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Serre Chevalier- France 2015-2016

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
If you look at the Haute-Route coverage today you'll see the first snows of autumn high on the glaciers above la Grave


http://youtube.com/v/bxhCjlVO0j8
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The Chambon boat service is running again now. The experts think no further landslides imminent. There is a zodiac doing the service this week (no bikes) with a large boat being brought up from the Med for Monday that will be enclosed and heated. I've not had any feedback on whether they will take bikes, or not.
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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?
Just a thought, do we need the "France" bit in the thread title?
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@LynnX, the France bit was added a couple of years ago at request of admin, I think it helps in the Google search or something.
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@Hells Bells, Very Happy
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Looks better that way round!
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@LynnX, Very Happy
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Today LynnX and I did a 25km descent from the Col du Lautaret offroad all the way down to Briancon via a stop at Le Casset for a spot of well deserved lunch Very Happy
Beautiful open scenery at the top leading to wooded runs down by the river Guisane







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@KenX, gorgeous photos, I am very jealous! Looks like a beautiful day out.
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@Gämsbock, We feel very lucky to be able to spend our time here!
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@KenX, looks like Lynn is getting a it more adventurous too Very Happy
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Great photos; I love the variety of scenery you can get on outings like that. I'm looking forward to heading out in early October.
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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
The new tunnel between Grenoble and Serre Che. will be nearly 1km long with work expected to start next spring and be finished by the autumn of 2016.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@davidof, sounds like quick work?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Must have sub-contracted it to the Swiss.........
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The original tunnel had Pakistanis working on it, so why not?
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@davidof, I'll believe that when it happens!

From all the reports I've been reading it still seems all up in the air, (though the big boat arrived a few days ago), with no one department taking account being responsible and they are still seeking finances for the project at a National level, so I can't see how they could have surveyed such a project, put it out to tender etc etc (think I've said this before)

Though work seems to be progressing on the route on the other side, I asked someone who will be allowed to use this and they could not give a definitive answer.
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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?
@Weathercam, it has been reported in the press with quotes from representatives of both Isere and Hautes-Alpes prefectures, with funding from national, regional and local sources.
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@Hells Bells, oh well I must have missed that though no mention at all here http://www.dici.fr/tags/tunnel-du-chambon seems only two days ago they still had no idea what to do ?

Still seems very quick to have been able to survey and get contractors and dates etc etc

And various FaceBook groups are still mocking how long things are taking
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@Weathercam, news came out just when @davidof posted. http://www.ledauphine.com/isere-sud/2015/09/01/qui-financera-ce-projet-de-20-a-25-millions-d-euros
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@Hells Bells, can't get to the Grenoble edition of that article which is says is published today.

Still think it's all a very long way off - I'm still curious about all the work that's going on the other side to build that road, as I have a nasty suspicion that's going to be used when it comes to getting a rebate on the Serre Season pass.

Good friends have moved (just for the Autumn) to Briancon from LG so will be interesting to get their take on thinks when I'm back out end of the month.
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One of the FaceBook groups Naufragés du Chambon is managed by quite a satirist - the only trouble is that my French is no where good enough to understand his satirical mocking prose (made worse by trying the automatic translation) - he always takes the main story and puts an amusing twist on it - and I think he's having quite a pop at the latest so called developments.

Maybe Davidof could confirm this ?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Naufrag%C3%A9s-du-Chambon/1656117354624343?fref=ts
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Managed to drag LynnX up the Via Ferrata in Villeneuve today, game bird that one!



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@KenX, chapeau to her!
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@Weathercam, I'll get you up the harder ones when you come out!
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@KenX, Very Happy
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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.
Today was drive the Jeep up to the Col Du Granon (I've ridden up it before, never again!!!), and traverse 18km x-country to Monetier via the Col des Cibieres, more climbing than I envisaged, around 500m, as the route doesn't just follow the contours, in fact the first 3km was 300m ascent!!!
Was a really nice tour though, had a bit of a sheep issue:



This guy wasn't doing his job very well:


It's a "Mountain Dog", what they're called in these parts, see a lot of them!

