 Poster: A snowHead
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Sounds like we've picked a perfect place to stay! Bar, restaurant, ski hire and the gondola on our door step!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If you only want to ski SG/Megeve and not have to get in to the car for anything all week it's an ideal location. Our girls like the challenge of the home run when it's open but tbh I'd skip it if it were up to me. Icy, narrow, steep and bumped up in places with a bunch of roads to cross. But to them it's an adventure/tradition so we usually ski it at least once if it's open.
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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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@bpirkle, it isn't that hard to ski the other areas on the pass without a car. On the road at the back of the gondola station there is a bus stop that will take you to the main Les Contamines lift (bus Y84, it is a paid service 3.50 euros, one leaving 0835 gets you to LesC at 0900). And there's a free shuttle from the Megeve bottom station (road below the base of the Arbois bubble) to the Jaillet bubble up to the Combloux area.
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@bpirkle, I think the St Gervais home run is great fun! And St-G a good base - though we did have a car when we visited.
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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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@denfinella You’d love the skiing on the US east coast then .. got loads of that over there. We’ve skied the home run every year it’s been open for the last 20 ish years but it’s not my favourite. YMMV
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@j b, I'd happily jump on the bus to Les C and stay out of the car. Good to know it's an option. Is there a bus to get you over the bridge to the MB Tramway? Been up there but didn't ski Les Houches that day. The last time I looked in to it the train plus the lift pass was a v expensive option.
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| bpirkle wrote: |
| @j b, I'd happily jump on the bus to Les C and stay out of the car. Good to know it's an option. Is there a bus to get you over the bridge to the MB Tramway? Been up there but didn't ski Les Houches that day. The last time I looked in to it the train plus the lift pass was a v expensive option. |
Yes just grab one of the free mini buses from the gondola, it’s about a 10 minute walk but probably best not in boots.
Les Houches ski pass no includes the TMB train so a much more realistic option, I’m going to try it next weekend for the first time which is shameful considering I’ve had a place in StG for 7 years
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Anybody know of good mountain restaurants in Le Jaillet/Combloux ski area ? Where is the best car park ? Thanks.
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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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| Arden wrote: |
| Anybody know of good mountain restaurants in Le Jaillet/Combloux ski area ? Where is the best car park ? Thanks. |
Sorry the usual story, know how to get there but no idea of name
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@Jonny996, We're staying in Sallanches so I'm thinking get the tramway from Le Fayet but not sure which Les Houches pass is best for the 4 of us .. I'm only seeing the full Chamonix passes.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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A bit of guidance ? Near which lifts?
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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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Can't guarantee, but I am pretty sure you can buy a Les Houches day pass from the TMB station which includes travel up on the tramway. New trains in service for the first time this winter.
As @Jonny996 says free shuttle bus line 1 will get you there from the gondola (opposite the ski pass counter, under the bridge). They do go the long way round, it is a figure-of-eight loop past the ice rink and the main square before heading to the TMB station (it then loops back to the gondola station). Every 15 minutes on the quarter hour from the gondola.
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| Arden wrote: |
| A bit of guidance ? Near which lifts? |
Up Prés chair, down La croix blue
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You know it makes sense.
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| Arden wrote: |
| Anybody know of good mountain restaurants in Le Jaillet/Combloux ski area ? Where is the best car park ? Thanks. |
Auberge Bonjournal as you head towards La Giettaz.
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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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@belette, is that the one at the junction of blues after you've been up Christomet and head towards La Giettaz? (Or get to on the reverse trip). We've had a good lunch there, but haven't been back since - usually we aim for lunch in La Giettaz at the restaurant just back from the snow front.
And @Jonny996, if that's the place I think it is, a lovely sun-trap in good weather.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@belette, @j b, I'm thinking it must be the one on the long road run to La Giettaz .. we always cruise past but it always seems busy.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@bpirkle, I think so, it sits on top of the ridge with excellent views ...and our phone told us we were in Praz sur Arly.
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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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Auberge Bounjournal and La Girafe are both very good for food/drink. La Girafe can be accessed on the run to La Giettaz whilst Bonjournal both going to and coming from Giettaz.
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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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Heading out to Megeve on 15th Feb until 20th Feb and cannot wait. Snow looks good at present but conscious of warmer temps coming through by the looks of the forecast and not much snow on the horizon.
I have told myself that I will not spend the next 2 weeks looking at webcams…!
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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 done a very quick 3 days , 1 at StG/StN, 1 at Cotes2000 & 1 at Jaillet.
All skied amazing but I’m not going to lie , the snow was thin in places & they definitely need a good top up before the February holidays.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We are off to Megeve for half term, there was some snow on the forecast for next week but it seems to have disappeared! Hopefully the snow cannons have/ will be doing their job.
