 Poster: A snowHead
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I agree with what Sarah has to say about edge of the piste skiing. Still a few bits of reasonable snow in the Pre La Joux area but some of the just off piste bits that were quite nice on Monday have been plundered by piste bashers to top up the piste.
Going to try Avoriaz/Les Crosets today for a change.
My son had a lesson yesterday and now reckons he is a carving hero. We'll just have to find him some bumps then!
Nightmare with internet this week hence barely a post.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Miss Smith, we had to get 5 children over to Avoriaz each day Christmas week (admittedly only 2 under 10). It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We varied how we got there between driving to Prodains (approx 15 mins from Les Gets), getting there early meant we got parking in the car park at the gondola itself. Interestingly all the car park signs said "complet" on the way up, but we found plenty of space. On the Snowmageddon weekend we decided to leave the cars at home and got the bus from Les Gets (departs Les Perrieres and from the Pressenage near the Mont Chery bubble). E1.50 each way, dropped and picked up a 5 min walk from the Super Morzine gondola.
I hope the snow comes for you.
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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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@Miss Smith, Snow-forecast are showing snow for Sunday -- just hoping they are right.....!
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@albob, I have everything crossed.
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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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| Sunshine81 wrote: |
| @albob, I have everything crossed. |
Me too, Arrive Sunday for first time in PDS after so many friends recommending it. Though as long as I can ski ill be happy. Might be a good excuse to get the wife to let us come back in March if the snow is better then 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm also arriving Sunday. I'm a fairly low maintenance skiier, in that I have no requirement for off-piste, so all I need is some decent piste conditions somewhere in PDS to cruise down. Looks to be a bit of snow at least for Avoriaz arriving at the weekend to hopefully cover up the bare patches.
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Just posted on the other Avoriaz etc topic that we have enjoyed MC today - I would not make a special effort to get there (certainly don't want to encourage more people) but we are very local.
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@Pamski, Madonna di campiglio? That's quite a long way from PdS
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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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MC - Mont Chery
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Skied PlJ earlier then headed up in to lindarets, dropped to the bottom of the ardent bubble which was still in good condition. Up to pointe de mossettes and into Switzerland. Took the right turn down to crossettes and this was remarkably brown, but just about skiable with care. Played around that sector for a while and then stopped for lunch at the 'ma coq' restaurant. Great food and views
After lunch headed down and took ripelle 1&2 where we noticed that chavanette was open and some people were coming down the wall. Didn't fancy it ourselves so we headed down casses and back to lindaretd. Up and over into plan dranse, a little play around the local slopes in PLJ and time to head for home
Despite things being a bit sticky in CH we felt the snow was generally not bad, there were some firm 'polished patches' in parts, e.g. The run back to plan dranse from chaup de wotsit was very slippy at the bottom and took out quite a few. I think the conditions will be ok for us for the rest of the week, the snow askers were running this am in chatel. I would be a bit worried come the weekend as whilst wether is forecast, the freezing level looks high, and if it rains hard Friday night then it will just make what's there worse..
Good luck if you're coming out next week
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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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So,@bertie bassett, "Took the right turn down to crossettes and this was remarkably brown, but just about skiable with care"...
Situation entirely normal then.
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bertie bassett/Pamski - Thanks for your useful posts - have been studying the piste maps to locate lindarets/rochassons/MC. I'm looking forward to an 'interesting' week !
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks for the tip, @wrekingirl. Did you get the kids over on time for ski school? I think that will be our challenge. Though it may be a better option to get them a private lesson starting slightly later in the morning. We will have 5 under-tens in total, mixed ability though from complete newbie baby to cocky 3 timer.
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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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We went up, and down, the Wall on the chairlift today, some rocks poking through but otherwise it is the usual moguls top to bottom. It is "ferme" at the top but that seems to be making no difference at all to the number of people on it.
