 Poster: A snowHead
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I think we should all come clean.
Half Term is over, and once more we have succeeded.
The Snowheads Gloom-and-Doom Half Term Protection Collective.
All this stuff about terrible traffic. crowded pistes and horrendous queues is of course designed to disuade people.
Works every time.
Hundreds of punters decided not to go skiing this year and head off for Cyprus and Canary Islands instead.
Result was Busy but not Ghastly.
Perfick. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Biggest queue I ever remember was Avoriaz. The 2 lifts that cross over each other. everyone makes a big fuss about ski-in/ski-out being much better than a gondola on to the mountian. Hmmm, not an awful lot of gain if the ski-in/out bit is a green path leading to a 15minute queue. Also the year where the rain washed all the snow away, so everyone had to queue to buy day passes.
Next longest was Sella Ronda. I timed it at 12 minutes from getting of Borest chair on to Sodlisia chair. edit: have concerns over this since at the moment it's a 4man chair leading to a 4 man chair and then to a 6-8 gondola. They plan to change that first chair to be an 8-man gondola (not sure if it replaces both chairs yet). Increases throughput, but means less queue, more skiers on piste.
Penkenbahn in Mayrhofen probably 10mins or so IME. This is the lift with anecdotally the world's longest queues, that will ruin every holiday.
pam w, problem with Sella Ronda this year was that it wasn't sunny, so all dining was indoors. Santa Croce (very popular restaurant) might be a 5min wait while they squeeze you in. Don't think I've ever queued anywhere else ever in Dolomites (or anywhere else tbh). But yes you definitely do see a big difference between a sunny day and a bad weather day in terms of numbers on the piste. Or this year, I think more a case of "just being able to ski". One year we did a Sella Ronda loop in full snowing all day long powder. I think the first person we saw was at lunch. Next day, Sun comes out and it's a traffic jam everywhere.
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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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Mr Pieholeo, shouting LIES could be deemed to be hostile ?
And as the vast majority of more knowledgeable folk (me too) on here acknowledge last week was not busy - it is this week and next week that are the big weeks.
And for sure there will be quiet lifts / pistes but on the whole it is bonkers busy for most, especially those that work in the "industry", thankfully I don't
And this is sounding like Derek and Clive now "What's the biggest queue you've ever had ?" 
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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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Weathercam, it is certainly looking very busy on the Serre Ratier webcam this lunchtime.
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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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Mr Pieholeo, You lived in the Alps for a few years didn't you?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
Increases throughput, but means less queue, more skiers on piste.
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my daughter and partner, both teachers, did half term at Flaine (a few years ago) and said the pistes were horrendous. Lift queues not bad, efficient system, but they were really scared on the pistes, and they are both experienced skiers. Poor snow - thin, hard and slick - lower areas no use at all.
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| Claude B wrote: |
| Mr Pieholeo, You lived in the Alps for a few years didn't you? |
May 2011 until May 2013, yes. The second of those two seasons I was lucky enough to be unemployed but with enough money to be solvent, so we went skiing a great deal.
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| Weathercam wrote: |
| Mr Pieholeo, shouting LIES could be deemed to be hostile ? |
Not aimed at anyone though was it. I was just emphasising my opinion that the half term pudding is somewhat over egged, using a spot of amusing hyperbole. You seem to want to make it personal though. Why?
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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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Half term in Valmorel:
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Hells Bells, that's been photo-shopped to make it look busier than it actually is 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Weathercam, but I've no doubt the traffic will be much reduced by the time I arrive next Saturday 
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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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Hells Bells, don't get carried away, Saturday week, n'est pas?
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Very busy in Veysonnaz this week, lots of Dutch and French. Roll on Saturday.
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You know it makes sense.
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Was just wondering about when do the Italians have their holiday as we have a lot of Italians that visit Serre (as we're so close), 6 out of ten apartments in our building our owned by Italians, and at the weekends both here and Montgenevre at times you could believe that you are in Italy!
The school holiday chart does not have any obvious blocks for holidays but a quick Google and found http://www.schoolholidayseurope.eu/italy.html
And they have 3.03.2014 - 08.03.2014 Aosta valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Campania, Lombardy, Piedmont, Sardinia, South Tyrol, Trentino, Veneto Carnival holiday
And then we have Europe's best drivers coming down as well next week - The Belgians
Late Edit post ski bouchon in the valley now starting beyond the race circuit caused by skiers crossing the road and all the cars stopping, will be like that all the way into Briancon.
