Poster: A snowHead
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karin wrote: |
There was snow cover all the way round except under the Corbeau chair |
Does this run ever open!? I've yet to ski down, had to download on the chair every time. (albeit i'm only talking 2 occasions)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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lol - yes.
And the Boxer-beer bar is a great stop-off.
I first skied in Morgins in 86 before the "New" Corbeau lift was put in, and the Boxer bar was at the top of the chair lift so you could get to it really easily.
Although it sold "Cardinal" beer then not Boxer, so it was not called the Boxer Beer bar Neither was it called "The Cardinal Beer Bar" as Cardinal beer was pretty much the only draught beer in Morgins at the time, so that name would apply to every bar ( La Foret became a private Ducth ski club, and stared getting Heineken in 1989). I digress.
There was also a button lift on that face, going from the foot of the slope over by the Church up to pretty much the tree line and a small rope tow where the parking lot is now by the Corbeau.
The rope tow went in 1988, and the drag lift shortly afterwards. It just seems that this south facing slope is just too warm these days to merit 3 lifts.
TBH you haven't missed much, but if it helps here's a description of what you missed out on.
As flattish road comes round to the right out of the trees is gets slightly less flat, it carries on straight for 100 yards, before opening up onto a field, sorry "Piste". You swing round to the left and it widens - don't go under the roped off area hard left as there is a 6 foot deep hole there used by the farmer for dubious purposes.
The piste is short, wide, bumpy and has a slight cross camber. After about 80 yards it swings around to the right again by a power pylon, and narrows to a road again. The road gets a bit faster (icy-er) and there is a left hand bend, after which you are on the visible bit of the piste above the village.
This is wide inoffensive and not too steep (blue). You can either traverse right across to the Corbeau lift, or go straight down, funnelling a bit to the left, and if there's nobody about, ski down the pavement or road until either somebody comes the other way, you arrive at the square, or run out of snow - this is most likely.
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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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@WindOfChange, if you manage to "if there's nobody about, ski down the pavement or road until either somebody comes the other way, you arrive at the square, or run out of snow - this is most likely." on your board that would go down as a good effort!
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Just about to book ski hire ahead of my trip next week. But thought it would be sensible to ask for any recommendation on here first?
We're based in Morzine so would prefer to hire from there for ease of collection. Planned to use the Inter Sport close to the Super Morzine, as we are staying very near by and will likely be heading to Avoriaz the majority of the time.
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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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@DJL, On my board I normally stop at or before the first road junction (as theres normally a snow bank there, and manoeuvrability becomes an issue), on skis you can go over the bank and all the way to the square if theres enough snow - and nobody about.
Thats pretty much the only benefit of doing the circuit in clockwise ( that and missing out the Wall), otherwise its either the navette or a schlepp across Morgins, before putting your reproductive capabilities on the line with the Culet Testicle Catapult Button lift.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Pasting a post from the remontee mechanique forum where latest news is they are looking at replacing La Foulisse in Morgins with a new automated (unmanned) gondola. This is now a possibility following the merging of Feb Swiss side companies which will unlock investment from Valias Tourism. Hope this brings more investment in snowmaking to the run down from Châtel to bring more traffic to Morgins and the proposed lift. Here is the link to paywalled article.
https://www.24heures.ch/morgins-veut-soffrir-une-telecabine-visionnaire-322611582086
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@WindOfChange,
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Thats pretty much the only benefit of doing the circuit in clockwise ( that and missing out the Wall)
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We did it clockwise and 3 of the 8 of us still did the Wall while the sensible ones sat at the snack hut at the bottom in the sun and watched us! Well, they watched me and my daughter. Son got down it so fast that he appeared beside them before they'd even spotted him.
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@Ozboy, so interesting and would be a useful addition to the area!
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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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@karin, Fair play to you, especially as there's been no fresh snow for a few weeks now.
I find I have to be in the mood for it these days
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Does anyone have any particular feeling around clockwise/anticlockwise loop?
I've done it clockwise twice, so might try it anti clockwise, only bit to consider is the swiss wall, but i'll send the girlfriend down the lift for that.
Over in Les Crosets is it best going up Mossettes-Suisse along the red and then chucking a left on the blue down Col des Portes du Soleil right the way down in to Morgins cutting out the lifts around Champoussin?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Anti-clock wise for me. More interesting skiing.If you miss out Champoussin then you've missed a large chunk of the circuit tbh.
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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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There is an alternative circuit.
Drive to Ardent, take the bubble, the flat chair followed by a very short ski to the Mossette chair. Ski directly to Morgins. Take the chair and drags to super chatel. Ski down to Chatel. Bus to Plain Dranse. Chair and short ski to chair up to Linderets. Down load on the Chaux fleurie chair (if that's still allowed) and down in the bubble to Ardent.
A grand total of two proper pistes, a couple of short interconnecting runs and a lot of lifts.
