 Poster: A snowHead
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@Ski lots, Buy high, sell low! (altitude that is).
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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, good advice - I’m hoping the snow and the price boom lasts another 15 years.
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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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Front de Niege in Val rammed at
08.55
12.30. and we've stacked it off, spending to much time queuing
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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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Arriving 3rd Jan. snow forecast looks interesting. Came out to Tignes 3 times last year and each time it dumped. Tignes needs to make me an offer to come out more often 
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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@welshflyer, we did both the Col de Ves routes. Both were fine, just the odd well-marked rock (maybe half a dozen down the whole thing?)
@Ski lots, I am staying very happily in a prison-cell block this week. It may be €250k to but, but at under £700 for the week it isn’t exactly the sort of place where people are regularly buying bottles of wine at £500++ a go. Club Med @chocksaway likewise isn’t that sort of place either as they won’t be self-catering - will they?
It feels soooooo much more prosperous here than it does at Le Lac.
We dined at Table Jeanne this evening which was pretty epic. Highly recommended.
And headed to Val today. Went up Signal drag because it was there. I’ve never seen such an intimidating-looking run. You don’t often see the entire way down to the valley from the top, do you! Reader, we bailed
from the second half of the run, we couldn’t see the moguls as visibility was so poor!
Now it’s snowing. On and off, but there’s enough to cover cars! And the forecast didn’t expect it but the black skies all day likely did!
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@James the Last, Just looked out the curtains as dinner guests left and surprised to see the roads white here in Val.
The piste bashers are doing overtime at the moment, they are usually back at base around 2300 but still at it for an extra few hours.
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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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@James the Last,
Thanks for the info about Col de Ves.
I rarely go up the Signal Drag, it is as you know very steep and the piste is very narrow & steep and gets very icy. In good snow conditions the off piste "over the back" of that drag down the Grand Vallon is a good run but you will appreciate the fact it is well & truly off piste.
I have now started getting my ski gear together for a weeks' time. 
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@James the Last, The Club Med folks often eat out around Val Claret (one of my mates is a childminder who occasionally works in there) money is no object to their high end guests.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@chocksaway,
Every new restaurant, hotel or chalet being built is now 5*. 
At least on your side of Toviere you have the Corner, Tignes Cuisine and the "Palafour" supermarket.
Why are the Club Med guests eating out? They are paying for "All Inclusive".
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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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@snowfranck, As Intersport Chalet Club in Val Claret have Stöcklis in the window I went in for you.
They say they have Stormriders available for hire. Email them on chaletclub@intersport-tignes.fr
I have a pair of 88s. Go anywhere. Love them.
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@welshflyer, Not sure, but they do. I suppose if you are paying 6 grand a week each for one of the posh rooms in Club med then if you fancy a night out another couple of hundred in a posh resto is nowt!
And yes, in 5 years we are going to be surrounded by celebs in Tignes, just hope one or two of the reasonably priced restaurants remain.
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You know it makes sense.
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We headed straight up le Fornet, missed the crowds until 10.30 and had some beautiful piste skiing.
At 10.00 I sat on the chair awkwardly and the right Ski Mojo arm snapped. Did 2 more runs but calling it a day after taking 5 mins to climb the stairs at the resto after inspection of the damage
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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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Hopefully I’ll get to do a full forecast tonight or tomorrow but here’s the travel.
Flying from the UK should be fine, if a little bumpy, especially around any showers. There may be some sleet in Scotland, this might mean some deicing but nothing too dramatic. Geneva looks fine, but the forecasters are hedging their bets with a 40% chance of early morning fog at Lyon, Chambery and Grenoble. If it forms then no probes at Lyon, minor delays at Grenoble but a wait till it clears if it happens at Chambery. This may mean waiting on the ground in the UK rather than going round and round over the Alps.
As for the roads busy busy busy. But at least the weather is with us. They seem to have stopped producing figures for each day gif the number of vehicles. But Radio Val reporting 80% more going down hill than last year (chimes with reports on how busy it’s been) and 20% more coming up. Any minor issues will snowball (pun intended!). Good Luck.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Frosty the Snowman,  . Mine has started digging a hole in my thigh!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| @Frosty the Snowman, . Mine has started digging a hole in my thigh! |
Mine has been fab but sat on a very low chair, leg at a funny angle and a tough phone in the pocket and it snapped in 2 just above the joint
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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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@chocksaway, It was reported 71,000 coming up and 65,000 going down.
