 Poster: A snowHead
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PhillipStanton, zzz, , Thanks for all the help and reports fellas , really looking forward to our trip - I might even ski past you at some stage 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm sporting lime green ski boots, a red ski jacket and a blue helmet with a silver streak on it...
...so I'm hard to miss.
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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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PhillipStanton, We were also about to join the horrendous queue this morning but were tipped off by ESF and locals that opening was not imminent and skipped over to the Super Morzine. This (the Ardent bubble) thing happens a few times each season and 2 years ago it actually gave up for nearly a week. if you are on your way up in the car look out for the 74 plates driving like loonies back down - it's the instructors (french) harring round to Prodains so they don't miss their lessons.
Had a great ski this morning on the Linga side - some good off piste and not too many rocks - just the one by thigh came into contact with and am now seriously considering impact shorts!
Off to Pleney side tomorrow (I am helping out at the local school this week with my daughters class who have skiing all week) to see how it is holding up and for lunch at the Vaffieu!
Will update later tomorrow or Sat am.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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PhillipStanton, Lime green ! won't get a chance to pass you then as I'll have stopped to be sick !!
Thanks also to snowandtrek, for your reports
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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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I'm coming out to Morzine on Saturday, with all the family (mum and dad, bro, his wife and kids, my wife and kid) ((it seemed like a good idea when I booked it!!)). Anyway, I've skied all my life and am not bad at boarding. My brother just boards so I said I would do a couple of days with him (on a board). The only thing is I hate all the flat bits. As a few of you obviously know the place very well, where would you say is the best uninterrupted run, more reds and blacks the better!
Also, would you recommend hiring skis or taking your own. I did a week in Morzine at the start of Jan and spent all my time in Avoriaz/Lindarets as there was no snow on Pleney etc. Glad I was on hire skis. Would I be safe bringing my own this time?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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PhillipStanton, "blue helmet"? I'd recommend thicker pants and doing your flies up son!
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PhillipStanton, I'm impressed too. I rarely find that section that much fun. It gets too many not good enough skiers making the bumps all wrong, just the wrong gradient - too steep yet not steep enough.
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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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PhillipStanton, nope. The line down the top pitch and then the fall line down the RHS are indeed perfect.
The second section is a mean and gnarly beast and I have seen many good skiers come to pieces on it - but then, does that distract from perfection? Maybe not...
Mind you, there was a canadian chap in 1991 who used (and this is on 205 GS skis too) to take only every 2nd or 3rd (or 4th) bump - being mid air between each.
That was pretty impressive too.
Chamossiere (black) is also a fine old run to spend a whole day on. Again a near perfect gradient for lovely bumps and a nice powder bowl off to the side when it's safe...marvellous.
For Jack Hallam, any idea what shape Les Hauts Forts is in? I take it the lower bits are a little agricultural? Otherwise Jack, you'll find lots of nice red and black bits off the Machon and Crot chairs I'd have thought...
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| David Murdoch wrote: |
| ...I take it the lower bits are a little agricultural?... |
What a wonderful turn of phrase you have.
| The Wurzells wrote: |
Oooooo, I've got a bran' new combin' 'arvester and I'll give you the key...
...'ummon now let's live together in perfic 'armony...
...I've got twennee acres and you've got forty-tree...
...oooooooOOOOOOOOO, I've got a bran' new combin' 'arvester and I'll give you the key... |
(Sorry, I appear to have had a "smallzookeeper moment" there...)
Jack Hallam - the top of Hauts Forts is, indeed, lovely. The bowl under Combe du Machon is to be particularly recomended...but the bottom is, indeed, pants at the moment.
David Murdoch - it's only fair to say that the chap I saw had second or third tracks down the run. Let's face it, anyone who doesn't short-radius turn the top bit of the bottom section is either:
a) a very good skier
b) about to crash
Completely agree re Chamossiere. It has the added virtue of both the chip hut and Chez Nanon being within striking distance...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Going to Les Gets on the 3rd Feb and was hopefull of some decent conditions but I have just read on accuweather.com that the western Alps are going to warm up again and most of the snow at lower level resort is going to melt by around Sunday and Monday, has anyone else heard this or maybe a forecast from the french met office.
Fingers crossed!
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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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Snow Forecast is currently showing the freezing level rising gradually through the weekend, peaking Tuesday at 2300m and decreasing again - with a maximum temperature of 4 degrees on Tuesday at the bottom of Les Gets.
It's not sparkling, but it's not all going to melt overnight.
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PhillipStanton, Metcheck seems to to concur with that, so hopefully no repeat of the mid-jan heatwave and the rain it brought with it.
Thanks for the comment about the cannons - useless as i've always suspected....
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You know it makes sense.
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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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PhillipStanton, I think I've sent you a pm but it won't appear in my sent items box. Lets try and get together.
cheers
Martin
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Fri 26-01-07 19:09; edited 1 time in total
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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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Nice pictures norris. We've been trying to work out where the fourth one was taken...?
Got the message, thanks, zzz. The message stays in your "Outbox" until the person has read it - at which point it becomes "Sent".
Jack Hallam - I'm not sure that disagrees with what I wrote  What's your reading of it?
