 Poster: A snowHead
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Well, whatever the snow conditions, I'm just looking forward to some time off work, and relaxing in the mountains. I'm of course hoping there’s good snow to have fun on, but right now I'm just really looking forward to a holiday! I'm sure there will be enough to do something with (I've got plenty of drills I need to find time to practice), even if it’s not full time off-piste powder skiing 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@queen bodecia, ah so I was right you do also have somewhere you rent out in the Alps. Good to know as I can cross you of the list of having anything useful to say on here!
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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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@Millom, I'm a graphic designer from Derbyshire. I'm a holiday skier just like you. I don't own any property in the Alps.
The difference is I'm a happy person who looks forward to my precious skiing holidays whilst totally understanding that there are no guarantees with weather and snow conditions. Moaning about poor snow makes no difference to the weather whatsoever. However, being positive and enjoying your holiday whatever the conditions is a good way to ensure you make the most of your time off work.
We have plenty of on the ground information here to keep us informed with the changing Alpine conditions. I remember the days when our only information was Ceefax updated once a week.
Anyway, I've said enough, if you want to be Mr/Ms Miserable, go right ahead, not my problem...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Millom wrote: |
| @davidof, have you been over to Alpe d'Huez recently (or do you plan to next week)? Also do you have any idea whether there will be deals on lift passes if there are limited slopes open? Is there any indication of this in the resorts around Grenoble? |
No, a friend ruptured her knee ligaments on the opening day at ADH slipping on icy snow and it rather put me off.
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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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@davidof, sorry to hear that. Would be great to continue to hear your views on conditions over the next few weeks and longer. It is good and necessary to get the views from the likes of Pam_w and yourself so that people making decisions on holidays can do so with reliable information. Posting videos like you've done is even better!
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Mon 14-12-15 14:59; edited 1 time in total
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Ah, I remember the days when the first and only indication of snow conditions was via the rep on the bus heading to the resort. Even though you were only a few hours from finding out for yourself, they still managed to embellish things. Snowmaking was a distant dream so we just kind of got smashed.
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| Pruman wrote: |
| Ah, I remember the days when the first and only indication of snow conditions was via the rep on the bus heading to the resort. Even though you were only a few hours from finding out for yourself, they still managed to embellish things. Snowmaking was a distant dream so we just kind of got smashed. |
Yeah the only question everyone had for the rep was "is there any snow?" .And the answer would be something that wasn't an outright lie like " I went up a week ago last Wednesday and had fun". Hire shops in town would still have bikes out. Distinctly remember a Xmas in Morillion like that.
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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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I can say with some confidence that it will snow on the 22/12, as this is the day I'm driving to the Alps. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Would someone kindly explain what I should be looking for on these nice little coloured things? Thank you.
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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'm looking at webcams, I'm seeing white and I'm seeing people skiing. What's not to like? Perfect knee-high powder conditions it ain't, but it's definitely snow.
[/quote]
we fly out tomorrow and can't wait to hit the slopes [quote]
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@peter w,
Middle (and left axis) is the temperature at certain height [someone can give exact details]
Bottom (and right axis) is the precipitation (snow/rain) and area under the lines is what is of interest not just their height [someone can give exact details]
Red thick line is the average temp over x number of years [someone can give exact details]
Thick white line is the average for all the alternatives
Otherwise the rest of the lines are just different alternatives as to how things may pan out.
Graph above for Alpe d'huez would indicate not much precipitation and high temps.
The other 2 charts would indicate possible rain around on 17th at lower altitudes/snow at higher ones [someone could maybe give a more precise level for this] and also higher than average temps.
Closer lines mean more agreement. You'll see on the left side of the graph that this happens more often. The right side will have bigger differences/outliers as things are more unclear.
Last edited by 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  on Mon 14-12-15 15:37; edited 2 times in total
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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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[b]@Millom Many thanks
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Millom, are the reports for resort level?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Millom, your diatribe against @rob@rar is completely unjustified. But it's true that the snow conditions now are not a good guide to snow conditions in two weeks time. And snow conditions a month ago are an even poorer guide. I was skiing in Tignes in early November and conditions were superb.
My niece was in St Anton last Christmas - they had 11 runs open, as did Les Saisies. Conditions in both resorts were crap, frankly, with the few open pistes hard and crowded. They had a good holiday in St anton thanks to a terrific chalet host (who had nobody else to look after as everyone had cancelled!) and we had a good holiday in Les Saisies. But it wasn't really worth skiing, really - and my niece and family, all experienced, had some bad falls in St Anton, on icy slopes, before calling it a day and just eating and drinking for the last two days. None of my French neighbours in Les Saisies were skiing last Christmas - the slopes were really pretty dangerous, especially for anyone with small kids.
