 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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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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kitenski, very clever! Have bookmarked it. 
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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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likewise - merci!
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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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Beautiful sunny day today, and some good skiing. We were surprised how good the snow was right down to Hauteluce village – the red Barme piste was particularly enjoyable with nice swooshy “granulated sugar” snow (is there a proper technical name for that?). No ice, no bare muddy bits, though the hillside around is losing snow rapidly – it gets a lot of sun. The top red down to Hauteluce (Lanches) was closed for a parapente competition and the Girolles for ski racing – two of the nicest red pistes, annoying really.
I know there are a few people heading here before long - so I'll post some pics, guaranteed taken today, to show that the snow is surviving.
First pic is the main Bergerie - wide and gentle blue piste down to the village from Mont Bisanne. The one on the right is the Barme red, down into Hauteluce, much lower, but still in amazingly good nick.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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This is the top of the main village nursery slope.
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The white line up through the trees behind the parapenter, who is flying down over the red Lanches piste towards Hauteluce, is the bottom chairlift at Areches-Beaufort.
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pam w, looks like great weather to be in the mountains... 
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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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Two nice blue runs - Grande Combe and Rhododendrons. Covered in snow but not in skiers - the drag back up deters the idle. 
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nozawaonsen, it is. And the snow, as you can see, is holding up well.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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looks in great shape this time next week will be settling in with a nice bottle of red and hopefully even a cheeky afternoon run or two tucked under the belt already, who knows.
Thanks for posting them up, amazed at how well Chozal side is holding up.
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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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amazed at how well Chozal side is holding up.
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yes, we were surprised too. We decided to ski right down the bottom but expected it to be a bit of a struggle, quite honestly. The whole run is cannoned now and I suppose they built it up well when they had the chance. They have probably also shoved snow onto it from the hillside - and have done a very good job.
We haven't ventured down to the bottom of the Arly Valley for a few days, but the top of Notre Dame is good. One or two poor patches but those runs are so hugely wide it's not hard to avoid them. Judging by the number of vehicles in our car parks people are bussing themselves up here.
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there was some huge piles visible on the cams dow there in eary december plus i guess the run aspect is turned slightly away from the sun toward the bottom and trees will give it a bit of protection too. Sover at the base of praz looks pretty solid though lots of the runs look shut that side i noticed. Ban Rouge is pretty snowsure if you can stomach the long pole section along the ridge 
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You know it makes sense.
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if you can stomach the long pole section along the ridge
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I enjoy that - such awesome views. The exercise is good for you.
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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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not in a flipping 40mph head wind like it was when i last did it in a total whiteout lol
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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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Enjoying this thread - although not going to Les Saisies this year still have a sneaky look at the webcams sometimes! Will definitely visit again one day.
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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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just out of interest is La Boulangerie open in NdB?
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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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You mean the drag lift up from Les Fresses? Yes it was two days ago - we skied down. Snow getting a bit patchy towards the bottom, but still a great run.
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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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thats the one..the red off that one is excellent across the meadows, almost constant steep pitch with some convex roller, would make an awesome slalom piste
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lovely photos Pam. I like the look of those 2 blues!
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I like the look of those 2 blues!
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Plenty more where they came from, snowymum.
We did the ridge liaison to Praz sur Arly today. Was a great day to choose - stunning views from up there, down into the Arly Valley one side and the Hauteluce Valley the other.
The col in the middle distance is the Col de Joly - Les Contamines is just over the other side. The Aiguille Croche, top of the LC skiing, is on the left of the Col.
It's a short footslog followed by a bit of a skate - not exactly a high mountain adventure, but a good day out.
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Snow quality varies a lot with aspect. These two red runs in the Douce bowl get a load of sun and are showing distinct signs of wear.
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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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Great day out at Les Saisies on Friday - both on snowshoes then a quick "sprint" up on the touring gear.
Snow cover is good given the unseasonally warm weather. A good welcome at Piccard Sports.
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Our return was delayed by what looked like a serious casualty at the top of the Planay chair (the one which goes in both directions across the road at Notre Dame 1350. It's not a nice chair. It's old, it goes downhill and it kind of sweeps you out over the void as you get on. The casualty was right where you get on the chair and they were working on him/her for some time before evacuating by helicopter. Horrible - somebody's holiday ends in tears.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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When we finally got on that chair it provided a good view of the snow cover on Mont Rond, which looks pretty good - except for that mogully black. It was open, but the snow wasn't great.
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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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Whilst waiting for that chair to re-open we skied down the blue Reguet piste to Notre Dame 1150. There were quite a few patches of ice (proper ice, not boiler plate) but it's such a wide piste it was easy to miss them. The nursery drag lift down there was running, too, with kids having fun.
