 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Has is been cold enough for at least some cannons to be running most nights?
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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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@leggyblonde, yes canon have been running and like I say pistes are in great condition, that is those that are open.
Will have a fuller report laters as OH and daughter are up the hill.
And it is NOT busy - though think will be very different next week.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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MMmmm things have obviously changed since I was last up the hill, Monday.
OH and daughter reported that much busier (they're now wearing helmets) and snow now pretty hard/worn, but still no real queues though.
I've done NOTHING today except walk the dogs to the Grotte.
Way too early to be sure but long term forecast has some precipitation on it, especially 31st which sort of makes sense as I'm spending New Years Eve in LG which means having to go over the Lautaret.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Was out up the hill on Xmas day en famille and then finished the day off with the inaugural Olympics at the bottom of the Aravet and can well see that being a regular fixture on Xmas day very silly and great fun. Teams of four in fancy dress doing silly things on snow equipment, my leg was on cross country skis without poles running from one end of the car park where I had to burst three balloons with my poles.
I was mildy concerned that I'd prang myself and be out for the rest of the season!
More words and pics here
Yesterday was chalet bitch with three families arriving, and one lot driving from Luxembourg, even though they'd booked a Frejus ticket managed to get totally lost by relying on their GPS and ended up getting here eventually via Gap!
Today was up the hill with some other friends who'd spent last week in Gressony and plan was to stay here this week, but think now they are heading back tomorrow to save their vacation for another time.
Pistes were busy in places but bizarrely no lift queues at all!
Some apartment car parks are 30% full so looks like a lot of people have cancelled.
As for the snow, getting pretty skied out now, though we are going up late morning. We just ski the edges of the piste going off the side and then back on skiing the scraped off snow which is better than the bald stuff in the middle!
So forecasts are looking interesting with both yr.no and meteociel now agreeing that there should be something Sat into Sunday, but still way too early to be sure.
I'm not doing much more, but will probably show willing and go with the "dads" of the families for a blast one day.
Heard some disconcerting news about the LG lift from friends there, and will confirm more as to whether I got the wrong end of the stick when I'm back from there after New Years.
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I'll second what Weathercam says, enough people now to make it feel like a "proper" ski resort, albeit amazingly without the lift lines which normally go with this time of year...
The lift company has done a great job of grooming what they have to work with, hopefully some real snow will come soon to take the strain!
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Turin first thing this morning to drop my daughters off, and on the way back coffee in Claviere and then through Montgenevre which had many many Italians parking up.
Once back here we decided to drive up to Laus to hike up to the Refuge Napoleon, just below the Izoard.
The road was actually open to nigh on a couple of km from the refuge, we parked up a fair way down. So it's possible to drive up there and then only have a twenty or so minute walk to there and that's taking the path rather than the road hence it's not 2km.
Very busy up there as you'd expect and it must be the one place that's doing really well at the moment in these conditions.
We ended up eating there which is always very good, but note that they do not take cards!
The 2km down from the Refuge to where the road is closed is one big toboggan route as it's all hard pack snow, with the refuge then collecting their toboggans at the bottom, which I presume they let people borrow / pay for?
Traffic was busy in Briancon circa 17:00 and busy all the way through the valley.
The families with kids etc said it was a lot busier up the hill with some half hour queues over Serre Ratier / Prorel way from the sounds of things, but they're all having a great time.
Are other friends who stayed briefly with us have indeed gone back, first time that they'd ever cut short a holiday.
And now it's just back to the two of us, feel pretty social-ed out 
Forecast is ever changing but looking as if we will see some fresh snow Sat onwards, though how much is anyone's guess 
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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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Not Elf but Etas......
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Not Elf but Etas......
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Maersk, 
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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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Lost on me that 
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Twas about 2 pages back, "Elf & Safety" re my wood burner........
Etas is to Hetas (fire regs thing) like Elf to health..........
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You know it makes sense.
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@KenX, had me well confused as thought you were somehow referring to the fancy dress Olympics on Xmas Day as Borough and his team from the Grotte were dressed as Elves !
Napoleon could be a good walk for you Lyn and the dogs as you can drive up so far, even better in your 4x4 but ordinary cars were up there, and so many dogs!
But if wanting lunch maybe book or go later after the midi rush.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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@Weathercam, bought some snowshoes on promo yesterday so am looking forward to testing those
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@KenX, if the snow doesn't come, we could be doing lots of dog walking.
