 Poster: A snowHead
|
In Val we started off with sunshine and a tiny bit of mist. However, as said above the clouds rolled in and visibility dropped. I was with Joe of TDC today on a Development Plus clinic so he tried to get us out of the clag. We reached the top of Toviere and broke through the cloud and in to brilliant sunshine. As we dropped in to Val Claret the vis dropped again but as we headed up to Grande Motte the sun shone one more. It was much colderup there today than it had been.
At the end of my lesson I headed back to collect Oscar and the visibility was terrible. Coming off Freuss it was virtually zero vis down to past Follie Douce. Having had a hard session on moguls my legs were a bit sore and my troublesome left knee was really bothering me so it became an easy decision: scarp the afternoon skiing and head to the excellent pool in Val d'isere. Oscar didn't object. 😊😊😊😀
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
....
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
....
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Fantastic afternoon yesterday. There was at least an inch of fresh on the top of Aiguille Perce, and still snowing at 3.30pm. Went down Sache which in retrospect was a waste of fresh snow. So I thought I'd do an inspection of the resort... So straight from Brevieres up to Toviere (no appreciable fresh). Up the last funicular at 4.30. There's an inch or so up there too (sadly the cable car was shut).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@James the Last, there was a problem with the cable car yesterday morning. They were only using 1 car so there was an extended wait. Either the wind shut it completely or they stopped it to sort whatever the issue was.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Another bluebird day, so we had a Gentleman's Off Piste Day. The Fab Four set off for the Cugnai Valley in Val D'Isere. the Face de bellvarde was quite firm this morning, the top of the Solaise was great. Clearly there was not going to be any freshtracks or powder, we were hoping for chalky snow getting softer as the day went on. As we entered Cugnai, the going was good to firm, but the great thing is - no people:
The Fab Four (minus me obviously looking up Col de Four towards the Refuge:
We thought it may soften up so we did another lap, it had but only a little, but by then we had earned lunch at the Restaurant/Refuge just above the deserted village of Le Manchet:
Note to Mrs Tigski - we did share that Savoyard Platter 
Just for our amusement this came past!
Damn good snow tyres! And finally in this one you can see this week's nominees for the Darwin Awards:
Yes they skied left to right across a slope that had half gone!
Following lunch we then did Super L on the way to Grand Vallon where there was some nice chalky snow.
The sky has just become obscured by thin cloud, this will thicken through the night, tomorrow will be grey, the wind will increase in the morning and it will start snowing sometime after lunch - about 5 cm or so at mid altitudes, the snow level will be half way to Bourg. Definitely another layer in the morning. Saturday will be another glorious one, just watch out for the winds in the morning, no problems for the roads though for the 29000 vehicles coming up and the 26000 going down, so expect similar traffic jams to last week at the usual spots. The forecast for Sunday is forming up, it will be cloudy, the winds will pick up through the day (some high lifts will close) and there will be snow showers down to 1900m in the morning, the snow line will drop rapidly to Bourg during the afternoon, its too early to say how much but more than tomorrow, probably.... Tuesday will be dull and quite breezy. Potentially Wednesday might be quite lively with thunderstorms, high winds, snow down to 1600m and perhaps a plague of frogs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The sky was obscured this morning, but there was still enough light to give a shadow, but by the time I had been down the valley shopping the snow had started in Tignes, at about midday. The snow was quite wet and did not settle on the raods and balconies but it will have done on the pistes, especially higher up, so a fresh layer to keep us entertained in the morning. There appeared to be a lot of traffic coming up the hill with holiday weekenders, so it might not be as quiet as usual.
The very light snow will stop this evening just after dark and the skies will progressively clear. But tomorrow will be glorious, after a few clouds on the peaks dissipate we will be left with Katrina and the Waves as we will be "Walking on Sunshine - whoa". The temperatures should easily get into double figures across Tignes-Val D'Isere, there might still be a chilly breeze above about 2800m though. Down on the terraces it may well be time for a bikini or two. However, that all changes on Sunday with a drop in temperature, clouds, strong breezes and light snow showers throughout the day, the snowline will be around Tignes Les Brevieres, so it will be a day of hitting the sweet spot between the damp snow and the winds aloft. Monday will be very similar with snow showers most of the day and wind up high. Tuesday looks like sunny periods and showers, nothing too dramatic. After that the confidence in the forecast is not high, but showery seems like a good bet; the thunderstorms seem to have slipped to Thursday.
