 Poster: A snowHead
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I agree with you @Nadenoodlee,, as we are there three or maybe four times a year, I am a bit spoiled and I don't like to venture out if it's foggy, or snowing, or raining, or icy, or snow is poor ... but I really feel for people who only get one trip a year which is ruined. I don't think this is going to do much for the pre-Christmas ski industry in Europe. Sod's law and my own experience, however, suggests that next year, when nobody will have planned to ski before January, there will be masses of snow from 1st December onwards.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi
I am arriving in Les Gets next saturday , 27th Dec - what are the prosepcts for that 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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Avoriaz looks like it might be skiable and higher altitude should allow snow cannons over night in between the warm spells forecast. Okay for beginners but yeah I'd be disappointed.
Am I right in thinking la plagne is driveable?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Nadenoodlee, Drive them to Cervinia perhaps?
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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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WHAT THE HELL am I going to do with guests!?!
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hope they don't blame you.... when we were living in Barbados some colleagues had (so called) friends to stay over Christmas and New Year. The weather was cloudy, drizzly and (for Barbados) cold. The "friends" moaned the whole time and didn't even help with washing up etc.
Tell them to bring their walking boots and send them out with a map
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Nadenoodlee, Morzine ice rink, pub, hiking (next week supposed to be nice), pub, indoor climbing, pub, Aquariaz, pub, Morzine pool, board games, pub.
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@Juddernaut, I was thinking more drinking games....
@MeMyselfandI, same wave length.... A friend is opening a spa in Les Gets this weekend so might go and hit that up to break up the pub crawl
@Lift faffer, in the same way that Nice is driveable...
To be fair my guests over christmas are my best friend and her husband who are pretty handy at sorting themselves out. Week after that is 'family' but only for 3 days!
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send them out without a map
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& call rescue if they don't reappear after a few days?
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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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Well looking at the webcams and the various forecasts for next week I might just bite the bullet and leave skis and boots at home - something in over 70 ski trips I have never, ever done. What little skiable snow that might exist is going to be have swarms of people all over it. At least I won't have the aggro of dragging completely redundant equipment around airports.
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I have just received the following e mail from Les Gets Tourist Office in response to my note to them earlier today.
"Dear Pam,
To further to your request we inform to you that you can take a bus from Les Gets to Morzine (1,50€ one way) and a free shuttle from Morzine to les Prodains cable car.
I transfer your e-mail at the SAGET (lift pass office) to answer to your first demand*.
Kind regards"
*that was asking if they would consider opening the gondolas free as a goodwill gesture.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm reading that as a "no"
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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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@Nadenoodlee, have you ever been to Vitam? Really nice aquatic centre and massive indoor climbing wall. The Christmas market in Montreaux is apparently lovely, next week should be great for Annecy.
Is that the Little Mountain Spa? Was hoping to go to the opening this evening but no babysitter. Alas.
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@dsoutar,
Makes perfect sense. If more snow does materialise, there's always the option to rent and try out different skis.
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You know it makes sense.
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Is the Les Prodains cable car the one in Montriand? is there any guarantee Avoriaz will be able to offer much?
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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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@silver246, the Prodains cable car, bizarrely, is in Prodains.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@silver246 Prodains is the big cable car going directly to Avoriaz. Argent is the one past the lake near Montriond that takes you to up the Lindarets area.
I would have thought that Avoriaz will retain some skiable snow, (it has a fair bit now), if the lower resorts get it washed away in the rain, but it will be busy no doubt. I was thinking of driving to Ardent if the snow is half decent up at Lindarets and Les Gets is washed out when I'm there from 3 jan, as Prodains sounds like an awful scrum in these sorts of conditions.
Then again every man, wife, child and dog will probably be thinking the same thing, so we'll just have to see.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@MeMyselfandI, @Nadenoodlee, just tried to book online at Avoriaz website - it's saying no availability until Dec. 27th. Any ideas how one can book a liftpass for Dec 20th?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@5RED, you can't and they won't let you drive up and give it a go either from the sounds of it.
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@rondelle, Ar-D-ent is the bubble above Montriond (is Ardent a commune? probably not) - so, probably, in Montriond.
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It must be bad, even in 1989-90 Avoriaz wasn't restricting lift passes and the whole PDS was down to 2 active chairs and 6 pistes... 
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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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They're reopening some of the summer activities @Louis, no joke
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@under a new name, there weren't as many beds in 89-90 though. If everyone booked into Avoriaz, Les Gets, Morzine, St Jean, Chatel etc all went to Avoriaz this weekend (where there will be more than 6 pistes by the looks of it) there would be complete and utter carnage.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It's the only skiable area open @under a new name, and everyone in neighbouring resorts (met people from Les Carroz the other day) are going to flood it.
