Poster: A snowHead
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Just back from 5th week of skiing (sorry to boast!) this winter - spent in Avoriaz skied all of PdS. Snowed as we arrived last Saturday and most of Sunday which really livened up the pistes. Rep said it was the best snow they had all season which is rathed sad as I've had better elsewhere. Good skiing in Les Gets and Morzine last Monday but quite thin now - needs more snow. Black and red runs on Mt Chery were good then. Avoriaz and Linga areas very busy as many French schools still on holiday. Quieter on Swiss side but links between Chatel and Morgins broken due to lack of snow. Some nice long runs but also lots of Scottish (brown) snow! Take the long red (some flat areas so not for boarders) down to Champery for lovely scenery. Best snow of whole area on hidden black bumps run Combette just below race piste in Avoriaz - it was absolutely magic!
Good to see Andy Cavet of Les Gets ski school recommended. Watch out for his son Ben, Britain's top mogul skier, at the Junior World Freestyle Champs later this month.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Where are you both staying? I'm out there next Sat for 1st time so run names dont mean much to me. Obviously Les Crosets is fine. Just want to know what is best to avoid if the snow doesnt come between now and then.
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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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Arrived in Les Gets yesterday afternoon and got a quick couple of hours in. Full day today and stuck to the Les Gets slopes. The snow in the Chavannes / Rosta bowl was generally very good and up at Nyon it was excellent. Lovely lunch at Pointe de Nyon. Slushy this afternoon on anything south facing, but that's only to be expected in March.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Michael B - I am staying in a friend's chalet in Essert Romand, a small village a few minutes down the valley from Morzine.
More photos at https://snowheads.com/the_zone/showphoto.php/g1039-montriond-march-2011.html
Another beautiful blue sky day today.
Mont Blanc clearly visible in the distance.
The snow in the Pleney/Les Gets area generally good, especially in the morning. Chamosiere also good although getting soft in the afternoon down low. The blue runs down to Pleney bottom station very soft and sugary in the afternoon.
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Another glorious day in Les Gets.
As Rob said slushy in the PM but loads of good skiing on the blues above LG
Michael B - We are staying in Hotel Stella. Clean, warm and friendly. Staff very helpful, especially considering we have a 9 month old and a coeliaic with us!
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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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Went up to Avoriaz today. The snow on Les Hauts Forts is excellent; grippy, velvety fun with some lovely soft bumps to jump about on. We had a hoot! We're heading back tomorrow and will take in the Fornet bowl as well.
Great lunch at Le Chaudron at Lindarets as usual. Very sunny, so extra sun screen required.
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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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zvordauk wrote: |
Rain forcast for Thurs / Fri - hope that it turns into snow higher up the hill............ |
Me too - we arrive on Saturday!
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You know it makes sense.
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+1 Out on Sat night for a week, perhaps a Snowheads impromtu meet is in order......
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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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Hi
Coming out to Morzine on the 26th March for a week. Staying up the hill at Pleney. Can't wait and am keeping everything crossed that the snow gods smile on us and deliver some white stuff over the next couple of weeks. Gather the temps are rather spring like at the moment so if the snow does not arrive I hope the existing snow holds out for us
Griggs
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Poster: A snowHead
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Chatel on Tuesday til Saturday. Meteociel saying something will be falling from the sky later in the week, hope its white rather than transparent.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Les Gets for a week of skiing from Sat ... although I did get some deck chairs delivered to the chalet a few days ago as I think they may be handy!
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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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We spent a very pleasant four hours skiing on Mt Chery this morning, straight onto the Grande Ourse lift when it opened, down the Lievre a few times, quite a few people on the Bouquetin - not me - and over to the Marmotte piste and the Chevreuil, all absolutely fine, although the bottom of the Chevreuil was getting a bit soggy by 1.30 so we returned to the Grande Ourse for a quick panini before heading home around 3. I was a bit surprised to find quite a few skiers going up in the gondola at that time though, maybe they were just going for a drink at the Belvedere!
