 Poster: A snowHead
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Place was pretty deserted today (apart from the Follie late on). Didn’t come across anyone on many of the runs. The Bellvarde Express was back working. It snowed off and on all day, but much more off. The pistes were great in the morning but got progressively heavier and more grey. By the time we packed in at 16:30 the water content of the snow was quite excess and we like this stuff.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well after a bit - 3cm of power on a firm base off piste yesterday as Val closed, we had some great spring snow this morning. A few folk around for the Tignes only week, but most seemed desperate to get up the Motte by mid-morning. In consequence the remaining pistes were almost deserted for us slush fans.
We came across folk from Ellis Brigham who were testing next year’s skis. Was apparently supposed to be their staff only, but we talked sweetly and they let us test a few - one apparently made from algae based plastic.
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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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@Ski lots, what were they testing? Water skis? 
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@moosepig, they could certainly have done with some today.
There was up to about 9” of powder first thing this morning - if one applies a very very loose definition of powder. It got very humid very quickly. This afternoon the marmots heavily out numbered the people on the pistes.
It is snowing again - applying a loose definition of snow.
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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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FYI - Had a great long weekend last Fri-Sun. Plenty of snow, lots of sun, some cracking closing weekend shenanigans, especially with the black shoes crowd and great accommodation from tignes.co.uk. Thanks for all tips. On Friday we followed the sun round the tignes bowl and finished up high on the glacier. Though sadly one of the team broke his leg falling in the chopped up lunchtime slush heading down into Val Claret - we thought it might just have been a sprain until he started saying it was crunching! The help we got from Resort staff and the medical centre was excellent though - very impressed.
Learning was that the late season sun combined with great snow and high altitude means you need much more sun lotion that usual and glasses or goggles are a must (many of us looked like mole eyed beetroot).
Day two we struck out for the far side of Val d’Isere and found great conditions over their, especially in Soliase bowl which was really good fun. We hit Santons pretty early as advised and enjoyed it, though bottom of long red back down into Val D towards end of day was hard work even for the corn lovers.
Follie Douce end of season had to be sampled and was great fun before heading back down the black into Le Lac with the fancy dressed black shoes who decided skiing was too much effort and just threw themselves down face first 
we headed out for dinner (croziflette) and we thought it was strangely dead in town until everyone came out about 11 and went crazy to French old timers playing terrible covers in Strike!
Sunday we made the best of the fresh few inches that had fallen overnight and the bluebird start by touring our greatest hits from the previous few days and did a bit more challenging stuff re blacks and off piste (carefully as the fresh snow was slipping in places) now people had a bit of form back after 2-3 yrs.
Genuinely surprised by how pleasant the town was and how beautiful some of the views were as had heard talk of ‘high but ugly and bare’ and how super quiet it was esp on sat/sun given lots of quality snow still there in one of worlds great resorts eg Double M was great all the way from crisp and packed powder at top to spring snow at bottom that hadn’t cut up as so few out on it. Also seemed a genuinely friendly place and the restaurant/ bar staff were great and the ski shop did a proper job on fitting boots and selecting skis for those that hired (Precision).
I worried we’d be done by 1:30 - 2 every day but we were on last lifts all 3 days (though maybe that’s withdrawal symptoms from civid years!)
We usually ski dif place every year but this is going on the ‘must return’ list. As ever thanks to snow heads for the pre trip advice and just generally adding the the build up by keeping the flow of insight coming that helps build the excitement (all part of tip for me). Only 6 months till next winter!
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Agree with all of that, Tignes is a great spot.
Hope your friend's leg mends up okay.
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Well last day of Tignes today and we had a great day clocking over 12,000m vertical (Suunto app). All sorts of conditions. Going up the Tufs at 16:00 it was raining at the bottom, then snow around 2,400m, then hill fog, then at the top sunshine and a couple of inches of fresh snow that had just fallen - on the way down there was thunder!
