 Poster: A snowHead
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As several others have noted it was raining hard in Morzine/Montriond this morning so I took the chance to catch up on some jobs around the apartment. We had a leisurely lunch at home then No.2 son and I headed up to the Les Linderets bowl with No.1 son's new GoPro. OH panicking over her post-grad essay and No.1 son just being teenage so they stayed at home. The snow on/beside the road was slushy at Lake Montriond (alt 1100m) but was nice and dry by Ardent (alt. 1250m). Visibility was variable but more than 100m at all times. The bowl between all the lifts was very hard compacted snow but the pistes were reasonable with several CM of soft snow. The off-piste was covered in about 6"/15cm of new soft snow although still plenty of stones poking through in places.
http://www.morzinesnow.com/images/20140102LukeNevilSkiing.mov
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 2-01-14 23:25; edited 3 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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^ needs to be [url] rather than [img] 
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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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Smart vid though! Can't wait.... 41 sleeps! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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DJL, what route do you suggest from Calais? We had thought avoiding tolls and Luxembourg fuel would make it worth the extra journey (we are all skint!)
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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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clong, where are you starting from and heading for? It does make a slight difference on route choice. Comments below based on Chatel starting from Calais.
Our standard route in Calais-Reims-Troyes-Langres-Dijon-Dole-Besancon-Pontarlier-Lausanne-Monthey-Morgins-Chatel. Cruise control and brain off (not really!) until Besancon (5.5 hrs) then through the Jura to join the Swiss motorway at Valorbe. Jura roads are a challenge in bad weather. French tolls to Besancon plus Swiss vignette (huge queue at Vallorbe to check for/buy this at busy times), takes around 8 hours driving. Special bonus - go into Besancon and through the tunnel, turn right and stop at the bakers 250m on right for fresh pizza slices and superb bread patisserie.
Variation on above with less toll - take A roads from Chalons-en-Champagne or Chaumont via Gray to Besancon. Quite pretty in a French rural way but adds 2 hours. We might do it if the peage is clogged - I begrudge paying to stand in a queue.
As standard but from Dijon continue towards Geneva then Annemasse-Thonon-Abondance valley-Chatel. Even more French toll but no Swiss. Last section of motorway around Nantua can be bad and Annemasse is always clogged. Road up the valley guaranteed to bring on car sickness in those susceptible. Might save an hour on a good day. Could add two (or mor) on a bad one. No special bonus.
Namur-Luxembourg-Nancy-Remiremont-Thann-Basel-Bern-Vevey-Monthey-Morgins-Chatel has only the Swiss annual toll, cheap Luxembourg petrol but adds two hours and around 100km if my memory serves. Also has a significant stretch on relatively minor roads through the Vosges which doesn't suit everyone. Special bonus - stop at the supermarket between Thann and Mulhouse for the finest selection of Alsace specialities.
There are loads of subtle variations. Diesel cheaper in France, petrol cheaper in Switzerland.
Oops off topic and I can't cut/paste from this device 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| DJL wrote: |
| clong, Our standard route is Calais-Reims-Troyes-Langres-Dijon-Dole-Besancon-Pontarlier-Lausanne-Monthey-Morgins-Chatel. |
Ditto.
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Anyone around in the area to give us an update on how good/bad/indifferent it is now? Looks like it's been raining at quite high levels and the forecast doesn't make very pleasant reading for the next few days...
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| ardbroilach wrote: |
| Anyone around in the area to give us an update on how good/bad/indifferent it is now? Looks like it's been raining at quite high levels and the forecast doesn't make very pleasant reading for the next few days... |
Chatel was mint yesterday- wet at the bottom - but plenty of fresh snow from mid mountain.
Wet this morning - snowing higher up and then Sat night / sun morning looks like a substantial snowfall. Anyone coming out for the next week will have no problems in this area, even though the first half of next week looks mild.
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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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Thanks.
Arriving in Morzine in 2 weeks so hoping that the temperature will drop significantly between now and then.
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| ardbroilach wrote: |
Thanks.
Arriving in Morzine in 2 weeks so hoping that the temperature will drop significantly between now and then. |
I'm sure the Morzine posse can give you latest info on their area...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Raining hard here and 1.5 degrees. Snow line looks to be 1500m ish but going up. Lower slopes suffering but upper 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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Last report from me for a few weeks, but good snow again in Chatel Pre la Joux today. Dry first thing then started to snow just after 9.00 and got progressively heavier and was coming down thick and fast by 11.00 and continued maybe until around 12.30 when the sun came out. It was falling as snow, albeit wet right down to PLJ car park. Conditions above the Pre la Joux, Combes and Cornebois lifts were great. Lower down it's very wet snow. All in all we've had a great week of good snow and good weather too until the last two days
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You know it makes sense.