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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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We were a bit late out today as we had a 5 hour lesson this afternoon and skied mainly over in Plaine Dranse. Conditions are holding up well, although the red down the side of Chaux des Roses is getting scrappy. Everything else we skied was good though and there are still freshies to be had.
Friends, who are staying with us at the moment, spent the afternoon over in Les Gets and reported conditions as "unpleasant" - hardpack turning to ice due to the lack of base. They came home early.
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PhillipStanton, Agree on the Les Gets - not enough base and wearing quickly. Took a nice chunk out of the bases...ooouch!
Some good skiing to be had though and an enjoyable day. Think present good bits will only last to middle of next week.
Snow cannons were going mad however and if they push it into all the right places it may hold up longer.
www.meteo-chamonix.org is foreacasting some showers today and then again on 29th and 1st or 2nd. No real depths reported but anything is better than nothing.
Jack Hallam, Looking at the GFS for Geneva the temeperature may not even get above freezing this week so talk of warm temeperatures is looking less and less likely. Good for the snow and the cannons.
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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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PhillipStanton - the fourth is a nice little gulley below the Tete du Geant
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Coming out to Les Gets on the 3rd - a couple of questions -
Whats the Morzine/LesGets/ local area skipass and PDS pricing for the week - its not available on the sagets.fr website since the lack of snow.
Where did you do the damage to your bases - any particular runs to be avoided ?
Are the reds at the bowl that are closed being kept for the French hols - or are they just too bare to open?
doing the snowdance here - but getting concerned that conditions will deteriorate between now and the 3rd....
Many Thanks
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Thanks norris - I may go looking 
ropetow - snowandtrek will be best placed to advise on any special pricing at the moment. It's generally 138€ for a Morzine / Les Gets pass as oppposed to 184€ for a PDS pass. Prices here.
| Quote: |
| Where did you do the damage to your bases - any particular runs to be avoided ? |
I'm sorry to say that stones, rocks and boulders are a hazzard almost everywhere at the moment. If you treasure unblemished skis skis then you should leave them at home and rent. But I've not yet done any damage that hasn't be repairable. One of the guys on my course blew and edge - but even that's been repaired.
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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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Thanks for that - i'm slightly confused by the run names - are you meaning Rhodos (43) and Renardiere (52) in the Chavannes sector ? AFAIR the bottom of Renardiere is just the pisted roadway that finishes at the Nauchets and Grains d'Or lifts ? which i thought was all nice flat meadow..... 
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ropetow, Get a PDS pass EUR 184 + EUR 3 for the hands free card. If you just get the Morzine/Les Gets you could run out of skiable pistes after a couple of days.
The best skiing in the area at the moment is in Avoriaz and the Linga sector of Chatel so it is worth the journey over each day. There is a bus this year from Les Gets to Morzine so you don't even have to ski over.
PhillipStanton, Have you been up Mont Chery yet? Thought I spied some skiers on it the other day.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| ropetow wrote: |
| ...are you meaning Rhodos (43) and Renardiere (52) in the Chavannes sector... |
Nope, I meant the Plaine Dranse sector - sorry, I should have been clear and have updated the post.
snowandtrek - I've not been up since the recent snowfall. Even when things were very, very thin in Les Gets previously, the snow on Mont Chery was in good condition. (Thin, but good.) Alas, I won't have the opportunity this week as I'm chokka.
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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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Just back from PdS. What's been said above tallies with my experience. Fortunately the Chalet owners were kind enough to ferry us back and forth between Les Gets and Avoriaz. Without them, it would have been a naff holiday.
Monday 22nd/Tuesday 23rd was like skiing in cement. Too many people in too heavy snow with too many bumps. I got a 10.0 for style in a head over heels (and a 10cm diameter bruise) after hitting such a large slop in an evasive manoeuvre on last run of day down to Ardent.
30cm of fluffy white stuff overnight Tues/Weds transformed Avoriaz, with another 10cm dropped during the day. (my guesstimate)
Wednesday was excellent almost everywhere. Haut-Forts/Arare/Fornet sectors seemed best.
Thursday 25th also fantastic - went over to Champery, where it was a bit thinner, but still perfectly acceptable.
Friday 26th, followed the white rabbit into Plaine Dranse, Linga sector, all v.good, except for 1 short section of a run from top of Cornebois back to Plaine Dranse, which was a bit stony.
Saturday 27th, started in Les Gets, but gave up by 11am as it was a bit rough and stony for a full day, so got a ride to Super Morzine, and skiied over to Champery again, where bottom of Planachaux is officially pants (but only needed to do 100m from a nice restaurant).
To summarise, Avoriaz up high is very good imho, down low is not so good, but generally acceptable. Swiss side and Les Gets (and presumably Morzine) could really do with another 30cm asap, which would make entire PdS fantastic.
Thurs/Fri, the Ardent lift seemed to be out of action (got turned back half way there), so was dropped off at Super Morzine. By the time I skiied into Linderets bowl it seemed to be operating. Dunno what that was about?
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| andy wrote: |
| Dunno what that was about? |
It turns out that if they run the snowmakers then they freeze the bubble cable 
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You know it makes sense.
