 Poster: A snowHead
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@BoldSeagull, right
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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When do I start getting interested / panicked for our trip to Les Carroz on 01 April? A lot of weather between now and then right? (first trip skiing )
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Exactly, plenty of time. But honestly the pistes up high and in Flaine are skiing great and I don't imagine they'll deteriorate that much over the next three weeks as long as we get a few refreshes here and there and not a massive heat wave. Even then the base is huge up top and they have done a brilliant job managing the snow and the pistes this season.
The lower stuff is very hit or miss and it's what is obviously the most changeable over the next few weeks - I don't imagine you'll be skiing down to Les Carroz 1200 or Les Esserts in Morillon, but you'll probably still be able to get down to Les Carroz 1500 and everything above that. And where you can't ski down you can download on the lift.
It can get a bit wild if everybody in the whole domain is heading to Flaine and back each day, but that is the price of admission I'm afraid. I don't know your skiing level but once you make it past the connectors, that can get moguled during high temps and high traffic, there's plenty of stuff to keep you entertained up high. And last year we got some amazing snow in April so anything can happen!
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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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When do I start getting interested / panicked for our trip to Les Carroz on 01 April? A lot of weather between now and then right? (first trip skiing  )
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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April 1st should be perfectly fine for Grand Massif. Granted, if in Les Carroz (or Morillons, or Samoens), without new snow there's a risk of hitting long queues in Vernant in the morning, and a crowded DMC in Flaine (the return is more staggered). But tbh there's no point panicking about it now, way too early.
Snowise? I checked - last year I was ski toured in Flaine on May 6th, I think they had already cosed for 1-2 weeks.
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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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Epic bluebird day at Flaine today, it doesn't get much better than this. Started in the long queue at Samoens but was able to move through pretty quickly, the pros of being on a solo powder mission. Headed straight over to Flaine and the Veret tire-fesse had just opened as I was coming down Tourmaline, I was probably the 10th person up there and got beautiful fresh tracks in some amazing snow. Was going to do a repeat but I had a hunch Gers would be opening and so made a bee-line for the top. DMC line was ridiculously long and yet there was nobody on the Tete des Verds chairlift and Diamont Noir line wasn't too bad yet. Asked the liftie on top if Gers was open and he gave me a cool "bientôt" and it was officially on.
Snow was great in Gers, about 20 cm of medium heavy powder on a nice crust. It skied like a dream. Did laps in the bowl until my legs didn't work anymore and the place was tracked out and then cruised my way back to Morillon for my ride home.
The whole domain seems pretty crowded right now imo, many more people than I expected, even on a gorgeous day like today. It looks to me to be lots of French families of beginner-intermediate ski level on rental skis - so I'm guessing not from here, but I don't know where they are coming from as all the vacances are done at this point. I'm a bit puzzled at the source of the crowds but who knows. I should start practicing my French on the lift rides I guess. 
Tomorrow will be another good day, off-piste mainly tracked out by now but the pistes are skiing very well!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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and a crowded DMC in Flaine
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Pro-tip that I like reminding folks on here - you don't have to take the DMC to get to the top. You can also link the telesièges, starting with the Tete des Verds and then going right to Diamont Noir to get all the way up to Grandes Platières or Desert Blanc on the left if you're just trying to get to the top of Lucifer, Crystal, Serpentine, or even Gers. From the top of Diamont Noir you can take Amethyst over to Mephisto Superieur and link to Lindars, Lapiaz, and the Veran sector. And if you need food, bathroom, or a coffee you can sidestep up 10 meters to the restau or even better take your skis off and hike it. 
Yes the chairlifts are technically slower than the DMC without accounting for wait time, but it's very rare that the DMC is un-crowded enough to make the whole trip actually faster. I only take the DMC if there's no express line and I can literally just walk right on.
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Was only there for a few days but with big queues definitely found that worked @coldrainsnow
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@coldrainsnow, Sadly all the vacances are not over. The holidays have extended to this weekend for some of the bigger regions. If you go into any car park you will see that the vast majority of cars do not have 74 showing on their number plates. It has to be school holidays given the whole area looks like a primary school outing! Roll on next week.
I have been told that it will be the same next year. Also one of the ski shops thinks that it will be a similar situation in the summer during the Olympics. Apparently those who own Alpine property are getting out and renting their Paris apartments.
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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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@ian999, haha I figured it out!! I should have looked at the handy Snowheads Euro vacation chart before.... Marseille is in town lol, and maybe a bit of Nice too. It all makes so much sense now....
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It looks to me to be lots of French families of beginner-intermediate ski level on rental skis
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As long as nobody tells them you don't have to take the DMC to get to the top we'll be okay.