We need to accept that we can't control the weather and resolve to make the best of a holiday in the mountains. But if people have a choice between going for a week now, or for a week later, it makes sense to take that decision. It annoys me when people make the trite comment that a week in the mountains is better than a week in the office. Of course it is. Even a week of eating and drinking too much and watching Christmas TV is better than a week in the office (if only marginally). But that's not the decision most people are making.
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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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@Liam, Not the best to ask for specifics in terms details and of rain/snow levels. It really all depends on the resorts and their height (the charts represent the same base details which is why average temp is lower in the east than west).
Very basic understanding would say a resort like Obergurgl in Austria could do ok/well on the 17th Jan but somewhere lower such as Skiwelt could be hit by bad rain. Time will tell I guess?!
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 14-12-15 16:14; edited 2 times in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| pam w wrote: |
@Millom, your diatribe against @rob@rar is completely unjustified. But it's true that the snow conditions now are not a good guide to snow conditions in two weeks time. And snow conditions a month ago are an even poorer guide. I was skiing in Tignes in early November and conditions were superb.
My niece was in St Anton last Christmas - they had 11 runs open, as did Les Saisies. Conditions in both resorts were crap, frankly, with the few open pistes hard and crowded. They had a good holiday in St anton thanks to a terrific chalet host (who had nobody else to look after as everyone had cancelled!) and we had a good holiday in Les Saisies. But it wasn't really worth skiing, really - and my niece and family, all experienced, had some bad falls in St Anton, on icy slopes, before calling it a day and just eating and drinking for the last two days. None of my French neighbours in Les Saisies were skiing last Christmas - the slopes were really pretty dangerous, especially for anyone with small kids.
We need to accept that we can't control the weather and resolve to make the best of a holiday in the mountains. But if people have a choice between going for a week now, or for a week later, it makes sense to take that decision. It annoys me when people make the trite comment that a week in the mountains is better than a week in the office. Of course it is. Even a week of eating and drinking too much and watching Christmas TV is better than a week in the office (if only marginally). But that's not the decision most people are making. |
Ive just realised why we are all getting tetchy and bitching at each other - its not because of the lack of snow - its because we haven't had the annual Nixmap thread to keep us entertained. Somebody be a jolly good snowhead and send a PM to wake them up
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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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| Quote: |
It annoys me when people make the trite comment that a week in the mountains is better than a week in the office. Of course it is.
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It annoys me when people take an obvious gamble (like booking an early season ski holiday in advance) then start whingeing incessently if it doesn't work out exactly as they'd hoped.
But without the 'trite' optimists and the 'whingeing' pessimists repeating the same things year in year out where would snowheads be?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Liam, These relate to approx 1500m above sea level.
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| Millom wrote: |
| @davidof, sorry to hear that. Would be great to continue to hear your views on conditions over the next few weeks and longer. It is good and necessary to get the views from the likes of Pam_w and yourself so that people making decisions on holidays can do so with reliable information. Posting videos like you've done is even better! |
I will post another this week when I have time. I'm not totally sure what I'm doing. I've got free lift passes for Courchevel this weekend for the world cup races but not sure I will go over there. Pam is right that dry and warm is much better than warm and wet though.
Although temperatures are warm the sun is very weak this time of the year and the snow only really softens in the afternoon, if at all. I've skied some spring snow and some powder over the last days but you've got to be on the right slopes at the right time.
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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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Sorry - too busy skiing great snow on the 2 Glaciers in the Espace Killy and some good slopes lower down to look at the weather forecast for beyond Friday! 
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But strangely that's not what the Les Arcs website says... and round in circles we go with the same old misinformation!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@rob@rar, I am really unsure who, of you and Queen B, is the least likely to be pimping anything.
Chill folks, the snow will come.....(eventually!)
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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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@rob@rar, your right though. I went to tignes new year week last season. Conditions were shocking at this point then. There was a really decent dump (remember the closed roads etc) the week before crimbo which saved christmas for most but by new year it was icy and bare(ish) again.
One things for sure - snow will arrive and as long as that snow lands in Italy before the prebb ill be happy (please not on transfer day!)
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@Millom, that's because - as he said - it's the Hintertux Glacier.
If you want to be grumpy, then fine, but don't take it out on other people. @rob@rar has done literally nothing other than spell out what conditions are like at present where he is - and he's hardly bigging them up either. You're new here, but if you'd spent more time on the forum and read more of his posts, you'd realise that he's one of the most genuinely helpful and honest people on here.
