 Poster: A snowHead
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All the resort webcams are showing it bucketing down, lovely. Travelling over driving down in the 13th, then having 3 weeks there. Can't wait
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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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Sad person that I am I’ve just looked at the livestream from the cachette lift and there are two people digging the bottom station out. Why?
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@johnE, easier to keep clearing it as it falls, than to let it accumulate and dig it all out when it’s very deep? There’s a few people on the Arc 2000 webcam that have been using snowblowers this morning to clear in front of shops and restaurants, plus a little snowplough blower clearing around 1950 shop fronts, and they have pistebashers operating around the Arc 1800 snowfront, dodging around the huge piles of snow from the snow cannons.
It really is snowing hard today 
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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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Could anyone with local knowledge tell me how close and how easy walk, from MMV Altitude Arc 2000, to ESF snow garden Piou Piou? All this snow is making me want to book a trip 
Hotel 11, to Point D
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@Lost in the trees, I think it is quite a long walk and not paticularly easy. The easiest way I think would be to walk to the bus station, take the lift up to the main square and then walk across it, past the Taj-i-Mah and up the short bit of piste. It would take me about 15-20 minutes with ski gear. But then I am old and not very fit; I end up panting walking up the steps 100m to the first lift in 1600.
Why not take the Lac des Combes drag lift?
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Thanks for the reply JohnE. I would be taking my 3 year old for lessons. So 15-20mins sounds ardous. She can do carpets but not drag lift. I'll also have a car. Will research some more or ask in the 'trip reviews' so you can all get back to snow updates 
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@Lost in the trees, I see this on Trip Advisor review of the Hotel:
"Finally, you have to walk 5 minutes to go to the slopes but if you put your children in the course, they organize a shuttle to take them directly with the mini club."
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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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It's been hoofing it down with snow all day. I've been keeping an eye on the cams. Nice to see 1600 now also blanketed.
Lovely jubbly!
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I'm checking cameras throughout the day. I did enjoy watching the two people at bottom of MB clearing the lift queue. Also saw two skiers enjoying the area.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Slight change to the Funicular timetable for this winter, with extended operating hours for Friday and Saturday evenings. On both those days the funicular will operate until 11pm, which will be good for later train arrivals to Bourg Saint Maurice if you are looking to get up to Les Arcs on the funicular rather than a taxi. The service starts at 7.30am every day, and on Sunday to Thursday stops at 9pm.
Funicular timetable here.
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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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Seems like it's been snowing all day again.
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Good news is not too much wind and overnight freezes forecast so should develop a nice base.
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You know it makes sense.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
Slight change to the Funicular timetable for this winter, with extended operating hours for Friday and Saturday evenings. On both those days the funicular will operate until 11pm, which will be good for later train arrivals to Bourg Saint Maurice if you are looking to get up to Les Arcs on the funicular rather than a taxi. The service starts at 7.30am every day, and on Sunday to Thursday stops at 9pm.
Funicular timetable here. |
I see they've still a one hour 'gap' in shuttle buses to the funi between 7:20 and 8:20 from 2000 when every other gap is 20 mins. just when you need to catch the funi to get the train services.
I wrote to the TO last year, and they said ' it's all fine'. No it bloody isn't! How is this encouraging people to use public transport to get to/from the resort?
Guess it's either an early start ( and cold wait at Bourg) or a taxi... Harrumph
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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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| Arctic Roll wrote: |
I see they've still a one hour 'gap' in shuttle buses to the funi between 7:20 and 8:20 from 2000 when every other gap is 20 mins. just when you need to catch the funi to get the train services.
I wrote to the TO last year, and they said ' it's all fine'. No it bloody isn't! How is this encouraging people to use public transport to get to/from the resort?
Guess it's either an early start ( and cold wait at Bourg) or a taxi... Harrumph |
That's frustrating.
I used the Eurostar ski train service last winter and the departure time for the return journey seemed very tight in terms of the first shuttle bus from 1800 to 1600, and the first funicular service of the day down to Bourg (then a quick walk to the train station). In the end it was all OK but it did rely on everything working according to timetable, with no wiggle room in case of delays from weather or technical issues. It didn't seem like there was much joined-up thinking in terms of ensuring the shuttle, funicular and train timetables were working in harmony with each other.
The funicular is such a wonderful asset for the resort, but it doesn't seem to me its potential is fully utilised for visitors using the train to arrive in Bourg Saint Maurice. The late operating hours on Friday and especially Saturday are welcome, but I wish they were matched with early operating hours at the weekends.
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Poster: A snowHead
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The need for two buses, without them being particularly supportive of the train timetable is what prompts us to taxi it.
