Think that's it for now, looking outside it's seems to have stopped and the radar pretty well confirms that.
Heavy snow now falling off the trees and will melt fast in the valley now judging by the temps.
Anyway looking on the bright side at least it was not rain
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Hells Bells wrote:
@FrediKanoute, how old are the children? What do you want to do apart from skiing?
Kids are 5, 7 & 8. They will all go to ski school in the morning and we will ski. Aside from that sledding, swimming ice skating?
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?
@FrediKanoute, and what time of year, school holidays?
High season in Villeneuve for the kids can be busy but they do lay on a lot of activities for them.
Every week torch light descents, flood lit skiing on the Mickey, then there's the ice skating rink next to the swimming pool, husky dog sled rides, evening ski-doo excursions along with the Ice racing motor circuit, and other ways of getting down the mountain such as Deval Bob luge run.
Plus good ski schools notably Ski Connections run by Davinia Turner caters really well for Brits
Yeah we stuck a bit with school holiday time. They skied in Meribel the half term just gone and loved it. We'd go back, but are keen to try something different.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@FrediKanoute, from various accounts, a few on here, Serre in half term is quiet compared to other more mainstream (French) resorts.
In Milan Airport, bit of an epic as chains supplied with hire car were wrong size! Montgenèvre was open mid afternoon. Snow this morning was simply epic, every piste was off piste and over knee deep in places, very entertaining and certainly a lot more than forecast and snow lower too. Cdb was a fitting finish to an epic few days. Thanks Serre che.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@scottishandy,
After all it is free
After all it is free
No blasting going on this morning which suggests that again maybe top lifts might not open.
And was a worry that wind might be an issue as it was breezy late afternoon (as is so often the case after a dump) but good to see very calm this morning, and yesterday's snow came from the South.
Son of a friend yesterday managed to loose a ski on the piste and had to walk back down!
Will go up on first lifts to see what it's like, I'm expecting it to be heavy (judging by snow in the valley) but hope to be wrong, but temps are already +2.5
Avy risk same as yesterday 4 on all aspects at all altitudes and Lautaret is open
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Weathercam wrote:
@FrediKanoute, and what time of year, school holidays?
High season in Villeneuve for the kids can be busy but they do lay on a lot of activities for them.
Every week torch light descents, flood lit skiing on the Mickey, then there's the ice skating rink next to the swimming pool, husky dog sled rides, evening ski-doo excursions along with the Ice racing motor circuit, and other ways of getting down the mountain such as Deval Bob luge run.
Plus good ski schools notably Ski Connections run by Davinia Turner caters really well for Brits
Thanks for the info. So you would suggest Villeneuve as a base?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Was surprised to see and hear that they opened up Eychauda on a risk 4 day and an instructor I know took great delight in telling me how he got first tracks down there.
We headed over to Briancon taking some tree runs in en route, then at top of Prorel we did the old Clausas run trying to get back to the base of the old Rocher Blanc chair.
Then we stayed over that side as it was pretty empty doing some lines I've never done before coming back to telecabine mid station two or three times.
Cloud / fog kept coming and going and viz was an issue that kept us in the trees and temps were all over the place.
And the debate was that all though we were skiing fresh, and very good it was, we would not describe it as powder, as there was no tell tale "smoke" hanging in the air after turns which we've had so often this season!
But think we're being uber fussy and critical, though suppose the fact that we did not take any pictures / video sort of confirms it.
@FrediKanoute, and yes, though if you drive out you have more options, but it does make a good base, especially with kids.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Mon 12-03-18 14:27; edited 1 time in total
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Suggestions for a 1 day trip to SC - reckoning that a 1 day ski pass and kit hire for a family of 5 is going to cost me almost as much as a week, can anyone suggest an activity for a short day/afternoon which doesn't need a lift pass or skis?
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.
@FrediKanoute, we have had a week in Serre Chevalier every Easter most years in the past decade and have always stayed in Monetier (for various reasons) but mainly because we've settled into renting a property right by the lifts which just makes life super easy (same set of buildings as @Hells Bells signature links to - Chamoissiere).
Having the car means we can drive down to Villeneuve or Chantermerle and usually do at least once in the week to start the day's skiing from those stations, which makes for a nice change of scenery.
It may well be better to be in Villeneuve, we wouldn't know as we've never done it - but our experience in Monetier has always been great, and as our kids have been taught by Gav @ New Gen we're at the right station for that ski school.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Weathercam wrote:
Was surprised to see and hear that they opened up the Eychauda drag lift on a risk 4 day and an instructor I know took great delight in telling me how he got first tracks down there.
