 Poster: A snowHead
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The snow is finally about to arrive in the European Alps.
Chamonix, France, is currently forecasting 100-200cm of fresh snowfall in the first half of January 2016.
After a very dry December, a very snowy January will cause all kinds of chaos 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Really? Who's forecasting that?
Not Chamonix Meteo nor Meteo France...
But it would be great if it did arrive...
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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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Should be some this weekend.............
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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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Currently snowing in Northern French Alps (as I type)
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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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Daily Mail says snow is coming. So it must be true...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@kditrj2d, the subject line of this thread is certainly worthy of a tabloid headline.
WTF have I been skiing on this month if the snow is "finally" coming to the Alps?
White gold seems intent on destroying any credibility he has on this forum. Shame, really.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
WTF have I been skiing on this month if the snow is "finally" coming to the Alps? |
This is my 9th week in the alps this season & I have been skiing on white stuff, I think it is called snow, for the entire period 
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@stewart woodward, indeed, but let's not let the facts get in the way of a sensationalist headline. It's how some people survive.
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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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| stewart woodward wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
WTF have I been skiing on this month if the snow is "finally" coming to the Alps? |
This is my 9th week in the alps this season & I have been skiing on white stuff, I think it is called snow, for the entire period |
I've just been looking at my 3 vallees photos of the last few weeks with white stuff everywhere.
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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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| Quote: |
| it's been a bloody awful early season! |
Not on my two trips it wasn't 
- Stubai and Hintertux in early November.
- Espace Killy in early December.
Good to excellent snow on both hols.
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Well, it had better be the right sort of snow, otherwise there'll be all sorts of people moaning 
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You know it makes sense.
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Yes, a decent covering of snow to lower altitude would be great. but forecasts more than a few days ahead need to be taken with a healthy dose of caution. Snow cover except at the highest altitudes id currently frankly dismal. That didn't stop my 5 year old granddaughter enjoying the nursery slope in Praz sur Arly at 1035m where the fierce temperature inversion has enabled them to blow good artificial snow. But no use pretending that the suicidal hordes crowding the limited artificial runs in most lower resorts this New Year week have good conditions. some workers might have been laid off but piste rescue services have been pretty busy.
January looks hopeful but fingers crossed it's not too mild. My son and GF arrive for a few days tomorrow. They are planning to rent mountain bikes till the Saturday exodus..
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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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@stewart woodward, I can post photos of Stubai covered in snow too, but the groomed stuff is nasty ice the ungroomed stuff is nasty ice-crust (or spring corn if you time it right) with rocks hiding just beneath.
Yeah, the groomers have done a great job of keeping pistes rideable, which is fine for the majority of holiday skiers who just want firm pistes and sun, but it hasn't snowed properly in ages and while conditions might be 'fine' or even 'better than expected,' the Alps are in a pretty poor state for the time of year.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@clarky999, you're right, it's not been great, but in a good number of places it's not been disastrous either. In the first two weeks of December I had perfect piste conditions (Tignes & Tux). Since then the conditions have deteriorated, but in the higher resorts of the northern Alps there has still been enjoyable times to be had.
Hopefully New Year week will be the worst of the season, which is a great shame for those trying to have a nice holiday at the moment. But to say that snow is finally arriving is superficial nonsense.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@clarky999, This is not glaciated terrain, it is somewhere between 2200m & 2700m
The 'groomed stuff' is nice, firm & grippy in the morning although rather worn in the afternoon. Thankfully the snow cannons refresh it overnight.
The offpiste stuff is like skiing on piste, as it has been skied so often, but you are away from the hoards so it is refreshing
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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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The cannons haven't been able to do much for weeks at altitudes too high to benefit from the inversion but too low to have had a good overnight freeze. groomers have indeed done a brilliant job but to claim that the present state of middling altitude pistes is "just what most holiday skiers want is optimistic, to put it mildly. In our area Christmas was a lot better than last year but this new year week is really bad. I have never seen the car parks in Les Saisies so busy. All the verges on the approach were crammed with cars and the enormous free parking area full to bursting. There are just 8 -10 narrow pistes for them all to play on.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| pam w wrote: |
| to claim that the present state of middling altitude pistes is "just what most holiday skiers want is optimistic, to put it mildly. . |
At the moment skiing is like a dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all.
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
WTF have I been skiing on this month if the snow is "finally" coming to the Alps? |
Err, Alps snowfall is currently 20-90% below-average right across the entire region.
Without snowguns, 70-90% of the entire Alps would currently be unskiable (and it's already 20-40% partway through the season).
December was baking and bonedry. January is now lining up to be colder and wetter.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Whitegold, how do you figure it's up to 40% through the season? Care to show your working how you arrive at that figure?
I'm not trolling, just interested.
Of course, 72% of statistics are made up on the spot.
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@Whitegold, yet despite that I've skied for four weeks and had some excellent skiing. I know it's a bad season so far, but your silly headlines and little facts do not describe the picture on the Alps which is far more complex than you portray.
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Why on earth do you people still bite?
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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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@Whitegold, 20-90%?
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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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I live right next to the alps and have so far avoided going skiing for the simple reason that I don't derive much fun from charging down a 50m wide strip of solid ice along with a thousand out of control Dutchmen.
The reports coming out of the accident hospitals in Innsbruck and Murnau ( Garmisch ) are sobering. There are an awful lot of serious injuries happening, caused mainly by collisions. Also a fair number of very experienced skiers getting caught by said Dutchmen.
