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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boredsurfin, Thanks, most lifts still shut. We need Bois, Arcabulle and Transarc to open for it to be worth going out. Lots of blasting and they are preparing lifts to be open.
Nice to be able to have a coffee and watch preparations live.
No rush, ache badly from boarding yesterday.
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ringingmaster, They are only open to 1/2 way point on Transarc. The links into 2000 are all shut.
There are lifts open in the bowl but it gets to busy. Lanchette just opened. Not long now. Will check the live feed, how live is it?
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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They are blasting live behind us, just got video of them chucking dynamite and waiting for the blast. Will post when we get back. What a job
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Ah Lanchettes shut again. It was just sending the pisteurs up to do some blasting. My apologies to the Les Arcs web site team
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All top lifts - grand col, lanchettes, varet & ag rouge closed for the day, & liasons to 1600, 1800 & PV open later today. Beautiful over here - sunshine!! Loads of blasting
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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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genepi, Yeah, we keep getting excited and see lifts move and then its only to move pisteurs to allow for blasting. I reckons an hour and all will be open.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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By the way that live lift thing ain't to far off. Lanchette updated within a minute or two of watching it open.
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FYI, guys - I am getting instant high level warnings about spy/malware from the skiplan site (I'm at work and they have up to the minute e-security due to the nature of the work here) - you might want to give your machines a scrub if your security software is not tip-top.
Still not booked transport to LA yet and I am now much confused as to what I should choose - every option sems to ahve pitfalls
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You know it makes sense.
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Just in, shattered. Boarding is such hard work. Sun blazing, went up Bois, and down Arpette. Areptte was so much fun with foot+ deep powder to the side that we just went up and down Arepette 5 times playing to the side in powder. Lots of falling, lots of screaming (that was me not the wife!) but what a blast. Great fun for beginners. We have improved no end.
Boarded back down to 1800 and Transarc and Plagnettes, Plagnettes was hard, was tired by then and it was a powder mogul field.
If Carlsberg made days in the mountain for beginner snowboarders, today was that day. Such fun
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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 think orgasmic is the only word I can use to describe this - out for 2 weeks on Sunday. Yes!
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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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Thanks guys, this is all much appreciated
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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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What a day! Amazing! Awesome! The best ever! These are just some of the things I heard being said on the way down in the funicular at the end of the day.
We went up a little late today at 10am and after one run down under the Cachette Chair in deep powder (well above the knees) they opened the Mont Blanc Chair so we headed up top and into the Malgovert Forest and all the way back off piste to Arc 1600 including parts of the 'hidden piste'.There is something special about being the first down a route, even when it is easy. We enjoyed it so much and with very little else open we made a second lap by a slightly different route. More fresh tracks with powder that was well above your knees, sometimes even your waist.
The Arpette chair was still closed so we did a run down to the Vagere chair with powder even at the bottom to the side of the piste. They then announced that the Arpette Chair was opening so we headed up top and down the easier couloir looking towards Arc 1950 on the right side of the 'Linecatcher Bowl'. More deep untracked powder. This was turning into one of those special days. Once more up to the top of the ridge, this time on the Bois de l'Ours chair and then back down to Marmottes chair off piste again.
The queue at the Arcabulle was starting to grow and they had just opened the Lanchette Chair and the Genepi piste Nature area looked great with only a few tracks. Made one lap of this and back up the chair again. The powder was really nice here as well, but by the time we arrived back at the chair people had heard it was open and a queue was forming.
Time to check out the back country. At the top of the chair by the 'Nature Reserve Gate', the pisteurs were advising against going down the valley over the ridge due to wind slab. There was a 'closed' sign across the entrance. However the left ridge was ok, so we headed that way. What a great choice. Powder from the start of the route off piste all the way to the bottom of the Violettes Chair above Villaroger.
No time for lunch on a 'Powder Day'. After a sandwich on the chair we decided to do the route again as it had been so much fun. We did notice that the Varet Gondola had now opened, but stuck to our plan as the queue at the bottom was crazy! If anything the second run was even better. The powder was light and fluffy! Up to your waist.
If you have ever had the feeling of floating on air, that is what it was like. The powder was almost lifting you into the air. It really was that deep. BUT watch out, there are rocks as I found out. Hit one at high speed and did a flip! Ouch!! Skis stayed on thankfully and got up and carried on.
