 Poster: A snowHead
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Patch, if Meribel closes on 17 April, does that mean no access to any of the areas of Meribel, even Mont Vallon and other higher places?
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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 believe it means no lifts running. Hiking up is still possible.
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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 was wondering, if Meribel closes on the 17th, how many punters will merrily turn up on the 16th unaware.
And how many other resorts will do likewise and close early.
And how many tour ops will keep schtum about this, and point to some vague 'not our fault, weather, force majeure, no compensation payable' clause on the T&Cs, while thousands of holiday makers are forced to get on a bus to Tignes every day.
And, conversely, how many will be forced whether by law or ethics to offer refunds.
And how much more expensive next year's package holidays will be as a result of them trying to recoup back the cost of having done so.
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Just a quick update on Val T. Today was beautiful sunshine, t shirt weather all over the mountain, which was nice. The snow up top from around 10ish has been nice most of the week, staying for about 3 hours until it gets to that stage where the slush becomes an issue. The snow off the side off the runs is unsurprisingly soft, but there is still fun to be had within reason, avvy warning is at 4 at the moment tho, which put me off greater trips away from the slopes.
The runs down the backside in orette were sketchy to say the least today, massive slides had closed one of the tracks which meant that everyone was on the steeper red down to the lift. The mass of people combined with the sun meant that it turned into 1ft high slush moguls all the way down which were tedious to say the least.
Up until 5pm the front side stayed enjoyable, it hasnt been as busy this week as i was expecting (i had the joy of bring 50 of the 1500 students here) so the snow that fell a couple of days ago has stayed.
All in all, the snow is still very good between 10 and 3ish, bit hard before, bit slushy after, usual spring snow. If you are coming next week, enjoy, there is still plenty of fun to be had.
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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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Jefbenitez, good to hear 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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It is just Meribel Alpina that may close on the 17th. They have always advertised that there will be limited lifts and pistes that week (and cheaper passes). Just looks like it may be limited to zero! S3V that run the Mottaret lifts (including Vallon) will still be open until 25th.
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32 degrees on our deck this afternoon 
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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 official line ...
"The 3 Valleys resorts have stated they intend to remain open until their official closing dates: Courchevel, Les Menuires and the Méribel half of the Méribel valley will stay open until the evening of April 25; Mottaret will close on April 29; Val Thorens remains open until 8 May. The 3 Valleys ski area still offers over 240 open ski runs, an impressive statistic considering this season’s low snowfalls and the recent high temperatures"
More here http://www.merinet.com/whats_new_article.php?id_whats_new=9320&id_back=1
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Patch, hmm, wonder if it will be worth getting an extension to ski Mont Vallon...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ohhh no, I am said skiier whos going out on the 16th! eeek! Im still optomistic though and it looks like if some of the lifts are shut from meribel it just means the bus to motteret instead. hoping to get a lot of VT in this time as the times before not had much time there, once was based in courcheval 1650 so a bit of a trek and the last time at crimbo I was smashing meribel cos of a mega dump
good luck everyone and I might see the EoSB in VT, who knows I might spot a SnowHeads sticker or something 
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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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Today we were in 'Les 3 Vallees' and found more good spring snow early in the day on La Masse and a little later in the Val Thorens area and on Mont Vallon before heading over to Courchevel 1650 and back to Les Menuires on a tour of the whole domain. Did quite a few kilometres today both on and off piste. The early start made sure we had some good spring snow off piste, then as the day progressed we returned to the pistes to stay safe and everywhere we went seemed to have become very soft and slushy.
Overall we thought the 'Les 3 Vallees' domain was in good condition in the higher areas of Val Thorens, Mont Vallon, parts of La Masse and at the top of Les Menuires and even some areas of Courchevel earlier in the day. But lower down into all the stations we visited except Val Thorens there were many bare areas. We also came across a number of closed pistes in all areas. Courchevel 1650 was very difficult to reach on skis. Going into Courchevel 1850 and Meribel were also not that great. The same for Mottaret and Les Menuires.
Best advice for anyone coming out, stay high! We will be back again soon as there are still plenty of places to go for some fun!
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You know it makes sense.
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That pic of the Saulire is astonishing!
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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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shoogly, Crazy isn't it - you can still ski from the top of the Saulire down to Mottartet on that thin strip
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Poster: A snowHead
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We skied that run a few times when we were there and there was white for at least half the top of the mountain... i am absolutely stunned by how much snow has melted in the 2 and a bit weeks since we returned. I'd be getting the bike out!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The last couple of weeks have been extremely warm for the time of year - the thermometer on my deck has read up to 32 degrees, and I saw 29 in Mottaret yesterday - the melt has been the quickest I've ever seen.
