 Poster: A snowHead
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Couldn't see an active thread so starting a new one. Am in Montgenevre for the week and glad to report that there is snow here. Was very anxious before we came as it hadn't snowed for weeks but they have been hard at work making snow where they can.
Montgenevre currently has 9 lifts and 15 runs open, ie all the ones they have cannons on. Most resorts nearby are closed or very limited. Claviere is closed, Sestriere has 5 runs open, Sauze has 4, Bardonecchia has 4.
The resort is very quiet as most of the French cancelled bookings. The resort has done a fantastic job getting so much up and running - we are feeling very lucky. All the closed slopes are actually brown so the contrast is huge.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Glad youre managing to enjoy it! Im out that way in the last week of January so have been keeping an eye on it. Make the most of it, enjoy the scenery and the general relaxing week if its pretty quiet out there.
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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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Am off to Pragelato on Sunday, any idea how they're doing? The fact that Sestriere has some runs open is good news!
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Hi, we're heading out in a few days so thanks for the update and reassurance! What are the piste conditions like? Is the snow hard/soft? Bare patches?
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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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Our children are in lunchtime lessons so we have only skiied 12:30-2:30. The pistes are all fine but very cut up by the time we get out, with icy patches and lots of bumps by about 1:30ish. I suppose they are nicer to ski on first thing, as you'd expect but we're all enjoying it and my daughter's due to go on her first red tomorrow afternoon.
There aren't bare patches on the runs, just a few starting to show on the nursery slope next to the magic carpet. All the runs that are open are definitely skiable and they are doing an amazing job with it all.
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No idea about Pragelato, sorry!
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Stef88 and carettam - have a lovely time when you get here!
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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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Thanks for your info. We had low expectations but have been impressed with how good the pistes are considering the lack of natural snow and warm temps. We've had a great first day skiing sugary snow in sunshine. More pistes open then expected, of all grading, and in good condition in the morning but yes getting busy and cut up in the afternoon.
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Carettam, or anyone at Via Lattea, could you give us an update about the conditions there?
I'm going to Pragelato on January 17th, with many beginners, and I would like to know what to expect on the worst case scenario (no snow until there).
Thanks!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Carettam, or anyone at Via Lattea, could you give us an update about the conditions there?
I'm going to Pragelato on January 17th, with many beginners, and I would like to know what to expect on the worst case scenario (no snow until there).
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Cant help you out as im not there but perhaps wait a few more days before deciding your uptions as at least 20 cm is forecast over the next week! Unfortunately not as much as the western alps but that is normal! Looks like all january skiers will get a fair amount of skiing in, maybe not tip top but better than December!
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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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Huge difference! It was all green/brown, now it is white!
I hope conditions in Milky Way keep improving!
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You know it makes sense.
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Anyone out there this week able to update? Seems like a maximum of 20 cm has fallen over the new year weekend including last night. Not enough to open up many more of the pistes Im guessing?!?! Seems like another 10-20 cm is forecast during the week but not significant amounts.
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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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Cheers for that! Yep im there the week after you hence keeping tabs on it. Still a few weeks to get our game changing dump!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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First time to VL, Any ideas if the link piste from Sauze to Sestriere have snow cannons on or the linking piste relies purely on natural 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'm off to Sauze on the 9th and am just happy that it now looks a bit more like a ski resort in winter! There are a few runs in Sauze available and buses to the nearby resorts if required. It sounds like a few more runs will be opened over the next few days - hopefully more if the snow continues.
I'm no expert but as soon as it got to a week to go for me I knew there would be little chance of a fully open area by the time I get there. It must take a few weeks of decent snow and bashing to get the base required to cover up bare ground.
My biggest worry is that it will be horribly busy on what limited skiing there is. On the up side I will be in the Alps in Italy and not in a dismal UK! Bring on the pasta, panini, coffee, wine and beer - if I get some skiing in as well then even better!
I'll try and post a report on current conditions after a few days there.
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| stef88 wrote: |
| First time to VL, Any ideas if the link piste from Sauze to Sestriere have snow cannons on or the linking piste relies purely on natural snow? |
The link is via a long bubble. You can't ski from one to the other.
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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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@@sequoiaboard, Ok thanks-presumably that will only open when one can use the pistes either side of that bubble then? Hard to work it out from the messy VL piste map!
