 Poster: A snowHead
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Incredible day! Got some real hero turns in the side piste at Orelle, had a very happy morning lapping the lifts at Orelle and upper VT. Skied down as far as St Martin express in the afternoon before realising that further would cut it fine for getting back. Came back over to Orelle via Portettes and the funitel, blue Lory to descend to the telecabin was full of windblown powder which was a lovely end to the day. Didn't find any bad snow all day 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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+1 for top day!
We managed to get on one of the first of the St M express chairs as they opened at about 9.35am, when all info said the lift was opening at 10am. We did a lap down the boot deep snow off the side of Jerusalem before heading over the Meribel side to Choucas and then up the Olympic chair. The snow was a tad heavier as we came down the Face making fresh tracks-but I guess now the mornings are lighter, the east facing slopes soften up in the warmer morning sun. We debated whether it would be worth skiing further into Le Raffort, but decided the snow might be just too thin that low down. So instead we went back up Olympic, down the blue and then back over to the St M side for another lap off piste all the way back to St M express before heading to Teppes and the Granges chair. The Teppes drag and the associated off piste either side is a great spot and relatively quiet compared with certain hot spots on days like this. All snow consistently fluffy. There’s no need to go far from home on a powder day!
For lunch however (this being our last day), we bombed down from the top of Teppes to Mottaret, mostly on piste, half way up Pas du Lac and then on piste to Meribel Village. Great lunch at The Lodge du Village before heading home through Meribel (usual mixture of ice, mush and chaos on the way down to the Chaudanne). Our final descent was one more off piste/on piste descent of Jerusalem to the bottom. The snow was softening up en route to St M, but was still a lot better than recent days. Thighs hurt!
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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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Been following the VT cams with a grin on my face. I may get a chance to head in to VT middle of next week (staying in Les Contamines, but have mates skiing in VT so may drive over to ski with them). As it's a 2+ hour drive, keen to get the low-down on best places to park mid week? Never been there, so any suggestions welcome!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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More great snow today up high but called it a day at 2pm as getting smooshy, even at 2200m
Did Pointe de la Masse first thing and enjoyed Covilli before going up the super steep Masse button to get to Dame Blanche. The latter was absolutely amazing, lovely snow and no crowds.
Combe du Vallon was moguls top to bottom when we did it around mid-day and reasonably enjoyable if tiring. Sadly saw a few casualties on the way down.
Heading to the hotel pool now!
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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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@NoDosh, if it’s just a day, park at P4 just after the avi tunnel on the main road up. You can then walk across the footbridge and buy a lift pass at the Cairn/Caron lift station. This winter they have introduced payment for the day (it used to be free for a day), but I don’t think it’s more than about €6.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@NoDosh, if it’s just a day, park at P4 just after the avi tunnel on the main road up. You can then walk across the footbridge and buy a lift pass at the Cairn/Caron lift station. This winter they have introduced payment for the day (it used to be free for a day), but I don’t think it’s more than about €6.
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@Perty, many thanks, just the info I needed
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@NoDosh, good advice from Bergmeister above, except that the ski down at the end of the day is on the Boulevard Cumin. At current temperatures it is going to very sticky to the point of unskiable if yesterday is anything to go by. Let’s hope it cools off again soon!
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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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Our final day today and we were on the first lifts up high. About three hours of great skiing this morning high up before things got noticeably heavier and slushy and we decided to call it a day.
Heavy horrible snow returning into Les Menuires this afternoon, getting to the point when the possibility of injury was far outweighing the fun.
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@NoMapNoCompass, slushy bumps are ace fun!!
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You know it makes sense.
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@kitenski, yes approaching the best time of year I think. Warm sunny days, lovely soft bumps with snow face shots 
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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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Too warm in Les Menuires to even have slushy bumps, just puddles.
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Poster: A snowHead
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10cms of fresh last night which was somewhat unexpected... Pistes didn't seem in particularly good shape (mix of ice and new snow bumps) but off piste was really quite pleasant with the new layer on top!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Last minute tripped booked today for Courchevel for next week. Will be skiing 29th - 03rd April. Cannot wait!
