 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@felstead, It's still two weeks away, nobody knows how the conditions will be on 3rd Feb. There could be a foot of snow on the road, but it's more likely to be clear.
Fitting chains is easy, just a bit messy/dirty - make sure you practise first at home/in a car park etc. Then pull over if possible after driving a short distance to check they're OK and tighten if necessary.
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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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Hi felstead, I`m not there at can`t comment on the present conditions, but you do not go as far as Ste Foy to get up to La Rosiere, the turn off is at a roundabout at the far end of Bourg St Maurice before the ascent towards Val D'Isere. Having done that road up to La Ros in heavy falling snow, a couple of times, unless you have a 4x4 with snow/winter tyres (I don`t really understand the technical difference) if the snow is heavy you will need to fit the chains (please practice at home if you have not already done so because putting them on in a blizzard/poor visibility is much easier if you have practised). That being said, as with everywhere in the Alps the snow clearance is excellent and once the snow stops falling the roads are clear fairly promptly, so fingers crossed you will be ok.
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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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| felstead wrote: |
Having managed to avoid any scenario where fitting car chains was required up until this point in my life I have a feeling my cherry is about to be popped. Any advice for a rank amateur???
Assuming it will all be more that worth it once up the hill. |
Check which are you drive wheels if 2WD Practice putting them on. Dont leave it too late to put them on. Untangle them and lay them out. Carry (long if possible) rubber gloves as its mucky behind the rims and normal or gloves are too thick too feel what you are doing. Stop and check/tighten then after a short distance.
It wil be worth it.
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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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Oh and a torch might be handy
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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With this quantity of snow it will be worth it. We skied La Ros 6 years ago when there was so much snow they had to put people of the roofs to clear then for fear of structural problems or someone getting squashed when some fell of.
The skiing was brilliant.
I have cycled the hill to La Ros a few times from Seez and whilst it is long it doesn't get as steep as some other access roads. It has a quite a few switch backs.
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Head torch and an old piece of Carpet rolled up in the boot for kneeling on when fitting chains is a good idea.
Practice putting chains on, remember once you have fitted them to drive 10/20 yards or so then stop and tighten them up further as once you have initilly fitted them they will 'sit' better on the wheels once you have mooved off/driven the 10/20 yards.
Also practice taking them off. Take them off with the male and female connector thingy at the top of the wheel is a good idea as they are less likely to get tangled up in the wheel, brakes etc when trying to remove them.
Put chains away in a nice and tidy way, not tangled up as when you next need them you want them to be easy to put on again.
Spray the chains with a bit of WD40 after you have dried them out when you put them away/store them again.
Don't forget, pull well to the side or in an appropriate 'area de chainage' you need hi viz bibs, use hazard warning lights (I once helped a Spaniard who had stopped straddling the centre white line in the pitch dark, no street lights with all lights off on his car, no hi viz on and all this was on a steep hill...... amazed I did not actually run him over or hit his car in the first place).
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Thanks for all the car chain pointers. Hopefully not needed but some great tips if they are. Greatly appreciated.
Appreciate it's a couple of weeks out - probably unnecessary nerves 
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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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@felstead, check out youtube for videos - I found that helpful.
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is anyone out there at the moment who can report on the conditions? Just found a rather decent deal in La Thuile for a 20 Euro lift pass per day from 31st March so having already booked some cheap flights I've just booked! Looks like it's snowing in La Ros currently and sunny in La Thuile!
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Wed 13-03-19 12:49; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm not, wish i was....
having skiied quite a bit in the espace San bernardo, the weather is quite often different on each side.
current forecast https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/La-Thuile/6day/mid suggests things will be quite nice out there by the end of the week.
have great time.
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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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Had to fit chains for the first time this year to get out of La Tania.
Watch some youtube footage so at least you have a general idea of what it should look like, as I found the paper instructions to be next to useless.
If you think you will need them on the way, have a go at fitting them when you pick the car up or in a sheltered place before getting on the hill. Luckily for me, we only needed them to get out the drive, down through La Tania and onto the main road which was clear so I could fit them relatively easily on the drive with loads of space and somewhat clearish of snow. Still it took me 15 minutes to do the first one.
However, once it "clicked" I got the second one on in under 2 minutes.
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@Fridge03, did you post this in the right thread? 
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You know it makes sense.
