 Poster: A snowHead
|
@thefatcontroller, The Montalbert camera shows the main car park, and route up to the East side of the village. The main access road up from the valley isn't seen on the webcams.
The main road is cleared by the Mairie, the car park is cleared by the village, this Xmas the village road to my place wasn't cleared properly at all, every time the plough came up it just snowed again! My neighbour cleared his drive with a small snowblower EVERY morning!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
As travel days to this is one of the worst I can remember. Both our party's flights out of Bournemouth and Birmingham delayed by 40 minutes each. Got into Geneva to chaotic baggage scene. Our other group were ahead of us but still waiting for all of theirs. Carousels going on and off, trickles of bags coming out. Some tannoy announcements about technical problems. One member's hold bag nowhere to be found, were meant to have two hours to burn before transfer but made mad dash to coach without a case so need some emergency ski gear.
Been sat on the N90 near Moutiers stationary for last hour, went through some traffic lights and just passed cars getting snow chains on to directions of gendarmes.
Just waiting at bus station for feeder bus for 1950, hoping we can rescue the mood with some good skiing this week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@mrecho, Man Up you snowflake! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Haha well after a failed transfer at Moutiers station we got to another place with a minibus for 16 odd people. A second one eventually turned up. According to the driver the road up the mountain will be closed at 23:00 for controlled avalanche clearance. Race against time!
Anyone recommend a good place to get a beer in 1950 if we make it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| mrecho wrote: |
| Anyone recommend a good place to get a beer in 1950 if we make it? |
That's the spirit 
I can't help re 1950 - it's out of my league price-wise
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Challenging conditions today for this week's newbies 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We left Plan Peisey yesterday with Ski Beat earlier than normal to avoid the weather but it was very clear all the way to the airport and made good time to Lyon; but given the forecast I pleased we did leave early. It was raining cats and dogs in Lyon when the flight took off (2 hours late due to incoming problems with French traffic control) so I can imagine how challenging it was in resort then. Bit early but a good call in my view.
Had a good week overall and lots still to do even though we couldn't get into the Arc 2000 bowl after Monday. The tree runs were a boon, even though visibility at the top of Derby and Grizzly was a bit grim at times it was easy to find good snow, even to the end of the day. Really pleased we picked Plan peisey as I think we got a lot more skiing in than most other Tarentise (sp) resorts last week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@stevew, we were in Plan Peisey the week before you and likewise were pleased with our choice. When the weather closes in it's good to have the trees and the lifts there are less prone to shut for wind. When open it's very quick to get to and from the Arcs 2000 bowl.
Looks like Arcs 2000 is completely closed again today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| sugarmoma666 wrote: |
@stevew, we were in Plan Peisey the week before you and likewise were pleased with our choice. When the weather closes in it's good to have the trees and the lifts there are less prone to shut for wind. When open it's very quick to get to and from the Arcs 2000 bowl.
Looks like Arcs 2000 is completely closed again today. |
Surprise surpise. Had a chat with a couple of chaps on a chairlift who had used the Navette to get around from 2000 to 1600 so they could ski.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Hyst wrote: |
2000 totally closed?  |
It's been happening a lot this season, and if it's really bad the road from 2000 to 1600 is also closed (as it is today) so it's not possible to get around the hill to ski the lifts that might be open in 1600, 1800 and Vallandry. Based in 1800 I skied every day this week, mainly the trees down to 1600 either side of the Roulle piste, the trees and pistes from the Transarc mid-station down to 1800 or the trees and pistes above Vallandry. Plenty of great skiing to be had without going above 2200m, often sheltered from the weather with reasonable visibility in the trees. You should be fine if you're in Peisey except in the absolute worst conditions the the entire lift network can close down.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
To get a sense of snow depths, this is at Arc 1950:
[url= ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| Hyst wrote: |
[Great foto- have to send it on to Japan!  |
There's a lot of snow, but it's not Japow standards (although I did get some of that in the first half of December when it was much colder).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@rob@rar, Have only been in Hintertux once, don't really like Zillertal - to much transport from one place to the other.
First skiing in Japan was 81/82, no Gaijins at that time - but at that time I still had lots of light blond hair - that was popular. Now there is a lot less and a bit gray. 8-)an
Can see you still can be popular in JP for quite some years. 
Honshu, and cost of Hokkaido was not that cold, only central Hokkaido, I think. Was colder in Trysil last week.
Thanks for the updates. Snowcrazy is not active at the moment it seems.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Anyone need a lift to Plan Peisey from Geneva tomorrow (mon) Late PM?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Hyst wrote: |
| @rob@rar, Have only been in Hintertux once, don't really like Zillertal - to much transport from one place to the other. |
Yeah, know what you mean. Tux is great for an early or late season training venue, it's my favourite glacier, but I prefer not to schlep around on valley floor buses if I can help it.
I'm now back in the UK for a few days before a trip to the Spanish Pyrenees, so no more Les Arcs updates from me until early February. I think snow crazy is due back fairly soon, so his excellent off-piste reports will resume shortly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Snow report: still snowing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Alastair
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Just back from 1950 today after just over a week there. Overall a disappointing stay, but predominantly because of the weather and consequential closures. Certainly don't think I'd go back to 1950 in January again, maybe later in the season, but this time of year it's better to stay lower down the mountain.
