 Poster: A snowHead
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Thought I’d make a new thread for Espace Diamant as I haven’t seen one for this season yet.
It will be my first visit there and we arrive next weekend.
Any reports on conditions?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My son in law and grand-daughter were there at Christmas. Things weren't too bad then, and they had a good time but everything was dependent on aspect. As in other resorts in that corner of the world, there's been no significant new snow for some weeks! The webcams are your best guide to what's happening now. Fingers crossed..... where are you staying?
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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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| Origen wrote: |
| My son in law and grand-daughter were there at Christmas. Things weren't too bad then, and they had a good time but everything was dependent on aspect. As in other resorts in that corner of the world, there's been no significant new snow for some weeks! The webcams are your best guide to what's happening now. Fingers crossed..... where are you staying? |
will be at residence amaya
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Arrived to Les Saisies to around 1-1.5m of fresh powder. Forecast suggests it will continue snowing for the next few hours and possibly until tomorrow am before hopefully clearing to a bluebird day at some point around midday.
Fingers crossed.
The drive up was challenging but without major incident, I had to put my chains on before the final ascent and there were a couple cars that had been abandoned about 1-2km from Les Saisies (one due to not being able to put on chains on one as their brake fluid malfunctioned, managed to give one a couple a lift up).
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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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Well done @Astontech and thanks for reporting back - had been wondering how you'd got on. Well done! Tomorrow afternoon should be pretty special.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Have a look at the 3 Valleys thread and be glad you weren't headed for the Tarentaise!
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Yes I had read the thread, sounds a nightmare.
I set off from just south of Dijon around 10:15am so seemed to miss most of the traffic even with a 1 hour stop in Sallanches.
I do need to head there in a couple of weeks, why was it so tragic today? Just the sheer volume of people that head there?
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That and the amount of snow - heavy even down in the valley. And yes, there are always a lot of people with so many huge resorts. Some crashes have closed some roads - it doesn't take a lot. Les Saisies is much more manageable because up from the Arly Valley there's only traffic for Notre Dame de Bellecombe and Saisies, and no steep climbs. It can be more problematic from the Albertville side, but even so the sheer numbers aren't there. Provided people have chains, and are prepared to use them, it's usually OK. There has been some talk of police not allowing people with snow socks to proceed but ? whether those are true or Chinese whispers.
The carnage today is probably a once-in-a-season job, which is why you get people saying "I've been driving to the Alps for 15 years and never had to use chains". There will be other heavy snowfalls, hopefully, but probably not on a Friday/Saturday. Hope they get lots pisted for you tomorrow. 
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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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This was my first time driving, however I have had a very sketchy drive up to Aboriaz after a meter + in 2024.
I’ll let you know how the skiing is tomorrow.
P.S… it looks like warming up throughout the week. What do you think the best pistes later in the week will be if it’s 5c in LS.
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I'd wait and see - after this amount of snow I'd expect pistes to be in pretty good nick all through the week, really. Try to get all over the area and down into the Arly Valley in case those lower slopes aren't so good later.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Origen wrote: |
| I'd wait and see - after this amount of snow I'd expect pistes to be in pretty good nick all through the week, really. Try to get all over the area and down into the Arly Valley in case those lower slopes aren't so good later. |
any particular village that is worth a visit for the ambience and a lunch as well as the skiing? We love tree lined greens and blues.
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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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The Arly Valley - has a lot of trees, though also a lot of drag runs! I'm out of date, I'm afraid, but if you go up the major Praz sur Arly chair - Cret - there are nice restaurants in both directions at the top (of there were!!). The Sarassin - turn left at the top - has a terrace with a fantastic view over Megeve and the Petit Tetras (I think it's called - if you turn right off the top - is very small and quaint. I think I'd try to get over there when conditions should be great. The descent from the top of the Cret do Midi right down to the bottom again is a great one.
There are also some nice tree runs in Crest Voland, and a pleasant, big, restaurant right at the top.
