 Poster: A snowHead
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Thank you. I’m not sure I’ve ever waited more than 10 minutes for a lift so I might need to adjust my expectations.
Good to hear that you’ve been at half term and found a way of enjoying it!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sorry to hear of the fatality in Auris. Condolences to all that knew him.
Whilst offering prayers, they are tempered slightly by the fact that the poor man was doing the thing he loved when he went - still sad though
I am off to ADH this coming weekend.
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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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From what I can gather the fatality happened on the Fontfroide piste. There is a blue piste (Gua) which crosses the red piste and he lost control here which made it like a jump. Sad news.
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I rode that area the weekend before, it was like concrete top to bottom so I never went back.
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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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Wonder what the visibility was like - that Gua piste crossing would have been more difficult to spot as it does undulate there? Sad news indeed.
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I am in Vaujany this week and wondered if I can get a lift down from the top of poutran 2 to Alpe D'Heuz as a pedestrian? Also is it likely the lower ski lifts will close early because of the snow today? Lastly is there anywhere to leave skis and boots at the snow front in Alpe D'Heuz if we ski over? Thanks
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To answer the first of the questions, yes from the top of Poutran 2 you can get down to ADH as a pedestrian using what is now called the "Pic Blanc 1" lift but lots of people will know as the DMC. You'd be joining at the mid station to go down. (The Jeux lift runs in parallel and also has bubbles on it so I assume you can go down in them too, but I've never actually tried it.)
I might be misunderstanding the question about lower lifts closing early because of snow. That sounds unlikely to me as if anything it tends to be higher areas that get closed in bad weather, but don't take my word for it.
I don't know about kit storage in ADH I'm afraid.
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Thanks so much, I didn't want to get stuck at the top of Poutran 2 on foot or stuck in ADH with no way back to Vaujany.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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You can certainly use all the bubbles as a pedestrian, no problem. It’s the wind you need to be careful of. There was a very windy day last Saturday and all the connecting lifts closed at 2.30 leaving lots of people stuck in the wrong resort and having to get busses back.
Doesn’t happen that often mind.
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are there buses? I assumed that the only options were rather expensive taxis.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yeah, I didn't think there were busses either.
I once thought I might get stuck in Vaujany when I was staying in Oz and Clos Giroud closed because of wind but the Vaujany cable car stayed open. Actually, my wife could I have picked us up as she'd already returned to base but it would have been a bit of a drive around I think.
I'm always very nervous on bad weather days about lifts closing and getting stuck.
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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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are there buses? I assumed that the only options were rather expensive taxis.
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I think on this occasion the lift company put buses on. I was waiting in a big queue in Montfrais to get the bubble down which was the only option and the lifties were calling all the Oz and AdH punters to the front of the queue. Then when back in Vaujany there was another well organised queue for the buses.
I guess it’s a prepared for routine if the lift company are forced to shut it all mid afternoon.
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You know it makes sense.
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Has anyone tried driving up to Alpe d’Huez for the day? I was thinking about going from Vaujany to have a full day and evening there but I don’t know what the parking is like during school holidays.
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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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@Duck, ah, makes sense
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Poster: A snowHead
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@davidmosley, it’s very busy during holidays but if you get there early enough you usually find a place in the Bergers car park.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks for response but I just had a look at resort website - doesn’t look promising in terms of parking! We have a UK Blue Badge but I’m pretty sure the French don’t recognise non EU badges. The thought of driving all the way up and then failing to park is not appealing!
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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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I'm hoping there is some space in the underground carparks as I suspect we will need to park in one for a while on the Saturday of Half term as our accommodation (with parking) isn't available until later on.
Are there any recommendations on the best supermarket to stop at on route? Do people just use the one down in Le Bourg-d'Oisans or is there better one on the main roads in?
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Anyone done the Sarenne today, yesterday? What's the snow cover like? Thanks
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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_Quads, the supermarket in bourg has changed from Casino to Intermarché and it’s a lot more reasonable priced compared to Casino.
Only downside is that it’s understaffed so prepare for queues!
Other alternative is Lidl in Vizille.