We'd be much more inclined to use the funicular and buses (and save ourselves £160) if there was a bus that served Edenarc directly from 1600. Rather than having to get to 1800 and change to a second bus (or walk across the snowface to the Dahu with luggage).
Feels like if 1600 could offer services direct to Edenarc/1950/2000, it would spread folks out and reduce general faffing.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Has the Navette timetable for the 2025/6 season been published yet? We're thinking of going over to 1800 for a meal one evening and don't really fancy the walk back.
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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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@rob@rar,
| Quote: |
| but it did rely on everything working according to timetable, with no wiggle room in case of delays from weather or technical issues. |
Exactly!
And as someone who has been stuck on the funi when the brakes froze, but fortunately had caught the 'earlier than absolutely necessary one' we always try to have that wriggle room. Which with the current timetabling, means catching a bus to a funi 2 ahead of necessary. and the bus being rammed full of luggage of others having to do the same.
( Confess, to ensure a modicum of comfort, we normally catch the bus on its way past to 2000 and sit tight as they pile in there, before going back to 1950 for the scrum as people try to get the last remaining oxygen... And that means a further 10 mins on the start time!)
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| johnE wrote: |
| Has the Navette timetable for the 2025/6 season been published yet? We're thinking of going over to 1800 for a meal one evening and don't really fancy the walk back. |
Yes, it's on the official website. Spotted the new timetables a couple of weeks ago.
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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’ve got the Vagere live cam from Arc 1800 running while I enjoy a cup of morning coffee here in dreary London. What a perfect sight it is! A shed load of fresh snow, clear blue sky, snow cannons running full bore and currently a little dog running around like a crazy thing. Counting the days until I get there…
Nothing in the longterm forecast looks disastrously warm, and suggestions that next week might see more snow coming in. Everything looks set for decent conditions for opening day.
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Lots to see on the webcams this morning, with yet another sunny day. It really does look picture postcard perfect. Piste prep is in full swing, snow cannons continue to operate in places overnight, a huge artwork above Arc 2000 by Simon Beck, some avalanche clearance work, even think I spotted a liftie I know clearing the Vagere chair.
Unless something dramatically bad happens with the weather before 13 December, this is looking like the best start to the season since the madness of December 2012. The current forecast doesn't look like the snowgods are planning to take revenge on our excitement, although we're still two weeks out so fingers crossed. This graph is a good summary of where we are at the moment. It's measured at 2260m at the Grande Parei meteo station, near Point de Portette in La Plagne.:
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The webcams are addictive. A decent amount of envy when I see people in the resort. There are lots of tracks off Grizzly for some reason. Should arrive in resort for the first day subject to some chimney pointing having been finished in the Loire. Hoping the new parking co have sent the parking pass to the apartment to make it an easy arrival. The old system of going to the cabin worked well for us. Looking forward to the season where I hope the increase in exercise helps my skiing
Curiously the Avis de Taxe d'Habitation hasnt arrived on the impots site as yet. I've messaged them but no response. Last year it landed a month end of October
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Lots to see on the webcams this morning |
The Paradiski ones I always come back to for the view are Grande Rochette and Live 3000.
For those watching the webcams, I hacked this site together over the last few days: https://snow.obsession.cam/paradiski . It should have all the cameras from Les Arcs and La Plagne in one place. The objective is to make the webcams easily browsable. There's also a map, for those wanting to check conditions near a particular point. [Polite] feedback invited.
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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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| amh15 wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| Lots to see on the webcams this morning |
The Paradiski ones I always come back to for the view are Grande Rochette and Live 3000.
For those watching the webcams, I hacked this site together over the last few days: https://snow.obsession.cam/paradiski . It should have all the cameras from Les Arcs and La Plagne in one place. The objective is to make the webcams easily browsable. There's also a map, for those wanting to check conditions near a particular point. [Polite] feedback invited. |
Great site, with some cameras I hadn't seen before. For anyone using on mobile, it works best in landscape mode.
Thanks for sharing!
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@amh15, While it seems to work well, I wonder about whether it crosses lines of legality re intellectual property. Probably worth looking at this for Les Arcs (and similar for other resorts):
https://en.lesarcs.com/legal-notice
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| 195062 wrote: |
@amh15, While it seems to work well, I wonder about whether it crosses lines of legality re intellectual property. Probably worth looking at this for Les Arcs (and similar for other resorts):
https://en.lesarcs.com/legal-notice |
Thanks for the comment. I don't think I have used the Les Arcs site in fact, but I take your point. I think my response would be that technically Snow Obsession is just presenting the official, publicly visible camera sites (webcam-hd.com, skaping.com et al) in a window, the same way your web browser does. If necessary it could be trivially altered to literally open the original camera site in a completely new window rather than show it in an iframe; then it effectively becomes a catalogue of links [Yahoo circa 1996?], surely uncontroversial, but that would be a worse user experience. I hope common sense will prevail and that no-one will object, but of course that's not guaranteed. This a tiny hobby project, so realistically if I did receive an official complaint about the use of an iframe, I would most likely have to make a change to make that particular camera family appear in a separate window - or remove them.