There's a 5 km run through the trees from the Mont Bisanne side of LS down to Crest Voland - you do need to skate a bit in parts but it's very pretty after new snow. For a more conventional route to CV, start from the top of the Chard du Beurre chair.
The long blue run "Planay" down to Bisanne 1500 is mostly tree-lined too - come back up in the only gondola in the Espace Diamant. If it's lunchtime the "Refuge" restaurant, just beside the piste before you get to the bottom, is nice. The apartments there are where our place was, so we all have a very soft spot for it.
The Planay is mostly green, really, but graded blue because of a few steeper sections - nothing scary but the bottom can get a bit mogully later in the day. Lovely views of Mont Blanc on the way down. In fact lovely views of Mont Blanc all over the place!
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| Origen wrote: |
The Arly Valley - has a lot of trees, though also a lot of drag runs! I'm out of date, I'm afraid, but if you go up the major Praz sur Arly chair - Cret - there are nice restaurants in both directions at the top (of there were!!). The Sarassin - turn left at the top - has a terrace with a fantastic view over Megeve and the Petit Tetras (I think it's called - if you turn right off the top - is very small and quaint. I think I'd try to get over there when conditions should be great. The descent from the top of the Cret do Midi right down to the bottom again is a great one.
There are also some nice tree runs in Crest Voland, and a pleasant, big, restaurant right at the top.
There's a 5 km run through the trees from the Mont Bisanne side of LS down to Crest Voland - you do need to skate a bit in parts but it's very pretty after new snow. For a more conventional route to CV, start from the top of the Chard du Beurre chair.
The long blue run "Planay" down to Bisanne 1500 is mostly tree-lined too - come back up in the only gondola in the Espace Diamant. If it's lunchtime the "Refuge" restaurant, just beside the piste before you get to the bottom, is nice. The apartments there are where our place was, so we all have a very soft spot for it.
The Planay is mostly green, really, but graded blue because of a few steeper sections - nothing scary but the bottom can get a bit mogully later in the day. Lovely views of Mont Blanc on the way down. In fact lovely views of Mont Blanc all over the place! |
this is amazing information, thank you so much! I think I’ll try that 5k run down to CV
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You know it makes sense.
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Yes, I recommend it - it's a proper piste, not just some sort of "itinerary" but because it has no snow cannons they can only open it when snow conditions permit. I wouldn't attempt it if it's closed. Gives you a sense of adventure and travel, despite being quite safe.
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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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Just wrapped up the first day of skiing, was out from 9am.
Perfect conditions, deep powdery snow off both sides of the piste which is surprisingly untouched for the most part. Piste skiing was fantastic.
I took that long piste from the top of Bisanne as you suggested Origen and it was absolutely beautiful in the deep snow, possible the most beautiful piste I’ve skied.
As a general note, the whole area is very beautiful and quite different to what I am used to in the Tarentaise. More of a meadow feel versus high dramatic mountains.
We skied down to Crest Voland for some lunch where conditions were still fantastic, probably around 50-80cm depth there.
My partner particularly enjoyed the skiing as a nervous skier on her fourth trip.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Astontech,
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I much prefer the terrain of cols like Les Saisies over high mountain resorts. One snowy morning I managed 7 powder runs under the Chamois lift before anyone joined me. On another first lift day I bogged down twice coming back down the main blue from Mont Bisanne, that on a powder board!
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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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| Quote: |
One snowy morning I managed 7 powder runs under the Chamois lift before anyone joined me.
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My son and nephew once spent an entire orgasmic day on that sector, when the Chamois was still a drag lift - and an unpisted drag lift puts off many people! The whole thing was unpisted and a small group of boarders had it to themselves all day, finding fresh lines. My son, who did several seasons working in the Tarentaise had never had a day like it - he said over there it would have been tracked out in the first hour. They were so knackered at the end of the day they could scarcely lift their beer glasses.
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