 Poster: A snowHead
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skied to last lift in lelac ..shame about the morning but great afternoon even if it was cold and very very windy.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A clear but windy day - still some high lifts closed and some repairs to the Telepherique after the storm. For the first time this season I did 6 hours, 2 separate periods of 3 hours - almost feels like being an instructor..... Some of the pistes are in great condition others have some really hard pack - cresting ridge was always a raffle! Did try to get to La Daille but all the runs were closed this morning - not sure why - normally they leave one open if they are racing.
Clouding over late tomorrow and then the winds pick up for a mixed day Wednesday with a few flocons kicking around - the rest of the week looks unpredictable - but there should be some snow before the weekend.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@stewart woodward, enjoy.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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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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@chocksaway, solid ice = decent base on and off piste or will the new snow just slide off???
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@kitenski, By the end of the day most of it had slid off - short radius turns at the side of the piste were the order of the day. On piste the bashers will rescue some of it and pack it together. Off piste - we have not had enough to really change the big picture - yes there are people who will tell you they have found powder in gullies etc (although I doubt very much it is powder by definition) and most of them are probably selling something  but overall there is still a long way to go (ie another metre) before the risks of a broken leg or ski reduce enough to make it worthwhile for someone who is here all season to venture far off piste.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@chocksaway,
The piste to La Daille & your 'patch' of ice were caused by a burst water pipe supplying the snow cannons. I am surprised they didn't have the area fenced off
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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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@stewart woodward, That explains yesterday's closure then! Must have been quite a burst given the size of the patch. Still like boiler plate underneath down to Boisses though.
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Webcams look a lot better than when we were there last week
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You know it makes sense.
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| kitenski wrote: |
| @chocksaway, solid ice = decent base on and off piste or will the new snow just slide off??? |
Isn't weak angular layer still there? My understanding is you want closer to 1m of consolidated snow over weak layer to safely bridge. We are nowhere near that yet nor will be after next weekend. Off-piste will be tricky for the time being. Correct me if I'm wrong
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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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@peanuthead, You are just about spot on. From todays avi bulletin:
Hors des domaines sécurisés, ces plaques subsistent, plus fréquentes en haute montagne, notamment au-dessus de 2500/2700 m où les sous-couches restent fragiles
Out side of the secured areas the slabs remain, more frequent in the high mountain - notably above 25-2700m where the sub layers remain fragile (or words to that effect)
In addition the wind has scoured some ridges and made some very hard patches which the snow will slide off (if it hasn't already blown off).
Meanwhile this morning there is a thin veil of cloud BUT the pisteurs have already used enough explosive to start a small war - stay safe
PS Looks like the weekends snow will arrive a bit earlier than we initially thought - it is forecast to start tomorrow morning and continue through the night.
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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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@chocksaway, thank you so much for your posts. We are quietly in and out of the EK over the season, and between this thread and Steve Angus' blog, we are kept very well informed. Really appreciate all of the contributions. Today we skied around Fornet and Pissaillus and then made our way back. Had some of the best skiing we have had in recent memory. Tomorrow will be different again, but thanks again for all of the updates and info.
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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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I will be in one of those 22000 vehicles grinding up the hill on Sat morning. Persimmon goggles arriving tomorrow as they appear to be the best on flat light days.
Staying in Tignes le lac in a Skiworld chalet - hotel . Looking forward to it , but not 0430 at LGW. Bringing the carvers and the Monsters so will be equiped for anything.
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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.
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@offpisteskiing, Fair comment Sir - its close but not in the Chardonnet Bowl. The Couloir de Lac de Chardonnet is the one immediately to the right of the Merles Lift as it changes climb angle dramatically. It is also easily accessible from Lac Piste and is very steep with a lake at the bottom. 2 of the reasons I have never skied it. There have been few people down it this season and there were no tracks down it at about 9.30 this morning. One very lucky bear - luck compounded by having a sniffer dog les than 1 minutes skiing from the pisteurs' hut at the top of the Grattalu.
@lynnecha, Thanks!
@GeorgeVII,
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I'm sure we paid extra for that option.
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That's what you get with a quality company (lucky that its a Sunday transfer this week!)
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@chocksaway, ah yes I know the one... You never quite know with the Daubé how accurate their descriptions are... Sounds indeed like a very lucky man!
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@offpisteskiing, And the second 'militaire' to be dug out in the last 3 weeks - the last one was only 150m from the Grattalu Pisteurs' Hut. (There is an assumption there that he is French military - there were a lot about today - but there are also a lot of our very own Senior Service kicking around)
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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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As you might have guessed its been a day of admin (and dealing with the behemoth that is BT UK). Its been snowing on and off all day but in the village its still damp snow. The glacier has been shut for most of the day for high winds (though the funi was running). Still expecting the snow through the night at 20-25cm now, but depth forecasting is a bit of a lottery and just depends where the most active part of the front passes over. Did pop out this morning and spotted the French Army in the transceiver practice area!