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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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Snow holding up well above 2000m in the 3V this week, despite summer weather conditions prevailing. In fact, we’ve had a few summer hols with cooler conditions.
Great skiing on piste for us “once a year warriors”, other than the slush fest below 2000m heading home or into Meribel when changing valley.
But slushy moguls have a charm of their own I think - mainly that they aren’t icy moguls!
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I have read a lot about Meribel in April being a bit troublesome due to hard-pack ice in the morning and slush in the afternoon.
I only took up skiing last March with a first trip to Courchevel 1650 where I did a week of ski school. I caught the bug big time, as did my wife, and we have been on 4 trips since and have a modest apartment booked for 1850 next week.
We are returning to the 3V as we barely scratched the surface when we went last March, and we love skiing from village to village and having a coffee and enjoying the atmosphere.
For folks aware of current conditions, is this feasible for us to ski into Meribel centre and St MdB next week? We are both low end intermediates - can ski blue and red pistes (I survive on a few very steep reds and moguls) but keen to understand how realistic our tour of the 3V may actually be next week? Thanks in advance.
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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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There will still be lots of snow in 3V for you to enjoy skiing, you also might get some new snow which is a bonus. However, prepare yourself for spring conditions though which will be hard pack in the morning and slushier heavy snow in the afternoon. With that in mind and as you are earlier in your ski career you will have more fun heading high and enjoying the better quality snow. That means that it will be less practical to ski between lower villages as you will find it takes longer and is more tiring. You'll probably also want to call it a day a bit earlier than you would if you are skiing in Jan/Feb for the same reason above.
Plenty of great runs higher up to enjoy, you'll have a great week.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| NoMapNoCompass wrote: |
There will still be lots of snow in 3V for you to enjoy skiing, you also might get some new snow which is a bonus. However, prepare yourself for spring conditions though which will be hard pack in the morning and slushier heavy snow in the afternoon. With that in mind and as you are earlier in your ski career you will have more fun heading high and enjoying the better quality snow. That means that it will be less practical to ski between lower villages as you will find it takes longer and is more tiring. You'll probably also want to call it a day a bit earlier than you would if you are skiing in Jan/Feb for the same reason above.
Plenty of great runs higher up to enjoy, you'll have a great week. |
Thank you for this great insight. Much appreciated
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@Moorzee10, I echo the above comments. I'd encourage you to ski over to St M in the morning before the pistes warm up-though the forecast looks quite promising for some fresh snow and colder temps early next week, so maybe you will find some good stuff lower down. There are some lovely coffee and lunch stops on "our side" of the mountain. For a touch of bling, ogling the most amazing interior design and a well above average hot choc-Maya Altitude (on the ridge between the top of Tougnette 2 and the Jerusalem piste) is quite something. For rustic charm Corbeleys (bottom of St Martin express) or La Loy below that enroute to St Martin are two of our faves. If you want a good sense of what St M is like, then turn right after the tunnel under the road and ski to the bottom of the drag lift-you get a better view of the village than just heading straight to the bubble.
Keep an eye on any signs that advise against leaving your own valley which is only likely of the lifts might close because of strong winds.
The better (i.e easier) route from Courchevel 1850 to St M would probably involve skiing down into Meribel rather than Mottaret-the red run Aigle into Mottaret can be quite challenging.
One other thing-if the snow is soft and mushy in the afternoon from mid mountain down-there is no shame in downloading from the mid station of the Tougnette lift into the bottom of Meribel on your way back! Thereafter the easiest ski back into 1850 would probably be to take the Rhodos bubble up to the top (don't get out half way), ski to the Loze chair and head over to Courchevel that way.
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Anybody use the 3 valleys app?
I thought I may be able to link in my ski pass card to check that my purchases of loaded but it seemed not?
Anyone use the friend tracking option? Does it work well.
What else is good?
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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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The app is great as an interactive piste map and to check which lifts are open. The friend thing only works when switched on (have to activate each day for a set number of hours) and completely drains the battery when it is, although it is surprisingly good if you're willing to take the hit!
