 Poster: A snowHead
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So the lifties gave up in the end - turns out there is a cattle track from colouvrier to Morrillon and we half skied, poled up that.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Ghanny, what time did it eventually open? Samoens do appear to being having a nightmare with lifts ATM. I’ve seen that Chariande Express has a major mechanical failure, so that doesn’t sound like a quick fix. The blue to Coulouvrier could put beginners/nervous skiers from ever putting skis on again. We went down it this afternoon and saw a fair few traumatised skiers.
We tend to ski from Morillon and they are not immune to lift issues either. The gondola from the village had a huge number of cabins out of action this morning and Sairon was very slow to be de-iced yesterday. I appreciate that the weather conditions were tough yesterday but I am slightly surprised that the de-icing is taking so long on these major lifts.
Hopefully, you’ll have a better day tomorrow.
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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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Once we got to Morillon we had some lunch and had a fab afternoon. The piste off the top of sairon (not Sairon itself but the one on the left of that ) was in super condition. So we lapped Biollaire lift skiing piste and the stuff between pistes there which was over knee deep in places.
I actually had a tumble off piste there and popped a ski which immediately disappeared. A skier who I’m eternally grateful to helped me find it - was quite far under the snow. Super lucky.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Yeah that blue to Couloivrier is never nice. I don’t think I’ve ever skied it with nice snow. I assume cos it’s permanently in the shade.
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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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@Ghanny, sorry to hear about the poo show start to your day - did it get better as the day progressed?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Yeah we had a fantastic afternoon over in Morillon.
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Chariande Express still ‘en panne’ today and Chariande II not open (hasn’t been for four years!). Flaine is noticeably quieter for a holiday week, access from Samoens via Coulouvrier isn’t really an alternative as the ‘blue’ Les Chars run to the Coulouvrier lift is tough in sections. If that continues beyond Saturday there will be chaos…. No indication of what’s wrong or when it might be repaired
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Wow that’s not good reading sounds like the GM a has gone down the pan in last few years since I was last there. I won’t plan on returning anytime soon to Samoens! Such a shame
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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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The faulty motor has been replaced. Work continues today....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Faust1, the Grand Massif page on Facebook has been giving regular updates. It was an engine failure - they managed to get a replacement one helicoptered in yesterday and are working on getting it up and running. It’s unfortunate, but these things do happen.
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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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Well that was a stonking season opener. It has been a while since I have skied knee deep powder for a week. Ended on a high with a mini tour up the abandoned slopes of Sixt… Beautiful untouched snow, crispy and fluffy - just like in those Red Bull TV films. The pistes in the resorts were holding up fine, and if the top up predicted towards the end of next week materialises, it should make for a great week for those of you coming in for NY week…
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@cheburator, I’m not up to exploring the abandoned pistes in Sixt but loved them when they were pisted. I do miss them!
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You know it makes sense.
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| rachelharrisonsmith wrote: |
| @cheburator, I’m not up to exploring the abandoned pistes in Sixt but loved them when they were pisted. I do miss them! |
Yep, they were great! Really nice rhythm to them. Also, totally natural, unlike the boulevards found in the other villages within the GM. A crying shame they are closed. On the other hand, they have become a haven for ski touring and wildlife - we found lots of chamois/ibex and bunny prints in the snow. The peace and quiet were amazing too.
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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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We have skied in Les Gets and Pras de Lys as well as GM this week and your point about the boulevards in the GM @cheburator, is related to my thoughts about ‘French’ v ‘international’ resorts. My theory is that the more ‘international’ the resort, the more the pistes are straightened out to remove strange cambers etc. I understand why, but it’s a bit of a shame.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've never skiied Sixt itself, I've only ever managed to get there once when we went off piste below Gers and then down the bottom of Cascades and we just got straight on the bus. I understand that Cascades has been open this week which bodes well
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Anyone know why loads of flaine pistes are still closed? Including all the blacks and more than half the reds? I find French resorts increasingly poor at getting fully operational. The big dump was a week ago now surely it is safe so fully open. Not worth the lift pass price imo
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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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@JDgoesskiing, it takes a huge amount of snow to make the Flaine area skiable. The geology of the area means that they need a lot of snow to cover rock and crevasses. Have a look at the pictures in the DMC queue for an idea of what they are up against. And don’t even think about going off piste (even a few metres) without someone who knows the area. I have walked there in summer and it’s very scary terrain.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks. It does look sketchy on pictures at the top even so there are still some reds closed with enough snow on them that aren’t on top of the rock crevasses Shame one or two more not open
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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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Anyone report back on today’s conditions? Saw a weather warning and some snaps of large queues at Chariande Express. Hope people got back to their home stations on good time. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Great day’s skiing today. The forecast 20cm of fresh snow did thankfully arrive last night. Temperatures were low and conditions were certainly good down to 1100m - soft snow, not too icy - we stayed in the Les Carroz/Morillon/above Samoens areas. Can’t comment on Flaine/Samoens village, but will be heading over to the former first thing tomorrow.
