 Poster: A snowHead
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| Renry wrote: |
| thanks rob@rar, , Any idea where the GS stated from at the weekend? |
Sorry, didn't see it. Alas we are a Sky-free house.
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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 think the Face downhill has the same start gate as the OK downhill. Ie right at the top of Belvarde. Between the tops of Funival and L'Olympic the slope goes on up to the top and I saw it being bashed today. There is even a small button lift on the Funival side of that slope. Between the two top stations there is a concrete-lined tunnel that can be opened when race courses are set.
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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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Adrian, the OK race course used to start up there, but I don't think they have for several years now. The start tent is just outside the funival station.
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rob@rar, I think it was used in the Jan 2008 races as I used the tunnel then and the race course was rigged from the top. My Jan 26 and 30 notes here talk about a race on Face.
Edit: Just remembered that there was another start hut between L'Olympic top and the Belvarde restaurant. That gave them various options for the race.
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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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Absolute carnage off piste in Val at the moment - seven dead in the past week, and they are shipping in extra body bags for those who have slipped out of the gene pool and attempt to go off piste as the resort gets busier....most of the mountain closed this past weekend, and the racing was certainly called off on Sunday.
60-80cms in resort on Sunday, and the road was closed down the valley after a huge avalanche covered the road. 100km/h winds over past few days, and a whole lot more snow forecast over the next few days as well.
Be safe, people
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| Guvnor wrote: |
Absolute carnage off piste in Val at the moment - seven dead in the past week, and they are shipping in extra body bags for those who have slipped out of the gene pool and attempt to go off piste as the resort gets busier....most of the mountain closed this past weekend, and the racing was certainly called off on Sunday.
60-80cms in resort on Sunday, and the road was closed down the valley after a huge avalanche covered the road. 100km/h winds over past few days, and a whole lot more snow forecast over the next few days as well.
Be safe, people |
7 avy victims ? I don't know what you're smoking, but that some powerfull stuff.
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Wednesday 17
Snowing all day and a little colder. The forecast of sunshine in the afternoon was wrong but this morning we did see the sun glowing through the clouds and the falling snow. The old wet powder has dried a little plus there is some new colder powder on top. So off piste conditions were much easier and nicer today. A few more lifts have opened. The Borsat Express and Tommeuses were running but did not see them carrying any people nor any people on their pistes. We skied Belvarde area: by the side of the Fontaine froid chair; under Grand Pre chair and on down to the bottom of the drag; near Mont Blanc chair; plus through the trees to La Dialle. Generally the snow was deep and soft and easily skiable. Hardly any of the thick porridge-like snow of yesterday.
C's skiing improves but she is a slow cautious learner. The other ladies in her group come from other sports and have advanced quicker. So we have traded the remaining group lessons for a private one. This afternoon we skied together on the nursery slopes to build a little more confidence.
I have not heard anything about there being seven dead in the last week here. There is nothing obvious about this on http://pistehors.com which is normally very quick with its reports, so I wonder what the details are.
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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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Nothing on the Alpine Experience blog about so many deaths either.......
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| Guvnor wrote: |
| seven dead in the past week |
Died of heart attack seeing all the snow coming down 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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kitenski, there's a brief reference on the HAT blog, although no details.
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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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Guvnor, you sure about this as the hat blog does not appear to suggest that these people have all died in val d'isere as you imply. Instead i think it is reffering to the total death toll in the alps so far as the hat blog have got their information from pistehors which has not reported fatalities in avalanches in val d'isere
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rambotion, Can't remember the exact details - it was discussed over a long and boozy evening - maybe over the season so far, as opposed to the week? And maybe across the Tarentaise in general? Point still remains very valid about the potential carnage over the next couple of weeks until things stabilise though.....
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You know it makes sense.
