 Poster: A snowHead
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summer, you should post those fantastic Facebook photos 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Avoriaz was busy and icy today and the visibility came and went, eventually packed in early and went home. Last day tommorrow hoping for a bit of snow tonight to top off the week!
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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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8 days to go, please keep posting especially if there is fresh snow  Thanks
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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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Last day for us this trip so despite the weather we gave the "Tour des Portes du Soleil" a go. Started from Petit Chatel (Barbossine) then Chalet Neuf, Morgins, Champoussin, Les Crosets, Mosettes, Brocheaux for lunch and then a quick trip through The Stash before a late lift to Rochassons and home for tea (actually a drinks party following our buildings Assemblee Generale which Mrs DJL attended whilst I was enjoying myself with the kids).
Visibility vey variable (from bad to worse) until we got to above Champoussin where it cleared and stayed fair for the rest of the the day.
Snow slightly improved by the bit of fresh but only enough to hide the icy bits rather than cure them. Hope tomorrow brings some proper snow for New Year (but only after we've left!)
Bonne Nouvelle Annee to all the PDS Snowheads
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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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| FlyingStantoni wrote: |
| summer, you should post those fantastic Facebook photos |
Bit too many people on here! Shy! Also the fact that I have no idea how to get pics up on here! Techno failure! Its snowing like crazy here in Champery, I can say with certainty about 20cm already (Just cleared the drive for the landlords Bentley!!!!) Now of for 6 hours of crashing and digging for skis with 4 8 yr olds!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just packed the car. Around 15cm in Chatel and still snowing. Journey up to H
olland could be fun
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DJL, safe home. It's still coming down here, looking over at the car park it's getting harder to identify our car.
Looks set to continue for the rest of the day. Rain/snow limit tomorrow still up in the air  (no pun intended)
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Just got home from morzine. Best x~mas week snow i've had. Dumping all the way to the airport this morning so hope it holds for those going out this week.
Å
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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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It has only just stopped snowing! Late start and enormous amount of fun. I was happily working my way down nice quiet reds in about 50cm fresh snow, just beginning to get the hang of it when was coerced into going down a black which (as it turned out) had significantly more snow on it. Had to have a rum after that.
Pretty sure it will rain tomorrow but don't worry there is plenty of white stuff for those coming out
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Awesome. It was JUST awesome!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Mont Chery.
Fan. Bloody. Tastic.
Don't tell anyone. 
(Rain / snow limit forecast at 1700m tomorrow with 50(ish)cm forecast at 2000m. Get high! Cham Meteo forecasting an avalanche risk of 5.)
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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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We are heading off to Les Gets on Friday 6th January. We are planning to drive, which I have done 3 times before.
Getting a little nervous now though for a number of reasons;
1. The amount of snow falling/fallen.
2. I have a rear wheel drive now, I have bought snow chains for the rear and when I saw how much snow the alps were getting I also bought snow socks for the front. Never used either before, never needed to.
3. I have heard that due to fish dying in lake Geneva in recent years they are not salting the roads this year. Although buses/coaches are still making it to resorts with snow tyres on.
4. A friend has just returned from Les Gets and said there were alot of cars at the sides of the roads, due to skidding of but also putting chains on.
Looking for peoples thoughts and/or suggestions regarding this trip. As I said I haven't driven in such bad conditions before. As a back up plan I'm thinking I may need to abandon the car in a town somewhere and get a bus/taxi up the mountain!
Thanks in advance.
Mark
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^ Dude, don't be a wuss.
Just drive normally and get over it.
Millions of people have driven up and down snowy mountain roads for the past 100 years.
It ain't difficult.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Welcome to s Blackers.
There's lots of snow, but the main roads are generally cleared quite quickly. For example, we had 20-30cm overnight and the roads were clear this evening. Side roads can be more difficult and if your accommodation is up a hill then you might have some issues. But, as I say, they do clear the roads quite quickly.
They do salt the roads. Just not as much as they used to.
You'll be fine with snow chains - just practice putting them on. Then practice some more. I'd suggest packing a torch (a head torch is best) as you'll invariably be putting them on in the dark. Also pack something to kneel on and some gloves (I have a pair of rubber washing up gloves packed in with the chains.
The people in ditches are more likely to be locals than tourists - they tend to take the road conditions for granted and overtake at any opportunity. We have just come in and passed a van that was obviously overtaking when it came a cropper.
In short, you'll almost certainly be fine.
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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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Thanks for the replies FlyingStantoni, and pam w, feel much better about it now.
Good advice re the snow chains, I hadn't thought at all about thin gloves/head torch. They will be in the car.
As I recall there are a few tight steep corners that should prove fun not sure how high up they were though.
Are there any websites/web radio that give up-to-date mountain road conditions?
