 Poster: A snowHead
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Can anyone local give an update on the current conditions? We arrive on Saturday and can't wait!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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As of Saturday, huge snow depths at Les Grands Montets and Le Tour - getting icy over night and in the sun but softening towards midday. There was still some lovely powder on Friday but I imagine this will have gone off by now.
Vallee Blanche has a thick winded crust on top of nearly bottomless powder near the Rognons and Envers. Skiable from Montenvers down to town apart from at the top of Planards, which is now a bit of a building site for a new chairlift. Slopes above Argentiere Glacier are lovely hardpacked powder, almost piste-like (apart from rocks, couloirs and crevasses).
Cannot comment on Brevent or Flegere, LGM was just too good!!!
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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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avalon42, springlike. Almost classically so. See wot sproggski, says. Forecast this week warm & sunny. Hey, It's spring after all, we want slushy bumps. Been waiting all winter for them.
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I'll be back in Cham (well Argentiere) the week of the 28th March, staying at the UCPA in Argentiere. I arrive on Saturday around lunchtime and have a day free skiing on Sunday before the freeride course starts on the Monday. Will check back closer to the time if any other SHs fancy meeting up either of those days.
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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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just got here at lunchtime and went up LGM, can't say i was too happy with the snow. Had assumed it would be slush so took out the fatties, but no, all except he lowest pistes were hardpack, anthing off the sides was crust crust crust. Still it's all snow and we can ski it, just been spoiled so far this year i guess. Have to go higher tomorrow (GM cable was reservation only and they had all gone) and see what that's like.
avalon42, don't worry whatever the snow's like - ski it & have a good time 
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Can't believe SMALLZOOKEEPER wasn't on yesterday to say "dumping it down in Chamonix", 'cause it was 
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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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We missed the snow but here it is coming in on Monday...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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crates packed, load truck tomorrow, be there in 45hrs from now. AND for a FORTNIGHT
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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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Zero-G, what's your first week been like?
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Monday and Tuesday, skied Le Tour and the conditions were perfect. Thursday, we skied Flegere and it was slush by 11am. Yesterday, LGM was hard and dry with the lower slopes softening up around midday. There's been no snowfall since I've been here but apparently there's some due tomorrow night. Temps have been warm, around 13 degrees C most days (walking around in T-shirts in the valley).
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You know it makes sense.
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Fantastic afternoon - typically springlike morning - up GMs today. Herse Bumps in immaculate shape. Didn't get the top cable, will try tomorrow. HIghest part of Bochard delightful.
Excellent, tired and looking forward to tomorrow.
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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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Sat in Tourist Office trying to organise some childcare. Have to get out on snow SOON 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Its cloudy out, there was talk of rain in the valley (snow over 2000m), who knows?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There was a foul wind blowing in the valley this morning; some friends got stuck in the Aguille du Midi telecabine and there was a bit of drama but all returned safely.
It's getting hotter by the day here but there's still good snow to be had. Lower slopes are slush by late morning but conditions on higher slopes are lovely. Spring skiing is the biz
There have been rumours all week about a big dump due on Sunday. We live in hope.
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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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Just back from a week in the valley: CSJ skied Brevent mornings & LGM afternoons, thoroughly enjoyed herself.
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I will be coming to my apartment in Samoens next weekend and want to ski 18/19th - the Chamonix valley may offer better height than the grand massif, snow-forecast is showing a freeze level of 2000m when the rain/snow hits Wed-Fir. Assuming that is correct, which lift/area should I head to on Saturday morning - and which pass would be best? I have only been to Chamonix in the summer. Any advice appreciated.
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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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On Saturday we skinned up above Flegere and skied down to Le Buet (vallorcine). Had a beer at the hotel and got the train back to Cham. Snow was a bit hard up top but quickly softened into perfect Spring conditions. Soft at the bottom but decent cover all the way down. Aiguille midi was shut due to wind so got last cable car at Argentiere. First part of the black run had some soft dryish snow but when we dropped down towards the argentiere glacier it was a rock hard wind blown moonscape - horrible. Off the side at the end of the black and then the last bit down to the refuge de lognan had softened up and were fun to ski.
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Hi all,
thought this update on conditions in cham would be useful for anyone about to come over for the last few weeks of the official season. From shorts, t-shirts and sun tan lotion in town yesterday to white-out blizzard like conditions on the col cornu at brevent this morning, 24 hours could hardly bring such contrasting days. It got too bad to see up top so we came down around 1.00pm and the good news is we've got big flakes in town right now (14.11), so it must be massive up top! and its just what the valley needs right now. With a little luck it will keep this up for today and into the weekend setting up some great fresh snow for anyone coming out in the next week. Sadly its a week late for us as we leave in the morning. Have fun.