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Fantastic powder in Flaine bowl, but by three o’clock no fresh left. The pistes should be in great shape tomorrow, but warmer temperatures may see that being short lived.
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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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For the regulars in the GM, what were your perceptions of crowds/skier numbers this NY? We ski from Morillon and it felt busier but this may be knock on from Samoens introducing car parking charges or just more people visiting due to good conditions. What was your experience?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Never been to Samoens before so have no reference point but it was the busiest ski area we've ever been to by far - the queues at the top of the GME on Thursday were insane - probably 300+ people and at least 45 mins wait
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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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Hello! Heading out for a few days end of Jan. Staying in Samoëns, have visited before but not since 2018. Would any regulars mind please recommending a couple of mountain restaurants? Happy to use my own google-fu for evenings in the valley but it’s always nice to have recommendations for up top. Thanks in advance!
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| Jenniper2 wrote: |
| Hello! Heading out for a few days end of Jan. Staying in Samoëns, have visited before but not since 2018. Would any regulars mind please recommending a couple of mountain restaurants? Happy to use my own google-fu for evenings in the valley but it’s always nice to have recommendations for up top. Thanks in advance! |
Le Montana, Samoens - worth the schuss and about 50 metre walk up to it.
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You know it makes sense.
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Fabulous - thank you! I’m sad we can’t get the skidoo to Gite du Gers this year.
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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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@NLR76, that’s grim. It’s always been a bit of a choke point, but that just ruins the day. It feels as though some resorts are not building infrastructure to meet the ever growing bed numbers. Samoens seems to have an ever growing number of MGMs (as well as the Club Med) but nothing new on the slopes to accommodate the extra numbers.
It does seem to have been a busy week everywhere though.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Le Montana, Samoens - worth the schuss and about 50 metre walk up to it.[/quote]
Note - if they are flying two large flags from balcony, they have tables available for food and drinks, 1 flag, drinks only, no flags, closed or completely full. If it’s foggy and you can’t see Montana, if there is loud music coming from there, they are open.
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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, 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 like Sabaudia in Flaine Foret and Le 1967 in Flaine forum, both require a short walk off the slopes
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Having a look at the Grand Massif website, it appears that over half of the runs across the entire area aren't open (in red on the map).
Are they really note open or are they not groomed? Just curious as to why so much would be closed.
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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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@adriangrogan, lots closed today due to high winds. More generally though, lots closed in Flaine bowl (between DMC and Aup de Veran) as the holes in the limestone haven't yet filled in enough to permit skiing / grooming
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| nbt wrote: |
| @adriangrogan, lots closed today due to high winds. More generally though, lots closed in Flaine bowl (between DMC and Aup de Veran) as the holes in the limestone haven't yet filled in enough to permit skiing / grooming |
Ah ok thanks. Didnt realise it was quite so windy today.
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Super thanks. Heading to Flaine for the first time in early March and was curious about the closeds runs.
No doubt i'll be back on looking for tips a bit closer to our trip 
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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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Heading to Samoens on Friday and really looking forward to it. How are conditions shaping up from Saturday onwards? Have seen there is some rain forecast this week, but hopefully it won't spoil things too much.
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After just spending the last week In Samoens we had two days of not being able to get up the mountain with all the lifts to the top closed due to wind . This shouldn't be a problem but the buses back and forth are very hit and miss and getting to Morrilon and back takes a good few hours . Also the bubbles close very early compared to other areas and with the lack of snow down low you have to start thinking of getting back quite early.
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FAQ
