 Poster: A snowHead
|
DM, well if this doesn't fill your appartements up I don't know what will!
Spent a rather pleasant few hours at Les Grands Montets today so here's the lowdown,
Firstly having spent the best part of six hours skiing I was amazed by the fact that not one single person wiped me out today, probably due to the abscence of the small one and his tractor beam 
Conditions on piste:-
1) Bochard, good snow cover from top to bottom although a little firm in places, not really icy but proper solid hardpack.
2) Herse, great cover all the way but not quite as hard as previous, fine skiing.
3) Chamois, again plenty of snow but a little ball bearing like in places and would recommend coming back through the tunnel.
4) Plan Joran and Tabé etc are all fine and well packed.
5) Pierre a Ric, early in the morning just press the button and go into Millenium Falcon mode, nobody around and superb hardpack piste conditions. There are a few small stones towards the bottom but more from the piste machines than in the ground so not really a problem. Obviously will be a bit more dodgy in the afternoon when every dog and his man have been down it.
Off piste on the mountain from the top of bochard down is hard, rutted and generally crap
Off the top of les Grands, the snow is relatively flat and soft on the right side of the Rognons glacier, very good skiing to be had with "almost" no crevasse danger. The glacier is very well filled in for this time of year. Not quite so good on the left branch of Rognons but the chutes leading onto the glacier are easier than on the right side. Although relatively straightforward getting onto the glacier at the bottom of Rognons is NOT for the fainthearted or hesitant. Didn't ski the pistes from the summit but they looked fine.
Benne was full of people with very wide skis regretting the fact and wishing they had brought GS's like me  By the way edges should not be treated as optional extra's at the moment and under 70mm is best.
All in all no sign of the death of winter and a great day had by all. Please don't all come at once 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
LARGEZOOKEEPER,
Sounds pretty good for early mid- jan to me..what do people expect? ...a few low temps and a low pressure system will blow all the doom away. By mid next week, all will be rosey, IMO, which is when I will be skiing 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
LARGEZOOKEEPER, thanks for that, arriving Chamonix on Sunday 28th.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I was in Chamonix also at the weekend. Conditions on Grand Montets were good. Off piste not really recommended even at 3000m. You could ski it but it was hard work hitting icy patches every few meters. The run from Logan to the bottom should be avoided. Too many people and crap conditions. Now across the valley in Brevant and Flegere was not so good. Up high it was fine but down lower (and I don;t mean back to Chamonix as that is snow free) has lots of rocks and bare patches.
All in all good weekend. Will post pics later
D
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Diarmuid, The run down from Lognan is the Pierre a Ric and it was just wicked this morning although late in the day it will be a lot worse
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
LARGEZOOKEEPER, Considering treating my wife to a trip down the Vallee Blanche as a birthday treat on the 30th. Do you reckon it will be worth driving over from Verbier for it? Also do you have anyone you would recommend as a guide? Cheers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steve Sparks, At the moment there's quite a few people doing it although I would imagine it's a little thin at the bottom. Lot's of recommendations, contact me in a week or so.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LARGEZOOKEEPER, Thank you very much for a very encouraging post. Sounds like you had fun...
We spent Saturday doing changeover - but it looked like a lovely day. Much colder in the village than forecast which is a Good Thing. Yesterday we took chums up to Le Tour for their First Ever attempt on skis. I had entirely forgotten it was so much hard work. They were knackered.
So was I but am putting that down to a viscious cold that kicked off on Thursday but went meteoric yesterday. Drove down this morning and spent the whole day in bed, mostly asleep. Haven't had to do that in about 18 years. Oddly enough, last time I had such a dreadful viral attack was season 88-89 which was hardly a vintage winter...maybe a co-incidence?
Nick & Odile reckoned Le Tour was in pretty good shape all round. Last weeks guests all thought Brevent-Flegere fine.
PS LZK (and SZK?) are you around Wednesday evening? Anytime after around 8pm? Assuming I am not a quivering viraemic mess, I am due to be up for a couple of quiet beers (bearing in mind I need to be departing at 7.00am for Geneve...)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
David Murdoch, Sounds fine but cannot speak for the cute one, will send you mobile number by PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
.
Yesterday we took chums up to Le Tour for their First Ever attempt on skis. I had entirely forgotten it was so much hard work. They were knackered.
|
David Murdoch, it's very easy to forget, isn't it? But I have been forcefully reminded by my attempts to snowboard. Twice round the chairlift on a very easy blue slope and I am knackered too, especially with this hardpack (in fact, have given up boarding till there's new snow). If I were God in a ski resort I would prescribe compulsory snowboarding for behaviour such as I saw recently, from a mother (English!) pulling up a tired, fed up, child rather roughly whilst saying "I told you not to fall down". I'd just love to get her on a snowboard...
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
pam w, Very, especially after 35 years (scary thought that that is...). I found on my infrequent snowboarding attempt that what it awoke in me was fear of others on the slope as I could no longer take avoiding action. Made me think...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