We did go up to Plaine Dranse and over to Pre la Joux and it was well worth it, some icy patches but pistes in remarkably good shape. Runs down into Les Crosets are pretty much skied out and need more snow. It was cold again today so what snow is there is surviving remarkably well.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Miss Smith wrote: |
| Thanks for the tip, @wrekingirl. Did you get the kids over on time for ski school? I think that will be our challenge. Though it may be a better option to get them a private lesson starting slightly later in the morning. We will have 5 under-tens in total, mixed ability though from complete newbie baby to cocky 3 timer. |
We were in a similar situation last week, needing to get to an early lesson in avoriaz with five kids and two adults. If budget allows, consider using one of the transfer companies for a daily minibus - straight from your door to the lift for 15 euros a trip (might be a little more from les gets). They'll come pick you up from a suitable après-ski bar also...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ Miss Smith as it was the week of no snow anywhere, we played it very, very safe and got to the Prodains for 8am, as we had been warned of travel chaos, although TBH we never saw any. Ski school was not starting until 9.15, so that gave us a bit of time for a coffee in La Taniere (opp the top of the Prodains) and when the Stade lift opened at 8.45, for a quick run. We got there for 8.30 one day with no issues.
I don't know whether the Prodains was open super early because of expected traffic, or whether that was the normal time, I would suggest checking to be sure.
The kids had ski school with LGS, and really seemed to enjoy it.
@travelwomble, that's a good idea if there are enough of you without a car, I saw a lot of the transfer companies doing a brisk business up to Prodains when we were there.
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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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After having a discussion over the vert in the aiguille roug to villaroger run in les arcs, we decided today to try and find the longest runs whether vertical or horizontal in PdS and top to bottom them without stopping. We ended up with the following measurements from gps on the phone
1) tete du Linga to the bottom of the Linga bubble (2.06 miles, 3159 feet)
2) top of Cornelia into pra le jour (2.50 miles, 2634 feet)
3) top of grande Combes down to base of prodains (3.3 miles, 3458 feet) (est distance as forgot to press stop)
4) top of cubore down to ardent (3.9 miles, 3422 feet)
Let me know if we've missed any as we have tomorrow to tick boxes
Snow wise as you might imagine varied quite a bit, the bottom of the run down to prodains was exceptionally icy and I got attacked by a nasty mogul I hadn't seen and could avoid as had no steerage. We had a littl play around the sated sector in a avoriaz and found some great hero snow on the blues, so much so we gave it a second whirl and towards the end of the day a couple of spins on the red down from les Combes which was very grippy and lots of fun
Toward the end of the afternoon big clouds rolled in and it definitely feels like a change in the weather. I hope the freezing level is not going to high on fri/sat, for whilst we need to get to GVA sat morning, raining on what we now have will just knacker it even more
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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And to complete my rant about the lack of 'incidental signage', apparently lifts were stopped at 12 in tribute to the Paris shootings, but was there any notice posted by any lift that this was happening - no!
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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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Had fun doing Ripaille 1&2 today a good few times (don't bother if you don't like drags). It's quiet and the runs down are in pretty perfect condition. There's even a bit of soft stuff off the side. However, as a slow/high chair lift hater, Chavanette up the Swiss Wall can bloomin' do one.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@bertie bassett, we were skiing on Mont Chery again today as we had friends who had just arrived last night - when they bought day passes for MC they were told that the lifts would close at 12, there were signs at the bottom of the gondola and on the lifts up top. We came up the Planeys lift from the Lievre run just before 12 and as we got off the lift, it stopped and we could see the lifts on the village side had also stopped. The four of us stood above the Grande Ourse with that amazing view in front of us, for our quiet minute of reflection.
Later on we had lunch at the GO - and the expected lunch with the mayor etc had been cancelled at 6 last night as there had been the lock down instruction from the President so it was not possible. Our fish pie though was rather good, and as there are so few customers we were then sent home with three lovely lettuce which my OH managed to ski down to the gondola with - without any bruises to them.
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@bertie bassett,
They need blackboard monitors 
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 9-01-15 10:12; edited 1 time in total
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@bertie bassett, longest run I al led to believe is top of Mossettes to bottom of Ardent bubble.
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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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@Pamski, love the image of skiing with lettuces
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| under a new name wrote: |
@bertie bassett,
For a minute.
Hardly something to complain about.
Not really something the lift companies have signs in the attic for, is it. |
I'm not complaining - I wanted to 'respect the silence' and think about those who were just doing there jobs and then were tragically murdered, without a notice I wasn't aware it was happening...
Having skied mostly in paradiski and 3v, they probably would have had big blackboards out at the bottom of the main lifts and then handwrite 'special notifications'
My complaint is with the lack of this type of info..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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When we were in the Alps for the winter, my mother in law came to visit at Easter and caught the gondola up to watch her grandson skiing. She was super impressed when he shot down from the restaurant some 750 metres up and a drag lift up the mountain with poles in one hand and a still steaming hot cup of hot chocolate for her in the other!