The car parking info board in Val d’Isere was advising of only 28 spaces available over the 7 car parks today. Face, La Daille and Laisinat were completely full at 1600. I expect by Sunday evening they will all be full
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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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| chocksaway wrote: |
@welshflyer, Not sure, but they do. I suppose if you are paying 6 grand a week each for one of the posh rooms in Club med then if you fancy a night out another couple of hundred in a posh resto is nowt!
And yes, in 5 years we are going to be surrounded by celebs in Tignes, just hope one or two of the reasonably priced restaurants remain. |
If I recall the size of your apartment's dining area then a business opportunity - Chock's Yorkshire Soul Food Restaurant - you eat what is put on front of you & pay according to your accommodation - the more stars, the more Euros.
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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Snow conditions all over much better today after last nights light sprinkling of fresh 
Viz/clouds were in and out all day but generally not too bad. Very busy down most of the “home runs” but still minimal queueing if you planned your route carefully.
Last ski day tomorrow before the drive home, hoping for a quiet changeover day on the pistes….
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@chocksaway,
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Chapeau dans la trou
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Crapaud dans le trou?
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@Hurtle, Thanks - blikin spoool checker and little letters on my phone!
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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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Here we go then - after a reasonably nice transfer day tomorrow its going to be much more unsettled, but still unseasonably warm - the r word will shortly rear its ugly head.
Tomorrow will see a milky sun all day, by evening the cloud will thicken and the winds will pick up through the night. Sunday will be windy and will start very cloudy and snow will start around lunchtime/ early afternoon. Cool and windy on Monday with little precipitation or quite a bit depending on your chose model - the Alps are pretty close to the borderline between OK and precipitation so this could vary. Tuesday looks more certain to be snowy and windy, moist in Brev in the morning and by afternoon it may well be sleeting or even rain in Val Centre. Luckily it will be colder on Wednesday and up to 20-30cm of snow to make Thursday the best day of the week on current forecasts, but it depending on how things transpire it may still be snowing - its all a bit uncertain and the apps will be up and down like a fiddlers elbow.
As for the transport - I have found the relevant vehicle numbers (it seems to be a clash between Savoie Routes bespoke software and i phone moderne - its OK on the laptop! So, its 32k vehicles heading up hill between Albertville and Moutiers and 29 down. As its a dry day it will be bad coming up hill from lunchtime onwards but not horrendous (Feb forecasts often get to 38k vehicles). Bonne Chance
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| James the Last wrote: |
@snowfranck, As Intersport Chalet Club in Val Claret have Stöcklis in the window I went in for you.
They say they have Stormriders available for hire. Email them on chaletclub@intersport-tignes.fr
I have a pair of 88s. Go anywhere. Love them. |
Thanks a lot, @James the Last, much appreciated! I am in search of a second pair of skis to complement my Rossignol Hero Elite ST and these are at the top of my list.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@chocksaway,
The reason Club Med clients go out for the evening is probably because they want "Cristal" whereas Club Med probably only stocks "Veuve".
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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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@welshflyer, I would too.. veuve sucks
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How well policed will parking be on New Year’s Eve? Have family coming up for one night from BSM for one night . Could they park for the night out side la daille or by the bellcote building until morning then move in the morning or just try and get in any car parks in val?
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You know it makes sense.
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Last day nicely improved by that smidgen of fresh snow.
Travelled back to GVA by Ben’s Bus. Excellent service. They even had a rep in resort (not sure why, but I guess English people are scared of French bus drivers). Departed at 7.25, at GVA by 10.45, having missed all the traffic.
Then discovered that BA allow you to change your flights on the day of travel FREE to any other flight to same airport. I think you may have to do this before checking in. But you can do it in the app/online. You will need to log out of and back into the app. to get it to show up.
