 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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That would be Skiddy Gonzales!
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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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Just back from 10 days in Chatel. It was our first time staying in this resort and we had a great time. For the first week it snowed pretty continuously and we played almost exclusively in the trees on the Super Chatel side of the mountain. The last couple of days up at La Linga - where we skied the "Happy Valley" off piste area which certainly lived up to its name and also a circumnavigation back to Super Chatel via Avoriaz - where we skied the Swiss Wall which was in excellent condition and back via Morgins where we could see some excellent off piste skiing on the way back into the village.
Although it now hasn't snowed for a few days everywhere was in excellent condition and snow depth no issue at all. The off piste is a mixture of powder on the north and east slopes near the trees and crud and almost spring snow (in the afternoon) elsewhere.
We are looking forward to being back there on the 16th for the rest of the season....
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We are arriving in Avoriaz tomorrow and cannot wait to get there now.
I'm thinking about having a go at the infamous Swiss Wall. Does anyone know if this is open and if so what are the conditions like?
Also, I asked on a different thread yesterday, but does anyone know if you can use a 6 day lift pass from a certain time on the day before?
Cheers
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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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Paul81, I don't know what conditions are like sorry, but one thing I'd suggest doing unless you're a really confident skier is to do an "inspection" download/upload of the Chavanette lift (you can download from the Avoriaz ridge). The snow on the Swiss side gets a lot of sun and whilst the Swiss Wall doesn't have the sunniest aspect it's probable that the snow will have crept - with the consequence that there are cracks/gaps/rocks you'll need to avoid.
Most people traverse in to skier's right and, as a result, it gets very rutted. I always try to enter and stay skier's left as the snow is usually better.
I'd stay off the off-piste in that area at the moment given what summer has been reporting.
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Paul81, We skied the Swiss Wall on Wednesday and the conditions were very good. It is intimidating at the top and there is a steep and icy looking roll over but if you are a pretty confident skier you will have no trouble. FlyingStantoni is quite right - traversing a bit at the top and staying skiers left is definitely the best option at the moment. Once in the bumps the snow is good and grippy with no really massive coffin sized bumps.
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Thank you for the feedback FlyingStantoni & alj.
Im really looking forward to getting out there now. Never been to PdS before so we will probably just spend the first few days crusing around exploring the area. After reading the above posts I will be very reluctant to go even a little off piste without a guide, especially as I'm new to the area.
Looking forward to having a crack at the Swiss Wall and have been looking at pictures and videos online, but I will probably take your advice and take a look from the lift before hand. The last heavily moguled run I did (In Engleberg) was a nightmare due to the visibilty, so really looking forward to being able to see where I'm going (hopefully).
Thanks again everyone.
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Paul81, the Swiss Wall is fine. Just take your time and an eye on who is skiing above you and how well they're doing.
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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 have a pair of private advanced, hopefully off-piste, lessons booked with Ian from Avoriaz Alpine Ski School on 20th & 21st Feb 1415-1615. If anybody would be interested in joining me and sharing the cost please PM me for a discussion.
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Just in after a lovely day in Morz/ Les gets. Started at Nyon and worked our way to chamoissiere-snow there is fantastic! Up to les gets, over to Mont Chery- stopping for a vino and a pizza at Grand Ourse before working out way back for a Choco-bundy @ infernos. Mr NN can keep up with us no worries now, I am very proud indeed!
Lounging at home now whilst he does the very important job of 'dot cottoning' at the laundrette
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Nadenoodlee wrote: |
| ...whilst he does the very important job of 'dot cottoning' at the laundrette |
A word to the wise for when it's your turn...
The (full-service) laundry on Route des Udrezants (the road heading up hill after the pharmacy by the Morzine Marie) charges less for a service wash than it costs to do the same washing the laundrette in the centre of Morzine. They do same day unless you pick a busy day in peak season (it's best to avoid Saturdays and Mondays). We usually drop off around 8:00 and pick up at 18:00.
It has the added bonus that the lady who runs it is absolutely lovely and a joy to practice your French with.
(The laundrette in Saint Jean is probably cheaper still. But it's still worth bearing in mind!)
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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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FlyingStantoni, this is as close as Mr NN seems to be getting to domestic duties so far this season so I shall not pass on this nugget just yet  5euro in SJD Carrefour
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Nadenoodlee, probably 8 euro at the laundry - so you're ahead!
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You know it makes sense.
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Keeping to the domestic theme the lady who runs the bar / press / depot du pain / laundrette in Petit Chatel (opposite the Barbossine lift) is from the same mould as Flying Stantoni's one.
Must be a Savoyard thing.
If you drop everything off just before lunch it comes back all dry and folded in an IKEA bag (other brands are available) about 4 hours later. We can get all the bedding done at the end of a trip plus various other bits and then stow them in the cellar for next time for less than Euro 10. Brilliant!
Now back to the snow......... How will it be at half term?
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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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I keep my washing machine and tumble drier going full steam (no, none of that in fact), after we have had a houseful of people staying but thank goodness it all goes off to a laundry when we are 'let' here.