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Any Snowheads around in Morzine area this weekend looking to meet up for a ski?
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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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Currently in Morzine. Snow is great if you stay up high towards Avoriaz, but is raining down in town
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Poster: A snowHead
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Lovely pistes in Les Gets today, with fresh snow above about 1250 and in the bowl, but drizzling steadily at resort level now. Hope it remains mild for all the transfer traffic tomorrow, then dumps down for everyone coming for next week. Have to say I'm very impressed by how well they make up the pistes for quite a low resort.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Decent amount of fresh snow around higher up, but snow level seems to be quite high at present. Currently pretty heavy rain at the chalet (1000m). Possibility of heavier snow lower down tomorrow night. Pistes in pretty good nick other than very low and there is some off piste to play in, but care still required.
Bob
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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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Driving back to Les Gets - and our own lovely chalet, hope to find it in on piece - on Sunday, so will report back later next week. Planning lots of diy jobs for us if not good but otherwise....
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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This rain and warm temps are so depressing i really should stop looking 
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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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Louis, what?
The universal opinion that I'm taking from reports on Chamonix, PDS and GMf is that the snow is generally good to great, improving steadily and we're seeing the odd bit of unseasonal but not that unusual weather. Lower slopes a bit iffy, but that's why, for example, Morzine has had snow cannons on the main home run since 1988...
Rain at 1,000m is far from unusual. Some seasons my snow blower (at 1,100m) hardly leaves the garage.
A major motivation for me to finally in 2000 to switch to all-over Gore-tex was being fed up of being rained on on access chairs in Morzine in January and March and having to spend the rest of the powder day moist.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sat 4-01-14 12:47; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Wet in Chatel this morning - but snow/rain limit forecast to come down later.
No need whatsoever for any depression.
Snow depths here are fine and snow is forecast tonight and personally I'm not to bothered by a few days of mild temps next week as the pistes will be relatively deserted!!!
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| Louis wrote: |
| This rain and warm temps are so depressing i really should stop looking |
I think it's a good thing. A bit of rain and warmer temps might help consolidate the snow pack a bit more and make it less avalanche prone than it currently is.
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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 a tad damp in Morzine today. In fact it has been raining since yesterday evening. No sign of a snow line as such! As Chatel Snow, says. It's fine up high but Pleney/Les Gets side suffering lower down. Some sun next week will be welcome along with quiet pistes.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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zzz, how unusual. Our snow line in Cham looks to be around 1,500m. Which is just fine thank you!
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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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Hmmm, it's grim here under a new name,
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zzz, yeah, it's pretty soggy in Morzine! We've just been up to Ardent, went up Lindarets lift and it was even raining at the top of that. Praying for the snow line to drop later tonight!
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You know it makes sense.
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Raining hard in Chatel at 1200m - though a few sleety blobs on the van windscreen - more to do with the intensity of the rain than the snow level coming down just yet. Difficult to see where snow/rain limit is - but looks to be above mid mountain at least. Will update as snow line comes down...
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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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zzz, it's not pretty in Cham itself but temp dropped 2 degrees over last hour and sleeting in town. Sadly i have outdoors chores to do as I'd rather be tucked up inside.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Heavy rain turning sleetier here in Chatel at 1200m.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It is almost snow here in Chatel - flakes now mixed in
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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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Big flakes of snow at 1200m now - more snow than rain
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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5 mins ago at 1200m
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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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Happy days!
Anyone got an update on Les Gets?
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Can anyone tell me if it's possible to ski al the way to the Super Morzine from avoriaz? Are the pistes all open?
Ta
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Snow has turned back to sleet at the moment here at 1200m in Chatel - but chucking it down so must be adding to what I found higher up late this afternoon - couple of photos and report at http://www.chatelweb.com/snow_reports.php Over 25cm fresh on top of Morclan and 15cm Fresh in the snowpark (at approx. 4pm)
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Corduroy, Yep, Super Morzine and the runs down to it are open. The Zore and Tetras runs are a little bit sketchy but perfectly ski-able. Hopefully, if the snow line continues to stay low, those runs will be much more enjoyable!
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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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I am heading out on Sunday morning to Morzine, and thanks to everyone on here for the pics and updates. The excitement is building now! 
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is it fairly normal to have good snow end of March (normal caveat obviously) or is it more normal to have conditions such as were evident during Xmas just gone. Its obviously very late season, but am guessing it will still be worth the trip
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Sun 2-02-14 15:26; edited 1 time in total
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