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Any thoughts @Layne, on the Montfrais slopes for intermediates? One confident skier who will want to do Sarenne with me, one nervous skier who will need to be coaxed onto reds. Hence might spend the first couple of days on Montfrais but not if they're really easy blues! (also hoping slopes are less busy that side of resort at half term).
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Montfrais blues are more like reds except for Chalets. Esf instructor was telling me that this morning in Montfrais and I agree. Good fun though, beautiful area, usually quiet
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@davidmosley, Montfrais section definitely one of the quieter areas of the domain. I have recollections of Edelweiss feeling very much on the edge. I'd concur with @Kandahar1 that they are not really easy blues down there so sounds like they may be good for you.
You can always avoid the steepest section of the Sarenne by going up Marmottes rather than Pic Blanc but then you won't get the full 18km!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Early predictions are for a drop in temp from next Friday. Here’s hoping.
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not on the website i use! yr.no
It looks like plenty of rain in Vaujany, might be snow at Alpe’Huez level. But forecasts >48 hours do not seem generally reliable.
We’re packing umbrellas. High time i read more novels.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Looks like a dusting on the tops and some mizzle in the villages today with not much more than a dusting forecast between now and when we get there (Sunday).
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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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Yeah it looks like the temps are also hovering around freezing. Seen a few shorts of the last few days where it looked a little bit sugary which was a surprise. Is the sun bowl already taking effects on the snow given the higher temps I wonder.
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looking at montfrais webcam it is at least snowing at 1650 - just about.
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You know it makes sense.
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looking at montfrais webcam it is at least snowing at 1650 - just about.
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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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When I left ADH at lunch it was snowing
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Poster: A snowHead
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| davidmosley wrote: |
| looking at montfrais webcam it is at least snowing at 1650 - just about. |
As wet as snow can be whilst still being snow!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Alpinebear wrote: |
| When I left ADH at lunch it was snowing |
Good to hear!
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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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Hi, I'm an aging and rather nervous 2nd rate boarder, and after a couple of years of disappointing snow in Austria I've instead booked a my first trip to Alpe d'Heuz for early March, for its high altitude, its reputation for good snow and sunshine and it looks nice in Malcolm Moore's videos.
I wanted to ask about the card/cash situaion, I live in London and barely ever used cash these days, but in the Alpe d'Huez mountains is cash still king? When out boarding I usually only carry enough cash to cover lunch and an apres drink and leave my phone and wallet in the hotel, less to break or loose, but don't want to be caught short at places that only take card (common these days in London). Is card (visa) widely accepted in town though?
Also I'm staying B&B, as I've found I don't really like large fussy sit down restaurant multi course dinners in the evening at ski resorts and would rather just grab a sandwich or a takeaway instead. Hows the village for supermarkets, takeaways and less formal dinning?
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Hi. Card is accepted mostly everywhere.
There are plenty of choices for takeaway and there is a Carrefour and Spar supermarkets.
Look at restauration rapide on the alpe d’Huez website.
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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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Thanks for the info
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I've not taken cash for several years now!
The mountain restaurants can appear expensive, but maybe not a huge amount more than London prices..
I've spent the first couple of weeks of march in ADH for the past few years. Always had enough to ski on - piste wise. I don't venture off piste so can't comment on that. It's looking good at the moment.
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| IanW wrote: |
Hi, I'm an aging and rather nervous 2nd rate boarder, and after a couple of years of disappointing snow in Austria I've instead booked a my first trip to Alpe d'Heuz for early March, for its high altitude, its reputation for good snow and sunshine and it looks nice in Malcolm Moore's videos.
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I could have written this. Same for us, two; aging (37 feels old for snowboarding) 2nd rate snowboarders but we're staying in vaujany. There from the 8th, for a week - let us know how you get on and if you find a favourite run over your 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 also do not ride switch, i do not go to snowparks, and i have no idea what steezy means... 
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FAQ
well I spend too much time reading tips on Reddit where 30 is retirement territory and you're only an intermediate if you can ride switch, pull at least a 900 off a jump and dress "steezy"... Not a clue what that means but I can't tick any of those boxes.