Maybe go drink a beer/get laid then come back, re-read the thread, and think about whether you owe him an apology...
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Personally icy pistes hold zero appeal to me, so I haven't been skiing in a couple of weeks (lovely t-shirt weather for hiking last weekend though). If piste skiing is your thing, there's plenty of open and skiable pistes around here atm.
Last edited by 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 on Mon 14-12-15 16:55; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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clarky999, Quote from rob@rar: "Most of the pistes above 1800m in Les Arcs are open."
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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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@Millom, you really are an armchair warrior, aren't you?
Just about all the pistes in the Arc 2000 bowl are open, and some pistes that are closed (according to the resort website) are completely tracked out with plenty of people skiing them. Terrain between the pistes is well tracked-out, but some pockets of untracked snow seem to be available. The Villager sector isn't open (but I don't think it ever plans to open in the week before Christmas). All the key pistes above Arc 1800 are open, so you can travel around easily. "Duplicate" pistes (which start and finish in the same place as other pistes) aren't open (but they usually aren't this week). I didn't ski towards Arc 1600, but the main Cachette piste is open and looks in decent condition, so skiing to/from that village is OK. I didn't get to Vallandry either, but all the lifts are open and all the key pistes also open according to the indicator board that I saw early afternoon. No idea about piste conditions there.
For those who want to see some photos (not mine) from around Les Arcs you can take a look at conditions from the last couple of days on the Facebook group.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Millom wrote: |
| clarky999, Quote from rob@rar: "Most of the pistes above 1800m in Les Arcs are open." |
Just out of interest, have you ever skied Les Arcs?
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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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So which of the blacks into the main Arc bowl are open? There are what about 10 of them at a guess, all quite long.
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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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@milmom get a life you miserable tw@ yes conditions may be fair to crap but its a lot better than being at work or just in dank miserable England at the moment. It's a good job it never rains or is cloudy in summer holiday destinations. Not everyone has a motive some just would like to be positive and happy. Just glad I can afford to go away skiing vast majority of people can not. So neither go and enjoy it or just s0d off elsewhere
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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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@pan_w, exactly
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Millom wrote: |
| So which of the blacks into the main Arc bowl are open? There are what about 10 of them at a guess, all quite long. |
Varet, Aiguille Rouge, and Bios de l'Ours (sp?) lifts are al open, so all the steeper terrain in to the Arc 2000 bowl has been skied from what I could see. Tracks everywhere.
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| pam w wrote: |
Nice picture of Hintertux, but you'd expect good skiing up on a glacier rob@rar. If conditions were poor at Hintertux and the Grand Motte we'd all definitely be doomed.  |
Sure. As I always recommend, if you book a holiday at the very beginning or the very end of the season it's wise to choose a resort with access to high terrain. Skiing on piste above 2500m in Tux was very good last week. Firm, grippy snow for the most part, especially in the mornings. Resorts lower down the valley were looking grim, with narrow ribbons of snow on pistes to the valley floor. But if you went high there was great piste skiing.
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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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As someone who has skied a lot at Christmas and the first half of April in recent years (due to have school age children and a wife who struggles to get half term off) I will say this:
I have some sympthay with what Millom says - though not with their grumpy tone. I also understand the "it's better than being in the office" missive. But, somewhat ironically a friend of mine who says that most often was declining to look at ski holidays right now because he is finding the conditions and forecasts uninspiring. Truth of the matter is if you book in advance for whatever reason you are stuck with it but it doesn't to my mind stop you being a bit disappointed. Just like if you go on a camping weekend and it ends up being wet. Being out of the office is great but eh I get limited time out of the office so it would be nice if I could make the most of it!!
I would feel happier this year if it wasn't falling immediately after a very poor show last Christmas. That was thought to be a once in ~25 year thing but it's actually looking quite similar.
Anyhow, I am trying to remain optimistic - we are heading to Paradiski this coming weekend - and hoping at the very least there is a dump early next week but I have some sympathy with those with their spirits a little dampened.
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Aiguille Rouge doesn't go into the bowl and it not really a black (in skiing terms and part of piste), maybe you can confirm anything black actually into the bowl tomorrow? Not convinced by Bios de l'Ours and which piste is Varet? Comborciere would be more likely than most.
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FAQ
- If robs aim was to paint a pretty picture to get the punters in, I can't see it lasting long as we are a ruthless lot on here (sometimes) and it wouldn't take long to discredit him (Ill leave that to anyone who has stories of him 