I'm not on the mountain today, but it's been raining here all day at 700m, and temperaure has dropped to 14 degrees
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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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Went up to VT today, low cloud, very poor conditions (for me !), very slushy even at 12'ish, despite being cooler.
Skied the last day of the season from St Martin & ironically the best skiing we had was returning down the grand Lac off Le Tougnet to the bottom of the Le Grange ski lift !!
Sat, Sun, Monday were lovely sunny & very hot, you just have to stay high.
Although our chalet guide was talking with a pister in VT today and he said that it is the worse spring conditions for this time of year for 25 years.
Going back up the 3 cabin gondala Bouquetin up to Col De La Chambre and chatted with a skier from Courchevel and her guide has not seen spring conditions like this during his 19 years there & his friend added that it was the worse for his 30 years.
Saying that we have had some good runs, although with Plouviometre closed now there was a lot of traffic down from col de la chambre and a lot who were struggling with the deep slush down the short black run..
We had a great run down the Col Glacier late morning on Sunday, my 12 year old ate it up with the mogul field there, I managed a lot better than I expected.
We will try to see if we can get across to mont vallon tomorrow but we were told that there had been an avelanch ocross the piste there - but I am not sure how true that was...
Noisey
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We arrived on Sunday in 1650 to very warm temperatures, we were in shorts, t shirts and flip flops!!!! The true picture all over the three valley's with the exception of VT is shown in the picture of Meribel above. Pistes that are currently classed as 'open' would, in a normal year be shut. Most of the time you are looking to avoid rocks, dirt and grass and trying to find patches of snow to ski on.
The only decent snow (and decent is a loose term) is above 2700m and that is now starting to wear thin. Anything below this is either non-existent or very very patchy. The ski schools are struggling to find areas to ski on, certainly in Courchevel, and are not sure that they will even be able to find any snow lower down to ski on tomorrow (wed). It as been raining most of the day and this can only make the current conditions even worse. If I had known how bad the conditions were before I came out on Sunday, I wouldn't have come and saved myself the cost of ski pass, rental and lunches. 
Unless there is significant snow fall, I can't see how we will be able to ski till the end of this week, let alone those that are due to come out next week. Everyone in our chalet with children are really struggling to keep them occupied as it really is far too dangerous to ski. How the three valley's can justify staying open I really can't understand. My advice if you are coming out next week, is to buy a pass for one day and experience the true conditoins and then make your own decisions on whether you ski after that. The forecast is for a light snow showers Thurs/Fri and tomorrow is supposed to be sunny so the flip flops hopefully can make a reappearance
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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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The sunshine is back this morning ...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hire bikes, go for a walk, visit the local villages, ski in the morning, swim, eat, climb, canoe, kayak... tonnes to do in the alps when it's not snowy. Not exactly a ski holiday, but i'd not let the lack of snow ruin what time i had away to enjoy myself.
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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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Megamum, I would say that is just a blemish on the image. Looks fine to me. FWIW I think the introduction of those travelators has made that area much safer to ski in.
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Frosty the Snowman, OMG it's busy though 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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What a difference a day makes!! Today has been very sunny and cold in Courchevel. A dusting of snow seems to have fallen overnight and the temperatures have dropped which means the snow cannons have been used. Although skiing is still limited, Courchevel looks a little more like a ski resort today. Verdon run down to 1850 was very good although busy as the ski schools were out in force. Lets hope the cold temperatures stay for a while longer. 
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| pam w wrote: |
| Patch, if Meribel closes on 17 April, does that mean no access to any of the areas of Meribel, even Mont Vallon and other higher places? |
we were in courchevel last week and the mont vallon lift was closing by 2pm to preserve the tiny bit of snow at the bottom that allows you to get back on the mures rouges chair- unless there is a lot more snow I cant see how that can stay open. Courchevel was bare apart from saulire and suisses runs, and VT was ok higher up, but a slog to get over there. Good luck to anyone going out and take your bikini!
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You know it makes sense.
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We were up at Col De La Chambre today and went down the blue Mont De La Chambre which was perfect (ie people had scrapped the ice off into a nice powder). Only the last few hundred yards into the chair of the same name were slushy. Last night was freezing so the high level pistes we were on were like concrete early in the day. Best skiing was from 10.30.
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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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Definately Wednesday was a fab day, VT was busy but loads of open skiing if you kept an eye open for low ques on chairs and lifts.
We had a great run with the kids down Tele Ronde in the afternoon.
Thursday was more difficult with warmer weather but overcast and flat light.
Definately Combe de Vallon will be closed soon with a 200m walk at the end to the lift at the bottom, which is a shame as we found excellent conditions before then.