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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going this sunday, hope nearly all the runs are open? Are the lower pistes open?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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All slopes open in the Les Gets area today are detailed here http://bit.ly/gwbqgL . It's not too bad really, just not looking very pretty.
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Good skiing on Nyon, lovely sunshine, good to see the restaurant at the lake in Les Gets busy when we stopped there for lunch on the way home!
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On my way out today (Easyjet permitting) for a week. Looks more like the conditions we had on the end of season trip last year (April 23ish) than last year's March trip. Not a classic season - still it is always good to be back. I'll try to do a post each day with what we find.
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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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What a week it's been! Beautiful sun and slopes.
Unfortunately the sun is taking it's toil on the slopes. Many are looking particularly brown now and some of the reds and blacks are closed in the afternoons.
It's overcast today and 9 degrees. Doesn't bode well for this week unfortunately.....
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zvordauk, That is a shame! I am getting my fix this week!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Last few runs today before heading off to the Frozen North (aka Norway) tomorrow. Actually the forecast for Stavanger tomorrow (low 2degC, high 8degC, rain, lght wind) looks remarkably similar to Les Gets (low 2degC, high 8degC, rain, light wind).
Turned up at the Nyon Cable Car this morning to find a Swiss registered bus had just deposited 50 people in the queue to go up the mountain so took the shuttle back to the Plenney lifts and ascended that way. Worked our way round to Chamosiere and set off down the red run from the top. Lots of icy bits and stones on the piste to be avoided. An interesting exercise for me but the boys found it a bit more challenging. Having worked on controlled side slips on easy blues yesterday and emphasising to them that they are valid tools in the box not a 'soft' way out, it was great to see both boys confidently using a combination of turns and slide slips to get themselves down a tricky piste. They definitely earned their hot choclates at the top of the Nyon slopes before a great final swoop down the mountain to the car park.
I'm back in Montriond for the Easter weekend - fingers crossed for some late season snow by then! In the mean time Sirdal is calling....
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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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Went to Champery for the day yesterday. Unfortunately it is in a pretty poor state at the moment, with most pistes open, but green grass either side of the pistes.
We quickly moved over to Avoriaz, which was a world of difference, with most pistes in pretty good condition, even all the way down to Prodains. We therefore spent most of the day there before heading back to my car in Champery.
The run down from Mossette to Les Crosets and then back over to Champery was a world of slushy moguls, and a pretty rotten experience.
So in summary - head over to Avoriaz (btw I am not employed by the Avoriaz tourist office )
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We were out on the Chamossiere first thing this morning, 9.15, and came down the Arbis twice black twice and hardly a soul in sight except the last time when getting a few bods up there. Decided we had had the best of it and back to the bowl in Les Gets and home by lunch time.
Very cloudy here now, and yesterday when up in Avoriaz. The runs down to Lindarets and back to the carpark were some of the nicer ones - we went over to Planachaux to see what it was like, all ok early on but slushing up quickly.
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You know it makes sense.
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Decisions, decisions.... Our fave chalet hosts have space in the second week in April and yesterday made us an offer that's going to be hard to refuse. Normally I'd have bitten their hands off but there'll need to be a lot more snow. Seriously, I wonder how statistically likely is it after so little snow this season that there won't be a few massive dumps over the next few weeks to even things out?
Any optimism amongst the crowd, Pamski, or are you all just as sanguine as usual?
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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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Well it was certainly springlike but the conditions around the higher areas of chatel were fine today
As you'd expect the snow was getting chopped up by midday so get up there early is my advice!
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Sun 13-03-11 17:27; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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andyph, i would not book to go to the portes du soleil, sorry if that offends certain people and they dont like it, but its the truth. It has been a poor season this year and like you said, there could be hardly and new snow between now and then or there could be tons of the stuff. Deciding now would be a big big gamble. I looked on the Avoriaz webcam earlier and some parts look very thin on snow cover. I would wait until last minute and go where the snow is the best. If it is worse then head higher, if its ok then book to go to avoriaz.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Quote: |
Seriously, I wonder how statistically likely is it after so little snow this season that there won't be a few massive dumps over the next few weeks to even things out?
