 Poster: A snowHead
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So much better to finish on a note like this than on a rainy day, or with pistes all bare and brown.
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Too true. We have until Friday - and it looks as though all pistes, even my south facing home run down to 1500m will still have masses of snow when they close.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Been waiting 2 months for some sunny warm skiing - but have to be in uk all this week! Tant pis the powder days were worth it and I might get a day or two next week, if the chickenpox epidemic is over by the time we get back!
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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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Erm, yes.
Go to the bottom of that page you linked, it should have a morzine and avoriaz page separately. If not, go to morznet.com as they have written and video reports in the same format as you posted.
I look every week 
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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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| dennisp wrote: |
Erm, yes.
Go to the bottom of that page you linked, it should have a morzine and avoriaz page separately. If not, go to morznet.com as they have written and video reports in the same format as you posted.
I look every week |
Could not find anything at the bottom of the page.
But I did manage to find the snow report on morznet, how the hell did I miss it last February? And i thought I was internet savvy. Duh.
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So, interesting tit bit on Morznet snow report. Shep, please enlighten us on all these lift change rumours!
Make the most of these last few days; it’s going to be a while until we can ski again, although we should have a lot to look forward to.
The new gondola, taking you up to Avoriaz, will not only be running, but be finished for next winter, and there are new lifts going in all over the place. Morzine is getting a new gondola up to Le Pleney, and some of the chair lifts on the Swiss side are set to be replaced too.
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Cheeky request for anyone who is living in the area. I'm looking for an annual rental in or near Les Gets, minimum two bedrooms, starting around July this year. If you, or anyone you know, know of anything could you PM me?
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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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ok, as the other PDS thread going at the moment seems to be getting more and more pointless, I wanted to bump this for a specific PDS question:
What is the best way to start riding off piste in the PDS (most notably AV/MORZ/LIND). I realise a lesson or a guide is a good start, but hoping for maybe some guidance on areas to check out beyond just cutting the corners on loop backs. I see some of the off piste riding (its certainly not back country) on youtube and I NEED to start doing this. I noticed some 'snowcross' routes on the piste map and was wondering if this is the best place to begin?
Thanks for any help you can provide; I will also be cheeky asking a local SH to take me this winter 
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dennisp, An admirable ambition!  As in any ski area anywhere, there are are two methods 1/ buy someone else's knowledge (fast and easy but expensive), or 2/ Build up your own (slower and requires more effort but cheaper...possibly!). A lot of people mix the two. Pay options (in order of expense) are:-
- Hire a local guide de haute-montagne by the day. A google.fr search for "guide de ski Morzine" throws up a handful.
- Hire a private ski-instructor who knows the off-piste well. ESF have plenty of these, the brit schools a few too. Be very clear you expect to go to places you can't find for yourself.
- See what the various ski-schools are offering for adulte "Classe Competition" group lessons. The highest group often does off-piste (particularly on powder-days), but some weeks will not run or be primarily gate training. As a boarder your choices will be even more restricted.
- Hang around the brit ski-bum bars, ask the barman, ask around the board-park, ask your rep, even ask on Snowheads (but don't expect a public response!) for a good experienced local expat who does guiding for cash. Make sure you are well insured! 
- Join a local ski-club (Thonon has a very active adults section) and get into the randonee group, enter the local amateur rando/orienteering competitions etc.
- Track down the various guides to the local randonnee itineraries which have been published over the years (mainly in french) and study hard!
Free options include:-
- Making the most of those marked itineraries and snowcross routes you've seen on the map (don't go alone).
- Hang around the places mentioned above for a bit longer, buy a few rounds, be good company and eventually you'll get invited along on a "boys' day out". Acquit yourself well ("no mates on a powder-day!") and you're away  .
- Follow other groups or tracks setting off in unusual directions from the top of the lift. This is a high-risk strategy but can work well if you're sensible. Rule 1 take an experienced mate. Rule 2 don't follow anyone with a pack big enough to hold a speed-riding or parapenting rig. Those guys don't need a skiable route down! 
- Get to know your neighbours. Not surprisingly there are a lot of good skiers lurking around here, and some are even friendly!
- Shack up with a local instructor/pisteur/hot-shot. I've only ever known this method to work for girls  . And debatable whether it's truly "free"! 
- Walk and mountain-bike as much as possible over the summer to become familiar with the layout of the mountain.
Equally as important (for all but perhaps the first or second pay options), is to prepare yourself properly. This means physically, having the correct equipment, some kind of avalanche training, and being aware of the snow and weather conditions. No one will want to go off-piste with you if you don't show this respect for the environment and your party.
Good luck, it's a lifetime's work!
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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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any news on new lifts/runs for the winter 13-14 season? I think there has been confirmation of the new chatel link, and obviously the new pleney bubble, but thats all I heard so far.