Not worth the risk right now imo. I'm waiting till the snow comes.
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We are in th 3v, staying in the Belleville valley with some friends who have just bought a house there. We could go skiing up the road in VT, but have decided it's best to avoid. One of their new neighbours is a pisteur in Les Menuires..in one day last week in Les Menuires they carted 44 injured people off the mountain...  .
So...we are helping them with DIY on the new house, walking the dog and feeling very lucky that we are not just out here for new year week....
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You know it makes sense.
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| snoozeboy wrote: |
Of course, 72% of statistics are made up on the spot. |
or not
| Quote: |
Alpes du Nord
L'enneigement naturel est partout très faible, très nettement déficitaire pour une mi-décembre (-40 % à -70 % selon le massif).
Alpes du Sud
L'enneigement naturel est extrêmement faible, voire inexistant dans l'ensemble des massifs, le déficit atteignant -70 à -90 %.
Vosges, Jura, Massif central
Dans les Vosges, ainsi que dans le Massif central, il n'y a pas de neige
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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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@Ray Zorro,
"All Whitegold is saying here is that all the weather forecasts are (finally) predicting new snow to arrive next week. By wanting to argue with him over the terminology of new snow falling/old snow on the ground, you appear to be in denial of how bad the situation over the Alps is as a whole"
Agreed. Some of the thngs Whitegold says are a touch daft, but all these responses suggesting there is loads of wonderful snow are equally stupid.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@davidof, that wasn't the stat @snoozeboy was referring to. It was the suggestion that we are 40% through the season before the end of December. You can find a way of making the claim I'm sure, but it's an example of the sort of thing that seems designed to deliberately grate and irritate people. It's just a form of trolling.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Meanwhile, in Eastern Italy..............
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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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@davidof, so it is good on the glaciers. No-one is denying that, but it is of little comfort to those at lower resorts.
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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 was in Alpe d'Huez last week for Christmas. I made the decision to book quite late (end of November) because of a very cheap price (£209 HB inc. drinks, transfers, regional flight) understanding there may or may not be ideal snow. I swapped ski carriage for taking some sports equipment with me. I skied 1.5 days and got a good value sports pass for 6 days that allowed access to lots of activities inc. curling, swimming (indoor/outdoor), archery, shooting, squash, tennis, badminton, table tennis, fitness classes, gym, and climbing wall. This was 2 minutes walk from my hotel and although quite busy it was always possible to be doing something. This cost 72 Euros for the week so between the cost of 1 and 2 days skiing (so much better value). The lift pass was reduced 10% and some additional value added with sports until 4pm. However most people did not have the correct clothing/shoes for such activities and although people enjoyed the skiing many I think would have done less skiing if they had (a) packed for doing something else (b) not pre-ordered a lift pass.
In regard the skiing there were pros and cons:
PROS
Short lift queues on the whole
Some quite pistes
Some ok snow (we're talking average at best still)
Possible to ski Sarenne piste from 3150m-1600m (approx)
Mainly sunny weather (1 day excluded)
CONS
Some busy pistes
Some terrible snow (rocks, scrapped/icy)
Limited pistes (around 30-35 I think)
Possibility of injury quite high (due to conditions)
Difficulty of skiing quite high (due to conditions)
Luckily most people got the same deal as me so felt for value they had done ok. I was happy to get away from a wet and windy Cumbria. The sun was nice and the holiday didn't cost me much at all as I didn't have to take holiday from work, I had reduced costs at home whilst I was away, and I got to try some interesting activities.
I would not have been happy to have paid any more than I did for the quality of snow on offer. If I'm skiing I want good snow, if I'm diving I want lots of fish, etc. The idea that something is better than nothing is generally absurd. So I'll continue to book late, pay only a sensible amount, plan for doing something different and hope this makes for a nice holiday.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I was meaning to write something but I couldn't have put it any better. All these "daily mail" and " what do you mean there is no snow" are just hyperboles that don't add anything to the dialogue. I'm going on January 2nd and I'm relieved that a dump is starting to show in the forecasts. The last one was late November so yes if you went skiing early December I'm sure there was good snow.
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The situation appears to vary by resort, in La Plagne it is like skiing in April, up high it's good a bit lower and its icy patches a bit lower again it's man made only with ice bare patches and stones. At lower village level - it's still skiable but best to download by the gondola.
The bits of Les Arcs I can see from here look pretty good at the top but turning green at the bottom.
La Plagne has 41% of its pistes open, which for my leisurely skiing still allows me to do around 50km,s a day according the the new Paradiski Yuge app.
All in all Christmas was better than last year, but it looks like the proper snow won't arrive until after New Year's Eve, keep an eye out for a repeat of snowmageddon on January 2nd when the snow arrives as the crowds leave on transfer Saturday.
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To say that conditions are anything but bad would be sugar coating the situation, especially during the busiest week of the season, with thousands of skiers scrambling for limited pistes with very hard snow at best. 11:30-13.00 is probably the best time to ski as lessons finish at 12 and don't resume until 13:00, so at least parents collect their kids and head for lunch. Trying to get more than couple of hours on slopes would be pushing it and risking an injury for no reward.
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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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The not so reliable 'ski club of GB' snow forecast section is predicting up to 1 and 1.5 meters of snow in a lot of French and Swiss resorts over the next nine days so is the season saved??
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FAQ
