Les Deux Alpes Season Trip Report

A snowHead

Thought I'd stick it here to get more traffic in snowboarding Twisted Evil

Thanks for all the advice for the trip down. We made it fine although are struggling to find internet access. We're apying an extortionate rate atm so this'll be brief, hopefully more next time. The drive down was boring but uneventful and not hard work. Many thanks to Lizzard for the cup of tea before the final leg up the hill. Our apartment is surprisingly spacious and well equiped: after nightmares of alpine shoeboxes we we're really pleased to see it in the flesh and have settled in well. So far the weather has been snow and wind: no complaints over the snow but it's meant the lifts closed early afternoon on opening day and we couldn't get above 2600m today. However the snow where we have been has been amazing varying between 12 and 18 inches of powder where it hasn't been blown away. We've got our legs back and are waiting for the weather to clear and the snow to stabilise. I'll post some photos when we get blue sky.

Wrote that yesterday but only got web today.

More of the same today but we now have internet for the princley sum of €12 for the season, it almost cleared and the hill was empty it's still snowing now too snowHead

A snowHead

Swirly,

I hate you! Toofy Grin

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Swirly, lucky barsteward... keep the tidbits coming... need snowporn to keep me motivated during an unreasonably busy period !

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Swirly, have fun out there Very Happy

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Swirly, see you on the 18th Wink

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Shouldn't this be in trips... or do you only want to hang out with other boarders.

swirly hope to catchup with you next week. I will be in touch by text after the weekend once my plans are looking firmer...

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

rayscoops, will do, if it carries on like this there's going to be tonnes of snow.

bertie bassett, nah I want to make sk*ers hang out with the boarders Laughing

Today was fun, blue skies but an avvy risk of4 pretty much kept us on piste but as far as piste runs go it was a blast. I might have made some cheeky powder turns at some point though Twisted Evil

The boards felt the fact it's still early season though and both gorilla and me spent a couple of hours with the ptex earlier this evening. We spent the whole morning messing around between the glacier and 2600m and had some pretty quick runs down empty slopes.

I messed up the camera settings when taking some shots up the mountain today so you'll have to make do with the view from our balcony:

taken this morning anyway it's snowing again now! You can't have enough of a good thing.

After all it is free

Swirly, ski porn I love it - keep them coming and we'll read on a daily basis..................... snowHead

Swirly, not a bad view at ! your day beats mine by miles

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Swirly, I used to do that 'shuttle run' too from the Glacier to 2600, plus the area (where the park used to be?) to the right with the natural bowls, as you look back up to the glacier from 2600, I think anyway !

sounds like a good start to the season, but if a piste is shut I would recommend that you stay off it even if it looks nice, because from experience the rocky ground conditions causes havoc with a nice new board Sad

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Might be around 17 & 18 jan to be given le tour des stashes (or a bit of cheeky riding at La grave if open). May be on the sticks of shame however.

snow reports

fatbob, cool, keep in touch.

Contrary to popular opinion the worst of the of the damage was done on a piste, the rest was from attempting to hit a lip that turned out to be a big rock Embarassed

Today was a bit of a disappointment, I felt pretty crap on the board although I seemed to be ok actually riding. I think it was mainly in my head but that combined with the fact there was a freezing wind and the cloud came in meant I knocked it on the head mid morning. To my eternal shame I didn't even do the already customary blast down valentin finishing hitting some jumps at the bottom. I felt so out of goose that I knocked it on the head at the steep bit and took the walk of shame to the green. I did come a bit to my senses when I realised how long it was going to take to get down that way so jumped back on the black for the bottom bit. Anyway went back to bed and woke up feeling better a couple of hours later and shortly after that it began dumping again, although it's gone a bit patchy now there was about 3 inches on the road outside out apartment so happy days snowHead

No photos again as I didn't take the SLR and the batteries in the P&S were flat.

Swirly, i hear you on the green ! its loooong. one time i was there i was having a really bad afternoon so plumped for the green. After seeing how much further my mates had got cutting across i attempted the same. though it would be all gnarly to go through the trees - in reality i was so tired i couldnt turn properly,kept hitting stumps, didnt see a stream and ended up spending most of my time on my back bottom. Even worse shame, people on the chair going up kept asking if i was alright Embarassed

You know it makes sense.

