 Poster: A snowHead
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Yes, well... This article just about sums up my perhaps slightly over exaggerated 'no snow' comment... but really by comparison of year on year, it was pretty much no snow. It was made ok by the pisteurs and the job they did shifting snow etc. But even that only takes you so far.
http://welove2ski.com/most-snow-last-winter-2010-11
And the article pretty much refers to all the European alpine resorts
And i'll agree, that it certainly did make for some sunny skiing, which I do enjoy... to a point
So my point still stands, that I've never had a bad march, this freaky season being the only exception...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| dennisp wrote: |
| 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... |
Sorry, Dennisp, my comments were meant neither for you nor Pamski or Pamw. just Underanewname and Marmotte
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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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I think the best source of information on that stage of that season comes from the 10/11 PDS thread here: http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=66981&start=840 including my own modest contribution.
We were out for our regular mid March lad's trip and it was not a classic week. Day off for rain and a bucket under the leaky Velux catching leaks. That said we had an enjoyable time the other days and a great day of fresh in Verbier.
The big issue is that extra 300m from Morzine village height to the bottom of the slopes on Chatel. Whilst conditions were poor it was skiable down to Pre La Joux. Pleney side must have been a bit grim but Super Morzine is a download anyway so I'm surprised that didn't stay open.
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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, For most of that winter it was too warm to run snow cannons at low level. There was one cold week just before the French school holidays that allowed the resorts to blow some more snow, without that it would have been even worse.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
For most of that winter it was too warm to run snow cannons at low level
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that's the point - resorts often boast that because of cannons snow is "guaranteed" but it just ain't so. Until about January 18 no cannons were running here in Les Saisies, where the village base is 1600m. Nonetheless the pistes had decent cover for much of the time through till mid March, with just enough stuff falling out of the sky and some opportunities for the cannons. They scraped through - literally, with some terrific work by pisteurs overnight. And as stated above, there was some glorious warm sunshine to compensate for the less-than-epic snow conditions. Another year (think it was 2007) early February saw huge amounts of brown grass on south facing slopes below about 1800m - a lot less snow at that point than there was in 2011. There's just no telling, with snow, it's the luck of the draw.
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Insiders, oh, I see, your view is stronger based on some very generalised statistics and one weeks skiing than mine is having been here all season?
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ladies and gentlemen... Introducing the only person to have done a season in the pds
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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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Am currently camping in Les Gets. Was pretty cold last night. Where's the nearest place I can buy a(nother) cheap duvet?
Thanks in advance.
SB
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snoozeboy, SuperU in Taninges?
Cluses?
Quechua in Sallanches (Passy)?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Quechua as in decathlon?
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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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snoozeboy, yep
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snoozeboy, Our apartment is empty this week. Special rates for chilly campers!
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You know it makes sense.
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I was in Les Coches, Paradiski in April 2011 and that welove2ski link as it right when it says "savage spring thaw". The pisteurs did a magnificent job but they were the worst conditions I've encountered. What saddens me is seeing their picture of Les Coches on June 1st. I'd rather ski in that than in the sunshine thank you very much 
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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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Carrefour in cluses. The choice of champions. I have to say les gets seems a very nice place in summer.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Shorter trip to carrefour between Morzine and st jean d'Aulps snoozeboy, we bought a couple of duvets there. You can also stay at our chalet instead if you'd prefer 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Certainly
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les gets seems a very nice place in summer.
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we arrived last night and it is glorious today. Agree about the chilly nights - our temp thing said it was 7C when I came downstairs about 7.30 this morning. But as soon as the sun is up it gets very hot. Very noisy round our chalet now as OH is busy with the sander on the beams before we set to with the painting. All the furniture is out on the terrace so if you fancy a sofa or two snoozeboy, they are out there!! Have to find somewhere to sell them/move them on as new stuff coming on Saturday.
We must get over to Morzine and see how the new Pleney lift is getting on.
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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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dennisp, did you not find French bedding, linen, etc. eyewateringly expensive compared to, say, the UK
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Very interested to hear how the Pleney lift is going, especially after how long they took on Prodains. If they don't manage to sort it out before the season and everyone is going up via those two non-detachable chairs it's going to be absolute chaos... 
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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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driz, they wouldn't have taken so long on Prodains if someone hadn't overcooked the dynamite 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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under a new name, not sure that dennisp, was in a position to buy bedding etc in the UK - all had to be sourced locally in quite a rush. Certainly agree that those of us who are able to spend a bit of time looking before buying and then driving out from the UK with things have a better and cheaper selection.
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Pamski, you mean he doesn't have an intrinsic and elemental blokey idea of such things?
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ah, I missed the above comments aimed at me!!! 
Was bringing this to the top for a question anyway, especially as the weather is getting better 
I didnt feel bedding was 'too bad', but then my wife just spent a load of cash here in Dubai on bedding - now THAT is expensive. We were limited somewhat, and had to source most bedding from Ikea, and the rest from Carrefour. Wasnt too bad I dont think, especially the duvets but wondering if we should have gotten extra rugs etc in, although most letters will probably just wack up the heating anyway regardless, so whats the point! Its the same thoughts as the DIY stuff - I didnt find it at all bad but then I only bought tiles etc in small quantities - but everyone had given big scare mongering prior! 
