 Poster: A snowHead
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| SnowVillan wrote: |
| wills_h wrote: |
| The Labo in Tignes is supposed to be excellent but is a bit of a schlep, there is one in Bourg as well near the super U which used to be very good, not sure now as not been for quite a few years. |
A friend used the Labo in Bourg 18 months' ago and was very badly treated. |
I believe it was sold to a larger chain a couple of years ago so I'm not entirely surprised that it's gone downhill.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Labo in Bourg helped me out tail end of last winter with a binding strap for my old Burton Cartels from their spares box , fitted it and diidnt charge me for fitting it or the strap seemed pretty helpful too for a friend looking foir snowboard kit
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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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May pop over to Arc for a day or two via BSM tube.
How are conditions on piste currently?
Anywhere to avoid, softening in the sun?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Astontech wrote: |
| How are conditions on piste currently |
Excellent. Firm and grippy for the most part. A few pitches which are very polished as too many people are going sideways rather than forwards, but generally very good conditions. Pistes which get the direct afternoon sun are softening in the afternoons, but to soft snow rather than slush.
I’ve not skied much below 1700m this week so can’t vouch for coverage below that level, but above that pistes are complete, with no thin patches or stones coming through. I’m on slalom skis today, and I’m having trouble containing my grins.
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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: |
| Astontech wrote: |
| How are conditions on piste currently |
Excellent. Firm and grippy for the most part. A few pitches which are very polished as too many people are going sideways rather than forwards, but generally very good conditions. Pistes which get the direct afternoon sun are softening in the afternoons, but to soft snow rather than slush.
I’ve not skied much below 1700m this week so can’t vouch for coverage below that level, but above that pistes are complete, with no thin patches or stones coming through. I’m on slalom skis today, and I’m having trouble containing my grins. |
Great to hear, thanks!
Is the sun softened snow better than the North facing slopes in the afternoon?
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| Astontech wrote: |
Great to hear, thanks!
Is the sun softened snow better than the North facing slopes in the afternoon? |
Different rather than better, I’d say, but that’s as much personal preference than some objective measure. I like firm snow so I’m enjoying the conditions at the moment, but I suppose if people prefer softer snow the afternoons are a little bit more forgiving.
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| Quote: |
I’m on slalom skis today, and I’m having trouble containing my grins.
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I am coming out to Les Arcs on Sunday and my slalom skis are already there  Well an old pair with edges a bit thin for the dry slope. They won't take much more sharpening. I'm looking forward to it. At least the weather forecasts have improved a bit since earlier in the week.
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In Les Arcs at the mo, anyone been over to la plagne in the past couple of days? We were considering it tomorrow but not sure what snow cover is like on the other side.
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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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I'm going to Les Arcs soon. I tend to get up quite early so I'm thinking of touring up at 7am to get a run in. Just wanted to see if that's allowed? I probably will just do it on piste and get back to have breakfast with family later.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@euanovsky, You should be OK provided you do not go on the piste. They may be still doing piste maintenence. The skining tracks are marked out on the piste map and may be allowed.
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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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Off my annual Vallandry fix this weekend. Hoping for some reasonable skiing, intermediate cruising, and some sun on the balcony!
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Vallandry and Peisey getting very slushy in the afternoons. Higher up still reasonable conditions, even if old snow.
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You know it makes sense.
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After an uneventful drive down to Les Arcs yesterday we got to Arc 1600 at 18:45 after getting off the shuttle at 9:00. At first seeing just how many cars were parked and the number of lights on in our apartment block I thought the resort would be jammed full. This proved incorrect.
The weather forecast all week was saying it was going to be above freezing overnight and raining today. This also proved to be incorrect. It dropped below zero overnight and 0.5mm of snow fell. Today was bright sunshine with the temperature getting to, I guess, 6 degress in 1600 this afternoon.
