@leggyblonde, it's actually really weird, my thermometer which I've just moved off the side of the house in case it's reading a degree more than actual due to some type of heat radiating out is reading +2.3 and we still have snow falling all be it wet.
A good test for my new pants and jacket, Outdoor Research with stretch goretex, better than sitting on my turbo in the garage
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Weathercam, enjoy!
After all it is free
After all it is free
@leggyblonde, mission accomplished
Another 850m in the bag, more in the Montgenevre thread.
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.
More wet soggy snow falling at the moment.
Don't think I can be bothered to go out in this, and it's not due to clear till mid-afternoon, and now as days grow ever shorter, that means no sun in the valley from around 15:00 and for some a lot earlier than that.
Trouble is I can't really go more than two days without doing anything, and as the cyclists on here know who train on turbos in the winter, if there's an opportunity to be out doing stuff then that's way better than sitting on a trainer, that said I do know people who train more indoors than outside
The weather was light sleet again this morning gradually turning to rain, and cloud hanging around 1,900m, so not exactly motivating.
I decided on going out anyway if only to test the Goretex.
I drove up to take a look at Monetier and parked up next to the chair outside La Halte, not something you can do that often!
I carried the skis for 50m or so before starting skinning. Once near the Lauzieres chair circa 1,800m the snow was really good.
Made use of a chair at the top to transition
And the weather was way better than I expected.
From the chair had a really good ski down, and then once below 1,800 snow was a little interesting and more dips and gulleys, but I did manage to ski all the way back to the van
That's ten sorties now, not bad for SnowVember, almost on a par with last year, but then I did have to go to Siberia
And NO, it's not bad light in the vid but me playing around with old film filters
All though we have some great ski touring terrain very near to us, there's something kinda neat to go nearer to home.
Being the weekend we also wanted to avoid people as the forecast was for a bluebird day so the likes of the Lautaret could have been busy, that said I suspect that many today would opt for some of the resorts that have opened early.
Snow-canon were still going strong as we started our climb having driven up the Frejus track till as far as I dared, some of you will recognise where we were able to drive to
We were lucky in that rat-tracks and snow-mobiles had bashed down a path for us.
We stopped to transition just above the Vallons lift as that gave Elaine her first 1,000m climb, then it was choose the best line.
Then once we'd skied the Vallons, we put the skins back on to climb up above Frejus village to give us a better descent in the woods, and that's the beauty of skiing in your back garden, you know the various options, though have to admit to enjoying skiing the trees so much that I missed where I was initially heading for
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.
So as at 09:30 we have 13cm on the bird-table.
So hopefully we could see 30+ in the valley today.
No need to go up the hill today in this as the viz is dire.
You can check out the snow on the bird table (I've turned the panning off as you can't see anything across the valley), I've just cleared half of it off, so you can compare throughout the day if bored
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So a good 50cms so far and still snowing.
Temps have been +1 all day, so snow sticky and heavy to shovel, in fact, a first for me today in that the snow was so deep and heavy I could not get my van out as the chassis just grounded on the thick snow, I have been wondering about the depth of snow I could drive in
So a good hour shovelling trying to make a clear space around the van in anticipation of the snow-plough coming to clear the parking area below tomorrow morning.
And just testing the dogometer.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Well Serre loving people, that was quite some snowfall, and hopefully, the valley should be set up nicely for the season now and the little matter of the forthcoming opening weekend.
Must have been a good 100cms of snow that actually fell, though due to it being quite heavy (wet) that compacted to around 70cm, will be way more up top as temps would have been well below zero unlike in the valley.
Cam is doing it's thing on the link below, and here's a pretty picture to brighten your day
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Weathercam, that most definitely puts a smile on my face.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Arrived at Pontillas car park circa 11:00 and the snow-plough had cleared the parking.
The wet heavy snow had been transformed by the snow-faires overnight into nigh on JapPow and leaving the apartment was more challenging than usual, for the dogs that is
We ski toured up around 330m and going was a lot slower than usual due to the depth of the snow.
When we arrived back into the car-park a couple of PGHM guys were leaving and were happy that I'd made a trail, but as I explained I'd be more than happy to use their's tomorrow which will probably be heading for the Cucumelle.
"Hoping" to get it fixed for the Xmas hols..........
Monetier will be cut off from the rest of the resort until then
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@KenX, should make it nice and quiet then. You can always bus over, and maybe they'll open the track so you can ski back ?
Shouldn't be too much of a problem if it is only closed for the first week, but after that, that new Eycahuda chairlift is not going to be earning its keep. I'd heard there had been an avalanche up there, but it may have been a different one. You think they'd have been on the case, it is a risky slope. Often slides across the path and down in spring.
@Hells Bells, opening the return trail shouldn't be an issue, fixing/replacing the liftie's hut likewise (heli a new one in), hopefully nothing major on the mechanical side............
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@KenX, fingers crossed.
After all it is free
After all it is free
and take care out there all of you.
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.
Some truly crazy avalanche activity both natural and triggered.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
And another slide, this time at the top of the Telepherique in Chantemerle
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.
Weathercam wrote:
Lol. Pisteurs screwed up.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Weathercam wrote:
Today's vid with @KenX,
Did you take that pic?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Here you go something different for today.
