 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey hey,
am new to the forum but loving it so far.. now the million dollar question.. has anyone done a xmas at Flain b4, I am boarder and just worried that the snow may be to icy and slushy.. has anyone been there before, I have seen that they are looking at getting some snow this week but will it continue??
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Looking forward to seeing the responses this topic receives. Im heading out with a group of 10 from Dec 22 to dec 29. Cant wait for it, counting the days and looking endlessly at the web cams now.
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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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but will it continue
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ukbundy, nobody knows, and if they say they do, they're lying. However, welcome to Snowheads, where you will undoubtedly find lots and lots of entertaining, and sometimes soundly based, speculation as to what the snow gods will be sending this winter. Flaine has some quite high skiing, and the village itself is quite a bit higher than many resorts. Christmas is a bit early, and I've never been in Flaine for Christmas, but from knowledge of places around, and our own resort which is not too far away, I'd say you have a good chance of enough snow to have fun on. It's cold at the moment, which is very good news. Snow this week probably won't stick around, but if it continues to be cold the snow which should be falling in December will have a better chance of doing so. You will probably find that the lower parts of the area (eg down towards Samoens) won't be open, but that still leaves plenty of scope. Try not to give yourself any stress-related disorders in the meantime...
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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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ukbundy, if you have already booked, well done.
"icy and slushy"? Slushy hopefully less likely (as hopefully the weather will be too cold) and as PamW suggests, if this colder weather holds out that will give the various resorts opportunity to make snow. (I thought slushy was good on a board?)
Icy, well it's certainly possible but at least Xmas is less likely to have been preceded by a very busy week. So if it isn't snowing/being made, it's not going to have been as scraped off - as for example it could be after Xmas or NY weeks.
If you haven't booked, be aware that if it does snow, I would expect accommodation availability to plummet. We've been full for New Year (amazingly this year it's only one week after Christmas) for about 2 months now and are still seeing anguished requests for any available accommodation. If you know where and when you want to go, you need to make the commitment or you won't be where you want to be, when you want to be.
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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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| David Murdoch wrote: |
| ...New Year (amazingly this year it's only one week after Christmas) |
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We've been full for New Year (amazingly this year it's only one week after Christmas)
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wtf 
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ukbundy, welcome to  's
I have skied Christmas at Flaine about 4-5 years back and had a reasonable week. The runs above and to the right of the resort (don't have a map handy but I hope you know what I mean) were fine but the runs to the left got pretty bare and rocky on the final few hundred metres.
If staying in a hotel I presume you know that "Christmas Dinner" is likely to be Christmas Eve evening meal, not much of a fuss made on the day itself.
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PhillipStanton, Mattmulkeen, I can think of a few reasons for it (folks staying with family for Xmas for example) but we have heard a few comments recently about Xmas being to early for snow whereas New Year wasn't.
"Oh, no, love, you can't go at Xmas, there'll be no snow. You'll be much better off at New Year. Fancy a cuppa?"
err, what? One week can make a difference but it's entirely unforecastable at this stage.
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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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Flaine is as good a bet as most places in France at Xmas. OK, it doesn't have glacier accessed skiing, but it does have a very good snow record. I was there in mid December a couple of years back and got dumped on - in the nicest possible way  . Had to put the chains on at the bottom of the hill. Went back the week after NY and it was awesome. But then last year probably wasn't so good. Almost worth going just for the view of Mont Blanc!
Watch out for those girt big holes just off the piste in the Flaine bowl. Definitely an area where 'just of the piste' can be fatal if you don't know it.
Enjoy. It's got some great skiing and boarding. I'll be there for NY, though only for the weekend.
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Just started snowing here in Morzine town at 08.00. So Yeppeeee.
Should be the start in Flaine too. Welcome to Have a great Christmas.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Les carroz opens on 22nd. As has been mentioned last year was a bit p tex ripping. Flaine was ok down to about 1800m, then it got really rocky. Les carrox only had 3 real runs open, all cannoned snow. You had to buy daily tickets, queuing for the ticket office was a bit of a pain.
Year before they had the best snow in France, it was brilliant..........
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Was in Les Carroz last Xmas, as carroz mentioned above, the only bits of the Grand Massif which were open were Flaine and Les Carroz, and in Les Carroz it was only really 3 long runs and 1 or 2 short ones, also was very busy and got a bit rocky towards the end of the week.
I didnt go to Flaine but my BIL did for 1 day and most at the top was OK. Flaine is a bit unique in its geology and has a lot of granite (I think) holes which need some decent snow to fill up before they can open all the runs. They didnt have this although if you wanted you could pick your way over to some runs which were officially closed. Our post from last year is here http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=505714
I remember the traffic to Flaine being pretty bad as all the other resorts (Samoens, etc) were fully closed so everyone was coming to LC or Flaine and the single road to Flaine was chocka at 9am and 4pm.
Hopefully this year will be better, even so we had a great time regardless of the snow conditions so I am sure you will too.
Cheers,
Peter
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You know it makes sense.
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ukbundy, yes, last Christmas was generally dire, and the fact that Flaine had some skiing open and was hence crowded with people from other places, is evidence that you've made a good choice. Hopefully this year will be much better. It looks good at the moment - cold, and I've just looked at the Les Saisies webcam, they've snow down to village level at 1600m, which is all very good news. It'll mostly be gone soon, it's only a dusting, but it's fun to look at. And if temperatures stay low, then quite apart from being able to use snowcannons, it will mean that the early big snow falls which we are definitely going to get in December (maybe....) will lie on cold ground. Last year it was so warm that even big dumps were gone in a trice.
There are certainly some big holes in Flaine, I don't know it well at all, but remember going up the main big gondola to the top of the Flaine bowl and watching some not very good snowboarders who had decided on a bit of off piste and were getting themselves into all sorts of problems, scratching their heads about how to climb out and back up to the piste. At Christmas, I suppose, except in exceptional years, the off piste just about everywhere is pretty rocky and dodgy. Christmas hols are best thought of as lovely relaxing times in the mountain, with plenty of good cheer and hopefully some skiing thrown in.....
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FAQ
. ( I think they save some for new year ) As previously mentioned there are some VERY big holes to fill so be very aware if you're off piste. Snow permitting the Grand Vans chair, links to Carroz,Samoens etc normally opens on that Sunday.
