 Poster: A snowHead
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Richard Cowper has a worthwhile article in this weekend's Financial Times about the challenges and thrills of La Grave's off-piste terrain. He covers quite a few useful points: click here.
Towards the bottom of that article is an interesting quote from La Grave's deputy mayor, in the light of the resort's rare policy of "all risks" skiing.
Who's skied La Grave recently, and how were the conditions?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Goldsmith,
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Who's skied La Grave recently, and how were the conditions?
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Try looking in snow reports 
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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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Regrettably, I haven't been there for a long time but it really is the mecca its suposed to be. I personally think that for it to survive as a destination, it needs to maintain its stance. It must never piste runs, it must maintain its knarly nature etc. It is wonderfully self policing and considering the terain and conditions, has an excellent safety record, despite some tragic accidents.
La Grave is fortunate in that the people who go there know what to expect and have great respect for the mountains. If their attitude could be passed to the rest of the ski community, then maybe we wouldn't be facing the tragic loss of life we are seeing this season.
While the skiing is concentrated, I can take you to places in Val D'Isere that are just as "extreme" and are regularly skied. After all, the mountains are the mountains. What makes it different is the lack of reckless powder hounds and long may it last.
Long live La Grave.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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David Goldsmith,
Good article, thanks
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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It's certainly a pearl amongst some pretty mundane ski articles in the papers this winter. This bit ...
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| After this, on the left, come four even more serious descents called the Couloirs des Trifides down a great scar of rock. They are named Trifides 0,1,2, & 3. Three of these have come into condition for the first time near the end of February but even in excellent snow Trifide 3 is rarely skied at all as it involves a 30m jump or rapel at the bottom. |
... is a kind of reminder that La Grave is best skied when the maximum accumulation of snow has built during the winter, and before the freeze/thaw problems that can occur in April. Because it's natural terrain, a substantial base is needed. From now through to late March is probably the perfect time in a typical winter. I'm pretty sure the three times I skied there were all in March ... and it was an epic experience.
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Yup I enjoyed it to. Still not going there though.
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David Goldsmith, Very good article, putting the true picture. As I've said before - long live La Grave. let's hope no more stupid people sue them. I was hoping to go today - no chance - will try to get over as soon as poss after this current snow. Graham N says closed above 2,400m today - no surprise!
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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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It's of no great importance really but this is actually on the FT's web site and not in the newspaper.
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jacksonhole, welcome to snowHeads  .
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It must be difficult for resorts to maintain a no pisting stance but I would like to see more of it.
It would certainly be greener without those bashers, at least..
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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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| easiski wrote: |
| David Goldsmith, Very good article, putting the true picture. As I've said before - long live La Grave. let's hope no more stupid people sue them. I was hoping to go today - no chance - will try to get over as soon as poss after this current snow. Graham N says closed above 2,400m today - no surprise! |
Have you seen the wind? Average 60km/h gusts to 160km/h and lots of the snow stripped off the upper slopes. It must be one of the worst places in the Alps at the moment!
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davidof, Here too, slightly worring. 
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You know it makes sense.
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| SMALLZOOKEEPER wrote: |
| davidof, Here too, slightly worring. :nice: |
Yes keep us posted, I hear access to Cham is difficult. The Col du Lauteret is currently closed due to an accident in the poor weather.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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It'll bhe several days before it's safe in LG, even after the wind dies down, but hopefully lots of that snow will have blown into the Vallons de la Meije. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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davidof, keep me posted on the Lauteret, going to Serre Che early tommorow morning. davidof,
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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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Thinking of going to LDA - if I can nudge my skiing buddy that way - towards the end of March -with a view to a day at La Grave if conditions are good.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Nick Zotov,
Like wise...that or the EOSB..
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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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Flew back from La Grave yesterday. Very heavy snowfall over the last couple of days, we were told the lifts are likely to be closed until Mondayat the earliest while the snowpack stabilises.
We skied there Friday with fresh snow falling but only the lower lift section open, high winds kept the top closed.
Superb place but seriously testerone loaded.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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easiski,
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It'll bhe several days before it's safe in LG, even after the wind dies down, but hopefully lots of that snow will have blown into the Vallons de la Meije
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Enjoy !
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I skied Trifide 1 last year, nice and wide although a small rappel to get in. Off to Nepal in two weeks or would have been back to La Grave like a shot. Awesome place.
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flicksta, would you mind if I came skiing with you? Nepal, strewth!
GrahamN, easiski, JT, Next year, please, can we organise a La Grave trip? It should be a little easier on our schedules...our apologies for not being in an easy position to do one this season...
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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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David Murdoch, absolutely. Definitely want to go back - only got to do two of the couloirs due to the weather closing in, so have some unfinished business there (and I'd like to do those two "properly" now I know what they entail).
Maybe it was just the snow was very easy last week, but it was actually a bit less gnarly than I expected - although you can obviously rack the level up as high as you like. I was expecting to be completely blown away, but (generalising wildly) I found it quite similar to guided stuff in the Chamonix area, and the tree skiing was generally easier (didn't do Trifides though). I ended up just enjoying it thoroughly. Great place. Serre Chevalier is great too!