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Thursday 18
Sunshine for much of the day and the snow has transformed into real soft powder. Had some great off piste snow between top of Borsat Express and the Tignes funicular. Then a seventy turn pitch plus some shorter pitches from the top of the Motte down to Leisse. Ran into a piste basher trail there where soft snow had hidden the track, so enjoying some turns in nice ankle deep powder and then dropped into a thigh deep hole! It is very tiring to kick and climb out of such a hole when at altitude. More great snow near Dahu, Rabotch and Cairn. Even scraped across a couple of rocks on convex slope changes. More powder from Tichot across the airfield and down to the snow park. Then a fun descent through a snow park in preparation, lots of hard packed piste basher tracks where the groomer has not been used. Finished the powder trip via the Familial.
Todays one to one private lesson for C was very good. Her confidence improves and today she has been going to the top of the Savonette lift. The instructor has given her some tips for things to work on.
There have been lots of avalanches around the resort from the new snow. Much of the Campagnule has gone, but has got some new snow that partially hides the avalanche tracks. At the Borsat end of Campagnule there has been a big slide since the new snow. Another big slide from high on the Borsat is visible from the Motte.
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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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Friday 19
Cloudy and colder today. Strong wind early on making the top of Borsat unpleasant, but milder winds for most of the time. The clouds meant poor visibility for much of the morning. Deep snow cover on all the off piste we did, only a couple of rocks felt by our whole group. Skied of of Borsat, bottom of Lanches then from top of funicular and top of Genepy down to the Leisse. This was today's worst snow: skiers snow, where you have to commit to the turns, otherwise the snow takes charge. The Leisse piste seemed closed, only saw two other people from the chair, perhaps because the wind had got up again making the chair ride uncomfortably cold on the face. Cairn area off piste was good again. Then a great descent of Campunules, near the recent avalanche but not above the lake that showed lots of crack in it snow and ice cover. Finished my skiing for this holiday with a fast cruise down to La Dialle.
C went far off piste today. So far that she missed the piste entirely and concentrated on the shops. Luckily her purse was almost empty at the start of the day.
We have had a great week staying with Finlays in Chalet Ruby where our chalet girl, Amy, has put four years training as a cook to good use. Her food has been great. I skied off piste with Alpine Experience. C took lessons from Evolution 2, she would recommend them to others although she found the group lessons hard because the others in the group progressed much quicker then she did. C felt their backgrounds of mountain climbing gave them the advantage of having less fear. By contrast the one to one private lesson was very useful. In both cases C though her teachers were very good.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Adrian, have only ever heard good things of Finlays. Thanks again for the reports.
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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 stayed with Finalys for a late season long weekend this year. Everything was great - especially when you consider it was very near the end of the seasons and most of the seasonaires were hoofing it about on the slopes while our guys were still seeing to guests. The personal touch of a family firm has something to be said for 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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Leave all your technology behind -after all you are going on holiday to enjoy yourself - the last thing you want is a message from AUNTIE GLORIA saying your Mummy is suffering from a bowel disfunktion!!!
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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 got back from VDI last night. Wow what a storm last week! The biggest single snowfall i think I've seen in 40 yrs ! Well over 2 feet of snow fell with some big drifts and there is currently over 1.5m in the village. Tons of snow has had to be removed from the streets and centre of town.
On Monday morning we were confined to our Chalet by the Police for fear of avalanche and falling rooftop snow. Eventually we got out onto the free lifts in the centre of village, absolutely chomping at the bit to get some skiing in.
During the week we had some fabulous powder , particlarly on the Fornet Glacier (which is plastered) and way out on the Skiers right beside the Manchet Express.
The big storm seems to have been centred over Italy and the southern French Alps with Le Fornet receiving much more snow than Tignes. I notice that the 3 vallies seems to have received very little while the Milky Way and durther south has been buried.
VDI is set up for the season now and they must be saving a fortune by not having to run their snow guns. There is a really big base everywhere which should see the upper runs through well into April.
Anyone coming out for christmas is in for a treat as long as the weather stays stable. 