We went on the Barbossine lift in Petit Chatel for the first time the other day - hasn't it been a great week - returned from the UK Sunday afternoon to masses of snow, wall to wall sunshine and no queues or many people. Finally got ourselves down to Torgon on Wednesday, Petit and Super Chatel - Tuesday was La Grande Terche and the Roc d'Enfer circuit - Thursday Switzerland and the Ripaille, and just heaven today on Mt Chery all day. There seemed to have been rather a nasty accident on the Marmotte piste somewhere around 1 - lots of people, stretchers and eventually while we were having a drink at Chery Nord we saw a helicopter going down there.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Pamski, Hope you enjoyed Barbossine / Torgon. It's one of my favourite areas (though can be icy) and the link over to La Chapelle is usually reasonably quiet. The runs down the La Chapelle side are so wide and inviting and just the right angle for getting a bit of a carve on.
Hope the Chery Nord was nothing too serious.
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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, MrsFS said that the blacks down the front of Mont Chery were fantastic.
She also commends the hot chocolate with rum in the Chanterelle at the back of Mont Chery.
Blacks and hot chocolate. What a life she has! 
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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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FlyingStantoni, indeed the black down the front was good yesterday - I am a bit partial to the Kir Skieur at the little cafe (Grignottes?) by the lift on Chery Nord.
We went to Praz de Lys today - could not believe the number of cars driving up to Les Gets when we left just before 10 and the car park at the Perrieres lift was fuller than we have ever seen it. Praz was a delight, hardly heard an English voice all day - and we ended up with steak and chips down in Taninges! We know how to live it up here...
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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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Just a question for all you PdS experts - on the Avoriaz 360 webcam, what are we looking at - there's a chair going up to the skyline with what looks like a pretty easy run down beneath it - what's that?
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Pamski, I was in Praz De Lys yesterday too....I'll have to start speaking louder!
I only heard one English group all day, and all the friends that I was with were French anyway and it was clearly a 'locals' resort. Only 17 euros for the day on Saturdays too, an absolute bargain and the snow was very good too.
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There are a number of reports on Facebook of an unusually high level of ski and personal effect theft this week from bars and on the slopes in Chatel.
Hopefully isolated, but probably best to be a little on the cautious side about leaving stuff laying around.
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| andy from embsay wrote: |
| Just a question for all you PdS experts - on the Avoriaz 360 webcam, what are we looking at - there's a chair going up to the skyline with what looks like a pretty easy run down beneath it - what's that? |
Hi, that chair takes you from the bottom of avoriaz to the top. There isnt an official piste under it, but when you exit the chair, ski forwards keeping left all the time. This will take you to the top of the snowpack. keep left again and this will take you down towards a blue where the run splits into a few ways. One way is off towards the new resedential blocks and into the main part of the town. The other is under a little bridge then into a short green run and past the telecabin, back down to the bottom of the said lift. It's a nice little circuit for a beginner, but is a main route through Avoriaz itself so gets cut up and sonetimes very busy!!! Personally take the same said chair but turn right after the snowpark and ski the blue run called "Proclou". Lovely run and not steep, it goes across the area that's the golf course in summer. At the bottom take the left hand chair back up to Avoriaz. Hope this helps.
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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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Hmmm.... where to go today. Well I think I will go up the Super Morzine and head into Avoriaz. Mr NN is working at 12 so the world is my oyster (aka no hanging around  )
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Wow. Just returned from PdS. I have never seen so much snow in January.
Highlights of the trip:
The Wall being fun
Seeing a child falling from a chairlift
Seeing an avalanche http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1954067#1954067
Seeing a (skier with a parachute thing, don't know what they're called) crash into a piste, he was OK but his skis weren't
Lowlights of the trip:
Coming Home
Sharing a chalet with a complete @r$€h()¦€ and his spoilt brat.
Runs being closed (Les Creux especially) due to avalanche risk
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Many thanks Ricklovesthepowder, I think I get my bearings now. That Proclou run (and the ones below - Zore?) is the one I thought I'd probably take the kids on the first couple of mornings, as we're staying in Morzine and their lessons start from the Prodains lift after lunch. I guess on my piste map the chair you can just see the top of is called "Plateau"?
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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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I hate the Proclou - flattest crap blue ever (for a boarder) but it is great for kids and beginner skiers!
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doctor_eeyore,
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Highlights of the trip:
The Wall being fun
Seeing a child falling from a chairlift
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Not so much of a highlight for the poor child I'd imagine.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
Seeing a child falling from a chairlift
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He got hauled back on, luckily for him.
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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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| andy from embsay wrote: |
| Many thanks Ricklovesthepowder, I think I get my bearings now. That Proclou run (and the ones below - Zore?) is the one I thought I'd probably take the kids on the first couple of mornings, as we're staying in Morzine and their lessons start from the Prodains lift after lunch. I guess on my piste map the chair you can just see the top of is called "Plateau"? |
Take the cable car from Les Prodains up to Avoriaz. As you exit, you will see all the shops and restaurants infront of you (chez flo is a great little eatery  ) Ski down to the lifts at the bottom and take the one called "tour" which is the furthest to the left. This is the chair i was referring to. There is also a chair that goes over the green run called Plateaux, dont use it, use the one i said. When the kids get a bit more adventurous, at the bottom of "proclou" take the right hand chair this time, lift called "serrasoix" (SP) and use the blue runs off there. There isnt any steep blue in this section and all the runs from "proclou to the top of the super morzine are great.
