Poster: A snowHead
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This is an annual question from me.
Really hoping to to be told that snow making for Prarion will be installed this autumn but I haven't heard anything further since the news that a deal was signed with the WWF.
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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TéléNendaz and Téléveysonnaz lift companies merger is going ahead or rather, it's got through the main approval stage, but I don't see this making much difference for another year at least. Some of the major shareholders seem concerned and have put up legal objections, but the latest have been rejected.
Swiss airline is flying London City to Sion February 2017 - see the Thread on this.
I think that it will be a long time before anything is done at Prarion. Which is a shame as the new replacement gondola from Siviez to Plan du Fou is great: we used it a number of times last season, but only to do the runs back to Siviez. The PdF télécabine is getting older and older and surely will need replacing soon? The obvious approach would be to replace the drag lift/PdF gondola with a fast gondola, combimix or chair and at the same time install snowmaking below, but I suppose the cost will be the issue, even if they manage to minimise collateral damage to the environment.
When we were opposite in La Tzoumaz back in July, there was no obvious sign of anything happening in Prarion. Usually you get a lot of helicopter activity if work is being done but it all looked quiet.
As you're probably aware, there is also the problem of the return down to Parario (as well as the hassle getting up to PdF). Back in February just about everyone returning to Nendaz got in the PdF Télécabine to go down, with very few people opting to ski the steep Itinéraire and the black to the Prarion chairlift. If there was at least a Red option back down it would help a lot.
The antique Savoleyres Sud gondola is still running - the main problem with this isn't so much speed (although it is relatively slow) but susceptibility to wind. While most other modern chairs and gondolas in the 4 Valleys keep on going in high winds, the Savoleyres Sud is prone to shut. Which is quite disturbing if you're actually on it when the safety cut-off engages (which has happened to us) and you're winched e v e r s o s l o w l y up. Thanks to some very powerful residents near the replacement route, the new combimix from Carrefour to Savoleyres keeps getting delayed, even 'though it will run underground for part of the route.
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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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Just received my annual owners newsletter from TeleNendaz - good news - artificial snowmaking will be in Prarion for this new season, guaranteeing the link to Siviez. They have also put snow making on the run from the top of Plan du Fou down to Siviez (which also was sun affected).
Finally, they have announced a project to build a gondala from Prarion directly to Plan du Fou in 2019.
Some positive news at last!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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In the Verbier sector the very old and slow 4 person chair in La Chaux has been replaced by a super new 6 seat debrayable, which will ease the queues late afternoon and also make the beginner slopes there much more user friendly.
Rumour is more delays to the Savolyeres replacement bubble project.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Steve Sparks, they also need to replace the crappy chair called Lac des Vaux 2 which runs back to Chassoure but with TeleNedaz and TeleVerbier not being best friends, I doubt it will happen too soon...
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Just walked down from Tracouet via Prarion to Nendaz and they are making progress with the installations of the snow cannons.
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