For those flying tomorrow, most of the UK will be miserable with high winds and rain or showers. The winds are mainly southerly, most runways in the UK are east-west so there will be crosswinds and some bouncy approaches. Over here it will be calm and tranquil, so you can relax and think about those of us having a ball on the pistes with Katrina ringing in our ears.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Whenever I read this thread, I go immediately to 'late deals' and hover over the 'book now' button....shall we....?? Hmm....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Well that was Spring! Warm temperatures, blue skies, a breeze built up in the afternoon and a lot more people than normal for a Saturday. The Magnificent Seven were planning on the Grande Motte but so was everyone else, the queues were big for a Saturday. Additionally, they can only use one of the 2 cars on the Telepherique at the moment, that queue was a non starter! The new snow up high had been blown and so the tops of the moguls were hard pack, between them dense new snow that acted as a break on the skis, quite odd and quite tricky. However, the snow down Familial into La Daille was much nicer, fresh tracks for al of us even though they were only 4cm deep! After coffee we cruised round Grand Pre and Borsat with some nice pitches off piste when you know where to look. The pistes are much improved over yesterday.
And now for the not such good news for the new arrivals, the weather. The sky will cloud over sometime after midnight and by morning there will be light showers, the snowline will start off at 1800m and slowly move down the valley. The wind will pick up at altitude, so somewhere in between there will be some good skiing, albeit in flat light. It will be and feel much colder. Overall, where it is snow all day we are expecting about 10cm. Monday will be similar, not quite so windy perhaps and light showers on and off all day, the snow line will be around Tignes Les Boisses. Tuesday will be a real mixed bag with sunny spells and light showers, the snowline will be around Les Brevieres, however, it will be very windy. Wednesday will be similar but the snowline will be higher at 2700m in the morning, lowering to 2100m, lets hope the showers are very sparse. Confidence in the forecast drops for Thursday onwards but thunderstorms look to be on the cards......
Flying conditions will be blustery and showery tomorrow. In the UK all of the English Airports are forecasting a chance of a thunderstorm, these will pass through quickly, so only a minor delay. If you can see showers around you expect a bumpy descent and landing. Over here it will also be showery, a thick one could reduce the visibility enough to cause issues at Chambery. Additionally, the weatherman there is forecasting strong gusty winds from random directions early in the morning, if these last into the mid morning they could also cause delays whilst Biggles waits for the showers to pass through, as to whether your flight is affected - that's a bit of a lottery.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| lynnecha wrote: |
| Whenever I read this thread, I go immediately to 'late deals' and hover over the 'book now' button....shall we....?? Hmm.... |
Arrived in La Daille this afternoon having booked just over a week ago, and it's the first week of our kids' Easter break from school. Summer holiday budget spent on a second family ski trip, yay 
Conditions still looked great when we wandered over to the lift pass office around 4pm, and we enjoyed some afternoon sun mindful the coming days may not be so Springlike.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
We awoke to a brooding sky this morning, so having read my own forecast I decided to do a load of travel bookings for the summer and then go and grab some 'freshtracks' in the pool at the Lagon. Imagine my surprise when the sun came out and it was a nice morning for a couple of hours. The front had really slowed up as it hit the mountains; it was chucking it down with rain at the airports early this morning! Anyway, order was restored after lunch with bad light; it is now snowing moderately. Still, a good first morning for the new arrivals.
The snow will stop sometime after dark and you may see the odd star, the cloud will return before breakfast and we will have a mix of sleet and snow in the morning with the odd sunny period in the afternoon, a stiff breeze will build up at altitude, the snowline will hover around Tignes Les Brevieres. The official forecasts are disagreeing about snow amounts, lets say about 5-8cm for today and 5-10 for tomorrow. Tuesday looks like a day of cloud with precipitation on and off through the day, it will be a degree or two warmer so the snow line will be around the level of the village in Val D'Isere, still a cheeky breeze at height. After this its all a bit unpredictable with a number of troughs of low pressure floating about. But Wednesday looks like the best day with sunny periods and much warmer temperatures. Thursday and Friday look like being showery with gusty winds, but the freezing level rises rapidly to the height of the Grande Motte so the less showers we have by day, the better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| chocksaway wrote: |
| Still, a good first morning for the new arrivals. |
Yes it was, thanks, lovely! The bad light later on didn't deter us too much and we finished the day as we began on the tree lined red runs above La Daille, which remained in very good condition.