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| Quote: |
there was some snow on the forecast for next week
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It's only Monday. forecasts for next week won't be reliable till the weekend.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
there was some snow on the forecast for next week
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It's only Monday. forecasts for next week won't be reliable till the weekend. |
Megeve Rochbrubne side we will have everything open. I was putting piste markers out on Marmotte at cote 2000 today - hasn't been open yet this year (low prority). All the main thurofares (sp?) here, Mont d'Arbois and St Gervais have snow cannn covarage. So you are safe come what may.
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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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| Idris wrote: |
| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
there was some snow on the forecast for next week
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It's only Monday. forecasts for next week won't be reliable till the weekend. |
Megeve Rochbrubne side we will have everything open. I was putting piste markers out on Marmotte at cote 2000 today - hasn't been open yet this year (low prority). All the main thurofares (sp?) here, Mont d'Arbois and St Gervais have snow cannn covarage. So you are safe come what may. |
This is a reassuring post, thank you.
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| Idris wrote: |
| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
there was some snow on the forecast for next week
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It's only Monday. forecasts for next week won't be reliable till the weekend. |
Megeve Rochbrubne side we will have everything open. I was putting piste markers out on Marmotte at cote 2000 today - hasn't been open yet this year (low prority). All the main thurofares (sp?) here, Mont d'Arbois and St Gervais have snow cannn covarage. So you are safe come what may. |
Was disappointed that Piste Decent at Côte 2000 was closed for race practice on Saturday, it’s a great run
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yes thanks for the reassuring post and let’s hope the forecasts as they stand are unreliable (and going to change!!)
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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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| Jonny996 wrote: |
| All skied amazing but I’m not going to lie , the snow was thin in places & they definitely need a good top up before the February holidays. |
Just back and can endorse this. The snow was good to ski on everywhere, right down to the bottom at places like Princesse or Combloux or St Nicholas which are normally closed or slushy, but clearly very thin where there wasn't artificial snow to boost what fell last week. It has stayed cold but skiing it does wear it down. (Home run to StG not yet open, I assume because it is currently a slalom round huge mounds of artifical snow but yesterday the piste bashers had started spreading those so I assume it will be in action for French half term).
We had a generally enjoyable time. It was certainly cold - thermal long johns in daily use - and with cloud problems some days. This week though has ended up with perfect blue skies, though of course the sun means a bit of damage to slopes with any south in them so we do hope for more snow. Mind you it is a good month before we are due to return, once the French holidays finish.
My wife hasn't got her skiing fully back since the year enforced absence for Covid, and one day had a total wobbly. It was on the Grande Epaule red run - which she has enjoyed previously - and after going at me she proceeded with a statement wide snow plough to create an obstacle for following faster skiers. I steered her to the Les Marmottes restaurant for a coffee, and that merged into lunch (and one of the best lunches available anywhere on piste) but despite her posting facebook pictures of the food and the views she was still mad at me and saying she would never ski again. But ... we still had to get home. Back down to the Croix to Christ chair, then to discover the little Evasion drag up to Mont Joux was closed and we had to drop down to Les Communailles and the Le Croix chair. At that moment the cloud rolled in densely, and with low visibility all we could do was go from piste marker to piste marker - and happily my wife realised that she could ski perfectly well when she had to concentrate on something else. But I did make sure that next morning we did a few circuits of a favourite blue run to rebuild confidence, and we have a half-day lesson booked for our return in March.
Other news: it was really good to discover Alpybus (and their aliases) seem to have restored their full shared transfer service this year. We hadn't even looked to them when planning our return trip today since they didn't run at all midweek last year. However having spotted on this forum that there were French strikes today, and being unable to ascertain whether the train we had planned to take back to the airport was due to run, I put the date into their website before looking for other alternatives (we could have taken the local bus to Chamonix to open up multiple options). Multiple services a day from the bottom telecabine station, and of course direct to the airport in about an hour.
Nevertheless we quite like the train transfer at half the price when available, it is pretty civilised and of course you can read a book in the way you can't in a minibus. Arriving you know there is a train every hour regardless of flight delays, and in winter there is a free navette transfer up the hill to the town. Once the new Valleen lift is in place, if the hype is to be believed there will be transfers up (not free!) year round. A few days after we arrived workmen fenced off the bottom couple of rows of the telecabine parking and started clearing the ground for the top station of the new gondola - it looks as if it is really going to happen.
And when we arrived on the train, there was a TGV (Ouigo) on the other platform which we haven't spotted there for a few years. It seems a direct service from Paris has resumed. We must investigate travelling all the way by train, with an overnight in Paris.
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@j b,
There's something about Epaule (the shoulder above St N?). I climb a bit etc so have a reasonable head for heights but the sense of hovering over huge space is very unusual on that run and always makes me feel a little dizzy.
How long does the train take from Le Fayet to GVA? When I last looked it seemed a bit of a pain. I was thinking the bus to Salanches then change onto the local bus looked the easiest public transport option but am interested in the train
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You know it makes sense.
