 Poster: A snowHead
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So how are we looking?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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This guy really does know what he's talking about, and it not good news. There will be a bit on the 18th which might get stuff going, it will be totally trashed over Xmas NYE without a big dump nothing is going to start after that.
http://pistehors.com/no-snow-before-january-23643106.htm
Thanks Davidof
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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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@jbob, to an extent, it depends what you want.
All I want now - as the vast majority of our clients for the next couple of weeks are families with kids is:
- enough snow of whatever origin that most of the runs can be opened, groomed, nice and smooth and flattering
- open baby slopes
- the Daily Fail and the other organs of "journalistic" ineptitude to STFU about the demise of European skiing so that anyone who hasn't book and would book but believe the peddlars of untruth actually have the confidence to book, thanks. Not that the behaviour of the 4th estate is in anyway unusual nor unexpected, it's just tiresome.
A nice series of well timed, powdery falls, dropping in the right ways to form a good stable base layer off piste would also be appreciated. But that's personal. Oh, and opening the XC track too. But I can be patient about the latter two.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I am starting to feel worried for the 3rd Jan...
Nothing to suggest enough snow is coming to make it worthwhile
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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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| bezthespaniard wrote: |
I am starting to feel worried for the 3rd Jan...
Nothing to suggest enough snow is coming to make it worthwhile |
Wouldn't start worrying yet. Outside 7-8 days, any forecast is just guesswork, especially in the mountains.
People travelling over Christmas have reason to be worried but still plenty of time for things to change before New Year.
Also, will be a lot less crowded that week. Worry for next week is that in each resort you'll have vast numbers of holiday skiers, many with kids in tow, all aiming for the same slopes higher up the mountains.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Cheers for reassurance.
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@under a new name, it's not all bad. Cham meteo are looking at 20-30 before Xmas and a big dump will come. I've booked mrs jbob onto a Nordic lesson on the 7th thanks for the recommendation they seem lovely.
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Chamonix Christmas then Austria new year, reckon it is all my fault, I have jinxed the holiday period
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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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So looks like a wee bit of snow today, but a bit warm. So how much is needed to make any real difference?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Cold and more snow .
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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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So I reckon cold and more snow would help. Not a majorly quantifiable answer though 
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does anyone know where i can find out the official line on whats open in the cham valley, we are supposed to be staying at les houches NY week but clearly thats not going to open this weekend..... i have found the lift section on the chamonix.com site and at the mo its saying open for pedestrians..... is this a way that they get round saying its open? surely not!
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You know it makes sense.
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This is the best detail I've seen for this weekend:
http://www.compagniedumontblanc.co.uk/ouverture-grands-montets-ce-week-end-9351
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Details of the lifts open in Chamonix & Les Houches :
- Domaine du Brévent for sightseers ONLY.
Planpraz gondola & Brévent cable-car.
- Domaine de la Flégère for sightseers & weak skiers
La Flégère cable-car & Les Evettes chair-lift.
Skiing on the Evettes trail.
- Domaine des Grands Montets for skiers
New Plan Joran gondola, Argentière – Lognan & Lognan – Grands Montets cable-cars, Bochard gondola, Marmottons & Tabé chair-lifts.
Skiing on the following trails : Bochard, Marmottons, Grands Montets variante (Departure at 3 300 m via Col des Rachasses to rejoin the Bochard trail).
- Domaine de Balme for sightseers & skiers
Charamillon & Vallorcine gondolas, Autannes chair-lift.
Skiing on the Caisets trail (return trail from Charamillon to Le Tour).
- Domaine des Houches for sightseers ONLY.
Bellevue cable-car & Prarion gondola.
- Excursions sites
Aiguille du Midi, Montenvers Mer de Glace and Tramway du Mont-Blanc. |
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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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| Quote: |
is this a way that they get round saying its open? surely not!
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no, if it's just for pedestrians, there's no skiing. But lifts do open for walking and sightseeing in summer - they're not pulling a fast one, but giving people access to what facilities they can. My grandchildren would enjoy a ride up in a chairlift to a restaurant for a hot chocolate, over slopes with 2 inches of snow on. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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snowing at town level at the moment, hopefully it carries on for a bit
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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EVERYTHING crossed
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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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Nice to see some fresh snow on the webcams. Hopefully it drops enough tonight and tomorrow and the freezing level stays low enough to make a trip to Grand Montets worth it on Saturday.
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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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whats the word on the ground this morning?
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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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10cms overnight in CHX town, but raining now since about 10:00 per my source. Expectation of around 25cms above 1,900m. Snowline forecast 1,400m then cold and sunny over weekend.
Courtesy of CMB,
"The start of this winter season is, to say the least, difficult as a result of the slight snow cover below 2 200 m.
