 Poster: A snowHead
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Having said this, there are two red runs in Soldeu area that are pisted flat and are frequently deserted so you can carve them flat out from top to bottom
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Although I always thought it would be good to know which pistes were freshly groomed that morning - at least that would give people the choice (especially as a newbie it's nice to relax on a nicely groomed run)
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You get a piste report in Vail which tells you which runs have been posted. As of the last couple of years the 3valleys app you can do exactly that, as in see which runs have been pisted.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 4-12-13 21:17; edited 1 time in total
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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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| ansta1 wrote: |
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Although I always thought it would be good to know which pistes were freshly groomed that morning - at least that would give people the choice (especially as a newbie it's nice to relax on a nicely groomed run)
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You get a piste report in Val which tells you which runs have been posted. As of the last couple of years the 3valleys app you can do exactly that, as in see which runs have been pisted. |
Awesome! Thanks for that - I'm back in VT in March, so that will come in really handy! 
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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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Sorry spell check fail. Piste report was Vail bit the 3 valleys app still is correct.
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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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| nevis1003 wrote: |
| My fellow Scots are the only piste bashers who can simulate unpisted snow after piste bashing. |
To be fair though, they don't practice very much.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The Fench being a largely agricultural nation like to use the plough and furrow technique and then knock off early for a pastis. The USA compensate for their dreadful roads (rougher than a French piste) by producing perfect corduroy (they call it grooming!). My preferred option is to stay off the piste!!
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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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Only people who skin up the mountains have a right to be self-righteous about enjoying the "natural" snow and look down on those who enjoy corduroy. 
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| Spyderman wrote: |
| Italians by far are the best in Europe |
this ime.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pam w wrote: |
But they never groom open slopes during the day and any piste with a basher on it for any reason will be closed.
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I think that may be unique to France (at least within Europe).
I certainly came across a piste basher in operation during the day on my one trip to Switzerland (Verbier), and on my one trip to the Dolomites.
And I have seen them working on almost every trip to Austria. I don't remember seeing any in Andorra, but that was a long time ago, I may just have not remembered.
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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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"I Love Mayrhofen".
I'm intrigued as to how your lost your skis at the top of Red 16 and let anybody go off with them ??????
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It doesn't matter how well the pistes are groomed, when it's busy the best groomed slopes will get chopped by traffic by afternoon. Then it's interesting in terms of watching people stuck on piles of snow even that the same morning they believed they could ski.
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You know it makes sense.
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I haven't scanned the thread... but have a look here:
http://www.skiareatest.com/
A nice bias towards Austria but includes Italy and a few other countries in Eastern Europe.
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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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AJQ Yeah. At that particular moment I just didn't care if I never saw my skis again! The stranger was trying to be helpful by taking my skis to the bottom of the slope that I decided I would walk down. (Their friend had just snowboarded into the back of me after I had fallen over. It was the last straw, although my fault for lying there in despair, rather than getting out of the way). Presumably they handed them in at a lift and told someone we would need rescuing, we but had no idea what was going on at the time. The best bit was when "always look on the bright side of life" came on the Pistie's radio!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ok, that would explain it. Hope you weren't too badly injured ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| never summer wrote: |
| It doesn't matter how well the pistes are groomed, when it's busy the best groomed slopes will get chopped by traffic by afternoon. Then it's interesting in terms of watching people stuck on piles of snow even that the same morning they believed they could ski. |
Very true! Most of the runs in VT are bashed every other night - however,the Plein Sud run gets bashed every night and is still as choppy as anything by the end of the day as it's the main route into VT from the other valleys, and gets a lot of (drunken) traffic from the folie douce.
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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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I'd actually put my money on the Norwegians. Of course, they generally have the benefit of cold climate which helps keep the pistes excellent. Excellent conditions even in late afternoon is rarely found in the Alpes.
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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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Masque, +1
In terms of the most welcome corded piste I have ever found, it was through the snow-park above Arc 1850. We had spent the week dancing on ice a few years ago during a season where nothing had fallen for quite a number of weeks and it was getting harder and harder and bluer and bluer in places (most of them just where you didn't want it). The kids liked going through the snow park and they obviously had some banked up snow up there. We got up there and were the very first through it one morning - us grown-ups skied through on the slope and the kids did the small obstacles. The sheer luxury of a soft corded base that week just had to be experienced to be believed. I'm no fan of T bars, but we dropped straight onto it and skied through the park another two times, before the masses arrived. Never have I found such unadulterated bliss in skiing 200yds of corduroy!! 
