 Poster: A snowHead
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Regarding snow and conditions...
I'm currently injured off games so I don't have direct experience but what I hear from our clients and friends (Chamonix) and read around here... "it's really not too bad out there", "we're having a great time" and even from some powder-munching, couloir-diving clients, "if you look for it, it's awesome".
Most comments are "much, much better than expected".
So ...
My questions are "what exactly is expected by most people in a good season?" - and - "how much has this season (xmas week excepted) deviated from that??"
Predicated upon response, is this still the worst season in "living memory", "a few years", "who cares", "that's my pint, get your hands off" *
My perception** is that most of our (ours, not yours) clients want:
- smooth well groomed, firm pistes
- sunshine
... that's it.
I totally appreciate that there are resorts out there struggling with snow. But aren't there most years?
I read zero-g's comments on it being a bit firm. r555mac's on upper slopes being a bit windblown. But hey, give it a ten day no snow spell in any season and that's what you can expect.
But it sounds (I appreciate, I'm not out there and won't be for a few weeks) infinitely better than my second season, 1989-90. And I assure you, we still had fun in the worst piste weeks of that year too.
*clearly dragon dictate doesn't work so well down the pub.
** feel free to differ in your own time
Discuss.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's been awesome compared to last year here near Reykjavik. Norway also has had bags of 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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I haven't been on the snow much so far but would agree..
Saving post number 4k for something special. Haven't decided what yet.
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@meh, nice 
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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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Firm schmirm, I've been skiing boilerplate and sheet ice the past few days and I'm enjoying it. I would enjoy fresh powder (or even manky, heavy deep snow) more but I'm still having a good time.
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Oh, and windswept crust, I'm also enjoying that too.
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| under a new name wrote: |
- smooth well groomed, firm pistes
- sunshine
... that's it.
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Sounds good to me 
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@under a new name, If I'm lucky I get 2-3 weeks a season in, so as a holiday skier I just accept it's luck of the draw what I turn up to. At least a couple of my weeks are solo so although I'm flexible it usually helps to book at least a bit ahead.
I've never turned up in a resort to green/muddy fields but had plenty of weeks where it's not snowed at all in the week.
How's conditions out Monte Rosa area at the moment do you know?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I was in Chamonix this weekend. Saturday on Grand Montets: scraped at the top, softish spring snow in low vis early on, then a brightening and a temperature drop with refrozen crud, breakable crust and some very icy patches in the afternoon. Great touring practice was how I saw it - I had a good day, and was pleased with how I skied - generally a happy camper. Lovely few cms of fresh powder up at Brevent/Flegere on Sunday, good fun playing in the soft stuff on piste and trying not to get caught out by the unexpected random ice sheets.
When I ran a chalet I had the our guests seemed to want the same as yours. I don't get enough ski time (though not sure what would be enough) so I just want some sort of (mountain*) snow to slide on.
* Hemel doesn't count.
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On another thread (and I paraphrase) a day on the slopes is better than any time in the office.
I'm desperate to get out on the mountains and wouldn't care on the condition of the pistes as long as I could get some turns in and whilst I'm time rich I am, sadly, cash poor this year and can only get a weekend in early March.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm only just about to start skiing for this year, despite having been in the Alps since 19 Dec (lots of family visitors, transfer driving, XC skiing etc at New Year because there were lift queues, etc).
What I love to do, and can't do at the moment, is do a trip around the domaine, which means being able to ski the lower pistes down in the Arly Valley. Some are open at present but I bet they're horrible, which really defeats the purpose. But for just cruising around and stopping for the odd drink friends who have been out every day for 10 days now have found nice conditions on piste. They are not at all interested in off piste, so would much prefer the present conditions to gnarly heavy snow/low vis. There's been a super lot of sunny days since I've been out there and that, really, is what I most like. Sun and snow covered mountains; you can't beat it!