Swirly, no matter what, always finish on the last bit of the black - it looks a lot better when you walk past or in to the open bars at the bottom wink

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Well after about 10 hours sleep today was much better, we headed to the glacier thinking dome looked ungroomed and after last nights snow which wasn't a massive amount in the end it would be fun. Unfortunately the weather reports that said vent a 3200m nul were completely wrong and it was bloody freezing, also it had been groomed. We headed straight down and after being a mess yesterday decided on laps of Valentin. We managed about 10 taking different lines each time and it was fantastic snowHead

Anyway it had been getting colder and cloudier all day and at lunchtime there were a couple of flakes begining to make their way down from the heavens. We decided that was enough for the day and went home for a sleep.

Took the camera today:

The view from the lower slopes

Gorilla ripping it up.

I'll end with the customary (it's true honest!!) it's puking down now. snowHead

A snowHead

and a promising forecast for the weekend
very jealous

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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rayscoops, indeed.
pam w, Shocked

actually I think we haven't been eating enough, felt fine today although I had a 3 hr kip this afternoon.
Arno, didn't you go somewhere recently/ going somewhere soon? Photos please Little Angel

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Swirly, you can always click on my signature but here's a taster:

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Shouldn't there be a 'love interest' by now ? Wink

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

rayscoops, chalet girls don't arrive until next week.

After all it is free

oooo rich 'virgin' pickings for Swirly next week then Laughing

Your making me jealous. I'll be in LDA from end of december for the season. Begining to think i should be there already. Where did you get your internet from? 12 euros sounds like a bargin!

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Lizzard, DebbiDoesSnow - sounds like freshies all round for the boy, hope his technique is up to it Wink

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rayscoops, think he had better get on a high carb diet & catch on sleep now to keep his energy levels up Twisted Evil

snow reports

We're out in LDA from 21/12 for a week boarding & skiing - can't wait after seeing yours & Easiski's pics snowHead

scottishskier, actually it was €10 typo Laughing

at the secret bar. Reasonable beer prices (for the Alps) too. It has been epic, I've never been out here before January before and although conditions may be unusual we're making the most of it. Get in touch when you get here.

rayscoops, Shocked

Today has mainly been snow, we went up a bit late and it was a lot less busy than we expected. It actually cleared up for a bit giving us a few runs down in 12-18 inches of fresh (shallow slopes only though). A slab had been triggered although it was fairly obvious which aspects to avoid and to stay below 30 degrees. We headed up to 3200m after that but it closed in and ended up being a fight back out the cloud with a few of those moments when you don't know if you're moving or not. Ended up lapping Valentin again, tbh if there was one piste I had to keep doing this would probably be it. Safe to say Wednesdays moment is well behind me now.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Lizzard, we have a plan for when they arrive, not putting it on here though! Actually 2 plans depending on snowpack/cover. Got a French number now will text it to you later.

A snowHead

Well the weekend was busy compared to what went before, at least they opened another couple of runs and a lift. Saturday was the end of the last dump and once again it was pointless going high and we stayed low playing in the fresh snow lapping a couple of lifts. Sunday was the first blue sky day for ages and we were determined to make the most of it. After heading up the queues were massive so we hit some of the remaining powder. Having been a bit miffed that the best photo on here so far is Arno's here's some more offerings:

Only low point was spending 55 minutes in the red eggs when they stopped for a while. It was a great day and with the weekend hordes gone today was loads of fun in sunshine all day with no lift queues meaning we could get anywhere although we were restricted to piste cruising we rode first lift to late afternoon and finished knackered. It's due to snow again from tomorrow so I'll try and get a loads of photos before it socks in again. Happy Days.

A snowHead

great stuff lads... that home run angle does look kinda steep! Skullie

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Why the piste cruising - I take it off piste is kinda risky after the heavy falls?

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Swirly, great pics. keep 'em coming Very Happy

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Great pics. Still a lot to be said for a red jacket. snowHead

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fatbob, stability is not so hot right now. We've seen natural activity on a different range of aspects and being new in town we've been playing it safe. I think we'll branch out as soon as things look a little less dodgy but until then we're being cautious.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Green with envy guys snowHead

After all it is free

fatbob, yeah what gorilla said. Basically the avvy level has been 4 since the day after the lifts opened. We've had a furtle in the snowpack and there's was a weak layer about 18 inches down on SW and most other aspects at mid altitude Shocked

All our off piste so far has stayed below 30 degrees and now it's so tracked out I've mentioned the s word. snowshoes

Swirly,

Nice pics...jealous does not even come close to how I feel...

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Better to be alive for the rest of the season

Davidof has reports of some unfortunates this weekend

http://pistehors.com/news/ski/comments/0871-off-piste-skier-avalanche-alpe-dhuez-december-2008/

Help!!

Les Deux Alpes Season Trip Report

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