 Poster: A snowHead
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Not looking forward to going to El Tarter next weekend...going to be an expensive non-skiing holiday at this rate 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| winniewinser wrote: |
| Not looking forward to going to El Tarter next weekend...going to be an expensive non-skiing holiday at this rate |
We are expecting snow Thursday & Friday this week, but no idea how much.
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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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I would guess that, in the worst-case scenario, there will be some 80km open in Grandvalira next weekend. Maybe not connected by a skiable link, admittedly - though naturally there will be a regular, reliable bus connection if not. None of the resort entrances are far from each other.
Probably, though, it'll be even better than that.
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I just read that Grandvalira will have some skiing available in the Soldeu-Tarter area this weekend but that, as expected, there will be no skiable link to Grau Roig. A bus service will be laid on, running every half an hour between 08:30 and 17:30.
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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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Big dump in the Pyrneees , but rain forecast for Saturday which might undo all the good work ...
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Finally some snow in the eastern pyrenees... the webcams this morning in Grandvalira are looking very different to yesterday. However the coverage is still pathetic and with rain forecast over the weekend it is not looking promising. Suffice to say that after the amazing conditions in November, this December so far has not been a classic.
Still, colder temps and more snow are forecasted for next week, hopefully things will get going for real.
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Baqueria looks OK judging by the webcams, seems plenty snow fell at higher altitudes over the weekend, not much snow forecast for the next week tho...
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| mrvinegar wrote: |
| Baqueria looks OK judging by the webcams, seems plenty snow fell at higher altitudes over the weekend, not much snow forecast for the next week tho... |
While the snow reports claim that the last snowfall was on the 14th, the grandvalira webcams showed staff shovelling 10cm of snow off the bar at the top of the Soldeu telecabina yesterday morning, and the current cold temps means that the cannons are working overdrive. Looks like there is reasonable piste conditions too, although off-piste will be thin. I am debating doing a day trip tomorrow, not sure if it's worth it though.
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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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@alunalun if you do go let me know how it is!
Got a new year trip booked to Ax 3 domaines but they haven't even opened yet, so might try Andorra instead...
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My daughter is in Pas del Casa with Glasgow university at moment. From the limited contact from her the pistes seem in good nick
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Did some hours Arinsal today. Looks much better now, although still only about 60% open. Good for beginners, but even intermediates will get bored by the end of the day.
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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 must admit that I'm struggling to get very excited about this season, so far. Still, there is snow about (above 2000m in general, although down as far as 1800m in some places, including Baqueira and Grandvalira where at least the latest snowfall made the scenery a lot whiter). Masella was holding up well at the start of this week, with some nice weather and decent enough pistes up top, albeit with hard snow. Grandvalira has by far the best offer at the moment, followed by Baqueira - although the snow depths aren't great in the latter. Most other open resorts are running at half gas, and a great many are still not open.
There isn't much precipitation on the horizon, although maybe right after Christmas we might get something. The immediate problem will be the very high temperatures being forecast for the weekend, which will make snowmaking impossible. Fingers crossed for more exciting things in the run-up to New Year.
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| Pyremaniac wrote: |
| I must admit that I'm struggling to get very excited about this season, so far. |
I’m afraid that the slow start to the season has made us change our plans for New Year. We’re heading to La Plagne now as the snow there is great.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Pyremaniac wrote: |
| I must admit that I'm struggling to get very excited about this season, so far. |
Same here.
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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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Snow at Arcalis was decent this morning. They have done an excellent job making snow. Most groomed routes are open now. I might go back on Saturday before the warmer temperatures leading to Christmas destroy the cover.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Great news. And GV reckon they'll open 130km at the weekend. It's not too bad a start to the season, I guess. I'm not sure that the conditions this Christmas are much worse than most other years; let's not forget that there are always a couple of extended high pressure periods between Christmas and late January. It's just that there hasn't been so much to play with in the run-up, this time around.
As always - and this year even more so - if you don't have the luxury of being able to react at a day's notice, but do have the luxury of being able to pick your holiday dates at will, then February and March form the sweet spot for the Pyrenees. December is always a gamble... although the last few seasons may have made us forget that!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Off to Baqueira for Christmas and the first days skiing this season.
What a difference from last year !
I suspect a few long lunches will be taken.
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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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There is a new app called FreshSnow which covers most (if not all) of the Pyrenees resorts in Spain, France & Andorra. It is currently only available in Spanish. I spoke to the developers and they said that when they have some money they'll pay to get it translated to English, French & Catalan. For now they just want to ensure that the app works properly.
If you are in a position where you can chase snow in the Pyrenees or want to decide on which resort to target for a weekend it could be worth installing.
