Flaine closures

A snowHead

Morning
I'm heading out to Flaine just before Easter so a little while to go yet but of course I just have to keep checking the snow reports anyway. Given the awful start it seems the depths are slowly creeping up so keeping our fingers crossed. Just wondered if anyone can enlighten me as to why there still seems to be a high percentage of lifts and runs closed despite what I take to be a half decent covering? Is it typical of Flaine, compared to other years, which from what I have read is a little wind-prone? Is January generally windier than you might expect in late March? Is it simply down to lack of a good base? Having been spoilt the last two years in Les Arcs with snow quantity and closed lifts/runs almost non existent I'm wondering how frustrating/disrupting it might be.

A snowHead

http://www.skiplan.com/bulletin/bulletin.php?station=flaine&region=alpes&pays=france&lang=fr
From the looks of today's bulletin, they are affected by high winds... just like the rest of us!

Thursday, January 15
THE PERIODS TO CEILING will range 4000M THIS MORNING BUT 6 / 7000M THIS AFTERNOON SUN FOR A BETTER BUT THERE WILL WIND. THE FOEHN will rise MID-DAY AT THE LAND OF MONT BLANC, THE HIGHEST PEAKS IN THE CLOUDS WILL THE WIND TO CHAMONIX 40KM / H. TEMPERATURE WILL REACH 9 A 1000M, 1500M 7 A, 3 A 2000M.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Recently back and Flaine seems to need more base than most as the terrain is very broken rock, a lot of the steeper runs were closed even without wind. There were lots of deep gullies and big rocks showing which have to bridge over before the pistes can be officially open. The snow came late and the weather was warm with rain even high up until Christmas so the base hasn't built up in the gullies. That said there was a lot open, the tree/meadow slopes around the rest of Grand Massif were a lot better than we expected and the snow seems to be building up nicely. I wouldn't worry for March.

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Thanks for that Fruity and Col the Yeti. As you say Col it seems to be building slowly-slowly and late March is a while off yet.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Not wanting to rub it in, but we are off to Norway on the 8th and are worried about piste closures due to high winds and too much snow...

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@Col the Yeti is right when referring to rocky terrain, gullies and very deep holes. When I was out there over new year there were signs everywhere telling people to stay on the open pistes and warning of the many holes that had not yet filled with snow. One sign referring to going off piste, translated into English, said 'just don't do it!' On the Monday before new year I saw one person being helicoptered out of a hole and was told of another by someone who had watched the rescue. Some of the lifts only really serve runs that are affected by a lack of snow and some pistes are simply too dangerous until there is much better snow cover unless you know the terrain very well.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

thanks again to you for your helpful replies, just came across the below quote elsewhere and wondered if you have any advice-

"Weather was OK, until the wind came up and cut Flaine off from the rest of the Grand Massif! Be aware that, should that happen to you, there is a journey of several hours, and several buses (or a EUR150+ taxi ride!) ahead of you, to get back to Flaine central."

don't fancy that scenario but would it be that bad even if I end up at the extreme end of the lift pass area? do the regular lift pass covered buses take that long? would they be included in my lift pass regardless? We are staying at Flaine forum but obviously will venture further afield and I guess even an early morning check of the weather is not 100%
Thanks for any re-assurance

After all it is free

It's an annoying @broadsman, but persistent habit of the operating company to encourage you to go as far as possible from your home base, this requiring eye wateringly expensive taxis home.

I can't believe that any personnel are bribed to do such things, but such tales are told Shocked

thanks for the reply 'under a new name'-
I was hoping for a more re-assuring answer and that the scenario as described above was the exception rather than the norm. How well do you know Flaine-do the ski buses run throughout the area covered by the GM pass?
by the way how do I insert the user name to whom I'm responding in bold with the@ symbol-as most other people do?

