 Poster: A snowHead
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Perfect, perfect conditions for Christmas Day! Pistes couldn't be better, no lift queues to speak of that we came across, temperatures just below or just above freezing so sitting in the sun was rather lovely. Couldn't ask for a better day. We visited the light show in the Varet top station, Jane's first time. She loved it, as I continue to do. If you've not seen it make sure you do.
Christmas Dinner looking in good shape, so time to relax and then get stuffed. Merry Christmas to all the Arcadiens.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A beautiful skiing day today. Brilliant sunshine, snow and excellently prepared pistes. Some of the pistes were getting a bit scraped and the odd lift queue but nothing of any concern.
We went over to 2000 today via secret. It may have been the first time this season that it was open and judging by how many people were on it it was living up to its name. It was my piste of the day. It has been a couple years since I've done malgovert but it was open today so we did it. A fantastic run; a truly unique piste.
Just got back from watching the ski instructors torch light descent and demonstration. I wondered where those 3 person skis from apocalypse snow went. It was a good show with free vin chaud.
A wonderful Christmas day all round. Now for christmas dinner
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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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Horrible news emerging, a 14-year old was killed late this afternoon in an avalanche on the Aiguille Rouge.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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How terribly sad, it will be devastating for all involved!
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Horrible news emerging, a 14-year old was killed late this afternoon in an avalanche on the Aiguille Rouge. |
Very sad to hear. I went to go up this morning and was told it may open at 2pm. I guess it did. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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What a nightmare, same age as my son.
They go off piste every day with their group, properly equipped, but still...
And caused by some idiot on a snowboard apparently
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How dreadful. 
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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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| Oleski wrote: |
What a nightmare, same age as my son.
They go off piste every day with their group, properly equipped, but still...
And caused by some idiot on a snowboard apparently |
Regardless of the "idiot on the snowboard" they were not properly equipped to be skiing off piste. They shouldn't have been there.
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| Oleski wrote: |
What a nightmare, same age as my son.
They go off piste every day with their group, properly equipped, but still...
And caused by some idiot on a snowboard apparently |
Snowboarder the idiot or the offpiste skier without full offpiste gear?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Another brilliant sunny day today with the temperatures just creeping above zero at Arc1600. Sadly my knees are really suffering on the hard pack rutted pistes and I had to call it a day quite early. We had been over at Vallandry and the pistes were not too busy and once again zero lift queues. Is this really Christmas week, tradditionally the 6th busiest of the season. Easter last year was busier.
Lunch was at the what was a little snack bar at the top of the Peisey lift but now quite a large emporium with lovely views over to Bellecote. It was absolutely heaving with customers in the sunshine.
The piste of the day - bearing in mind some comments elsewhere on this forum this will be a controversal choice - Traverse from the top of Derby to Arc 1600, especially after Arc1800. This route is very scenic. So pleasant that people go for walks along it. I just stood on my skis and cruised by them stopping every now and then to admire the views across the valley to the snow covered mountains beyond.
Our last day for us until March tomorrow and it looks like it will be nother cracker.
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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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Hopefully this is the right thread to ask this question. We (two adults) are coming out to Les Arcs on Jan 4 for three weeks, staying in Arc 1800, renting an airbnb in Charvet. Any recommendations for the best place to rent skis from please? Perhaps somewhere that might offer a discount for the extended period versus the usual week - even better if they offer boot fitting / insoles as my new boots don't quite fit and it would be good to get some professional help with them.
I guess there's an argument that three weeks almost makes it worth buying rather than renting - but the hassle of ski carriage for every future holiday as well as the need to maintain them, etc., means the idea of owning our own skis has never really appealed. Am I being an idiot here?
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Another brilliant day in les arcs today. The sun shone, the pistes were in good condition and the lift queues non existant. We only skied for 4 hours but enjoyed every minute.
Some pistes were getting a bit boiler plate such as valley of the arcs down to marmottes . Judging by the large number of people arriving when we were leaving this evening there may be some close encounters of the unwelcome kind next week. Take care people.
Piste of the day- soliet. A short black on route to villaroger. The snow was excellent and there was no one else on it. I know the piste map marks it as black but as it had been piste bashed and had no bumps I’d really think of it as a red, but it was still excellent no matter what colour it is.
Restaurant of the day - Rocky Mountain. A good priced burgher, hip and beer. Then back to the apartment to pack up.
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You know it makes sense.
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Hi
Quick question
We are due in on the train at 8pm this Saturday ( Bourg)
Will then get the Funicular up to Arc 1600 - we then have to get the Bus up to 1950
How far is the bus stop from the exit to the funicular- as we will have 4 bags to lug !!!
Also, I am a little nervous that with the train getting in from Paris at 8 that this leaves little wriggle room as the funicular stops at 9 , or am I being paranoid
Many thanks for the help
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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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There is a bus stop at the funi terminal in 1600, timing wise as long as the train isn’t delayed you should be fine.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Is anyone staying at 1950 at the moment? I had an email from PV a while back saying the balconies would be out of bounds for the season. Is that for all of them, or only some? And was it for safety reasons - like it was when they did the same a few years back?
Apologies, I did ask this in the general forum too, but no one has replied.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@SCruttonStreet, I don't know 1950 very well but I beleive it was a design flaw with the cantilever design. AFAIAA the fault has not be correct.
