 Poster: A snowHead
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| stewart woodward wrote: |
@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  |
Is that the reason all mountain toilets were closed? we were there last week and had to ski back into le lac to find a toilet that was open. caused the ladies in the group a few anxious moments..
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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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Indeed! The microlights were flying all day - a good sign that the weather was OK. Most of the easily accessible off piste is now tracked out - but there are huge tracts of untracked up the glacier due to the repairs taking place on the cable car. The bottom station now looks like a scrapyard as all the running gear has been removed. Might be time to take the skins up their to have a go at it!
We were only about 30 miles from a reasonable snowfall today - the Préalpes got up to 30cm last night - on the other hand the sunny patch in which we sat today was very small having just looked at the satellite animation. If you check the surface pressure charts they are a mess with fronts and troughs all over the place - so any forecast this week is likely to be little more than a horoscope
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| chocksaway wrote: |
| but there are huge tracts of untracked up the glacier due to the repairs taking place on the cable car. The bottom station now looks like a scrapyard as all the running gear has been removed. Might be time to take the skins up their to have a go at it |
Steady on! I'll be back in resort in a few days time if you can wait.
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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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Another glorious day in the Alps - sun from wall to wall and quite cold (which given the forecast for today last weekend was a bonus...............). Today was a more local day - great Pistes and once we got up to the Panoramic restaurant (Vanoise is still broken along from the Cable Car from the storms weekend before last) we hit the off piste around Genepy and to the right of Leisse. Down Genepy - which is relatively easy - but navigationally you need to know what you are doing - there was some great pitches of untracked snow about 10 cm deep - very flattering. The forecast wind started to pick up in the afternoon as we put in another set of fresh tracks. As we came home the new Bun J Ride was actually being used - basically it is a cross between a ski jump and a bungee jump but at €65 a pop it seems a bit on the pricey side (say when compared for a 15 min trip in a microlight for €70)
As for the weather - tomorrow there will be sunny periods less so in the afternoon - same on Sunday and then it starts to go downhill with cloud and snow showers. The forecasts are currently for 'tempestuous storms and abundant snow' on Thu/Fri - but with a freezing level which could mean sleet initially in the lower bits of the area. I know folks are getting terribly excited on other threads - I refer the learned gentleman to the first line of todays report!! (But it is looking quite promising and if it comes off as the current forecast it may even be biblical).
Flying tomorrow? I foresee few problems based on the current forecasts - the odd bit of sleet in Scotland and perhaps a light snow shower or 2 over here late afternoon. For the roads a bit busier than last week with 16000 vehicles going down and 23 000 coming up (between Moutiers and Albert-town) - so it will be slowish between resort and Moutiers between 8 and 12. You may hit the traffic controls on the way up in the afternoon. Clearly Eurotunnel is still having problems.
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I'm off to Val on Sunday, if the predicted forecasts actualy happen does that mean we're basically not going to be able to ski thurs/fri/sat?
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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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| Tange wrote: |
| I'm off to Val on Sunday, if the predicted forecasts actualy happen does that mean we're basically not going to be able to ski thurs/fri/sat? |
No.
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The forecast changes with each run of the models (every 6 hours) the very latest has reduced the amounts of snow, but my comments were based on the 12Z run which showed the eye of the storm passing over the EK. At that moment in time they forecast over 2M of snow in 48 hours with winds in excess of 100km per hour which would (IMHO) would have shut the resorts, the roads and the inter village footpaths but it is still only a LONG range forecast. It may happen, we may get half of it (which would be the preferable option) or we may get nothing at all. At the moment any forecast beyond a couple of days is suspect. Meteorology is not a binary science despite what many apps would lead you to believe.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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A sunny Saturday, but cold and a stiff breeze above about 2500m and as predicted it has clouded over this afternoon and from the radar a few flocons are on their way. The pistes were busier than normal for a Saturday, perhaps the day visitors are coming further up the hill than normal. The pistes were very hard in most places which made it quite tricky - glad it was Saturday! Unfortunately, we saw the aftermath of an accident just after the tunnel in La Daille - the helo was just arriving - hope everything is OK, but it did look serious.
I stopped after at lunchtime for some admin (and after an excellent night in the Queue de Cochon last night - quite how I ended up jiving with two of the TDC instructors will probably remain a mystery  )
Sunny cold and very windy tomorrow, followed by sunny periods on Monday, the deterioration then continues through the week, the tempest for Thursday has toned itself down - though it is still forecast to bring a lot of snow. As it doesn't leave Newfoundland until tomorrow there is a long way to go yet.....
Flying tomorrow should present no particular difficulties - a bit wet up north but expect a bumpy arrival/departure over here.
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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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Snowing nicely now. Let's hope it keeps going till morning
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Still 20% of EK is closed according to VDI website. How unusual is that as this stage of the season ? Is it some of the lower runs like Sache and piste perdue?
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You know it makes sense.
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Its mainly the steeper runs that were either in the sun in the early part of the season (like Camapnules, a couple off the top of Palafour) or the very steep ones like Grizzly. Also the Santons, L and Epaule de Charvet (though I think that opened this afty) which bizarrely had a mix of lack of snow and avalanche risk from above.
