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Realisation?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
So as predicted the 10 day forecast is dry. What next? Will resorts open? Who like me is about to cancel? There is now 5cm where I am headed and to be honest that is simply not worth the effort. Sad

There were many here last week rejecting the suggestions that the snow was not coming, I am afraid that it looks like being true.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
lisach, Sad Sad

To be honest, I wouldn't cancel a skiing holiday. You'll still be in the mountains, on holiday and there's bound to be some snow somewhere you can ski on. Added to that forecasts are only really accurate about 3 days in advance - and all it needs is a few days of snow and the temps to drop for things to be OK. Where are you going to?
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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?
lisach, Where are you going?

Looking at Vallandry where we are off to, all looks groomed runs and they are running all the cannons. Had an email exchange with ski school there earlier in the week and he confirms it is cold and there is enough to ski on. Ok won't be thigh deep in powder but there is skiing
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See my other thread

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=21315&highlight=winter+canceled+cancelled&sid=cdf5a2f0d316236be9959cdf67d88523
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
stanton, why??
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Yes WHY? Reports I've seen look fine, look at the Webcams there is snow, runs have been Piste bashed and people have been skiing?

I admit I was worried but am confident I will have enough snow to ski on - if everyone else wants to cancel as its not 18M deep then great, I'll have the place to myself
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Boris, La Clusaz. The kids are limited skiers and to be honest they would not be going further than the low slopes and at 5cm surely that's not enough. True we could drive an hour+ to get somewhere better each day but we paid for ski IN ski OUT and I am so disappointed. Hopefully end Jan will be better.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
lisach, but its 80 cms on the upper slopes. It looks like there are plenty of blue runs higher up. The webcams look plenty snowy http://www.snoweye.com/?page=fr-hautesavoie&detail=clusaz

When are you actually going out there?
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lisach wrote:
True we could drive an hour+ to get somewhere better each day but we paid for ski IN ski OUT and I am so disappointed.

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.


Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Fri 15-12-06 12:13; edited 2 times in total
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lisach, I would guess that there will be plenty on the higher slopes which will be of the right standard. I don't know your kids ages or ability, but my twin boys are 5 and were fine on the high blue runs around Vallandry.

Ski In-Out is great and can understand disapointment if you can't - unfortunately it is one of those thins which can't be guaranteed
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laundryman, ??
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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.
As long as there is SOME skiing and as long as crowds are not oppressive then folks should have a great time. You dont need masse of skiing to have a great time. It does require some imagination and effort though, no point in blasting up and down the same runs. Practice technique, take different routes, look for little jumps, play daft games etc etc
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
As Frosty the Snowman points out, you don't needs miles of piste's to have fun. It helps but is not essential. Find a couple of slopes and practice technique etc. And it's much better than sitting at home.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
lisach wrote:
So as predicted the 10 day forecast is dry. What next? Will resorts open? Who like me is about to cancel? There is now 5cm where I am headed and to be honest that is simply not worth the effort. Sad

There were many here last week rejecting the suggestions that the snow was not coming, I am afraid that it looks like being true.



Most of the stations that have already opened in the Alps have between 5% and 50% of all their slopes open. That is plenty to keep most people amused for at least a few days.

Perhaps try changing resorts? Saas Fee, Cervinia, La Plagne and Val Thorens all have above-average conditions right now.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Frosty the Snowman wrote:
As long as there is SOME skiing and as long as crowds are not oppressive then folks should have a great time.

If they've been taking any notice of stanton they won't be going at all rolling eyes

Thankfully I ignored his stuck record act and have taken no notice whatsoever of his continual doom and gloom postings - fact is that apart from in exceptional years you take a risk at this time of year in most resorts and conditions may well be marginal. I'm off to Les Gets in a week and there's snow down to the village, their planned partial opening was and is this weekend, but I'm told they opened some lifts last weekend for a couple of days because conditions were great, full opening will happen, again as always planned, on the 23rd and I'll be there snowHead

Also if I'd taken any notice whatsoever of Stanton I wouldn't already have had a day up on Cairngorm in Scotland last weekend - top of mountain open with fresh snow on a firm base, brilliant for this time of year.

