 Poster: A snowHead
|
| OliC wrote: |
have you seen the wind up high and what it does to the snow pack and freshly falling snow? 1metre can be perfect powder, then another metre to the side can be solid wind deposit that is waiting to take the whole hillsides snowpack with it. |
Don't focus on the wind too much. In order to get the conditions for a skier triggered slab avalanche you need a weak layer with snow on top. That snow can be "perfect powder", indeed "perfect powder" is better than a hard slab as it transmits skier energy better down to the weak layer, causing it to collapse and providing the detonator to trigger the slab.
Wind can increase the depth of accumulations by transporting snow, it can also break down the crystal structures to form hard slabs but in general most skiers are taken by soft slabs (aka perfect powder). Deeper accumulations can often be safer than thinner slabs as the weight of the skier has less impact on the underlying weak layer(s), if any. You'll often see slabs triggered near features like rock outcrops, base of cliffs, convex rollovers because the slab layer is thinner at those points.
The main factor about wind is that even a few weeks after a snow fall an episode can form new slabs and increase the danger or if snowfall is light, say 10cm, wind can form slabs of 30-40cm. This year we've been having dumps of 50cm+, quite sufficient to be dangerous wind or not.
Given that the snowpack is pretty stable in the Northern French Alps this year, weak layers are fairly localized, the big problem for ski resorts this season are natural avalanches. These are not always easy to shift using explosives and the resort may need to wait for the snowpack to stabilize or purge naturally. Given that the Brevent/Flegere have had problems with people being hit on pistes in the past (including the head of piste security) they are probably a bit sensitive.
I'm sure the piste patrol in Chamonix would be happy to give any snowheads in resort more accurate local information though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
davidof, Thanks for the explanation. Apparently a massive full depth slide went last night in Verbier from Ba Combe to Carrefour. All the activity I could see in Verbier was full depth on south facing.
Original question was in comparison to Verbier which seems to have consistently opened more and faster than Cham ie up to 2000m (Ruinettes, Savoleyres, Bruson) open on big dump days and then 2700m (with Attelas couloirs secured) on big dump + 1 - and yesterday they even got Gentianes (over 3000m) open after lunch. Cham seems to have been much slower to open up. All down to geography?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
5cms fresh snow overnight in cham town, prob much more up top as was raining most of the evening. V cloudy though so v Poor vis. Going to Courmayeur today (via SMS)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Oh - and still snowing moderately in town! (via SMS)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Cracking afternoon at GM. The sun was peeping through, and the off piste had been nicely freshened up by yesterday's modest snowfall. Played in the Dream Forest, and skied the gully that runs to les chosalets, from below plan joran, steep but soft.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
The forecast was for light snow stopping after lunch. What we got was moderate snow that lasted all day. I skied at les houches as it was cloudy. There was 20-30+cm of fresh and we had a ball in the trees until one of the party lost a ski which despite nearly two hours searching we failed to find 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
jbob, Great day at GM - vis wasn't too bad and the place was empty. Fresh tracks everywhere, frontside of toptram, herse, pendant, trees, hotel run . . . bad luck with that ski, that's no fun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
despite nearly two hours searching we failed to find
|
why do so many people scoff at powder traces?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Any local info on les Houches & when everything will open up again after the racing? We're out there on Mon.
Thanks,
CW 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
cardweg, haven't skied Les Houches lately but the snow is great everywhere in the valley at the moment. I think the World Cup is just this weekend so should be back to normal on Monday?
jbob, We went for the first time down the gully below Plan Joran this morning, inspired by your post the other day! The snow was perfect and we had a great run up until we hit a sketchy traverse above some cliffs near the bottom. That freaked me out a bit (really did not want to go sailing off the cliff) but the rest of the gully was so good that it was worth that little bit of trauma!
Info for anyone coming to Chamonix in the near future: The latest snow we had was amazingly light and dry as the temperatures have been cold and are set to get colder. Obviously the popular off-piste is now tracked out but the snow quality should nonetheless remain good over the next few days. Hopefully there'll be another storm coming soon!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
snowprincess, Apologies should have said turn skiers right well above the cliff line then down under the chair for a bit then right again at pylon 6.
Had another fantastic day today, was at Le Tour. It was so cold all the off piste was mint. Bagged a few lines in the back bowls had it to ourselves.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Wed 1-02-12 17:37; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
cardweg, Les houches is affected by the racing but not that bad on the hill. The town can be a mare on race day. Use the train or bus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
jbob, Thanks for that. Will take your route next time .
