 Poster: A snowHead
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Totally deserted in Megeve today.
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I drove through Megeve on my way to, and from, Geneva today. It certainly seemed very quiet all round. You can tell it's the end of the season by the horrendous potholes, let alone the lack of people prancing round in fur coats. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Manigod very quiet today. Lifts are starting to shut down, the link to La Clusaz via Etale was shut for example, for no particular reason that I could see other than financial. Cloudy but with lots of lovely bright breaks periodically, snow underfoot was heavy (straying off the side of the piste usually resulted in an over-the-handlebars moment, being flung out of your boots) but with about 10cm of fresh (again!) it's not going anywhere anytime soon even in the high April temps.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Clusaz yesterday, LGB today.
Both in literally amazing shape. The main Merle section of Clusaz is probably the most enjoyable I've ever known it. The snow was soft and pliable (it's usually icy and sugary), and it was totally empty (it's usually total carnage). There was some wonderful off-piste under the Aiguille chair - everso slightly heavy, but really good for the season/altitude. LGB is faring even better. Conditions in both Maroly and Chinaillon are more like January than April. The snow is obviously 'Spring-like' if you stop to look at it, but it's not heaped up in big gooey puddles. It's really grippy, firm without being icy, just a little bit heavy lower down. The runs toward the village are a bit iffy though, not that 'Envers' is ever anything but iffy... Saw some off-piste loonies traversing across some chunky looking avalanche debris in the 'Freeride' zone. That whole flank is primed for a big slide, in my amateur opinion. Not clever. All the steep black pistes are shut for a reason...
Fair few lifts already closed or closing though. I suspect tomorrow might be end-of-season for Manigod, Merdassier and the Etale sector of Clusaz. The gondola-served bit of LGB is presumably next. But all the cold North facing bits are due to stay open for another week or two.
Full closure isn't until the 28th, so lots of great Spring skiing/riding still to come. La Balme at Clusaz will be the last to close I should think. It had its best snow in late April last year, so fingers crossed for another awesome end of season. I had pics from yesterday and today, but I'm typing this on a primitive laptop with no SD card reader so I can't be arsed posting them right now. Trust me though, it looks like Winter out there.
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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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Mr Pieholeo, congrats on post 2000. Wish we were there, and not back here with an ice pack on my knee......Roll on next season.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Back at LGB again today. Felt like the first really truly 'uh oh, Winter's over' proper day of Spring really. Totally blue skies, noticeably warmer than yesterday. Snow still fine, except on the 'Envers' home run which would be a great experience for anyone who enjoys water skiing past piles of dung.
Massive avalanche from the steep slope above the Lac green run. Pistey boys did a great job clearing that up and getting Lac open for today. Must have been overnight.
Only two weeks left, and the various sector closures start tomorrow. Lift system is already a bit skeletal to save money (e.g. main Rosay gondola not running, have to take Joyere and the rubbish 2-seat chair instead).
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Les Saisies seemed busier today than it has for weeks. I was walking rather than skiing but the huge main car park was full (with almost entirely local cars), there were loads of XC skiers, walkers, picknickers and para-gliders. Pistes still comparatively quiet and certainly not a sniff of a lift queue, but it wasn't as completely deserted as it has been for the last two weeks. Very warm, exactly as forecast.
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Skiing Espace Diamant (along with many other things) was one of my goals during my stay in France.
Fail.
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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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Mr Pieholeo, when are you off?
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Another 6 weeks ish I reckon...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Well, Les Saisies is open till Friday but with balmy overnight temperatures I can't imagine the snow will cope very well.
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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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Mont Blanc looked nice from the top of La Balme yesterday.
Unless they do a sneaky post-ouverture for the locals, this Sunday will be curtains for the "Lake Annecy Ski Resorts".
Tomorrow's the last decent weather. Not sure I'll be up there. Maybe yesterday was my last day ever. Still, quite a nice view to remember it by...
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Mr Pieholeo, gorgeous photo.
I just got back to the mountains today as we have a huge group of Annecy families staying for a birthday do this weekend - can still see lots of snow on the pistes so was wondering what the skiing was like on the higher bits like La Balme... However, rather selfishly, I'm ready for it to to all go now as I've handed back my skis and summer starts early this year with half term falling in May, so I'm ready for the flowers and greenery! Wondering whether it's quite the right time to get the hiking boots out though - this was at the bottom of the Route du Col des Aravis at the start of one of my favourite walks (OH took the photo whilst out on his bike... glad he didn't get there a bit sooner!)
I hope you and your family enjoyed your time in this part of the world Mr Pieholeo and good luck with whatever you're up to next!
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You know it makes sense.
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Oh, also, does anyone need some good condition 195/65 R15 91 T Firestone Winterhawk (2 seasons' use) 8mm tread winter tyres?
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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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Mr Pieholeo, "last day ever"?
That sounds rather grim and final!
I do hope you mean last day of the season!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Mr Pieholeo, Congratulations on your magnificent contribution to  's Aravis awareness this season. We will miss you. What took you & yours to Annecy in the first place? what's taking you away again?? Best of luck for the future.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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rungsp, back to Blighty in about 3 weeks I'm afraid. Doubt we'll be back to the Aravis any time soon, although I doubt this is literally our last ever day skiing/boarding!
Cheers gvj. Long story short: UK redundancy, last shot at doing something 'daft' before kids too old and need proper school etc, drew a circle (figuratively) around The Alps, cherry-picked a couple of companies, applied for jobs, scored one in Annecy and one in Zurich, picked Annecy. Spin forward 18 months, contract expires, kid is school-age, can't (and don't really want to) find replacement employment, thus off back to the land of proper beer and decent sausages.