Apparently the Mayor wants to protect it for those who have paid to come to Morzine- Avoriaz
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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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Snap @MeMyselfandI,
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At least back in 1989-90 not everyone was glued to webcams, websites etc the whole time so perhaps less stressful. We used to look at the temperatures on the back of the Daily Telegraph for Munich, Innsbruck and Salzburg and take a bit off. Then we used to use a phone line where you had to listen through to wherever you were going....
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You know it makes sense.
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@Nadenoodlee, it was the only local skiable area then (although I did have trips to Argentiere and Courmayeur).
Fair point re more beds,k but I'm unconvinced total skier numbers are much changed... ?
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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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@5RED, you can't and they won't let you drive up and give it a go either from the sounds of it.
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@MeMyselfandI, and here I am packing ski boots for travel tomorrow 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Feel gutted for those heading out in the next week , hopefully things will improve .
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@MeMyselfandI, agree that Vitam is very nice and well worth a day trip if there's no skiing, lovely hot outdoor pools and indoor and slides and other stuff. From the Chatel side we also have the new Forme d'O pool complex too which is very nice and a short drive to the spa at Val d'Iliez and not too far to Lavey les bains. So that's spa pools sorted then!
Chatel have announced partial opening from this weekend. Basically about 4 runs above Plaine Dranse with download via the Pierre Longue chair and back up shuttles from Plaine Dranse ! Some bits open at Super Chatel and nothing at Linga from what I read. Link to Avoriaz remaining closed, now suspect this is to do with limiting numbers rather than conditions on the link.
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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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This is what Chatel have said:
Current snow conditions allow us to confirm the partial opening of the ski area from Saturday 20 December.
Our clients can enjoy the following facilities and tracks they serve:
Super-Châtel sector - Barbossine:
The Super Châtel gondola, the telecord beginners, téleskis of Poussin, Lac and Poussin.
Three tracks from the beginners' area.
Le Petit-Chatel chairlift will be open to pedestrians only.
Linga sector:
The Linga gondola will be open to pedestrians only.
Sector Pre-la-Joux:
Chairlifts Pré-la-Joux, Pierre-Longue, La Chaux Rosées, Rochassons of Cornebois and Combes.
The ski lift Keyset.
Tracks: Pre-la-Joux (top), Combes, Blattins, Rochassons.
Note:
That the link Portes du Soleil Avoriaz is closed until further notice.
The return to Pre-la-Joux will be through Pierre Longue chairlift; a shuttle service will also be set up as reinforcements between Plaine Dranse plan and parking Pre la Joux.
You will find in the appendix opening facility schedules.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I disagree @CaravanSkier, they are protecting the area for those in Avoriaz- Morzine. Nothing to stop you buying online.
It's not just the PdS resorts that aren't open- people are coming in from all over and that isn't practical.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Will be interesting to see just how grim getting daily passes is going to be.
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@Nadenoodlee, apparently you can't buy online.
I'd be annoyed as well. Avoriaz is part of the Morzine commune. Would be a bit like those living by the Mairie being able to buy tickets while those by Pleney can't. Odd decision making.
Also, prioritising big TOs? As a tiny TO that would p me off big time too.
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@Nadenoodlee, @under a new name, is correct! And fine if the PDS want to prioritise the TO`s thats up to them, but as an independent traveller I will not forget that in a hurry and it will influence future decisions.
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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 can well understand the frustration if you're going to be unlucky but the reality of the situation is they have to do something to limit access to Avoriaz. They're not going to risk losing contracts from their biggest customers, the major tour operators. So them and the ski schools get first dibs. Likewise those who have chosen the high altitude, snow sure resort for their holiday. They can't allow the mountain to become overcrowded, queues half way up the pistes, cars queuing in Morzine to try get to Prodains - cause all that would happen. Far more people will try to get there than can safely be accommodated, despite these measures.
They are doing their best to make the most of a pretty bad situation....do you think they want to be knocking back people's money?!
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@Nelbert75, well put. It's horrible for those whose holiday this is but the amount of people who are reliant on visitors being able to get up the mountain at Christmas and New Years is huge. They haven't had any money coming in for a long time and the need these weeks to get them through until February.
This was not a decision that was taken lightly, if they thought they could safely have a free for all they would, it would make them huge money.
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FAQ
you could just drive to where the lifts were open, buy a pass and ski, all be it in very crowded conditions. Bad PR by the PDS to operate such a policy!