 Poster: A snowHead
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Chamonix 21/22 - Please keep this for snow reports in the Chamonix valley. NOT lift pass discussions. Courmayeur, Portes du Mont etc, will get their own thread.
First snow for the winter, snow rain limit 1800 or less
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Fresh snow the last few days - clear today - 80cm-1m at 2300m
It's all fresh, so no base to cover those rocks.
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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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First track setting of the season
just enough to get out, no sign of rando man on the piste....yet.
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Heading out on the 11th (COVID rules permitting)...what’s the cover like so far?
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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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All pistes have a good base, les Houches is very tracked by RandoMan. Snow making but not pisteing. A good few cm of fresh covering saturdays nasty rain layer.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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CMB finaly waking up. Pistes are getting pisted and snow cannons are making snow.
Skiined up Les Houches this morning. Lower section is 2 bashers wide, more to make easy access for snowmobiles and patro to get up and down the hill than anything else. Above Maison Neuve there is a lot more activity.
A few cm's of fresh made for nice skiing this AM
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Thanks for the updates 
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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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Looks great up there today on the webcams, and another dump coming tomorrow. Couldn't ask for more at the start of the season really.
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As I mentioned I was in Chamonix/Cluses for business Wed/Thurs -- no skiing on the agenda but a big dump and the word is that this is one of the best Decembers in recent memory. Once again was impressed with snow removal on the A40 as well as in town. By 9 a.m. Thursday roads were pretty clear.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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@Idris, thanks for that - we’d wondered about heading up to do VB but will give it a miss this trip as a bit rusty on alpine skills.
Yesterday we skied Tête de la Sallaz above Romme. Reasonable snow up high and slushy moguls when back in the pisted area. Nice if somewhat soggy day out.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Inboard wrote: |
@Idris, thanks for that - we’d wondered about heading up to do VB but will give it a miss this trip as a bit rusty on alpine skills.
Yesterday we skied Tête de la Sallaz above Romme. Reasonable snow up high and slushy moguls when back in the pisted area. Nice if somewhat soggy day out.
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La Romme is where I am working (day off today) as Lifty, Patrol and Maintainance
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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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ChxAv29Dec. “ 4/5. Snowpack very unstable due to massive rainstorm. Large full depth spontaneous slides likely <2100m on steep terrain. Roads may even be threatened. Wet snow will be very easily triggered up to 2700m. Highly likely most ski lifts will be closed.”
From Avalanche Academy. A day for staying home.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Col Montets closes from 11pm
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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, what a difference a we snow storm makes. A delightful hour or so pre a big lunch in knee deep or so powder!
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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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All good on Grand Montets this morning, plenty of powder to play in. Bit chilly though!
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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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Must be amazing conditions for a Vallée Blanche at the moment 
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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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@sherman-maeir, GMs apparently somewhat wind blown yesterday, which Brev was not ...
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@under a new name, a lot of wind higher up around 3000 m I saw.
Didn't go to GM but Vallorcine. Bit foggy in Chamonix when I got up but sunny up the valley, well at least on the east side which I was not on. The sun didn't get out until around 1pm in the valley but higher up the pistes were south west facing and in the sun early on - is that a good idea for a ski area? It felt even colder today than yesterday. Snow is still cold in the trees.
The Russian girl is Emilia or something like that. She's an "influencer" working in Chamonix... influencing people I suppose. She was with some other Russians staying in town but I don't know any more. Also spoke to some Americans and 3 English guys who'd come up from Geneva on the same flight I took but with one of the transfer buses, I believe all were EU residents. No checks at the border and the transfer companies still seem to be working with the limited guests that there are.
Chamonix looks wonderful under the snow with the Christmas lights (shouldn't they be down now).
Discovered only one train per hour up and down the valley at half past from Chamonix station so you don't want to miss it.
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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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@sherman-maeir, "xmas" lights as is typical stay up all season. I think. No longer notice them!
We had a nice morning, mostly just Hotel Face. Off to Italy for the day
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Sorry not snow related. Has anyone travelled through the MB tunnel recently in a UK reg car. Any issues. Thanks.
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Any update? getting excited now for next Saturday....
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You know it makes sense.