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i am going to third the opinion of the ridge run do to Saint Nic, for some weird reason I dont like it, no idea why, its not that step but I just dont like it.
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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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My wife will be pleased to know she has people's sympathy. Hopefully she will feel a bit braver after a lesson.
What I rather like about that run is the sense that you are on top of the world, almost as if you were flying. Quite special. Plus those restaurants, both Les Marmottes (might be a singular marmotte, not quite sure) and the Refuge de Porcheray further down are small operations where you have the Plat de Jour or nothing. The cooking in both is traditional French country style, absolutely loaded with flavour. You get the impression they have been cooking the same way for a hundred years - peering into the old-fashioned kitchen I could imagine the ghost of Elizabeth David with her notebook, peering over the cook's shoulder to get tips.
@jedster, you have to think two hours for the train journey including the change at Geneva centre (Cornavin) for the airport link. There is sometimes a change at Annemasse too but it doesn't affect the timing. Its advantage is for the outward journey, when you know there will be another train an hour later if the flight is delayed, and you just buy your ticket at the station (either machine or counter). The long duration is partly because it takes a longer route, deviating from the valley bottom to the junction with the line to Annecy, and partly because it is single-track and the train sometimes has to wait for trains in the other direction to pass.
The bus via Sallanches used to be really good when it was run by Ouibus/BlaBlaBus. It ran year round and daily, and you booked through tickets which meant they would hold the connecting bus if one was delayed. Now the route has been taken over by Flixbus it is cheaper but without the guaranteed link-up, and there is an extremely scant service outside French half term. The other solution is to use one of the Chamonix shared transfers which are happy to drop/pick up at Le Fayet station where you can pick up the Y84 bus but of course times aren't coordinated. Or if the timing is right, you can use one of the multiple cheap buses to Chamonix and transfer to St Gervais with the Y82 service (won't work for Les Contamines).
If Alpybus are running their previous full timetable this year (I couldn't find one online, but have a saved copy from previously) they run at least 6 minibuses a day - and 12 at weekends - serving St Gervais and Megeve. About twice the cost of the train though, and restricted to the ski season.
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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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Those red runs on the right look like they drop off a cliff!
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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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Great photo and nice and quiet. I don't like the first bit if it is busy but it soon thins out.
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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 think that is more my concern, it is the style of run that scares some people, drop off both sides & as per @j b, wife encountered they seem to forget how to ski even thou that run is well within their ability. this then leads to a backlog of skiers going a lot slower than they normally would, causing a tail back on the stepper start.
Then add in those that don't take other's into account & go screaming past them when it is obvious they are not comfortable & it turns into an unpleasant experience.
I done the run on Friday past, the conditions were like in that picture & the piste was near empty, it is a completely different experience & a much more pleasant one.
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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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Fun picture @denfinella, though on the day in question the view was clear in that direction. I think though it was the day that we got to the top of Mt d'Arbois and saw low cloud the other side, so L'Epaule was a second choice to the original idea of skiing Combloux. As related above though, the cloud did slowly move in and there was a very thick layer to ski through on the way down to Communailles.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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For anyone in resort at present, how is the snow looking? I fly out on the 15th next week. Snow looks good on the webcams but conscious of the little amount of fresh snowfall in recent weeks and I watched some pretty damming YouTube videos of the snow in La Gittaz - admittedly it was on the home runs but I couldn’t believe that they were open!
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Some friends are using our apartment this week, and in the photos texted today things looked pretty good. Admittedly they were over in Cote 2000 which always holds its snow well.
As you say the webcams don't look too bad, and yesterday the website had a banner claiming there had been "chutes de neige" so maybe there was a small refresh.
Fingers crossed for you, we are hoping for more snow too though we won't be there again ourselves until the end of French half term.
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Thank you for the update. It all looks good to be fair but just a little disappointing for what is, prime peak winter season! Anyhow, I’m a relevant newcomer so even a modest mountain availability will suit me. I will post some updates here when I am there next week.
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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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Yesterday I was snowbarding in SG. Conditions are good in that its cold and sunny, the snow is nice on the runs with snow making but the rocks and grass are appearing lower down. The slopes with a south aspect are not fairing well for example the Ideal slopes without snow making are closed or will close this week. I went down the SG home run for the first time this season and it was surprisingly good and I did not need to take off the board once to cross a road which is a rarity.
Les Contamines on Sunday was obviously better and quiet. It also picked up 7cm of new snow this week whereas SG picked up more like 2-4cm.
All in all considering the lack of natural snowfall this season conditions are still good but the warmup slated for this weekend will do some damage. It looks like there will be a change to more unsettled conditions later in Feb so hopefully we get a few big dumps to keep the season going.
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I’m not over until Monday evening, if anyone is over this weekend, can you advise just how bad the gondola queue is
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