Been a great week really despite very variable weather. Really quiet as might be expected this weekend once a very large Dutch TO group had left and a large number of ENSA courses had completed - it seems these guys are completely exempt from the application of the FIS code.
Best snow was of course on the glacier, but as the Vanoise lift was not operating it was a long circuit back to the village and a wait for the train. The powers at be did a great job on the Lac circuit, despite the weather and we spent most of our time skiing deserted pistes on the circuit, with at times great spring snow on piste.
Huge variety of flora and fauna on view. Even saw a toad crossing one of the pistes this afternoon although on reflection it was more likely to be a frog!
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@Ski lots,
At this time of year not unusual to see hundreds of frogs humping at the snow line I remember in a valley behind Ste Foy seeing the whole ground moving only to witness a mass orgy taking place .
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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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@Rob Mackley, that must account for why the new Club Med is being built in Val Claret to allow that type of thing to take place in greater comfort  .
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Is there anyone going to Tignes on Sat 3rd July 2022 to Sat 10 July who wants to share a hire car or a taxi from Bourg St Maurice?
This is the only option I can suggest as the Service bus from Tignes to Bourg doesn't catch the train to Geneva on the return journey.
This would suit people who are going to Tignes for the Snoworks course.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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..
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Sat 28-05-22 13:03; edited 1 time in total
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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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I would contact Helen and ash at SnowDrone transfers as I’m sure they would have someone who could pick do the Bourg Tignes and Tignes Bourg run for you. Getting a hire car might be tricky and an off the shelf taxi expensive!
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| Steve Angus wrote: |
| I would contact Helen and ash at SnowDrone transfers as I’m sure they would have someone who could pick do the Bourg Tignes and Tignes Bourg run for you. Getting a hire car might be tricky and an off the shelf taxi expensive! |
Many thanks Steve.
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You know it makes sense.
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Small hire car is £460 + fuel
Could take 2 plus one pr skis each.
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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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| Quote: |
that must account for why the new Club Med is being built in Val Claret to allow that type of thing to take place in greater comfort
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Poster: A snowHead
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The Col d’Isearn has officially reopened (earliest date ever) but there will be no skiing on the Pisaillas glacier this summer.
It seems the cover is too thin after last winters low snowfall and the above average temperatures in May.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
There will be no skiing on the Pisaillas glacier this summer.
It seems the cover is too thin after last winters low snowfall and the above average temperatures in May |
And the Grande Motte at Tignes is looking particularly poor for the time of year too  Historically, there has been good snow cover (and pretty decent skiing) up until mid-July - but this looks more like August in previous years 
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I remember ski-ing there on my birthday, 25th June, back in the 80s and there was barely a bare patch of rock to be seen... Those were the days when Tignes was able to boast they they were open for ski-ing 365 days a year...
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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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Any idea when ski passes will be on sale for 2022-23?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@zariel, Usually mid October.
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For Tignes regulars. I have finally had a hip operation yesterday. Turns out a bit of hanging cartilege was calcified by arthritis and had formed a bridge fusing the ball and socket in one area. Its a great excuse for all my dodgy skiing in the last few years. So hope to be a lot more flexible in 2022/3 if there is anything to ski on. I concur the Glacier is bad for this time of year
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The off-piste guidebook I bought I season 2005/06 included The Tounge of the Glacier as one of its routes - I skiied it the following season!
If I recall (I don't have the book any more) you dropped left off Descent just above the bottom of Vanoise chairlift, skiied the glacier OVER the ridge and onto winter snow & then tracked right onto Double M.
I think Steve Angus may still have a copy & be able to confirm or correct.
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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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| Kenzie wrote: |
The off-piste guidebook I bought I season 2005/06 included The Tounge of the Glacier as one of its routes - I skiied it the following season!
If I recall (I don't have the book any more) you dropped left off Descent just above the bottom of Vanoise chairlift, skiied the glacier OVER the ridge and onto winter snow & then tracked right onto Double M.