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I would be reasonably certain that there are absolutely NO "statistics" which suggest that poor snow in the early part of the season has any causative effect on massive dumps later on.
We can hope, though.
Actually, I think Ricklovesthepowder is right. I wouldn't book to go anywhere right now.
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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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andyph, well the last of our family visitors and friends are leaving on Wednesday and most unusually we don't have any other friends and family coming to stay this year - and I said to OH this morning that I was relieved as left to our own devices we just get out really early and make the best of what there is. I was quite happy with my two or three hours out today but I might not have been if I had had to travel, take a week off, pay for somewhere to stay etc etc. If we have people staying I am always worrying that bit more about the weather as you want them to have a good time.
I think if you leave it till much closer to the time then undoubtedly you will be able to find somewhere to stay if it looks worthwhile.
I am not at all offended by your comments Ricklovesthepowder, but I am not running a business, but I think those that do run businesses and post on here give fairly realistic comments - its not in anyone's interest surely to build up false promises.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I would agree with holding off, I must have seen you at some point Pam, Look out for a tall chap in a very yellow Jacket!
(Oh and now a helmet after landing on my head and shoulder today at speed. )
Really no more than a couple of hours worth of skiing in Les Gets at the moment,so we are heading elsewhere tommorrow, any ideas welcome, have car will travel.
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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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Oh you were on Arbis, so perhaps you saw a tall bloke in a yellow jacket sprawled on the snow, with stars dancing round his head
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Chattonmill, there was no-one on Arbis when we were there. We are probably going over to Flaine later in the week to see some friends there - and if we do then we will drive the whole way up so that we (well its me that complains really) don't have to catch the lifts in time to get back to Samoens and ski through the porridge.
We will also be going to Les Contamines before we head home. Last year circumstances conspired against us and we didn't use a single one of the reciprocal tickets with our season passes so must make sure we use at least a couple of them.
I shall look out for the yellow jacket!
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It didn't drop below 5°C last night. We have the Fohn wind for the next few days so expect more of the same. Devastating for what's left of the snow. Many chalet operators sending their chalet staff home early, and ski shops laying off employees. It feels like April here, not the second week of March!
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Just back from a week in Morzine Avoriaz, we had a fantastic time but it is not looking good for those going out this weekend! Avoriaz - good but a bit slushy later on (easily solved - ski til 2 then crash fro a 2hr lunch then one run home- sorted!). Morzine round the Pleney was overcrowded and hideous so we tended to avoid! Took some beginner boarders up to the Nyon on Friday - it was deteriorating with every run and you could almost wakeboard over the bottom by the Point de Nyon restaurant. Apparently they are shutting the Pleney and the Super M on the 10th April - I doubt it will last that long.
HOWEVER - we had a fantastic time and the blacks that end up at the bottom of the Prodains cable car were awesome fun and quite empty! The rest of the resort was pretty busy.
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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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Late start today after we got sorted and hired skis. Drove to Pre La Joux and skied most of the areas around the Cornebois lift. Not in bad shape.
Then over to Avoriaz via Lindarets - Chaux Fleurie was not great.
Coupe du Monde to Prodains OK and the Fornet bowl also good.
Runs back to Lindarets getting slushy at 13.30 but Lunch in L'Abricotine made up for it.
Down to Pre La Joux we took Rhododendrons to avoid the runs into and out of Plain Dranse which are always dire at the end of day. Thin at the top but in pretty good shape - modest bumps and not many skiers.
Into the Avalanche bar to see the Sweaties beaten in the rugby. Now in the apartment. G+T to hand Spag Bol on the hob.
Not a bad day and much better than I was expecting.
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Raining and six degrees in Morzine
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