Not as surprised as the snowboarder some friends of mine witnessed get caught in an avalanche in the couloirs to skiers R just off the top of the lift, he was swept down over 150m over a 30m cliff and a pisteur had seen the slide and started looking for him near the bottom, he and my friends dug the guy out, alive but not in great shape, blue lips etc.....Apparently the rescue guys suspected internal bleeding and he was rushed to hospital.
Oh, and he was carrying no transceiver, had an airbag but it wasn't deployed............
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
we've been skiing in Puy St Vincent today and noticed that they have got a ski randonee climbing track going from 1400 to the top of le rocher noir. Given the conditions this might be our only safe option for a ski tour this week. Does anyone know if there is anything similar in any of the SC areas?
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
willh wrote:
@FrediKanoute, we have had a week in Serre Chevalier every Easter most years in the past decade and have always stayed in Monetier (for various reasons) but mainly because we've settled into renting a property right by the lifts which just makes life super easy (same set of buildings as @Hells Bells signature links to - Chamoissiere).
Having the car means we can drive down to Villeneuve or Chantermerle and usually do at least once in the week to start the day's skiing from those stations, which makes for a nice change of scenery.
It may well be better to be in Villeneuve, we wouldn't know as we've never done it - but our experience in Monetier has always been great, and as our kids have been taught by Gav @ New Gen we're at the right station for that ski school.
Thanks, that is really useful. Our kids were at New Gen in Meribel this year and they really enjoyed it, so for us this is an important consideration. I guess its just weighing up all the litttle variables.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@FrediKanoute, Gavin Crosby of New Gen Serre Chevalier is also a snowHead, and is very very good.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Check with New Gen as we have just discovered that they are just teaching from Monetier the week we are out there.
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?
It is usual for New Gen to teach from Monetier, as that is their base.
Suggestions for a 1 day trip to SC - reckoning that a 1 day ski pass and kit hire for a family of 5 is going to cost me almost as much as a week, can anyone suggest an activity for a short day/afternoon which doesn't need a lift pass or skis?
The baths at Monetier. Brilliant hot spring complex.
Hopefully slight tail wind for the outward leg and don't mind a headwind for the return.
Du soleil et des températures douces, 0 degrés aux Guibertes aujourd'hui, le domaine Nordique de Serre Chevalier a été damé ce matin sauf le secteur des Boussardes et l'itinéraire de la Rétro Classique (risque avalancheux encore trop élevé).
La qualité de la neige ce mardi ne permettra pas une glisse parfaite.
Ce matin la neige sur les pistes est douce mais à gros grains et va très vite réchauffée au vue de la douceur ambiante!!!
Fair amount of blasting going on this morning over Vallons way from the sounds of things - and earlier sounded like they were bombing from a heli, maybe taking no chances after yesterday's incident.
Forecast looking forward still looks like winter, no sign of Spring
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
.
Quote:
It is usual for New Gen to teach from Monetier, as that is their base.
They do have both Vilneuve and Monetier on their website.. So worth checking?
After all it is free
After all it is free
90% of the time Gavin starts his day in Monetier as hubby often joins him for a coffee before he starts teaching. If you're booking him for a full day private, that is probably a different matter.
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Hi All - what are current conditions like - is it worth booking an off piste week for next week or is the off piste not all that good at the moment, ie icy, hard etc etc! Thanks
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@BMG, difficult call - snowing with wet heavy snow again today, we're hoping enough to cover tracks from the last three or four days.
Then tomorrow should be good here if that is the case, and then it's the weekend so many locals will be tracking things out probably not leaving much for next week.
And forecast next week currently looks like a return to winter but not too much in the way of snow, so not too sure what to advise.
As long as it's not too warm tomorrow snow should stay cold above 1800 and maybe a bit hard and cruddy lower down.
Who are you thinking of booking with UCPCA ?
Just hope they all go to LG tomorrow didn't seem them yesterday there.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Weathercam, Yeah, with UCPA. Think I might have left it a bit late this year unfort - that and availability has been hard to get last minute. Lucky I got 4 (sadly only 4 this season) awesome days in Dec.
Decisions, decisions...not to sure if I'm keen to splash £1300 on an average /potentially crusty week
Thanks for the on the ground info, much better than snow reports!
Cheers
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.
Was snowing all morning, wet heavy snow but we went up the hill and were more than pleasantly surprised at the quality of the snow, which was waist deep in places and so light.
Headed off to our usual stashes and as it was lunch lifts were so empty, so did a fair number of laps in the trees.
Took a mate with us who is not exactly an accomplished off piste powder skier, we went with him a few days ago and was not that successful so this time he used some old twin tip skis of mine, 104mm wide that always seems to bring the inner kid out in you.
And with @KenX, in sweeper mode most of the time, between us he really moved on (note his pole position), and what was brilliant he had a real gung ho attitude (the skis) he must have wiped out almost into double figs but he did believe in the old adage "speed is your friend".