Tues Am Edit just had to queue for the feckin bread, queue was tailing out of the shop, everyone taking ages deciding what patisserie they wanted 
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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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In Argentiere last week I had the single best day's skiing of my life. Clear blue skies, sunshine, knee+ deep powder and nobody around. Skied with the SCGB which comprised me, the rep, and 2 very strong skiers, so we achieved around 4000 vertical m of unskied fresh powder by 1130. For those in the know - both sides of lavancher pretty much top to bottom without touching anyone else's tracks, two laps of herse and variante hotel similarly unskied.
I'm definitely returning in half term!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Well be interesting to see reports from people staying this past week, though again here in Serre we scored a couple of great days skiing with some careful planning.
Best day of the week maybe?
For the high season two weeks (last week and this week) they open various lifts up at 08:30 and we were able to make the most of that.
And then yesterday (Sat) being transfer day the place was nigh on empty (if you knew where to go).
"Picture paints a 1,000 words" etc etc 
More pictures and report here
However this coming week think we'll go into "lock down" mode judging by just how many people were arriving yesterday, and how full the various car parking areas were getting.
Below us we have a car parking area for an apartment block and I reckon it's 50% busier than the previous week, 100% busier than the UK half term week 
And where we are and next door 200% busier.
You don't need to be much of an French expert to understand this below....and bouchon is a traffic jam!
Or take this link https://www.google.fr/#q=bouchon+station+ski
De premières difficultés de circulation étaient observées samedi à 09H00 vers les stations de ski alpines, avec près de 80 km de bouchons et de ralentissements cumulés, pour cette journée classée noir en Rhône-Alpes dans le sens des départs.
"Les premiers bouchons se sont formés vers 07H00 et ils ne font que s'intensifier", a déclaré une responsable du Centre régional d'information et de coordination routières (CRICR) Rhône-Alpes et Auvergne, précisant qu'"un pic était attendu vers midi". Dans la région, où les vacanciers des trois zones A,B,C se croisent, les perturbations se concentraient principalement sur l'A43 entre Lyon et Chambéry où le trajet est estimé à 02H15 au lieu de 50 mn.
Le CRICR observait respectivement 13 km de bouchon avant la barrière de péage de Saint-Quentin Fallavier (Isère), 22 km au niveau de la Tour du Pin (Isère), 6 km au tunnel de Dullin (Savoie) et 28 km en direction d'Albertville. Dans l'Ain, Sur l'A40, la circulation était bloquée sur 8 km. Au sud de Grenoble, 10 km de ralentissement étaient notés sur la RN85. Le temps de parcours entre Lyon et Grenoble est de 2H10 au lieu de 50 min. Dans le sens des retours, classé rouge, aucune difficulté particulière n'était notée.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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6 hours yesterday Lyon Airport to Courcevel 1850 .............................. normally 2 1/2 hours!!!!!
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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In France only one Region one out of 3 was on holiday from 15-22 Feb
This past week and the coming week 2 regions are on holiday and from 8th March one region - so the busiest weeks in France this year are from 22Feb to 8 March
In 2015 French holidays move forward a week : starting on Sat 7th Feb t- until Sat 7th march - and two French regions will be on holiday at the same time as UK schools 14-21 Feb - so it will be a lot busier that week in 2015
German, Austrian & Italian holidays for Carnival week in 2015 are also 14-21 Feb 21015
So anyone who thought school holiday week this year was a breeze ...might find things a bit different next year!
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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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We were in les gets from the 15-22nd and it was far better than expected. There were about 15 people on mont cherry on bluebird powder days! No massive lift ques except getting over to avoriaz from morzine which was pretty horrible about 20 mins and also from the bottem of chatel. Will have to find a quieter resort next year if it's meant to be like that- alagna looks lovely! The drive out and back we're very clear except at about midday Saturday in dijon but it faded pretty soon
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
So anyone who thought school holiday week this year was a breeze ...might find things a bit different next year!
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+1. Already warned the kids there will be no skiing at half term next year as we can't afford to cross the pond.
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| JackSkier wrote: |
| We were in les gets from the 15-22nd and it was far better than expected. There were about 15 people on mont cherry on bluebird powder days! No massive lift ques except getting over to avoriaz from morzine which was pretty horrible about 20 mins and also from the bottem of chatel. Will have to find a quieter resort next year if it's meant to be like that- alagna looks lovely! The drive out and back we're very clear except at about midday Saturday in dijon but it faded pretty soon |
Then you used the wrong lift from the bottom of Chatel
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