 Poster: A snowHead
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Plaque de fond. Happens spontaneously, no skier needed. Take it easy. The off is stiff but skiable. Pistes soft and nice. Sun shining.  Still a bit still closed plus it was v f windy at Le Tour. Some of the SW slopes had been stripped of snow by the wind, plus some small slab avalanches on NE slopes.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 31-03-15 15:28; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We went ahead and booked Chamonix. Looks like there's been decent snowfall but hope the winds drop for the weekend.
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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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We are turning up on the 6th supposedly for four days of instruction on glacier travel and another few days of putting it into practice for ourselves. I hope the weather behaves enough for us to actually get near a glacier!
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Flying out tomorrow, looks good for the next week, was thinking of hiring skinny slalom skis but maybe conditions will be good for my Preachers after all! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Bit of info for anyone else heading out this Easter: the big Intermarché at Domancy is only open in the mornings on Easter Sunday and Monday:
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Dimanche 5 Avril 2015 (Pâques) de 8h30 à 12h30
Lundi 6 Avril 2015 (Lundi de Pâques) de 8h30 à 12h30 |
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useful, thanks for that!
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Just back from a few days at Chamonix - sorry wasn't able to get in touch with anyone. But I was really disappointed - not having been there for around 4 years. Obviously, variable snow conditions (boilerplate quickly turning to heavy slush at Brevent, GM - Flegere pretty much unskiable - except higher up for the a few hundred meters; I didn't bother going to Le Tour for those reasons. It is late season so can't complain.
BUT What pissed me off the most was the high number of (95% British) drunken 20-40 something 'lads' out on the wee wee, in the bars, in the restaurants, on the lifts, &*^ing everywhere - loud, abusive, obnoxious.
I had some great memories of Cham - but it seems to have been completely ruined. Found myself happy to leave Monday as I could see it getting even worse with the Easter w/e coming up.
Sorry for the rant - feel better now! But genuinely shocked !
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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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Skied le tour today - had an amazing morning before the snow transitioned to cement around midday. Got early tracks down the face above charamillon restaurant which had fabulous snow, but returned 20 mins later to discover it was already porridge!
Gm tomorrow assuming it's open.
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GM much better than expected today. Good vis and some sunshine. Only the 3 lower chairs open from mid station but enough to keep us busy. Closed early shortly after 3 due to wind picking up. If temps drop as expected it should be good the next few days.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@CharlieL, we don't notice them any worse than 4 years ago, although we tend to frequent more French places and generally avoid those owned by Brits or Scampis. And Cham Sud.
Many of the other nationalities have given up on the season by now, whereas the English just are the gift that keep on giving.
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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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under a new name, Scampis?
CharlieL, you're definitely going to the wrong bars and restaurants. I haven't seen what you're describing, unless you were only here for the past three or four days when I've been sick in bed? That said, Cham does turn into Little Britain over easter 
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| CharlieL wrote: |
BUT What pissed me off the most was the high number of (95% British) drunken 20-40 something 'lads' out on the wee wee, in the bars, in the restaurants, on the lifts, &*^ing everywhere - loud, abusive, obnoxious. ! |
O tempora o mores!
To be fair Chamonix has been full of load, drunken and obnoxious Brits since Windham and Pocock first discovered the place dressed as Ottomans and firing blunderbusses at any locals who dared come near them.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Zero_G, funnier than Scandis I thought 
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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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@Zero_G, -- Yes, was there over the w/e just gone. Pretty grim really in Chavonix I thought - though maybe just me. Nigel Farage needs to sort them out -- the problem isn't the people coming into the UK, its the one's who we let out. Maybe they should close down every English speaking bar for one thing (just sayin') - 
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Poster: A snowHead
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@CharlieL, i don't think it's changed though. We had friends running our place for 5 years and thy le 3years without having learned any French at all... 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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GM very heavy offpiste.
Perfect ACL-rupture snow!
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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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@Jonathan Bell, were you hanging around there in the hope of picking up some new clients? 
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Jonathan Bell, we ski together on occasion so can whip up a meet-up quite easily... and under a new name may even join us
I'll revive the Cham meet up thread so that everyone can state preferences for date/time/place.
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I'm just trying to understand the Cham RapidCard. It seems you have to book online. But it's a bit late to get it delivered here. Can you collect the pass from an office?
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@altis, have never heard of the rapid card but all other passes that have been ordered online can be collected from the Montenvers office.