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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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The VDI thread has gone quiet so I thought seeing as I'm there right now I'd put up a post! Snow is holding up very well. On piste it's packed and fast but manageable, apart from the obvious late afternoon on steep slopes (the bottom half of the OK run down to La Daille was an ice sheet at 4pm yesterday). But with the sun low in the sky, most slopes facing north, and the very low temperatures (-10 max yesterday and today) the deterioration is pretty slow. Plus there's hardly anyone here right now! so it doesn't matter so much if you spend most of your final run home skidding out of control on your backside...
And the weather sites seem to be converging on 10-15cm fresh over the next couple of days, with the sun coming out again at the end of the week. 
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Thanks Harryt , we arrive on the 11th, so would be great to get a little top up. We have never skiied in the alps in January , we have alwas skiied during March in the past , so not really experienced the ice sheet on the OK , that is normally a mogul field by the end of the day in march. Although having learned to ski in Scotland , we are fairly used to boiler plate. Think it may be an idea to get those edges sharpened before leaving though. Have a great week and if you do get a fresh covering , recommend an early start in Le fornet , although in January I guess it is pretty quiet so wont get tracked out to early.
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Cheers for the tip Rob. Not much going on today though - blowing a gale in the valley and cloudy up top.
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Oh, and in case anyone was wondering... no new snow yet 
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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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Arriving on Sunday , anybody like to give an update on conditions. Did Val D catch much mid week? They were forecasting a bit to freshen things up , but the webcams never seemed to indicate that it was snowing. So excited and the £ even recovered a wee bit.
Many Thanks and all who are going away this weekend , have a great time , hope everyone gets some fresh on at least one morning
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Got back last night after prob the best weeks skiing I've had for the last few years,
Nice little dump mid week and cold to make the pistes last with bright sunshine.
Not too many people so no Qing or too must collision avoidance.
The Face was orgasmic on sunday, but should have been renamed Ice Face on tuesday, recovered after wednesday night shower. Thursday was a great day with a wobbly descent down OK after a few too many vodka Blackcurrents at top of la daille gondala.
have a good week
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sunday 18
Overcast start to the day and snowing gently by mid morning. 3cm new snow in Val d'Isere centre by 1pm. Pistes seem generally good. There are a few speckles of gravel and the occasional thin or bare patch but they are easily avoided. Both on and off piste the snow texture varies a lot. On piste a few hard packed, almost icy, areas that are hard to see in the poor visibility. Off piste it changes from turn to turn, some soft snow and some wind-blown and hard, again few visual clues about what to expect. The Borsat off piste (Tignes side) from the low entry was skier compacted, just like a piste. Then we had some good snow, but well compacted and bumpy, from a low entry into the Chardonay. Perhaps our best snow today was near the top of the Sachette where we did a big wide couloir. My skiing there was ragged, but this was my first steep and restricted-width skiing since last winter's mega fall. I knew that I could ski today's couloir but felt more apprehensive than usual. We saw no one else in the Sachette area and only a couple of people on the Sache piste that we joined near the security hut. Lower down we joined a red run and parts of it were very hard packed. I think I might get a file to my ski edges later today. All in all a good morning. Now (at 2pm) the snow is falling fast.
There are other Snowheads threads discussing the merits and value of side-slipping. Today we side slipped several places. Often needing to drop a few metres to go around an off piste rock or bush, or to line up with a path. But places where doing two turns to lose height and then finish pointing in the correct direction would have been difficult. Also long traverses where straight lining (specially in the poor visibility) would give too much speed. These places are all about edge control and variations on side slipping.
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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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It snowed gently much of yesterday, but not much ovenight. A few cm in Val d'Isere and maybe 20cm higher up. Today started with snow falling but it brightened up and the sun shone for a while mid morning. But the clouds came back. The day alternated clouds and some sun.
