So folks time to kick off this year's thread for our little part of the world.
For those that don't know, Serre Chevalier is valley starting in Briançon 1,250m and running some 13km up to the Monêtier Les Bains 1,495m and then beyond another 11km up to the Col du Lautaret 2,058m at the foot of the Col du Galibier 2,642.
Serre Chevalier comprises four interlinked ski stations, Briançon where there is a gondola from the centre of the City, Chantemerle, Villeneuve (La Salle les Alpes & Le Bez) and Monêtier, the highest point is circa 2,800m.
Apart from the main ski area serviced by lifts, there are numerous other areas & valleys which are readily accessible but do not have the all-important lifts.
There is also a large Cross Country ski area in the valley running from Villeneuve way past Monetier to Le Lauzer and beyond.
When the weather is so bad that many resorts have to close due to adverse conditions (wind) Serre Che often has lifts and pistes open due to the forests that run down to the valley floor, and which can offer some superb tree skiing.
Our weather here in the Southern Alpes tends to be far different to most of the French Alps, as the Col du Lautaret is a natural barrier to weather systems that will bring snow to the more mainstream resorts in the Northern Alpes.
Our best snowfalls are when the weather systems are in the South, and occasionally we'll benefit from a Retour D'Est, an area of low pressure over Northern Italy (Genoa Low).
As I start this thread we're almost in what I call the "phoney season" in that we're patiently waiting for it to kick-off, but we might well be skiing some of the areas before the official opening.
Last season saw some great early season snowfalls that saw the resort open for a weekend earlier than planned, this year that opening weekend is scheduled for 7th - 8th December and then open fully from 14th Décember 2019 to 19 April 2020.
This year the snowline is at about 2,700m, though hopefully after these weather systems crash through (note the area of low pressure over Northern Italy) and if temps are a few degrees colder than forecast by Monday morning first thing we might even see snow in the valley!
If you have any questions then there's a whole tribe of regulars on here that can answer your queries from where's the best restaurant on the piste to where should I go on a road trip to make the most of a Retour D'Est, but hey we might not answer that one
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
It's been raining on and off, heavy at times ever since I posted above, and this morning every now and again there's a break in the low-level cloud where I can see the base of the new Côte Chevalier and the snow line is just above that circa 2,000m.
And this is the webcam at the Lautaret
Looks like precipitation continues into early Tuesday.
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?
We’ll be in Villeneuve 1st week in January so will keep a close eye on here!
With pics like the one below yesterday on the Serre Che Info FB page https://www.facebook.com/serrechinfos/ we thought we'd drive up to the Lautaret to see for ourselves, as there seemed like a break in the weather.
We drove up around 13:00 and temps had warmed up to 4.5 degrees as we parked up in some very slushy snow at 1,960m just below the Col where we normally park up to go ski touring to walk up the l'ancienne route du col du Galibier.
Dog's were ecstatic in all of 5cms of snow, but as we walked up all of a 100m vertical the depth doubled and then the weather closed in very quickly and we evacuated fast as a blizzard developed and temps dropped quickly, with hands getting very cold quickly with the stupid lightweight cycling gloves I had, just goes to show how quickly things could go pear-shaped if you don't respect the mountain.
So first picture of the Rando Chiens for the 19/20 season
Today will be very interesting in that we are due heavy snow almost down to the valley floor from 11:00 so check out the cam from Noon onwards.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
As the owner of a Jack Russell (he's a bit ancient now, your dogs give me a bit of a time machine view) and an apartment in Vaujany (just the other side of Alpe d' from you), I really love seeing your posts. I hope the season is good for you!
After all it is free
After all it is free
So temps have remained at 4 degrees which some forecast models had for 1,200 although Metociel had zero so we've had a lot of rain, and does not look a lot better up at the Lautaret
Maybe this season I should keep a log of how often the forecast is right / wrong
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.
So temps did drop down to +3 enough for the snowline to drop some more.
As I raised the blinds I was greeted with this beautiful scene, and also managed a glimpse of the top of Eychauda drag 2,659m and that has a very good covering indeed!
Cloud has now rolled back in as you can see on the cam .
Tempted to get in the car and drive up the Granon road and get the skis out, but think I'll wait for clearer weather as this time last year I had two abortive attempts and was beaten back by cloud rolling in.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Weathercam, nice photo!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
:d :d :d
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.
Love the pic. Can't wait for January!
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
snow lovers take a look at the serre che website - lovely pictures of first heavy snowfall - lov it
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Yesterday made the most of a break in the weather, though we could never be too sure until we were in the van heading up the mountain, and it turned out to be Another Hard Day in the Office for some
Here's a pic.
And more on yesterday's ski tour and the trials and tribulations of being a Jack in deep snow here
The forecast(s) seem to have been well out on the freezing levels and every time I looked at a thermometer it seemed to always be +4, that said the FL did come down, and this morning was the first severe frost with temps -1.5.
And that's the theme for the next week or so with well below zero temps.
As for the all-important white stuff that's fallen, whilst for sure it's looking great and the depth of snow now I think is greater than this time last year it was a tad challenging to ski as was very wind affected, but for the vast majority what matters is that it looks like they are preparing the pistes at altitude now.
The good news is that even though we've had very strong winds at altitude, I can still see a good covering on the Eychauda ridge and draglift from here and last season that was not the case.
Maybe some more snow Sunday, now it's a case of trying to work out if they'll be another opportunity to get out in reasonable conditions.
The sun did appear as forecast, but not so much in Serre Chevalier but up at the Lautaret / Galibier, as you can see from the image below. So we headed up that way and I think the Granon was engulfed in cloud all day!