In fact we popped up Bornand today to take the lad snowboarding. Therefore we only did laps of Le Lac, and once up and down the blues under Terres Rouges - since he can scarcely complete a turn (unlike on skis where he would straightline those blues!)
Snow is in truly remarkable shape, it's a shame they have to turn everything off on Sunday. Creamy soft spring snow, not excessively heavy or watery, just a bit sticky (need a good fast base!).
Rain forecast for the next 3 days though.
Regrets: I never did any of the blacks in LGB, or the Espace Freeride (although I did conquer La Clusaz's fairly badass black pistes).
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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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| Mr Pieholeo wrote: |
Snow is in truly remarkable shape, it's a shame they have to turn everything off on Sunday. Creamy soft spring snow, not excessively heavy or watery, just a bit sticky (need a good fast base!).
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ah... was so tempted this morning... then reminded myself that I was really happy to get through the season without injury and, having spent last summer looking at the beautiful Aravis bathed in sunshine but being housebound due to a dodgy knee, it's sometimes good to know when enough is enough. I skied my last blue run home in Les Sasies this season at about 2mph, fearing it would be "one last run" that did me in.
Hope your knee is doing ok gvj and that your summer of rehab won't be quite as torturous as mine was (in terms of looking at lovely mountains and not being able to get up them - the rehab itself was painless)! Will you come out to the mountains at all?
Am definitely going to get over to LGB this summer having now had a chance to see it in the winter - I love the fact that the season change transforms the place completely.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Season end day today. With about 5 or 10cm of new snow overnight. Sadly the piste bashers had made a bit of a mess of things up at Balme - rutted, lumpy ledges, troughs and boulders. Looked like plenty of folks having more fun off the sides, but too heavy for my tastes (maybe if I'd taken my board instead).
Then afterwards popped up to the Lac Des Confins to watch people straight-lining a long steep slope like the entry to a ski jump, and seeing how far they could skim across the lake without sinking. Best I saw made 119m.
I shed but a single milky tear as I drove away, probably never to return.
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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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Mr Pieholeo, safe back to Blighty - thanks for the excellent reports from the area 
One of my favourites was this one
| Mr Pieholeo wrote: |
La Clusaz/Le Grand Bornand Russian report:
Today: a smattering of Brits with thankfully no signs of any Russians or other vomit-inducing foreigners (except the French, who have been deemed permissible).
Tomorrow's outlook: several Russians surrounded by hoards of appalling jealous Brit chucklefucks who think France should 'stay British'.
Long term forecast: Vodka, furry hats, funny alphabets, and death by polonium poisoning. |
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| gvj wrote: |
| Mr Pieholeo, Congratulations on your magnificent contribution to 's Aravis awareness this season. We will miss you. Best of luck for the future. |
Seconded, thanks for all your updates on our favourite resort, and good luck for your return to the UK.
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Mr Pieholeo, Will miss you being 'Our man on the spot'! Good luck for the future.
We couldn't resist a last trip back to LGB to close off this wonderful season. Arrived Thursday to the glorious sunshine and had a very pleasant lunch stop at Terres Rouges admiring the views. As previously posted it was a great day all round with conditions holding up remarkably well. Friday was good too, although we regretted calling it a day at about 3.30 when a few of the scheduled spots of rain arrived, only to disappear half an hour later! Although the pistes were closed off to the right of the Floria and Chatalet, if you know how to get yourself back to the bottom of them, it was possible to ski all over the Chinaillon Sector and quite a surreal feeling to be the only people on that side of the mountain let alone on the piste!
After the rain arrived on Friday night we used Saturday to clear out and re-organise our cave (amazing what you can fit in!) and then headed back to UK. Wished we'd been able to stay for Sunday's new snow - who'd have thought we'd be saying that on 28th April!
Here's to next season and some lovely summer weeks beforehand.
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Yeah, it's been fun. Especially since my first post said 'I won't be up at the Aravis much this season'. I'd intended to go Grand Massif, but we made a volte-face at the last minute and went for the Aravis pass, even though we felt a bit 'bored' with it from over-exposure last season. Turned out to be a great decision, after we used one of our 3 'free' days on the season pass by going to the Grand Massif and discovering it was crap. Also, a bummer of a commute. Phew!
I also quite enjoyed that turnip-related argument with that Irish chap. And Rick posting the same link over and over again to a weather website.
Sorry I didn't get off my lazy haunch and go for a slide with any of you 
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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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Drove up to both LC and LGB today, for a final goodbye. Took Pie Jr on a 'treasure hunt' to find the various discarded/lost riches and personal effects in the melting snow at Champ Giguet.
We found 2 EUR, a small green marble, and half a mobile phone with the SIM still in it.
I've still got the magic. Oh yeah.
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Is anyone planning on restarting the La Clusaz / Manigod-Merdassier / Le Grand Bornand thread for 2013/14
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Renry, Consider it done -well, soon...
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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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Go for it gvj, After all, in the absence of Mr Pieholeo, You will soon be 'our man on the spot'!!
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gvj, it will be my first visit to the area and will be our first family ski holiday. We are staying in a chalet in La Croix Fry so as the trip get nearer I will be asking a question or two and will be reading with interest.
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You know it makes sense.
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Renry, no problem....see the new 13/14 thread for the area - best we all transfer to that one now and let this one RIP.
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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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gvj, what's the link please as I can't seem to find it using the search bar
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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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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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legue, there's timing for you!
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