Our teams are all hard at work to offer the following possibilities as of Saturday 20th December:
Domaine de la Flégère for sightseers & beginner skiers
La Flégère cable-car & Les Evettes chair-lift.
Skiing on the Evettes trail.
Domaine des Grands Montets for skiers
New Plan Joran gondola, Argentière – Lognan & Lognan – Grands Montets cable-cars, Bochard gondola, Marmottons & Tabé chair-lifts.
Skiing on the following trails : Bochard, Marmottons, Grands Montets variante (Departure at 3 300 m via Col des Rachasses to rejoin the Bochard trail).
Domaine de Balme for sightseers & skiers
Charamillon & Vallorcine gondolas, Autannes chair-lift.
Skiing on the Caisets trail (return trail from Charamillon to Le Tour)."
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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not looking to clever then, whats the chances of les houches opening next weekend do we think?
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will it be cold enough for cannons?
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@ajc2260626, My son is in Les Houches at the moment , traveling every day to La Thuille to ski at the moment. He said there was fresh snow in the village last night , but not enough to make a difference.
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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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cheers @Scot_Ski, how long a drive is that? am hoping that in the next week they will get some.....
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| ajc2260626 wrote: |
| not looking to clever then, whats the chances of les houches opening next weekend do we think? |
I would say zero. Buggerall to the power of zero. It is getting warmer, instead of colder. Bonkers.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@ajc2260626, he's only driving to La Thuile because CMB haven't opened Grands Montets (I would guess).
NY week? according to CMB they're expecting snow 25th/26th. Who knows. Webcams don't look too promising though.
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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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under a new name, Or driving to La Thuile because that is where BSA have permission to train.
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@rjs, well, maybe that too. But GMs certainly closed today.
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You know it makes sense.
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so if they dont open les houches next weekend, what do we think will be open, is there much above 2000m? am guessing there's a bit?
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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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| ajc2260626 wrote: |
| what do we think will be open? |
the mountain bike trails!
(they won't, bike's are not allowed)
So the snowfall that came yesterday did go down to around 800m, but even yesterday it was getting warm and damp. Excluding where they have been desperately trying to prepare pistes, this snow fall could be called the first. Whatever you want to call it, it's not enough to get anything ready. Looking on the webcams you can see how desperate things look.
This coming week (christmas week) will be warm, pushing 10.C, so it's not good for the already thin snowpack staying around.
The wet damp heavy snow that does stay should be quite good for being a base.
Verbier will be getting better, but on Tuesday afternoon everywhere was stoney/gravely. The area is seeing too much traffic as it's on of the few that's been open for a long time.
High up in Courmayeur will be good, but the mid station area looks pretty brown still.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@ajc2260626, see above. Expect much of the same unless something somewhat unexpected happens.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I just heard that up at le Tour the home run is so fragile that they can't send the piste bashers on it and instead had the ESF side stepping their way down it!
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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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It'll be interesting to see how busy Grand Montets is tomorrow. It's the only meaningful thing open in the valley and it's opening day, but it won't exactly be great so may not pull in many daytrippers. It used to be so hard to get up to mid station that once you were up there queues weren't so bad, but the new gondola might change that unfortunately. In any case I need to decide how early to arrive to get in the carpark and a good spot in line though. 8am?
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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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GM might be more sheltered but le Tour was good when came down at 1300. When we skinned up at 1100 is was horribly hard and crusty. It was like spring skiing, frozen in the morning, softens nicely around lunch then gets slushy. In le Tour carpark it was 13.C!!! How long will the snow last?
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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've been trying to be very positive all week, but I'm now worrying about the weekend - skied Verbier today again, and the main area was extremely icy. We moved around a bit and got a few good runs in, but the overall condition (on-piste) compared to last weekend was way down.
On the way back we had a good hard look at what we could see of GM from the road and it didn't look at all appealing. Now of course it might be a lot better on the mountain up high.
I was planning on trying out Courmayeur tomorrow (I never wanted to mix it with the GM crowds anyway) but having seen the conditions in general, how much sun there has been today (it was 14C in Argentiere at 3.30pm as we drove through), and that Cour has limited opening, I might not go anywhere at all tomorrow. Hmmmm.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@OliC, it's forecast to get colder again.
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Does anyone know if Cervinia is holding up. I think my only two realistic options for next 5 days are Verbier or Cervinia?
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Was in Cervinia yesterday - plenty of snow although the off piste had iced up. Top of Mont Fort at Verbier today had fantastic snow - the rest of the runs were horrendous.
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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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| under a new name wrote: |
| @OliC, it's forecast to get colder again. |
13.C forecast on tuesday isn't cold in my books!
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