 Poster: A snowHead
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@hold_my_biere, for sure, if I was in Geneva I would have jumped in and bought again. The area will be open enough to justify, and with cross border workers being so numerous the border has to stay open surely. The problem for a lot of us is that the 'easy' hop from UK to Chx is now not so easy at all and may well remain so for months.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@midgetbiker, and the problem for those of us that are there is that it’s anglophones who spend the money (nordics as well, to a lesser degree)
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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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@hold_my_biere, I wish I still lived in Geneva! Very jealous. As @midgetbiker said, the ease of hopping to/from the UK looks a lot less next winter. I'll just hope my work remain flexible, so if opportunities open up without quarantine I can hop over... 
@under a new name, it will be interesting to see how the spending varies this season. Do you think there's any chance of French spending making up for some of it?
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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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@fixx, not really, not per my sources.
In the main... They load their cars at their local big Carrefour with food and drink, self cater, and have their own kit. It’s not a criticism, it’s what we used to do up to Aviemore 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I've put in for my refund, and had an answer saying it will be fine.... but.... I have to send in my ski passes.
I've responded that my ski passes are currently in Le Confinement in France, and I am in the same in the UK. Hopefully they will be prepared to cancel the passes electronically and refund me, but if not, I may have to put my "transit only" visit plan into play. Or send my keys to my ski instructor and ask him to retrieve my ski passes.
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Received an interesting email from the CdMB today. For such a notoriously unhelpful company, I find this a positive move:
"Fully aware of the present context & of possible travel restrictions between countries, La Compagnie du Mont-Blanc wishes to reassure its customers !
Any pass unused because of the COVID 19 crisis will be completely & totally refunded as long as the refund request is addressed to us
before the 15th January 2021*"
They must be finding it a struggle to sell annual/season passes. No doubt obtaining a refund will be tres difficile, but this will be enough to persuade me and my chums to part with the cash.
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@HammondR, interesting. i'm actually just trying to renew our annuals but so far two cards (both with cash in bank) have been refused 
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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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@HammondR, that is a positive comment from them, nice to see.
Not much use to me though - if I do get out there to ski, I think it'll still be a lot less than usual, so the cost of the annual pass would still not be worth it 
But hopefully very helpful to others!
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Helpful, hmmmm, don't know about that, I now need to re-evaluate all my plans again!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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From deep in the CdM website.
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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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Annual and Season Passes on promo have a full refund option if not used. I have renewed my pass on the offer of a refund which I really hope I don't need to do.
Email wording
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Dear Chris
Fully aware of the present context & of possible travel restrictions between countries, La Compagnie du Mont-Blanc wishes to reassure its customers !
Any pass unused because of the COVID 19 crisis will be completely & totally refunded as long as the refund request is addressed to us
before the 15th January 2021* |
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@chrise1967, I am supposed to be the doddering old man, not you. Read the posts above!
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You know it makes sense.
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@chrise1967, that’s interesting my prive isn’t the super one, and runs from the 10th. Only offered an annual pass but I did take a refund. It’s euro 850 which is a bargain. I’m wobbling.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Tue 6-10-20 18:25; edited 1 time in total
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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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Didn't read the small print, @HammondR. Just too excited 
Hopefully, see you January, your cockney friend.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Well after lots of debating, working out travel options etc, I decided to be optimistic and buy the annual pass! If I can't go at NY, I'll request a refund, then maybe switch to a rapidcard. But fingers crossed I won't need to! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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we've renewed our annual at 715 club prive, couples edition. Can't argue with the price. If you do use your pass, then there is further lockdown etc then there is a partial refund available as well. They do say that the whole ski area must be closed to obtain a refund though so I do imagine a scenario where they keep planards open or something to screw everyone over
Snowline has retreated upwards from a few days ago. Some guys skied to the gros rognon yesterday and said the snow was pretty rubbish and windblown.
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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 took the plunge this afternoon. The shift in approach of the Cronies du Mont Blanc seems to have payed dividends. All my uk and Irish chums, who were scratching their heads for weeks about yes or no, eventually succumbed.
@Meltus, for the likes of me, I think the recent snow is of more importance for hopefully building a base of snow on the snow/ice routes and north faces. Lack of spring or autumn snows has played havoc with winter climbing conditions in recent seasons. Hoping this stuff sticks and isn't blown away.
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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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Indeed, its certainly much colder than the previous few Octobers so hopefully the current snow will be the start of a base and when the proper snow comes, the ground will be cold enough for it to stick around.
I went to climb the chere couloir a few weeks ago and bailed with brown trousers on the second pitch with it falling down around us. Hoping for some good snow/ice routes this winter
I did also see that some maniac has already skied glacier rond...I imagine that involved a lot of abseiling!
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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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It’s make your mind up time folks. I’ve just had an email detailing the offer post Friday for private club members. The 10-16 October deal is much better, like about 500 euro better.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Meltus, 5 guys we’re avalanche on the toula this week. I think they were ok. It was near the bottom of the stairs which is a bad spot.
