Poster: A snowHead
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I can't say I'd be terribly excited by the Saas Fee glacier.... And the village is not that special IMO...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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nozawaonsen wrote: |
Though today's conditions are not an especially good predictor of Octobers. |
absolutely, my earlier post states that it deteriorates throughout the summer!
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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: |
my earlier post states that it deteriorates throughout the summer!
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There are sometimes quite big dumps of snow in October (I've been caught out a few times, at 1500m, having to use chains because of not having winter tyres on). It doesn't last long though, not even at high altitude sometimes. I've also been baking hot walking in shorts and T shirt in October.
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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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pam w, That's exactly what happened when I went in 2010. The minibus from Geneva to Tignes Les Boisses struggled on the last few miles as they hadn't changed their tyres and the chains weren't in the boot. This was the view the next morning (at Les Boisses, around 1800m?), all gone a couple of days later.
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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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OK so my next question would be, does anyone know of any ski holiday companies that do October skiing holidays? A couple of people have mentioned Mountainsun, but it would be good to compare prices. So have any of you glacier skiing peeps used a company to book your holiday with out of season, and if so who would you recommend?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Difficult to beat Mountain Sun on price if you factor in the transfer from GVA.
If you are restricted to half term make sure you pack your patience. The glacier will be busy.
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under a new name wrote: |
Samerberg Sue wrote: |
under a new name, Bigger areas maybe? Plus better Après. If you have not tried it perhaps it is time to take a look and broaden your horizons |
Broaden my horizons? You mean there is skiing worth doing somewhere other than Chamonix? |
of course. Haven't you heard of Chatel...?
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Another vote for Mountainsun - very hard to beat for price and convenience. Very good value.
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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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Where is the nearest glacier skiing to Morzine? Seeing those great pics on pg1 makes me think of some early season adventures!!
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dennisp wrote: |
Where is the nearest glacier skiing to Morzine? Seeing those great pics on pg1 makes me think of some early season adventures!! |
Verbier or les Diablerets.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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dennisp, I wasn't aware that Verbier opened for "Summer" skiing. Cervinia may be, or Tignes.
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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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dennisp, Why not go skiing in Avoriaz.
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dennisp, the sensible answer is probably Tignes.
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You know it makes sense.
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Morzine to Les Diablerets 1hr 35m
Morzine to Tignes 2hr 40m
pretty sure that Les Diablerets offers summer skiing.
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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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Ricklovesthepowder, Les Diablerets is pretty, but rather flat.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Les Diablerets offers autumn skiing by the look of the website - but it certainly looks flat in this picture.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, i think most if not all european glacier skiing is pretty flat?
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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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under a new name, not that flat! There is plenty of gradient adequate for top class racers - when we were in Tignes with Inside Out in October the French men's team was there. I went up a T bar with one of the coaches - I felt I should be skiing better afterwards by some kind of osmosis.
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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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under a new name wrote: |
pam w, i think most if not all european glacier skiing is pretty flat? |
World of difference between Les Diablarets and Stubai and Hintertux in my experience. Have you been to any of them outside of winter (not meant to be rude just curious!)
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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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pam w, nozawaonsen, i've only skied Tignes in and out of winter. It's pretty flat, I would say! At least if you are restricted to the glaciated slopes. But enough gradient for good gates and bumps training, clearly.
Oddly, given that I ski reasonably frequently and have skied reasonably a few places, I have never skied in Austria. Something I really should remedy.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Willing to bet Les Diablarets would strike you as flat. It's scenic, but flat.
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As glaciers go, Tignes isn't all that flat. The lower runs (served by the two draglifts) are fairly gentle but other than that, there are some very decent pitches, including a couple of runs graded as black - probably should be red but each with a steeper section. Good fun.
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IIRC there are some pretty steep pitches up the top in La Plagne - not always open even in winter, and not open in summer/autumn though. It was a very long time ago I was there - the memory is very hazy.
I found the slopes at Tignes - and Les Deux Alpes - absolutely fine for lessons, when you don't (not at my sort of level, anyway) need anything very steep. For working on the basics blue/red is perfect.
But yes, anyone seeking the kind of range of skiing available even in small resorts in winter is likely to be disappointed, even if conditions are pretty good. It's not that it's not worth doing (I have profited a good deal from my glacier trips), it's just that there are so many other things to do in the Alps, especially in summer.
And the racers are a pain. There have always been lots when I've done glacier skiing, which means the terrain left for the mere mortals is very restricted indeed. But that doesn't matter one jot when you are having lessons - in Tignes we spent three mornings with Evolution II on the same blue run.
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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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under a new name wrote: |
pam w, i think most if not all european glacier skiing is pretty flat? |
I can only speak for Stubai, which does have some reasonable onpiste pitches (nothing that steep though). Some serious offpiste steeps.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Mr Health and Safety says "Careful off piste in the summer - some nasty drops and gaps in the snow which won't be there in the winter". End of public information spiel.
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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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dobby, indeed, but we're talking about October (admittedly the holes are often still there, as in my pictures earlier).
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You know it makes sense.
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Quote: |
we're talking about October
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when the holes will be covered in a thin new layer of snow.
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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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pam w, well, yeah:
Quote: |
we're talking about October (admittedly the holes are often still there, as in my pictures earlier).
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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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mountainaddict wrote: |
But then again I'm excited by any skiing....on any snow.....at any time...and anywhere . My acid test, from when I learned to ski, is to ask myself the following question: Is it better than the 90m plastic slope at Spectrum Ski Slope, County Durham? |
This is exactly how I feel. I don't care about the nightlife, I don't care how pretty the villages are etc. etc. all I care about is whether or not there is a snowy slope to be skied upon, somewhere warm and dry to sleep, and somewhere that serves food and wine of some description. Oh, and if the kids are with us, a great crèche for little'un, and a good ski school for the not so little'un.
If those boxes are ticked, I am one happy little (snow)bunny!
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