Liked the wide variety of pistes and the excellent signposting. The lift system does seems overly suspect to the weather/technical gremlins, even the new Pre St. Esprit lift kept stopping for afew minutes, Marmottes had a technical fault etc. The free ski buses were fine on the few days when everything was operating, but it's absurd that when the links from 1950/2000 over to 1800/1600 are down they don't put on more frequent buses to accommodate the obvious surge in demand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@pavel38, Higher resorts can be good when there's little snow but poor when there's no visibility. It's always a gamble. When did you book your holiday?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
This particular holiday was booked months ago. As you say it's a gamble, and we all know the weather this season is rather 'freakish', but the scenario around 10am on Thursday morning was that Marmottes had a technical fault, so the only option downslope was to go to the new Pre St. Esprit chair, which also kept stopping result in huge queues accumulating both there and at the nearby bus stops to either go back or down. And the buses going down were already full before they got to that stop.
The weather is what it is, but it's basically poor management when there's obviously going to be a surge in demand for buses due to the absence of a ski link to 1600/1800, yet at best they were just running the standard 15/20 minute service.
Fortunately for us it was just one of several ski trips this season, and as I say the weather is what it is, sometimes everything falls perfectly into place other times it doesn't, this time we lost, just a shame I don't think the resort did enough to manage the situation - it's not like the weather suddenly changed or didn't follow predictions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@pavel38, the closures were unfortunate and more frequent than usual, reflecting an unusually epic season. Arc 1600, 1800 and Vallandry had more options this past week, with more lifts open providing access to the runs and off-piste around the trees below 2200m.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Useful info thanks. Just crossed off Arc 2000 as a possible place to stay.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
@Jehu, We own in 2000 and this season has been the exception but the positives far outweigh the negatives. Each to their own but I will take being up at 7000 feet any day. We walk out the door and ski or board down to 5 lifts, we waste no time heading high, we are high.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
@Jehu, Each to their own . . . currently in Vallandry - snowing it down. 2 weeks here then 1 week 2000. Mmmm can't say disappointed !!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Been to Les Arcs more times now where the snow to low has been utter rubbish where everyone heads to the bowl than Ive been where the heavy snowfall cutting off Arc 2000 & 1950 has been an issue. Hence we bought 9 years ago in 2000. Just saying, one week does not define a ski resort.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Totally agree with what everyone has said, I did emphasise that it was all down to the exceptional weather, but the bus service does need to be modified for the increased demand when the links are closed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
I stayed in Arc 2000 New Years Eve week 16/17 season and I was extremely pleased I had picked it!!! All the lower Arc resorts had ribbons of snow in brown/green fields. Whilst I acknowledge that last season was as bad as this is good I would rather have the assurance the higher Arc resorts bring of guaranteed snow for a January ski week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@pmercer, In many, many weeks staying in Arc 1600 and once in 1800 I have never needed to get the bus to 2000 because there was no snow in 1600. However I did stay once in 2000 and needed to get the bus one day to 1600 because 2000 was effectively closed.
Having said that I have got the bus back from 2000 a few times when either my knees were too painful to continue or the Combourcier queue was too long.
If it never snowed then we would never ski
Overall I probably spent about 1/3 of my time in the 2000 bowl - usually in the morning catching the sun or doing a couple of the rather good black runs
Just a note on the naming of the resorts Arc 2000 is named after the millenium not the height. It is actually over 2100 high. 1600 is at about 1630 and 1800 about 1730.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| johnE wrote: |
| ........Just a note on the naming of the resorts Arc 2000 is named after the millenium not the height. It is actually over 2100 high. 1600 is at about 1630 and 1800 about 1730. |
As an average it is 2,000. Our apartment is on the 4th floor beside Lanchette lift. If I turn GPS the exact height of the ground floor (its over 2 floors the apartment) we are at 2134m or 7004ft. Looking across we are as high as it gets up there. The promenade is at 2000m with plenty below it. I only checked the height as the altitude can be a killer. Even tying your boots up leaves you shattered. On the plus side it normally means I can eat what I want and put no weight on as my body is constantly working even when sat down. The downside is we live with blocked dry noses and dry throats for the week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@boredsurfin, 😂. Sadly I’m by Heathrow at the moment and it is mild & very boring.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
As an average it is 2,000. Our apartment is on the 4th floor beside Lanchette lift. If I turn GPS the exact height of the ground floor (its over 2 floors the apartment) we are at 2134m
|
The spot height given on the 1:25000 IGN map is 2140 for the little mound just by the parking as you enter Arc 2000. Of course it depends to a large extend what datum you use to measure the heights from. 1950 is really at 1950 and Arc 2000 is some distance above it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
apparently raining in 1800 today, which must be nice! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Only Marmottes open today at 1950/2000... Which was interesting when everybody staying in the two villages headed out. 20 minute wait at the bottom before lunch when it got busy and the ski schools all insisted on taking their beginner groups out. A bit nuts really with how busy the 3 or 4 runs got with deepish powder... Not ideal. But still, we got out on the snow and was a decent enough warm up for things tomorrow fingers crossed. Still(!?) snowing at 2000 but it was turning sleety at the bottom of Marmottes.
I echo what others say here though - you take a risk heading anywhere at this time of year especially high up (I'm on gardening leave so have been making the most of it - was in Deux Alpes / La Grave week before last and much the same) - but wouldn't change it for the world. Love the cold and quieter pistes in January - well worth the risk of a whiteout!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
I know which winter I prefer...
Even the rain is almost snow this morning 