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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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@vegas007, Currently around 100 parking spaces showing available
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Poster: A snowHead
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| James the Last wrote: |
| Travelled back to GVA by Ben’s Bus. Excellent service. They even had a rep in resort (not sure why, but I guess English people are scared of French bus drivers). Departed at 7.25, at GVA by 10.45, having missed all the traffic. |
I used Ben's Bus yesterday, Left Tignes 5am and arrived at GVA just after 0930. This included about 50 mins going nowhere in Moutiers bus station (by the train station). The driver was rude and rubbish - continual hard breaking at every junction or roundabout. I think Ben just hires the local companies as required. So I think your experience is going to depend very much on the company they have used. So hit and miss. Based on yesterday I woud not use them again in a hurry.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
At 10.00 I sat on the chair awkwardly and the right Ski Mojo arm snapped. Did 2 more runs but calling it a day after taking 5 mins to climb the stairs at the resto after inspection of the damage |
If you are not aware the French distributor for the Ski Mojo lives in Val D'Isere. I have had a few problems whilst in resort and Gabriel has sorted either free or for little charge. As a result I now have 2 spare rods should my current ones fail for any reason. This means I can continue skiing instead of waiting for a repair or replacement. I have his mobile number and will PM anyone who asks for it.
There are couple of the local shops that can also help with minor issues e.g. Duch Sport in Le Lac (Rue de la Poste opposite Marmots pub). You can also buy a new rod there.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sun 31-12-23 16:54; edited 1 time in total
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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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@Mark1863, Bob at Eskiador https://location-ski.sport2000.fr/magasins/119-sport-2000-eskiador-val-d-isere?
He sells and fits them. He skis in one himself "I wear mine on the outside, as I am proud to use a Ski Mojo"
He sorted me out with a new "leg" in 2 mins. He also services them.
At the Portillo, next to le Hibou bar.
Best skis and prices in Val, possibly as he doesn't have a massive shop in the centre.
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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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@Mark1863,@Frosty the Snowman, i wish I'd known that in opening week when I a) lost a screw and b) the top of the mojo gouged a hole in my thigh
@Frosty the Snowman, Saw a chap a few times with mojos on the outside - wonder if it was him?
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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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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
@Mark1863,@Frosty the Snowman, i wish I'd known that in opening week when I a) lost a screw and b) the top of the mojo gouged a hole in my thigh
@Frosty the Snowman, Saw a chap a few times with mojos on the outside - wonder if it was him? |
He wears all yellow gear, a mojo and has a greying beard. I tried to post an image but its too complicated
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Anyone local able to update road status? Stuck stationary X1 hour with kids and snowing hard - no cars coming down road. Google maps suggests a blockage/ accident at the damn?
Hope to make it up the hill in time for the Hogmanay bells...
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@Haggis_Trap, The app burbled and said there’s been an accident just below the tunnel above Brev. It’s supposed to be alternate traffic but very slow.
A mate who is a transfer driver is gridlocked in Meribel!
Good Luck
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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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@Haggis_Trap, Only local buses passing our door in La Daille, not even the snow clearers. I had just presumed they were on strike or started the festivities early.
Hope you get moving soon
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Reminds me of my return transfer from Tignes in March 2023. A coach and a truck had very minor collision on the road up to Val D'Isere (literally just clipped mirrors) and it blocked the entire road in both directions. The drivers could have been pragmatic and moved their vehicles slightly to allow traffic past but nope, had to wait an hour for about 5 police cars and 2 fire engines to turn up and do all the bureaucracy stuff with the drivers and breathalyse them etc.
The journey there from Geneva also took about 8 hours with the worst traffic that I have ever experienced around Annecy/Albertville/Moutiers (the traffic lights on that motorway are so frustrating) and the gearbox on the coach started to fail on the final drag up to Tignes which meant that we were crawling along at a few mph.
Off to Tignes again next Saturday so hoping that my transfers will go more smoothly but might be wishful thinking. I assume that the traffic on a Saturday will be as bad as ever?
How are the pistes holding up? Looks pretty decent on the webcams, hopefully Tuesday won't be too soggy. If I remember correctly, in 2022/23 there was an early dump of snow in December followed by a very mild/warm and dry period with rain at some unlucky resorts (or maybe I am making that up) so presumably things are better than last year?
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