 Poster: A snowHead
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On the trip: me old bloke, 40 something wife, son 10, daughter 8.
DIY by car to S/C apartment in Les Coches.
The journey out: Even though we were setting on Good Friday, so no work/school, for various reasons we decided against setting out early, doing some sight seeing on the way, stopping somewhere overnight et al. Instead we had booked an 8pm crossing and were driving overnight. So a comfortable packing day made slightly more complicated by daughter having a fever only a couple of weeks after her brother had Scarlet Fever. Attempts to get some pre-emptive antibiotics proved fruitless. Symptoms suggested it was more likely a normal fever so we went without rather than missing the ferry. We opted for ferry this time because the tunnel prices seeming to be increasing above inflation + we're a bit low on Clubcard points. The port at Dover was choked up although fortunately we took the A2 rather the A20 so only suffered at the actual port itself. Seemed to us the ticket booths were simply taking an age to get people through. We spent a couple of hours queuing. Very poor IMO. Having left plenty of time and having had a traffic free journey down we still made our 8pm ferry. Whenever we take the ferry we seem to be really unlucky with the order of unloading. This time we were the last but one car off! There was some dense fog on the way down but it didn't hinder us unduly and we made it to the Geant in Albertville at 8:45 shortly after opening. We filled up with diesel, wine, beer, meat, etc and headed up the mountain arriving in resort around 11.30am.
Check in and first afternoon: The agency was open and we were able to do the paperwork but the keys weren't available. I took the decision to go skiing. This irked the missus because I hadn't told her I might do this and because she had packed she had to dig around to find the necessary gear. It cost me 40E even though it was after midday which seemed steep. But the sun was shining and I really fancied blasting the long drive off on the slopes. I stuck to La Plagne but had a good old ride around getting back to base ~ 5pm. The rest of the gang had got the apartment keys at 2pm. The children had spent some time digging in the snow and sledging while my good lady had sorted out a fair amount of the unpacking, bed making, etc.
Conditions on the hill on arrival: It was clear that the winter had been a good one in terms of snow depth but that more recently there had been a dry spell. You'd have to do some proper off piste, probably hiking, skinning to find anything worthy of the name powder. But the slopes had help up really well and pretty much everything was open, even to lower levels.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sunny Saturday above Les Coches
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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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On Sunday the wife suggested she and daughter have a slower start to the day. Not that me and matey boy were particularly hot out of the traps. But we did rip it up at a fair pace once we were out. It was a fair bit more cloudy though visibility was decent enough. We retraced my steps from yesterday to a point... skiing off piste under or around the Crozats chair before heading back up and then into La Plagne proper via the canyon between the Arpette and St Jacques pistes. We went up Colosses and down over to Plagne Centre. One advantage of the recent dry spell is all the little next to the piste jumps are well defined and set up. Great for a 10yo to get some play air. We then headed up Becoin and the Cretes drag skiing off left and the steep off piste next to the black run. Not too bad as it goes, though getting crunchier and less fun the further down you went. We then headed back up Becoin, went right down the piste before cutting left into the off piste just above the big ship at 2000. There was almost a bit of powder there. We met some friends briefly, one of which told us a terrible story of seeing someone buried and watching the failed rescue from his balcony. Thankfully, kind of, the off piste conditions are about as benign as they can be on this day. Anyhow laddo had lost his pole basket on the way down. So we retraced our steps and found it before lapping around and this time heading further off piste until merging back in at the bottom of Le Coqs and then on down to the bottom of La Rocha. By now the weather was closing in and some light snow was coming down, so we headed back over to our home slopes and the improved visibility off the trees above Les Coches were we spent the last couple of hours dossing about on or near to the likes of Le Murs and Esselet. All very quiet and enjoyable. Whilst mum and daughter hadn't got out until early lunchtime they did a good 4+ hour session and had a great afternoons skier. Mum reported daughter was skiing really nicely parallel the whole time. Weather forecast is for a couple of cloudy, snowish days.
