 Poster: A snowHead
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Peter Hardy sums up current snow conditions as "some of the best in a decade" in his ski column for the Daily Telegraph today. He sums up the scene across the Alps, Scandinavia and North America.
As he suggests, this relatively snowy early winter may be bucking a long-term trend that could shrink the ski season, so it's something to celebrate!
Here's the article.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Apart from Colorado's amazing luck, I'd say it's a fairly normal start, certainly not "some of the best in a decade".
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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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| JohnHill wrote: |
| Apart from Colorado's amazing luck, I'd say it's a fairly normal start, certainly not "some of the best in a decade". |
I find that extraordinary, it's been grass on many slopes the last few years, current conditions are excellent. The best round here for 10 or 20 years accoriding to local comment. Where are you skiing?
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Certainly far better already than the past 4 yrs where I have 1st week in January. More is forcast towards the end of next week.
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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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| Quote: |
I find that extraordinary
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Not that extraordinary if you are in Val D'Isere, with only 39 cms at the TOP and a minority of pistes open, or the 3 Valleys - 35 at the top, few pistes open, NO blacks in Courchevel, liaison 3 Valleys closed. It's very patchy, as is so often the case.
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pam w, exactly, thanks Pam.
ise, I accept it is a goodish start but it is localised. You can normally bank on the Arlberg having much better cover than it does now for example.
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Val D'Isere and Tignes seem to be the exception. Nearly everywhere in the Alps has great snow for 10th December, and as far as I can see the 3 valleys is skiable from Val Thorens - Les Menuires - Meribel - Courchevel and vice versa.
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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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| JohnHill wrote: |
pam w, exactly, thanks Pam.
ise, I accept it is a goodish start but it is localised. You can normally bank on the Arlberg having much better cover than it does now for example. |
It's not localised at all, it's all the across the Alpes. You're just falling into the usual trap of thinking high altitude gives the best skiing early season. It's simply not true, the high stations need a lot of snow for runs to be skiable, at altitude that snow needs to start in October/November and it didn't. Round here the Jura and pre-alpes stations have excellent conditions, the best for a decade easily. It's just the same Austria accoriding to the people i speak to.
That the Telegraph's comment was pointless as it doesn't refer to the half a dozen ski stations the British public actually go to might be true but their observation was perfectly correct.
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Seems to be plenty of snow here in Les Arcs. Can't tell for certain how the skiing is as the lifts haven't opened yet, but there is more snow at resort level than there was in the previous couple of years.
Although Val and Tignes don't have perfect conditions at the moment, it's not that bad either on piste or off. I'm sure having a great time!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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easiski, am I a Lemming?
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rob@rar.org.uk,
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easiski, am I a Lemming?
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Only if you really want to be 
The focus for the UK ski market seems to be on Val d'Isere/Tignes. No where else seems to register on the radar, which could be good news for those seeking out quieter venues.
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm off to Val at the start of Jan for my 3rd trip ever, never having been there before, but I'm starting to get a "Marmite" taste from other  . Either love it or hate??
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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 wrote: |
| Quote: |
I find that extraordinary
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Not that extraordinary if you are in Val D'Isere, with only 39 cms at the TOP and a minority of pistes open, or the 3 Valleys - 35 at the top, few pistes open, NO blacks in Courchevel, liaison 3 Valleys closed. It's very patchy, as is so often the case. |
Sorry to disagree, but VT is quoting 80cm at the top and I have just skied VT-Courchevel with a surprising amount open and conditions very pleasant. Some of my pictures are here.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Chizz5056,
We're off to Val for the Christmas week. maybe my 10th trip but like you, first time in Val D. I'd also appreciate other skiers comments on what's good and bad aout the place.
BTW according to snow-forecast.com more snow should be on the way at the end of next week., but if most of the runs are still closed where else would be a good bet round there? (we are driving so could visit other resorts).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Alastair, Once again many thanks for terrific pics and for the effort taken to up;oad in the early hours. Its great to see such lovely conditions of where Family FTS will be going in 4 weeks. This weeks challenge is to take a photo of The Silver Ski Chalets at the edge of the Boyes piste in Reberty 2000. It would be helpful if you can blag your way into chalet Romeo and take some pics of the bedrooms so that I know the one to ask for
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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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| Chizz5056 wrote: |
| I'm off to Val at the start of Jan for my 3rd trip ever, never having been there before, but I'm starting to get a "Marmite" taste from other . Either love it or hate?? |
It's remains one of the best ski stations in the world, the only problem is at peak times it's stuffed full of Brit' punters and gets nauseous. Start and end of the season are great and early Jan' should be OK as well.