We started the day at Arc 1600 but quickly headed over to Vallandry. Before lunch the pistes were in brilliant condition – firm and not a bare patch showing. They softened during the day so by 14:00 they were getting sugary at the bottom of the pistes. At that point we decided to head over to 2000.
Whereas the pistes in Vallandry were more or less deserted and we were going straight on to every lift things were busier in Arc 2000 (they always are) but still no problem. It was a fantastic day’s skiing. The only slight problem is that the non stop sunshine may have overpowered my factor 30 suncream.
Best run of the day – Coomb in Vallandry
Lunch of the day – chips in the Ski Olympic chalet – 6€ though a cup of tea afterwards may have added over 50% to that price.
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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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Been in Les Arcs since Friday based in Les Villards 1800. Enjoyed four days great skiing but boy oh boy is it getting slushy and very sugary in the afternoons. I don’t recall skiing so many moguls on piste this early in March before. As John E said above we had a great morning in the vallandry sector this morning with relatively quiet pistes and we went higher in the afternoon over the trans arc and around 1950, 2000 and aiguille rouge. Was pretty busy over there, somewhat surprisingly so and the bottom lift Comborciere was closed so really slow and busy to get back over to 1800 side using bois de l’ours chair.
Yesterday we saw a lot of bare patches and scraped pistes, but no so much today so I think the pisteurs did well last night, lots of stones off Grand Col and won’t bother going back up there. Sun has been hot when out and the melt is pretty fast imo, the whole resort would really benefit from a good top up but doesn’t look its coming in the forecast.
Best runs of today were anything off the top of and back down to Derby chair lift.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
the bottom lift Comborciere was closed so really slow and busy to get back over to 1800 side using bois de l’ours chair.
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We cheated and caught the navette. When we got to 1600 there were loads of people with suitcase etc trying to pile on the 1800 bus. Clearly a train had just arrived. What happened to Saturday to Saturday 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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@jirac18, Any idea why that lift was closed? It is a really good way to get back over, plus the run down to it from 2000 is always a nice confidence building run
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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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@Boris, Comborciere was running fine on Sunday morning, so hopefully not a major issue. The queue for Pre St Esprit was very long mid-morning, so we took Comborciere and dipped down Malgovert, then a glorious carve down MT Blanc. Also skied a new (to me) little piste which runs below and round the back of the Club Med straight to the Le Sanglier Fume, for the best espresso on the hill.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@rob@rar, we missed each other at the Sanglier Fume this morning. We called in at about 11:45
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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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Another great day’s skiing today.
The pistes were in very good condition – firm in the morning softening through the day and soft in the afternoon low down. They were so firm in the morning that when I was coming down Belvedere over the corduroy from last night’s piste bashing I wondered if my fillings would fall out.
The weather started fine and sunny but the clouds descended during the day. The visibility was declining so we called it a day early -about 15:40.
Piste of the day – Carreley. It was in excellent condition and no one seams to know it exists.
Lunch – la Rilax. Onion and cheese omelette and chips 13.1€ with coffee another 2. Good food but the service was very slow.
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| johnE wrote: |
| @rob@rar, we missed each other at the Sanglier Fume this morning. We called in at about 11:45 |
Sorry for the confusion, I'm back in the UK today. Left Les Arcs yesterday so I'm home for a couple of weeks.
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@rob@rar, Are you back the start of April? We'll be returning then.
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| johnE wrote: |
| @rob@rar, Are you back the start of April? We'll be returning then. |
Yes, I should be back in resort for the first couple of weeks of April.
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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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@rob@rar, will have to look out for that run
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| Boris wrote: |
| @rob@rar, will have to look out for that run |
When skiing down the Mt Blanc blue, as you get to the big Club Med development, there's a little piste which heads to the right and then follows around the Club Med. Looking on the piste map now it appears to be the bottom section of the Arpette 1 piste, and it takes you directly to the Sanglier. I've always skied straight past it, but it's a nice little shortcut if you're heading to the restaurant.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Boris, no idea, it was open today but we didn’t use it. Pistes were excellent off top trans arc this morning. Slushy again this afternoon down from arpette and carreley and flat light so we too had an early stand down and good après at Benji’s in 1800. Just had a pizza from pizza attitude which was pretty damn good!