Pics would be appreciated of progress too! (just fueling my jealousy of W/BC who are getting 2 new lifts this summer that are well underway  )
Thanks
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Am in chatel at the moment. Can't see anything new, but haven't looked that hard.
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You know it makes sense.
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Looked a bit harder, but didn't see any evidence of a new link from Chatel to Linga. I'm back up there on Thursday, so if someone tells me where it's supposed to start from, I'll take a closer look.
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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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thanks for checking snoozeboy, I am going to be there in 3 weeks (WOOT!) so will also check around. Guessing that any piste or routing changes would already be announced, but work wouldnt take place until October? Not experienced in all this so no sure 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Found this:
http://www.lemessager.fr/Actualite/Chablais/2012/08/30/article_deux_remontees_mecaniques_pour_relier_su.shtml
In summary:
- Delivery for 14/15 season, as I understand it
- Work to begin Autumn 13, which seems odd, because most building work starts Spring, not Autumn.
- They're going to try to build a car park somewhere at Vonnes. I can't think where they'd find the space.
In other news, the council is rumoured to be in turmoil over the new Chatel swimming pool, but at least work has started on this and it's expected to be delivered for summer 14.
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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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Dennis, March should be fine. You have a better chance of sunshine and certainly longer daylight hours. Of course the chances of poor snow increase as the season goes on, but you would have to be very unlucky not to get some great ski-ing at that time. Fresh snow in March is not unusual at all and neither is "corn snow" especially later in the month and later in the day.
My preferred method of skiing at that time of year is to be out with the first lift, ski til 2pm, long lunch then a nice gentle run home.
Cheers Tim
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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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Fair enough but I doubt there will be too much of an early rush at that time of year. I like to be out early to get the best of the snow. However if its getting slushy late afternoon, first thing in the morning, after the freeze, can be a bit icy so it can be best to wait til 10ish for it to soften up.
I'm not a mileage freak either although of course the nature of the PdS can make one so!
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I've never had a bad March.
A few years ago when there was the infamous winter of no snow across all the alps, Morzine shut mid-March but that was a freakishly bad season - of course I don't go to morzine so things were and are fine where I spend the season (i'm sure you know where that is buy now)
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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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Insiders, ?? "few years ago when there was the infamous winter of no snow across all the alps, Morzine shut mid-March"
1954?
That was the last time there was (more or less) no snow across all the alps.
Morzine shut?? The whole village? All the bars?
I am confused.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| under a new name wrote: |
Insiders, ?? "few years ago when there was the infamous winter of no snow across all the alps, Morzine shut mid-March"
1954?
That was the last time there was (more or less) no snow across all the alps.
Morzine shut?? The whole village? All the bars?
I am confused. |
The lifts, I didn't think what I said was really that obscure
and i'm talking the 10/11 season, there was hardly any snow across the whole of Europe that season, all the lifts in Pleney and Super morzine closed because all the snow melted... I should know on a long ski day I was heading over in that direction and Avoriaz was RAMMED like I've never seen it, everyone was coming up on the Prodains Car. So I asked someone what was going on, the guy told me Pleney and Supermorzine had closed.
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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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Insiders, so, you couldn't ski to the village.
No. You're wrong. There was somewhat under average snow in some places.
Maybe not the best season ever, maBe far from it, but, "no snow across", etc?
Meh.
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There was somewhat under average snow in some places
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Yes there was, but it was far from a disaster from my point of view. Looking at my visitors book, friends who borrowed our place at christmas reported a horrendous journey from Calais in heavy snow, but turned up to "blue skies, sunshine and fresh powder". We had a few further minor dumps but January became drier and warm - but colder weather from 18th/19th enabled them to blow snow and improve the pistes. Early February was beautiful - fabulous sunshine and pistes still fine. As ever we left for the French school hols. My niece arrived on 19th and reported waking the following morning to fresh snow and a bit more a day or so later. Not big quantities, but refreshed everything nicely (shame their son sustained a spiral fracture of his tibia on the second day...). We returned on 10 March and I noted "snow not great but OK to ski". But the weather was too warm and things were getting slushier and slushier. Les Saisies closed for skiing on 10 April - the first time they had had to close early for many a long year.
I know it's sacrilegious on SHs but actually I rather prefer gorgeous weather and OK snow than metres of the stuff when it's freezing cold, blowing a hoolie and I can't see my skis through the fog.
IIRC reports from Austria suggested conditions over there, whilst not very good, were better than the northern French Alps. I don't remember what the position was in Italy.
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You know it makes sense.
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This has driven us to look back at or blog for winter of 10/11 - purely kept for personal use so that we can do exactly this and see what we were doing on particular dates and what the conditions were like. Last ski on Mt Chery was on the 20th March, we skied Nyon and down to the Creperie by the Atray lift on the 23rd March. All ok it seems at the higher levels.