Some of the accomodation leaves something to be desired as well in my experience.
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Avoriaz is reporting 130cm top and bottom, which if true is a very nice base in early December 
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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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I am interested inVal D'Isere principally because my son is working there for the season. I have only ever skied there for half a day, from Tignes (mid-December, far better snow than now, though the lowest slopes were patchy). It is not my kind of place - I prefer little resorts without too many Brits. I just hope  that the guests he looks after in his first week (next week) are not so cross about the poor snow conditions that they take it out on the chalet staff! There's very little fresh snow forecast between now and the end of the week. My own resort however (Les Saisies, in the Espace Diamant) looks fantastic, with over a metre at resort level.
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The Tignes ValT thing and the Brits is simply who is daft enough to pay the brochure prices, food prices and drink prices - that will be the Brits so we are the target market!
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I can't really see how Val D missed out on the snow, Flaine has 95cm at the top and 60cm in the resort and the surrounding resorts have 30cm at 1100m. The fact that not much is open will be due to lift compaies knowing how many people are around and how much it will cost to run a decent service (lifts and electricity).
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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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Alastair, great pic, couldn't work out why the pic of the inside of the gondola then realised that it's the new one (congratulations for one of the first rides!). Frosty the Snowman, I stopped at one of the Ski Olympic chalets at Reberty 2000 last March. All the chalets their are very similar, make sure you get a decent sized room as some a v.v.small! However the overall quality of the chalet we were in was excellent.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| easiski wrote: |
Tignes
No atmosphere
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Come come, it's only 3400 meters at the top of the Grande Motte, no atmosphere is a bit overstated.
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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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Not so bad up at Val d'Isère today with rob@rar and hannou, gusting wind scraping off snow from exposed slopes but good conditions in the main on open slopes, really 'comfortable' skiing for early December in temperatures well below zero, really grippy snow. Great fun, very few queues as yet, the only one we came across we were with an ESF instructor so nipped through quickly. Excellent riding the eggs above the Criterium combined downhill today, a bird's eye view of most of the course. Fantastic day, great skiing, though it's a little galling to be following a 7 and 9 year old whipping through the trees and seeking out the jumps, whilst realising I can no longer quite aspire to that level 
In passing, a plug. The ESF regularly get slated, but for people with some French, if ever you end up in the southern French Alps in the resort of Les Orres, ask for 'Stéphane GIBERT'. Great skier, real enthusiasm in his teaching, a good technician and fun. The sort of instructor that makes a lesson really enjoyable, while getting at the root of any problems you may have without overcomplications...
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| NorthWestFace wrote: |
| I can't really see how Val D missed out on the snow, Flaine has 95cm at the top and 60cm in the resort and the surrounding resorts have 30cm at 1100m. The fact that not much is open will be due to lift compaies knowing how many people are around and how much it will cost to run a decent service (lifts and electricity). |
Well it did miss out, to an extent. Flaine isn't exactly next door. My skis are testament to this, having encountered not a few rocks on some of the open slopes today. The lower resorts are better off at the moment, and the middle of the Tarentaise Valley seems to have seen the better snow, so far, Les Arcs for example. Which, stupidly, isn't open, imo because of lift company 'economic priorities'.
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You know it makes sense.
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Don't forget Austria. Admittedly it's our first season, but even the locals say we've got excellent early snowfall. 70 cms in the village and 150 at the top of the cable car.
Deb (currently enjoying the high pressure to get jobs done without huge dumps 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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Poster: A snowHead
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Red Leon, Nick Fellows. BASI Trainer and ex British Slalom champion and Team member.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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''Snow-wise this is the best start for the season for years. Not only has the temperature been low for the last month, allowing the snow canons to produce vast piles of cultured snow, but the past couple of weeks have been exceptionally snowy. The resort is totally snow-covered and the pistes are in fantastic condition.Skiing the Courchevel bowl this weekend I found the best snow I’ve ever skied there'' for merinet.com.First hand experience tells us here that the early conditions in the 3valleys are the best for years, a vast improvement on last year. The base is now there another good few dumps will soon cover up the stones and rocks. very encouraging signs definately something we shouldn't be moaning about.Fingers crossed for the snow to reach down to france in the next week.
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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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