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| snowprincess wrote: |
jbob, We went for the first time down the gully below Plan Joran this morning, inspired by your post the other day! The snow was perfect and we had a great run up until we hit a sketchy traverse above some cliffs near the bottom. That freaked me out a bit (really did not want to go sailing off the cliff) but the rest of the gully was so good that it was worth that little bit of trauma! |
Small world - Was there too this am, but gullies both left and right of the main one - lovely snow. Pas de Chevre in extremely good condition too. A great couple of days 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
snowprincess & jbob, many thanks for the info. I'm arriving the day after the racing so, by the sound of things, everything should be hunky dory (except, I suppose, for the bulletproof boilerplate on the race piste - that'll need a good dump of snow)
Since you both seem to be out there at present, I wonder could I pick your brains?
I'm bringing my beginner son with me and had thought of taking a day to ski up in la Tour. How practical is this from les Houches using public transport? Is it as much better for beginner/intermediates as many people say, or would I be better off just going up to Brevent/Flegere. (he wouldn't be up to the Grand Montets - yet)
Thanks again,
CW
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
cardweg, There is a bus which goes from Les Houches to Le Tour. Here's the timetable: http://www.chamonix-bus.com/MAJ/Ligne1_LeTour_Hiver.pdf It takes 47 minutes to get there.
Given how far away Le Tour is, I'm not sure whether it would be a better option than Brevent/Flegere. There are easy blue or green pistes at Brevent off the Parsa chairlift and also at Flegere off the Trappe chairlift and maybe you could do both in one day using the Liaison lift to go from Brevent to Flegere or vice versa?
Le Tour (frontside) is of a generally flatter gradient so would also be suitable if you don't mind the long bus journey. It does also have a lot of draglifts though which might be offputting for a beginner?
Hope you and your son have a good week!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
cardweg, Le tour is great for beginners and intermediates, but it's a bit of a mission from Les houches, there is now a direct bus which helps a lot. However les houches is also very good for beginners and intermediates. You might also want to think about a day trip to Courmayeur, there is a free bus from Chamonix. great food and drink on the hill plus the skiings good there too.
Don't go anywhere near the race piste, it will be a sheet of ice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Does anyone know what conditions are like in Courmayer at the moment in comparison to Chamonix?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Well, here we are in les Houches. It's flippin' Baltic. You know, so cold your nose hairs freeze. Out in town this evening everyone's still wearing their ski gear. Hardly a pair of jeans to be seen. Can't wait to get up the hill in the morning. Bonne nuit tout le monde.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
FlyingStantoni, was in Courmayeur on Sunday, it was lovely. The on piste was in great nick, and still stuff to be nabbed off piste. The best thing with the polar weather is that there are a lot more coffee stops around, plus half the price of cham and better quality.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Two great days skiing so far. Private lesson for mini-me gave me the confidence to let him go a bit (protective father syndrome) and now we're happily pootling about on reds without a care in the world. A bit warmer today, too, made things better all round.
Looks like if it is Chamonix tomorrow we'll take our chances at Brevent Flegere.
PS snow's still great.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks jbob.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Did they figure out what the story with the dead body they found on the Brevant piste one morning last week was?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quick advice please... now that my son is (quite) comfortably making his way down most everything les Houches has to offer I don't feel the need to go to le Tour as the next progression (that and the local reports of -35 at the top). Anybody care to give me some tips/hints about Brevent/Flegere eg access, runs worth looking out etc...
Many thanks
CW
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Brevent/ Flegere is a sea of nice wide Blue/Red runs - you can't really get stuck! B is the easier to access (and nearer) and you'll probably enjoy the trip across to F and back by piste. Best to avoid Le Tour on any day that the wind blows . . . which is most days! The B return piste is marked as Black, but it's really a long, narrow blue with a few steep corners - probably wisest to take the bubble back down though. If you get stuck in F, you can take the cable car down and pick up the bus home from there. On-mountain food is not as good as Les H (or if it is, you'll have to pay for it) Worth a trip to the Panoramique for the views (and the food) - even if you take the cable car back down again (black run only).
