 Poster: A snowHead
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So I have been trying to go where the people are not. Pistes are still lovely - bulletproof in the morning as it is cold overnight, so great for the race skis, and lovely around midday. Slushy by the afternoon, which I don't mind.
However, there are people everywhere, and whilst the everyone is friendly and fine, and lift queues (aart from at the bottom) are generally OK, Avoriaz is a total mess with big lines, and Pleney/Morzine is a disaster in the morning, as is access at Ardent. Even parking at the usually deserted Nyon is full.
So we went for a walk, that was sometimes a crawl. I call it good ACL graft rehab. Much of the mountain is sliding now, so this really was more of a walk than a ski, as much of the off-piste is a bit dangerous now. Lots of visibly large avalanche slides all over the peaks, showing grass underneath were the snowpack has just come off completely.
 IMG-20190218-WA0010~2 by baconrashers, on Flickr
 IMG-20190218-WA0008 by baconrashers, on Flickr
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cheers for the updates, @Harry Flashman, keep them coming. Good to hear the pistes are holding up okay. Sounds like we’ve got at least another week of warm weather to get through before things cool down again (hopefully!).
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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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I had a quick burn around the circuit yesterday heading to Chatel first, starting at 11ish, and it was very pleasant. Minimal queues through Chatel and over on the Swiss side. The snow is starting to go quickly at the usual descent into Morgins, some of that might not be open for too much longer.
The return into Avoriaz was a shock to the system. So many people over there, the majority seemingly very weak skiers, and it’s just dangerous. Kids doing silly things, mogul fields full of strugglers on anything remotely steep. No route through them without reducing your own speed to their crawl. The joys of half term
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We were ere over skiing the Fornet(?) bowl in Avoriaz yesterday (Monday), from PLJ, and found it queue free between 10:30 and 13:30. Today we did a mini clockwise loop, from Super Chatel, and agree the run down to Morgins is on its last legs - it’s all gone very brown. Champoussin and Les Crossets starting to get very soft also.
Fornet, PLJ and Linga has the best ‘winter’ snow. Super Chatel has amazing sunshine and snow is holding well. Crowds are quieter than expected, except for usual pinchpoints such as Les Combes by the cafe, and queues not too bad.
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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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@Harry Flashman, how was the snow on the "down"? Transformed spring snow or still "winter" snow???
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Just finished our first trip to Les Gets. I have to say I was expecting it to be carnage and yes the slopes were crowded in places but apart from one morning when we made the schoolboy error of skiing down to the main base station in Les Gets mid morning, we never waited more than a few minutes up the mountain. We used Perrieres base station every morning and it was fine. Also very happy to find a Volkl shop (Perrieres Sport) super friendly staff who let my kids store their gear there every day and overnight even though they didn't hire from them. They gave my a brand new set of Volkl Deacons for my three days, absolutely mint.
The sking was fun, piste skiing is seriously underrated  The mission was to find something challenging for the Kids, the best place we could find was off the top of Chamossire. Ski back under the lift at the top and a baby cornice drop off to the right into chalky grippy snow that stayed the same all day. We then would traverse left to get more of the same after the first steepish pitch hugging the fence to the left. Great fun and we lapped it loads of times with hardly anyone there. I'm sure there are plenty of other spots, Nyon was decent but anything in the sun was decidedly sketchy.
Big shout out to Helena at Ski Beyond, we were gifted a couple of lessons as friends of ours couldn't make it, really high level ski coaching and great company too. We did our second session on the black and red runs below Pleney, pretty much deserted and ideal for what we wanted to do, in fact everywhere else she seemed to take us hardly anyone was there.
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@Guernseyfreerider, Is that an off piste run?? If so I'll file that away as have flights booked into GVA end of March, but leaving location until the last minute!
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@kitenski, yes the piste is below
you and you just hug the left, make a
Few turns next to the pole markers (cliff area) and you’ll find another traverse to the left, if you get powder you have fall line for a few hundred metres. I just wanted to find something around 40 degrees even just For a few turns for the kids to get them comfortable on steeps. There is obviously the designated Freeride area at the top of that lift but it was in the sun pretty much all day and everyone we spoke to said it wasn’t great at the mo.
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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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@Guernseyfreerider, ta! Is it patrolled at all?? I've not been to the area for quite a few years, don't think there was a Freeride area last time I went!!
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PDS absolutulely glorious this week. Enjoying the sunshine, from mornings, soft afternoons and dispersed crowds.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Ozboy, So looking forward to Saturday.
All of the above, plus a couple of beers in the Fer Rouge watching the rugby.
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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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@Ozboy, that sounds really grim. I haven't used the new lift yet, does it have automatic lowering and locking safety bar? From the French report you linked it sounds like that bar must have caused the issue at departure.
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You know it makes sense.
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@kitenski, Yes there is an avalanche info board at the top of the lift and then when you head left for the traverse to the Freeride area there is another info board with a reminder to enter only if you have the right equipment which by the looks of it the vast majority going in ignored anyway
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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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@DJL, IIRC the bar lowers manually but there is a locking mechanism.
EDIT: The bars lower automatically and lock.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Does Morgins count here?
Glorious Spring conditions on Saturday in the shadow of the Dents du Midi
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@BobinCH, yes it does - Swiss side of PDS was awesome / fun spring skiinng last week and the Dents seem to folllow you where ever you are. Even more majestic in summer as it’s snow cover stands our above the green valleys.