GM was interesting today. Top bin was closed until around lunchtime time. Top bits off Bochard and top 400m or so of Lavancher had lovely, soft snow. Below that, it was frozen solid and quite unpleasant. Pretty poor vis almost the entire time. The bits of piste I skied to get to the lifts were a tad scratchy. Home run was scratchy for the first few hundred metres and then quickly turned to lovely slush.
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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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| Zero_G wrote: |
@altis, have never heard of the rapid card but all other passes that have been ordered online can be collected from the Montenvers office.
GM was interesting today. Top bin was closed until around lunchtime time. Top bits off Bochard and top 400m or so of Lavancher had lovely, soft snow. Below that, it was frozen solid and quite unpleasant. Pretty poor vis almost the entire time. The bits of piste I skied to get to the lifts were a tad scratchy. Home run was scratchy for the first few hundred metres and then quickly turned to lovely slush. |
I agree i didn't think it was that bad considering the recent weather but got a right ear bashing from OH because the snow was variable and too steep for the reduced viz. There's no pleasing some.
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@Jonathan Bell, well, I can't say I enjoyed the solidly refrozen crud – made my skis and teeth chatter horribly and I had to mince my way over it very carefully. The whiteout conditions at the top also gave me motion sickness.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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A relatively pleasant warm up day up the road at Le Tour, pistes all in good condition, spring like lower down, tried the OP a few places but corrugated iron with only the odd soft patch - the recent snow has all been blown away. Able to find good vis by moving around, but definitely a day for cruising rather than pushing it. Very few people
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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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Sat in the car 3 miles from Cham, have moved 200m in the last half hour.
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You know it makes sense.
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Pleasant morning up le Tour but cloud swiftly moving in and zero vis by 14h30...
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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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Nice snow in Brev, not very busy.
Some periods of zero vis
Mainly on a very chopped up red, wasn't pisted overnight.
Would have been nice first thing
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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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Great, great day at GM yesterday. Freshies off Bochard while waiting for the 9.55 bin, beautiful snow on the Rognons Glacier. Tried for the Col Du Passon.
Got to the bootpack at the col and witnessed a group of 6 in front of us wipe themselves off the face. Person at the top slipped and took out everyone below with a minor avalanche triggered, Never seen an airbag being pulled in anger before then. (No burials or injuries, possibly some lost ski poles etc.) Anyway, that was our signal to retreat - this was at mid day and the snow was warming up becoming dangerous. Beautiful ski back onto the Argentiere Glacier though!
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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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Extra long lunch today in Vallorcine as we've skied the morning mostly in zero vis over in Le Tour. However the snow is fab.
Heading back up for an hour or so and back to Le Tour bus stop
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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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Couple of quick laps of Lavencher bowl this morning, visibility coming and going but 10-15cm of fresh creamy powder and surprisingly quiet. Snow lower down still a bit solid underneath though.
Also Black Crows have a demo tent up at the moment so decided to give next year's Corvus Freebird a go, ridiculously light for something that size but skied like a heavier ski, very impressed!
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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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Lovely few runs in great snow down the Italian bowl in intermittent visibility, Interesting later navigating in no vis between the rocks and drops above the Bochard. Now snowing heavily down in Argentiere
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Had a late start and only got to GM at 11.30am. The car park was heaving, with cars parked all the way down to the Les Chosalets bus stop.
Up on the mountain, it was 95% whiteout, made a tad more dangerous by hordes of people. By 1pm, the whiteout conditions has moved even further down to below the mid station.
Snow was lovely but I didn't really get to enjoy it due to no viz.
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Brevent - Flegiere relatively quiet, intermittent vis, snow off piste lovely and not too tracked out
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Skied with my 6 year old. GM heaving, whiteout with lots of people out of control. Just remembered why i always feel terrified skiing on piste.
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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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Oh dear, I feel bad posting this, but I headed over to Courmayeur today with a couple of friends - blue skies and sunshine, just a bit of cloud drifting past in the distance. Great snow in places (icy in a few spots), and some fresh snow. We had to time things a little carefully to make sure we got the right slopes at the right time for the best snow on-piste, but ended up with lots of great runs. Off-piste slow to get tracked as well, and deep enough snow to have fun in up top.
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Grand Envers this morning - spectacular. Bottomless freshies all way down. Blue skies as almost entirely above the cloud. Video to follow
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