@@japes1275, Enjoy it! Forecast looks like it should provide more openings in a weeks time for you too. Also bear in mind early January is one of the quietest times to ski (unless the Italians have different holidays to the French) so hopefully it shouldnt be too busy!
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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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thanks @sequoiaboard, webcams look very nice this morning though still only a hanful of pistes open.
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So it looks like two small storms coming in this week, one tomorrow and one over the weekend. The first is likely to be rain on the lower slopes which is not great news but the weekend storm looks pretty promising as temperatures have dropped by then. Fingers crossed for us all!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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 Generaly question for those that have been here before. Does anyone know usually what the snow depth/quality has to be before opening of the link from Sauze Doulx to the other resorts? I read from someone else that they wont open it unless they get another metre (i.e. 140 cm of snow using yesterdays detph). That sounds ridiculous bearing in mind most resorts are fully open once piste depths get greater than 75 cm.
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You know it makes sense.
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Don't know the definitive answer to your question - but would have thought 10cms would be enough !
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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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I can't understand it either. Surely, the links between the resorts would be obvious places to put snow cannons. It doesn't look as if they are going to get that kind of snow any time soon.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Glad im not the only one that cant grasp it. I agree about the cannons but maybe when Im there I will understand it all a bit more. The guy who does the Sauzeonline facebook page seems to think a lot more could open up after the snow forecast on Monday/Tuesday. Hopefully that also means the links. It looks like we should get a minimum of 25-30 cm over the next 4 days, but could be more if the forecasts dont lie! That would put the snow depths at the top close to a metre and at the bottom over 50 cm - surely enough to open up most slopes!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@stef88, we've skied there fine on less than that ^ and all the links were open
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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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@NE1, cheers for the confidence! I assume the Sauze online rep means another 50 cm of snow to open everything then (give or take). Looking forward to skiing the Sauze/Sans area as the tree lined pistes look lovely!
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I'm pretty sure that just because there might be 30cm of snow that it doesn't mean it's going to add 30cm to the depths quoted on piste. Imagine a grassy slope (like they were a week or so ago) and 30cm of snow falls, one run over with a piste basher is going to make that more like 10cm, not enough to cover the undulations. I suspect you need either a massive 1m plus dump or quite a few medium ones to get things started.
Looking at a few forecasts it looks like they are unsure of what the next week holds snow wise. As I'm off out there tomorrow morning I guess I'm in for a week of making do with what is open with a few days of potential no skiing due to snow falling thrown in.
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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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Aye I suspect youre right. Have fun! At least you will get some soft powder to ski on. Give us a live update please if you have any free time 
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| Quote: |
30cm of snow falls, one run over with a piste basher is going to make that more like 10cm
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i'm out there last week of Jan too for first visit to VL and starting to get nervous/excited/worried about whether next week will bring enough to open the area properly. Less than 10% of the Milky Way is open at the minute BUT I've seen some amazing snow farming elsewhere - bulldozing vast amounts of snow from meadows onto pistes, moving it by trucks, even helicopters to keep a linking piste open. That doesnt seem to be happening yet in VL - surface too warm as yet? Staff on zero hour contracts sent home? Hopefully with the forecast of proper cold next week and some fresh snow the lift company can start to work some magic on the pistes (though not sure I've much hope now for anything off piste) - just in time for us to get there. Best of luck to those out earlier than that too.
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| stef88 wrote: |
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Aye I suspect youre right. Have fun! At least you will get some soft powder to ski on. Give us a live update please if you have any free time |
I'll try and post a couple of updates as the week goes by - hopefully the ViaLattea WiFi will be more reliable than their snowmaking!
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sauzeonline on facebook is posting regularly, more opening tomorrow, and after the next dump, more opening again... I think last week in January, you will be pleasantly surprised.
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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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Keeping an eye on this. Sauze picking up now with 27 out of 69 lifts open compared to only 4 yesterday.
10cm added to the lower slopes to make 30. Though it's still warm and after the last dump the lower depth actually went down!
It's all pathetic though compared to what it should be or even has been on the worst years, but forecasts are looking better for the area finally.
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@deadkenny, I can't see 27 lifts open in sauze according to the vialattea website there are going to be 5 lifts and 11 runs open tomorrow. Several of those runs are basically the same run 11a,b &c. There are 27 lifts running throughout the vialattea but without the links being opened they are useless to someone staying in Sauze. Looking at the charts there is some snow due this weekend and maybe a few cm on Thurs after that I can't see much else. Hope that I am wrong as we will be out there next Saturday.
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