Cheers
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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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Still snowing now. Keep hoping forecast wrong, unlikely I know
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Just woken up to the gentle patter of rain here in the village, on top of all that lovely snow we had last night. Alas I am still in my pit so fingers crossed its still snowing above. Does seem to have gone a little warm though!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Certainly raining now at 1550m. Snow wet & sticky.
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| Quote: |
Are there any websites/web radio that give up-to-date mountain road conditions?
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France Bleu de Savoie will do, and I've heard them give bulletins in english at busy times. Practice with your chains till you can do them really slickly, then they'll hold no terrors for you, and you'll be able to sail past all the people stuck gazing at soggy instructions in a blizzard.  Or rather, you will if some of them haven't slid to a halt at right angles across the road.
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Still snowing in Chamonix, measured 85cms in my garden. Apparently biggest chute since 1990.
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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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Headed up Super Morzine to Linderats and a quick hoon around Hauts Forts this morning.
Lots of snow off-piste, but it's wet, heavy, "leg breaker" stuff. On piste was variously fab ranging through to mushy crud. Should have taken a guide dog for the top of Avoriaz...
(Yet more and as much again) Snow forecast for Monday, but with a rain-snow limit of 1100m.
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BTW, don't let the rain worry anyone who is due out...
There is so much snow that some of the ski lift turnstiles are now at boot-height, rather than at mid-thigh and they've had to dig trenches for the turnstiles to turn in!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm coming out to Morzine on the 14th, anyone still be there fancy meeting up for a beer or showing me around the best runs ?
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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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Pissing with rain all day
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| under a new name wrote: |
| Still snowing in Chamonix, measured 85cms in my garden. Apparently biggest chute since 1990. |
Looks like mad amounts of snow. smallzookeeper has posted on Facebook that Chamonix is likely to be closed for 3 days.
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You know it makes sense.
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Constant rain and 1 degree at the apartment (1000m), so should be snowing at the top of Pleney.
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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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| Blackers wrote: |
| Are there any websites/web radio that give up-to-date mountain road conditions? |
I'm not around resort on Friday, otherwise I'd offer...
Is anyone around resort on Friday that Blackers could text to check on road conditions...?
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Poster: A snowHead
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FlyingStantoni, no sorry we won't be here, going back to UK for a few days. But the advice to stick the chains on sooner rather than later is excellent.
We never take the motorway down as far as Cluses to come up to Taninges - always come off at J15 (I think is the one, just after the peage) and then the road rises more gently as you go through the villages. First time we drove here about 12 years ago we got as far as Chatillon on the road up from Cluses and had to put the chains on then - but that was in a crap Jaguar - or rather a Jaguar that was crap in the snow.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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^^^^ I think it's junction 14.
Completely agree that going via the Vallee Vert is better if the weather's rubbish. The road up from Cluses to Chatillion is truly horrible in bad weather.
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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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| Neville wrote: |
| I'm coming out to Morzine on the 14th, anyone still be there fancy meeting up for a beer or showing me around the best runs ? |
I'll have been out there for two weeks by then so I hope I'll know my way around, pm me.
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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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Pamski, Thats the way Skiidy drive - it's a much better drive up.
I'm about on Friday -PM me your number and what time you're driving and i'll text if there is any need to pop the chains on. I haven't needed to put mine on, although a lovely man did get out of his car yesterday to push me over a massive bump of slush in Les Gets village, had he not I might have had to.
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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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Had a gentle couple of hours skiing in lieu of a day off today and did some laps of the runs down Pleney. Great snow cover. Very soft conditions and great fun as a consequence.
The Pleney stade was a little "agricultural" when we went down it due to a combination of the gradient, volume of traffic and rain.
They seem to have remodelled some of the runs under the Viking hotel - with a very nice steep red heading down in the direction of Fys.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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FlyingStantoni, perhaps you leave at J14, we go off at J15. Really quiet day out on the slopes today in Les Gets - apart from the Chamossiere which seemed to have bodies strewn all over it. Better snow than we had expected after rather a day of rain yesterday. The Ranfolly lift was not working today.
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| Quote: |
^^^^ I think it's junction 14.
Completely agree that going via the Vallee Vert is better if the weather's rubbish. The road up from Cluses to Chatillion is truly horrible in bad weather.
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Can you clarify this please...
I think J14 is all the way back near Annemasse, so do you then take the D907 to Taninges, and from there to Morzine?
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jellylegs, it's Junction 15 sorry. The one after the motorway tolls.
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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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it's signposted to the Vallee Verte.
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jellylegs, note also that the petrol at the Super-U as you enter Taninges from the Vallee Vert is often the cheapest for miles. Perhaps s in the area can confirm if this is still the case.
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FAQ