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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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Laddo heading home above Les Coches late on Sundayin Snowy conditions
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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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@Layne, looks quiet. Many people around?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Monster Jenga stack Sunday night!
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Early afternoon Monday - not at it's heaviest but a bit of whiteout
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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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Layne, very impressive Jenga stack 
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| telford_mike wrote: |
| @Layne, looks quiet. Many people around? |
Typically there is a bit of "bunching" at the big intersections and main routes but you don't have to venture too far too find a bit of solitude. And of course when the weather is more inclement some folk tend to bail out. Skiing late yesterday afternoon a lot of the time we had the piste to ourselves.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Missus reports a fine days skiing. They spent a lot of time in the trees. Inevitably the relatively small amount of fresh on top of a very compacted or crusty base made for interesting skiing at times. But no complaints.
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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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Really glad your doing a live TR as we are heading out to Montchavin arriving Saturday for 2 weeks!! Hoping there is not too much rain lower down 
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| Gilly28 wrote: |
| Really glad your doing a live TR as we are heading out to Montchavin arriving Saturday for 2 weeks!! Hoping there is not too much rain lower down |
Whiteoutish conditions first thing. Mixture of snow and rain down at Les Coches. You can still ski to Montchavin no proble. Expecting another mixed day weatherwise.
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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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The powder this morning was fantastic in places. We headed up Crozats and then turned left half way down the Marmottes piste to put in some really nice S's all the way down until we joined the bottom of the Malatray piste and the bottom of the Bauches chairlift. We went round again a couple of times. By the third time it was warming up and becoming a little more cludgy. Originally I'd been with son but we'd been joined by wife and daughter. We had a quick lunch at the top of Carroley chair lift and then we skied down and left off piste which was again fantastic and then down into the stream gulley down towards Les Coches which is great fun and a very natural setting. During this run our daughter had a diarrhea and an impromptu undressing was required. Later we joked about some of the sh!tty pistes we'd suffered. Again the weather closed in a little and we spent the rest of the afternoon dossing about. There were periods of snow and it was generally dull.
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Poster: A snowHead
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This mornings epic powder
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Stream valley down to Les Coches
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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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As forecast there was snow today and a fair bit more sun. After yesterdays on slope "needing a toilet" issues daughter went to the docs to get some medicines. She was advised to stay in the hut so me and the wife did a half day each with our son. I got the morning shift and we were on the lift at 9.15. We skied straight down from the top of Plan Bois to the Vanoise. The piste was excellent. Firm but with a bit of grip. Definitely not a day to be languishing in your pit. Once on the other side it was straight down to Derby and then off the side with a bit of chopped up powder down to the Transarc mid-station and then over to the 2000 bowl. We skied off piste to the right of Arcubulle if you are looking up the mountain. The snow was in great condition there. I missed the turn off to the Arcabulle so decided to go up Bois De L'Ours which in hindsight was always going to be a bust given the altitude and aspect. Now having to think about returning for the lunchtime swap over we did the off piste from the top of the Arcabulle again before heading back to Les Coches for the wife to come out. After a lazy lunch, tea and a nap I'm now drinking some Mort Subite White Lambic which is a real special beer. Pip Pip. Photos to follow!
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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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Even a bad day in the mountains is better than a good day in the office. That said, today wasn't anything to write home about. The snow was another day older, the temperature another degree or two warmer, the wind a little gustier up top and the sky a little bit greyer. On top of which there were a few lift niggles. We headed straight for Les Arcs to find the VE one gondola down and so a bit of a wait. The Transarc was having a few glitches. The off piste was no good. The Aguille Rouge and Grand Col were both shut because of high winds (as was the Bellecote Glacier). We skied the Lanches black in poor vis. It was a test for sure but reasonably enjoyable. We then went down to the Comborciere chair skied the Malgovert and Mont Blanc pistes, then headed back across to Le Derby to meet wife and daughter for picnic lunch. We headed up to the Snowpark mid-afternoon and it was rammed. I guess given the conditions on the mountain folks were stuck for something to do! We didn't spend long there but just headed back over to the Les Coches whereupon me and daughter bailed out, while the wife and son skied until the lifts shut.
