 Poster: A snowHead
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Trip report: ski tour to (almost) Col Tuckett
Big day out today, with over 2,000m of vertical ascent. Left Monetier in the dark, had a gorgeous sunrise with pink mountains turning golden while we were skinning up the Montagnole traverse, then made fresh tracks for 1,500m of vertical. The steep section to get on the glacier was a bit dodge. We went on the gully on the right as that seemed safest given conditions. Then skied about 50m away from the Col. The Col itself was looking like a deathtrap: steep, and with the lower half of the slope missing as it had avalanched, so the top half was hanging over air. Did not fancy it.
The descent was lovely - there was over 30cm of fresh powder at altitude (was expecting 5 to 10 given the forecasts, so that was a lovely surprise). On the steep section came down just to the left (looking down) of the ski tour line on the IGN map. The snow was transformed lower down, but all very good skiing until the bottom of the Montagnole: a mix of powder, transformed powder and a bit of spring skiing all the way down. Not one bad bit until the flat section of the Montagnole: that was on heavy, sticky snow.
We were alone all day in the entire valley/mountain area, except for 3 people far away who used our tracks and eventually went to the Col du Monetier.
With temperatures sky rocketing, unsure there will be much powder left. And we'll need to go very high for any chance at spring skiing given where the freezing line is.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@wimpytwo, big day indeed, good work 
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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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More powder tomorrow? Will be my last day touring in Serre Chevalier, nice to finish with yet more snow. Today was a rest day while it rained incessantly. Over the weekend we went high, staying a night at the Glacier Blanc hut and another at the Ecrins hut, doing a couple of peaks in the area. Some nice spring snow, some horrible icy crusty horror, some melting slushy softness - a bit of everything.
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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Good that you'll be back for the end of the season @weathercam. Hope the UK goes okay. I'll be going back next week. Before that a bit of mountaineering on the Swiss/Italian border, going to try to go up a few 4,000m peaks to finish off the season.
Today was decidedly wintry. Windy and cold - one of the coldest days of the season (in mid April!) We went up a few things from the Lautaret. It was empty. No-one on Cote Plaine, or on the col between Trois Eveches and Pic Blanc - or anywhere in the entire valley. The snow was a bit heavy from the wind. So not perfect powder, but still pretty nice.
I'll be checking out the pistes tomorrow before heading off on Friday. Warmer and calmer, should be a good day of piste skiing. Maybe with a bit of off piste here and there.
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We skied for a week in Serre Chevalier recently at the end of March. Talking to the hotel manager in Briançon, he said that all snowmaking stopped mid-March. I can understand that there is a point in late season when the benefits are limited because everything will soon be closed anyway. Also conventional snowmaking is only possible when temperatures drop below freezing, but he stated that it was a legal requirement that applied to Serre Chevalier along with all French resorts.
Is this really the case?
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@bolderz, it is often too warm for snowmaking by then anyway, but there may be energy-saving and water-saving regulations coming into play.
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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 had to fly back to the UK at short notice on Tuesday and then returned yesterday, Saturday, and the temp on the SnowCab van was showing 26 and I was none too surprised having been keeping tabs on the forecast etc
However, the temp driving around the top of Briancon was still 25 - I've never known Turin & Briancon temps be so similar.
And walking down to the 1420 last evening I was just in T-shirt & summer shoes etc and even walking back was still mild.
Saturday is very much the end of season party day/night and it did look like the 1420 was gearing up to be a good night as we left.
We went up from Aravet at 09:00 to make the most of the pistes before the sun softened them up to much, and looked like there had been a basket-ball thing going on at Aravet 2000 yesterday which they were starting to pack away.
Met fellow geezonaires at Ratier at 09:45 after a few lovely deserted runs and then under Les Combes chair spotted my first marmot of the season, and then a few more more up the Grand Serre.
Finished up with drinks at the Ratier and then we had to ski back to Aravet from there and again deserted.
We then tooks the dogs up to the lakes beyond Monetier and walked up to Le Casset and back, and I've never seen the torrents so full of water and the Durance was positively raging. Dogs loved being able to cool down and it was really like high summer!
Back on the terrace temp has just hot 26.22 and the sensor is in the shade of the eves!
Forecast is for more cooler temps mid week so points to hopefully good ski-touring, though I'm a tad concerned about all the Saharan Sand and what that will do, and then as ever where to go?
So maybe road bike up the Granon tomorrow to scope out what the access is like as from the pistes of Serre it look like one blob of snow on the road which you might not be able to drive through/over and then two km of tarmac before the snow-line, perfect for me if just on the e-mtb but not good for OH !
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi all
Just wondering if anyone has stayed at The Grand Hotel (specifically their connected Chalets) ?
If so, any feedback/reviews would be greatly appreciated!
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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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@grrr, it's just undergone an extensive refurb, and the chalets are brand new in the past 12 months or so I think.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| @grrr, it's just undergone an extensive refurb, and the chalets are brand new in the past 12 months or so I think. |
Thanks; what’s it like as a location (if we don’t have a car), in terms of access to dining in Briancon etc ?
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You know it makes sense.
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There are ski buses running until late evening up and down the valley
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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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@grrr, and plenty of dining where you are too.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Is anyone still ski touring out there? I'm heading back to the area in a couple of weeks for what was meant to be summer mountaineering. But i see there is still huge amounts of snow and wondering whether to bring my skis. Again.
I've never skied that late in the year. I imagine it's pretty grim, soft and slushy from early to mid morning once the summer sun gets going?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We've just had a bonkers 36 hours of rain, and that's after a very wet period anyway, in fact the weather since the middle of April has been very unseasonal / not the norm, or is it the new normal in terms of extremes?
And the main road to the Lautaret is currently blocked due to a landslide.
May was ridiculously wet and mild, (a friend said the worst she's known for the 35 years she's been here) when we were looking forward to a great ski-touring season it never happened, as we never got the necessary freeze-thaw conditions, but throughout May there was snow at altitude (above circa 3,300m) adding to the already above average snow accumulations, and that together with the rain has caused chaotic conditions and unfortunately fatalities, which now stand at five from rafting and kayaking in the raging rivers.
It's also affected the many rafting and kayaking operations throughout all of our region, Hautes Alpes 05 as many remain closed, and then as an almost bizarre effect, Lac Serre Poncon levels have been artificially kept low to allow for the predicted melt and rainwater to flood down the Durance & Ubaye rivers.
We're actually back from a two-week holiday down at Embrun, more on that here and having a Summer holiday in the Mountains, though one would hope for better weather; and these conditions have also affected the fabled thermal winds, and more!
Have also set up a new webcam as the old one finally packed up.
We're here for another couple of weeks and the first week of July sees the tour race through the valley and when they close the Cols (Cols Reserves) in the mornings to traffic so you can ride the legendary Cols of the Galibier, Izoard etc in comparative tranquillity.
Valley restos and cafes slowly prepping for the Summer season with most open by this weekend, though with this weather !!!
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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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@Weathercam, the poor weather is not doing much for my weekenders who usuall book last minute. Absolutely zilch in May and June, and summer bookings poor too. Last summer was mental in comparison.
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FAQ