Some people just need to get a bit of perspective (yes you stanton) and realise that at this time of year things are unpredictable as a matter of course, this year 'aint the best but it 'aint the worst either and there's plenty of fun to be had out there so folks ignore stanton and enjoy snowHead
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Exactly - I can't wait for my hols over Xmas. Local Vallandry runs look good, so do all of Les Arcs - plenty to keep me happy for the week. For some reason also ammused by the email from the ski school

" We have a little of snow, but we wait more the next week, we're lucky because its cold now here and its good to keep the first snow"

What more encouragement do you need Laughing
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
What is worrying me is that on Monday the resort had 10cm, now it has 5cm. Logic suggests by the 26th it will be even less. If only we could have one more reasonable dump.....
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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?
laundryman wrote:
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

lisach wrote:
??

To ski or not to ski: that is the question.
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laundryman, rolling eyes Laughing Laughing Shall that conundrum be known from now on as a Hamlet day?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
lisach wrote:
The kids are limited skiers and to be honest they would not be going further than the low slopes and at 5cm surely that's not enough. we paid for ski IN ski OUT and I am so disappointed. Hopefully end Jan will be better.


lisach Like you i am sadden by the current situation i am booked to go to Les Carroz on the 22nd Dec dont expect there to be any snow in village, we are staying at a ski in hotel luckly with a snow cannon run behind it, but my kids are 3&5 and they cant wait just to be away for christmas and if ski school take them to mid station to ski then so be it. of course we would all like to be up to our necks in snow, and like me you maybe wished you chose a higher resort but with that comes more cold temps and i think that would effect the kids more

So we will make the best of it its a family Xmas away form relatives and turkey and i for one cant wait


[/b]
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roga,

Do you believe what the resorts put out ?

Any resort with a 2cm base of snow can look good on a webcam . White looks beter than Green but you cannot tell depth ? In many areas there are enviromental/nature protection laws.

Grooming machines are not allowed to piste the slopes unless there is mininmum base (This is particuarly true in Austria) because they break-up the mountain side .

At the moment only in Austria & Switzerland areas above 2000M there is a reasonable base, below this it is machine made snow & this has only been possible due to the VERY recent lower temperatures. They have to leave these machine on for 3 days non-stop before grooming machines can make the slopes. The temperatures are to remain cold the next few days so the cannons can stay on. Luckily in Austria resorts have a freehand at taking water direct out of the valley rivers & pumping it up the hill, at the moment there is no water shortage or drought in Austria.
In resorts in the US this far more controlled & has to be paid for .


Stop the Brutal Grooming.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
stanton, I believe what's on the webcams, what is being reported to me by people who are in various resorts and what I've seen with my own eyes and been on with my own skis (Scotland). I also choose to engage with reality rather than stating the same thing over and over and over (yawn) again in every thread I possibly can - I did not start November/December with one view that I feel the need to repeat over and over again with no proper reference to varying conditions.

I am also aware that unlike Scotland many Alpine resorts (Les Gets included) have slopes lower down that are pasture in the summer time so it doesn't take much to make them skiable, as, again, has been reported to me by people on the ground.

Indeed it is the case that what you call a decent base has not yet been built up in many places on lower slopes but it's only half way through December for goodness sake, the snow is not as good as some years but it's not as bad as others - there's snow and there are pistes to ski on and I simply do not understand your seemingly obsessive need to talk down the situation for weeks (or is it months rolling eyes ?) on end.

Fact is it's mixed but that's to be expected at this time of year, fact is there's decent skiing available in some places, not so much in others - no surprise really so why bore the pants off the rest of us repeating the same thing all the time?!?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Well argued. the fact is you can have poor snow anywhere any time of the year. Even the 3V were dodgy for snow in the middle of February last year. Here we are in early season and the snow cover is thin. Big surprise? No.