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Anybody still in town?
Pretty decent day today although the weather and vis was iffy at times. I started on Tete des Saix with the black Corbalanche, which had a bit of nice snow on top of very icy moguls. Hoping things got better higher I headed over to Flaine and the snow was very nice in parts, about 5-10cm depending on where you were. Fog and clouds were looming but there were pockets of decent clarity and after four weeks of vacances it was finally not crowded!!! I couldn't see up top so mainly kept it to the lower half of the bowl in the trees, got fresh tracks and the snow was really good. Around midi it was snowing pretty good at the top with basically zero vis. I paused to eat my sandwich and then was messing around over next to Lucifer and they put the Gers Open sign up, which I almost didn't believe, but sure enough they opened it up and the skies cleared just in time. I had to make the bus back down the hill so only got two runs in the Gers but they were really good, about 10-20cm of snow depending on where you were and the place was basically empty. Some big plaques looking ready to slide on the cliffs surrounding the bowl, and there's a big slide in the middle of the "piste" area that's fully roped off which was confusing people last weekend. You can traverse around it easily enough but today you couldn't see the debris field under the fresh snow.
Maybe a little bit more snow tomorrow and then Wed + Thurs looking good?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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@FreestyleAl, nice, thanks for the report. I'll be up there tomorrow afternoon with my boys!!!
I love Chamois when it's fresh!!!
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Heading over tonight with my 10yrs old who is racing in the ESF Nationals in Les Carroz tomorrow to Saturday. Given where the races are, I think Les Carroz will be practically shut for the duration. Hoping for Gers to open - it would not be fair if the young one gets all the fun and I am stuck lapping slushy piste snow... Forecasts look dodgy, sadly 
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You know it makes sense.
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Headed up for the afternoon on Wednesday, and wow March Spring skiing is in full effect, even after the bit of snow we got on Monday. It's amazing how much stronger the sun is now than in January and the warm temps certainly don't help.
Slushy heavy snow pretty much all around, even up high at Flaine. It was still skiable and might have even been decent early in the day. Gers was open but my little guy brought his old skis that are too small and skinny for him and was just not having any fun trying to muscle through the heavy snow. It was pretty tracked out but there were still some fresh lines available, especially if you were willing to go off-piste high on the sides and often near the plaques. Far far skier's left still looked pretty good as it's in the shade all day, but also takes you pretty close to some giant plates that look ready to slide. We ended up sticking closer to Lucifer on some of the side-piste there and it was fun. The pistes in Flaine are still holding up well, anything lower than 1600-ish is starting to hurt depending on exposure. It is definitely feeling close to the end of the season but maybe we'll have an April miracle.
@cheburator congrats on the kid making Nats! Hope you have fun, they've been keeping Gers open lately and Lindars has been skiing well too. If you can make it over to Flaine you'll find something. If you're stuck in Les Carroz, well I'm not so sure........ if you make it out today lemme know how it's holding up as I have a mate that wants to go tomorrow, and we haven't skied together in a while, but I'm kind of dragging given the current conditions.
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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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Skied today in Flaine and the 4 Villages. Snow in Flaine is holding up well and the slopes were reasonably quiet although the rest of the Grand Massif seemed to be skiing against us as we headed over from Flaine first thing. Morillon 1100 is a mud bath, Sairon closed at the bottom section with a diversion onto Marvel where you have take off your skis and trek through mud for the last 0.5k, never seen it like that (20 years and counting) and pity anyone who is arriving this weekend. Les Carroz runs are ok up high but again no skiing down to village level. Samoens was fine with Aigle noir a highlight. Maybe rain tomorrow evening in Flaine and some forecast next week….
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Faust1, yeah I downloaded a couple weeks ago from the top of Sauron because I didn't want to get muddy and last week from the top of Kedeuze. Wanted to hit Aigle Noir on Wednesday because the snow looked decent up there but my little guy was super tired so we just went straight back to the car.
I'm hoping that rain last night left a little bit of snow up high? I'm aiming to head out on Tuesday, either Flaine or maybe even Grands Montets if the snowline stays as high as predicted. I'd still love to get one more good day in this season.... Google Photos popped up an image from 15/3 last year and we had a really nice powder dump and fresh tracks!!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@coldrainsnow, It did leave a few cm of powder which made for a decent day today. Not too busy either with a good amount of sunshine. The coming week should be a good one if in Flaine…
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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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Flaine was super Saturday morning, enough top up to get fresh tracks in Gers all morning with decent quality snow on the first half, bottom half was wet and heavy going. Diamant noir was also great early but tracked out quick as you would expect.
