 Poster: A snowHead
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Who has a favourite piste and would be willing to share it?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I prefer to keep my favourite piste all to myself - nobody on it would suit me fine!
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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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I was fearful of that (which is partly why I failed to disclose mine)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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martski, mine's one that's longish, steepish (for me), nicely packed, just after it's been groomed, on a sunny morning, with no-one on it. Not telling where. 
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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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Well as we're not going there this year I can share it with you !
If you get a sunny morning in La Plagne head to the top of the Les Verdons lift and ski the south facing slopes down towards Champagny.
There are some great, motorway, cruisey pistes that have always seemed quiet when I've skied them, even at half-term.
Most people in LP seem obsessd with moving across the mountain in one direction or another creating huge bottlenecks on the pistes especially approaching Centre and Bellecote.
Now, anyone got any good tips for Tignes at Christmas ? 
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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: |
mine's one that's longish, steepish (for me), nicely packed, just after it's been groomed, on a sunny morning, with no-one on it. Not telling where.
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Got to have a bit of variation for me, start steep moguls, finish groomed,oppressively quiet run through trees, carving deep cuts in the cordurouy (sic?) finish...
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oooh so many to choose from. For some reason I never rememebr the names of lifts / pistes but one I always look forward to in the 3 valleys is Campagnol from the top of the Mont Vallon gondola. Often a bit icy, but I don't think I've ever skied it with more than about 10 other people
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zammo,
Were you in Grange Hill?
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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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| bladeskier wrote: |
Now, anyone got any good tips for Tignes at Christmas ? |
If it's open then try Sache down to Le Brevieres.
I am staying at Le Lac for the Christmas week, what about you?
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any resort, snowed all night, head for outer reachs of resort,and ski the offpiste on piste,you and your lucky comprades will have a ball on your own allday long. HEAVEN.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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shorty, Spot on - La Rosiere was just like that the week we were there last February. The blacks did not get touched by piste bashers and were just fab 
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Fri 2-12-05 14:26; edited 1 time in total
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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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johnboy, I was not in Grange Hill. Nor did I chase the dragon, get caught, or have a 'thing' with Susan. Unfortunately, a uni mate (some years ago, I would add) decided that myself and Sammy Maguire shared a passing rememblance. Sadly, the nickname stuck.
Were you in the Waltons? 
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zammo,
Yes
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You know it makes sense.
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| CP wrote: |
| bladeskier wrote: |
Now, anyone got any good tips for Tignes at Christmas ? |
If it's open then try Sache down to Le Brevieres.
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Or the gentle blue and little red instead. Lunch in Les Brevieres on a sunny day is a must.
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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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Frosty the Snowman, A man of my own heart - it's the lunch that seals the deal
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Poster: A snowHead
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There is a run in Tremblant (can't remember which) where you start off on a nicely groomed gentle run, you can then turn off onto a gladed bit coming out at a log cabin for drinks (the Refuge?), carry ondown a steepish red before finishing on a nicely groomed blue. Not a massively long run, but when I skied it with my wife it was snowing gently, quiet and deserted.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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sighs heavily and looks out of window on rainsoaked dark streets
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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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zammo, I love those runs from Mont Vallon too.
From http://www.mottaret.com/skiguide.htm
Combe du vallon. ***** Long. High. Generally holds snow well. Faces north west. Never too busy. Very well served by the Mont Vallon gondola. Great views. The top 100 metres of the run is easily difficult enough to be a black but there is a path alternative for the first part, then after some moguls it becomes wider and more varied.
Campagnol **** Long. High. Faces south west. Very sunny but does not hold snow as well. Usually very quiet. Also served by the Mont Vallon gondola. Not quite as satisfying as Combe du Vallon, but in the right conditions this is also an excellent long run. There is a steep
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xyzpaul, agree with your description of the two runs and share your preference. The first bit of Combe is a bit on the steep side, but always has nice snow. Webcams of Vallon look good right now. Will be heading that way Feb 12th. 
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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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Chris Bish, xyzpaul, yes I agree on the Mt Vallon thing (keep trying to do the Combe as a one but slow down a little near the end), I always have a soft spot for the blue into La Tania, long, fast and lots of rollers, but maybe too many people at the bottom, like Pylones off the top of Saluire, Jerusalm down to St Martin and in Val d'Isere the left hand most run down to La Daille as you look down the mountain when in good conditions. Not sure on most best but thats the problem with having a four year old daughter who has lots of bestest friends etc.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The North Bowl at Bridger Bowl. It has the best moguls I've skied anywhere in the past couple decades.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Thu 1-12-05 21:32; edited 3 times in total
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Grand Paradis in Les Crosets (I think), part of PDS. Very long red with the most amazing restaurant a fifth of way down. Red goes through the trees and there is never anyone on it! Long chair lift back up but worth it for the solitude and the scenery. Havent been there for 4 years but still have fab memories of that run..........
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If it has to be a piste per se then probably Lauberhorn to Inner Wengen via the shoulder. If it doesn't actually have to be pisted then Vallons de la Meije gets it by a mile!
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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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Envers du plan is my fave at the moment and I can always justify a stop in Chamonix for this reason alone.
It sets the tone so now our trips are based round finding like-minded routes so LG/LDA is on my list this year.
easiski, Haven't got dates yet but you are invited when we go to the
Vallons de la Meije ..!! Trying to talk DM and GrahamN into it as well...!!
