 Poster: A snowHead
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We were stuck in Les Menuires today but had a surprisingly enjoyable time.
All upper lifts were closed and visibility was intermittent at best (in flat light/fog) but we were surprised how good the snow was, despite the wind blasting it's had for a couple of days.
Overall, conditions were grippy with the odd icy bit. La Masse was very good, with a challenging black (sorry- I can't remember the name..) open down towards Bettex. That was good fun in flat light/fog, with some decent sized grippy bumps amid the slick bits.
Things were not too busy at all, apart from a 4 minute queue for Bruyeres 1gondola. Other than that we skied straight on to every chair. No complaints overall. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Something of a character-forming day in the Courchevel valley today, with howling wind at height and rain down low, much like I remember Cairngorm in the eighties only with snow rather than rocks and ice.
Solid eight inches of new snow on the balcony right now with more to come, so a fun day in prospect tomorrow, especially if the wind dies as forecast and the resort is as empty as today, and more 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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Went out for dinner at 7pm..walked the mile or so into St M in sleet...not sticking. Walked home again 3 hours later..about 6-8 inches fallen in 3 hours...at 1450m. Yikes! Even though this isn’t quite on the scale of some part of the Italian Alps, or reports from Val D’Isere, it’s still pretty impressive.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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My Les Menuires spies have posted pics of a 40-50cm accumulation in resort in the space of two hours today...
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Umm
O
M
F
G
There's over 2 feet here in Reberty 2000.......hopefully the link lifts are open
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Looking good in Meribel. The rain held off giving 30 cm of fresh snow overnight. Patches of blue sky. Delayed opening of some inter-vallley links until 11 am (eg Saulire 2, Plattieres 3). High winds still forecast up - to 76 mph at 3000 m, 10c at 1000m. Avalanche risk 4/5.
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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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Just chatted to a lift who said no link lifts were opening today but higher lifts are set to open at 12noon.
She said that was across all the valleys. But this is from Les Meniures.
Sun is out now over here and the snow is glorious
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So question re lift passes in this situation....we're off out in 10 days time and usually of course get the 3 valleys pass.
If you can't ski the 3 valleys do they give you any money back or is it tough? Are you better off buying day passes?!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| thecremeegg wrote: |
| If you can't ski the 3 valleys do they give you any money back or is it tough? |
In general the answer is no. Although because of the extreme weather last week with in many cases little to ski for 3 days I've read some refunds/freebies were given out. But I would assume no.
| thecremeegg wrote: |
| Are you better off buying day passes?! |
In general no. You would probably have to lose 3, certainly 2 days skiing to see financial benefit. Not forgetting the hassle involved and knowing when not to buy. Sometimes the weather looks good in the morning and closes in and vice versa. And actually the chances are you won't lose any days or be overly restricted.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Tue 9-01-18 17:41; edited 1 time in total
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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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Hello,
Driving down to Meribel tonight from Calais.
Does anyone know if there are any problems with the roads currently getting to Meribel?
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[quote="Layne"]
| thecremeegg wrote: |
If you can't ski the 3 valleys do they give you any money back or is it tough?
In general the answer is no. Although because of the extreme weather last week with in many cases little to ski for 3 days I've read some refunds/freebies were given out. But I would assume no.
| thecremeegg wrote: |
| Are you better off buying day passes?! |
In general no. You would probably have to lose 3, certainly 2 days skiing to see financial benefit. Not forgetting the hassle involved and knowing when not to buy. Sometimes the weather looks good in the morning and closes in and vice versa. And actually the chances are you won't lose any days or be overly restricted. |
Ok thanks!
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You know it makes sense.
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| seanwatson91 wrote: |
Hello,
Driving down to Meribel tonight from Calais.
Does anyone know if there are any problems with the roads currently getting to Meribel? |
VT was closed for a while, but Meribel is fine.
Conditions are excellent.
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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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| Whitegold wrote: |
| seanwatson91 wrote: |
Hello,
Driving down to Meribel tonight from Calais.
Does anyone know if there are any problems with the roads currently getting to Meribel? |
VT was closed for a while, but Meribel is fine.
Conditions are excellent. |
Brilliant thank you so much.
Found it very confusing online trying to find out.
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Poster: A snowHead
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In Courchevel. Although hardly any lifts were open at 9.00am, by mid day almost everything was running apart from a few with avalanche risk. Link to Meribel was open.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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getting excited now, fly out to VT on saturday for a week. Keep the info coming troops. 
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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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| thecremeegg wrote: |
If you can't ski the 3 valleys do they give you any money back or is it tough?
Are you better off buying day passes?! |
I agree with the advice above and I asked our resort manager and as you can technically get on the bus they get around you not having access by claiming you do have access.
They've cleared all the link lifts today and posted some of the runs coming down from Meribel and Val T.
Another lifty said as the wind strength and avalanche risk was high they decided to keep the links closed.
Should all be open tomorrow 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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A great day's skiing! A bit limited this morning, as the upper lifts were closed and the off-piste was pretty heavy going. However, this afternoon the upper, north facing runs, such as Pylonnes and the Couloir Tounier/GoPro, had good snow. Have just discovered that Radio R'Meribel provide weather and ski reports as pod casts in English, which are very useful if you miss their morning broadcasts. These are updated daily at 9 am. https://laradiostation.fr/r-meribel/
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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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Looks awesome, enjoy!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Wow, still a month away but the Feb half term is shaping up well!