Airport forecast as my earlier post - definitely snow up at Leeds Bradford though! Next week looks pretty chilly so if you are thinking of an odd extra thermal layer - pack it!!!! You will probably need your low light gogs as well as its going to be unsettled all week.
Time for a jam session at the Jam Bar TTFN
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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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The overnight snow did not materialise here in Tigne, just very thick fog this morning. Let's see what the day will bring.
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Update, snow just started to fall
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You know it makes sense.
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| On the rocks wrote: |
| The overnight snow did not materialise here in Tigne, just very thick fog this morning. Let's see what the day will bring. |
Same in La Plagne. Not much overnight at all. Let's see what today brings.
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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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I see blue skies breaking through on Val Claret webcam.
I guess that's it so
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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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Its now nearly 6pm and it has just stopped snowing - which was much later than expected - then again it started snowing 6 hours late. As its misty and windy its a bit difficult to say how much we have had but I will plump for 15cm in the last 24 hours. I met a mate at (.30 and as the light was bad and there was a stiffer breeze than expected at the top of Palafour we elected for Boisses and Breviere - for the first time this season. The vis was so much better in the trees so we did a number of laps - and it was blissfully quiet. There were a few nice turns to be had - although the snow pack down there is not so deep so there was the odd tree root/ski interface issue. Just occasionally the light improved - so I elected for a early lunch (Jam Bar Ciabatta Inglese - full fry in a bun!) but still no improvement - so it was down to La Daille again for the trees. The pistes down to La Daille and Brev will be much better once the snow has been bashed to them tomorrow - most of it had got pushed to the sides by mid afternoon - revealing all sorts of traps for the unwary. Just about to pop out for a birthday do - so here's the weather:
Tonight and tomorrow will be, in the words of Meteo France, glaciale - for @GeorgeVII, that translates as 'quite parky'. We might also see a bit better light. So it might be an early morning as I have an invasion of mates arriving mid afternoon. The rest of the week looks very unsettled with some snow most days which will be good. 
For flying tomorrow - almost any where in the UK could catch a shower of sleet or maybe snow which may cause the odd delay for deicing. Over this side of the smokey Eurotunnel -- (Chambery and Grenoble maybe didn't seem so bad today.......) Geneva should be OK. But around Lyon Chambery and Grenoble there is a fair chance of temporary freezing fog patches. This should not cause a problem at Lyon, is unlikely to cause a problem at Grenoble but if it chooses to pitch up at Chambery then there may well be a good deal of going round in circles or going somewhere else, given the more tricky approach and the limited approach aids there. Should all be clear by 11am though.
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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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Thanks @chocksaway, . It's been a bit parky here mate. The snow that i ordered seems to have arrived a day early and in the wrong country. Might need the "chains" to get to the top of our very slippery cobbled road at sparrow fart tomorrow. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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-11 Degs, blue skies, fresh snow - bye!
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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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@chocksaway, enjoy!!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@chocksaway, looks a lot better than last Sunday in Avoriaz have a good one
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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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After seasons in Canada and Japan, my expectations of "off piste powder" are probably hard to match up to. Consequently, I'm finding the current espace killy conditions pretty shocking. So much on piste ice, especially on the so called easier runs, lots of threadbare areas and barely a shin full of powder off piste.
Admittedly, all somewhat tempered by getting to the far side of Val d'isere from Tignes and then breaking a binding so skiing back on one foot!
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@thedrewski Having skied a lot in Espace Killy (and the Alps in general) and a fair few times in Canada and the US, I think you may have a different definition of 'ice' to Alps skiers....
We have seen packed powder runs in BC sporting signs warning of marginal conditions; heard local skiers describing the same conditions as 'kinda icy'; and have met skiers who don't bother to ski at all if it's not a powder day - the quote that day was 'Icy groomers just don't cut it.' All a bit unbelievable for us just get out and ski types who just love to be in the mountains and who enjoy skiing whatever's on offer. Yes, we'd all love to ski powder all day every day - but you just have to be realistic when you're in the Alps and treat every powder day as a bonus and not an expected norm.
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FAQ
So we used the Funival and Etriots chair until the wind abated enough to open Borsat - just. It was a brutal ride up. Back to the pad for lunch to await the amelioration - mmmm none - so we ventured out (mates last day) and headed to Boisses using the blue slopes (learning had taken place this morning) still a few fresh tracks to be had just off the side. A couple of suckers gaps appeared but the snow kept returning.
) Im hoping for another few big dumps of snow before I arrive on the 31st! 