There was a LOT of ice in places in Praz/flumet and quite a few pistes closed. There were some places with good snow cover too - but it was very patchy. They will have to close quite a lot more of the Arly Valley if they don't get some decent snow soon - I would have taken some photos of the worst bits but sideslipping down a half inch snow patch on a track, with ice one side and mud the other, didn't seem the right moment to stop.
Les Saisies has much the best cover around - as ever. Glad you enjoyed your visit, marksavoie.
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The Seigneur drag - the most fearsome of the Arly Valley selection - is closed. I took this photo looking down at the top section - I was standing just on the dismount spot - anybody coming up would have skied through me. That top section is "hors normes" and I think it's days are numbered. It doesn't help draglift haters that if you fall off the only way down is to hike through the forest to a black run which is often mogully, and then have another go at the same lift.
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You know it makes sense.
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thankfully the temperatures will start to slide soon otherwise i think some of the runs would really start to suffer.
Nice to see you're still get to all corners of the area though and thanks for the report, doing a great job of whetting the appetite, now if you could just arrange for 20-50cm of fresh snow to soften everything up that would be great
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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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skinutter, it's a fair bit colder this morning, and there are a lot more clouds about. given that things are pretty good in Les Saisies already, and that it's going to get colder so they can start blowing snow, I wouldn't worry too much. It looks very unlikely that there'll be enough new snow to open runs which are already closed and more will close, down in the valley, before the weekend. You might need to drive up here, but there'll be loads of skiing you can do with your lad and probably enough to keep you happy when you get a couple of hours to do your own thing. Will all the family be skiing?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Pam, thanks for keeping us up to date with the conditions. I did make a post but I lost it somewhere on t'internet lol.
Was just wondering if you knew when the snow was forecast to come? is this an unusually mild January? We have 10 days left till we come to Les Saisies and starting to panic, although I know things can change overnight, after all, this is the weather we are talking about and we all know how unpredictable it can be. should i be panicking?  I keep looking at the forecast and there is just no snow to come for most of the resorts in France. Can you do some sort of snow dance that will make it appear please, thanks. lol
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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polo99, What are you panicking about? Pam says things are pretty good, why would you be worrying??? There will be loads to ski on, sun & few crowds!!
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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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polo99, I think you should definately be panicking. It's going to be awful out there, no snow, heavy rainfall predicted, I hear they're closing pistes by the day and selling wellies everywhere.
For a small fee, I'll take those pesky unwanted tickets off your hands. 
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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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| Quote: |
is this an unusually mild January?
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It's an unusually dry January - the past few days have been mild but the beginning of the month was cold and from now till the end of the month looks like being very cold. There's no need to panic. Snow cover in Les Saisies is still pretty good - and the best for miles around. Much better than many other places, judging by the reports on snowheads. We were out this morning in Les Saisies itself, and friends who went over to Notre Dame and down to the top of Mont Rond said the snow was fine. With the colder weather from now on they'll be able to make artificial snow to top up many of the pistes, too.
The lower reaches of the Espace Diamant - down in the Arly Valley - are suffering much more, obviously, so much so that some runs are closed. Some more might close too, before the end of the month - there's not much likelihood of significant snow before the end of the month, by the look of it.
We went to Les Contamines on Monday. It's quite a short drive up the Hauteluce valley to Belleville, where a gondola and chair take you straight up to the top of the skiing on the Col de Joly. The skiing above the middle station of the gondola down to Les Contamines was very good - we never go down further than that, as all the best skiing is at the top.
So if you felt like a change, that would be a good day out. Just make sure you go via Hauteluce, not all the way round via Megeve to Les Contamines village itself, which would take ages. The local tourist office would have information on that and much else - they're very helpful.
But there's plenty of skiing available here, too. Some of the black runs are closed, but maybe you're not too bothered about them!
We are actually going home for 10 days tomorrow - we are flying back from Chambery as we can leave the car there for nothing. Our daughter is not too well and struggling with working and her baby, so we'll be giving her a hand, and seeing other family members.
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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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looking at the webcams this morning, seems to be plenty of artificial snow making underway right down to Hautluce/Chozal and in the main Saisies area. Nothing down in Notre Dame from what i can see but at the foot of Praz they are making too.
Lets see if mother nature fancies joining in later today
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skinutter, our road and the buildings and cars around are all covered with a light dusting of snow from the cannons this morning - they were blowing all night, I think.
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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 Pam. I am sure your daughter will appreciate the extra pair of hands. Its hard juggling babies and work. I couldnt function without my parents, they are a massive help to me.
I dunno how the artificial cannons work but how much snow can they actually generate? Was also wondering if conditions dont improve by the time we go, is it not worth buying a full lift pass and only get the les saisies one?
safe trip home
karen
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in the right conditions they can make masses...not that you'll need it too much.
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