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Big question was where to go today to be safe and make the most of the conditions as well as what lifts would be open.
We headed for Monetier and were a little disappointed to see a large number of tracks leading down the old piste which meant people had been skiing Cretes des Lauzieres yesterday.
At the top of the Bachas you could see the massive avalanche activity on the Cibouit, I though it must have been controlled but evidently was natural (see snow and avalanche thread for photo and link to news story).
We still decided to give the Crete a go and sure enough was a little tracked but powder was deep and fluffy and as we skied down we went off away from the tracks and scored untracked on the bottom half.
Then what to do?
I had a cunning plan, as the link to Villeneuve was closed it would mean not that many would be coming over to Monetier.
So we left one car in Monetier and drove back to Villeneuve where we did a few runs prior to taking Vallons and then climbing Cucumelle to ski back down to Monetier with only one group having done it, bit of a result, especially for a Friday!
That said we did see that the Yret opened up and our mates did have two great Montagnolle runs when we all bumped into each other in the Halte and had a few beers
Yesterday did have the GoPro but it was playing up, but managed to film the "delicate passage" off the Crete into the trees below.
It's actually way better when it's relatively untracked, as like yesterday when it's quite tracked you can pick too much speed up and there are very steep drops either side (13-14secs in), not one of my OH's favourites !!
Been snowing on and off all morning, at times really heavy but not actually laying though should imagine some accumulation higher up and should make the Serre Grand Prix today interesting up high!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Parked in Chantemerle this morning, bone dry...
Looked up toward the mid-station, murky as hell.....
Got to mid-station, snowing heavily and scored some great boot-deep in the trees above Serre Ratier!
Should be good tomorrow, still snowing here
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Off out this morning by 10am, as it was one of those beautiful sunny days where you feel blessed to be alive and out skiing. Quick blast around the top of Monetier, then across the link onto Vallons de Cucumelle. Morning coffee stop at Le Pi Mai, then down the piste du Bez to the Casse du Boeuf chairlift. Across to Serre Ratier, then to Prorel. Down Saludes, then hung a right onto Eduits and down to the Aguilette chair. Snow was amazing, although it was unusually busy, the very slow chair back up keeps most folks away. From the top of Aguilete, we headed back to the foot of Prorel and down Vallons back to Serre Ratier for a lunch stop. Post lunch, we headed back over to Monetier to deserted pistes. Then picked up the dawgs and a chilled driink in the sun on the terrace of WiiSkii as the sun began to slip behind the mountains. Pistes are in amazing condition, and should be plenty of snow right into April. No ice or even slush yet.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Thanks Hells Bells, was watching the webcams while "Working" today, looked lovely.
Heading out on Friday so I hope it stays nice for then.
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?
Just hoping the rest of the week delivers weather like that.
How often do we see overcast skies etc to get nigh on 85% sunshine in the valley with clouds surrounding us?
Big question is now, how long do we have to wait for all important Spring Snow.
Texts / WhatsApp flying around as to what to do tomorrow.
Skied some new terrain terrain and potential is amazing but I've been sworn to secrecy!
Reason for it being mildly busy, 800 Polish are spread across the valley!
Weathercam, yes, I saw a Facebook live video of some of them in apres mode at La Grote. Are they going to be there next week?
Not judging, been there, done that, many moons ago
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
TheDT's wrote:
Weathercam, yes, I saw a Facebook live video of some of them in apres mode at La Grote. Are they going to be there next week?
Not judging, been there, done that, many moons ago
Mate who runs the Grotte is not complaining though! Should imagine that there will be another batch next week as well
Today again not a cloud in the sky and it's minus 8, and maybe we're preempting things by a few days, but we're going to try and find some spring though I suspect we'll end up doing a North facing tour up near the Col.
Hopefully by the end of the week it's looking like full on Spring touring, though we're making plans for Thurs and Fri which is always a good way to make God laugh.
Still cold though and will be interesting to see what temps reach on our patio (not in direct sunshine forecast is circa -5) this afternoon, though forecast is for more cloud later, and differing forecasts for tomorrow with a few predicting snow, I'll go with yr.no which is being more optimistic
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Borough, as in "Middlesborough" cos that's where he's from.......
Or Middlesboro'........
After all it is free
After all it is free
Or Steven as his Mum likes to call him!
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 25 year old English guy fell off the Casse du Boeuf chairlift yesterday despite the safety bar being down......
Apparently he had an epileptic fit and slid under the bar, then dropping 8m to the ground.
He sustained injuries to his spine, lungs and liver, hopefully will recover OK........
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@KenX, paper says he is in a critical condition in Marseille.
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