 Poster: A snowHead
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| Ski Tyke wrote: |
What are the buses round Chatel like? Apartment I have in mind is on Rue de Roitet, behind Hotel Edelweiss which looks a bit of a trek to the gondola on foot. Are there ski lockers at SC? Might be more manageable in street shoes. |
Well google reckons it's a 6 minute walk, so perhaps ten in boots. Just very slightly uphill getting to the lift. There may be a bus stop closer to your accommodation. I'm not aware of lockers, but as we're based in Morgins I wouldn't really know. Possibly Someone Who Knows may be along shortly, ditto for more info about the bus experience.
Have you considered coming over to to stay on the Swiss side at all? I can ski to Avoriaz in less than half an hour in either direction, so it may tick your boxes in that respect at least.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Bitten the bullet and booked in Chatel. Thanks for your help and looking forward to getting off the beaten track!
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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 Tyke, there’s a bus from Roitet then change in the town square to the PLJ bus. From PLJ two lifts and a piste to Lindarets. From there one lift and ski to Avoriaz or lift and piste to French Mosettes then straight to Les Crosets. No issue getting back. Lift/piste/lift to the top of Rochassons from either Avoriaz or Crosets. If you go to Morzine (even more Les Gets) it is a bit of a schlep.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@DJL, thanks. Next question - route from GVA? Apple maps is sending me round the top of Lake Geneva. Is this the best route?
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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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@Ski Tyke, Route around the top of the lake and over the Pas du Morgins will take you 1:40h and it’s the most straight forward route. All gong well you could do whole drive from the car rental P51 parking at GVA to your accommodation with only stopping once or twice at junctions. Pas de Morgins is normally open even with heavy snow but recommend you google its status before you leave GVA. The sat nav in my car, which sources it traffic info from Tom Tom, always thinks it’s shut in winter and tries to divert me back via Evian. Best to navigate using Waze.
As others have said you are staying in a good spot and there is the local bus to the main square from which you can either walk to SC or bud to Lac Vonnes, Linga or PLJ. The PDS ski map does Châtel an injustice by placing it in one corner when in reality it’s n in the centre of the PDS. You have great options to either head to Torgon and La Chapelle for quiet skiing on good, often quiet, red runs or Morgins to head to Les Crossets from Super Chatel - these areas are vast. Although the temptation may be to head to Avoriaz there is great terrain in the Linga, Les Combes, Cornebois areas. Tip if you do get a bus to Pre La Joux is to ski down to the Pre La Joux lift instead of walking up to yhe busier Pierre Longue lift. Although we have PDS passes we seldom head to Avoriaz.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Ski Tyke wrote: |
| @DJL, thanks. Next question - route from GVA? Apple maps is sending me round the top of Lake Geneva. Is this the best route? |
No.
On paper it's marginally faster, although about 20km longer, for us to Morgins, so add/subtract about 5km and 5 minutes for Châtel. But it's a horrible drive, with traffic, cameras, often roadworks, cameras, stupidly variable speed limits and cameras. I really hate it and prefer to drive through the middle of Geneva and along the lake to Thonon. Traffic problems are rare and in practice, driving reasonably enthusiastically, it takes about the same time, but is soo much more relaxing I wouldn't mind if it did take just a little bit longer.
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Thonon is a nicer drive imo too. The reason Apple Maps might be diverting you north of the lake at the moment is the abondance / Chatel road is closed, as it is pretty much every year pre season for works / trees etc.
@Ozboy, explain how Chatel is in the center of the PdS? We’ve already been thru this with WoC and I think there was consensus that Linderets is the center. Otherwise you are unjustifiably excluding places like St Jean d’aulps.
Will be interesting to see the snow line tomorrow, models are all over the place, anywhere from 1700 to 1100m for the heaviest precipitation. But by sat evening at the latest it will be down to the valley floor.
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@Ski Tyke, What time are you arriving at Geneva? If the traffic is busy then it can take an age (1hr) to get through the city to the Mont Blanc bridge at the West end of the lake.
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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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@polo, I think what Ozboy means is that compared to the peripheral stations like Les Gets, Torgon etc, from which you can only go one way, from Chatel you can go in 3 directions: towards Chalet-Neuf & Morgins, towards La Chapelle / Torgon or towards Lindarets / Avoriaz. Hence it is "central". I agree that Lindarets is probably the centre of the PdS in terms of distance from outlying resorts and the number of directions you can go from there.
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@Matt1959, never takes more than 10-20mins along Route de Ferney in my experience
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@polo, Maybe I had a bad day. Normally used to arrive late at night but once it was 5pm on a Friday. Took 3 hrs to La Chapelle!