Looks as if we mostly skied Avoriaz after that and I recall it being fine first lifts, going up from Prodains and then being down and having a drink by about 12.30 and home for lunch. We then returned to the UK on 2 April which was very early for us but we had moved house the previous November and had the builders coming in - also had a daughter's wedding to sort out so plenty to do. Looks as if we flew home just for one day too in order to look at a wedding reception venue. How time flies.
We generally do tend to ski Avoriaz, Chatel etc at the end of the season anyway as if we have friends staying they often just buy the local pass and its then good to use the PDS season pass. Towards the end of March we had had a day over in Les Contamines and also Flaine - in both cases getting there early and knocking off early too. My OH has just remarked that he knew the blog would come in useful one day.
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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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ok mr measurements, how dare i say what i saw... I was there i know what happened...
its well documented that that season was a bit of a pinch on the snow front all over Europe. I remember waiting for the snow the following year too, there was a lot of talk if bad seasons came in twos... And the sigh of relief could be heard in uk when the snow finally did arrive
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Pamski wrote: |
This has driven us to look back at or blog for winter of 10/11 - purely kept for personal use so that we can do exactly this and see what we were doing on particular dates and what the conditions were like. Last ski on Mt Chery was on the 20th March, we skied Nyon and down to the Creperie by the Atray lift on the 23rd March. All ok it seems at the higher levels.
Looks as if we mostly skied Avoriaz after that and I recall it being fine first lifts, going up from Prodains and then being down and having a drink by about 12.30 and home for lunch. We then returned to the UK on 2 April which was very early . |
apart from being about 3 or 4 days earlier in my post, when i said mid march, every one headed to avoriaz from prodains, due to morzines lifts being closed...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not really trying to have an argument with you - merely saying that you had inspired us to have a look at what we were doing at that time. We very rarely take the lifts out of Morzine itself using either Prodains or mostly Ardent. We apparently also had one day when we had gone over to Chatel and found it absolutely rammed and retreated to Grande Terche where it was very quiet, not many people at all and were able to enjoy a few quiet runs.
I think this was also the season that people kept telling us that Mt Chery was closed when we had been very happily skiing it - ok the runs down to the village were closed due to lack of snow there but the rest of it had been fine. And once people hear something it is hard to shift them - 'we have been told its shut' - 'yes, but believe me I was there yesterday' - ..... we are in the incredibly lucky position of now spending most of the winter in the mountains so if we have a few duff days it doesn't bother us that much, just get on with other stuff, but if it is someone's one and only seven days in the whole year and its not good - well then they get pissed off.
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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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Insiders, can't imagine why you were bothered in the least that Morzine was 'shut' anyway. Seeing as you despise it so much.
You are, without a doubt, the worst advert for skiing (and cycling) in Chatel ..... ever.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Ouch!
IBTL!
By the way everyone, Morzine will not be open this year at all, so please abandon it and ski in chatel...please don't even come over to check
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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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Marmotte - Man, you ve got a real temper. You should see the doctor about that.
i said id skied to avoriaz... You should probably learn to accept what other people say and think, otherwise you won't get very far in life
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sat 17-08-13 14:53; edited 1 time in total
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jeebus, I didnt even say I didnt believe you, i had only actually just learnt to board then so wouldnt have a clue about winter snow fall...
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they have certainly cracked on with demolishing, but seem to still be a way away from completion
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I wouldn't worry about that, dennisp. they can build a lift in remarkably short time when necessary, and with the aid of helicopters.
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You should probably learn to accept what other people say and think
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yes, good point. You have heard about what quite a few people who spent many weeks in the alps that winter experienced. Do you not believe us? It was not a great season, and it was poor in the northern French Alps, but to say "there was hardly any snow across the whole of Europe that season" is just daft, and asking for contradiction.
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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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| Insiders wrote: |
Man, you ve got a real temper. You should see the doctor about that.
i said id skied to avoriaz... You should probably learn to accept what other people say and think, otherwise you won't get very far in life |
Man - I happily accept what most snowHeads say and think whether or not I agree. I have got this far in life very nicely thank you mainly by knowing when people are spouting meaningless and utter doo doo.
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Insiders, No.
You said, "infamous winter of no snow across all the alps, Morzine shut mid-March".
As demonstrated by people who were there for significantly longer than you, "no snow across all the alps" is patently untrue (and a pretty stupid thing to say anyway).
"infamous winter" is rubbish as it certainly has no infamy, and judging by my guests it was generally regarded as rather an excellent season, mostly well groomed pistes and lots of sunshine.
"across all the alps" just adds to the nonsense.
Q.E.D.
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