 Poster: A snowHead
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Fair play to the snow ploughs, looks like they’ve been working all night. Road up was fine.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Made it down from Tignes without incident - car with winter tyres was absolutely fine. Roads go black at Ste Foy and 1.5 degrees and raining in Bourg.
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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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Chaos here in Chantemerle yesterday afternoon, the little snowplough which cleans the pavements toppled over at the entrance to the main car park and traffic backing up to Briancon!
Bummer cos it means I have to clear outside the house with a shovel 
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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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Journey down from La Tania this morning good. Roads clear and only took 2 hours.
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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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On the far side of Lauteret by Villar d'Arene
Roads still well covered in snow and traffic slow but lots of ploughing. Pleased we got an early exit.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Hells Bells, wait till you hit the LDA & ADH traffic from the damn onwards - hopefully, will not be bad, but I suspect could be a long trip to Grenoble regardless of the weather,
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Foggy low cloud here in Montalbert this morning and still lightly snowing - there is a photo of a black road up in La plagne Centre on Facebook so hopefully everyone is leaving 
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Roads clear and no traffic after L2A exit.
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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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Start of carnage outside Monetier now, will post some photos later of the snow chain layby
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Roads to Chambery very easy. Flights generally OK although one TUI has diverted to Lyon. Weather fairly clear
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Super easy drive from Sauze to Turin
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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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If it's only snowing down to Ste Foy shouldn't be too bad for going down.
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Currently the wind at CMF is from the north so a TUI and a CityFlyer have approached over the lake to take a tight right-hand 180 to land from the south. Hmmmm.
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You know it makes sense.
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No issues driving down from Morzine at 10am today. Road is clear, no chains needed. Some cars (presumably from Avoriaz) were taking theirs off at Les Gets.
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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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@Nemisis, That's standard with a northerly wind and the short runway at Chambery. The wind wasn't forecast last night - but its arrival meant no fog! Not sure why the Exeter diverted, an identical TUI.ac landed 9 minutes later and the Exeter went round 4 big holds - and there was plenty of time between aircraft for another go. Perhaps he had a problem which meant he needed a longer runway. Wonder if we had a snowhead aboard??
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Poster: A snowHead
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Higher temperatures and rain saved the day. Raining in Bourg for example.
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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 on our way North passing Macon. Warnings of 'bouchons' at peage booths on A432 amd A6 but weren't any to speak of.
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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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Saved by #globblewarming
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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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| Casa wrote: |
One question I do have. How do you actually know when to stop and put chains on? You see the chain up lay-bys but how do you actually know what’s round the corner and whether you need to pull in and chain up.
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when you've lost all traction, are sideways across the road and there is a 2km tailback in both directions as you realize the chains are the wrong size.
At least that is how the French do it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you’re in a Disco with new winter tyres and don’t just mash the throttle there isn’t much to worry about @Casa, the worst I’ve experienced in 20+ years of driving in the alps on holiday I was in a 4WD Subaru with 30cm of fresh on the roads. It was fine. It’s the other road users who cause the log jams (I recall a Dutch camper van trying to put chains on at a hairpin on the road at the above time…).
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With a Land Rover you should have no problem. Stay in as high a gear as practicable, no sudden anything. If you feel any loss of traction ease off the gas. If you get stuck drop back a bit and try again. Have food and drink in case you get stuck because others are not so well behaved.
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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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Are we saying don’t use auto gear box and use the + & - manual
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Looks like the Exeter TUI that diverted to Lyon is on the move again.
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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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@Casa, honestly, in a disco with winter tyres you’ll have no issues until it’s seriously deep, by which point you’ll be stationary anyway due to a bmw with skinny summer tyres jamming the road ahead.
If it gets really slippy, put the Disco into off road traction mode. You might also want to watch some YouTube of those vehicles doing off-road tracks to reassure you; they can make it up and down stuff that looks utterly impossible 
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Been very quiet in and out of Val d'Isere today. Hardly any traffic on the road.
Looking like most left yesterday and last night.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Casa wrote: |
| Are we saying don’t use auto gear box and use the + & - manual |
Read the car's manual. Pretty sure Discos have a snow/winter setting for the traction control system which will take care of the gearbox at the same time. Turn it on and just drive, it'll be fine.
