 Poster: A snowHead
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Drove down from Calais to Serre Chevalier yesterday (Friday 30th Nov) and many a Brit car with skis looking like they were packed for the season were going down, and some cars looked like they might struggle to make it / be out for the season working 100% 
Drive was pretty tortuous, carrying on from the night before which was torrential heavy rain and roadworks on the M23, M25, M26, M20 which at the moment pretty well accounts for 75% of the drive, what usually takes 2hrs was 2.5hrs Smart Motorways?
Then through France it was more of the same, though not the roadworks, torrential rain.
Left Calais at 09:10 and made Grenoble by 16:30 and temps were 6.5 so knew we'd hit snow further on the way.
Trouble was Grenoble was one massive bouchon, traffic is just getting ridiculous now there (I've been driving down there for over thirty years and my bro lived there for 15 so I do know it), and it was only 16:30, half the feckers were probably still at lunch only a few hours previously, though there was probably an element of POETS day lol:
After Grenoble, you then have Vizille to contend with and the tailback started on the autoroute which is more usual for a high season Saturday, and after five or six kms could see the reason why, new traffic lights before the flyover, after the lights it was not too bad.
Rain turned to sleet by Bourg, by La Grave was snowing heavy though roads not too bad.
What cars were on the road were travelling quite slowly so there are various places you can pass.
About 5km from the Col and road seemed quite slippery and I was adjusting traction controls but really should not have been an issue, then as I came round a hairpin there were around five cars stuck on the road and the guy in front was having issues.
Then it dawned on me, black ice with a layer of snow on top, and so did not want to stop and I knew after the bends road was more like 4-5% up to the Col and still some were having problems.
Once over the Col took it really easy using gears to break but was a tad nerve-wracking when it's like that as there's not a lot you can do, and I was relieved to hear the sounds of wet roads at around 1,600m.
We went straight to the bar rather than the apartment to meet some friends anyway, but I needed a drink!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Was in Grenoble a few days ago.
One local said she now has to get up around ~4am if she wants to get into ADH etc. and guarantee a good parking spot for a day sliding on the weekend.
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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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Sounds like something of a nightmare Weathercam, glad you made it safely, not surprised you went straight to the bar, you deserved that drink and the next one and probably the next one as well!
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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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1630 on a Friday in Grenoble was your mistake! Have the roadworks finished?
Can't think where the new traffic lights are, are they between the roundabout(the one you come to following the average speed cameras) and the start of the flyover?
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 2-12-18 19:41; edited 1 time in total
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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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| Whitegold wrote: |
Was in Grenoble a few days ago.
One local said she now has to get up around ~4am if she wants to get into ADH etc. and guarantee a good parking spot for a day sliding on the weekend. |
So she will arrive in ADH say 5.30am(Grenoble to Bourg d'Oisans around 45 mins, Bourg d'Oisans to ADH 20-30 mins). I arrived on Saturday at around 0945 and still managed to find a space in the parking off Avenue du Rif Nel. Skis on, crossed the wooden bridge next to the beginners area and off we went. A wonder what she looks for in a good parking spot to arrive 3 hours before the lifts open!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Forgot to mention but that hellish Friday that I drove over the Col du Lautaret, Mike who runs Le Gîte du Lautaret just down from the Col, unfortunately, wrote his car off, and this a guy who is well experienced at driving!
Today conditions and weather went from a calm and almost mild day in Briancon at the Xmas market to bonkers blizzard conditions and snow lying on the road in 16km at Pont de l'Alpe and just 500m vertical.
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| Quote: |
Then it dawned on me, black ice with a layer of snow on top
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You need chains for that don't you?
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