Looks as though there is a great start to the season in the Aosta Valley after the dump earlier this week.
Take a look at the Colle Serreza webcam and scroll through from Monday to today. All surface features just disappear, lets hope this weekends snow takes the snowline lower for the end of November opening.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 10-11-14 19:03; edited 1 time in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Needs a bit more and as you say a bit colder, early days yet
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?
So... Only Sarezza was open, probably 15cms fresh above 1,900. If the Frachey link had been running the area would more or less have been good.
So a few runs to justify the €16.50 lift pass and then a truly excellent lunch at Andrea's. Prawn carpaccio (outstanding) and baked sea bream with veg.
10cms or so in village yesterday, a itny little more up top.
Very cold, some little pockets of pleasure off piste, skier's right of Bettaforca in particular. Pistes generally immaculate.
Not crazy busy, given time of year. A very nice day and an excellent steak lunch at l'Aroula
Bombardinos really do rock...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Wandered across to Gressoney, queues lighter than yesterday but binned lunch plan at top of col as "return to your valleys" signs had come out with gusts up to 70 expected.
Bitter cold keeping the snow very fine.
Nice on the way over,
Tense on the way home...
After all it is free
After all it is free
We're off here in two weeks staying at the valveverde with esprit, I'm really looking forward to it now 👍
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Can you tell me Andreas is please - like the sound of prawn carpaccio!!! Thanks
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@gad,
hi there, we are off to the ValVerde on 17th Jan, and Id appreciate your thoughts of the hotel, food etc... But more importantly how the kids got on with the skiing? Mine Is 8, done two weeks and I've booked her in the the intermediates. Concerned that the Reds may be too challenging! Also were did you eat out on the 'day off', and was there a supermarket to buy chocolate crisps etc....? Cheers
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Route Ramey 17
@delta,
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.
P3t3r wrote:
@gad,
hi there, we are off to the ValVerde on 17th Jan, and Id appreciate your thoughts of the hotel, food etc... But more importantly how the kids got on with the skiing? Mine Is 8, done two weeks and I've booked her in the the intermediates. Concerned that the Reds may be too challenging! Also were did you eat out on the 'day off', and was there a supermarket to buy chocolate crisps etc....? Cheers
Ok, will do 👍
I have found that information on the whole is a little scarce about the hotel and the resort but I am really looking to forward to it and I have only had good experiences with esprit so I'm not expecting any different this time.
We're going with my lad who's nearly seven and has had three full weeks skiing as well as numerous chill factore visits but he's got a taste for speed rather than control so we'll see if they can knock some sense into him while he's there 😁
From what information I have read about the pistes they do say it is genuinely an intermediates area and I know things look different from the air but I found this video on YouTube taken from a helicopter that does seem to confirm it👍
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Wed 31-12-14 15:59; edited 1 time in total
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@gad, great thanks.
Will be out there for the second week in Feb. Little miss narbs has just turned three so it will be her first week of lessons. Fingers crossed!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Monterosa full of fantastic groomers. Should be perfect for your kids. You do get some real high-speed merchants there but they seem really competent and I have never seen any problems with them.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
We will be there Sunday, can't wait now
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We stayed at the Valverde last week, hotel fine and in a good location for chair lift and ski hire, food was good, only a couple of gripes with childcare but the kids had fun and probably due to the staff getting in to the swing of things at the start of the season. The run back to the hotel was shut so it was either a download on the chairlift or a bus back from Stafal at the end of the day, the learner slope by the hotel was also shut so the kids took the bus to Stafal. It was snowing when we left and would expect both to be opened soon if not already.
Our 4 year old did beginners and was very confident on the blue at Gabiet by the end of the week, 6 year old was in improvers and spent most of the week on the red from Bettaforca but skied all the reds in the valley with us without any trouble.
No supermarket but the bar near the learner area at Stafal and restaurant at Gabiet had plenty of crisps and chocs!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@P3t3r, My son and I have been to Gressoney twice. The resort is very quiet. The pharmacy for example is only open twice a week, so take blister packs and plasters for kids, unless you plan to ski over to Champoluc and take a long 200 metre walk (sure it was more like 800.)
Gressoney is great though, and if there is enough snow cover the two reds off of the Seeehorn are great. @simonbaddeley, shame the home run was't open because last year we were doing laps of that (the black, then the red back to the Punta Jolanda chair, but just as easy to do the whole run as a red.) Another favorite was the Salati run, bit more variation than the Bettaforce on the other side of the valley and the snow always seemed nicer (check out the hot Chocolate at the first restaurant as you get to Gabiet ,Del Ponte. and the Refuge Gabiet.)