Any more info just ask.
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Poster: A snowHead
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ThanksRicklovesthepowder, We were thinking of just wimbling up using the Super Morzine lift then doing a few runs on things like Zore and Proclou, before making our way up to Prodains about lunch. They're 9 and 11, so I don't want them too knackered by the time their lesson starts so I think we'll have a fairly leisurely start in the mornings. Someone on the Resorts thread recommended these runs as being good ones for doing a few laps on in the morning as they're reasonably quiet and nice and wide.
Later in the week I'd like to take them somewhere else maybe over towards Les Gets, but until we suss out how long it'll take us to get up to Prodains by 2 then I want to be somewhere in the vicinity. I'm pretty sure they'll be fine with some nice wide blues, as they're 2nd and 3rd week skiers respectively.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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andy from embsay, the two blues served by the Zore lift are particularly good and benefit from having three places for snacks / coffees at the bottom of the Zore lift.
If you want to do a cheap and cheerful burger and fried experience then the Changabang just next to the ESF office (opposite the top of the Prodains cable car) is both friendly and good value. They also do a very good freshly griddled chicken sandwich, a good chilli and excellent onion rings. The curly fries probably hard to beat if you're 9!
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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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andy from embsay, that area from Proclou to the top of the Morzine bubble is brilliant for your needs. One word of advice, dont take them down the run from Avoriaz down to the bottom of Les Prodains and the cable car. Its classed as blue but its much steeper than any of the other blues in the area, it was a dowhill race route a few years ago, they will get knackered!! When they fancy a different route and another run, Abricotine which is the longest run in the area is brilliant. Take the same chair we have been talking about which runs up the back of avoriaz. Exit it and ski to the right. The run you need is Prolays and then Mossettes Both of these are blue runs and lead you down to a nice little hub with a lovely very french Restaurant. Look to your right and you will see a very long chair which is called "Mossettes and takes you pretty high and up to the border of France and Switzerland. Take this chair and when you exit there are amazing views of the Dents Du Midi and down onto the Swiss side of the Portes Du Soleil. Gives a great scale of the ski area!!! The run you need is called Abricotine, its a lovely run and not very steep although there is the odd section where you need to point the skis and gun it as it is a little flat!!! This run will lake you past the lovely french restaurant i mentioned earlier, and the chair that you have just taken. Keep going and you will come to hub with several lifts, it can get quite busy so stay together when skiing through as its easy to get seperated. Infront of you will be the bubble that has come up from Ardent, ski just to the left of it and ski down to Ardent itself. Lovely run, quite wide and tiring on the legs!!! At the bottom, another nice little bar area for a well earned drink, then take the bubble back up to the Linderets area and you will be right above the run you have just skied down. When you exit the bubble, ski right and down to the Linderets chair lift. This will take you back up to Avoriaz and to the top of the snow park. Take a look at the piste map and go through the route ive suggested, you will see that the area you will cover is quite wide. Any more info needed, just ask
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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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andy from embsay, Also, the small snow park served by the Trashers button (off to left of the Prouclou run) and the mini-Stash between the Blue and Green Prouclous would be fun.
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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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I'm very fond of the mini snow park at Trashers. It almost makes me believe that I can freestyle 
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Ricklovesthepowder, cheers - looks great. I think the mossettes lifts are on the 360 webcam here: http://portesdusoleil.livecam360.com/ - that looks like a fab morning's sport for when they've got their ski legs back on. I assume the blue you're on about is the track that heads off right as you get off the lift? Love the idea of a really long run with brew stops.
I think you've recommended Changabang before, FlyingStantoni, you've got us all salivating at the thought of curly fries - specially those of us who are on a "no beer, no fatty stuff, run-and-bike-a-lot" diet from now til half-term!
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I had a Fab time today on Mont Chery today. bright sunshine and almost empty slopes. lovely wide reds great for fast wide carving turns and also had fun on the moguls on the black
must remember to use more suncream tomorrow though 
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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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Ricklovesthepowder, Hugely helpful - thanks. And with the wigglies starting to suggest another dump-a-rama next week there may well be some stuff for dad to play on whilst they're at ski school!
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| andy from embsay wrote: |
| I think you've recommended Changabang before, FlyingStantoni, you've got us all salivating at the thought of curly fries - specially those of us who are on a "no beer, no fatty stuff, run-and-bike-a-lot" diet from now til half-term! |
You might have noticed that I'm a bit of a fan 
It's primarily because the guys who run it are just so friendly and obviously love doing what they do. Compared to all those places staffed with people who'd rather be doing anything else then it's a refreshing change.
That and you can eat for 5-6 euros each if you share a sandwich and fries.
Oh, and you can usually get a seat.
I'll shut up now...
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FAQ