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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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looks like a nice bit of snow there already. going to wait a bit longer until we buy lift passes (fly in 2 weeks) how easy is the collection process in Morzine? and thoughts on snow in the Pleney/Les Gets areas? looks ok to a newbie and save a little on not having to buy Avoriaz ski passes......
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@OuatteDePhoque, yes there is more linked choice from Chatel than other extremes, if you don’t mind a lot of long lifts. But Chatel is not the center of the PdS. Anyway it makes little difference, lots of good villages to base yourself, lots of variety…..and all with access to good skiing. My kid was trying to get local friends to do the PdS circuit with him this year, but none were interested in ‘spending the day on lifts’.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Matt1959, yes it can be bad at that time, 5-7pm no fun. But always head to Ferney, then cut left once over the bridge.
@billy lale, collection normally very straightforward, any ‘Caisse’ will do. Even easier if you already have cards and load them online. There is snow to the bottom of LG, but Pleney is lower and more south facing so needs a bit more snow to open. Should get quite a lot more tomorrow, especially above 1400m (the bowl in LG), and hopefully by next week there will be enough to ski to 1000m.
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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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@polo, thanks. booking them online so saving a nice 10% which always helps! ah fingers crossed the snow dumps continue for another 2 weeks then into Morzine then!! be wonderful to have a white Christmas!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| polo wrote: |
| @OuatteDePhoque, yes there is more linked choice from Chatel than other extremes, if you don’t mind a lot of long lifts. But Chatel is not the center of the PdS. |
I think you're taking it a little too literally, but on the other hand your describing Châtel as an "extreme" is inaccurate as well as somewhat condescending; it may look that way on the Piste map, which was the point being made, but it really is much more of a central village than it looks. Looking at the map from a different perspective can show how distorted the over PDS ones make it look, https://www.chatel.com/medias/images/info_pages/espace-liberte-2018-2019-v5-avec-logo-chatel-bd-10224.pdf
Bear in mind that as well as the Super-Châtel and Linga areas, taking you as far as Plaine Dranse, the Châtel sector includes
| Quote: |
the Swiss resort of Torgon, the Corbeau sector of the Swiss resort of Morgins as well as the Braitaz sector of the Chapelle d'Abondance.
In all: 130 km of slopes! |
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Chaletbeauroc, there’s nothing condescending about fact. Lindarets is the geographical center, it also has the most choice of direction to travel, and is easiest to reach from the many ‘furthest out’ bases. I have no allegiance or emotional attachment whatsoever to Lindarets, although the goats are cool.
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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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| Matt1959 wrote: |
| @Ski Tyke, What time are you arriving at Geneva? If the traffic is busy then it can take an age (1hr) to get through the city to the Mont Blanc bridge at the West end of the lake. |
Hi, we land at GVA at 0845 on Sat 28/01.
The southerly route does look more direct but having never negotiated downtown Geneva, I did wonder if the time advantage of fewer kms would be lost before we'd even left the city limits...
I've driven round the top once, to Nendaz and seem to recall it's dual carriageway most/ all the way?
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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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| polo wrote: |
Thonon is a nicer drive imo too. The reason Apple Maps might be diverting you north of the lake at the moment is the abondance / Chatel road is closed, as it is pretty much every year pre season for works / trees etc.
@Ozboy, explain how Chatel is in the center of the PdS? We’ve already been thru this with WoC and I think there was consensus that Linderets is the center. Otherwise you are unjustifiably excluding places like St Jean d’aulps.
Will be interesting to see the snow line tomorrow, models are all over the place, anywhere from 1700 to 1100m for the heaviest precipitation. But by sat evening at the latest it will be down to the valley floor. |
Yes Linderets is central especially when looking at it from the Morzine side. My point was that Châtel’s is not well presented as a hum on the PDS map. We are probably splitting hairs as Linderet and Châtel area are only separated by one lift.
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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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| Ski Tyke wrote: |
| Matt1959 wrote: |
| @Ski Tyke, What time are you arriving at Geneva? If the traffic is busy then it can take an age (1hr) to get through the city to the Mont Blanc bridge at the West end of the lake. |
Hi, we land at GVA at 0845 on Sat 28/01.
The southerly route does look more direct but having never negotiated downtown Geneva, I did wonder if the time advantage of fewer kms would be lost before we'd even left the city limits...
I've driven round the top once, to Nendaz and seem to recall it's dual carriageway most/ all the way? |
Yes it’s dual carriage way until you exit motorway near Monthey. As regulars we take the southern route to and from airport as I prefer not to be bound by a motorway but I find the Swiss route more relaxing when everything is flowing. Also consider the CH Route if the weather is foul as the twisty and narrow valley road into Châtel can be notorious.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Ozboy wrote: |
| Linderet and Châtel area are only separated by one lift. |
A bus ride to Pre la Joux and one lift, or 3 lifts without taking a bus. Likewise from Morzine it's a bus and one lift.