Eventually a great descent into Monetier ending in a singletrack tree run from here:



Great day out, around 28km all in with the run back to Briancon Very Happy

Went back up later to collect the Jeep with LynnX and the dogs, explored one of the old fortifications up at the Granon:





Went inside expecting just an empty room with some gun slits and found 2 sets of stairs leading down about 50 feet Shocked
Had to do it, pitch black aside from the phone flashlight (which went totally off when I took the pics..........) really freaky!



The underground tunnels all link in (there are about 4 or 5 such bunkers up there), this was the French defenses near the old French/Italian border, can't imagine what it was like back then.......
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KenX wrote:



It's a "Mountain Dog", what they're called in these parts, see a lot of them!


A Pyrenean Mountain Dog, or Patou in French. Be very wary, there have been quite a lot of attacks over the last couple of years. Particularly fond of Mamil meat. The theory is they've been overbred and become inbred and a lot of the dogs are psychotic.

If you are old enough to remember Belle and Sebastien on the BBC, Belle was a Patou. The book was set in the Hautes-Alpes.


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 Tue 8-09-15 22:19; edited 2 times in total
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
This one was very friendly and well looked after, unlike most of the ones I've seen.......
Luckily I was in baggies and an old tshirt Smile
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KenX wrote:
This one was very friendly and well looked after, unlike most of the ones I've seen.......
Luckily I was in baggies and an old tshirt Smile


Yeah, good chance he'd just grab a bit of cloth and you'd be away. They are a bit of a PITA but I understand the need. There was an incident in the Savoie a few weeks ago where two walkers were attacked in full view of the shepherd on a public right of way. The walkers tear gassed the poor Patou! That certainly took the smile of the shepherd's face.
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Oh, and the Belle and Sebastian series was in the 80s, I'm actually TOO old to remember Laughing
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I've heard mixed reports about the dogs and have seen signs like the one below daubed with graffiti saying how the dogs are dangerous.

I come across them quite often when I'm hiking and have my own dogs with me. Last year not far from your traverse of a bike ride below Col de Bouffere (Le Puy Fressinet is where the shepherd lives in the summer) I saw one leave the flock a good km away maybe more and head in my direction to check me out, I had to pick my two Jacks up and walk with them, and he followed me for a good ten minutes with his tail wagging, but I wasn't taking any chances with the Jacks!.




And Ken you can park at the Bergerie at 2131m before the road bends to the right for the final couple of km to the Granon and ride the traverse from 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?
KenX, Belle and Sebastien was on TV first in the late 60s.
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We were on road trip last year skiing Val Frejus, and other resorts and we stayed in Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis and they lay claim to the whole Belle and Sebastien Franchise

http://www.transmaurienne-vanoise.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DP_HauteMaurienneVanoise_Ete2015_WebHD.pdf
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Quote:

The walkers tear gassed the poor Patou!


not seen or heard of any problem from dogs in our area, but I wouldn't mind a canister of that tear gas in my pack......just in case
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pam w wrote:
Quote:

The walkers tear gassed the poor Patou!


not seen or heard of any problem from dogs in our area, but I wouldn't mind a canister of that tear gas in my pack......just in case


Here's the article

http://www.ledauphine.com/savoie/2015/08/24/deux-randonneurs-utilisent-leur-bombe-lacrymogene-contre-des-patous-sqby
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Some fresh snow on Mont Pelvoux above Puy St Vincent and Montagne des Agneaux above Monetier today, both over 3500m, no pics cos the cloud came in!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
And a pic from this morning from the bedroom, it's coming Very Happy

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So this photo has been posted on the Serre Che FaceBook this week - Serre Ratier in 1941 - had to stop myself from posting various comments along the lines of "Good to see that WW2 shoud not affect the skiing" etc etc "Keeping the lifts open for the Bosch" etc etc - just seems ironic after the Battle of Britain Day this week rolling eyes

Sorry mini rant over

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@Weathercam, you would have shown your ignorance of the history of the area as a result had you done so.

Serre Chevalier was a part of Vichy France in 1941 and theoretically "neutral", although the presence of over 2 million French servicemen being held in camps in Germany may have influenced the rather conservative government of Marshall Pétain to toe the party line.
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