I think Steve Angus may still have a copy & be able to confirm or correct. |
We always referred to that pitch as ‘the wall’ or ‘le mur” and it was the geo-physical “tongue” of the glacier in the early 90s.
I think the tongue had retreated by 2006/07 back over the ridge but, even so, there are still routes through there: letterbox and l’espagnol but there are now rocks and cliffs to watch for rather than ice, unfortunately.
The pitch under what used to be called the wall which runs under the exits of P1,P2 and P3 is still referred to as “langue de glacier”
Btw: updating to the excellent Val d’Isere and Tignes off-piste guide books (courtesy Perry, Ponson et al) are well worth a purchase.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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+1 for what Grinning says too
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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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+1 for what Grinning says too
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You know it makes sense.
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@Steve Angus,
No rocks on the glacier in that photo!
Cheers.
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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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Today is the last day of Summer Skiing on the Grand Motte apparently.
July 1st!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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^^ I went to Tignes in the late seventies as a school trip. We stayed in Les Brevieres (sp? memory a bit hazy) and in the hotel was an American "Ski Guide" called Dave. One morning after a good dump he whisked a group of around 12 of us up La Grande Motte and down a run, stopped us all at the bottom and gave us the advice "just go for it, keep away from the left and make sure you can stop at the bottom." We were sent over the brown en masse and charged down the off piste in fornt of us. We were what I would have called intermediate 12-14 year olds with no kit and no clue. We grouped togeteher at the bottom and traversed over what at the time felt like a massive cliff, If I was guessing I'd say lower than the blue line shown? It was clearly the used track, being about 12 foot wide and very much smoothed by previous skiers. Once back on piste we were congratulated on completing "The Wall" which to a 12yo sounded very macho.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Kenzie and NoMapNoCompass, that's a real bummer - we were all set for a ski next Monday (wedding anniversary)  .
I wonder if we can go snow-shoeing instead . . ?
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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Some details are emerging about the scale of the 'New Arbina' which will also absorb the Vallon Blanc ski shop. There is an artists impression on the Marie website, if you click on this link you can then download the pdf:
https://www.mairie-tignes.fr/7835-le-dialogue-citoyen.htm
Guess the views out of the Aiguille Percée wont be quite as good.
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| chocksaway wrote: |
Some details are emerging about the scale of the 'New Arbina' which will also absorb the Vallon Blanc ski shop. There is an artists impression on the Marie website, if you click on this link you can then download the pdf:
https://www.mairie-tignes.fr/7835-le-dialogue-citoyen.htm
Guess the views out of the Aiguille Percée wont be quite as good. |
Another building with some character going, then. And still so much of the 50s/60s Brutalist school of architecture remains.
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@Kenzie, Aye, and another of the 'original families' sold up and gone. Its all a bit corporate and Swiss now.
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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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@chocksaway, You have been brilliant in the past with your network of spies - so I am hoping that you will be able to help once again.
I am due to go to Tignes Lac in Jan with my Daughter, who badly needs some boots. JoJo has retired, as I believe has Jean Charles. Sandrine (Mountain Story) has apparently left Tignes. So my questions are:
1. Would you recommend Guy Clarey for Bootfitting (if he hasn't retired!). Is his English sufficient and do you know anyone who has boots fitted by him?
2. Is there anyone else you would recommend in Tignes, to save a trip over to Val D'Isere.
If anyone else has suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Thanks in advance for any insight.
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@Old Fartbag, Thanks.
Guy has retired and sold his shop, so that answers that!
So my 2 go tos have gone, I will ask around when I return, but at the end of last season I was hearing good things about a good bootfitter at Tignes Spirit, but I can't remember her name.
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FAQ
We're hoping to drive to Tignes in the next week or so. It will be the first time we've been in July and been unable to ski. It's not too many years since we visited in late July and skied fresh snow at the top then all the way down to the Vanoise Chair... 