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
the Panoramique for the views (and the food)
|
I'ld heard the food had gone down now that Mr Moustache had sold up and moved on
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| midgetbiker wrote: |
| Quote: |
the Panoramique for the views (and the food)
|
I'ld heard the food had gone down now that Mr Moustache had sold up and moved on |
Is that so? I've never actually had more than a glass of wine there - just passing on your missus' recommendation!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Thanks ww166no, I'm afraid we looked out the window this morning and wimped out when we couldn't see the mountains. As it turned out we had an awesome day in les Houches culminating in a run down the top half of the world cup downhill piste that's opening up again after the race weekend. Not bad for a wee man who struggled with blues last winter 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
cardweg, never make a weather call by looking out of the window in Cham, there's often low lying cloud in the valley which makes everywhere look grim. Check the webcams - it was a lovely sunny day (and not too cold either) up at GM today - Brevent/Flegere looked fine across the valley
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
ww166no, I'll remember that for next time. We're off home tomorrow, but I'll also tell my brother in law, who is out next weekend.
bon ski
CW
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| ww166no wrote: |
| midgetbiker wrote: |
| Quote: |
the Panoramique for the views (and the food)
|
I'ld heard the food had gone down now that Mr Moustache had sold up and moved on |
Is that so? I've never actually had more than a glass of wine there - just passing on your missus' recommendation! |
and she was spot on until this season, now apparently the place has changed hands, escalope savouyard is off the menu, and what replaces it is poor and served cold. BUT in fairness this is all second hand as i haven't made it there yet this season, and even if true it may just have been teething trouble.
when you go back to the flatlands shortly i shall descend on resort, check out the new menu at the Panoramique and report back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
I'm off back to the UK tomorrow to escape the madness that's half term. For all those coming out this weekend just one word of advice, it's COLD so pack your long johns and bring decent gloves for the kids. Have fun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Looking out the window I would suggest it will be more of the same for the morning at least.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
All (positive) snow reports really welcome this week - going out with a group of 15 to Chamonix on Sunday. Please tell me there's some snow left.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
how'd everyone get on today?
anyone score any epic powder runs,
we toured up above Vallorcine towards the Emosson Dam and found one pitch of great powder, very springy (not like the season, but bouncy), then headed down a big long couloir for some great and some ok snow.
we walked into Vallorcine and did a lap at le tour, busy pistes, and then traversed across off piste to drop into le buet where the car was parked. we found the odd great turn, but mostly it hadn't snowed enough to fill in, or it had been windscoured.
earlier in the day we had looked across to Grand Montets and watched tracks appear up high.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Back in cham. Went for a few runs at Les Houches. What a difference from a couple of weeks ago. The pistes were mainly hard, with some challenging pitches on steeper runs.
There are still a lot of folks around as its still half term in parts of France. At 10 o'clock the carparks were full. They put on additional carparks and a little bus. The best run
of the day was the home run were a combination of lower altitude and the sun softened the snow to almost spring like condition. I am off for a heli in italy tomorrow I
let you know how it goes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
A couple of images of the Vallee Blanche, which we skied on Saturday...
View of the head of the Vallee Blanche from the viewing platform of the Aiguille du Midi...
(Click for bigger version.) The arête is bottom-left and you can see the crowd of people re-grouping on the ledge and getting ready to ski down.
A closer view of the arête...
We took the zig-zag track down the Chamonix side, which was generally fine - although slippy in places. The Italian side steps looked steeper than I remember them from three years ago.
The guide (Jon Bracey from Vertigo Guides) had been planning on skiing the Petit Envers du Plan variant with us, but the cloud came down just as we got to the bottom of the arête and he decided to take the Gros Rognon variant as the route-finding is easier and less crevassed.
As you'd expect, the snow was pretty skied-out with lots of sastrugi on top. Further down, under the Gros Rognon, the snow was much better - cut up snow.
As one of those reminders of who is in charge, there was a serac collapse that crossed the main route down to skier's left of the Geant icefall whilst we were having lunch in the Requin Hut.
A random ice photo...
We skied all the way to Chamonix, which was a great thing to have done, but not something that I'll be repeating in a hurry as it was far more dangerous than being on the glacier.
I'd highly recommend Jon Bracey as a guide - calm, confident, but not full of his own self-importance. And a surprisingly skier for a guide!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FlyingStantoni, nice photos. +1 on the cham track, but you missed out on a heli trip. Montenvers was cut off by an avalanche and all the tourests had to be helied off on Sat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