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Lee Houches yesterday. All pistes good. Off piste above Maison Neuve and out of the trees good. Above top of Maison Neuve still good in the trees!
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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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Received this by email from Fatmap:
Chamonix Conditions Update 14.01.2022
From La Chamoniarde - Office de Haute Montagne
Some news in this anticyclonic period!
The lifts are open and the snow cover is okay overall. The cold has returned. There is some fog in the plains. An almost “normal” situation for a month of January!
The main activity remains ski touring. Even if the snow cover is good, you have to be careful below 1600m - you can easily touch the ground or frozen avalanche debris. Since the last snowfall last weekend, there has been quite a lot of NE wind but in a very localised way. Some areas are trashed while others have remained protected - this is where you have to be good at choosing your route!
As a consequence, you have to be wary of the presence of wind slab here and there. Similarly, the quality of the snow varies greatly from one sector to another (from powder to sastruggi and everything in between)! The southern slopes are starting to warm up. Watch out for the isotherm rising from tomorrow!
All the classic sectors are frequented but we are struggling to get precise feedback, especially on the lower parts of routes (whether you need to carry skis...).
Very good conditions are reported around Les Contamines (around Lac Jovets and Cols Fenêtre, Cicle and Chasseurs)... The Roman road is okay and you can ski to the car park. The new refuge des Près is open.
Pointe Noire de Pormenaz from Plaine Joux: the Chorde couloir is okay, wind affected snow above the Lac de Pormenaz.
Aiguilles Rouges : the classics are getting tracked..
The traverse between the Col des Crochues and the Col de Bérard is again reserved for good skiers (alternating frozen snow and wind affected snow).
Generally speaking, the Bérard valley remains fairly protected from the wind except at the top: the further down you go, the better it is. On the steep slopes, we were told that there was a lot of ice, which was not recommended according to the feedback we got. The bottom of the valley is relatively easy even if the snow cover is quite poor.
Crampons are useful to access the Pointe Alphonse Favre. The top of the Glacier du Mort has very hard snow, 50 m side slip necessary; packed powder below.
There are quite a lot of tracks at the col and at the Brèche de Bérard (very good snow).
Le Buet is tracked without more information.
The Col de Beugeant was tracked today. Tracks also on the N side of the Belvedere pass.
The Lac Blanc sector (Col des Dards, Col du Belvédère) and the Col de l’Encrenaz were very affected by the wind.
Loriaz: you can ski from Le Couteray, either by the 4x4 road or the summer path. Pointe des Charmoz and Pointe de la Terrasse are tracked, good ski conditions.
Bel Oiseau sector: some portage in the forest, good conditions above in the sector. Carraye, croix de Prelaye, pointe Ronde: OK
Bassin d’Argentière sector: Col du Passon tracked, better skiability by going back the same way (lots of wind damage on the Le Tour side even if the snow cover is good).
Col du Tour Noir and Argentière have been tracked.
No activity yet to our knowledge on the Col du Chardonnet /Trois cols.
No one back on the N faces either (Col des Cristaux etc...).
Vallée Blanche: arête still not equipped (expected early February, to be confirmed) but in fairly good condition (no ice; however, reserved for ski mountaineers). All routes except the "vraie vallée" have been tracked. The snow quality was good at the beginning of the week, the upper part was a bit windy between yesterday and today but it was still quite good. The salle à manger is ok.
One team has been to the Brèche du Tacul with a descent on the Mont Mallet glacier which went quite well on 12/01. Brèche Puiseux tracked today without more information.
The Mer de Glace is quite dry, you have to be careful not to scratch your skis too much. You can stop at the grotto or continue to Les Mottets (there too there is still a lack of snow). The refreshment bar is open! The descent to Chamonix is okay except for the few turns before the farm where you have to go slowly (lack of snow).
A bit of activity on the Glacier Rond and the couloir des Cosmiques but only for the elite.
You will scrape your skis on the lower part of the Pré du Rocher.