Sarah, I hope the first week at school is going ok
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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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@bertie bassett, ah, very fair enough then.
It is also a fair point re blackboards. Even, shock, horror, Compagnie du Mont Blanc have them (when they remember).
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| under a new name wrote: |
@bertie bassett, ah, very fair enough then.
It is also a fair point re blackboards. Even, shock, horror, Compagnie du Mont Blanc have them (when they remember). |
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You know it makes sense.
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I think the notices on Mt Chery were all put on blackboards at the bottom of the lifts - I had heard on the TV and radio this morning that there would be a minute's silence at 12 and I had wondered what would happen out on the mountains.
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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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@bertie bassett, I agree. being in PDS for the first time has made me realise quite how much investment there is in the 3V. I've had a good week, but there are many things that are lacking in my opinion. Good signage and modern lifts/gondolas are the most obvious.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@FIRSTOFTHEGIANTS, we are just back here this week after skiing in the States last week and the organisation there is terrific as far as things like signage is concerned and it is generally accurate.
We had the new gondola in Les Gets four or five years ago and the Pleney lift in Morzine last year and also Prodains to Avoriaz last year or the year before. In our first years here we saw a large investment in a lot of new lifts. What we find quite frustrating is trying to find easy ways to look at lift openings online, and simple things like when the opening and closing dates of the resorts will be and prices for lift passes. It is generally somewhere on the web but quite buried and you have to dig through the fluff of pretty pictures of people walking down the streets in a snowy scene.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Pamski, I've always found the net sites to be a great resource for that kind of thing (www.morznet.com, www.avorinet.com, www.merinet.com etc). I've had the PDS app going on my phone this week and it works fine for lift and run openings everywhere except Avoriaz (doh)! I don't recall looking at a more confusing map before, a large number of the runs aren't even named. I've only seen one "active" piste/lift board too. That said, the Prodains gondola is an astonishing piece of engineering. If/when it is extended down the valley to Morzine, that will make a huge difference.
I guess the difference (and the problem) with 3V, especially Courchevel and Meribel, is that there is a fair bit more tourist money. So it means more investment, but everything is that much more expensive as a result.
I suspects it the poor conditions talking, but when you're limited to one week of snow a year, at the high costs we have all come to expect, these smallish things do make a real difference when choosing resorts. I'll be with child for the first time next year, so suspect we'll opt for the peace and tranquility of St Foy.
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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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@Pamski, I am not aware of any ski resort owned and operated website that actually gives you the really useful information easily and immediately.
@FIRSTOFTHEGIANTS, "If/when it is extended down the valley to Morzine" last I heard that'll be a very, very, long wait.
"there is a fair bit more tourist money" - I think the per skier tourist money in Morzine/Avoriaz is there. However there are elements of the PDS that do not get the same income (Swiss side particularly), in some part due to geography. It's not an apples-apples comparison.
Surprisingly, I have not skied the 3Vs, so I cannot comment on the skiing. I always heard that there was more variety around the PDS. That may be a good thing. It's a shorter transfer for weekends for sure...
@bertie bassett, I have edited my post to be less grumpy and unfair 
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 9-01-15 10:14; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I saw chalkboards on several lifts in Avoriaz yesterday advising of the minutes stoppage for Charlie hedbo. Fornet for one. And I saw more that had it written on the lifties hut window and others had written Je suis Charlie on theirs. And moaning about that?? Really goes to show that some people will moan about anything....
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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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@under a new name, ah, right, that's a shame. I read 2016 in Source magazine (which is great btw).
I can't compare the difference in terrain in these conditions really. The big sell with 3V is accessibility, you can get from one end to the other in around an hour I'd say.
But 3V doesn't have an awesome craft brewpub!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Any chance it might be cold enough in Avoriaz for a few flakes to fall??? I can see the clouds forming on the webcams.
Coming out tomorrow and would love some fresh snow.
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Cloudy and slippery this morning in Chatel after the sleet at village altitude and a little bit of snow has fallen higher up.
Outlook and extended outlook is looking more promising this morning, after some horribly mild weather tonight and tomorrow...
http://www.chatelweb.com/chatel_snow_forecast.php
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Thanks Chatel Snow.
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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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It's just starting to snow at the top of Pleney. I don't really understand how as I'm currently sweating it's so warm. Answers on a postcard.
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overnight perhaps a couple of cm. Now snowing quite well in lindarets but is quite windy higherup. (via SMS)
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