty belongs to R32 and they have kindly allowed me to drive her when they're not here. At the moment with snow etc. it's very handy because of 4x4 + lo ratio, I can get up the road without worries. The name is theirs.
Today was sunny above the village but the temperature inversion in the valleys came up and covered most of the village most of the morning. It cleared in the afternoon, but it was sooooooooooooooo cold in the mist this morning. Mind you, driving back from the Berangere just now it was -11 according to Betty. Ioda is spending much more time indoors at the moment, but does strike off over the snow when it warms up a bit. He was out almost all afternoon.
The pic is of the top of the Valentin from about the mid point, and shows the cannons working away like nobody's business. As long as you stay at the side near the cannons it's fine, but if you go out into the middle it's still rock hard and slidy.
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easiski, great pics and real on the ground info which is why I always keep on top of this thread, thanks for keeping it up (q smutty comments from other snowheads)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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OOOOOeeeerrrr missess Looking good for this weekend, so long as we can cross the pennines with all this snow that's forecast here.
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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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Swirly, regarding the Spanish lad, my spies tell me he was boarding alone off-piste on the Echines de Chevre (spelling?)/Ice Wall, which for those who don't know is a huge powder field on the glacier to the right hand side of the Dome red piste as you go down it. He turned right around the rocks that poke up through the snow about halfway down, and instead of popping out on the Signal piste at the bottom and thence back to civilisation, he went off down a parallel gully (which apparently is an itinerary to somewhere remote, far, far below for people with ropes/crampons/ice axes/catastophic mental instability, etc.) and quickly found himself staring downwards at the N91 and near-certain death some 2000m below him.
He rang his mates and said he could see a road before his battery pegged out. This observation saved his life. He was found unconscious perched between a couple of boulders by helicoptering mountain rescue after two days and nights out on an exposed and quite parky hillside.
It's a trite statement, but he's a sensationally lucky boy, to say the least.
On to the snow conditions, there is good cover everywhere in L2A for mid-Dec, and the cannons were going flat out day and night when we left on Tuesday night. The base is like boilerplate, and just about perfect for the fresh stuff to land on. We had about an inch on Saturday evening, which was enough to make the difference between a hair-raising descent of a Valentin which rivalled the Cresta Run for iciness on Friday and being almost pleasurable on Sunday. The new snow kept well in the cold temps, with fresh turns possible alongside Lac Noir/Breche/Serre Palas on Tuesday afternoon. The pistes are in good shape, with only a few stones here and there and easily avoidable.
Save for 700 schtowdents and a herd of 18yo replings loudly comparing sexual performances and pontificating about something called X-Factor (A television programme, m'lud), the place was nicely underpopulated and the partial lift operation coped easily with everyone. Not one queue in five days of skiing.
Saw the Voute lift running over the weekend, which gave us the chance to ski a closed Gours and whatever of the Fee we fancied - our own private mountain. No piste markers, single width grooming of machine packed powder and no-one to wipe you out. Marvellous. Took a couple of lumps out of my skis, including a nice core-shot, but then you kind of expect that early season if you mess about.
Nice to see you, easiski, does Mo get to keep the stickers when you give him his car back?!
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You know it makes sense.
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paulmck, FFS, not another one. One of our eejit guests did that a couple of seasons ago. In fact it could be that Spanish kiddy owes his rescue to said guest - it took us a long time to convince the gendarmerie that he had to be where he said he was, because it was so completely unlikely he'd got there alive. Presumably they're more willing to consider the possibility now.
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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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paulmck, Yes - the stickers are his - sort of a bribe or something
PaulW, Oh no! Not the dreaded Ski R!!! They were so bad last year - nothing fitted and they refused to replace except under great duress and with huge rudeness!
FWIW Snowheads - Jutta will match any price you can prove from the web this winter. Everyone's cutting each other's throats and guess who will struggle - not the big companies with shocking customer service for sure!
Today was EVEN COLDER - can you believe it. We went to the glacier and 3 of my 4 beginners skied Puy Salie on day 5 (in control) and then down to 2,600 after a restorative hot chocolate. Very well done - they're not Snowheads though!
Pic is a nice view of the Ecrins from the top of the funicular
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Poster: A snowHead
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Easiski... awww, dont say that!! I booked before i became a snowhead and saw recommendations!!
Iv got own boots..... how bad can skis be.....
I can do rude..... if needs be!! If that doesnt work, I'll set the missus on them!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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PaulW, my friends hired from Ski Republic last year, had new kit and no problems.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Lizzard - cheers.... Im sure it will be all good!!
My cousin used them in Val Thoren last year and had no problems!
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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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Lizzard, crumbs. How far down did your guy get? Was he out there for long?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I am happy to give Jutta her 10euro margin pp if we have kit that fits and no stress .... 8 more sleeps! (not that I am counting or anything)
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paulmck, we got him back at nearly midnight. It was our staff who actually spotted him - they took his mate out along the road for a look, mainly to stop him being hysterical, and saw the bloke waving his mobile phone. I want up in the summer looking for his snowboard, and I have no idea how he managed to get down there. He ought to be dead.
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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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Arriving tomorrow, hoping for a great week!
(EDIT - Post number 69, sweet!)
(Anyone else snigger when getting on a chairlift numbered 69?)
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MagSeven, it's been snowing today.
Actually it was horrid out on the Toura today. It was cold, flat light, a spot of wind and just generally not the sort of ski day you dream about. For that reason I didn't take a photo (nothing to see) + I didn't want to take my gloves off. I'll take a photo tomorrow, even if it's foul.
R32, Betty went up the road in some pretty thick snow this afternoon. Seems to think nothing of a couple of inches on the ground.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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easiski, Told you she would
Pleased we decided to stay at home this Christmas, just seen the thread about Eurotunnel tonight....we would have been sat in the queue now!
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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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R32, Yes - and cancelled for the foreseable future too. I presume they are sending their clients by ferry!
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R32, easiski, Port of Calais was also closed earlier this morning.
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You know it makes sense.
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easiski, Helen Beaumont, Not looking good.....feel sorry for all those people travelling
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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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R32, hoping things improve before Wednesday
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Poster: A snowHead
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Helen Beaumont, hoping things improve before early tomorrow morning
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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RachelQ, fingers crossed for you
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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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Just watching it on the news now....people stuck on Eurostar trains overnight, M25 at standstill, etc. Hopefully they are just making it sound worse than it actually is!
Helen Beaumont, Good luck!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Helen Beaumont, RachelQ, I'll cross mine as well.
Helen Beaumont, Calais was industrial action wasn't it?
It's still brassic here, but a nicer sort of day. I'm too busy to go up the hill (and it's much nicer in the warm apartment), but I should think the snow was very nice. Here's a pic taken from the car park outside David Ash's apartment block looking across tot he Jandri side.
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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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Any photos available taken from near the altiport area?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I thought Calais was bad weather too. There is industrial action at UK immigration, but I dont believe this caused the closure of the port!
Fingers crossed for all travellers.
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Renry, errrr? What altiport?
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RachelQ, .... POSITIVE WAVES ...
... and of course a Land Rover is desirable ...
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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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easiski, ... hope you have a Supercalafragalistic season ....
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BernardC, You too - wd be gd to see you sometime!
Sunny this morning but -20 again.
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