snowHead
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the pre christmas and cristmas holiday is getting more and more popular these days.. and a lot of people want to take this out in the mountians.. alas it can be risky.. lets face it the best months for sking are 'likely' to be into the new year.. when it come to picking your moment its better to be lucky than good !
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Conditions dont look too bad at all for the time of year,I am off to La Norma on the 23rd and the resort is opening tomorrow with 15 out of 27 pistes open with a 20 cm at 1350m and 80cm at altitude ,the snowcannons it appears have been on all week and another week of the present temps should give some hard and fast sliding,i was fairly despondant 2 weeks ago but i am very much looking forward to decent week.5 years ago we where due to go to PSV at the end of January and there was no snow apart from manmade so hence the big investment in snowmaking by the smaller resorts since 2001 will now be paying off.It is quite correct that snowmaking will make skiable conditions given cold enough weather on lower slopes in a couple of days- its just the rockier higher slopes which need the depth of snow that the autumn storms should bring to the alpes which hasnt happened this year,i would be more confident of better conditios in the lower french resorts such as Les Gets and La Clusaz as summer pastures only need low depths of snow ,also with temperatures inversions which are common in mid winter it is often colder at the base of ski areas than people expect .
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I have a couple of bits of advice for anyone heading out before Christmas:-

1. Pack walking boots
2. unless you have rock skis leave your own at home and hire - even on piste there are a lot of stones around and about, there is certainly very limited "pasture level" skiing at the moment
3. think about a day's snow shoeing

oh, that's three bits of advice
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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.
4. Enjoy the mountains (there's never a bad time of year) and not being at work.

Or is my bit of advice a bit self-righteous? Puzzled
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
As many have said above, the period up to Christmas has always been a gamble. You can reduce the risk a bit by choosing a high, snow-sure resort with a glacier and snow cannons. as this webcam shows there are plenty of people right now (at least when 'now' is during the daytime!) skiing at Val D and Tignes, and not only up at 3500m.

So not all the pistes are open, 'sok don't need em all, a couple will do just fine. I'm sure anyone going to Les2 Alpes or Hintertux feels the same way Very Happy I'm just glad to be going away, looking forward to skiing, eating drinking and generally not being at work Laughing

Bah Humbug! to stanton and the doom merchants! NehNeh
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
skanky wrote:
4. Enjoy the mountains (there's never a bad time of year) and not being at work.

Or is my bit of advice a bit self-righteous? Puzzled

Not at all. snowHead
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
AxsMan, agree with your sentiments exactly!

720pm Gatwick to Geneva here I come! Looks like we will get some skiing in tomorrow and that certainly beats Christmas shopping!
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 brian
brian
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AxsMan wrote:
stanton and the doom merchants!


Is he starting a band ? The alpine answer to Joy Division Laughing
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Roger C, have a great time.
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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?
Roger C, woohoooo! Have a fab time! Where are you off to? snowHead
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Roger C, I'm (almost at the point of) counting down the hours - Have fun!

brian, I nearly wrote stanton and the Merchants of Doom but thought it sounded too much like an Indian Jones film Very Happy
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
AxsMan, or a Steve Jackson & Ian Livingston book. wink
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lisach, try Serre Chevalier instead, the snow is better further south. Not even green mountains,and no snow at all would make me cancel a holiday in the mountains.

Very Happy
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
lisach, have you booked yourselves and kids into ski school? If not, might be worth thinking about, as the instructors will be able to find snow for them, and maybe get them further up the mountain than you would under your own steam. When conditions are bad, even a bog standard ESF class is well worth while, because they do know every inch of the slopes and can find skiing for you on a day when you would probably give up in despair on your own. Would you get much of a refund if you cancelled? If not, might as well go and make the best of it. Would strongly echo davidof's suggestion of snowshoeing. They're cheap to hire, easy to use (but take hiking boots or similar to strap them to) and great fun. Kids would really enjoy them; they can pretend to be Arctic explorers. snowHead
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
a week is a long time in football it could dump down on day one Very Happy Very Happy
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pam w, the only thing that I have paid so far is Eurotunnel, that can be moved to any day in the next 365 days. The hotel are aware of my plan and they in fact do not seem surprised......

We will lose a tiny deposit that is all.

Money can earn a bit more interest while the climate sorts itself out.
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lisach,
If it were me and the choice was between a holiday now and a holiday later or just a holiday later I would not cancel 'cos I would see what was available but then I like the mountains.

If the choice is a holiday now or a holiday later at even a little extra cost I would cancel like a shot and await better snow
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