 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
achilles, I preferdavidof's version.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
davidof, Now that is quite a photo of the elusive marmotte. I have seen them, but nowhere close to getting a close-up pic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| tessaventer wrote: |
More pistes that appear regularly in French resorts:
Bergers - presumably shepherds
Chamois - pretty but shy goat-like things
Rhodos - rhododendrons???
Ours- bear
Pralong - ???
Arolles - ??? |
I didn't see these early but Pra-long - Pra = Pré or even simpler for us Prairie. It is a long prairie - somewhere you grow hay for cattle. When ever you see words with pra-/pre- it often refers to fields. The one to watch are words with "lanch" in them, this means you are in an avalanche path: Lanchettes, Lavancher, Lance.
To return to Arpette, this is the Porte de l'Arpette which I walked to on Tuesday
http://pistehors.com/hiking/wiki/Chartreuse/Le-Granier-Pas-Des-Barres
and you can see the big prairie in the fourth photograph.
Arolles - type of pin (Cimbro I think). These are extremely slow growing trees that you see in places like les Arcs, like Lebanese cedars some are centuries, maybe 1000 years old.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
davidof, on your site, the shop pages appear corrupted.
Or is it my browser?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
davidof, Thank you, very interesting, I shall be sliding with renewed interest in my surroundings in future! 
Do you agree with my interpretation of Rhodos?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
La Cuberotte. The name of a steep, narrow, mogully piste (the only one....) in Les Saisies. Derived, so a ski instructor told me, from the verb cuberotter, Savoie patois (not French) for "to fall". But maybe he was having me on... maybe it means a small chunk of pork.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| davidof wrote: |
| Arolles - type of pin |
davidof, you've gone native - I think you mean "pine"!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| geetee wrote: |
| TallTone, Whistler mountain was named after its marmots. |
| brian wrote: |
| TallTone, it's what they do when they're alarmed. |
You live and learn
Anyone heard a marmot whistle?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| TallTone wrote: |
| Anyone heard a marmot whistle? |
The toy one I bought my neice does, it's got a light sensor in it and whistles when you walk past!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arolle is the typical alpine pine tree (grows at high elevation, over 2000m)
Pralong is from the local patois. Frequenty used to name a pasture along a stream, it's just the name of the place the slope is.
Edit : I didn't see page 2 and davidof answer...
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| marc gledhill wrote: |
davidof, on your site, the shop pages appear corrupted.
Or is it my browser? |
Hi Marc
Can you pm me your email address please?
best regards,
David
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| philippeR wrote: |
Arolle is the typical alpine pine tree (grows at high elevation, over 2000m)
Pralong is from the local patois. Frequenty used to name a pasture along a stream, it's just the name of the place the slope is.
|
Well the fact that it may be used for a pasture along a stream is worth posting anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| TallTone wrote: |
| geetee wrote: |
| TallTone, Whistler mountain was named after its marmots. |
| brian wrote: |
| TallTone, it's what they do when they're alarmed. |
You live and learn
Anyone heard a marmot whistle? |
Load up this site! press f5 to hear whistles!
http://www.marmots.ch/MAR/main.asp
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
ecureil = squirrel
Also a v enjoyable piste in the Peisey Vallandry area of Les Arcs
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| TallTone wrote: |
| Anyone heard a marmot whistle? |
Plenty of times, mainly in Appenzell canton (E. Switzerland). Somewhere I have a few 'photos (not digital) of marmots taken from about 15 feet away; we came around a corner of a highish path from Klosters to Davos and there were a group of them capering about, very relaxed.
I lunched on marmot casserole in a restaurant on the ridge from Hohe Kasten to Santis, in Appenzell. Highly delicious, although I could have done with a couple at least.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
boredsurfin, thanks!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Rossignol = nightingale
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
easiski, eggcups? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| TallTone wrote: |
| davidof wrote: |
| Arolles - type of pin |
davidof, you've gone native - I think you mean "pine"! |
Yes but not to say "cette pente est couverte des pines"!
This page has some very rare video footage of Dahus in the Aravis
http://envoiedugros.free.fr/dahu.htm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arpette: Davidof is correct. Although it does also mean apprentice, if it's the name of a piste then it'll almost certainly be referring to its Savoyard meaning, "alpage" or "pasture". It can also be spelt "Arpettaz" which is pronounced in exactly the same way, just like the resort of La Giettaz is pronounced "La Giette". This sort of bizarre spelling/pronunciation rule applies to quite a lot of place names around the Alps, it comes from the franco-provençal language, the second language of Savoie.
Dahu: OK so we all agree what a dahu is - an Alpine animal with legs shorter on one side than on the other, enabling it to run horizontally around the mountain without falling over. An Alpine legend. But the story of the dahu is, and remains, a myth. Always funny to wind up the tourists with this one...!
Chamois: Another Alpine animal, a bit like a goat. This one actually exists.
Praz, Prés: Yes, both of these refer to prairies or meadows. "Praz" is the Savoyard version of the French word "prés".
Arolle: As agreed, it is indeed a type of pine tree.
Cuberotte: Pam, funny you should mention Les Saisies, I live just a couple of kilometres down the road from there... interesting theory of yours, about the word "cuberotte" possibly referring to falling over - I'm not sure, personally. The verb "cubeller" in Savoyard means to fall, but whether or not the two are related, I couldn't possibly tell you. If anyone has an answer to this one it would be very welcome! However, I can tell you that the word "Saisies" means rocks/stones... numerous spelling variations exist for this one, even to go as far as to include "Saxonnex" which I believe is a place in Haute-Savoie, and absolutely nothing to do with the resort of Les Saisies. Confusing...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
