 Poster: A snowHead
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Snowed 12cm Thursday night as predicted. Friday was bluebird perfect conditions for our last day skiing. Should be a good week for anyone heading out today.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's dumping now - not bothering going up so here are some impressions of L2A 2025 after a week.
Firstly parking - arriving at the end of a peak week it was an absolute nightmare - we got lucky but timed our arrival for end of ski-day so only had to do two circuits of town before finding something. Right now there are spaces everywhere and, TBH, the place feels a bit dead. I think Feb 1/2 terms will be a real test.
New Jandri Lift - big thumbs up. It's not busy right now so can't speak about queues but it's comfortable and fast. Though it seems to now be the done thing to play your own music quite loud for everyone's enjoyment. I'm probably just old but it's not my bag.
On Mountain - The merger of PanoBar and Toura restaurants onto the existing Toura site (as the Pano space is now the mid-station for Jandri)... absolute own goal. Very very busy, not got the atmosphere or outlook of the old Pano and Toura fast food has that stupid McDonald's style ordering screen process that takes people 10 times longer to order anything.... and it's pretty much the only option now apart from picnicing. Patachon was less busy as I think the eggs disappearing has made the cretes area less popular. On that front the Belle Etoille option to get up to and down from cretes is a nice idea but it's a bit in the middle of nowhere - not having a option to download to the centre of town apart from Jandri mid station makes last run of the day planning or "Everyone's a bit cold and we want to go down" conversations a bit more tricky. In general looking back a few years there's been a general reduction in the number of lifts, sacrificed for better and more capacity lifts leading to longer, more tiring and less connected runs. As someone who now likes plenty of time on a chairlift to give the old legs a break it's not so appleaing anymore . An ageing demographic heads up for the resort.
Anyway, just sharing some thoughts.
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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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What's the snow/weather like at the moment? Arriving on Saturday! 
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@worldwidewebs, Dumping at the moment and forecast is simliar for next few days but I suspect it will be a reasonable week next week, still a bit warm though. I'll be out of here.
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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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@snowhouse Is the skiing good or is it a bit slushy? Surprised it's warm - I was thinking it was going to be quite cold!
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@worldwidewebs, don't get me wrong, it's not Miami beach but raining in town. Likely to be spring-like conditions lower down but should be fine most of the resort if they can get bashing. This week there's not been much bashing and the the runs have been tough with new heavy snow.
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@snowhouse, just booked for Easter so interested in what you’ve written.
It’s was a toss-up between a skanky box in Les Menuires or a posh(ish) chalet in L2A, the latter win through - and thankfully it comes with its own parking slots - but us arriving the Saturday before Easter did get the brain thinking about how mental it will be both on approach down in the valley, and in resort itself. Never been before on a ‘peak’ date kind of bracing myself for carnage LOL
Sounds like the new Jandri is a massive bonus
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We've been a few times at Easter and been ok. We've driven and got the train once and getting up to resort has been no bother. On the mountain, been mostly ok for queues. The main lifts up perhaps busier at ski school meeting times and when they finish, will be busy on the runs back down (and particularly at end of day).
We've had freezing cold weather at Easter couple of years ago with snow in village and also the opposite. Up above , it's usually fine and the glacier is good for some long runs back .
Think French school hols may make difference on how busy resort is , the local ones are quite late this year so perhaps helps.
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=167136
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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 don't know what the old Jandri was like but I would say that it seemed like the floor was quite slippery in the stations. It's slightly soft but the surface nearly had me on my ar*e the first time I went in
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Been here for a couple of days. Above the first Jandri lift got sunburnt pistes well groomed and a light top covering of snow (snow cannon working hard). Temperatures forecast to rise so as no forecast snow things might be a bit touch and go over the next few weeks.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@bornio, ah, thanks for the link to the school hols thread - had just forgotten it existed.
Looks like school hols all line-up across Europe so could be busy, albeit the French hols do go on for some time so maybe that spreads people out a bit.
Think we were lucky last year - went to ADH the week preceding Easter and it was quiet, but it was early and I think Warwickshire was one of the lucky areas to be first and before much of France.
Looking forward to returning to L2A, even if there is a nagging feeling I should have tried Val Thorne for Tignes what with Easter being quite late this year. From what I do remember of it, should offer a good mix for what is a varied group of 2x families, several who are timid beginners. I expect they'll be up towards the glacier most of the week. Expecting Vallee Blanche side will be very thin by that point but we can live in hope.