Hopefully with the snow today (Thursday) we may have better skiing Friday - who knows but cloud is forcast.
We have spoken to several instructors on lifts (I will speak to anyone on a chair - that is half the fun !) and they have not known similar conditions for 19 to 25 years.
A pister in VT has not known conditions as bad for 25 years of piste bashing.
They have worked hard keeping some piste open.
Certainly the kids skiing has improved with the conditions, forcing them to work hard - I know mine has !!
My son has come on leaps and bounds sice Christmas, very impressed with his mogul work.
That is one positive, I didn;t manage at all well on moguls this time last year but I seem to have found the knack of not falling over when on them this year !!
You do have to box clever to find the quieter runs but they are out there.
Lac de la chambre has been great at various times, wioth all the traffic heading to VT they by pass the empty slopes.
The Grand lac towards St Martin has proven valuable several times - with just meribel people and schools using it, we have had possibly the best runs of the day on it.
Quite a few people ignore the Peclet gondala in VT due to the long ride but again you have some choices of red & blue, we send the "faster" ones down the red while we take the kids down the blue and once any taboganers have gone it is relatively quiet. Although ti was up in the cloud today.
Seek and ye shall find !!
Noisey
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Poster: A snowHead
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Under the Portette Chair, Val Thorens, this afternoon
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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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The on-piste snow report from VT.
There is a lot of hard work has gone on here, and all credit to the piste keepers.
There is boiler plate cordouroy lower down from about the Oxalys exit to the piste above deux lac chair starting station, as a result of really slushy conditions that develop from around lunchtime, but at least they are getting a groomer over it, so although it jangles the fillings from your teeth you can get an edge into it. This lasts until about 10:30am. Conditions above that are surprising good - rather hard to firm, but mostly have a covering of 'something' you can get a ski edge into - I'd guage conditions as better overall than Les Arcs in January when we had no snow. If you can get above sort of deux lacs restaurant height the conditions are surprisingly skiable. More North facing slopes are remaining grippy until the slush sets in around 2pm. South facing slopes I think are turning pretty slushy by early lunchtime (the Orelle valley red was a slush fest of wet mogul like heaps in the steepest of places slope wise when I hit it at 1:30 yesterday). The piste teams are doing a remarkable job on the stretch between the Knife and Fork and the town - lots of made snow - and still going well by about 2pm. There are occasional closed runs under the lower part of the Moutiere chair, and I've never seen so little snow under the first half of it (or seen so much grass, whichever way you want to look at it), but you can get down it if you are prepared to ski slushy stuff, though in places that run is moderately OK. I suspect you could get to boismint chair as well though we haven't tried. There is a fair smattering of stones and muddy patches particularly when it gets slushy, but you can avoid them easily enough. In short it's spring skiing and better than I expected, if rather busy with folks coming in from other resorts.
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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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Weather - still very warm, but an icy wind today first thing.
Although still open the Oxalys run to the main drag looked so diabolical this morning that many skiers took the Carin gondola down including our group of 14 which set out at around 10am. It is still officially open, but there are so many stones and so much brown ice first thing that its hire skis only and even then you might cause consternation when you return them. The first 200m look OK, but by the time you reach the appartments below you find yourself questioning the effort involved when Cairn gondola will get you down to grab moutiere or boismint to get going for the day.
It's still typical Spring skiing - Rock hard first thing, going for well from about 11-12 and going slushy afterwards. Canoes being preferable from about 3pm onwards. 20 mins of icy rain last night hasn't helped things at all, possibly losing an hour off the useful daily life of the on-piste slopes. A strong icy wind first thing blew anything useful off of moraine (and presumably other runs normally affected when this happens) leaving behind a billiard table of grey forbidding 'ice' type surface (I know I musn't use the real ICE word - please check signature for explanation!). However, lots of slushy moguls forming up from midday onwards which should please those that find such things entertaining.
Still good spring skiing, but watch out for the brown patches and a fair number of occasional large black stones and lumps of mountain which are now being picked up.
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Megamom, Good reports. Where is the lowest trail currently open?
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Boismint red is open, haute coombe red is officially closed, Plan d'leau red is also closed. Boismint appears to be the lowest useable lift. We don't think you can get down to plan de l'eau lift and think that is closed, but I don't know anyone to confirm that. The 'on-piste' snow level is about level with about the start of Boismint, it's higher off piste esp. in south facing areas, because, as you might expect, the piste people appear to be glueing whatever snow they have available to the pistes so you are getting the effect of more or less white pistes snaking through otherwise grey green areas. I can't report on the other 'related' resorts.
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FAQ
There is some cloud bubbling up and we have a less sunny evening (90%+ cloud cover and temperature has fallen - though not below zero yet 
