 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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le foutoir.....
but not a surprise. The alpine roads normally function OK because they are good at clearing them but also, critically, because traffic is very light. Cars travel obediently at slow speed in convoys behind ploughs which on a bad day are on the road constantly - even in my little rural culdesac we probably get 3 before 10 am on a bad day. People stop in some awkward places to put chains on, but you can get round, there's spare space. Breakdown trucks can reach disabled vehicles. The ploughs can keep going.
But if a few inches of snow falls on exceptionally busy roads - even moderately flat ones - chaos is predictable and probably unavoidable if vast numbers take to the roads at much the same time, to go much the same way.
The snow was forecast, the traffic was forecast, advice for avoiding it was clear.......
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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 forecast was for late morning, and despite close on 30 weeks in the Alps there is still one force of nature I have yet to deal with.... The chalet owner who refuses a handover any earlier than 0800. Usually pretty good, but new apartment this year and she was NOT budging. Add in one passenger with a fresh ACL and a driver with an ear and throat infection running on snatched sleep and we were on no position to go sooner. Friday night I wasn't even sure I would be able to do the drive on Saturday, my ears hurt that much.
As it was if we're been 15 minutes earlier we might have just nipped through ahead of the closure.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@NoDosh, you had a miserable journey, as did my niece, whose planned were foiled not by an awkward landlord but a last minute injury. Very sorry about your wife's injury too.
But it's not irrelevant hindsight it's constantly repeated advice here, and applies in these very busy weeks regardless of the weather. You might find it irrelevant but that doesn't make it wrong. Yes, the snow came in some hours earlier than forecast, but that's not unusual and in many places there seems to have been less than forecast, too.
I'm not smug - I would hate to have to do these half term journeys and have said that if I had no other opportunity to ski I'd take up another hobby. I also acknowledged there's a lot of luck involved - I said it was sheer luck I got up the hill at New Year just before the Beaufort road was closed for some hours. Normally I'd not have been out on the road that day at all but son had a work commitment in the Tarentaise - if it had just been a recreational/ski jolly my car would have stayed in the garage.
Lots of people come on snowheads asking for advice about half term driving and the message is always the same. If you can't leave very early, or prefer not to, the answer is to leave very late - not a panacea, there is no foolproof way of doing it.
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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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Left Bourg @ 6 AM
A little slow to Moutiers, but claer all the way. 9 hours to Calais
Coming up from Chambery, road got very aquaplany, but winter tyres and 4WD kept things happy.
As we got to where the A40 joins near Bourg En bresse, lots of cars emerging covered in snow (about 830 or so) and it was snowing heavily there.
Thought at that moment "God we were lucky"
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi Pam, sorry, I realised how snippy my remark was as soon as I hit "submit" so edited it - not soon enough - apologies for that. Sleep deprivation....
As posted on the previous page we were prepared for getting stuck with plenty of fuel, food and drink. We were also prepared for going off the Autoroute but the warning came over the radio and flashed up on the signs after Jn10, which was our last opportunity to double back and cut back through Switzerland. 10 or 15 minutes earlier would have been very different. I'm not complaining about the experience - there was quite a decent atmosphere despite the vile weather.
For a whole variety of reasons, leaving later wasn't going to be an option as we needed to be back here in Dorset for Sunday morning. Would have dearly loved to leave on Friday night but the pain in my ears was so intense it was making me dizzy. I only posted about my 6 hours as people were asking for accounts of what happened. It wasn't the end of the world as we were well prepped for it. Had circumstances allowed an earlier depart I would have taken it - I usually leave Les Contamines either 06:00 or 18:00 depending on travel plans and haven't had any issues in near 30 trips there. This just wasn't going to be one of those trips unfortunately.
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@NoDosh, you can leave my apartment at any time you like up until 10am, or even the night before if you wish, but you have to expect that if you leave early, my apartment manager may not be able to be there to check you out, and for that to cause a delay in returning your damage deposit. We have arrangements in place so that keys can be left without anyone physically being there.
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the 2 apartments we usually use operate a key drop and bank transfer or destroy the paper credit card slip. just unfortunate that this time we got stuck with "non" and cash.
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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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Left arc 1950 at 0500 yesterday and was at the tunnel by 1530. Wed paid for a flexiplus which took us two hours to get through, twice that of the standard queues. But that's a separate thread right there! Friends left la plagne at 1030 yesterday after a leisurely breakfast and are just at the tunnel now! Ouch
,
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@skribble, I hate to tell you this now (and I found out the hard way myself), but if you're Flexiplus you can check in at ANY check in, not just the ones labelled Flexiplus, so just pick the shortest queue. Once you're through passport/security checks then just go into the Flexiplus lane to go to the 'lounge' and pick up your goodies.
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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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@NoDosh, as someone who has also suffered a rancid ear infection, I know how miserable it is. Right up there on the misery metre
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You know it makes sense.
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I would definitely grade it above "mildly irksome" and just below "your scrotum just ate your legs and now fancies your liver for afters"
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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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@NoDosh, were you able to see anybody to get medication for it? Sounds horrible. I haven't had an ear infection in many a long year but looked after some very unhappy kids with it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I was given some super strength anti inflammatories that reduced the pressure but had to be careful as I'm allergic to NSAIDS. Didn't need to use my EpiPens but 48 hours later my chest still looks like a 19th century map of the British empire - large swathes of red causing intense local irritation.
I know..... If I were a dog my owners would have had me out down by now 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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large swathes of red causing intense local irritation.
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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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@NoDosh,
sounds very grim all round - condolences
did see your disco next door last week but didn't bump into you. Sounds like you've had your hands full!
We are just debating whether or not to book early flights or drive next feb half term. You're experience gives me pause but I think we'll drive but probably leave 5pm on the Sat and drive through.
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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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@jedster, You mean all my parading naked in the bathroom with the shutters thrown open (not a euphemism) was to no avail? Goshdarnit!
Even if my daughter doesn't make the ballot for her school trip in 2016, I'm not putting myself through that again - she'll be contracting viral duck face (symptoms: suspicious tan on nose and lower face, lasts about a week) in late Jan or early March.
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FAQ
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