 Poster: A snowHead
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Yup, the new chair etc is a great improvement, and this year there is a second poma on the drag up at Torchon. We seem to have fallen into a habit of coffee at Torchon, ski on to the Tavaillon, and book lunch there for the second circuit.
Family members at home, who are out at the weekend, wanting my daily snow report, when I WhatsApp ed Damp just now, the response was "nice way of saying it's raining?"
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Out for an impromptu couple of days on Saturday. The forecast is all over the show, any local insights to Sunday/Monday conditions please?
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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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@Dr John, suggest you follow chatelweb.com as their predictions seem to be quite accurate. Think you are in for mild weather!
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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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@Ozboy, thanks for the tip. After freezing my extremities off in -20 in Val d'Isere I don't mind a little bit of warm.
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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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It was pretty warm today. Once the rain stopped we headed to PLJ and then over to Avoriaz. Pistes were very good and grippy. Anything unpisted was very heavy. Up Mossettes and into the cloud. As soon as we dropped down the Swiss side it cleared and we had a really good day, no queues, not busy and Grand Paradis still skiable and as calm as ever. Den a bit of sunshine.
As soon as we came back over to France it was into the murk again!
Despite the temperature the snow will last a while yet.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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First day of our week in Chatel today, very warm at PLJ (11°C on the big clock by Pierre Longue) It's a bit slushy over an icy base but there's still tonnes of snow on the pistes. More of the same due throughout the week it seems.
Early mornings and long late lunches it is, then!
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can i ask, why does this show on my feed as a new post yet no one has put anything on here since nov.....am i missing something
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ah weird, its because it doesnt take you to the newest page.....now i can see lots of posts never seen before!
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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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Do people carry snow chains when driving to morizine, if they have winter tires? I'm coming this weekend and returning monday and I see a dump is due?
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@Paul Chittenden, if you have snow tyres, I think you would be ok for Morzine in march not to have chains. The forecasted FL is around 2000m for next weekend dropping to around 800m late on Monday night. Reality is usually worse than the forecast so pack an umbrella.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Cheers, just reading up too, I think it's a legal requirement even if one has winter tyres?
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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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@Paul Chittenden, I think you'll probably be fine. I was in Avoriaz a couple of years ago in late March and we had a massive dump of snow that seemed to last all week. We were a touch worried about the transfer journey, but by the time we'd driven down the hill it was clear that Morzine had just had rain instead. Roads were completely clear and no snow to be seen on the ground at all.
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I drove to the airport a few weeks ago at 5:45am and there was about 40cms of fresh snow on the floor when I left home. Still no problems at all getting to the airport using only winter tyres.
Having said that people couldn't drive up to Avoriazat the begining of last week after the new snow, but getting to Morzine was fine.
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You know it makes sense.
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@doddsie, @foxtrotzulu, thank you
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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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| doddsie wrote: |
I drove to the airport a few weeks ago at 5:45am and there was about 40cms of fresh snow on the floor when I left home. Still no problems at all getting to the airport using only winter tyres.
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Cheers, just the reassurance I need.
Driving daughter's 20 year old Peugeot 1.1 106 out there for her on Saturday.
Flying home a week later. Any  need someone to ski with, get in touch. Daughter will be working for a good chunk of my visit and I prefer company when skiing.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Out in Avoriaz at the moment, did a day over in Morzine and Les Gets. Pistes up top there are holding up nicely though getting very soft in the sun. The blue runs back to Morzine though are starting to suffer a little, not sure how much longer they'll last as it's been about 10 degrees in the valley and wall to wall sunshine.
The bottom half of Zore run in Super Morzine is closed now, down to grass so the only way down is to cut on the lane to Tetras and ski down that to the top of the bubble.
Avoriaz still in good condition though, out here until Saturday and more sun forecast between now and then.
Quite a bit busier than I expected too, looks like a lot of people from Morzine head up here each morning to stay high.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Returned from a couple of days in PdS. Conditions good in Avoriaz, pretty rubbish in Morzine. Sorry to say it only confirmed my view that there are too many slow lifts leading to too many short runs to make the area completely enjoyable for me. First time back for 5 years and the creaking infrastructure and disjointed lift system compares very poorly to EK, Arlberg, Saalbach, 3V etc. Investment needed, large and quickly.
Cracking lunch at La Piaka, however.
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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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@Dr John,
I've got 12 hours of tuition booked during w/c 25 March - 9.30 to 12.30 each day. I'm based in central Morzine and the instructor says I can have them in Avoriaz or Morzine. For ease, I was going to have the first couple in Morzine as I've got to drop my daughter in creche first.
But, would you say that I should move them all to Avoriaz now in case they try to book anything in the pm starting from Plenny?
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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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@Badbobby, I'd say Avoriaz, snow holds up better, more variation of pistes and more off-piste if you're moving in that direction. Recommend getting the A bus to Prodains rather than negotiate the queue-tastic super morzine route every day.
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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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@Dr John,
Thanks - I'm a regular at Morzine, so getting around is pretty straight forward (once you've done it a bit).
Was more checking what the snow conditions are like. But yes, I am doing some off piste stuff so sounds like I'd best get them moved.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Badbobby,
I would move them. We have a lot of rain forecast for the next week which will almost finish off the Morzine skiing for the season.
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@zzz, many thanks.
Looking at the forecast you look spot on  Rain below the top of Plenny.
I've now only got day one, the Monday, in Plenny. But it might be sensible to get them all to meet at the top of Prodains!
As an aside, from where is the best place to pick up the bus to Ardent - in terms of best place to get on and get a seat? In the past few years I've always started at Prodains and finished at Arden (normally after a Lindaret lunch!), but I've never started from there.