Anyway to more important matters.....what will the snowline be tomorrow.
GFS seems convinced most of the day will see snow to 1100m.
Next best is ECM, with snow all morning to lower levels, but warming up during the day.
Unfortunately these two are low resolution broadscale models, whereas the shorter range and supposedly more accurate models look a lot worse.
WRF has the snowline for early part of the day at 1400m, only dropping to 1100m late afternoon.
Arome has the whole day at about 1500m.
Arpege has the morning at about 1700m, only dropping to 1300m late evening.
So quite extraordinary differences for the first part of the day. 1700m or 1100m? This is during the heaviest downpours, so will have a material effect on the end result. Thankfully it's only a matter of time before the freeze level plunges into Friday night / Sat morning, but then it's a bit hit and miss as to how much more snow will fall over the weekend. Still there are encouraging signs for next week as well.
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Probably answered somewhere previously but I don't see it.
Heading to Morzine on 14th Jan for 2 weeks - does anybody know if i purchase a 12 day lift ticket, are the days consecutive or can I take a day off after 6 days, then run the other 6 days?
Thanks in advance!
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| polo wrote: |
| Ozboy wrote: |
| Linderet and Châtel area are only separated by one lift. |
A bus ride to Pre la Joux and one lift, or 3 lifts without taking a bus. Likewise from Morzine it's a bus and one lift.
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You seem to have missed the word "area". PlJ _is_ Châtel.
It's also worth noting that with recent expansions there is much less a clear cut "village" of Châtel than there was 30 years ago, with pretty much the whole of the valley from Chapelle to Linga now highly developed. I can't say I like it, a far cry from my first visit (and first ski trip) nearly 30 years ago when it was still a charming sleepy little place.
As for the weather, looks like the freezing level will drop to near zero over the next few days, with perhaps 20cm or so of new snow. I'll be skiing from PlJ on Sunday, Ski School training session, Morgins lifts not expected to open until the next weekend, although apparently les Crosets was already open from the 4th Dec.
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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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@polo, it would be useful for your view on the Wetterzentrale GFS 10d Meteogram, for Les Gets/Morzine areas, it's currently forecasting sub zero temps, and decent levels of precipitation for the next week or so.
A very easy to read forecast, and a positive view from a skiing point of view.
However I guess this one is a broad brush estimate and doesn't include some data like freezing levels for example.
Plus it seems overly optimistic compared to other forecasts. Is it worth following?
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| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
| polo wrote: |
| Ozboy wrote: |
| Linderet and Châtel area are only separated by one lift. |
A bus ride to Pre la Joux and one lift, or 3 lifts without taking a bus. Likewise from Morzine it's a bus and one lift.
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You seem to have missed the word "area". PlJ _is_ Châtel.
It's also worth noting that with recent expansions there is much less a clear cut "village" of Châtel than there was 30 years ago, with pretty much the whole of the valley from Chapelle to Linga now highly developed. I can't say I like it, a far cry from my first visit (and first ski trip) nearly 30 years ago when it was still a charming sleepy little place.
As for the weather, looks like the freezing level will drop to near zero over the next few days, with perhaps 20cm or so of new snow. I'll be skiing from PlJ on Sunday, Ski School training session, Morgins lifts not expected to open until the next weekend, although apparently les Crosets was already open from the 4th Dec. |
And we are now seeing many developments between Linga and PLJ. I do hope they eventually find a way of stopping cars driving to PLJ by either sorting out the Linga bottleneck or having a decent park and ride system for day trippers. People staying in village should get the bus but it can be an issue getting to PLJ in time for 9:30 lessons when the first feeder shuttles for the PLJ bus only start at 8:45.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Ozboy, no I didn't miss it.....the Chatel area is indeed vast, am thinking in more terms of the centre of activity / accomodation. For vast majority of visitors, I imagine they will be based in and around Chatel village, as opposed to PLJ, so not really one lift for the vast majority on that side to Lindaret. Agree re. expansion and overdevelopment of the entire area....it has to slow down.
@Randyp909, yep it's worth following, but it's just one model, and I believe it's just the Operational run.....ie it doesn't include all the various iterations (ensembles) of that model. So it's not much different to looking at snowforecast.com. And like all models, they tend to do their own thing about 4-5 day out, so that's why I look at a wide range of models and then you can have more confidence in the outcomes if they all agree. Next week is still not nailed down, but as above, pretty encouraging.
Presume you mean this one?
