 Poster: A snowHead
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offpisteskiing, Great pics and thanks for the warning. Counting down the hours now.... 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Woke up at 6am this morning, and checked the cloud outside, VT resort was still in cloud… Thought that I wouldn’t get to skin up the Col Piste / Glacier du Thorens / Glacier du Chaviere today, so went back to bed a bit miserable, woke again at 8.30 and the cloud had lifted a lot, by the time I was showered and ready to go, the sky was blue, and I was a very happy boy!!!!
Took the lifts to the bottom of the Col piste and skinned up to the top, skinned a little further on to the Glacier du Chaviere, kept to the less step areas, skinning toward the Col de Gėbroulaz, before taking a few pics (which I’ll post when I’m home), and skiing back down. Perfect powder, perfect visibility, and apart from a piste basher that came up the Col piste after me, perfect silence!!! The piste basher cleared some snow from around the top of the Col chairlift before heading down.
Skied down the left (looking up) of the Col piste in perfect powder, only beaten to first tracks by a couple of small animals (or one very confused one)! Some of the snow is a little thin over a few rocks, but, didn’t cause me too many problems….
As it was only lunchtime, I decided to skin back up, but using the piste basher track to the right, to access more of the Glacier du Thorens, again perfect powder, if a little thin in a few areas. Called it a day after this run, time for a late lunch, which I think I have earned for once! 
All in all, a cracking day, well worth the 3 days wait for the cloud to lift!!!
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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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The les arcs thread reckons you can ski down to bourg saint maurice now so can you ski down to bride les bains from meribel or orelle from cime caron and if so whats the chance of still being able to do so in early january?
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rambotion, very good indeed!
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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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rambotion, very much depends on the weather between now & then... currently loadsa snow down to Bozel (850m) so Brides-les-Bains (650 ish) will probably be do-able.
Next snowfall forecast has a rain/snow limit of 1500m however, so could easily change things low down.
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Lovely blue sky across all of the 3 valleys, little bit windy in VT this morning, so skied over to Meribel Motteret, and eventually onto Courchevel. Pistes in great shape in both of these valleys, a little bit hard in places (but I am on wide boy skis at the moment). Lots of evidence of small snow slides, and in some places the off piste was very thin, as offpistesking said above, all the obvious areas are well tracked, but there are some untracked areas still out there! Mont Vallon is not yet open so I’m hoping to skin up there at some point before the masses gain access! 
The wind has really picked up in VT now, and in some places you’d think it was snowing, given the amount of snow being picked up by the wind. Let’s hope it calms down before the next influx of snow…
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Just had a report from Boywonder in VT. Extremely windy, blowing an absolute hooly and seriously cold. Loads of snow though.
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was absolute bluebird today in meribel valley no winds and great skiing in mottaret and courch today. the cable car incourch got stuck and we spend aroung 20-30 minutes waiting to get out at the top which was a drag, so i would give it a miss for a while. good grippy snow in les menuires
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Spyderman, skiplan is reporting 50mph winds in VT reosrt, and 75mph winds at 3200m.
Glad I didn't rush out of bed....
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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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courchevel seroiusly windy, very few lifts open, good snow but 130km/h winds at the top. Its warm
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You know it makes sense.
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We're all doomed!!! (until the next snowfall...!). Be interesting to see what this does to the snowpack!!
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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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| offpisteskiing wrote: |
| We're all doomed!!! (until the next snowfall...!). Be interesting to see what this does to the snowpack!! |
Whats left of it! VT looking quite stripped at resort level.... 
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Poster: A snowHead
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In VT, ALL lifts \ tows now closed. Magic carpet well loaded. Still blowing a gale.
Need less wind and more snow please!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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exactly as forecast. What a shame - should be getting better after today though.
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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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Interesting. Is that mainly a problem for off piste? Also, what's it like on the Courchevel side where things are more sheltered?
Edit: Just reealised those images are from the top of Signal about Courchevel. Still be interested to know how badly the skiing is affected though. Once you get off the top there it is quite sheltered.
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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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Mainly a problem for off piste yes. The groomed pistes are better protected against the wind, but snow quality will have decreased (harder) and stones will appear on piste.