Mind you, at my stage in skiing, I'd be happy to ski a resort that groomed every slope so I didn't have to worry about finding something left in an un-skiable (for me) state. VT is a little naughty about that - I have to watch the signs as what is good one day isn't necessary good to ski the next where sometimes they leave it un-groomed.
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AJQ Was fine, cheers for asking. Most damage was done to my pride and fledgling skiing confidence! Was a while ago now and I have conquered the run a few times since. (though only in fair weather and with fresh legs!)
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pam w wrote:
But they never groom open slopes during the day and any piste with a basher on it for any reason will be closed.
I've skied with bashers around in France at both Les Carroz and Orcieres
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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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| Megamum wrote: |
VT is a little naughty about that - I have to watch the signs as what is good one day isn't necessary good to ski the next where sometimes they leave it un-groomed. |
Completely agree, the 3 Vallees app was a huge discovery for me (can't remember which kind soul on here told me about it). Knowing the night before which runs in VT will be nicely groomed the next day makes planning your runs so much easier!
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Handy Turnip, Portette, Rhodos and Fond being cases in point. You often find one or sometimes 2 out 3 of them un-groomed and they do get quite a selection of bumps in places on the second day. Luckily if it's not foggy you can usually see all three from a suitable place to plan a root on the hoof so to speak.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Spot on Megamum, you're completely right. I've just had a quick look at the app - and Fond and Rhodes are being bashed overnight and Portette is being left ungroomed.
It caught me out last year - Portette was my first ever red run, which I managed okay albeit very slowly. It was a shock trying it the next day when it was a lot choppier!!
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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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Handy Turnip, The top section of Portette is a stiff red for your first one  , there were easier choices on the hill as you now probably know - Christine is always a good choice for a first red run - nice cruise-y red. If you haven't yet skied them look out for Lac Blanc of the top of Furnitel peclet (which I think they tend to groom fairly regularly, but which is a bit of a picnic in a gale) and Col (above portette) if its windy. Col gets bumpy and I sometime think they don't groom it, but I was very pleased to finally ski it last season - 3 times when they had been up and bashed it and in good weather it was a fair run down, a good red, red and it surprised me what a fair run down it was - a good view too - worth the trip up if you haven't done it yet, but don't go up in a gale. (Sorry VT is my fave place)
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Cheers Megamum, in hindsight Portette wasn't the best choice (I knew no better at the time!) - at least when the steep bit is out of the way it's not too bad.
I saw one of your other posts on easy red runs in VT and was taking notes!! I didn't do Christine last time so that's definitely top of my list. If I remember rightly, I think you mentioned that Rhodos is not too bad and Col d'audzin is okay too?
I love VT too - I'm going back twice this year!! 
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You know it makes sense.
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Lucky you! Rhodos can be easier than Fond as it is the red against the blue and the masses tend to take the marked blue out of preference, consequently Rhodos can stay in better condition for longer in the afternoon. It's a long slog down, but it is wide and the slope is constant, Fond is not much different it is red blue, the slope is v. similar to Rhodos, but it gets hammered earlier. The Col d'audzin is a doddle apart from one 150yd stretch in the middle where it narrows and goes around a tight bend at that point, and it's obviously when you are just above it, I'd stop on the RH side as you look down the hill on an obvious 'stop here and take look' location, and just take a breather as there isn't any easy stopping until you are past it. It's quite skiable, but it is the blacker red part of the run - Oh, and I wouldn't recommend it in bad viz (take that under advice - I once did it in the worst conditions viz. wise that I've ever skied in and never been quite so scared). What I haven't tried yet is falaise, chamois, and variante - I think these three are reputed to be steeper, I think I tried medaille last season and that was OK IIRC.
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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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Thanks Megamum, maybe I'll save Col d'audzin for later in the week!
Ironically, I also did falaise when I was there (I know, I really didn't think through my choice of reds! I blame my brother! ) and I'm still having nightmare's about it! It is steeper but it's also quite narrow for a long part of it. Also the conditions weren't good at all when I did it - but I did it slowly and got down without falling, so I'm counting that as success! I won't be doing it again in a hurry though!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Excellent conditions even in late afternoon is rarely found in the Alpes.
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You need to know where, and when, to go. Then no problem at all!
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