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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 have had a lot of fun teaching this season. Had plenty of good work with some great clients. The off piste during new years week was great for 2 to 3 days then windblown but I had a lot of fun in that with a good group of skiers and i was grateful to be kept away from the very busy icy pistes. In terms of freeskiing I have had a good time, out on the FIS GS skis on the ice it doesnt get much better (most fun I have had on piste in ages but just 4 runs left me in pain the next morning, more grip and power from the ice than my body can seem to handle)
Without work keep me occupied though this is a season which would be disappointing for me. I am always eager for the next powder day. Granted I have skied several good days but terrain choice had to be careful and therefore a bit limited to avoid rocks.
Plenty of fun to be had out skiing with the right group of locals and fellow seasonnaires on any day, even if that involves more focus on a big lunch and apres ski than the skiing itself.
So yes I am having fun. Between work and play its been a good season just always a bit anxious about when we will get more snow. I wont be having much fun if Feb half term arrives with no more snowfall resulting in no where to teach beginners safely! But, trying not to concern myself with that so soon!
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| Quote: |
There's been a super lot of sunny days since I've been out there and that, really, is what I most like. Sun and snow covered mountains; you can't beat it!
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Sounds fab @pam w,
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You know it makes sense.
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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, perhaps we and jbob could actually manage a beer this season? I'm not back in Cham till Jan 30, probs.
Quite, @halfhand, et al.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Having fun here! Watching people getting blown off their skis today was hilarious... 
So far the on-piste experience (if you respect the various "piste closed" signs) not much different to a "normal" season for most folk.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @Zero_G, perhaps we and jbob could actually manage a beer this season? I'm not back in Cham till Jan 30, probs. |
jbob's suggested next Thursday evening over on the Cham snow thread but I'm here till mid-Feb at least, so,plenty of time to meet up.
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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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No such thing as a bad day's skiing, it's just that some are better than others....
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I get very excited about the prospect of new snow in the run up to my trips, but in reality I am happy to ski anything other than grass. If I can put my planks on and slide down a hill, I'm having fun.
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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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@under a new name, I think you're right and I think that's spot on about what most people want.
Are we having fun yet? Yep!!
From my post on another thread the conditions are 'variable' no other word to describe them. In the past two days I have skied hardpack, powder, nice groomed soft grippy, gritty cannoned, crust, crud, ice, slush, grass and Tarmac . Not sure I've ever had it so variable 
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Japan's been pretty great, heading to Aspen today, hope the Alps look better by the time I get back in March 
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Apart from a couple of days, the off piste has been crap and touring almost non existent. Personally, I'm not really interested in skiing icy hard packed pistes in the sun, unless it's to find a sunny lunchtime terrace. Sad but true. From my view point the season, so far, has been as poor as I can remember.
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@zzz, but you're not the average 1-2 week a year skier though, are you?
Although, I guess, as we're all getting older...
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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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It`s all in the head, and like surfing, conditions can change from worst day of my life to yeeee haaaa in a matter of hours. So crack on and make the most of whatever you`ve got, I say
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| under a new name wrote: |
My questions are "what exactly is expected by most people in a good season?" - and - "how much has this season (xmas week excepted) deviated from that??"
Discuss. |
You didn't mention 1-2 week skiers. "Most people" I know think that it has been one of the worst starts ever.
As for the second part of your question, that is probably best answered by your average punter skier staying in the likes of Les Gets, Champery, La Clusaz etc where there has been next to no skiing for most of the season.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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"most of the season" is only about 3 weeks old.
in that respect, worst start since the rain washed away the snow over new year a few years back. Les Gets was shut. Totally. Access was only via Avoriaz, no area passes being sold, only local day passes.
Is this year even more shut than that in Les Gets?
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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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@zzz, but, for the average holiday skier in many places it has not been the catastrophe painted by the Daily Fail, etc.
I don't rent apartments to most people you know and the economic imperative is currently more important than my broken pinky 
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I have to say that slithering down the same half a dozen bashed-flat sheets of ice all the time is getting a touch tedious. It's snowing this morning though, and supposed to continue throughout the weekend, so with any luck it might be a bit different next week.
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You know it makes sense.
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@under a new name,
You should be thankful your apartments are in Cham and not Les Gets (or Les Houches) then.