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@broadsman, you simply click on their username to the left of the message you are replying to, and it is inserted into your reply for you.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@broadsman, Samoen Sixt and Morrilon base are on the other side of the mountain so it's a long way round, and not easy by public transport.
Les Carroz is on the same side and would be easier, I think there is a local bus service but not very often, have a look on the GM website it should have some info.
Rule of thumb though is if it's windy stay in Flaine bowl, if you go beyond the Grand Van lift be aware of what might happen with the weather.
PS its a great ski area, I love it. Very Happy

snow reports

Hi Broadsman Others will have more detailed knowledge and will be along shortly I'm sure but no they don't. If you are worried about the possibility of lift closures you need to stay in the flaine bowl. If it picks up during the day, as a minimum you need to stay on the Les Carroz side of the main ridge and try to get up the valley (Molliets is a nice place to get stuck I think and the taxi wouldnt we crazy from there)- the 150 euro scary stuff would be from Samoens or Morillon. I'd also be surprised if Flaine isn't mostly open by March - top right of the piste map often isn't but so much to go at its not a problem. Off piste in Flaine when coverage is thin is another story - unless you enjoy speliology in skis.

like geoff said!

You know it makes sense.

@broadsman, that was irony. Although obviously crap irony.

Ski buses will be detailed on the GM or Flaine sites, should such things even exist. E.g. here http://hiver.grand-massif.com/navettes-ski-bus - doesn't look like anything runs to and from Flaine and any other centre.

If high winds are forecast, I would expect two things - 1. If they're open it will be clearly displayed that high level links are "at risk" and 2. if it becomes likely that lifts will shut, this will be well publicised although not necessarily in English. E.g. we got to the top of a bubble in Gressoney (IT) before New Year and the lifties were diligently attempting to make sure that they'd at least tried to communicate to everyone getting off (or by that stage gettng on at the bottom) that teh wind was picking up and they should get to their "home" valleys asap. Clear signs at top and bottom of all lifts as well.

Mind you, Monterosa has that happen reasonably frequently. In far less frequent skiing of GM, I've never heard or seen of it, although I have no doubt it happens sometimes.

GM website not particularly helpful. Looks to me that the closed lifts are still the ones that really need quite a depth to get adequate coverage.

But updates are clearly not great, "Faced with weather constraints and too little snow, we regret to inform you that the ski area will not be able to open this Saturday, December 20th."

I assume that means December 2014, but hey, you never know...

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@broadsman, Definitely no ski buses between the Samoens side and Flaine. However as other people have said it is very unlikely to be a problem at the time you are going. In the grand scheme of things Flaine has a very good snow record so best to stop worrying and start anticipating the fun. It is not like you
can do anything to influence the weather anyway!

A snowHead

Been to Flaine loads and loads of times and have never known the "over mountain" links to be shut for wind.
Maybe we have just been lucky, but I'd say it was a very rare event and not one to pre-stress about when you are not even there yet, and it's not even windy!

A snowHead

@Okanagan, oh yeh!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@under a new name, sorry missed the irony- suprising as I usually like irony.
Thanks for the pointer towards the link for the buses- although as people have said they do not seem to run the full range of the lift passes it may help with making sure we are not too stranded.
Thanks to everyone else for the informative replies much appreciated

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@broadsman, i'm sure you like quality irony that is funny, even if you have to think a little. That ^ does not qualify, even by my own lax standards. Twisted Evil

I really don't perceive of it as being a particular problem for the GM. Certainly not something I've ever worried about. Unlike Monterosa which is higher and does sometimes suffer, to the point that they installed snow cannons on some of the upper slopes, not because it doesn't snow, but because a few years ago they couldn't open the Champoluc-Gressoney link for a good few weeks because any time it did snow, it blew straight off again.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Don't panic - You should be able to get to Les Carroz or les Molliets from Morillon or Samoen and then there's a bus to Flaine (not free but not much), http://www.evous.fr/Ligne-de-bus-Alpbus-92-CLUSES-gare-LES-CARROZ-FLAINE-1145354.html

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Can anyone provide an update on current conditions in Flaine?

Thanks.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

We've stayed in all parts of GM and haven't been stuck when out in different sectors yet. Have looked at contingencies though as had kids in Morillion garden de niege and also reckoned that the most useful connection was Molliets lift as it has bus to from Flaine at base and also the top connection to Samoen valley.