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Surely the circuit has to include at least The Fornet bowl, Lindarets, Chatel (both Plaine Dranse and Super Chatel), Morgins, rest of the Swiss side. Otherwise it's just a ski both sides of the border. Add Torgon/La Chapelle and/or Morzine/Les Gets according to taste or speed.
Both clockwise and anticlockwise have good and bad points. Do both on consecutive days and see which you prefer.
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You know it makes sense.
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@zzz, we'll add in the Champoussin aspect then.
@DJL, only 1 day to do the loop, as only skiing Friday-Monday, and on Saturday-Monday friends will be with us, and one has never skied before except some lessons at the local dry slope, so we're using the Friday as the two of us to blast around the circuit to get a load of miles under our skis, as there won't be as much skiing the remaining days.
From Morgins we'll probably just head round to Chatel and skip out the Torgon bit.
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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've only ever gone clockwise and the only part I've found a bit tedious are the numerous drag lifts between Chatel and Morgins.
Any major advantages/benefits of the anticlockwise route?
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Poster: A snowHead
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My Easy-Cruisey Anti-clockwise loop from Ardent (without the Wall):
LIFT: Ardent Gondola
LIFT: Prolays or Express de Lindarets
PISTES: Crete, Boulevard de skieurs, Crot.
LIFT: Grande Combes
PISTES: Bleu de Lac, Aller Chavanette
LIFT: Coucas or Chavanette Drag
PISTE: Lanches
LIFT: Coubore Chair
PISTE : Coubore
LIFT: Coubore T-Bar
PISTE: Grand Conche
--- Mini Planachaux loop --
LIFT: Les Crosets 8 Pax
PISTE: Planachaux (Blue)
LIFT: Planachaux
PISTE: Les Crosets
----- end extra loop ----
LIFT : Mosettes
PISTE: Col Du Portes du Soleil, but turn right at the junction not left straight to Morgins
LIFT: Gueilly Drag
PISTE : Geuily - Champoussin blue
LIFT : Pointe De L'Au
PISTE : Planaille
LIFT: Derriere Pertuis T-bar
PISTE: Bochasses
LIFT : Bochasses
PISTE : Play Joyeux (all the way to bottom of La Foileuse)
If boarding, walk to Corbeau, if skiing get the Navette.
LIFT: Corbeau
PISTE: Ecotis
LIFT : Culet drag (Ball Breaker)
PISTE : Lac (all the way to PDS lift).
--- sometimes the piste is open, more often its closed, so take the chair ---
LIFT: Pds
LIFT: Gabelou
PISTE: La Leiche
LIFT: Linga Gondola
PISTE: Linga or Top of Leiche
LIFT: Echo Alpin
PISTE: L'Itineraire to Plaine Dranse
-- Boarders can use Les Combes piste, the Cornebois Lift and Reine (Red), or Keyset Drag as Itineraire is flat / uphill in places --
--- you can Carry on past Plaine Dranse and come up on PLJ lift for extra KMs ---
LIFT : Rochassons
PISTE : Chaux Fleurie or Grand Plan all the way to the Car Park
Outside of holiday periods its a 4-5 hour cruise
Tons more variations, but this is intermediate friendly as pretty much all blues (apart from Coubore).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DJL wrote: |
Do both on consecutive days and see which you prefer. |
Do both on the same day was a ski-bum challenge when I lived in Avoriaz...
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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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Just seen the weather forecast for this week!! Highs of 18c on Wednesday in Morzine! Assume that (and the other days of warm weather in the week) will have a significant impact on the snow conditions across the PDS??
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Funnily enough it snowed unexpectedly last night about 3 cm at 1250m
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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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WindOfChange wrote: |
Funnily enough it snowed unexpectedly last night about 3 cm at 1250m |
Ive seen that 10cm+ is forecast for Saturday as well? Hopefully this will resort any damage done by the warm spell.
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TBH the pistes (apart from the Crows Beak) are in decent nick, despite the mild and dry conditions.
Was out again over the weekend, and even Super Morzine was holding up OK.
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Roscoe wrote: |
WindOfChange wrote: |
Funnily enough it snowed unexpectedly last night about 3 cm at 1250m |
Ive seen that 10cm+ is forecast for Saturday as well? Hopefully this will resort any damage done by the warm spell. |
Where you seeing this? Meteo-France and Swiss-Meteo not reporting any significant snow. My wife was there on the weekend and pistes supported by snowmaking and nth facing areas such as Linga are doing well.
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Ozboy wrote: |
Roscoe wrote: |
WindOfChange wrote: |
Funnily enough it snowed unexpectedly last night about 3 cm at 1250m |
Ive seen that 10cm+ is forecast for Saturday as well? Hopefully this will resort any damage done by the warm spell. |
Where you seeing this? Meteo-France and Swiss-Meteo not reporting any significant snow. My wife was there on the weekend and pistes supported by snowmaking and nth facing areas such as Linga are doing well. |
Classic tour operators overly optimistic forecast. Was on Jet2ski over the weekend but just checked again today and it now has only 2cm on Sunday.