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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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| Casa wrote: |
| Are we saying don’t use auto gear box and use the + & - manual |
Conventinally an automated transmission responds to lower throttle demand (going downhill) by changing up gears, and counterproductive to helping you with engine braking to control the vehicle. More current vehicles have an inclinometer built i to let the ecu see when you are going down or up, then to respond by holding lower ratio to advantage. They can be slower than the driver to recognise what you can clearly see and plan for in the driver's view.
Going downhill is the most prominent use of selecting a lower ratio to control speed by this action (that's the same for front, rear and 4wd) a gentle form of braking that assists you to steer competently while managing speed carefully. Undervalued and important in very slippery conditions, worthwhile experimenting prior to winter demands in familiarisation for when it's really needed.
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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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As others have pointed out when going uphill you get plenty of warning such as other cars pulling in to chainage places, you are losing traction etc. Going downhill is the really critical part when you realise that your antilock is on full tilt and you are not slowing down and a bend is approaching. However, you can inspect the road before you set off. If its hardpack or ice then put the chains on. Also check what other vehicles are doing. If they have chains on then put yours on.
Unless you are arriving or leaving in the middle of the night it is unlikely you will need chains. In 30+years of driving to the Alpes during the wiinter I've only used chains twice. Both of these were between 4 and 6 in the morning.
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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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@ski3, never knew that. Only 4x4 I have driven was a shogun many moons ago that had to manually be put into 4x4
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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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| Gored wrote: |
| @ski3, never knew that. Only 4x4 I have driven was a shogun many moons ago that had to manually be put into 4x4 |
Yes, probably the first (easily referenced) type that was designed with a centre differential to cope with variance in wheel speeds and give permanently driven 4wd. Loosely followed in Audi Quattro and Subaru vehicles that do the same.
Many others just have the unused driven axle components just rolling along until that 4 switch is engaged by driver....but can't be used on higher traction surfaces generally as it'll wind itself into breaking from that wheel speed conflict by going around corners.
All Haldex system are effectively compromised by this same consideration, most drive front wheels only...with fully driven shaft permanently rotating to rear axle unit...with a high pressure hydraulic switching of a clutch pack to engage those wheels on command of the ECU. They just detect slip between the front and rear wheel speed and clamp the clutch to give 4 drive. Usually dropped when brakes are used and so lose that functionality for engine braking downhill through all 4 tyres 
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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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Cheers guys all very helpful.
It’s a fixed 4x4 so nothing to select there.
I’ve read the manual and know where my “snow” button is.
All very exciting.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Left Val Thorens at 3.30am today and there must’ve been a good 3-4” of snow on the road for the first 10-15 miles (difficult to gauge as I was on a transfer coach), I didn’t see any car etc struggling and ploughs soon turned up even at that ungodly hour.
In the actual resort itself it was a different story, I couldn’t believe how many cars had summer tyres on, seen quite a lot stuck without any chains to put on. Quite a lot of cars using snow socks too.
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| ski3 wrote: |
| [All Haldex system are effectively compromised by this same consideration, most drive front wheels only...with fully driven shaft permanently rotating to rear axle unit...with a high pressure hydraulic switching of a clutch pack to engage those wheels on command of the ECU. They just detect slip between the front and rear wheel speed and clamp the clutch to give 4 drive. Usually dropped when brakes are used and so lose that functionality for engine braking downhill through all 4 tyres |
Correct and why I have a long term disdain for Haldex systems. Haldex and CVT gearboxes, just don't!
Be aware that LR Evoque, Freelander and some Disco Sports are Haldex.
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I've had so many problems with Haldex on my 4-Motion transporter.
I'd love to know what the true % of people with a Haldex failed system is driving around with only 2wd when they think they have 4WD - it's only when you really need 4WD you find out!
Cars still coming down from the Lautaret with chains etc on as conditions up there must be bad with strong winds blowing snow across the road.
And then feel for those I've seen taking their chains off having got on to the clear road residential side roads unaware that in 10 km they'll have to put them back on!
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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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Nothing much happening at Innsbruck airport just now.
Cloud / fog right down by the looks of things.
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| Weathercam wrote: |
| I'd love to know what the true % of people with a Haldex failed system is driving around with only 2wd when they think they have 4WD - it's only when you really need 4WD you find out! |
That's an excellent point!
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FAQ