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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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@Specialman
Vallée Blanche is usually closed by that time in April
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VB was shut last April when I visited (19-22 April) along with Fee and Piere Grosse sectors. All runs to the resort below Cretes were also shut, though everything above there was in great condition especially above Toura and off Signal and on the glacier.
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You know it makes sense.
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| bigtuboflard wrote: |
| VB was shut last April when I visited (19-22 April) along with Fee and Piere Grosse sectors. All runs to the resort below Cretes were also shut, though everything above there was in great condition especially above Toura and off Signal and on the glacier. |
Eek! That's a bit worrying...... hmmm, wondering if we re-locate the holiday to somewhere else. Vallee Blanche isn't biggest loss - although I did like it as a nice relaxed area last time I visited - but no PG or Fee area does chop into the available runs quite substantially. If it's busy then that could make it a bit hellish.
Easter needs standardising, pick a date in march and be done with it. Give us poor skiers tied-down to school holiday a chance of some decent snow LOL
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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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It was never busy but then it wasn’t Easter either. Even with the new Jandri I suspect it could get pretty clogged up. Though I also suspect that they could have kept PG open as it wasn’t a coverage issue from what I could see, probably just an economic decision getting towards the end of the season. That might be different with Easter footfall.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Easter needs standardising, pick a date in march and be done with it. Give us poor skiers tied-down to school holiday a chance of some decent snow LOL[/quote]
I know, these devout religous bstards are so inconsiderate
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If they were so devout they'd realise that tying such a date to whatever the moon is doing is obviously ridiculous..at least with his birthday they managed to agree roughly what date it was and stick to it.
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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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Quickie: does the valley road, especially at Bourg, get snarled up at peak times?
Trying to work out where we overnight on the way and if we need to be up at the crack of dawn to miss the mad rush to be in resort early.
Last Easter we didn't arrive in ADH until 6pm so we were fine but would prefer to arrive and have a mooch, grab rental kit, maybe even a half day skiing.
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Just seen this....
Can remember being in ADH when the University Snowsports Champs was on..... quiet pistes first thing because everyone was hungover, absolute carnage in the afternoon when they all hit the slopes
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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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@Specialman, usually snarled up between the end of the autoroute and Vizille. Get some respite with bypass and dual carriageway sections after that to Bourg d'Oisans. Not as bad as the Tarentaise roads though IMV. May not be as busy though depending on which French region is on holiday. Also they don't tend to go skiing that late in April. It really isn't as much of an issue as half-term is.
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My son is in L2A with his uni this current week
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@Specialman, I agree with @Hells Bells, the first part of the N85 before the Gap traffic leaves is usually the worst. However if you think it's going to be bad or the websites are showing congestion there is a sneaky way around the back of Vizille which if you get it right joins the road to L2A and ADH past most of the bad stuff. It's a small country road but better than being stuck in a jam... off the Grenoble ringroad (exit 5?) is the D5 which will take you out to Vizille and from there there's a road from the centre of town to Le Peage de Vizille. We've done it a couple of times on peak Saturdays.
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@Hells Bells, @snowhouse, thanks for the advice, definitely noted.
When we drove at easter last year, aside from the roundabout in Vizelle being carnage (we stopped there for a food shop) and a crash on the D1091 at Les Sables that caused 20 mins of tailbacks, it was all good. But we did arrive late so probably missed the majority of the 'get there early' traffic.
I think we've settled on overnighting in Beuane on the way down so not a million miles away if we wanted to get up at the crack of dawn but after discussion within the group, seems rushing there isn't the end goal. Rather arrive chilled and not over-tired.
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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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@snowhouse, yep, we've done that too in the past, but usually forget. I think it is the one signposted Eybens.
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We’re going out on the 8th March. Is the Vallee Blanche side of the resort generally still open at that time. We’re staying on that side of the resort so would be a useful if it was still typically open at that time of season. I see night skiing stops the week before so not sure when the whole Vallee Blanche side starts winding down.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Any update re snow conditions and weather from anybody in resort please?
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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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How we looking on the snow front peeps?
Saw that there's a big dump coming in over the next 7-10 days across the main Alps region (Tignes, Trois Valley etc) but not sure if that's hitting the more southern resorts
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Looks like the big dump reported on Instagram by a TO isn't as nailed-on as they made out...
Here's the long range forecast at 2100m:
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You know it makes sense.
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| Jerby wrote: |
| Any update re snow conditions and weather from anybody in resort please? |
I arrived yesterday afternoon and today was my first day skiing. Generally good snow conditions, particularly higher up. Now (2pm local time) the lower slopes not surprisingly are getting a bit slushy.