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Hey Stevo_the _saddler,
see my earlier post above re snow in the valley - so good news for you for the 18th/19th. Regards where to go and which pass, well theres a special deal right now for the Mont Blanc Unlimited where you get the second day for 1 (one!) euro, so thats the pass to get (a 2 dayer), and this will give you total access all over, including Courmeyeur on the Italian side. As for where the best places are, if this snow keeps up, Brevent and Le Tour would be good giving a good range of slopes and off as well, while if it gets hotter again, Le Grand Montets which is on the shaded side of the valley holds condition for longer in the day. Hope that helps. Have fun.
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Nice one Publicity, that was just the news I was looking for.
Flying out tomorrow after work for a long weekend and I've been watching the reports of the alps metling away in 20 degree temperatures for the last 3 weeks and watching the snow retreat up the mountain on the webcams, not to mention reading reports of the slush.
That said, there's still something to be said for riding in the sunshine and chilling out so I was looking forward to it anyway.
I'd seen the forecasts talk of snow for back end of this week but you know how it is - you can't bank on it till it falls ! So you've made my day/week/month(!) posting that today.
Delighted to see that it's hit, and even more delighted to see the temp. dropping and snow falling in the valley instead of rain.
Cheers dude. Hope you enjoyed your trip.
G
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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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Waist deep powder in some places at Grand Montet this arvo 
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publicity, Nice to read this a few hours before setting off - perhaps I should put the chains in 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Save some for saturday Zero-G
By the way for heading up Le Tour, is it better to park at the main base station, or head over to Vallorcine and get the gondola up ?
(I assume the gondala is still running, as i sar last week the runs down to Vallorcine were closed.)
Cheers
G
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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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It should be quiet enough to be queue free at Le Tour at this time of year.
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Gazzza, the gondola is still running. Not sure about the parking situation at Vallorcine as I've never actually seen that parking lot.
Thick cloud cover again today (can't see the sky) and some rain at valley level. Most of the people in my group have already set off for Grand Montet to start queuing for the gondola up to mid-station. Methinks GM is going to be a bit rammed today.
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You know it makes sense.
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Zero-G, why so busy? Been quiet the last few Sundays (no comment on last one). Anyway, you're better taking the chairs to Plan Joran...fewer people...
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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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under a new name, suppose we're all anticipating a mad rush for the powder. It's been pretty busy these past two weeks when the heat was turning everything else to slush by 11am.
Agreed re Plan Joran, it's the only way I've gotten onto that mountain due to queues at the gondola station.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Zero-G, you might be right (I hope for you that you're not). Haven't been up since the 1st so haven't noted the Easter crowds (and it wasn't busy in Champoluc...)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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GM was relatively quiet today (though propably still the busiest of the areas in the valley). Got above the cloud Zero-G was describing in the morning and skied fresh under a blueish sky. Closed in a bit this afternoon but never enough to affect vis, certainly not in the trees.
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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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midgetbiker, "though propably still the busiest of the areas in the valley" - why on earth would that be 
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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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Anyone skiing GM this week? What are conditions like coming down the glaciers from the top and in the Pendant bowl?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Interested in an update - might pull the trigger on a cheeky May day weekender if GM has been sufficiently refeshed after the heatwave earlier in the month.
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Certainly some wind-blown fresh on Monday a.m. by the looks of things ( we were cutting across to head up the Arg' basin), plenty of bumps to be seen as well though...
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| bobinch wrote: |
| Anyone skiing GM this week? What are conditions like coming down the glaciers from the top and in the Pendant bowl? |
Last skied it on Sunday morning, it was lightly snowing and had been for a while. Didn't really enjoy the run down from the top of the GM cable car to be honest, seemed like wind blown granular fresh on top of 2/3 day old snow that had been heavily skied. Maybe I was too early up (first car), had much better skiing later in the morning on (& off) the black down from the gondola (nicer, deeper fresh snow which everyone else seemed to ignore until just before lunch).
Weather reckons it might snow in Chamonix upto this weekend (when I get out there again) so with that and the cooling in temps I could well see May Day weekend being a perfectly good ski
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Great conditions to be had for those willing to work for their turns at the moment - all the Argentiere classics (NNE Courtes, Cristaux, Col Courtes) are in good condition, also Brenva Spur, Eugster (Midi) & NF Col du Plan have been seeing descents (amongst many others).
Thursday we climbed Swiss route & skied NNE on Courtes - great conditions - chalky snow all the way down.. no pics of descent unfortunately but one or two on the way up:
Grands Montets was mostly bumps - some packed powder & varying states of crust to be had off the top bin. Pierre a Ric now officially shut, and not v. pleasant on tired legs after missing the last bin down - refrozen slush bumps all the way - 200m of walking to get back to the bottom as of Thursday pm..
More snow due in next few days so its all good..!
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offpisteskiing, a couple of big ticks there, respect.
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FAQ
. You lucky lucky b*gg*r 