Only bad point was a woman losing control and crashing into my wife in the morning. Fortunately both unhurt.
Snowfall doesn't look like it's coming to much here, better than nout though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
At breakfast time the weather conditions were not that bad but they deteriorated through the day. Today was a game of two halves for me and the weather. As it's a bit warmer the pistes are a bit softer, but the 5cm or so of new snow gave a nice run down Familial into La Daille, hero's fresh tracks for all at that depth! As the light started to fade we came back in for lunch as I went off for a skin with a mate who is new to the game, it was snow/sleet at 2100m but when you are skinning up there is that much heat about that it was really quite damp and unpleasant.
The weather over the next few days is difficult to nail down exactly as a weak front wanders aimlessly around the middle of France, but it is going to be quite windy at altitude (the Grande Motte Cable Car closed at some stage today because of high winds) and it is going to get progressively warmer. After a quick glimpse of the sun at happy hour this afternoon the sky will then be full of cloud and tomorrow looks like a drab day with light snow showers, the snowline will move up the hill from 1300m to around 1800m, with that wind at height sticking between 2100 and 3000m would be a good plan. Wednesday still looks like the best day with some fluffy clouds in the morning which will dissipate to give a sunny afternoon. It will be warm out of the breeze and a good day fpr abeer on the terrace at 4 o'clock. Currently, Thursday looks drab and cloudy with very strong winds, the freezing level will be at 2700m or so, so expect quite a lot of snow to disappear at lower altitudes and perhaps some late afternoon avalanche control. Friday looks showery with a bit of snow above 2200m or so. After that it looks like April showers (funny that!) and a little bit cooler by mid week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Don't go saying snow will disappear  we are coming out on 10th April and have high hopes for good snow still.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@smagsmith, Happy Birthday, I meant lower altitudes like Les Gets, Meribel etc. Up here we will have enough until I go home (about 3 days after you). In fact I suspect you will be able to ski down Double M until Jun!Trust me I'm a .........
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@chocksaway, 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The forecast suggests it will be challenging conditions for the Children's British Champs today.  They have already had to alter the programme.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Very nice (and quiet) up on Laisse yesterday before the cloud came down and we retreated to the trees above La Daille again. Light snowfall here this morning and I expect we'll explore the tree lined runs above Val and Fornet today while cloud is low.
balernoAli has both piste and all mountain skis this week, the all mountain being a new pair of Nordica Wild Belles I picked up in the Ellis Brigham sale, to the reaction "when am I going to use those?!" They were taken out for a trial yesterday after lunch and worked well in end of day crud, though she did notice less performance on firm piste. Wonder which pair she'll use today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
A mixed bag of almost everything today, snow, drizzle cloud and sun! But we did have 10cm in resort and 15cm at height, this rapidly consolidated as it remained quite mild throughout. So a day of chasing the gaps and avoiding the showers. The temperatures definitely make it feel like spring and the first Marmottes have been reported in Le Fornet at 1850, expect them to wake up higher up over the next 10 days or so.