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Thu 8-12-22 12:18; 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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Part of the justification for upgrading and re-routing the Conche lift is to encourage more people to use the Super Chatel / Chalet Neuf areas. Next they need to replace some of the drags!
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| polo wrote: |
@Randyp909
Presume you mean this one?
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Yes that's it thanks!
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You know it makes sense.
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@Matt1959, Chalet neuf is a little hidden gem.
Plus all the lovely freeride on both sides of the ridge from the top of the Morclan.
And under the Pano Resto down into the Torgon Bowl.
The only issue is that it can bottle-neck getting back up to SC or to the Bec de Corbeau when they only run 1/2 of the parallel drags.
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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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@OuatteDePhoque, Ssshhhh, don't tell everybody!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| OuatteDePhoque wrote: |
@Matt1959, Chalet neuf is a little hidden gem.
Plus all the lovely freeride on both sides of the ridge from the top of the Morclan.
And under the Pano Resto down into the Torgon Bowl.
The only issue is that it can bottle-neck getting back up to SC or to the Bec de Corbeau when they only run 1/2 of the parallel drags. |
Agree but is about to change with the replacement and realignment of the Conche chair lift that will now take skiers all the way to the top of the ridge and will be able to drop directly into Chalet Neuf area. Looking forward to it and hopefully the positive transformation of the Super Chatel area and making the main face less busy during holidays.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cham Meteo todays update below, 25-40cm at 1600m, might not be a lot in the villages, but weekend should be nice for a tour / or lifts in Avoriaz....possible low viz light snow
OVERNIGHT
Milder and unsettled - snowfall, the mixed rain & snow - very strong wind high up
SKY CONDITION : overcast, ceiling in the valley - iso 0°C rising up towards 2200 m.
PRECIPITATION : starting up shortly before the middle of the night - moderate, then weakening before dawn - rain-snow limit towards 1300 m (or even locally below…), occasionally rising up towards 1500 m by dawn - expected snowfall towards 1600 m : 10-15 cm.
WIND - aloft : WSW strong - occasionally gale force towards the latter part of the night.
TEMPERATURE : low -2°C.
FRIDAY 9 DECEMBER 08
Bad windy weather - relatively mild on the whole - precipitation more or less continuous
SKY CONDITION : overcast or occasionally mostly cloudy - fairly low ceiling in the valley at times. Period of sunshine close to 0%.
PRECIPITATION : light to moderate - rain-snow limit towards 1500 m, lower towards evening - expected snowfall towards 1600 m : 15-25 cm.
WIND - aloft : WSW strong -> moderate to strong.
TEMPERATURE : low 0 °C - high +3°C.
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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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| elefantfresh wrote: |
Probably answered somewhere previously but I don't see it.
Heading to Morzine on 14th Jan for 2 weeks - does anybody know if i purchase a 12 day lift ticket, are the days consecutive or can I take a day off after 6 days, then run the other 6 days?
Thanks in advance! |
If you buy a 12 day pass the days run consecutively, so no you can't take a day off in the middle and use it at the end. If you want to have a day off in the middle you may be cheaper to get two 6 day passes rather than a 13 day and waste a day. Go on the pass website and put a few different options in and see which works out best for you.
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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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Snowed heavily all night around lac Leman. About 350m above sea level, so some of those computer models need reprogramming.
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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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I'm guessing around 10cms in Chamonix right now, I haven't been outside yet ... and I've just heard my first bomb of the season ...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Ozboy, Is the new Conche open tomorrow, or is it planned for next season?
TBH I dont mind that it will go to the top, because I love going to Morgins and the Corbeau drag (the one with the sharp left hander half way up ) was not always open, so you'd take Chermillon to get into the Chalet Neuf basin, but this misses out a really nice face and off piste drop.
Because of the ski tests in Avoriaz, I was thinking of hitting Chatel this weekend.
BTW Avoriaz was amazingly un-busy last weekend.
FYI decent overnight fall, and still snowing around 15cm of fresh.
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Pandemonium in Geneva transport, it's not lack of snow you need to worry about, it's transfer time (if you're coming this weekend). More likely due to drivers or other operational employees not managing to get to work on time, but still, this is not London or Paris, it's not as if it never snows in the region...
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Also keeping an eye on inforoute74.fr...
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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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@patrick!, yes, well, most amused to hear (Radio Mont Blanc) this morning with the presenter noting that there were several big traffic jams around, mostly because locals hadn't equipped their vehicles adequately ...
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Wow, really? It's been compulsory for over a month! Granted, it was useless in plains until today, but it's plain stupid not to switch to winter wheels at some point in Oct/Nov if you live near the Alps. (visitors can do away with socks or chains)
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FAQ