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Skiing with SnowHeads David Murdoch, zzz and Len Holgate today. A gentlemanly 11:30 start, followed by a hoon around Plaine Dranse, followed by a leisurely lunch.
I'd tell you what David Murdoch and zzz ski like - but DM was a mere blue blur in the distance and zzz was off down the off-piste...
...anyway...
...excellent red wine. No idea what the snow was like
David Murdoch will, hopefully, be posting pictures later.
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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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PhillipStanton, Chamossiere appears to be open now judging by the webcam?
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Poster: A snowHead
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PhillipStanton,
keep up with the good reports, i'm coming across next Sunday for 5 days ,one of y mates has a place in Grande turche ( or something like that )
Do I take it we'll be driving up to Avoriaz everyday ?
have a good week b4 we get there 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| davejsy wrote: |
| PhillipStanton, Chamossiere appears to be open now judging by the webcam? |
I've no idea, sorry, and unfortunately I can't go and check it out until Tuesday...
Thanks Curtains. I'm not sure if Grand Turche is open. It does benefit from not being heavily used - so doesn't get the wear and tear that Morzine, for instance, does. But it's not very high.
If you're driving then head up to Ardent.
Bill's in Grand Turche is very good.
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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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PhillipStanton,
yes , we've got two cars boked from geneva so can travel higher 
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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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PhillipStanton, Good evening, well I (speaking personally anyway and I know zzz will agree) had a top day out today in extremely civilised company. If you can ski your socks off in a mere 3 hours, I think we did. Thanks all, much fun was had.
I am pooped.
For those who weren't lucky enough to be with us we found some excellent pistes (although we also found some dreadful ones) and some very acceptable off piste. It is still there to be had.
That said, Len Holgate added a new layer to my lexicon of slope conditions by going beyond "agricultural" into "quarry". Sadly it was the case and sadly his bases tell their own story.
Just so you know who we are talking about, identifying pictures will indeed be posted tomorrow as I'm too darn knackered to do it tonight.
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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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looking forward to that, so I know who to look out for in less than 2 weeks
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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What a difference a day makes. Fine skiing on Sunday with Mr and Mrs Phillip Stanton, David Murdoch and Len Holgate, all good skiers. We made the best of the conditions and whizzed around between the pistes and found some pretty good snow, ok, and a few rocks. Much fun was had by all I hope.
Skied yesterday with my sis, not a good skier, so had to stay on piste. Nothing but boiler plate and ice. Loads of rocks and loads of people. Totally ghastly.
So the message is, if you can, stay off the main pistes and stay high.
David Murdoch, if you post that picture of me I'll sue.
cheers
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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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We are just back from Morzine, and thought I would give a brief report to those heading out shortly.
Mon 22nd / Tue 23rd - only about 6 decent runs available up in the Fornet and Chavanette areas of Avoriaz, hard packed, icy in places and very busy. Not a great start to the holiday.
Tuesday night got a very nice fall of snow (30cm in Morzine village, maybe 60cm up high)
Headed out towards Les Gets side on the Wednesday but were very disappointed. Although there was deep snow everywhere, the pistes hadn't been bashed and most of the lifts were still closed. Boarding on the deep stuff was a board wrecker because there was no base beneath it - just grass. Mission aborted and headed back over Avoriaz way. Found some great snow almost all over Avoriaz / Lindarets / Chatel / Linga.
Thursday - out to Avoriaz, had very nice snow in Linga in particular, great piste boarding. Then took a trip over to Les Crosets and was very disappointed, the snow was suffering over there and I wouldn't recommend it.
Friday - decided to give Les Gets another crack - even worse this time, the deep snow was getting really wrecked and still not bashed. Lifts were still only partly manned. Some of the lower runs down into Les Gets village were ok, but the Ranfoilly bowl area was a no-no. Went up to Nyon which was awful - pistes were absoultely wrecked varying wildly between 2 ft deep snow and grass / rocks!
Saturday - Avoriaz again. Still decent snow, nice runs, good weather.
In summary - don't even bother with the upper areas of Les Gets / Nyon until they have more snow. I would strongly recommend the Lindarets Prolays area and the Linga areas, both has really nice snow and not too busy. The Avoriaz areas of Fornet / Chavette / Blue d'Arare were starting to struggle a bit with lift queues and the snow was starting to get a bit icy in places. In general, not bad conditions, but still need more snow to sort out the Les Gets area and take the pressure of the Avoriaz side. Try to use the Super-Morzine link up to Avoriaz which was quiet and in very good condition. The prodain cable car was very busy when we used it.
Hope this helps those about to travel out there.
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NJD1977, thanks for the report. I'm heading out to Les Gets this friday, so its a bit worrying to hear about the poor condition of the pistes, is it because they haven't been groomed properly do you think? Anyway we will have the car, and I think ther is also a free bus from Les Gets to Avoriaz, so guess will spend a fair amount of time up there. Did you manage to get across to Mont Chery side in Les Gets, or Chamossiere? If so what were the conditions like over there?
glad to hear you managed to fine some decent skiing anyway.
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