The weak front continues to meander around Central Europe in a lackadaisical manner for the next day or so. The showers will stop after dark tonight and the skies will clear mostly so tomorrow will be a nice day with a few clouds around the peaks. A brisk south-easterly wind will build up through the day, which may close one or two of the high lifts and make it feel a bit chilly after that long lunch on the terrace. Thursday will be a mixed bag of sunshine and light showers, the snowline will be about 2500m on average. However, the main feature will be a strong gusty wind from the east-south-east which will make the temperatures academic as it will feel cold. Its a bit unsure at the moment but if the wind reaches the speeds currently forecast then a lot of lifts will close. A bit of a change for Friday as it now looks like an area of low pressure with a complex set of fronts is going to form over the Gulf Of Genoa. This is going to give us a strong easterly wind and potentially a reasonable amount of snow down to 2100m, it will be showers in the morning and quite heavy in the afternoon. A couple of the Apps are getting very excitable about the amount of snowfall, others are being a bit more realistic, a developing situation to keep an eye on. The weekend can be summed up as April showers and quite warm. As a consequence of the rise in temperatures and rain at lower altitudes the avalanche risk rises to 3 out of 5 at lunchtime tomorrow. For off piste it is now the season to get up early and finish around lunchtime. Enjoy tomorrow, it will be the best day left this week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We had a fab day, starting with tracking some of that fresh then over to Tignes again, up to Aiguille Percy and down the long run Sache to Brevieres. Quite a remote feel to that one for a marked run, and what a long chair ride back up! Lower runs a bit gluey today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
@balernoStu, we never managed Sache as we ran out of time each day. Have you found the Vallée Perdue? MH took Oscar and me down it on Saturday. Good fun and it makes you realise how awesome a feat Léo Taillefer's GoPro run was. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@Gaza, sugary bumps to end the day on that run, a leg workout. Haven't seen that Gopro run yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
I seem to recall one of the Bell brothers listing the Piste perdue as his favourite run. Part ski run, part caving trip. The other was the 'elbow' run at the top of the Hillend dry slope, long since removed.
Great Vid.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
@Gaza, As long as we don't have too many wanabees copying him, and thinking making strenge noises exempts you from the rule and etiquette of skiing. (Yes, I know most of the that run was set up with willing victims).
What a day with Evo2, an off piste extravaganza starting with Spatule above la Daille where the wnow was good and the trees not too close together. Following that we did the south face of Charvet, which at the top was a untouched pitch of almost spring snow. Lower down towards the stream was different, collante as the French would say - sticky, very sticky (it can also mean ladies tights!!). We then shot down Super L into Laisinant - varied and then up to Grand Vallon where the snow was chalky and fantastic. After a quick lunch in Val, we climbed up to the North Face of the Borsat, great at the top, glue at the bottom, and finished off with Couloir du Lac Du Chardonnet which had just crisped over. Quite tired now!
Tomorrow will be dull, cloudy and windy and some of the top lifts will be closed. It will barely freeze overnight (freezing level at 2900m as we sleep) so the avalanche risk is three as the snow will continue to humidify through the night, so expect more slips of wet snow, we did see evidence of that today. for Friday there is a complex set of fronts over the region but the low pressure has not developed, so not much in the way of precipitation, so the apps are telling a different story to yesterday. Friday will be windy and a bit cooler with a few showers in the morning. Saturday will be a day of fast moving sunny periods, hopefully the wind will drop a little to allow more lifts to open. Sunday looks like a nice day, sunny periods and maybe a light shower in the afternoon. Afterthat it looks like April showers, but a little cooler.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
A day of French bureaucracy! First off this morning was the Annual General Meeting of my apartment block. The procedures are labyrinthine but first off was the discharge of the old managers and then the appointment of another (out of 3 choices). After we had made the choice the original managers walked out (amicably) and by chance the team that were recommended to take over by the owners council walked in, at which point I lost track of the whole thing and my head imploded. Luckily one of the owners council speaks English and has promised me a quick rundown on what happened (and what it may cost me!).
This afternoon, the apartment next door was up for auction so I thought I would pop along. I had an inkling, but didn't realise it was quite that arcane. In general it is little different from a UK property auction, in that you identify yourself, get a paddle and have to have a bankers draft for the initial deposit. But it is known in France as 'vente a la bougie' or sale by candlelight. So after an initial address from the 4 people at the podium a candle was lit by the candle lighter (she appeared to do nothing else) and the auction began, going up by €5k a time, but very slowly and every bid was repeated with paddle number and amount in full. The next bid was then invited (yes in full again). When the bids dried up the candlelighter then lit a wick measured in a brass contraption and when it went out , she lit another and then the final and third one. If there was another bid we went back one or two lights depending on how many bids. All a bit more involved than "going once etc". All this was set against people bidding whilst talking on the phone to whoever was actually bidding. After the third 'fire' went out, a lady announced the sale was legal and everyone applauded. Of course the mayor and half the council had to be there too! All in all it took about 20 minutes for 1 sale.