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| Perty wrote: |
@Moorzee10, I echo the above comments. I'd encourage you to ski over to St M in the morning before the pistes warm up-though the forecast looks quite promising for some fresh snow and colder temps early next week, so maybe you will find some good stuff lower down. There are some lovely coffee and lunch stops on "our side" of the mountain. For a touch of bling, ogling the most amazing interior design and a well above average hot choc-Maya Altitude (on the ridge between the top of Tougnette 2 and the Jerusalem piste) is quite something. For rustic charm Corbeleys (bottom of St Martin express) or La Loy below that enroute to St Martin are two of our faves. If you want a good sense of what St M is like, then turn right after the tunnel under the road and ski to the bottom of the drag lift-you get a better view of the village than just heading straight to the bubble.
Keep an eye on any signs that advise against leaving your own valley which is only likely of the lifts might close because of strong winds.
The better (i.e easier) route from Courchevel 1850 to St M would probably involve skiing down into Meribel rather than Mottaret-the red run Aigle into Mottaret can be quite challenging.
One other thing-if the snow is soft and mushy in the afternoon from mid mountain down-there is no shame in downloading from the mid station of the Tougnette lift into the bottom of Meribel on your way back! Thereafter the easiest ski back into 1850 would probably be to take the Rhodos bubble up to the top (don't get out half way), ski to the Loze chair and head over to Courchevel that way. |
Superb insight thank you for taking the time to post this.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just back from 3V. Was raining this morning as I left Meribel.
As of yesterday, best snow was north-facing, above 2500m (sounds like a SCGB report...). Around the Moraine lift over in Val T, Sauliere in Courchevel, Orelle in general, and Cote Brune in Meribel. However, Val T was busy on the pistes - no major lift queues (5-10mins for a few) but people _everywhere_ on the hill below 2500m. Orelle in contrast was nice and quiet, as were the higher runs at Courchevel.
Below 2000m was enormous piles of slush by 11am. Not moguls in the traditional sense, because I seemed to go through them as much as over them... also there was rarely any rhythm to them.
Some spring powder still available around high up at the right time of day, but the thinness of the snow cover means a bit of playing chicken with the rocks to get the best stuff.
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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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You know it makes sense.
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@Bergmeister, jealous, but good to see the weather is looking to stay cold for at least another week in time for us!
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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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We went out at 3.30 today (after catching up on a few jobs) to ski a couple of hours in Val Thorens in one of the worst storms we have ever experienced! We stayed low, in the whiteout, but the crosswind and horizontal blizzard on 2 Lacs chair was shocking. We did 4 laps off that chair and skied some fantastic powder on piste, in zero visibility - then they closed that chairlift (presumably due to wind). We then skied Cairn and found more great on-piste powder, before heading up Plein Sud chair in the continuing whiteout, for our final run of the day.
Nevertheless it was a rewarding couple of hours and surprisingly enjoyable. It's still snowing now, so conditions will be epic once the storm clears .
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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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Fingers crossed as we are in VT from the 2nd April...Looking at the webcams visibility is atrocious but the snowcam has 40cm (unless someone has shovelled some on top)
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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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Currently the first week in April looks like it is going to be epic. Fresh powder and low temps to keep it from turning to glue.
First week of April last year was also similarly epic when we were in Tignes.
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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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Agree @NoMapNoCompass, we were in VT same week last year and had a wonderful time with fresh snowfall most nights. Feel very lucky.
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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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Val Thorens is not short of epicality atm.
...and that was at the end of the day! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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So jealous...
We were out this same time last year, this year we booked our final trip out Mar 12-19th as were worried about crap late season snow.
Trying to negotiate with my wife for a week out again starting on Monday.
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| admin wrote: |
Val Thorens is not short of epicality atm.
...and that was at the end of the day! |
You can say that again! This was today. Epic is an understatement!
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That is some powder conservation in photo 4! Kudos!
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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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Comes up 4th on my laptop, a series of uniform squiggles like a piece of embroidery
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FAQ
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