This will give you a good idea of the level of snow in the valley, and you'll notice that the cross country track is open, though I was not actually firing on all cylinders today hence not being up the hill or out on the XC, I blame @KenX,
So the Grand Opening of the 2019 - 2020 season and parking up around 09:30 did not seem to bad, but the queues at the Frejus lift office were bonkers, that said because of the people waiting to buy their lift passes the actual queue for the Casse was not too bad.
One run off there down to Côte Chevalier playing in the trees and then back up on the Côte and then long traverse to play in the Rocher de l'Enfer bowl.
Then at the Clot Gauthier lift I'd had enough of people and put the skins on and climbed across to and then up the old piste next to the Crêtes drag and then along the drag.
I took it nice and easy and did some filming with the drone (skinning up), snow lower down on the terraces below Frejus was surprisingly good given how much sun we've had this week.
Once back down all the parking was crazily mobbed with the usual French habit of squeezing into a non-existent parking space etc
Heard that it was very busy everywhere.
Have to say that they have blasted the hell out of any face that might have been suspect, so many massive releases everywhere!!!
Weather looking interesting again for next week, but too early to be sure.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
It seems good snow in the video! Quite a surprise, no?
I never understood why they closed all Cretes lifts/area... It's a good terrain.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@AlTom, it is only the pistes from the old Balme chair that aren't there now. There were limited lifts open today, which is why Crete was closed I think.
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?
@AlTom, there's still really good snow to be found if you know where to look and are prepared to hike, skin-up etc.
We did two laps today of our little playground and I think @KenX, said the second climb was not even 20mins.
The area we are in is just off the Crêtes drag up from the Frejus gondola where indeed there was an old drag lift and various pistes, it was called the Teleski du Mal Parti, but I don't think that's what @AlTom, was referring to, but I did come across this below!!
Not as busy today, seems the crowds really showed up yesterday, parking was not so manic and Chazelet terrace was not even half full at 12:30 even though the weather was glorious.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
All going mildly bonkers this morning and looks set to continue for the next 36hrs.
Difficult to determine how much has fallen as the winds are blasting it all over the place, obviously the Lautaret is closed and I should imagine conditions are atrocious up there.
It's not exactly chocolate box pretty out there at the moment and I'm going out shortly to dig the van out which I left below our parking area should the plough not come, but they've now been so my van is probably encrusted in the snow from that plough now
We're in the process of setting up an interview with the top honcho in charge of security of the mountain etc to discuss what are obvious new protocols in place.
Also have been reliably informed that the Folie Douce project is not happening!
More on the weather blog and garden cam panning around
We were quite relaxed about starting out this morning and did not see that there were too many people around at 09:30 but being a Saturday (why is it that a powder day seems to always be at the weekend?), groups of FreeRiders, as well as groups of instructors, started to appear and we always seemed to be one step ahead of the game, and that was keeping ahead of the groups
We struck lucky with a couple of lifts just opening as we skied down, and the snow seemed heavy at times as temps were slowly creeping up but either we scored better snow or we just became used to it?
Special mention must be made to one piste run we did with about 5cm on perfectly groomed snow, and both @KenX, and I thought that was one of the best piste runs ever, and of course untracked and no-one else on it
We then continued to ski untracked as best as we could and then we saw the Cretes drag open up so we skied down to Frejus gondola which was empty and ended up having some good runs of Pikey's shoulder and then off the Cretes.
Clot Gauthier opened up and that face underneath was quickly skied out so we continued in our little secret gardens before heading down for not one but two pints nagging to a couple of ESF dudes about the snow-pack.
So considering the forecast was pretty grim for today, and it was snowing heavily when we started out there were no strong winds, and as you'll see in the vid we had good viz.
Even if we get some rain, a mild spell Serre Che is defo setup for a great Xmas and New Year
Today's production could have had the GoPro a few degrees higher up
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Nice.....
After all it is free
After all it is free
Nice vid but you need to stick the GoPro on your head to get rid of the glove action
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.
I'm going to tie his hands behind his back
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
BobinCH wrote:
Nice vid but you need to stick the GoPro on your head to get rid of the glove action
If you think I'm wearing a feckin helmet with a dick-head Billy punter mount just to please you
I've been wearing a head strap mount for years and if you get the angle right you do lose the hands most of the time.
So today, Mrs WC strained her calf muscle back on Dec 3rd 500m from the van when her ski tips went under a clump of snow cannon snow and her binding did not release, and she's been off games ever since, and has found walking, especially uphill and up stairs difficult.
So as weather looks a tad dodgy over the next week she wanted to give it a try, so we parked up at 09:30 and headed up Frejus gondola and Vallons which was getting quite tracked out but we found some nice lines (image above).
Next run I did the ridge hike and had a very sweet line choosing a sensible gradient, that said they'd shut the Vallons lift by the time I came back down, so maybe something happened or they were concerned that others might choose a less sensible line?
OH's legs were holding up well and we skied over to the Grand Serre sector, and I spotted a possible slack country line and the OH was up for a little skin so off we went, and was a tad technical but very sweet as you can see.
Once we joined the main run out it was hard going in the chopped up heavy snow and that was theme until we hit the piste, though lower down that was had work as well.
Think that could now well be the end for cold snow except on N facing slopes but van thermometer was reading 10.5 and now it's Spring like.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
?