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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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@Hells Bells, It's on its way  When in Jan are you out?
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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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@KenX, arriving on the 9th with both dogs.
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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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Haha, is Bentley staying then?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@KenX, he is.
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So another casualty. This time a teenage girl from one of the three families currently out. And unfortunately another knee and not too good, though thankfully not ACL.
Heard from them that slopes are far far busier. Couple of days ago I saw that they were working on the Clot Gauthier chair using a helicopter to transport gear up there, and yesterday it opened and they said queues were huge, but made for a nice run down.
They also said that another bubble was working, but from here currently neither Frejus or Pontilllas or even the shitty chair is working as I thought with Clot Gauthier opened they might have opened up a bit more to take the pressure off numbers.
I know it's four days out but four sites, Meteociel, YR.no, NetWeather, and Snow-Forecast are all now showing varying accumulations of snow for Saturday for here, so could make for an interesting transfer weekend.
Yesterday we parked the van up in Cervieres, Elaine ran whilst I cycled up the old track to the parking just before La Chau. I've taken the road a few times on the other side but have seen ski tourers taking this track which is a very tough x-country track/piste.
From La Chau there are three or four ski tour routes up to the top ridge of Montgenevre.
I carried on into the valley that has not seen the sun all winter, the road will take you to Les Fonts, and as you can see twas a bit of a winter wonderland with staggering amounts of hoar frost.
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We went up yesterday....sort of felt obliged to go at least twice in 2 weeks! Confirming what Gavin says, they were actually stopping people going down to the Clot Gauthier lift due to 20 min queues (both lifts). Queues at other lifts too. The Casse du Boeuf was icy with lots of gravel showing through. Lots of wipe-outs as a result. In a phrase, chaos and carnage. The Emergency Dept in the hospital confirmed as much when getting my (walking injury) stitches out today. Time to exercise caution.
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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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@Kevin Byrne, or do some gardening
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Quite so. Especially when expert help is to hand.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Weathercam, like the photo of the dogs in the frost. Hope there'll be some of them in the snow soon.
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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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Tale of two valleys this morning!
From here looking down the valley very bright with a fair amount of sunshine, then looking up towards Monetier low cloud, so maybe some light flocons as well?
Just as well really as yesterday going up to the Lautaret on the main road there were as many cyclists out as in the summer it seemed. And at Pont D'Alpe, which is a big summer walking departure point it was rammed with cars.
We did a mini hike from below the Lautaret up to the Galibier road at around 2,300m, and Davidof will appreciate this photo, he only went up a bit further than where I took the photo, but on the way down there were a few others that came down.
So that had me thinking that today I'd cycle up there as well, but the weather has put paid to that idea, just as well as I have sniffles and sneezes big time.
If cycling you have to carry spare clothes for the descent as it is so cold especially in the shade and was a stiff breeze yesterday to add to the wind chill.
We took the lower road in Monetier as I suspected it might be busy and sure enough the baths were mobbed with people queuing to get in, now I know where all the cars are going as they drive up the valley!
Mmmmm as I'm typing this the cloud has lifted up the valley, might be a nice pic?
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You know it makes sense.
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God knows what the people are doing at the top of Cucumelle at the new picnic area. 14.20 pic there was people picknicking on the new picnic area, but they had skis with them.
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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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@Hells Bells, frustrated ski tourers
Did suggest to the OH of doing something similar and her response is unrepeatable.
And not a flocon so far.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Kevin Byrne, 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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And, the lovely Antoinette:
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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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And LynnX having a crafty blow:
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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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All at La Vieille Ecurie just outside Briancon, Happy New Year
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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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Great night
Pity we had to rise early to drive to Lyon. Dense fog for much of the journey. Glad we took the Fréjus Tunnel.
Back in wet, grey, windy Dublin. After the wettest Dec ever, January is not staying to well.
Happy New Year all. Enjoy the snow.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Great to ski and party with you both, look forward to next time
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BUt did you feel the earthquake?
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The earth moved for me this morning if that's what you mean
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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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@KenX, friends reporting earthquake in Queyras felt in Briancon. 3.5 on Richter scale.
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the slopes arent too bad condition considering there is no snow,but a few people keep getting helped off the mountain br stretcher
they done 49 helicopter trips to open up a little more of the mountain
ill have to come back here when there is snow,it looks amazing
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