Concerning the gullies: regular activity on the side of the Aiguille du Midi (Jottnar; Vent du Dragon), the Triangle du Tacul (Chéré), the E face of the Tacul (Gabarrou-Albinoni / Modica-Noury: be careful with the Rimaye which collapsed in part ten days ago), Pointes Lachenal (Pellissier), the Petit Capucin (Valeria gully). Probably some lines formed in the Combe Maudite (Filo D’Arianna...).
Nothing heard from the Argentière basin but there will be soon because of the good weather that is coming!
The return of cold weather has meant that ice falls have reformed! No detailed information but there must be scope on both the rive gauche and the rive droite of the Argentière glacier.
Snow shoeing routes are accessible. The more experienced can go up to the chalets de Chailloux and to the Loriaz refuge (unmarked routes).
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Poster: A snowHead
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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, 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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Les Houches Saturday 15th.
Very foggy down the lower Arve valley, clear from Servoz.
Usual temperature inversion - relatively warm on the slopes, actually felt exceptional for January.
Light snow on all pistes, perfect conditions, except the lower end of Plan du Cret which needs a bit of new snow (where we only headed to for an excellent La Tanière lunch).
So far there is no expectation of any new drop for a good week, but with low temperatures it should all be fine - no repetition of the thawing we had end of December.
Side note, we stuck to the pistes and didn't explore much, but the area seems ideal for beginners/intermediates. At least with yhe snow conditions and pistes preparation it all felt smooth and easy. So the grading seemed a bit odd - our 4yo managed the reds (if a bit carefully and very slowly). And I managed to challenge my son on the blacks (for ex. Kandahar) - the total absence of moguls worked in my favor. He still had to wait for me, only not as long as, say, on Avoriaz's Frontaliere or anywhere off piste.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Off out to Chamonix tomorrow - any updates? Just grateful to be getting on the mountain to be honest
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Here’s an update for the off piste routes:
Chamonix Conditions Update 04.02.2022
From La Chamoniarde - Office de Haute Montagne
Updated information just after the latest passage of weather.
Unfortunately, we had more wind than snow. It's difficult to estimate the quantities as it was so windy (10cm at the bottom of the valley, 15cm at 2,000m, 25cm at 3,500m).
We are told that the conditions in the Aiguilles Rouges are variable. The quality of the snow changes depending on the slope and exposure. You can find everything: a load-bearing crust with a little powder on it, a thin crust of ice that breaks, but also accumulations (more or less dangerous, more or less good to ski) and icy slopes. The wind and the layers of fog are probably responsible for this.
A team turned back on the slope (traverse) just before the Brèche de Bérard (big accumulations + 'whumphs'). The Col de Beugeant / Encrenaz on the Buet side is said to be totally ice / glazed snow.
Col de Salenton (quite good skiing to the refuge) and Col de Bérard are tracked. Visually the southern slopes of the Buet are smooth. The little bit of snow "softened" the return to Le Buet.
We hope there are better conditions elsewhere (Contamines or Bel Oiseau sector)!
All this means caution: sharp edges, ski crampons, a good level of skiing technique and experience are therefore required!
"Glacier des Rognons not great, Col d'Argentière good but it was hot".
In the Vallée Blanche, the skiing was pleasant up to the Requin (Petit Envers, Moyen Envers, slopes of the Rognon). A big hole was reported right under the Petit Rognon. The Vallée Classique seems to have taken a bit more wind.
On the other side (Vierge, Vallée Noire, climbs up to the Périades) it's clearly quite damaged by the wind.
The Salle à Manger is OK even if it's not very snowy for the time of year. The same goes for the Mer de Glace, but you can ski to the grotto.
No change for the descent via the Mottets buvette: for good skiers, you will scratch your skis a bit on the glacier and there are a few stones in the bends just before the Planards farm.
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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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On piste, the show Mon - Weds freshened things up a bit. Decent condition most places. Offpiste it's windblown and patchy, not the best.
I skied Les Houches yesterday - very pleasant on pistes. Not much new/deep off. Working today, but thinking about tomorrow...
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We did Flegere, Brevent and Grand Montets over the weekend. Conditions on piste were at least decent everywhere, red runs up Brevent were great, and on Grand Montets at 2500m (Herse chairlift) even better than that. Having said that, lots of exposed rock on the mountain even high up, so more & fresh snow will be most welcome.
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FAQ