As ever does seem to be some disparity as to snow depths, with Serre Che on social media saying well over a meter yet the Avalanche Bulletin for both Pelvoux and Thabor giving only 35cm on both N and S faces at 2,500m
I'd estimate 50cm at most, and we encountered so many gulleys and torrents still flowing, and you can see the snow depth.
This is looking up towards the Col du Galibier and the Cafe by the tunnel.
But hey it's not even mid November and was not too long ago I was cycling up there!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Webcams are not all being shown on Serre Chevalier TO site just yet, but discovered Cucumelle is working.
And looking at the Cucumelle you can see why I question the "hype" concerning the snow-depth that is being bandied about.
Just look at those torrent gulleys leading into the main ones, last year we ski toured up there around the same time and those gulleys were not so visible, likewise been ski touring around the valley this week and again with @KenX, today and we both agreed that it's 50cm absolute max!
So folks the snow has started, various forecasts have differing accumulations, so what will we have circa this time tomorrow.
Windscreen wipers are up, Sorrels are in from the garage, shovel in the van, and I did check my chains, though they are really too small and are only a get out of jail card, 5 or so meters (van is 4x4 with snow tyres).
I've changed the panning of the cam, so now takes in the patio and the bird table and driveway.
Yesterday was one of the best ski tours of the year, and I do mean 2019!
Maybe tomorrow we'll be skinning up Le Bez past Club Med up to Frejus and beyond?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Well, I certainly hope that was not it as it's eased right back, or actually stopped!
Though that is what some of the forecasts have, with slight snow till the heavy stuff comes back at around 16:00.
Anyway, have had the first sounds of snowploughs this season along the road.
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.
Woken up at 5:30 by the village snowplough for the first time this season
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
Cloud clearing, we're on the starting blocks for a 10:30 ski tour from just in front of us up the piste by Club Med up to Frejus and beyond.
Check out the CAM in our garden below
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Started the ski tour today bottom of the piste at 1,400m at Pontilas (Pointless) must have been 15-20cm on no base.
Climbed up helped by piste basher track at times so I was not having to break trail with a good friend who knows her onions when it comes to snow (hubby top LG guide), and she commented how we could well be going through to the base as snow was just so light. I replied saying that once we get to 2,000m there will be much more snow and sure enough at 2,100 we decided to transition as looked as the cloud was coming in.
She was quite excited at her potential line, deep powder to the side of the rat-track on a steep section of a red run 25%+ (photo as ever does not show steepness), I had my doubts and I decided to ski the rat track to get some speed up to launch into the powder (what you do in Japan cat skiing).
Needless to say, we both came to more or less a stop and had to pole out as it was so deep
Lower down on the fresh snow 20-25cms was way better
Was hoping for a clear sky tonight to help snow pack as it consolidates but that does not look to be the case, and now tomorrow does not look sunny either, so might not bother and leave all the weekend warriors to it, though we imagine that Lautaret will be bonkers busy, so if one were to chance the snowpack then Montgenevre would be the better option maybe?
Snow keeps coming and going for Sunday/Monday and next week looks like warm in the valley with a lot of rain = --> snow at altitude
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Looks like we had another four or so cms overnight judging by the table in the garden, see cam link below
The idea this morning is to skin up to Cucumelle for the hell of it as I know that a rat-track has been up there.
Does look like cloud is coming and going so will wait another couple of hours as the forecast has it clearing a little.
Not expecting too much of a ski from the top if it's anything like yesterday
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I was hoping that the snow fairies had been working hard overnight and into the early hours to transform the nigh on unskiable depth of snow of yesterday where we were stuck on 25%+ slopes into better powder.
Target was the Col de la Cucumelle (top of the Vallons lift), and being on my own I was climbing quite quickly at around 500m per hour, and there are quite a few flat sections.
Twas a gamble to go back up to where we'd been yesterday but I couldn't be arsed to deal with the weekend warriors up at the Lautaret and Italians at Montgenevre
Thankfully after the rat-track ran out just above the steep part of the Vallons where they're working on a snow cannon there was a decent skin track and I reckoned that there were four of five in front of me, so not exactly busy.
As I was on the flattish section before the last steep bit before the Col the other skiers came down and I was happy to see that even on the flat bit they were having no issues.
At the Col I opted to climb just a little more to the left at the start of the ridge just up from the weather station as there was a steeper line to be had (centre of the image below).
Total climb was 1,150m in just over 2hrs 15m
Then once in descent mode it was a case of waiting for the cloud to roll away and skiing the line in the good viz.
Opted to ski tour in the resort today as we suspected that our usual haunts might be tracked out up at the Lautaret, and looking at the Casse du Boeuf I could only see a couple of tracks.
And good news, as temps have been way below zero, -7 this morning, the snow canon have been firing and great mounds of snow now proliferate the Casse and we had to skin up well away from the canon as their snow forms a leg-breaking crust.
For those that know the Casse, about 200m below the Marteau junction the piste bashers had been at work tearing up the snow and artificial snow and it was not pisted flat but was more akin to a ploughed field.
After the Marteau junction it was more or less untracked powder, though a tad thin, above 1,800m it just got deeper and deeper, and I was getting very tired breaking trail.
Good news cold temps are set to continue from the looks of things with no significant thaw on the horizon.
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.
@leggyblonde,
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@leggyblonde, I suspect maybe that was in Montgenevre, which was open at the weekend and had well over 50cms at altitude, and when I drove through there a couple of hours ago still around 15cm on the roofs but consolidating fast as temps +8.
Here in the Valley over the weekend warm temps and rain have done for all the snow that fell last week
I'm not too sure what are options are for this week, the way it's going we could be looking at Spring snow conditions touring up at the Lautaret or wait for them to bash the pistes at Montgenevre in advance of this weekend and tour up mid-week there
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