The higher lifts were slow to open today so we skied various off piste and trees down to La Dialle. By 10am the various chairs on Belvarde were starting. Generally we had powder on piste and enough new snow to cover old tracks off piste. But in places an off piste icy mogul would have little snow cover. After Tommeusses opened we had a lovely run down near just left of Creux in fresh snow, almost non-stop and then turning more left through the Familial and to the Trifolet piste. Then over to Val Claret. The new snow has softened the pistes, they are great. I finished with a run down Creux, its chopped up powder was great for fast long radius turns, just riding the ski edges.
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Tuesday 20
What a wonderful skiing day. It was snowing at breakfast time and there was 10cm of new snow in the car park. The snow fall stopped and slowly the cloud cover lifted. Mid morning the light through the thin clouds was fantastic and the sunlight sparkled through the air. At midday the sun was bright. With little wind it seemed warmer day today, I skied with one fewer layers than yesterday. There was 20 to 30 cm of powder almost every where. We started in the Fontaine Friods area then on via Borsat to Leisse. The cable car was not running, the thermometer at its base showed -6 when we first passed, and only -1 at about noon. Then back via Cairn and the Familial. Great snow and lots of untracked areas close to the pistes. Careful skiing is needed: I heard several rocks cry out as my skis caressed them.
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You know it makes sense.
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Wednesday 21
Another great day. Bright sunshine most of the day. The fresh powder remains good and lots avalable, although many big faces appear to be heavily tracked. Just a little effort gives access to untracked areas. We skied Borsat on route to the Chardonay where a short climb gave access to a couloir that had been skied by others. It still had soft snow and chopped powder. Lower in the big bowl there are big untracked areas. Then we skied the Sachette. Our longest pitches of the day had over 50 turns. Only hit a couple of rocks today while skiing, plus a few more scraped or narrowly avoided on traverses. The pistes are great but have a few hard snow areas. Did not ski it but the top of Cyclamen (under Aiguille Percee chair) seemed free of the gravel and bare patches it often has.
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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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Thursday 22
And the sun keeps on shining on the powder. Hardy a cloud all day. Climbed up from Borsat Express and then along the ridge (where I am the second person in this picture), to ski down the WSW slope facing the Grande Motte. ( This is me. ) Then up to the top of the Motte and down the piste before turning left soon after a banner saying PERIL and then over 120 turns in lovely soft powder on a flatish part of the glacier. We crossed one obvious crevasse. Our guide said that we should leave big gaps between us and that we should not stop on the way, because there are holes everywhere on that glacier. Then we had a long walk across the glacier to do a Tour de Balme. Each year this walk seems to get longer and harder as the glacier shrinks. Another lovely descent and then a traverse and my first use of skins this winter, but only for 10 or 15 minutes. A steep descent and then into relatively untracked snow that could also be accessed from the Col des Ves chair. Our guide had considered skiing the big face of the Balme but from the bottom of Grattalu we could see it had lots of tracks, thin snow and rocks.
Skied down Plan and M from Solaise. Parts of these and much of Rhone Alpes (I think this used to be called piste A) have been closed for race preparation. From the Solaise Express chair I saw lots of work happening on the race course. Around the botton of M and Face there are several viewing stands and other structures being built for the 2009 World Ski Championships.
Pistes today are in good condition although many are quite hard packed. The top of M is, as often, very hard with a dusting of loose snow. The forecast is for snowfalls tomorrow. A little has already fallen by 10pm. There should be lots of new snow for anyone coming out next week.
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Poster: A snowHead
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It is snowing already. At 5am there was no new snow but now there is 2cm in the car park. Not a heavy fall as I can see trees that are 300 or 400 metres away.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Friday 23
Snowing hard all morning. Wet snow. OK to ski in but hard work. With the falling snow, clouds, occasional fog and steamed up goggles, vision was difficult. Someone packed away my nice pair of goggles after my December trip and so left me with my old ropey pair. Could seldom see tracks or moguls or any snow textures. So it was a matter of pointing the skis in the right direction and hoping for the best. I skied really badly today, weight back, forcing turns, tails spinning out, skis going in different directions. It is satisfying to have skied today, but it was not really fun.