But has the warm conditions been as warm (and prolonged) as forecast this week?? Surely the sun/warmth will quickly undo any overnight snowmaking by mid morning??
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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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WindOfChange wrote: |
TBH the pistes (apart from the Crows Beak) are in decent nick, despite the mild and dry conditions.
Was out again over the weekend, and even Super Morzine was holding up OK. |
What are you referring to when you say Crows Beak?? Not sure where I should be looking on a piste map! Thanks
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Bec de Corbeau ( Morgins )
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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WindOfChange wrote: |
Bec de Corbeau ( Morgins ) |
Ah thank you. For some reason I was only thinking of Morz/LG and couldn't find it. That would be why!
Any idea on LG conditions?
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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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@winterstickboarder, Sorry no.
I go over to Mont Chery when theres fresh snow, but otherwise I head to Avoriaz / PLJ / Chatel / Les Crosets areas.
@Polo lives there, so can give you the best info.
Not the weather, but Circuits ..... only just noticed that if you open the link to the PDS PDF map:
https://en.portesdusoleil.com/fileadmin/user_upload/PDS_PLAN_PISTE_PDS_90x140.pdf
Go to Page 2, make it a bit bigger and scroll over to the left side:
it has a route from Les Gets to La Chapelle in the middle of which is an anti-clockwise loop.
Under which is the reverse trip with a clockwise loop. ( Neither of these has the Wall )
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@Roscoe, "any overnight snowmaking"
What overnight snowmaking would this be?
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You know it makes sense.
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Jura looked good this morning too....just the far western end, a bit of fresh snow not totally unexpected, depends which sites you use I suppose.
LG was great this weekend, watched the rugby at le Bec (ex Bar Bush), gotta say am enjoying the upgrade.... big range of IPA's, young french clientele who seem to enjoy themselves excessively, and good music when sport isn't on. No sign of the the old UK local gang, believe most have retreated to the PMU but that's strictly for interseason.
All of the pistes I did are absolutely fine apart from bottom section of MC which is literally a brown field. Chavannes home run to the village is still fully intact, no issues at all if you don't mind afternoon slush. We had loads of fun in it.
Warm week coming up will probably open a few more bare spots...but it's going to cool down again by the weekend, with a small chance of snow it seems, but haven't paid much attention to the models.
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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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under a new name wrote: |
@Roscoe, "any overnight snowmaking"
What overnight snowmaking would this be? |
Whenever they run the snow machines then. I made the assumption that it would be overnight when the pistes are closed and at the, potentially , coldest point of the day.
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Poster: A snowHead
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This morning Les Gets was beautiful. 4-6 inches fresh on top of groomed pistes. Arbis was stunning first thing. Only 2 pisteurs tracks going down and 2 tourers tracks coming up when I skied it. Top part of run from Troncs Express was horrible with marbles of death. Otherwise good everywhere until after lunch when it got very soft and slushy in the sun. Temperatures aren't low enough for snow making.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Roscoe, this time of year snow making pretty low priority as vacances are over plus it's warmer plus smaller water reservoirs will have been emptied.
Be surprised if much done even if cold enough.
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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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@under a new name, thanks for this info. Every days a school day.
So if the warm weather this week ruins some pistes beyond unnatural repair (snow making), they’ll be closed until (if) snow replenish’s them?
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@Roscoe, [edit] basically, yes. But you need to know that significant volumes of well compacted, old snow are remarkably resilient, particularly if it's sub zero overnight. And that the piste machines will be running anyway, and will have "stored" snow where possible near "fragile" areas. So where there's been significant snowfall, it takes more than a week or two of mild temperatures to ruin things.
Conversely, 10cms of fresh will be gone by lunchtime.
Bear in mind then that snow making tends to be on critical slopes/runs and when the snow is made it’s often « concrete » dense & icy and naturally harder to melt. You can make powder but that’s not what’s usually required.
Against a background that much of my comments are more based on Chamonix valley which, where much of the slopes are in natural reserves, meaning very limited water storage/snow making capacity, (but is mostly above 1,600m) contrasting with e.g. Avoriaz, which, I believe, has rather a lot of water storage.
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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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Some overnight rain at 1250m, and very strange yellow light in PdS this morning.
3 years back we had orange light which bought Sahara sand, but this is a very different hue.
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@WindOfChange, I think it's from a the yellow bit of the Sahara.
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@WindOfChange, as you say, definitely more yellow than orange and not as dense I don't think! Nearly went out for a wee rando but it's spitting rain
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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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Yellow rain?
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Sahara sandstorm again, just not as much as last season
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