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| jbob wrote: |
| It’s make your mind up time folks. I’ve just had an email detailing the offer post Friday for private club members. The 10-16 October deal is much better, like about 500 euro better. |
I've held my nerve and not bought. The only worry I have is that somehow not buying this season will mean no access to Prive in 21/22, though historically it has been open to anyone who bought over the last two or three seasons.
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@midgetbiker, I’ve been in a real dilemma.
On the one hand I most likely won’t get my monies worth, on the other having a pass will be a big motivator to go out more.
Mrs Jbob can’t ski or fond this year and that was a factor. My thoughts are rapid card, but more significantly to do a couple of ski camps away from Cham, like the Monta Rosa and La Grave. Last season was my first for 17 years when I didn’t get a tick for doing a route I hadn’t done before.
I’ve got a bit of catching up to do.
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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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@jbob, Mines complicated by the fact I haven't pulled my finger out and returned last years for the refund yet. So I don't actually have a replacement card (as I assume you have) to use to renew, which I assume you need for the Prive.
It's the school age daughter that's really messing things up, if it was just me and the missus then we'ld go, ski, come back, isolate.
But madam needs to get back on the GCSE treadmill, so the isolating becomes an issue.
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@midgetbiker, Snap, those dam pesky kids. Milked me for 16 years & still spoiling the fun
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@midgetbiker, @Jonny996, @jbob, same. Kids & wife can't realistically self-isolate, so even on my assumption that we cut quarantine to 7 days with testing, it's still not practical.
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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 have been told (by email) by CdMB that the 19-20 pass refund is available up until May 31 2021 as long as I don't renew, so I don't need to worry about not having my passes physically available.
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I’m wobbling. I’ve just divided 860 euro by 60 euro and its 14 days and a bit. So thats how many days I’d get paying by the day for my annual pass cost.
I’ll sleep on it.
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You know it makes sense.
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@jbob, I did the same, but then I figured that I usually go for a week at a time, so it was about 3 weeks (20 days) for the family.
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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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If any Club Privé purchasers are yet to purchase for this season and would like to 'couple up', apparently it is possible to add a not-previous-purchaser within a couple this year. Let me know. I'd be very grateful for the saving and would owe you a few drinks!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Wasn’t the super cheap price only on till Oct 9?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| under a new name wrote: |
| Wasn’t the super cheap price only on till Oct 9? |
There's a later nearly as cheap (Club Prive as opposed the Super Club Prive) available until the 16th, for which you do not need to have not claimed a refund.
TBH
It feels like a bit of a scam, as:
CdMB emailed round saying Club Prive would have been 'X' but this year it will be 'Y' so long as you don't ask for a refund. The implication that I and others took was that you couldn't access 'X' if you took a refund, as 'Y' would replace it.
Then they ran both 'X' & 'Y', and I think anyone who choose no refund and 'Y' would only be coppers better off than someone who took the refund and 'X'.
In the mean time CdMB got to hang onto your refund money for 6 months and made you pay a week early.
On the other hand I guess they were thinking on their feet and making this up as they went along, so maybe there is no conspiracy.
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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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| snowdave wrote: |
| I have been told (by email) by CdMB that the 19-20 pass refund is available up until May 31 2021 as long as I don't renew, so I don't need to worry about not having my passes physically available. |
Thanks for the info, I have my passes to return, but I have a few sets of friends who left there's in jackets dotted all over Chx and now can't access them.
In fact I think I'll ring them now, see if you can renew on the Prive (not Super Prive) and then still later claim a refund (as you renewed, but not at the lower rate for those with no refund).
Then I can agonise about what to do for another 36hrs and 6 mins.
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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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@midgetbiker, I haven't seen any evidence that the CdMB are smart enough to mount a conspiracy. But how much are the not-super-club-prive rates then? We specifically took the impression that not taking the refund and getting cheaper passes was going to be more beneficial ... 
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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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@under a new name:
MBU Annual: Couple €1668, single €878, Young €746
Chx Annual: Couple €1309, single €689, Young €585
One other thing to mull on: If you took the refund and then bought on the later offer you may be a few € behind (but I think it is only a few), however then if the lifts are forced to shut for a period again and CdMB issue (for example) a 20% refund then those who went the refund route last time get a bigger refund this time (20% of more) so may end up on aggregate better off.
I could do a spreadsheet to see where the aggregate cost shifts in favourability from one group to the other, but that would just be sad!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
that would just be sad
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hmmm, I could see myself doing that ... 
So ... there's not enough in it to be worth getting uptight about. Phew.
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I might be misremembering, but by taking the refund didn't you lose your pass for the rest of the year? The difference in €s might be small, but anyone with an annual pass came out ahead by having the use of their pass all summer.
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no you could keep hold of your pass if you took the refund, until its natural expiry. I got my annual MBU for 715 (couples pass) having not taken the refund. If I'm reading the above posts correctly then people who took the refund are paying 878? The refund was about 160 wasn't it? Seems like either way you end up in the exact same spot, give or take a few euros. Whole thing seems a bit pointless...
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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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@Meltus, not at all made up on the spot, eh?
I spent the summer rebuilding my house, so my annual (again) did me precious little good. My bad.
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FAQ
So fingers crossed it'll be possible!