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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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It's normally a mogul field ....
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@Scamper, I think@rob@rar, is taling about another piste. It's a piste directly from the Club med.
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You know it makes sense.
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If I recall correctly the piste that rob is talking about is the track from the piste basher garage.
It is snowing very very lightly here in 1600 at the moment but I think it will turn to drizzle shortly.
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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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Pretty foggy first thing today, tiny bit of light snow in 1800, certainly not rushing to the lift today. Was hoping for a few centimetres at least overnight but alas not
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Poster: A snowHead
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@rob@rar, will have to give it a go next week, sounds like it may be an alternative to the pinch point where Mt Blanc joins the other runs into 1600
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Boris wrote: |
| @rob@rar, will have to give it a go next week, sounds like it may be an alternative to the pinch point where Mt Blanc joins the other runs into 1600 |
Yes, it does avoid that busy part of the piste down to 1600.
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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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We didn't do much today. I'd like to blame the weather, the snow or my sore knee but in reality I was just lazy. The snow was much like it has been the last couple of days firm in the mornings, soft low down in the afternoons. There was a little bit of thinness showin on the Combettes piste but other than that all piestes we saw were complete without any stones showing. In the 2000 valley it was very busy but elsewhere quiet.
Piste of the day - Secret we did it just as it was softening.
Lunch - a plate of chips from Rocky Mountain.
@Boris, we have been coming into 1600 along the Traversee piste. It has snow on it this week but no people.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@johnE, Secret has never been - in my experience - a happy piste, so well done to you for finding its good side!! 
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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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@SnowVillan, I agree with you, just today it was in good condition. Experience is teaching me when to do it. In good conditions it's good.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@johnE, @SnowVillan, didn't ski Secret today due to low light levels but last two days I thought it was in good nick and not busy, it's one of my favourites here
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Yesterday was a rest and recovery day for me so we went down to Bourg st Maurice for a walk to the Weldom. It is a sure sign that spring is coming in that the funicular was carrying mountain bkes as well as skiers.
Today was much as it had been all week with firm/rock hard pistes in the morning and sugar at the base in the afternoon.There may have been one or two tiny pieces of bare earth but I didn't see them. The visabilty was a bit hit and miss with clouds swirling around. I particularly noticed this on Ecureuils where the combination of unseen bumps, rock hard piste and poor visibilty made it the hardest skiing I've done all week. It was not pleasant. However, Bosses with better visibilty and softer snow was a delight.
One odd thing today was we were sharing a lift with an American lady. One of the first thing she said was to aplogise for her president.
Piste of the day - Clapet, a gentle blue from the Clocheret lift
Lunch of the day - cheese and ham toastie at the hotel Vanoise - 15€ of bliss and possibly the most I've spent on lunch all week.
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Today started with thick intermitent cloud so we stayed late in the apartment until we looked at the lvecams and saw the rest of the resort was in sunshine. That was the way it was for the rest of the day with thick cloud rolling in at any level and then bright sunshine.
It was quite a bit warmer today with the snow softening below about 2000m quite early in the day. However, the cover is still excellent with very few if any bare patches (we didn't see any), and no stones. We even skied back along traversee (formally known as Gollet) to 1600 today and it is a pleasant alternative to the crowded piste formally known as Sources.
It is currently snowing in Arc1600.
Piste of the day - Dent du Peigne + Plan
Lunch - chalet Pre st Esprit - Roast gammon and chips 17.5€ the first self service of the week.
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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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3-4cm of snow down in Bourg Saint Maurice so must be good up the hill. Even seems to be clearing a bit
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Over 10cm here in 1600. Low cloud swirling around at the moment hence the tardy start to the day.
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FAQ