The less said about lower than about 1800m the better, suffice to say downloading Sairon to get back to Morillon looks like a grim mud fest but its not end of world, connections to Flaine weren't busy, so just head there early and stay in Flaine all day.
I am coming back for Easter, confident there will be enough slush at Flaine, the long range weather doesn't look promising for any last minute top ups though.
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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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Flaine was super Saturday morning, enough top up to get fresh tracks in Gers all morning with decent quality snow on the first half, bottom half was wet and heavy going. Diamant noir was also great early but tracked out quick as you would expect.
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@dozofoz, nice, glad you got some good runs in. I tried to motivate my teenager to head up but he was too sleepy lol.
Looks like we'll get some precip on Monday, here's hoping the temp drops just a wee bit more than predicted....
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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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@coldrainsnow, do you happen to sport a green helmet?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@coldrainsnow, do you happen to sport a green helmet?
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nope, not me! boring black helmet but I usually have a bright red shell on.
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Saw a chap and son carving down track by Tourmaline this morning and thought it might be you!
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Tried skiing against the flow and headed from Flaine to Samöens. Cafe at Le Châlet but Marvel closed above Bergin. Lap at very top of Morillon then skied to Coulouvrier and over to 1600.
Fancied lunch at Grand Crêt restaurant near marker 17 just off piste of same name.
Went round fermée banner and patchy snow, but wife bailed at mud so headed down Aouïa. Around marker 13 the snow finishes, so skis off until start of snow cannons near 8.
There really isn’t much to ski now outside Flaine area.
Headed back for plat du jour at Blanchôt and pootled for a few runs and home.
Could really do with some fresh!
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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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Back from Etoile D'Or in Les Carroz last night. Thoroughly enjoyable 4 days with the 10yrs old. He did alright - came 5th in the "Biathlon" event and mid-field in the GS races, which isn't bad for a first ever competition. The skiing itself - great if you are an early riser, but a bit wet and slushy if you leave it past 12:00pm. Managed to make some off-piste tracks off Grand Platieres on Saturday. Marmottes and Agile Noir in Samoens were also lovely throughout, especially that there were no people. Heading back out on the Thursday before Good Friday, and I am quietly confident that Flaine would still have some great skiing left. May not be the amazing off-piste fest we had last Easter, but who knows - it only took 2 days of 20cm each - to refill Gers at the time.
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| martinperry wrote: |
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| martinperry wrote: |
Not weather related!
Going to Club Med, Samoens next week and in view of 2 completely stuffed knees, unlikely to do much skiing!
Does anyone have info on bike hire operating this time of year?
Found Les Carroz outfit, but cant see that being viable.
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Extreme Glisses is at the bottom of the GME gondola https://www.xtremeglisses-samoens.com/en/ |
Thanks. Contacted - lets see what happens - will probably dump right down into the valley now!!! |
Just for reference, Extreme Glisses wont hire bikes in winter - Recommended Precision Ski in Morillon - electric only!
Stupid really given that there was no snow below about 1300M . Business lost - very French!!
Did a lot of walking!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Cheated on GM today and went with a buddy up to Grands Montets, were hoping we could get high enough for good snow but since we weren't touring and sticking to the lifts it was tough. Snow was very good above 2300m or so, and pretty miserable rain crust, chop, and ice below. I saw on a few models that maybe the rain came in a bit colder in Flaine - anybody out there today? How did it fair?
Fingers crossed that this weekend keeps looking like it's looking!!!!
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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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In Flaine there was an inch or two of fresh on top of old, wet and frozen snow.
Fairly hard on legs first thing.
Top 300m or so was soft and off piste rather nice, but below that the frozen ruts dictated a swift exit to the nearest piste.
Combo of skiers' right of Lucifer joining Belzebuth for a fast and deserted carve was sweet.
By 1 the sun had baked the snow on Chamonix side of Mephisto Superieure, and especially Fred straight off top of Lindars Nord lift, and latter was skiing like 8 inches of fresh. Needless to say we did laps. Returned after 3 but by then things had cooled and some stickiness developing, so only two laps.
With all the sun a lot of fun!!
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@BAN, nice, appreciate the report and glad you had a good day out there! conditions sound exactly like they were at Montets lol. hey if you can't have fun skiing then you're doing something wrong.
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You know it makes sense.
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@coldrainsnow, Ta for that. Irony have been saying to wife we ought to consider Grands Montets. I assumed that there being a lot more vertical above 2200 you'd have had more scope there. Is there a key lift out of action?
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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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@coldrainsnow, Ta for that. Irony have been saying to wife we ought to consider Grands Montets. I assumed that there being a lot more vertical above 2200 you'd have had more scope there. Is there a key lift out of action?