There was the odd glimpse of the sun today but it was mainly cloudy and we had some drizzle in the village. High winds also closed a number of lifts in both Tignes and Val D'Isere, so at times I expect it was pretty grim out there. I'm afraid I have little solace to offer for tomorrow, it will be grey, windy with drizzly showers all day with a snowline at around 2500m, and it will be a bit cooler than today. Those weks fronts are still ambling around making precise forecasts difficult but it should warm up on Saturday, with mainly sunny periods and the chance of a shower, that pesky wind remains, again the snowline will be well above the villages so little to bother the roads for the 2800 vehicles arriving and the 26000 leaving, of course there will still be traffic jams near the tunnels and through Moutiers. Sunday looks like a replica of Saturday. Monday and Tuesday look similar with light showers but at least the wind will have disappeared (hopefully).
Oh - Beware the fish....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
What was the selling price?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
@chocksaway great to read your numerous reports, hugely helpful! Heading out to Tignes on 9th (first visit to the place), do you reckon there'll still be enough snow about over in Val D'Isere to warrant a full Espace Killy lift pass?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@StudentSnowHead, we still have loads of snow
a full lift pass is recommended.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
@stewart woodward, 489k for a 97m2 apt with good quality neighbours
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
They don't half play with the piste map, do they. Where did Descente (at the top of the GM) come from; what happened to Grizzly; what about Centaure (I think?) - although I can't imagine anybody going up the Grand Huit just to go back down again it did mean you were guaranteed untouched snow!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We are hoping to get out 16th April!!! Short of a huge heatwave the season end is looking good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@James the Last, Descente arrived about 4 years ago to split the full width piste, it was a very steep ice sheet at the start of this season, it has been mellowed by the large snowfalls as the col filled in a bit! Grizzly went as it was deemed a bit steep for a marked piste. Centaure (can't remember if that was the name) lasted a season as no one used it as it was a pole out to the bottom of the Grand Huit, though Tigski could often be observed skinning up it.
@chrisrawles, The outlook is warm but there is enough snowpack to last I think, still no sign of grass on the edge of the snowfront in Le Lac.
When I drew back the curtains this morning I though the weather gods were playing an April Fool (or Poisson D'Avril over here), there were blues skies and a stiff breeze. However, the clouds filled in by 10, but there was still the odd glimpse of the sun. The showers didn't really materialise, given the temperatures that was a good thing but it was snowing and blowing a gale up the Grande Motte at lunchtime, we didn't stay long. The pistes were a mixture of hard pack, soft snow and getting towards slush in La Daille. In addition, the southerly winds brought a covering of sand overnight, another factor to complicate the avalanche risk. Skiing by the side of Double M in flat light and low light gogs was quite 'other worldly' as the gogs really accentuated the colour of the 'sable'. Some parts of the resort have been closing in the afternoon (such as the top of Face de Bellvarde) because of the increasing risk - don't ignore any signs or barriers.
The weak fronts that I have been banging on about continue to dog the forecasters by wandering around like a bunch of French holiday makers in a lift queue, again the actual detail of the forecast over the weekend may change, as any precipitation will be light. Tomorrow should be like this afternoon, cloudy and windy, there may be the odd glimpse of the sun and it will be a couple of degrees warmer. Sunday looks similar but with more of a chance of a light shower with a snow line at 2400m. Monday pretty much the same I'm afraid. Tuesday is forecast to be a day of heavier precipitation and the snowline will be 3000m in the morning, falling through the day hopefully this will fizzle out like it has over recent days. Wednesday and Thursday should be much more spring like with sunny periods.
If you are coming by air tomorrow, there is little to concern you weather wise. There is a chance of a fleeting shower almost anywhere in the UK, they shouldn't last long. Over here, Grenoble may be a bit misty and Lyon has gone for a slim chance of fog early in the morning but that shouldn't affect flying. Bon Vol!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
That's us packed for a 5:30am transfer home. Been a much enjoyed week and Ali said she'd like to come back so Val/Tignes gets the big thumbs up. Still loads of snow for anyone coming out, just a bit heavy the last few afternoons, even so we finished up at 5pm today. Ali skinned up to the top of the gondola on 2 mornings before lifts opened. Not sure the rules on that but the couple of pisteurs who passed her by just said a polite 'bonjour'.
The lift accessible off piste in this area looked as good as the reputation, though with young kids we weren't venturing far from the pistes. After skiing a good amount of the pistes our boys still said the most fun was the 2 public race courses (a small free one at Tignes and the pay per run one above La Daille)!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