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bwg, "Interesting. Is that mainly a problem for off piste? Also, what's it like on the Courchevel side where things are more sheltered?"
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IIRC, the Saluire link paths between Meribel and Courchevel are relatively narrow and would be exposed to the same sort of weather wouldn't they and they certainly didn't have any snowmaking when I was last there 2 seasons ago.
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| Quote: |
IIRC, the Saluire link paths between Meribel and Courchevel are relatively narrow and would be exposed to the same sort of weather wouldn't they and they certainly didn't have any snowmaking when I was last there 2 seasons ago.
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Yes. The snow towards Meribel tends to be much poorer IMO and I don't enjoy skiing in that part of the 3 Valleys anyway.
I'd also be surprised if there's no snow in the 3 Valleys during the next couple of days. The GFS forecasts are going for ~20cm of new snow I think.
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| bart_bdv wrote: |
| Or how in one day the season's start can be ruined. |
Are you in the 3V now, or just speculating on the basis of webcams?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| bart_bdv wrote: |
| Or how in one day the season's start can be ruined. |
Are you in the 3V now, or just speculating on the basis of webcams? |
I'm not in the 3V currently, but it friend of mine is in Les Menuires and he told me it's a real disastre over there.
Here you can find a picture towards La Masse (taken today)
http://www.imagehotel.net/images/kmqayufz8b.jpg
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sun 14-12-08 19:55; edited 2 times in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Let's hope the retour d'est reaches the region... It will certainly reach Val D'isere 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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| bart_bdv wrote: |
| I'm not in the 3V currently, |
You'll forgive me if I wait for some first hand reports before slitting my wrists then.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| bart_bdv wrote: |
| I'm not in the 3V currently, |
You'll forgive me if I wait for some first hand reports before slitting my wrists then. |
These are two. If you want me to translate, just ask (not that I want you to slit your wrists!)
"c'est vraiment l'horreur, il quasiment plus rien sur la masse. Sur le frond de neige des bruyère, de nombreuses plaques de terre apparaissent. Tout à l'heure j'ai réussi a voir l'état au dessus des bruyères, et ien pareil il n'y a quasiment plus rien vers l'intermédiaire de la TC des bruyères. La semaine commence très mal pour moi, heureusementj'ai réussi à me faire rembourser la journée de forfait d'aujourd'hui. "
"La même chose sur Courchevel, toutes les crêtes et sommets pelés jusqu'au terrain, les pistes en forêt ont été préservées bien que jonchées de branches, pommes et mousses de sapin. Du dégât sur plusieurs TKs dont la Loze qui a déraillé : un épicéa est tombé sur la ligne. C'est un peu la désolation, espérons qu'il reneige assez vite pour retrouver des conditions potables. Bon j'ai bien fait d'en profiter un peu avant, car demain y'a école"
But aren't you the guy who post the nice pics of Val D'isere? You can return there instead
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You know it makes sense.
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bart_bdv, so the 3V is devastated but Espace Killy is fine? I find that hard to believe. I think it's best to wait until resort services have re-pisted and people have skied across the entire domain before making such catastrophic judgements.
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
| bart_bdv, so the 3V is devastated but Espace Killy is fine? I find that hard to believe. I think it's best to wait until resort services have re-pisted and people have skied across the entire domain before making such catastrophic judgements. |
Probably quite a lot of wind damage in Espace Killy as well, but thet will get 50-100cm fresh snow overnight, which will help a lot to repair the damage. Are you still in the region? Can you check out?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| bart_bdv wrote: |
| Probably quite a lot of wind damage in Espace Killy as well, but thet will get 50-100cm fresh snow overnight, which will help a lot to repair the damage. Are you still in the region? Can you check out? |
No I'm in London at the moment; will arrive in Les Arcs next weekend for a couple of weeks.
Up to a metre of fresh snow in Espace Killy, but nothing in 3V?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| bart_bdv wrote: |
| Probably quite a lot of wind damage in Espace Killy as well, but thet will get 50-100cm fresh snow overnight, which will help a lot to repair the damage. Are you still in the region? Can you check out? |
No I'm in London at the moment; will arrive in Les Arcs next weekend for a couple of weeks.