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Catching the bus to Ardent is pretty easy depending on where you are coming from.
The M bus starts from near the Fire Station and I usually catch it at the Ecole bus stop at the bottom of town, down the hill past the Dixie and Rhodos bars, near the La Tyrolia bar. At the Tyrolia go left along the road to Montriond for 30 yards. You'll see zebra crossing and the bust stop is 20 yards on right near some closed down shops.
Another option is to go to the Super Morzine bubble and walk across the footbridge. Turn left and walk a couple of 100 yards to the College bus stop.
Timing is everything as the bus runs every 30 mins, I think, upto about 9.30 and less regularly after that.
Ive never struggled for a seat.
http://www.morzine-avoriaz.com/navettes.html
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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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@charliesimpson, very kind.
I always got off on the way back from Ardent at the bridge and walked over into the town - I have always been worried that it would be full if I did the reverse, especially over NY when I have been twice, so i've always wimped out of getting it in that direction!
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@Badbobby, No chance of moving to Avoriaz or somewhere else? Are you locked in to Morzine?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@zzz, hope it's not too bad. Heading out on the 23rd for the weekend, it looked like it was turning to snow the back end of the 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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Heading out on the 25th, forecast some snow Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday so hopefully there's some left.
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I see only rain to high levels until the 23rd. After that the snow line falls but it's still predicted to be 6C at 1000m after that, so a snowline of about 1400m. However that's along way out so not reliable.
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You know it makes sense.
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Just finished the end of a weeks skiing in Avoriaz. Considering it's been blazing sun every day this week and temperatures in to the double figures most days the snowpack has held up pretty well.
As you'd expect the pistes have been a bit icy in the morning but taking an edge well, and getting nice and grippy mid-morning. A lot of the south facing runs are getting very sticky by lunch time though and pretty bumpy as they cut up. I'd also avoid dropping below about 1400m, did the run down to Prodains this morning and even first thing the lower half hadn't had a refreeze over night so was just chopped up mush.
The runs under Zore are also just about holding on. It don't think they will last another week of warm temps or a rain event, they have already had to farm a fair amount of snow from half the run and cut its width quite a bit just to keep it open on the lower half.
Lindarets bowl also in very good condition above goat village, again just pay attention to slope aspect and follow the sun around to catch an hour or so after it's been in the sun. Forecast is for some precipitation tomorrow but I fear the rain line might be quite high.
Overall though, a great week of skiing until the bumps got too big then retiring for a beer then a soak in the hotel hot tub (Hotel des Dromonts, excellent BTW) is my idea of a good week. Oh, if you're over 40 (as I am), give JaJa Bar a try, really great wine selection and the owner is a really nice and knowledgeable chap (and sorry, realised half of this should be in the trip resort section  )
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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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Did the La Chapelle to Pre La Joux run today.
There is very little open on the Pantiaz side, all grass or slush. Marmottes is open down to the Braitaz chair, but in terrible condition - they seem to be keeping it going at the expense of the other runs to get people back down to the top of the bubble.
The blue (Recon?) down to Torgon has some puddles/ice on the flatter bits.
Once up Tronchey and Tour de Don the runs were in good nick but sticky all the way down Panoramique and over to Chalet Neuf/Bellevue Same down into Super Chatel from there past the Lac.
The run down from Gabelou to the bottom of Linga was lumpy and slushy, slow going, but still icy in the shade.
We shot up Linga without really skiing it but the top of the red still looked great to ski. White, cold and just softening up.
We took the Itineraire down to Plaine Dranse and it was slow, lumpy and got worse the lower we got. The schussy bits were hard to maintain speed on due to the stickiness.
The red down from Plaine Dranse is actually in better nick than you'd think, all the way down to the bottom of Pierre Longue. Slushy past there to the Pre La Joux lift.
Les Blattins was pretty nice, the best condition run down PLJ for my money.
Not sure how long it will all last though.
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Poster: A snowHead
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It's raining at village level this morning in Chatel, 10°C.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Truly horrible in Morzine. Peeing down all day and still 5.5C in town
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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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@zzz, sounds delightful!
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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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just back from a week in les gets, sunshine and high temperatures everyday which was perfect for me, i prefer slush to ice anyday, the snow was holding up well, although everyday you could see the snowline retreating up mont chery, so only the very top runs are now open on that side.
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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 back from a cracking week in the PDS. Sure, it wasn't powder heaven (which I'd not expect there at this time of year anyway). I quite like a a bit of spring slush and it was lots of fun in the sun (apart from yesterday which was lots of fun in the rain/snow depending on how high you went).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sunday - Super Chatel boarderX was closed, but park was open, all rode ok apart from a big puddle before the last rainbow on the beginner side.
Linga, Combe, Cornebois, Chaux de Roses area all seemed good considering how warm it is. We did not go below Rochassons down to PLJ.
It was a bit choppy in some places, but that just helps to keep you honest.
Visibility was fine, lift queues minimal, parking easy. Really sweet, all things considered.
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Lovely warm sunny day yesterday in the slush after all the rain on sat. Here's a shot of my kid doing a series of smoothly landed grabs. I convinced him to try snowboarding 2 months ago and now he's better than me. Back to skiing next year for the little show off.
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Husband reporting it is 23 there today....they are eating ice lollies!
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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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Is there any off piste left in Avoriaz? I've got private lessons booked with an aim to practice - doesn't need to be perfect fluff, just enough to learn from.
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There is off-piste, but it's very wet and sticky.I doubt it's what you're hoping for.
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FAQ