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Top five marked runs:
The Point de Vue at the Grandes Montet at Argentiere
The run from the top of Alpe d'Huez (apart from the flat run out)
The Birds of Prey downhill at Beaver Creek (watch them this weekend)
The run from the top of Stanton down to Stuben
The Face at Val d'Isere (while humming the Ski Sunday theme tune)
(Until I think of some more and change my mind).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The best piste in the whole of Espace Killy is piste "G", an easyish black down to La Daille from the Follie Douce. Unless you know it's there and how to get onto it most people miss it, and so it's usually quiet. It's roped to keep it seperate from the other pistes as it's often used for race training with gates on it, but the entrance is usually open, although hard to find. We've been known to do it five or six times on the trot at the end of a hard day's skiing.
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brian
brian
Guest
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Kramer, away off to the left (looking down) ?
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brian, that's the one. The entrance is very narrow, just down from the terrace at the Folie. You have to be looking for it, and know that it's ok to use it to be able to find it. It's got one or two steepish bits, but mostly it's just a blast from top to bottom, gets me grinning every time. Other good things about it are that it ends up with a proper finish line in the stade de slalom so you feel like a proper racer when you reach the end, it's below the tree line so it's good in flat light, and the bar/restaurant at the bottom does good food and an awesome vin chaud. It's also a good run to take people on for their first proper black run.
La Sache is good fun, Le Face is a right laugh, but for consistent fun factor for me, nothing comes close to "G".
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You know it makes sense.
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JT, Envers du Plan is hardly a piste! But, one of those routes down there have to be pretty much at the top of the list of routes I've done so far. Last year had a lovely run down the long black in Grimentz, saw absolutely no-one - and was actually half way down it before I even saw a piste marker realised it was a piste. If it has to be an official 'piste' though (despite it never being bashed) it would probably be Pylons in Argentiere, breaking off into Variante Hotel near its bottom - open glacier at the top, huge bumps most of the way down then a bit of tree interest at the bottom.
Only too happy for that to be supplanted by Vallons de la Meije though. No talking into required for me - but no word back from my bro as yet.
Pointe de Vue does have the better views over the Argentiere glacier, but I now think it loses out overall as the bottom half of it's a bit tedious. I did love that long run down from Alpe d'Huez when I was there, but that was a long time ago, so not sure how I'd rate it now. Didn't really rate Face at all though - moderately steep in places I suppose but little other interest - although may be a different experience at 70mph. Much preferred Sache, but "S" down from Solaise is a bit of a killer - starts off nice gentlish fun bumps, but then gets steeper, narrower and the bumps get bigger the more tired you get  .
Kramer, I've looked for that every time I've been down there - and missed it every single time  .
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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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GrahamN, that's it's beauty, even people who know it's there and go looking for it often miss it, keeps it nice and quiet for the cognoscenti.
Next time you're there, side slip down right in front of the terrace at the folie, keeping left as you look down the hill. At the lower end of the terrace there is a entrance possibly ten foot wide (can be a bit icy), which looks like it takes you down under the gondola station, head through that. Everything about it shouts that you're not meant to be there, but as long as it's not roped closed you're fine. I probably shouldn't be posting all this on a public forum. 
"S" is quite tricky, but Foret in Le Fornet is even worse I feel, especially the first drop in off the cat track, which makes you feel like you're dropping off the side of a cliff.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Kramer, We have never spotted 'G' either, we tend to take the run that starts or you join at the back of Triffolet Restaurant - which is black and also finishes at the stade du slalom. Mind you we have really only skied this right at the end of the season when it is really mushed up but is the best option for getting down to La Daille. I take it you have tried the tricky little number that runs down the Vallee Perdue that involves ducking through tunnels/canyons?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 2-12-05 13:51; 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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CP, the run at the back of Triffolet is the second half of Piste G.
I've not ever skied the Valley Perdue.
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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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Thanks chaps you've just reminded me of the name of the run to La Daille I was talking about but couldn't remeber the name of is Triffolet, which you access across a small bridge just a little down the Verte run from the Folie resturant, quite steep in places for a red but out of the way. Valley Perdue's great but not really a piste and can be diffcult with lots of people around!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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From my recollection, the top of G between Folie and trees, is often not bashed, or it is late on the bashers list after a snowfall. I have often skiied that area in deep or chopped powder and occasionally in rubbish! What route does it take between top of tree line and Triffolet? Does it bear right and rejoin the big piste until just below the lift pylon?
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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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Not half as much for the run itself (only a 900m verticle), but for the sheer remoteness and desolate high mountain scenery around a run, I would choose the black down from the top of Passo Salati to Pianalunga above Alagna. Its an easy black, but there are no other pistes in sight and only one cable car visible. Incredibly unspoiled and wild.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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First run of any holiday. Nothing gives the buzz of a successful first run. After that;
Chapelet - Courchevel 1650
Le Clapet - La Plagne
Creux - Courchevel 1850
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The route from the cablecar out from Lech back to Zurs is pretty special on a sunny day.
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Agree with the runs off Mont Vallon in 3V.... simply the best BEFORE the intermediate skiers get out there and turn it in a mogul nightmare - but then I am a snowboarder...
One of the most beautiful runs I did was a red 'path' down in Champagny from La Plagne... normally paths are busy things which you jsut want to get down to get from A to B... but after a fresh fall, on a sunny day this one was great fun, taken at reasonable speed - with beautiful views down onto Champagny...
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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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Frosty the Snowman, I love Creux - my favourite run so far - good for intermediates! Combe de Saulire is nice too - but I prefer this when it's freshly groomed. I think it was Marmottes that I found a bit icy!
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FAQ