Up to a metre of fresh snow in Espace Killy, but nothing in 3V? |
Well a meter of fresh at Iseran and the closer you go to Tignes the less snow will fall (this is typical in such a weather configuration). However, the good news is that the latest weather forecast generalises the snowfall of this night to the whole of the Tarentaise, so keep your fingers 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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| Quote: |
rob@rar wrote:
bart_bdv wrote:
Probably quite a lot of wind damage in Espace Killy as well, but thet will get 50-100cm fresh snow overnight, which will help a lot to repair the damage. Are you still in the region? Can you check out?
No I'm in London at the moment; will arrive in Les Arcs next weekend for a couple of weeks.
Up to a metre of fresh snow in Espace Killy, but nothing in 3V?
Well a meter of fresh at Iseran and the closer you go to Tignes the less snow will fall (this is typical in such a weather configuration). However, the good news is that the latest weather forecast generalises the snowfall of this night to the whole of the Tarentaise, so keep your fingers crossed...
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As I mentioned before, it's snowing in the 3V's as you have this debate. Check out the town centre Meribel web cam. It's not snowing heavily, and there'll not be anything like 100cm of new snow in the next 48 hours, but I'd not be surprised if 20cm of new snow does fall.
Has anyone got a link to discussion Meteo France ski forecasts?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| bart_bdv wrote: |
| Well a meter of fresh at Iseran and the closer you go to Tignes the less snow will fall (this is typical in such a weather configuration). However, the good news is that the latest weather forecast generalises the snowfall of this night to the whole of the Tarentaise, so keep your fingers crossed... |
I don't believe that any of the general meteo models get anywhere near this level of precision or accuracy for mountain weather across the Tarentaise. I think you're reading waaaay too much into these models.
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
| bart_bdv wrote: |
| Well a meter of fresh at Iseran and the closer you go to Tignes the less snow will fall (this is typical in such a weather configuration). However, the good news is that the latest weather forecast generalises the snowfall of this night to the whole of the Tarentaise, so keep your fingers crossed... |
I don't believe that any of the general meteo models get anywhere near this level of precision or accuracy for mountain weather across the Tarentaise. I think you're reading waaaay too much into these models. |
I'm not sure why you are being so cranky , but it is not GFS this forecast is based on (bad on short term on not granular enough), but Arpège which is a much better model for predicting snow in the French alps.
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rob@rar, It is often the case with certain weather patterns ('Retour d'Est' for one) that the frontier chain (ie Val D'Isere) gets dumped on and the further you get from this the less & less it snows. (ie in 3V)
Similar things happen with Cham/Courmayeur, one will get dumped on big style while the other sits with nothing...
Looking at the models at the moment we certainly seem to be in that sort of situation so I have to say I'm not holding much hope of a big dump in the 3 Vs currently...
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| bart_bdv wrote: |
| I'm not sure why you are being so cranky ... |
I don't think I'm being cranky, just taking issue with statements such as "Or how in one day the season's start can be ruined" especially as you are doing this remotely. I think it would be better if you could wait until domains have re-opened after today's storm to discover how much dmage has been done, and indeed whether the start of the season has been ruined.
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| offpisteskiing wrote: |
rob@rar, It is often the case with certain weather patterns ('Retour d'Est' for one) that the frontier chain (ie Val D'Isere) gets dumped on and the further you get from this the less & less it snows. (ie in 3V)
Similar things happen with Cham/Courmayeur, one will get dumped on big style while the other sits with nothing...
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Yes, I understand that, I've seen it a number of times. All I'm questioning is whether any of the meteo models (I wasn't referring just to GFS) can forecast the results of such conditions with the kind of accuracy which has been quoted in the last few posts
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
| bart_bdv wrote: |
| I'm not sure why you are being so cranky ... |
I don't think I'm being cranky, just taking issue with statements such as "Or how in one day the season's start can be ruined" especially as you are doing this remotely. I think it would be better if you could wait until domains have re-opened after today's storm to discover how much dmage has been done, and indeed whether the start of the season has been ruined. |
Oh well no offense taken you know. From what I heard from my friend, it's anyone's reaction in Les Menuires right now...
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bart_bdv, you are Hercule Poirot and I claim my 5€
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