I'm living in Peisey (below Plan Peisey, part of Les Arcs ski area) for the winter with my wife Emma and plan to do lots of skiing whilst taking plenty of photos. I'll use this thread to post regular updates. I've been a bit busy since arriving so haven't had a chance to post much until now.
Tuesday 3rd December
Started the day by submitting my PhD thesis after more than 4 years slogging away . We then rammed the car full of junk, tied some skis and a bike to the roof (for when the weather warms up), and set off for the Eurotunnel. A mostly uneventful trip, apart from a delayed crossing, perhaps related to all the fireengines we saw at the terminal.
Wednesday 4th December
Drove until about 2am, parked up for a few hours sleep and got going again around 5. Perfect driving conditions - the roads were empty and the weather was good. We arrived in Peisey around 1pm after a slightly sluggish crawl up the hill with our heavy car. We dumped all our junk in the apartment and went food shopping. I tested out my new GoPro by doing a quick timelapse of the winding road down to the valley:
Friday 6th December
It was sunny. I had work to do. Nothing much happened..
Saturday 7th December
We got up early and went to Meribel for their opening day. They were giving out free lift passes to the first 100 people - unfortunately we were about 105th in the queue! At least we got a free breakfast.
The pistes were generally very good. Some were a little hard but mostly very grippy. Only the odd rock sticking through. There was even some half decent powder in the shaded aspects.
We stopped off in Landry on the way home and took a couple more pictures:
Tuesday 10th December
Once again it was sunny. We went to Bourg to buy a network cable, collect our season passes and buy a christmas tree. We only managed the latter..
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
ArseCaptain, Fantastic photos We'll be there on Fri week (well, Plan Peisey)
After all it is free
After all it is free
Fabulous photos. What are you shooting with?
A little bit different from the Beacons huh?
Will be returning with interest
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.
bertie bassett,
Quote:
reminds me of the good times from 5 years ago now
How time flies!
ArseCaptain, Excellent work keep it up, I particularly liked December 6th
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Good stuff - also takes me back - spent quite few weeks in a mates chalet in Peisey in about 1999
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
bertie bassett wrote:
you can claim your seasonaires wings when you've overtaken a frenchy both up and down the hill
I over took an old french banger whilst driving up to Meribel, does that count?
Quote:
Fabulous photos. What are you shooting with?
I have a canon 5D3, most of those pictures were taken with the canon 70-200 F4L, but you can see the lens data by opening the image on flickr.
Quote:
A little bit different from the Beacons huh?
Yes, and hopefully a bit more snow sure!
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.
Cool. Thanks for the info.
Yeah hope you get more snow than the Beacons.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
ArseCaptain,
You could add Les Arcs or Paradiski to your thread title. It will probably get even more views.
On the other note, if you don't mind me asking, how easy / costly is to rent the apartment there for a season? Did you look online?
(unless of course you owe one )
I look forward to more photos.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Our apartment was 6000 euros for the winter including bills, which was less than many of the cramped ski apartments we found in the bigger ski resorts, ours is a decent size (45sqm I think). I found it on the chaletsdirect forum. We sorted out the let privately which probably saved some money as well.
On to today's report
Wednesday 11th December
Sunny. Chopped some fire wood. 3 Days until lifts open!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
ArseCaptain, nice photos and report - will be out on 21st for week! Somewhat envious of a season
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
ArseCaptain, Many thanks.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Great post and updates, ArseCaptain, will be sending a link to sis to get her in the mood for a short visit with her son. And will look out for you both on my daily shelp up to the lobster pots. I also owe you a PM ref Fishmongatti and guiding (will follow up shortly).
Quote:
you can claim your seasonaires wings when you've overtaken a frenchy both up and down the hill
Only counts if they have 73 plates...
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?
Thursday 12th December
We went to Fontaine, which is a small settlement between Moutiers and Albertville. I'd decided to upgrade Emma's cooking skills and got her a half day lesson from Chalet Savoie Faire. Fontaine is pretty remote, and is at the top of a very long windy, often single track road. I wouldn't like to drive up there in heavy snow!
But we made it and were treated to some nice views:
In the evening we went into Bourg. I bought some new ski boots from intersport and we had a look around the christmas market. It did not seem very busy at all!
Saturday 14th December - Les Arcs Opening Day!
Finally, the lifts have started moving. We collected our passes from the nirvanalps office in Plan-Peisey and waited for the lift to open:
Did a quick lap of the area. Snow was generally OK on piste, and surprisingly soft off piste in places. Poor visibility at the top of Aguille Rouge. It started to clear up around 11am:
I didn't take many pictures because my new boots were hurting me, the liners are slightly tight at the moment. Hopefully they'll get broken in after a few days! The clouds went away by the afternoon and we were back to the usual weather: sunshine.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Great shots.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Loving your posts, we will be out in our apartment Landry on Friday (we are right next to the church) - great photographs. What was your PhD Thesis, and how long until your viva?