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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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@JohnE, Thank you, as I recall that was the reason they gave about a decade or so ago when they closed them all for a season, but they've been available since then. At least until now.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@SCruttonStreet, I received a letter today (dated 17th) detailing all rooms in building Prince des Cimes (where I have an apartment) and whether the balconies are open. If you're in Prince des Cimes and know your apartment number I can tell you. Otherwise not!
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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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@195062. Thank you, however we booked through PV so allocated on arrival. We booked a two-bed Mont Blanc view which I think should narrow it down, but pretty sure that means it won't be Prince des Cimes.
Did your letter say what the issue was?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| SCruttonStreet wrote: |
Is anyone staying at 1950 at the moment? I had an email from PV a while back saying the balconies would be out of bounds for the season. Is that for all of them, or only some? And was it for safety reasons - like it was when they did the same a few years back?
Apologies, I did ask this in the general forum too, but no one has replied. |
We are here now. We had an email saying the same thing and refunding us a small amount. Our balcony door can be opened all the way as the restrictor hasn’t been put on. But we won’t use it.
My brother is arriving later in a different room & has been told the same.
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@SCruttonStreet, Offhand I don't remember the details of what the problems were, though it's been ongoing for some time. A lot of the apartments have been sorted, according to the letter, but others won't now be done until next spring.
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Ok thanks all. Any more reports would be great. We dont exactly use it much, but it's handy for storing the booze that we bring up in the car from Bourg.
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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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@johnE, where is this Rocky Mountain restaurant?
Being based in 1950 for the past few years, and picking up kids from lessons we have tended to grab food at Meli Snacks.
This year, no lessons will give us more freedom to take lunch at other mountain facilities…
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Thanks Wills
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Richie_S, the restaurant is just below the combettes lift in ⅘1600. The burgers are of really good quality.
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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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Best burgers in Les Arcs are at La Popote in 1800. Take the steps down from below transarc to find it.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Richie_S, for 'snacky' lunches, we often end up in Les Trois Saveurs - top of the Peisey lift opposite side of the pistes to the Enfant Terrible.
Good value, great views, owned by same people who have the new one at the bottom of the Derby.
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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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| Oleski wrote: |
Pre St Esprit has been running backward all morning and in one direction. Never seen such a thing.
https://imgur.com/a/36JeKaA |
Isn't there a garage at the bottom of that lift to store the chairs? Perhaps they are taking all the chairs off the cable because of technical issue? I doubt they are taking them off the cable for weather as no high winds are forecast.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Oleski wrote: |
And caused by some idiot on a snowboard apparently |
How on earth can you make that statement? Given that it is obviously a tragedy, the group decision making seems to be questionable at best. Going off piste at 3 o'clock on a warm sunny day with no kit. That's three big no no's. Who is to say the boarder/skier wasn't in a better/safer position, and the group that got hit might have been under a loaded slope and/or in a terrain trap. I don't know the area well enough to say one way or the other, but these are all questions that will be covered in the enquiry. Until then we don't know who the idiots are (apart from keyboard warriors making massive assumptions).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Oleski wrote: |
Pre St Esprit has been running backward all morning and in one direction. Never seen such a thing.
https://imgur.com/a/36JeKaA |
Isn't there a garage at the bottom of that lift to store the chairs? Perhaps they are taking all the chairs off the cable because of technical issue? I doubt they are taking them off the cable for weather as no high winds are forecast. |
That would make sense, may be I didn't pay attention before
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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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@Arctic Roll, @johnE, thanks both!
Will seek them out when we are out there.
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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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I can endorse @Arctic Roll's reccomendation for the Les Trois Saveurs. It is very popular and for a reason. Of all the shacks in all the world it probably has the best views, beating places like Jimmi Hütte at Grödnerjoch in the Dolomites with its outstanding view of the Bellecôte across the valley.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Tomorrow’s forecast from Meteo Tarentaise:
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Forecast for your episode of snow showers between tomorrow night and Friday morning:
Tomorrow morning, the sky is still clear but cloudy, the arrival of clouds in the afternoon, and the arrival of the first precipitation around 16h/17h depending on sectors, the latter will accompany us until the next morning 06/07h. 15/20mm is expected in the valley, locally 25/30mm.
It will snow at the beginning of disturbance at 800/900m elevation, see very locally below on the first precipitation, before the snow rain limit rises to 1300/1400m early evening, 1200/1300m in the first part of the night, 700/800m in the second part of the night and flakes up to 500/600m below last of the rainfall in late night.
We expect 20 to 25cm at 1800/2000m, locally 30cm, 15/20cm at 1500/1600m, 10/15cm at 1300m, 5cm at 900/1000m and locally white soils up to 700/800m height.
Romain VIVIANI of Météo Tarentaise |
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It’s snowing up in 1950! Started at about 6pm and is forecast to continue all night. Fingers crossed!
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Bison Futé (the traffic and highways info service) have said that due to heavier than expected snow overnight the access road to 1950/2000 will be closed from 9am until approximately 10.30am for avalanche clearance. They report 17cm of snow down in Bourg St Maurice and more than 30cm around Les Arcs.
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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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Webcams looking delicious! Here in the UK we've a slight frost...
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Nice. 2 weeks and counting. So a couple more days of snow and then conditions will be perfect.
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FAQ