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| GrahamN wrote: |
Maybe it was just the snow was very easy last week, but it was actually a bit less gnarly than I expected |
or as the riders in la Grave say "I would take my sister down the Trifides S in powder, on hardpack I would take my mother in law"
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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davidof, I would never say such a thing
(I don't have a mother-in-law  )
But seriously...absolutely.
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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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GrahamN, DM,
Its a date......
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JT, GrahamN, David Murdoch, I see GN rates Serre Che, as a good spot for finding powder. As the snowHead powder guru's what resorts should a fledgling powder hound be looking at?
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You know it makes sense.
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marc gledhill, anywhere NOT rated by people as a good off-piste resort. These places get tracked out too quickly. As a beginner, I'd say you want somewhere with some nice, safe, low angled stuff near pistes. That way you can work on your technique and get your confidence up without having to worry about getting avalanched, falling off cliffs or into crevasses etc. Serre Che probably falls into this category, although sometimes to La Grave crowd comes to town and it all gets skied out.
Never used to be terribly into Les 2 Alpes, but I am learning to love it. It's got lots of easily accessed stashes and my experience is that it doesn't get skied out too quickly. There is the Easiski factor too
I've found lots of freshies at Les Contamines in the past, but I think it has been discovered by the Chamonix crowd so maybe not so good now
Of course there's North America too - I am sure the Fox can fill us in on that
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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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Arno, many thanks. I'll be at Aspen anyway with the ESA crew next year and am sure that I'll be pointed towards the gentler pitched areas, as I was at Snowbird this year - off the "Road to Provo", "Mineral Basin" and "Cirqe" traverses for those who know the area.
But I'll also be organising a family trip and both my wife and myself would be looking to get into the deeper stuff on that trip too. I had looked at Les 2 Alpes and had hoped for a couple of lessons with Charlotte. I'd also considered Alpe D'Huez and Saalbach, although I guess the off piste conditions at the latter may be "variable".
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Poster: A snowHead
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| marc gledhill wrote: |
| As the snowHead powder guru's what resorts should a fledgling powder hound be looking at? |
Thanks for the complement, however unmerited. Basically what Arno said - e.g. Chamonix is skied out within about 2 hours of it stopping snowing. I have to say that the best powder I've come across was in Flaine (over towards the Gers bowl), and Klosters (Gargellen/St.Antonien valleys, off the back of Madrisa), and down the Col de l'Eveque, but that's a one/two day hike to get to!. In both those cases it was with a local guide (and both were SCGB holidays), who knew exactly where to look. So, as Arno said, go to pretty much anywhere that's not known as an off-piste mecca, with recent snowfall , and hire a guide/instructor (one who's both is best) to find it for you - or get yourself on a short course. I can thoroughly recommend the SCGB courses in Flaine BTW (and your Mrs. will love Yann ), although that would be pretty pricey for a full family.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Arno wrote: |
| That way you can work on your technique and get your confidence up without having to worry about getting avalanched, falling off cliffs or into crevasses etc. Serre Che probably falls into this category |
Never, never underestimate Serre Chevalier. This photo is from the woods yesterday. The local powder hounds had headed off there because the risk on the upper slopes was just too great. But as I say "if it is wide enough to ride, it is wide enough to slide"
The slide was at 1700 m and the crown was between 80cm to 150cm - it took several layers in the snowpack down to the ground in places. If someone had been in that they could have been killed or seriously injured by either the trees or debris. Remember this slide started in the woods as skiers were coming down.
Just a reminder that in general that conditions are extremely hard to judge at the moment. A few Brit season workers have had nasty scares in Serre Che over the last few weeks.
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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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davidof, sorry - that wasn't meant to say that Serre Che doesn't have avalanches. I meant that it's possibly the sort of place where low angle snow next to the piste doesn't get tracked out straight away.
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Arno,
In my experience Serre Ches next to the piste snow gets tracked fairly quickly you may have better luck at Puy St Vincent around the corner, often less windpacked as well if the weather is from the west rather than the southwest. 
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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.
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davidof, that's quite shocking. I've always thought that the woods were the safest place to be, and have often skied in the trees after heavy snowfalls. Now I'll think twice 
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double post..ooopps
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Wed 8-03-06 18:16; edited 1 time in total
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marc gledhill,
Arno has covered the places not to go to.... In good snow Cervinia is surprising as the Italians just don't seem to go looking for it...although they may get brave and pile in afterwards, following your tracks but at least you should get a good few lifts in...
before they know whats going on.....
ADH is a huge big bowl really but it needs someone who knows where they are going I think...
LP has lots of little cut offs ...the kind of this is where a lift and runs go down here and the best line is almost straight back under the chair...
Basically we are always looking at this drop off and that drop off and where we can see it leading out to... Soon you will want runs down into the valley and the taxi and its all down hill from there....
Usual caveats apply with anything off-piste though..
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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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triple post....aaaaarrrrggghhhh!!!
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Wed 8-03-06 18:16; edited 1 time in total
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FAQ