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Looking good for Saturday arrival
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I sm also watching in anticipation of Feb half term-I imagine it will be even more crowded than usual...
Will have with us an adult intermediate who wants to do ski school -any advice of which to choose (assuming spaces still left...) Courchevel valley -pref one that meets in 1850 ?
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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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Anyone around next week? Mr P is going home on Sunday and I’ll be here in St Martin on my tod. Whether to ski or just to meet fellow SHs for coffee, it would be good to put some faces to names. (FWIW Insideout ski level 8-9).
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Really good day yesterday; 30cm or so of fresh most places. Quite heavy, especially low down, and all the pistes and easily accessible stuff got chopped up quickly. Still got some nice fresh tracks through the trees above 1850. Colder today; should preserve the snow better than the last dump, which was ruined by rain almost everywhere below 2500 or so. Avalanche risk down to 4, but have rarely seen so many small spontaneous slips, even in places that don't usually go. Be careful out there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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heading off to courchevl 1650 on sunday for the week. cannot wait!!! was hoping for some nice weather after all this snow, but looking like we could be in for some snow midweek onwards!
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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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@Perty, me, Mairead O'Connor and SnowPenguin are around. Will PM you.
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@malks, 1650 was amazing today, we spent about an hour there, all the pistes (from top to bottom) were perfect
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You know it makes sense.
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@humptydumpty this is our 3rd year in a row going there. last 2 years we have arrived the day or 2 after the big january dumps. last 2 years I've been sitting worrying if there was gonna be any decent snow. now I'm sitting pray for a break in the weather to get out to actually enjoy it!
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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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No comments on mid-feb. Don’t want to jinx myself.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I know that this question is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" request, but we were in Courchevel 1650 for 1st week of April last year, and will be again this year.
While the Marquis run was open (by the skin of it's teeth!) the Indiens, and any runs below (to 1550 or 1300) were closed.
I know 2016/17 was an exceptionally poor year, but would you expect those runs to be open in a "normal" year?
Don't get me wrong, we still had fantastic skiing up above 1850m, but I was just wondering!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Last season was bad, I skied the strip of snow in 1650 at new year last season, which wouldn't have helped later in the season. This year it was excellent coverage at xmas, so expect it to stay around longer, also they've installed more snow making in 1650 so possibility of top ups if weather allows and looking like a dry period.
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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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| closey1973 wrote: |
I know that this question is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" request, but we were in Courchevel 1650 for 1st week of April last year, and will be again this year.
While the Marquis run was open (by the skin of it's teeth!) the Indiens, and any runs below (to 1550 or 1300) were closed.
I know 2016/17 was an exceptionally poor year, but would you expect those runs to be open in a "normal" year?
Don't get me wrong, we still had fantastic skiing up above 1850m, but I was just wondering! |
The last three seasons have been quite poor but even given that down at 1350/1550 you start to become reliant on their being snow cannons to keep runs open at that time of the season.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Wed 10-01-18 17:14; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks all, that's encouraging.
The kids skied Indiens with a ski school from Meribel a few years ago and enjoyed it. Hopefully we can ski it together this year!
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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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| Redwine wrote: |
| No comments on mid-feb. Don’t want to jinx myself. |
I'm the same. Too far out to get the hopes up. Having said that weather, webcams, snowheads is being checked on a far too regular basis!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| adriangrogan wrote: |
| Redwine wrote: |
| No comments on mid-feb. Don’t want to jinx myself. |
I'm the same. Too far out to get the hopes up. Having said that weather, webcams, snowheads is being checked on a far too regular basis! |
I'm still months away and am checking daily !!
It's a shame that the 1650 webcam hasn't been updated for some time, to give me my daily fix!
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| closey1973 wrote: |
| adriangrogan wrote: |
| Redwine wrote: |
| No comments on mid-feb. Don’t want to jinx myself. |
I'm the same. Too far out to get the hopes up. Having said that weather, webcams, snowheads is being checked on a far too regular basis! |
I'm still months away and am checking daily !!
It's a shame that the 1650 webcam hasn't been updated for some time, to give me my daily fix! |
We skied Courchevel around March 15th - 20th three years ago. It was very warm that week (average 15C) and I don't think it was a vintage season. Still all pistes in 1850 and 1650 were open and perfectly skiable. Very pleasant conditions. And I think I recall it snowed a week after we left so those arriving end of March would have had better conditions. You should be fine this year given the conditions to date and the snowmaking capabilities.
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Another enjoyable off-piste outing today, with the SCGB / Mountain Guides. Conditions were fairly challenging with pretty heavy snow and wind blown crust in places - which felt like skiing around frozen waves! Unfortunately, the Cimes de Caron cable car was closed. However, we were able to go up Boismint and had a nice run down the Lac du Loup valley, which was deserted and almost untracked.
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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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FANTASTIC piste skiing today. Off piste is heavy going.
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Wonderful snow and much lighter in the powder today than yesterday especially up high. The blacks coming down into Courchevel from Maribel were lovely today not too tracked out before lunch.
Great snow all over the mountain and the lower slopes were in better nick with the link lifts open.
Still some fresh lines to be had all over the place I saw
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FAQ