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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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Any updates on snow conditions from anyone there? Heading out on 7th so hoping for some decent runs. Webcams seem to look pretty good, apart from Vallée Blanche as expected (surprised to see it still open actually!). We're expecting not to be able to ski back into town.
It's our first time heading there too - any recommendations on where to eat? Light après? Best runs for intermediates?
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Readerror, Snow will be great up top. You have nothing to worry about. If your out all day its usually sensible to download via the gondola this time of year. The runs back down to town are not fun in the slush. It's very quick with the new Jandri lift.
On the mountain- Pancho bar always good for apres, although it doesnt get as much sun as it used to now its moved. Diable bar.
Then in town Polar Bear is good.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Last day for Vallee Blanche is this Friday then it’s closed. Snow up the top is pretty good at the moment and it snowed a bit last night. Going to be warm for a few days so that might affect things. Ski out back into resort is ok until lunchtime then gets progressively worse through the afternoon.
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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 guys got an option to go to Les Deux Alpes next year - its a big group including beginners (not my family but others). I've not bee to L2A before and I had something in the back of my mind that the slopes into the village were not great for beginners. Is that correct or am I mistaken? Thanks for any input. R
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The beginner slopes in the village are absolutely fine to learn on, as are those up on Cretes sector. As long as you’re not going right at the end of the season both should be fine.
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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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| Honeybadgerversion2 wrote: |
| Last day for Vallee Blanche is this Friday then it’s closed. Snow up the top is pretty good at the moment and it snowed a bit last night. Going to be warm for a few days so that might affect things. Ski out back into resort is ok until lunchtime then gets progressively worse through the afternoon. |
Been looking at VB from Diable webcam the last few weeks and it's changed dramatically - shame it can't stay open longer but looking very thin now. Can remember it really enjoyed it when I visited once but it's not to be for our trip next week.
Looks like some snow coming next week but I doubt enough to make any huge difference, and doubtful it'll even fall as snow lower down. Thankfully all still looking good up top.
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Large fire in LDA at the moment. fire brigade trying to contain a large building fire at the diable end of the resort
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Currently sat having a beer in shorts and a T-shirt in resort. My brain can’t quite compute that a couple of hours ago we were skiing with loads of snow!
Pistes are in really good condition, only slightly dodgy bits are around Cretes (and the runs back into town, really wouldn’t recommend those*). In my mind worst conditions are first thing when the snowpack is seriously hard, gets better as the day goes on. Even the slush really wasn’t a problem. Only runs we thought could have been an issue were some of the blues around Fee sector.
*while having my Leffe from tap (what a treat!) we’ve watched some 30+ people return down a very patchy Valentin run, so for the brave those runs back home are very doable!
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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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@Readerror, good to hear things are good, with Easter so late I was fearful we'd sinking into slush all the way up the mountain.
Leffe on tap - seems to be a Euro thing, they can be trusted with pints of anything over 5%. Can remember The Red Frog being a decent pub last time I went years ago, think a boozy adult night is called for... kids can sit and watch Netflix while the oldies pretend to be 20yo again
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I was at L2A last week with my brother, first time since a out 2010 IIRC. A cold and windy start, then several warm days with the 0°C isotherm above 3,000 metres. Firm sugary snow on the run off Crete down to town for lunch at Sherpa near Jandri daily, and fabulous slush surfing down to Diable at the end of each ski day. On one brutally windy morning we dropped back down from main hill and skied the other side at Vallee Blanche for a few hours which was like a different world, and very pleasant indeed. It closed for season on our last day.
Discovered that Wednesday bus to AdH is no more and that ESS group guiding is also no more (last trip I joined them for a La Grave day).
Everywhere was very quiet. Most of the week we had near empty pistes. Most memorable run was noodling through the rockbands on the descent of Clos de Chalance, and having it entirely to myself from top to bottom (allegedly 1,000 metres vertical). Also skied Valentin top to bottom with noone else in sight. Same for Super Diable. The bumps early week were bonkers big through Grand Couloir (now Bellecombes 5) ... I'll have no regrets not skiing that again for another 15 years !
Booked with Crystal and stayed in Ibiza Hotel at Diable end of town. Really nice place, excellent buffet food, very hospitable staff.
Speaking of the Red Frog, met up with Charlotte easiski for a beer there on our last afternoon. Great chat and lovely to catch up.
Clos de Chalance from Pierre Grosse ... 
Upper Clos de Chalance ... 
Satrugi formations on the moguls below Signal chairlift ... 
Return to Diable seen from Jandri cable car .. 
Inside an empty Jandri cabin ... 
Mid mountain from Jandri ... 
Glacier t-bars ... 
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FAQ