Sache is open, Piste Perdue is no longer a piste but would need a lot more snow before it ceases to be a rock climbing exped.
Oh - and we have lost a couple up the GM because the Cable Car is having major repairs after the screaming gale of 2 weekends ago.
Some of the Pomas are closed because there is not enough snow to prevent it becoming an aerial experience
It is quite unusual - but that may all be fixed later in the week...............
Had a couple of cm tonight.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Fontaine Froide (and Epaule du Charvet) are open so you can ski back that way.
Santons being closed is always proper order
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Still snowing this morning in Val D. No idea how much might have fallen overnight. It's been light but steady although it seems to have just got a bit heavier.
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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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Is there any indication of how long the GM cable car is likely to be out of action?? I'm off to the area next Saturday for the first time and was kind of hoping to get up there. I think it's my old mountaineering background - I like to get to the highest point I can of whatever ski area I'm in, irrespective of the runs
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Raven, 5cm
@TommyJ, I will try and find out - but its was looking more dismantled than mantled on Thursday. Unlikely to be up there today as its -12 on the balcony and its breezy and cloudy up there. You could always skin up - its only 433 metres up from the top of the train
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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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My weather app predicts heavy snow for Geneva on Saturday pm but maybe a lull am so you may miss the worst of it Chambery, defo some weather though for the backend of this week throughout Northern Europe
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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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| Quote: |
| Should I start getting worried or prepare for disruptions? |
Worry about them no. Prepare in whatever way you can, for sure.
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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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| Quote: |
My fingers felt like they were going to drop off today & I think a face mask maybe required tomorrow
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Danielle (Aspen) did not believe me about the cold until I grabbed her with my gloves . I shall look out for Hannibal Woodward tomorrow.
Today lasted until lunchtime on the slopes - the cloud arrived a bit earlier than forecast and it has been snowing gently since about 11am and looks like it will continue through the night with somewhere in the order of 5cm forecast. Still no forecast on the Cable car but Tigski and I did find a big lump of it near the bottom of the Tichot lift on a trailer. I am guessing these bits are bespoke - so some fettling to do yet. (He may pop on board with a photo later....)
Tomorrow will start with light snow and then hopefully there ill be sunny periods - but it will be very windy at altitude especially in the morning - may be a day for the trees. Wednesday will start fine and then the degradation will start - there is going too be significant amounts of snow between Thu and Sun - each time the weather elves throw the dice (every 6 hours) different numbers come up - but I think we can safely say that next week we will have more snow than this week.
@Mtaylor, From what I can see Chambery will be at or around the snowline early on Saturday, by lunchtime it will be below it. As yet there are no detailed forecasts of visibility and cloudbase which are likely to be more important. As Layne says it might be worth having a couple of sarnies in your hand baggage as you may get delayed but the snow amounts are not going to be biblical (at the moment!) and, for sure, the Police are going to be much harsher in enforcing the rules of the road and there is unlikely to be freezing rain. So if anyone is driving this weekend don't even think about coming south of Dijon without snowchains. As ever there will be a more detailed airport forecast here on Friday afternoon - to allow a bit of expectation management.
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As promised by Chocksaway, chewed up running gear.
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You know it makes sense.
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Wow, what caused the wheel to smash? Wind can't surely do that to metal 
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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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Wind can do whatever it wants! Immensely powerful.
Flight on Saturday into Geneva, with a PM transfer. Getting a bit nervous looking at the weather reports.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've been in Val D a couple of days now and the biggest problem I'm finding is icy pistes. Some of them have a sprinkling of snow on them but underneath is almost solid ice. This afternoon I had a fall on one of them and found it hard to stop sliding until I managed to catch some snow with one of my skis.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Tigski, that's a big chunk out of the wheel and bar thingy. No wonder it's out of action, must be lot's of other damage.
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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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| smagsmith wrote: |
| Wow, what caused the wheel to smash? Wind can't surely do that to metal |
Obviously I don't know the answer, but suspect the cable somehow caused the damage. The metal bars on top of the wheels seemed to be there to keep everything in line and are not part of the system.
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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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Been here since Saturday. It has been snowing most of that time (lightly). But there must be a cumulative total of 20cm in 4 days. Off-piste needs much more cover which should come this weekend, but it could be precarious as it will be landing on top of a 50cm base which appears to comprise 25 cm normal snow overlying 25cm of sugar
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Can anyone on the ground tell me if Santons is open yet. Call me sadistic but I love the gun-barrel...
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@Timg60, At 1200 today no. But Epaule de Chavet was - if you are brave.
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| chocksaway wrote: |
| @Timg60, At 1200 today no. But Epaule de Chavet was - if you are brave. |
And have rental skis
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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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Any news on the cable car? There's no mention of it doing a Google
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FAQ
. So tomorrow may be another day in Fornet as there is a local phenomenon with a south easterly that means Fornet can have 20-30cm and Le Lac has 2 or 3.