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Well the lift up to the very top has been out for 4 years now I think, since it burned in a fire. So you can only get up to 2765 with the second lift right now. You can skin up higher than that and head back down the glacier (the old point du vue route) or go up and over col du passon and end up in le Tour. There were dozens of folks doing that today and it seemed like the best move, I bet the snow up there was fantastic (although the descent back into le Tour would have been a bit thin). I think they recently got approved to start rebuilding the lift. Who knows, sometimes once they actually start those projects it goes quite quickly....
I try to head up there a few times a year for a change of scenery, and after a fresh dump it can be really fabulous as the mountain is basically one blank slate, although it gets tracked out ridiculously quickly so close to Chamonix. In general though I much prefer Flaine - more variety and a little easier to find good snow somewhere like you did on Fred, and a crowded Gers on a powder day is nothing compared to a crowded Grands Montets.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@coldrainsnow, It's a helluva long time not to be able to access the top. Was there some type of planning hold up?
I imagine skiing on the glacier would be great, but a mate says there are lots of holes (I've never been).
Amazing vertical, so must be epic when snow fresh!
One of the instructors I know here did say the crowds in Grands Montets are de trop!
Hoping for Gers to reopen as haven't skied there since 2022!!
Some lovely snow today for first 200m off most of the top ridges. Wanted to drop further off Fred, because I THINK you can join Mephisto Superieure, but not quite sure the route and didn't fancy walking out without skins.
Also lovely snow underneath top of Aup de Veran skier's left on M. Inferieure.
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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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@BAN, insurance companies refused to pay 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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Hello how are the lower nursery slopes in flaine holding up, going next week to get our 10yo and 8yo out for the first time
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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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Hello how are the lower nursery slopes in flaine holding up, going next week to get our 10yo and 8yo out for the first time
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most models have snow coming in to pretty low levels this weekend, so your timing might be perfect!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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They'll have to get things going if they want to finish it this year!!!
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Hoping for Gers to reopen as haven't skied there since 2022!!
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Has it not been open this week? I'm hoping to get in there at least one more time with some fresh this season!!! Fingers crossed this weekend forecast holds up...
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Some lovely snow today for first 200m off most of the top ridges. Wanted to drop further off Fred, because I THINK you can join Mephisto Superieure, but not quite sure the route and didn't fancy walking out without skins.
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Skier's left or right from the top? You can go hard left from the top of the lift and ride the combe down to the piste which can be very nice in good snow. Those are the tracks you can see from Grandes Platieres if you look across to Lindars. Skier's right would take you off the backside there.... I too am not quite sure it goes without some uphill. Never done it from there. Easier is to head off from the DMC, just keep going straight and work your way down gently to the right... you can connect back where Mephisto Superieur takes the hard right turn down the steep pitch and around the corner. There are some large holes back there but they are obvious and easy to avoid.
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| coldrainsnow wrote: |
They'll have to get things going if they want to finish it this year!!!
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Hoping for Gers to reopen as haven't skied there since 2022!!
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Has it not been open this week? I'm hoping to get in there at least one more time with some fresh this season!!! Fingers crossed this weekend forecast holds up...
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Some lovely snow today for first 200m off most of the top ridges. Wanted to drop further off Fred, because I THINK you can join Mephisto Superieure, but not quite sure the route and didn't fancy walking out without skins.
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I too am not quite sure it goes without some uphill. Never done it from there. Easier is to head off from the DMC, just keep going straight and work your way down gently to the right... you can connect back where Mephisto Superieur takes the hard right turn down the steep pitch and around the corner. There are some large holes back there but they are obvious and easy to avoid. |
Some lovely off-piste, but to take full advantage, ideally you would be skinning up for about 200m vertical to rejoin Mephisto S where it takes the hard right
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@coldrainsnow, I meant off backside. I could handle a little walking. Have gone left of lift and uphill of Fred and down to meet it again after it turns left. Has been good and bad this trip, depending on how far you go and sun. Fred down to M. Superieure after the right turn can be nice, but not done for a while.
Hoping for Gers on Sunday or Monday…
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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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@cheburator, That is how I remember it!
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Skied the 4Villages today. Below 1500m is pretty awful by early afternoon. The run down to Les molliets was a brown moguled slush fest covered with people who had fallen. Sairon from le chalet is ok but beyond the Burgin lift is again a narrow, brown mess. The chars piste down to the coulouvrier lift is in really bad shape with huge stones and earth patches. Can’t see anything ‘low’ staying open for much longer with current weather, hoping the upcoming cold snap will help!
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