Forecast is for more of the same but we'll stay over the La Plagne side tomorrow and fine some fun pistes, side jumps and gullies to have fun with.
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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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There doesn't seem much snow due until end of next week and that is so far off it may not happen. So hoping we have some decent skiing when we arrive Sat. A long drive from Glasgow and a first for our friends going at this time, and hoping they'll want to do it again.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Today was a great day although after a fairly late games session last night (Uno and The Settlers of Catan) I had trouble getting the wife and children up and out. There was a fair bit of light cloud - mostly lower down. But visibility was generally good and there was plenty of sunshine later in the day. Piste skiing was pretty good spring time stuff. The off piste was becoming quite high risk with the rise in temp and there were numerous visible natural slides.
We headed straight up Plan Bois/Bijolin/Salla and over down through Belle Plagne to get Colosses up and then on and over into Centre. Up Rochette. At the top they were doing ice sculptures and we met up with an old ski buddy of mine and his twin older teenage sons. We skied a couple of slopes together. We did a stack of jump filming. We then headed up Becoin and skied down to his apartment at Aime were we had tea in his apartment with our lunch. We then head back round and up Becoin and skied the black Morbleu which was a great slush mogul run. It's a nice area away from the main buildings and crowds. We skied to the bottom of La Roche and went back up and down to take Colorado and then Verdon Nord. The pistes higher up were nice to ski and we headed down and then through the canyon above Centre. We then headed back via Bergerie/Arpette. Skiing down through down under the Bijolin chair the shallow off piste was just the right consistency to feel a bit like powder. We enjoyed it so much we got Pierre Blanches back up and another go. We then went down Murs, etc. The kids have now gone out snowboarding using the Telebuffette to get up the home slope. The elder and fairly experienced boarder is teaching the younger.
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Great reports @Layne, thanks for sharing.
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Cloudy start to Friday
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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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View of Les Coches square.
We are staying in the ground floor apartment, first left of the restaurant where there is a little white square sign on the wall and a table and bench outside. Front left is the "ice rink" (plastic not real ice) which is popular with small children. My son had a blast. Cost is only 2 Euros. I am taking the picture from the Plan Bois chair lift entrance.
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Valley Clouds
Looking from L'Arpette north to Les Coches, Bourg, etc.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Parapenter off the back of Grand Rochette
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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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Making ice sculptures
Top of Grand Rochette
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View of Etroits - piste natur
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You know it makes sense.
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Ava debris
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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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As reported elsewhere Saturday wasn't the best of days due to high winds. On the way over to La Plagne things were breezy but pleasant enough - though we noticed Crozats was not running. As expected it was quiet and we strolled onto the Roche De Mio bubble and skied Sources before heading back up the Les Blanches chairlift to do a family ski cross race and then back up the Cold De Forcle for a run down through the snowpark. We then noticed they'd closed Les Blanches and on going over to Plagne Centre we noticed they'd closed most lifts down aside from the Rochette cable car and the lower link lifts. After a quick lunchbreak we headed up Rochette and with the state of play decided to head back down to Arpette and then back over into the Les Coches sector. With the high temps the snow was sticky so we opted for a couple of rounds of piste skiing, side jumps and tricks and flicks. Before finishing at 4pm, getting changed, repacking the car and heading out for the overnight drive back to blighty. Overall a pretty decent week. As often the case there was a window of opportunity for some real great powder conditions that you had to be alert to and then a general mishmash. More reflection midweek and hopefully some vid footage. But we all made it home safe and sound!
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