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| kitenski wrote: |
| @Fridge03, did you post this in the right thread? |
OP asked for chains advice for an amateur. I was in the same situation on our last trip.
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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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Just back from La Rosiere 16th March, anyone skiing there this week or later is in for a treat, masses of snow over 1500cmsin the villag and 350 cms at 2,400 metres. Snow in La Thuile is also very good and the lower runs in La Rosiere -Marmottes, Petit Bois and Fontain Froide all have good cover.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Out in La thuile now. Pretty good snow, went over to La rosiere yesterday, there was a freezing cold wind blowing straight down the lift lines so retreated back to La Thuile.
Good morning today skiing all the blacks in La thuile once it softened up, then the higher ones this afternoon. A few flakes of snow around as we headed down at 4pm, hopefully the forecast snow will arrive for some powder Wednesday or Thursday..
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For what it's worth, I thought I would c&p my review I have just sent to Powderbeds, re. our stay in Les Balcons appts in La Rosiere. Included also some general remarks about the resort:-
Les Balcons is the 'cheap' La Rosiere option - and you (just) get what you paid for. We were in a 10/12 apartment 366
Pros
Good size
Good location - ski in, 50m walk to ski out. Close to shops etc
Plenty hot water
All beds en suite bathroom, and with full sized bath
Plenty radiators ( but see below)
Great views
OK balcony
Plenty (too many?) cupboards! The kitchen had 2 full sized 'wardrobes', plus several others. All beds had at least 1
Cons
Not very clean - 1 bath had 'ring' smelling of Deep Heat... Apartment smelt awful on arrival. Difficult to air
3 out of 4 bedrooms had no proper window. Velux (covered on snow) which were nailed shut, so dark and airless
I've never experienced such an ill-equipped kitchen. Dish cloth, baking tray, salt & pepper, bin liners etc etc all absent.
Hellishly complicated oven. 2 days to fire it up, & reception foxed too!
Bathroom bins stank
Beds all single, some pushed together. No fitted bottom sheet, so came untucked as you got into bed. And no underblanket. 1 pillow each.
No bedside tables (a fault of most French appts!)
Too hot at night, even with radiators turned off. Heat rising from below?
No hooks anywhere. Where do French people hang things? A fault not exclusive to this appt.
No heated ski boot storage. This would be a killer in winter months.
Layout of appt differed from PBeds website. 1 bed downstairs, the rest upstairs, which proved problematic with small children
La Rosiere (& the satellite hamlet of Les Eucherts, where Les Balcons is) was v. quiet the week we were there (1st week April 2019 - Brexit?). We have been here at least 5 times, always roughly same week. It ticks almost all the boxes for us:-
Quiet
No lift queues
Snow sure
Great intermediate skiing - lovely blues & reds.
Black runs steep but straightforward - great to boost confidence when covered in fresh snow!
Plenty of variety and range.
We love skiing San Bernardo, but rarely venture right into La Thuile. Fourclaz, Belvedere & Petit San B lifts provide fabulous skiing - do try the blacks with fresh snow. Boringly long drag list to get there
A good range of restaurants on the slopes.
Fast chairs (mostly) - no bubbles (so good for claustrophobiacs!)
V. little nightlife (sorry - we're middle aged, with teens!)
Fun activities, such as snow parks ( jumps, & half pipe race tracks with tunnels etc) - kids love them.
Good poor-weather skiing in the trees. La Foret (with winding tracks and jumps through the conifers), Ecudets (open when lots of snow), & Petit Bois all good.
Slopes all really well groomed.
Fabulous off piste with the new Mt Valaison chairlifts, making La Ros a great choice for all standards.
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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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Fyi, we have also stayed in Le Refuge (better), & Cimes de Blanche (best). In La Ros itself we stayed last year in Marmottes (Marmotton?) which was good. We prefer Les Eucherts.
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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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@vermilion, assuming you were there this past week? It's definetlty worth venturing over to La thuile if you come back. Very different runs to La ros, we skied over to la ros on Monday and it was very windy, but zero wind in La thuile. Asked some La ros ski instructors about the wind on tues and they said to stay in La thuile as still windy in La ros. Wed was poor vi's in La thuile but much better on the La Ros side.
Apparently quite often you get different weather on either side, so could be snowing in La ros and sunny in La thuile or vice versa.
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FAQ
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