 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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8" or so up on the mountain, great day starting on unpisted black runs and ending in the trees 
24 hours of heavy snow forecast, it's been raining in the village since around 4pm and snowing uptop. Still no wind to speak of, means the snowclouds are staying but visibility has been atrocious at times - I've had two falls and a subnisssion.
More deeo powder action tomorrow, then vallee blanche on thursday weather permitting. Bed calls...
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Rubbish. Everything got bashed. Can't stand these perfectly groomed pistes. Skiied everything over and over again - with only 24 pistes in total of which several were closed (Youla and Plan de la Gabba were closed due to avalanche risk - we heard some serious slides after a bout of avaanche bombing), we literally skiied every piste at least once, including the two or three that had been left unpisted. Max speed rached according to GPS was 57mph, now way we could have done that in powder but i know which I'd prefer. On the upside it was a beatiful sunny day so we at last got to see some scenery.
j2ski is forecasting 10cm of fresh, snowguess 1mm of rain - will pop up to the guides office in half a pint to see what they think, and see if it's worth trying some offpiste. More later if I can be arsed.
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In the end it was somewhere in between. 5 cm or so in town, bit more up on the mountain. Seems to have fallen after the pistes were bashed so there were some very nice fluffy bits on pisted, but the pff pistes was very crusty and not nice at all. Spent all day cruising the runs in the sun. It's now raining lightly in town, not sure where the freezing line so can't be certain if it's snowing up the mountain
temperature in town at 4pm was around 7 deg celsius, it's certainly visible in the snow quality if you take the red run down to dolonne - very porridgy and scraped bare in places, almost like spring skiing.
As I said above the off piste is not really worth i t at the moment - a stiff crust on top, then very heavy porridgy snow underneath - very easy to bury your tips and lose all momentum, and a right bug to walk in once you;ve stopped - as a result we've decided not to try any off piste, even though Plan de la Gabba and Youla opened today and there's a chance Arp wll open tomorrow. Day trip to La Thuile instead on the free ski bus
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Anyone got a more recent update?
Thanks
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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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beanie1, I will be able to tell you on Monday.
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beanie1, The pistes are in really good condition, better than for the last few years at this time. Don't know about off piste as I was training GS this morning.
Some of the group went up to Youla, I will ask at dinner what it was like.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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just to put this to the top of the pile, given I'm off to Courmayeur in a couple of weeks, any further reports on conditions from returning snowheads would be welcome
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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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I was there about 2 weeks ago and snow was amazing. Had a 40cm snowfall one night, powder on the piste, then we hired a guide and skied off the back of Youla, awesome light fluffy champagne powder!!
Of course, much may have changed in 2 weeks...
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Thanks beanie. Snow forecast and metacheck are starting to forecast a few reasonable cms to the end of next week. Hope this is true to add a little freshness
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You know it makes sense.
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Just returned to the States after a week at Morzine and a day at Mount Blanc. Courmayeur was absolute awesome spring conditions, while the Valle Noire was still 6"-10" of fresh powder. It was odd to ski in a shirt all morning, then ski over to France and have some great fluffy stuff. There was a good base, so I expect the slopes will hold up for a while yet. I'll try to post pics up later.
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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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Was in Courmayeur last Thursday, and I found the conditions unpleasantly lumpy and hard work on many of the pistes. Takes all sorts I suppose.
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Poster: A snowHead
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beanie1, I was there the same week. Glorious snow, hardly any queuing, Guess we were lucky.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Been teaching in Courmayeur this last week. It's been very warm during the day although freezing overnight in the first part of the week. Then it got milder overnight and the snow by Saturday was soft, lumpy and hard work. It kept the pisteurs busy with too many ankles and knees being twisted. I heard it is forecast to get much colder this coming week.
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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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Looked at the webcams the other day and thought it looked a bit mushy!
Were you doing Interski last week? Is Buster still the ski school boss in Courmayeur?
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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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Yes - Interski - the ski school boss was called Paul. Didn't hear anyone call him Buster!
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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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Someone new! Buster was up there 2005 and 2006. I didn't make it last season sadly. I might head out in April. I know Courmayeur isn't great for teaching compared to Pila for example if you get beginners, but I just love the area and the town. Only ever done Pila once with Interski.
Was watching Ski Sunday last night and the conditions looked amazing for Colin Jackson. Think that was December.
I'm sure more snow will come soon!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| snowaddict wrote: |
I know Courmayeur isn't great for teaching compared to Pila for example if you get beginners, but I just love the area and the town. Only ever done Pila once with Interski.
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I did have beginners. The resort just doesn't seem interested in making a decent beginners area at the top of the Maison Vielle chairlift. All it needs is a short tow or a magic carpet in the bowl below the restaurant and to level a couple of platforms a third and two-thirds up the Tzaly tow so that learners could get off part way up. Two simple things and it would transform learning. I can't imagine no-one else has realised that, so assume the management just isn't bothered.
The management of the Bar Roma has a better idea of encouraging business , however. Cheap beer for the workers and a table loaded with snacks every afternoon. Magic 
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Ahh, Bar Roma, I had forgotten - superb place!
One Easter when I was out a couple of years ago, they shut down Chieco. I had beginners. It was an interesting progression from the Maison Vielle are to Pra Neyron that was for sure!!
You're right though, there is a lot of scope to make things better up there for beginners.
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Just back from 4 days. Incredibly warm - and the pistes turn to polenta by 11 or so, so really unpleasant. They higer fts are being closed intermittently due to high wind, making the whole ski experience very poor. The doctor at the accident centre told us (had to take a chum in) that he was seeing 20 people a day, which was very high for the time of year. Lots of edges being caught in the beaten up pistes. Have to say though that Courmayeur is a lovely resort, with great, great restaurants, and really friendly locals. Better food than I've had at any of the (albeit limited) French or Austrian resorts I've visited, with much more charming service. The new lift up from Dorelle is a handy entry point - and what a super village. Snow is forecast today, but the locals don't seem to believe it. But we need a dramatic drop in temperature. It really was bikini weather.
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FAQ
fingers crossed it stays overnigth. Pistes in excellent conditon, well groomed with new sbow on top - 3" when we finished skiing, probably 5" by now - and we skiied ebery ppistwe exceppt the mogul run number 5 - we could have but all hate moguls, courmayeur is a small and great resort