Pragmatically, I hope it's obvious that the intent is to help feed our collective obsession with the resorts, potentially providing them with a free showcase, and web traffic and clickthroughs to purchases.
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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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I am out in 1950 on 10th Jan and have always brought my own skis with me on ski trips previously. Due to prices of ski carriage and the age of my skis, I am seriously considering renting skis this year. Any recommendations on where to get a decent set from in 1950? I am a relatively proficient skier who will want to tackle all pistes and a bit of off piste where conditions allow.
Any thoughts on where to go, what level of skis it is worth going to and how much it is worth spending would be really helpful - I will still bring my boots with me.
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@tonyswift, I have always used the Intersport in 1950 when renting kit for my kids over the past 10 years. Always pre-booked and their service has left no complaints. Sorry, i can't comment on the quality of higher spec ski's. But my kids were proficient enough to competently ski the Aiguille Rouge 'black' and at least the 'red ski' package was fine. I presume they will provide higher end skis, i guess check their website.
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You know it makes sense.
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@tonyswift last time I was in 1950 I rented from Ski Equilibres in 2000 based on a recommendation on here. Catered very well for my 2 sons and I and an easy trip up and down via cabrio lift. In fact I bought a pair of the skis they recommended and provided for me. We will be in 2000 the week before you and I have booked with them again. Like you I am not taking my skis on this trip, ski carriage costs plus car is full of people so would need to go on the roof to LGW, so too much Piaf and an opportunity to try different skis.
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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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I have just had a look at the Arpette web cam and do not recognise where it is - what has happened to the Ours lift for example.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| johnE wrote: |
| I have just had a look at the Arpette web cam and do not recognise where it is - what has happened to the Ours lift for example. |
They’ve moved the camera from the top station of the Arpette chairlift, further along the Arpette ridge, on the high point above the traffic flow indicators.
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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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@tonyswift, as per @BRG, Equilibres is the place to go. As 1950 'residents', the family has always bought our skis from Equilibres, recommend our guests to Equilibres, and when push comes to shove, rented or bought all the other bits and pieces from Equilbres. ( Oh, except Helmets - not because they're bad, but because we get a good deal at SkiSet in 1950...)
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@Arctic Roll, @BRG, @Richie_S, thanks for your recommendations
Although it is further away, it sounds like Ski Equilibres could be a good option. I am not sure whether to splash out on 'Prestige' skis or 'Performance' skis so I have emailed them to ask the difference.
I am also torn between piste skis and all mountain so I am hoping I can decide on that when I get there (depending upon the snow conditions) as I have to make a decision when booking. It would also be great if I could swap them around once or twice if we get some powder days!
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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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@tonyswift, FWIW. Re hiring, my logic is this.....AM skis are compromise skis and best for people buying their own and who want a bit of versatility built in - as they don't have the option of changing due to only having 1 set of skis.
When renting, you don't need to make this compromise...ie. Get a Piste ski if there is no new snow about and get a Freeride Ski (100mm+) if doing some Off Piste.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Old Fartbag, that is a very good point. I am hoping they will allow me to change the skis and to be flexible with what I get dependent upon conditions but I am waiting to hear back from them to confirm.
Having only ever skied on AM Skis, I would love to try some big fat ones in the powder but also some carving skis on piste!!
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| tonyswift wrote: |
@Old Fartbag, that is a very good point. I am hoping they will allow me to change the skis and to be flexible with what I get dependent upon conditions but I am waiting to hear back from them to confirm.
Having only ever skied on AM Skis, I would love to try some big fat ones in the powder but also some carving skis on piste!! |
IME. Most decent hire shops will allow at least one change of skis.
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@Old Fartbag, thanks and I am hoping they will confirm that but so far, all I heard back from them was that I should look at the website but that has no information about these particular questions. When booking, I have to select Carving skis, All Mountain Skis or Free Ride Skis. I have messaged back to ask if they will alow me to change them but also to ask if I can decide upon the type of skis when I get there instead of committing at the time of booking...
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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 this particular store, but there is often an option on the websites where you pay a small additional free to allow you to chnage the rental gear depending on conditions throughout the hire period. Having said that I think most shops will allow at least one change free.
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In my experience with online bookings, even in the cases where they do make you choose a type, in practice the store will ask again what kind of skis you want, so it doesn't really matter.
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FAQ