Anyhow, the question:
I need a recommendation on a very pleasant female snowboard instructor working in the Morzine/LG/LGT/Avoriaz sector for March '14. (before you say it, this is actually for lessons for my wife, not me just trying to hook up with a snowboard babe  unless you know a nice one  ) looking to get the wife into 2 or 3 half day sessions to iron out her technique, especially on narrow 'road' runs. I dont need some back country expert as we are only just beyond cruiser status (linked turns no problem, odd red run) and need someone patient and attentive. Even better would be someone out of Ardent/Linderets but not too bothered about that!
If anyone knows someone that fits the bill, please let me know.
Thanks
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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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dennisp, Becs at BASS, if you can be fitted into her schedule is one of the best instructors I know...
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| Quote: |
wondering if we should have gotten extra rugs etc in
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I would be surprised if you need them dennisp, - our place is really warm in the winter once it has been heated up for two or three days, we only put the underfloor on in the living room and not the kitchen and dining room nowadays as it just gets too hot. If we have the place full then it just seems to stay very warm and with lots of windows and all that glorious sunshine that all helps. I have 4.5 and 9 tog duvets for all the beds - have just been making them up for the winter today and putting on the 9 tog ones on all but our own. I keep our very own duvets, pillows and bed linen and put out other ones when we are let. And these 'own' ones are Hungarian goose down and although I have the 4.5 and 9 togs I have never used anything more than 4.5 even in the dead of winter.
Having said that with temperatures that have been down to 2C the last few nights then I have sometimes stuck a rug over my feet in the evening!
Sorry can't help with snowboard instructors.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just in case anyone wants something taken to or brought over from the UK a friend is taking a Luton van with space back next Tues or Wed and returning to the PdS the week after. Going to Birmingham and North Wales at the moment but you can get stuff delivered to Birmingham for small/medium things.
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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 wrote: |
| dennisp, Becs at BASS, if you can be fitted into her schedule is one of the best instructors I know... |
thanks! will give her a shout!
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TTT excited as saw the webcams with snow on last week up Mont Chery (sp?) and Avoriaz...
Any more news on progress of the Pleney lift? Last I saw was a couple of weeks ago and it looked like it was coming along nicely. Lets hope we dont get Prodains style delays, it'll be a nightmare!
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You know it makes sense.
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dennisp, you have a car don't you? Drive to Fys chair, Nyon cable car or up to one of the Les Gets access lifts if Prodains ends up delayed...
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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dennisp, thumbnails, darling, thumbnails...
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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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I like the bit of token wood cladding they have stuck on there to disguise the fact that it is a massive poured-concrete structure.
Why is everything in the mountains made either of concrete or wood? Never blocks or bricks? Are there architectural/geological reasons for it? I am sure there will be someone on here who can tell us
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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sanman, blocks are just concrete. Bricks require a heritage of locally produced clay like stuff. Which is not typical of the Alpine geology. And working with raw stone is so 17th century.
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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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| sanman wrote: |
I like the bit of token wood cladding they have stuck on there to disguise the fact that it is a massive poured-concrete structure.
Why is everything in the mountains made either of concrete or wood? Never blocks or bricks? Are there architectural/geological reasons for it? I am sure there will be someone on here who can tell us |
Sanman, pretty sure thats not cladding, but shuttering for the concrete, could be wrong though.
I think its all concrete as it can be mostly made off site, then brought in and put together quickly like a puzzle. Much quicker, so suits this application much better. I also seem to remember Prodains opening when it was still just a concrete structure on the outside, so there is maybe also a benefit here timewise too.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| dennisp, thumbnails, darling, thumbnails... |
sorry darling, had to go and look how to resize
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I was referring to the wooden bit around the lift mechanism rather than the cladding at ground level.
I was wondering if they tended to use one-piece poured concrete as it is less prone to cracking as the mountains move, as opposed to a wall built of blocks or whatever. Take your point about bricks/clay though.
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I think that's just how they build buildings. Been building 2 new ones here at work, and they're exactly the same (just more regular rectangular sections), and that's at 150m altitude. They do go up pretty quickly. Lots of steel mesh, pour concrete, wait a few days and do the next level.
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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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Pretty sure Sanman was referring to the "Morzine" sign cladding not the bit of dodgy remedial shuttering! Almost no local concrete-work is pre-fabricated off-site, generally only floor beams as they need to be pre-stressed. A fair amount of blockwork is laid locally in low-rise sheltered applications, but it cannot be steel-reinforced and is susceptible to frost damage (being porous) so has limited use. Any large structure, particularly if built on sloping ground hence requiring retaining-walls will be hydrofuge concrete poured in-situ to at least first-floor height and then steel-frame. The extra lateral forces acting on a telecabine station mean it had to be really strong, nothing other than reinforced concrete would do the job.
There is no local vernacular of brick construction, again the freeze-thaw cycles in the alps historically made it non-viable. Typically heavy construction only progressed from stone&timber to concrete, steel&timber through the turn of the last century to WW1, which made the development of ski resorts (apartment blocks, cable-cars) possible by the thirties.
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Thanks shep, I knew someone would have the facts!
Fascinating and of particular interest to me as I am about to build a large garage (not in the Alps though) and we are currently evaluating the pros and cons of all the different possible methods of construction.
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