@Zermattandchips, i think it's pretty dark right now. Some snow around though. snowHead

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@broadsman, one of the advantages of the Grand Massif is that if they open and then subsequently shut the links between the different resorts during the day they bus you (for free) to a point where you can ski home.

It happened to us last season when they closed the Grand Vans lift out of Flaine due to wind and we were stuck in Flaine. Within minutes of the closure there were signs directing you to the bus pick up point. It was pretty crowded but there was a steady stream of buses. They bused us to Vernant, from where we had to lift up and then ski down to the Molliets lift. From the top of Molliets it's possible to ski directly back to Les Carroz and Morillon. It takes another lift to get back to Samoens, and I seem to recall that was closed, too, so everyone from Samoens and Sixt had to ski down to Morillon and pick up the regular ski bus back home.

The only issue I can see is if this happens towards the end of the day and everyone is already tired and has to ski further than planned.

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@sj1608, they do? That's cool, well done them.

snow reports

I'd been told they did, but didn't quite believe it until it happened!

It's much easier to do this in the Grand Massif, as it's a 'blobby' sort of ski area rather than strung out in a long line, where I think it would be very difficult to organise

@sj1608, Thanks for that, it's a good 'Plan B', and I'm glad you can speak from direct experience. I hope they have stuck with this system this season too as the review I read which caused the initial concern was posted on the SCGB Fliane reviews from this month. Maybe the poster missed the bus service being provided.

You know it makes sense.

System still working very well. A few days ago I was is Flaine late morning and GV lift out to Massif area had just been closed due to high wind. Lift operators were out advising people of the bus service and signs guided me all the way down to the bus which took us to Vernant Carpark. Telesiege du Lac, Portet Blue piste and Telesiege Molliets allowed easy access back to Les Carroz or Morillon pistes.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@skier52, We're staying in Flaine, so given your very recent experience, would you suggest the system works as well going the other way should we be at Samoens or Morillon at the time?

A snowHead

It's much easier to do this in the Grand Massif, as it's strung out in a long line (more or less) rather than a 'blobby' sort of ski area where I think it would be very difficult to organise. (Fixed it for you). Basically you have most stuff along one valley (Sixt, Samoens, Morrillon) and only one other, easily reached, road (Flaine, Les Carroz)

Unlike such as Monterosa where each valley is reached radially from a quite different, long enough, mountain road. Especially concerning Alagna.

A snowHead

I have a not so great experience of the Flaine contingency plans but this does date back to Easter 2013 when we were staying in Les Carroz but skied to Flaine for the day with the kids.

At around 2:30 we were in Flaine and it started snowing. We headed to the Grand Vans to be sure of getting back to the Les Carroz side in good time. Discovered the GV had broken down and waited there for approx. half hour. Were told they were laying on buses and to ski to the bottom of the resort to the bus stop. Waited there half an hour in a by now heavy snow storm. Were then told the lift was working again and there would be no bus rolling eyes

We had to take 2 slow lifts back up to the Grand vans and then GV itself which still kept stopping. By the time we reached the top of GV it was around 4pm, snowing heavily and the visibility was so bad we could not see the edge of the piste. We reached les molliets (lift back to LC) after its official closing time but fortunately it was still running and we made it home.

I think that given the weather conditions and the length of time the GV had been out of action they should have kept their promise with the bus rather than sending families up on a temperamental lift in a blizzard, late in the day.

Still it hasn't put us off entirely as we are going back to the Grand Massif this year! Toofy Grin

I will be checking the weather forecast before any trips to Flaine though!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@snowymum, That sounds like you had quite a horrendous time - hopefully only due to an unusual set of cicumstances and not a regular thing.

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@broadsman, Sorry, I have no knowledge/experience of what system would be in place if all lifts to Tete de Saix (the peak where the upper lifts from Les Carroz, Morillon & Samoens all arrive at (from here you can ski down to the Vernant Carpark))were closed. I am sure that there are plenty of "Flaine dwellers" on snowheads who may be able to offer more useful information.

Help!!

Flaine closures

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