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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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@Ozboy, I keep meaning to walk up to Haute Cime, the highest right hand Dent (yes, really it's just a steep walk from the other side!) but haven't managed it yet.
It's a big day from Champery or an overnight stop at a hut round the back and summit bid the second morning.
Must be quite some view from up ther.
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@DJL, that sounds great and would also love to to something like that as well as Mont de Grange if possible in summer. Something to chat about when we eventually meet.
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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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I'm headed out to Morzine on 3rd March, not liking the snow reports or forecasts! Is there gonna be any left by the time I get there? 
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@Bennisboy, there’s a chance of a 5-10cm top up on the 28th, followed by some cooler weather. I think you’ll be fine.
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There is a ton of Snow above 1600m on N/NE facing slopes. You’ll be fine.
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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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We were and about over the weekend: La Chapelle - Chalet Neuf - Super Chatel - Linga - PLJ - Plaine Dranse - Lindarets - Mosettes - Les Crosets ( really cool drum band were playing by the 8 person lift) - Gd Conches - Abricotine - Brochaux - LC Snow Park - Lil Stash - Proclou - Stash. Everything was in pretty good nick, apart from a few muddy patches on Bull-Dog, and the Col de Croix.
You can see plenty of places where the snow has been harvested to fill elsewhere, but the snow management seems to be pretty good considering 2 weeks of blue skies and hot weather.
There is now a Weber Gas BBQ at the top of the La Chapelle snow park (Avoriaz) by the picnic tables, for those who fancy cooking their own burgers. ( It might have been there a while, but yesterday was the first time I noticed  )
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Good to hear, I was in Châtel for the first week of jan and we had amazing conditions for the second half of the week, fresh powder every day!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Ozboy, Mont de Grange is great day out – easiest from the parking spot half way from Plaine Dranse to Col de Bassachaux but also possible from PLJ or Tres Les Pierres (if you like plenty of height gain!). The other classic in the area is Cornettes de Bise - the traverse is good value though you need a head for heights at one or two spots. Decent weather is needed for both as the gully up CdB would be lethal and the ridge up to MdG would be slippery on wet mud/grass. Up Morclan and along the ridge on the French/Swiss border to above La Chapelle is also a good one.
The other fantastic mountain a bit further afield is Dent d’Oche over near Bernex – again the traverse is good and there is a CAF refuge near the summit.
It’s great walking and running country. The village is about the height of the summit of Ben Nevis and the nearby mountains are about a Ben Nevis-worth above the village.
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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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@Handy Turnip, @Ozboy, Awesome! Hopefully it can handle the heat this week 
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@Bennisboy, Chatel looking towards Col Du Bessachaux. Lots of snow and it won’t melt in a week.
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You know it makes sense.
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That photo looks somebody has set up a game of Boarder-Snooker, 1 point for taking out the kid in red, 2 for the yellow, 3 for the green, 5 for the blue, 6 for the pink.
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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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@WindOfChange, LOL - we have two 4 year olds in that group. They did very well and made me very proud dad and uncle - helped by the softish snow conditions and the excellent [over qualified] instructor who is a 2 time mogul Olympian and has World Cup podiums. They spent some of the first day on nursery slopes, quickly moved onto the very long green (3km+) La Balette, by midweek they were taking the bottom half of the easy red to PLJ base and on the last day he took them to the very top and they were doing La Blattins.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Ozboy - who was the instructor?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Ozboy, was it Ben?
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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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@Pamski, @doddsie, Instructor was Pierre Ochs who is born and bread Chatel. Chatel is producing some great bump talent and apparently more in the pipeline including some British junior girls(?).
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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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Yes as well as Ben Cavet, 3 out of 4 of GB's moguls squad come from Chatel. (all in one family mind)
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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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Today's expedition to Champoussin (for a rather enjoyable lunch) has shown that there are now brown pistes over in Switzerland. I was skiing in a fleece, and it was slushy by 1pm.
I like a bit of spring slush, but we need some snow now in the Swiss bits of the PDS. And much of the mountain has slid - I don't really know if any snowfall can repair this and make it safe: lots of ruched up snow, unbonded to the ground...
Glorious weather, mind. Absolute pleasure to be out in it.
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Hi, we are arriving in Les prodains on Saturday, hurrah! Is it likely to be crazy busy as I understand it’s still French half term? Or is it the uk school holidays that really make a difference?
Interested to see what the slopes are like with the past few weeks of sunshine mixed with the forecast wind and snow...!
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Hi, we are arriving in Les prodains on Saturday, hurrah! Is it likely to be crazy busy as I understand it’s still French half term? Or is it the uk school holidays that really make a difference?
Interested to see what the slopes are like with the past few weeks of sunshine mixed with the forecast wind and snow...!
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@peezafreeza, it’s still French half term for zone A but zones B and C (including Paris) have had there’s already.
Quite a bit of snow forecast over the next week so I wouldn’t worry about the sunshine of the past few weeks.
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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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@peezafreeza, only one French zone on holiday but it is zone C (Paris plus others) having their second week, not as @Handy Turnip reports.
I'll be there as well and have done the same week previously (last French week, Zone C only). It will be busy but not insufferable, particularly if you avoid pinch points at busy times. Don't be heading up the lifts at the same time as ski schools, stop for a coffee at 11.30, ski through lunch and then stop late (14.30) and all will be well.
Hope we get the promised top up.
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So it has clouded over here, for the first time in weeks...
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FAQ