Can't say about the Hotel as we stayed in the Squirrel, nor the ski school as my son skipped ski school each time ( we did some private lessons.)
Wishing we were going back this year.
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?
The Champoluc pharmacy has moved up to the new sports center, beside the main car park.
@under a new name, does New sports centre in Champoluc include a swimming pool?
Alan and Nick,Mike and Hannah,delta will all be at hotel le champoluc from 4th Jan.anyone else at the same time?
@under a new name, come and join us for a ski?(or a swim?)
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@lambert, no idea, we haven't checked it out. & heading back to Chamonix tonight. Off sports until ortho surgeon checks broken fingers
@under a new name, good luck with repairing fingers. Enjot yhe season
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@lambert, thanks. On the +ve, Swiss medics uber efficient and have appoinment Monday
After all it is free
After all it is free
@under a new name,
Quote:
The Champoluc pharmacy has moved up to the new sports center, beside the main car park.
Yep, that's the one, felt like 1/2 mile
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.
@bruisedskier, it's no more than 200m now.
It was probably about 400m before.
@lambert, fingers getting screwed tomorrow. Hopefully just very tiny little screws
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Mike SWest wrote:
We will be there Sunday, can't wait now
Well ? How is it ?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Friends just got back from Gressoney, they said the snow was sparse but all lifts and pistes open.
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.
@bruisedskier, what does "sparse" mean? I reckon above 2,000m and in shelter, there's a good meter of base. Mind you, a bit can change up there in a week...
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
We are in Champoluc now, skied to Alagna and back today, pistes all covered but all artificial down low. Off piste looks a bit bare though. Lovely sunny day so some great skiing.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Mike SWest, it's often all artificial low down, even in good seasons. Enjoy the great skiing. Enjoy also the great food
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
+1, especially on the food. Best value food and drink in town and on the slopes going around.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@under a new name, good point, dunno to be fair, those were the words they used (in an email,) just passing on the good news that all the runs were open (think there was previous post saying the home run was closed )
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@bruisedskier, there was, from me it opened, once they'd made enough snow, on the 30th (iirc)
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?
Update on our week so far. Monday was incredibly busy with a good 20 minute queue at the Alpe Mandria lift and all runs packed. Aparantly it was a local bank holiday.
Tuesday to Thursday was great, all runs open, sunny all day and empty.
But today all lifts are shut due to 25 mph winds. There are a couple of blues open at Antagnod but can't be bothered with that. Stressed but at least we are safe and not stuck up a mountain somewhere. Off for a walk now and just hoping the lifts are open tomorrow, but the forecast looks about the same.😠
@Mike SWest, the 6th is Italy's equivalent of Christmas day, at least as far as kids getting presents goes. Alpe Mandria is always busy when there are people around as it's required to get between all of Gressoney-Frachey and Frachey-Champoluc in both directions. So anyone transiting between the valleys at all has to use it.
A masterpiece of piste/lift design.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Mike SWest, Done Antagnod myself, its 20 mins bus out, 5 mins back. Has a couple of nice reds too.
@under a new name, well yes, on Monday we were saying why the hell don't they put an extra lift in, but then from Tuesday onwards we never queued at all (at any lift) so can see why they haven't.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@bruisedskier, yes told the reds there are OK but they are closed, but only a couple of blues open so I don't think its worth it.
Guessing it will be a bit busy too.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@Mike SWest, what they ought to have done, had they had the budget was extend the Frachey funicular to just above the bottom of the Colle chair.
What they should do when they replace the antique Belvedere chair(s) is extend on the Colle side to where Alpe Mandria terminates. And ideally put in even a mini-drag from Colle bottom to Alpe Mandria top.
Oh, and while I'm at it, re-instate some/all of the pistes that they used to have in the 70s and 80s.
But then everyone would want to go, the local economy would perk up, they could invest more in stuff, but hey, who wants that...it would lose all its quaint charm.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Don't knock Antagnod. Lovely little place. Great on a powder day, as there isn't anyone else there.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@under a new name, Interesting what you say about the pistes in the 70/80s, do you have an old map ???
Often thought there is a potential parallel piste to the Del Colle
What about extending the Betteforca chair down, or is that just plain stupid? You know the area much better than I.
Although a link from the Colle to Alpe Mandria top would reduce some of the traffic load.
Ah but don't get rid of the Belvedere, the fun of shuffling forward at the last moment so that your fellow traveller gets the wack in the back of the legs, and you get to do it on the way back. It's like the Col Sarezza run everyone has to do it
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Poster: A snowHead