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We skinned up to Pic de Cubil, the highest point in Vallnord Pal, this morning. Notice the amount of grass in the photo. Normally this should be covered in snow.
There are enough pistes open in Pal for beginners and maybe for intermediates. Some of the red runs coming down from Pic de Cubil are open so we did get a good run on the way back, until we hit the beginner traffic below Pla de la Cot.
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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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Wind has picked up in the Pyrenees. Lifts were closed at the Arinsal resort trapping all skiers in the El Cortal (beginners area) serviced only by the small chairlift.
We skinned up the hill so had the top half of the resort to ourselves and about 5 other people on skins or racquettes. Wind was strong enough o be a nuisance. Going up the hill was great with the wind at the back, but skiing down the hill later it nearly blew us to a stand still.
I think the windy conditions are supposed to last throughout the weekend.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 3-01-19 19:12; edited 1 time in total
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@ysb33r, out of interest what are the 'skis' shown in the photo?
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Interesting , thanks @ysb33r,
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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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Any condition updates please heading to pas de la casa next Sunday thanks
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I'm hoping for snow soon as well. I'm out there a week on Sunday. From what I have read @carla4221, Pas de la Casa has the best conditions.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yes we go on th 13th can’t wait looked at long range and some snow due just before we go 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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Ah thanks will have a look xxxx
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You know it makes sense.
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Anyone seen any reports of snow? It keeps appearing on the forecast I get excited and then it fades away....
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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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Cold temps forecast for sure, so the cannons will be on overdrive and major pistes in good nick. But whether we get any natural snowfall is touch and go. Maybe a dusting on thursday, but nowhere near the big dump required; and nothing major on the longer term forecast.
I live barely a couple of hours’ drive from the mountains, and I haven’t touched my skis yet all season
We live in hope!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@AlunAlun, that is sad hopefully you will get out soon. Glad to hear the pistes are in good condition I was hoping to get off piste next week but you can't have everything
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Finally some snow! The wind has been blowing very hard in the morning, which would have made any skiing very unpleasant. The wind was stronh enough to close the gondola in Arinsal. We might checkout out Arcalis tomorrow morning, but I'm not sure whether the wind would have subsided by then. Wind-wise the forecast looks better for Saturday, but a bit more snow is expected in the morning.
This is the view from the office window in Arinsal this afternoon.
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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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Great news indeed. It looks like the spell has been broken, for now at least. The whole of Andorra got more than a dusting; the webcams of Grandvalira in particular look good at the moment. Baqueira also looks decent.
Grandvalira is planning to open 170km at the weekend, and Baqueira more than 100km. I should imagine that Arcalís will be trying to open almost everything bar Creussans.
There wasn't much to say during the Christmas, New Year and Three Kings period. Wall-to-wall sunshine, with a heavy dependency upon cannon snow (although the webcams of the upper parts of the Andorran resorts weren't looking too shabby). Hardly the stuff of dreams - but at least in sunny weather I imagine that people were enjoying themselves well enough. It's been a pretty poor season up until now in the western and French Pyrenees in general, but on the eastern side things were somewhat better. Grandvalira have described their holiday period as "satisfactory", with only slightly lower skier numbers than last year. They haven't hesistated to position themselves as a resort which can offer up the goods even in poor seasons. Baqueira too have gone with "reasonable". Arcalís are up 20% on the same period last year, and Boí-Taüll are up 40%, which they'll both be delighted with. And Masella had a very decent holiday period, being so close to Barcelona and yet with a decent number of (admittedly manmade) kilometers open.
The all-out winner, though, isn't in the Pyrenees at all; Sierra Nevada have had their second-best Christmas period on record. After all, why would the Madrileños have bothered going up north this year!
Anyway, things are starting to look a bit more interesting now...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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still 5 weeks before I head out to Baqueria, but I was beginning to wonder if I was going to be teaching ice skating instead of skiing 
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We are at Arcalis this morning. It looks fair conditions for the weekend, should anyone wish to make the trip. It will still be cold, but not as severe as today. We are having around -13°C on the top, without the wind chill. If my toes go cold in my boots, then I know it's cold.
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Any views on what the snow-making is like in Soldeu area? We're off in three weeks and it's looking sparse!
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| Barbs007 wrote: |
| Any views on what the snow-making is like in Soldeu area? We're off in three weeks and it's looking sparse! |
Probably the best in the Pyrenees!
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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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| Barbs007 wrote: |
| Any views on what the snow-making is like in Soldeu area? We're off in three weeks and it's looking sparse! |
Soldeu is looking pretty good at the moment, they had a foot of snow yesterday, and the forecast is for more. I'm hoping to go up tomorrow!
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El Tarter webcam looking so much happier today than a couple of days ago.
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FAQ