Very excited to be counting down the days until I click into the skis again
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.
Quote:
What was your PhD Thesis, and how long until your viva?
It was on computer vision / machine learning. I'm hoping the viva wont be until after the ski season!
Sunday 15th December.
A lazy day:
didn't bring my camera with me. Did a few runs in the morning, glad to see the sun was back. Had to queue briefly for the arcabulle . Had some work to do and was hungry to came home around 1 ish, and found the motherboard on my PC had died. Great!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I've been busy working this week, trying to get it out the way before better snow conditions arrive. Here's a big update..
Monday 16th December
Sunny! stayed home and worked today. Took a break to watch paradiski gravity:
Tuesday 17th December
Stayed in waiting for UPS to deliver my replacement motherboard, which finally arrived after an interesting phonecall - just about managed to explain that I would meet the driver at the post office in cobbled together French. We went out for a quick ski at about 3pm. It was a nice afternoon (sunny!).
The snow is getting quite tiring to ski in places, where it is hard you get up to speed very quickly and it takes a bit of effort to stop again.
Wednesday 18th December
No skiing for me. Worked in the morning, went into Bourg, bought lots of cheese, a leg of ham and some snow chains. Oh, and it was sunny.
Thursday 19th December
The weather has changed! woke up to cloudy skies. Started snowing around midday, but the freezing line is quite a bit higher from Peisey and it mostly melted down here. Popped out for a few hours towards the end of the afternoon. There was around 5cm of snow in the Peisey/Villandry area, and limited visibility. It has helped a little, but the rock solid snow towards the village was still coming through.
Its been snowing steadily in Arc 2000 for much of the day. We had great fun on he slopes today, but visibility was not great!
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.
Friday 20th December
A dull day. Started snowing around mid day and continued with very wet snow that was melting once it hit the ground in Peisey. Just went outside and the sky has cleared and the stars are out. Will head out early tomorrow morning to see what difference has been made. Might even head across to La Plagne as I think the Vanoise express opens tomorrow.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Looks like Ive got a bit behind with my photos
Saturday 21st December
Some really nice snow about, especially higher up. The pistes were very grippy and the weather was great.
Monday 23rd December
Christmas week is in full swing and the ski area is suddenly much busier, which is to the detriment of many busy areas where the snow is scraped away. On the plus side the snow park is now open, complete with lots of people standing around above the jumps getting in the way.
Thursday 26th December
At long last, we had snow all the way down to Peisey! It started at some point during the night, and continued throughout the day. There was around 7cm in Peisey by the afternoon. We started the day by catching the Peisey chair and quickly headed across to Derby where we managed to catch the first chair of the day, and consequently got fresh tracks all the way back to the lift. The snow was fun if a little heavy in places. We spent most of the morning in the trees before heading across to Arcs 1800. I even had cold hands for the first time this winter, which is a welcome change.
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?
Excellent pics, we are driving out tomorrow, ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge, then the usual drive via Lyon airport to Chambery.
Your recent photos have whetted my appetite.
We live high up near la Vache and La Ferme restaurants. (Old Peisey)
Hopefully out till mid March.
If you are living in Peisey, try Madame Poccard's cheese shop, near the butcher's, the best Beaufort and Tomme in the valley!
fj, we went to la vache a couple of weeks ago when they were doing a Malaysian themed night, had a very enjoyable meal. I've inspected the cheese shop through the window but am yet to venture inside; it's on my todo list!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
28th December
Signs of a change back to snowy weather were apparent as the sun rose this morning.
I didn't get out today so no comment on the snow. It stayed dry for most of the day, but got progressively cloudier. It started raining a few hours ago and quickly turned to snow, which is currently falling in heavy wet flakes, but not melting straight away. Made carrying 4 pizzas down the steep windy passageways back to our apartment interesting
Sunday 29th December
An excellent day on the slopes. We only had about 5cm of snow in Peisey, but higher up there was probably 10-15cm which freshened up the pistes and made for an entertaining morning. Unfortunately the masses of people around meant it got tracked out quite quickly.
Around midday it looked like the top station of the Villards lift was on fire. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get a photo of that..
The pistes were quite bumpy in places, which whilst good fun, made for a tiring day. Especially when I dropped my helmet at the bottom of the Mont Blanc lift and had to do a couple of laps to get it back - the runs down to 1600 were quite hard work by the end of the day.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
ArseCaptain, coming out to Plan Peisey so watching your thread with great interest, looks a lot better than a week or so ago
After all it is free
After all it is free
It's snowing quite heavily at the moment, hopefully this will keep going for a while. Its not even melting straight away so should be good higher up.
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.
No updates for the last few days. Been busy / not skiing due to queues / hungover so no photos.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
. We then rammed the car full of junk, tied some skis and a bike to the roof (for when the weather warms up), and set off for the Eurotunnel. A mostly uneventful trip, apart from a delayed crossing, perhaps related to all the fireengines we saw at the terminal.
How time flies!
)
A few more days and I'll be there.