Ps. The press has not been all bad. After the snowmageddon reporting most people in the UK think we have awesome 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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I've only had 8 days on snow so far and they were from 27 Dec to 3 Jan so we got the post Christmas dump. In Les C the pistes were excellent until the last couple of days. The off-piste was skiable with care (a bit thin). It really was a time to enjoy the pistes. By the end of that week there were a lot of bare patches but plenty of fun stuff to do (lots of bumps). I confess we only skied for a couple of hours on the last day. It had rained to high on the mountain overnight and it was grey and windy. Although it wasn't very cold there was no sun to soften the legacy of the rainfall and refreeze. It genuinely wasn't much fun. But if the sun had come out it would have been fine I think.
We left town in the rain and I admit I was feeling rather gloomy for anyone arriving - mild, rain, grey, growing brown patches - could have been bad. I think the weather improved enough to soften the blow.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@jedster, those grey drizzly days were truly grim, but since then we've had a lot of sunshine and now, a good snowfall. I haven't been to Les C for ages. Might take next week's visitors there for a change.
Poor snow + sun makes for some good times. Poor snow + rain/heavy cloud has very little to say for it.
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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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But then it's the same with any weather-related activity, isn't it. My daughter and SiL are surfers and windsurfers. they rented (very expensively) a VW camper for their summer honeymoon in Cornwall, reckoning they should get some surf, wind or sun. Instead they got an entire week of flat water, flat calm and pouring rain. They are still married though, 2 kids later, and have their own VW camper as their sole means of transport other than bikes.
I have spent a week sailing in Scotland when we had full gales from several different points of the compass with only enough respite between to get rapidly to somewhere likely to be protected from the worst of the next lot. Brief exhilarating moments of surfing downwind at hull speed or beating wetly into a fresh breeze, interspersed with many hours of playing cards, listening to the forecasts and taking it in turns to don full oilskins and go out in it and "freshen the nip" on the warps.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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As someone who is a little on the "older and wiser" side I really don't have any expectations in regard of the snow conditions. Anything could happen as they say. Before we had kids there was some flexibility and so you could try and time things a little. But that is often futile anyhow as things can change so quickly. Now we are restricted to fixed weeks we just have to take what we get. This year was the first time ever that I ski resort I was going to was not open and I had to switch resorts. I've been skiing since 1991 and I've never seen such a lack of snow during the season. Fortunately for us (young family trip) it was adequate and we had a good week. Had I been on a "serious" trip I think it would have been the most disappointing conditions I'd encountered but I think we would still have had "fun".
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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've had 2 days, which were like riding giant mountain sized versions of Hemel but without the predictability - boilerplate ice that was a nightmare to spot in between nice soft stuff that was lovely and fun. It was windy as hell one day, and the second was selected as the only one without hooly-strength winds from a choice of 3. On that basis I'm not overly keen to save up and live on bread and water to get out there again, which is in contrast to last year when by this point I'd somehow managed 6 days on the mountain already. Mind you IIRC this time last year there was 2.5m at the summit compared to a fairly static 1m at the moment, so it was slightly different.
I am a snowboarder though, so would imagine aforementioned conditions were a little more bearable on two planks rather than one. So yeah, fun, but not as much as I'd hoped
/first world problem
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It's only January so way to early to label a season yet. It has been ok so far, higher slopes are in very good condition when it's not windy. Hopefully things will get better especially in terms of stability - plenty time for this.
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| Quote: |
| higher slopes are in very good condition |
Do you work for the SCGB 
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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 on Monday for a couple of hours. Highest lift closed due to high winds, so it limited our options. What we skied was better than expected, and a couple of patches of boilerplate were dealt with by our sharp edges. Went for lunch then did our shopping. never seen it so bare but pisteurs have done wonders to keep a piste open down to the village. Took hubby for new boots yesterday, nice lunch and a swim so no skiing. Then woke this morning to snow falling . Still limited below 2000m but what was open was in good nick, and up top was quite amazing in comparison to Monday. There were a lot of happy skiers in Serre Che todayy
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Yep I was having fun today! I built a snowman
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FAQ
did not think I would be getting away this year but booked on 