Most pistes we skied had several cm of new wet snow. Some were smooth under the snow but others, such as Creux, had small moguls. So given the poor visibilty and the new snow, the moguls could occur at any place in my turns.
At midday Aeroski, Combe Folle and Fresse were closed due to wind, so crossing between Tignes and Val d'Isere was tricky. The new Tufs chair was running.
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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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Is it raining ? as it looks like it on the la Daille webcam. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The snow fall has continued all day and the wind seems to be picking up in town. At noon many lifts were shut. Overheard, at 3pm, a conversation that the Fornet cable car went up 20m, went back into the station, went up 20m again, went back, then gave up. There have been explosions, I guess avalanche control, all afternoon.
It felt like rain to me when walking through town at 3pm. A little later looking through the windows it still seemed like rain. At 6pm it has turned back to snow. http://www.snow-forecast.com reports the freezing level around 2000m for much of today. In summary, 2planks, it has been raining but it has not washed away or melted the 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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| Specialman wrote: |
Also looking forward to seeing what the Folle Douce is like - looks like a mental place to be when everyone gets into apres mood :)
God, I cannot wait!!! |
It's great fun! I was in La Daille last year and was our stop for vodka on the way home....
Off to Val on Sunday, from what the reports are indicating there's only one day next week when it's not going to snow!
Also you should go and see Mullit at Moris Bar - great pub band & they're on twice a week all season.
:)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks Adrian, hope the snow keeps going 
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Saturday 24
Another nice skiing day, unexpectedly good. The forecast was for snow falling all day and the same as yesterday when we all got soaked from the wet snow. Today started with snowfalls but they stopped and we even had sunlight filtering through the total cloud cover. 20cm of new snow in town. Reports of the Solaise Express cables being derailed in the overnight high winds. This morning the lifts were slow to open. We did three circuits of the chair at La Dialle, skiing in 20cm or 30cm on new snow on piste and through the trees. Then got the first or second Funival and more great, but heavy, powder on piste. The little button lift by the slalom course and Mont Blanc opened giving more options. But the lifts linking to Tignes remained closed. There have been lots of avalanche control explosions. We watched two on the steep slope between the bottoms of Tommeusses and Mont Blanc, but did not see any snow moving. Above La Folie Douce the snow was great but seemed to get heavier as the morning progressed. Or maybe just tired legs. Lower down we had, in places, a layer of rain crust with soft snow above and below it. Fascinating to ski though this crust, the sounds of breaking the crust and the feeling of lumps of ice hitting the boots. The snow texture was varied from just a few cm on a firm base to deep heavy powder. Often the skis would rapidly slow down as I hit deeper places. At one place they just stopped, both heel bindings released and then I did a face plant stop. My best fall of the holiday so far!
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Radio Val d'Isere has just reported a snowboarder was in an avalanche near the Face de Belvarde. He has been taken to hospital. No other details yet.
The avalanche risk was 5 today.
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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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Sunday 25
More snow fell last night plus the wind moved the snow around so everywhere looked free of old tracks. With sunshine all day, the new snow and new people who arrived yesterday it was a powder frenzy day even though the avalanche risk was 4. Tommeusses opened late because the pisteurs were still making safe the pistes, but there were skiers coming down from the Tignes lifts. Skied the familial and Trifolet areas, the rain crust was still noticeable near the top of Trifolet. Borsat Express opened quite late but gave us access to Comb Lanches which had some of the nicest snow of today. Strong winds in some places, making the Fresse chair and the last part of Genepy underneath the chair quite unpleasant. The same winds have created big ripples across large areas of snow; the area around Genepy and SE of the chair looked stunning.
Yesterday two boarders were avalanched near the face de Belvarde. Radio Val d'Isere reports one as OK and the other in hospital but his life is not in danger. Also yesterday, the Solaise Express derailed on four pylons in wind that Météo France recorded as near 200 km/h. The lift was running normally today.
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FAQ