It was time to head for home. But first we had to find another untracked route. Went from the top of the Droset Chair down to Comborciere Chair off piste. Really fun and very few tracks. Deep snow again. But watch out for the 'air holes' behind the big rocks. I almost went down one today. Very close!! Two falls in one day, what is happening to me??
Finally, from the top of the Comborciere Chair off piste all the way through the Malgovert Forest back to Arc 1600 for a nice hot chocolate and then home.
What a day!! Ended up skiing from 10am to 5pm only stopping for a rest on the lifts and a few photos.
If you are interested in seeing what we did, take a look in the March 2013 Album Three on my 'Les Arcs Winter' facebook page. I think you will enjoy them.
http://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/photos
Like I said at the beginning. Today was AMAZING. With about 70cm of fresh snow around the mountains (official figure) the pistes are now in great condition again and the off piste is ridiculous! If you do not have any, rent some 'all mountain fat skis'. These are the conditions for them. You will not regret the extra cost. If you are passing through Bourg or near to the bottom station of the Funicular, ask at Polaire Star Shop. They have a great choice of skis and snowboards to rent for these conditions.
http://www.polairestar.com/
Hurry up and get out here whilst this snow stays in condition.
Powder Days are here again!
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 19-03-13 22:33; edited 2 times in total
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thefatcontroller, My OH was in LP this afternoon - down from Roche de Mio up to his waist in powder. He had an amazing days skiing - forest in the morning over our side, then LP. I'd post a photo, but the dongle wouldn't cope My snow-shoeing was amazing too - I love coming downhill in deep powder.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Snow Forecast are showing rain up to 2,000M for Saturday and Sunday followed by a possible cooling down into next week. Hope it doesn't do too much damage.
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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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thefatcontroller, Just about sums up La Plagne and Compagnie des Alpes management ability - no wonder Chamonix is planning to terminate CdA's contract.
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I spoke too soon! Snowing again & la Plagne has disappeared across the valley..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We're out to La Plagne in, ooh, 17 days now I think for our first whole family ski trip! Does this recent dump of snow bode well for conditions for us by then, or will it be academic that far in advance?
Great photos!!
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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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sparklies, See how high it rains at the weekend.
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Ugh. Rain. It's bad enough over here without it potentially messing with the skiing too!
Thanks!! I know very little about how it all works.. just hoping for the best really!
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You know it makes sense.
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sparklies, You will be fine. The rain wont in any way 'wash away' the snow as there is loads but it could affect the quality. At the moment the snow line is looking about 1900 / 2000 M over the weekend, so not too bad.
Normally we would be well into 'spring snow' by now anyway and that is a heap of fun, but it has been a good year and this weeks storm is the icing on the cake as it were.
Also 17 days is ages. There looks like a lot more precipitation and it is not on GFS yet.
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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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Thank you!! That's useful and interesting to know. I've only ever been skiing in January before so "wetter" snow will be a new one on me. Glad to hear it has been considered a good year - always a gamble going at Easter I imagine but we were left with little choice due to having a child in school and not quite feeling brave enough to pull them out! Might do next year though, heh.
We're staying in La Plagne 1800 but there's buses from the centre so it won't be the end of the world if those lower runs are a bit unhappy when we're there.
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Poster: A snowHead
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sparklies, I have been in Les Arcs for the Easter week with kids for the last six years (apart from 2011 - in Val T) and had a great time and great skiing every single time. This year looks like being one of the best ever.
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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?
|
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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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We're in La Plagne from the 7th April sparklies, hope the snow is good then! We're staying in Plagne Villages, so hoping we'll be high enough for some decent snow.
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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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We're there from the 6th! It certainly sounds promising so far, fingers crossed..
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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This post is a day behind I know but did anyone on Tuesday see a chap spend over an hour and half in off piste snow just off Arpette above Arc 2000 digging around for their lost ski, between 12 and 1, the warmest part of the day, getting more and more frustrated before eventually finding ski buried at least 4 foot deep some 10 metres above where I came to rest - yes it was me. Thanks seriously to the many skiers who stopped to check I was OK.
Funny story now of course and certainly didn't take away from one of the best days skiing I've had. Conditions were near perfect, as they have been most of this week since we arrives at weekend. Went over to La Plagne today which we really enjoyed apart from slightly getting lost coming off Carella in thick mist. Hope weather forecast is right for next 2 days to be clear and sunny.
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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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814man, I bet the idea of having powder ribbons and all that faff now seems like a good idea
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814man, I bet the idea of having powder ribbons and all that faff now seems like a good idea
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