 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm headed to Thonon-Les-Bains (on the south coast of Lake Geneva) for a week in August. The Portes du Soleil region is quite close and I was wondering if there was anywhere that offered summer skiing within a reasonable drive, say 2 hours ?
If not any suggestions of things to do, places to see etc. would be gratefully received.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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abv, don't really know, but I'd have thought the closest is probably Saas Fee (Les Diablerets being shut) - still quite a drive away. There is a lovely little walk though from Lac Leman through the Portes du Soleil....to Chamonix in only 5 days!!! Seriously though, I think you can pretty much drive up to it at the bottom end of the Abondance Valley and some of the best bits of the walk are about there (through the Porte du Soleil itself, and great views of the Dents du Midi IIRC).
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brian
brian
Guest
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abv, The PdS is pretty low and has no glaciers so no summer ski there I'm afraid.
Closest would either be Saas Fee as Graham says, which you might do in 2 hours if the road is fairly quiet and you hammer it. You'll need the motorway vignette in Switzerland.
Or Tignes via Chamonix, the Mont Blanc tunnel and the Col du Petit St Bernard, which I doubt you could do in under 2.5 hours.
PdS has lots of lifts open for downhill mtb, you could always hire a bike.
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no summer skiing in portes du soleil, and unfortunately diablerets is shut this summer again. Saas fee and zermatt are about 2-3 hours away - but wicked mountain biking in PDS with about 26 lifts open, highly recommended!
some great hikes as well, notably the national park around the cornettes de bise, with great views of the lake, and mountain goats - probably my favorite place in PDS in summer. Or push a little more and you can hike up dents du midi - 2 day hike, sleep over in a refuge, magnificent views! Couple small snow patches here and there as well - not really enough to ski though!
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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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Certainly no snow in the PDS at that time of year. The cows are walking all over the slopes anyway! Great on a bike though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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You cuold wander over to Cervinia but it would take a little longer. No idea if the summer skiing there is open all summer.
Or you could do the usual summer mountain things, walking, cragging, canyoning or the Fantasticable...we did it yesterday, awesome if a little butterfly inspiring at the top - and as you approach the landing zone at 60mph...
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Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
David Murdoch,
The Fantasicable looks mad. Apparently there are two with the longer one having a top speed of 75 mph 
That is now a definite. I've even managed to convince the GF it's a good idea although we will see what happens when we get to the top ! Other plans for the week now include mountain biking and white water rafting.
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Saw the cable last winter, its EVERY bit as high as it looks, discussed many times as we took the chair up from Chatel where the cable crossed over, we decided it would be LESS terrifying to jump from a plane with a parachute !!!
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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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abv, Frosty, I would never jump out of a plane with a parachute - too scary. The cable's brilliant though! Bizarrely, I was a bit nervous as I was strapped in but once they say - "are you ready" I just felt ready to go. It's excellent. Really really good fun.
Don't worry about a bit of vibration and turbulence on the way, it's allegedly normal.
Do NOT lie about your weight as they use that to apply appropriate air braking as you slide along and (perhaps more importantly) appropriate elasticity when you come to a stop.
You don't want to stop too quickly - or indeed proceed too far along the cable into the very large pylon at the end!!
Top lunching tip - along the ridge heading west from the top of the chair is a restaurant on the Col du Bassachaux "La Haute Bise" http://www.crepy.net/. We were very impressed with the food, views are excellent and you can have a swift poire for dutch courage avant or as a nerve steadier apres the cable.
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David Murdoch, quote: Top lunching tip (could have added 'DON'T!) 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Madaboutsnow, oh, not at all. They were most accomodating and deserved their 12.5% 
The only really scary bit about the cable is your first "landing" as you get a powerful "ground rush" and then proceed through what seems to be an impossibly narrow framework before the brakes come on. Violently. Thankfully the harnesses are very well padded around the shoulders.
I'll try and post some piccies over the weekend.
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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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David Murdoch, I was thinking more of the effects said lunch might have if indulged in too close to one's Fantasticable errm.... journey (flight?dice with death?)
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You know it makes sense.
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David Murdoch, So where's the picture of the landing - person scraping nose on ground. Then final picture of totally flat, bleeding face? 
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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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so far I'm only aware of that happening once...maggi,
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Poster: A snowHead
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David Murdoch, How much Davey?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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€27 oe so I think...
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