 Poster: A snowHead
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Just back from Courchevel this evening (sob sob).....
.... glorious sunshine every day for the last week. Snow mostly very good, although isolated parts wearing very thin (anybody ever skied on juniper bushes?) The snow cannons were working overnight but the humid snow they produced was often icy or hard packed. The place is really in need of a good dump of snow, although realistically, there'll still be plenty of decent skiing there for a few weeks regardless.
Right, lets sort out some cheap flights for the next trip.....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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that's good to hear...maybe seasonaires have a different view of things and are less willing to put up with bad conditions, but this evening i spoke to a friend working in courchevel and she was all doom and gloom - talking of zero base and lots of grass.
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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 La Tania and fully agree with Hywel. In the first half of the week it was not difficult to seek out interesting and worthwhile off-piste. Recent high temperatures have caused a bit of a melt-down but snow cover is extensive throughout the Trois Vallees. Piste cover is thin in places and stones/rocks have to be avoided on some runs but I've just had a great week skiing. The worry will be if in ten days time there has been no snow.
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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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The worry will be if in ten days time there has been no snow.
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Oh don't say that!!!!!!!!! I'm going to 1650 end Jan. Has anyone seen a long term weather forecast? I was there over the New Year and the snow was mostly excellent because the beginning of the week was cold so now freeze/thaw = ice. A nice change from last year when every trip seemed to be affected by high temps.
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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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I'm also going at the end of Jan but not overly worried. Let's face it, it would be absolutely extraordinary if there wasn't at least one decent dump over the next 3 weeks! Long range forecasts (more than about 5 days) tend to be little more than guess work, for the best short-medium forecasts go to: www.snow-forecast.co.uk. See you in Les Trois Vallees!!!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Tony Lane,
Some pistes (2 or 3 I can think of) especially over 1650 had a few dodgy patches, where grass and small stones were peeking through the snow/sludge, but in Courchevel just head up to Signal, Saulire or Creuz and there's still plenty of snow - how about the Grande Couloir anyone?!!? The place does definitely need a couple of feet of snow any day soon though.
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Just got back Sunday from 1550 after a six day trip. Yesterday's local forcast wasn't predicting snow until the end of Jan which if true will cause serious problems.
Had a great week but I'd describe conditions as worse than reported by Hywell & StanBowles with many of the reds getting pretty tired in places. I ended up having my skis repaired twice due to stone damaged.
I felt it was far too thin & therefore unsafe for any off piste skiing which was a pain as I wanted to test a couple of different skis. Just didn't want to completely wreck a couple of pairs of demo skis & end up with a big bill.
From memory:
1850
Off Saulire (Sat 8th & Tues 4th), Grand Couloir was shut (& was all week I'm told). Both Creux & Combe Saulire reds were ok but Marmottes & Park City were pretty thin & stoney. The Suisse & M blacks were still very good due to less traffic, as were both Jean Blanc & Jockeys (off Loze into Le Praz). Had a few runs through the slalom gates down the red Stade Descente which was brilliant fun on great snow as this run is usually fenced off.
Mottaret
Best snow of the week (Fri 7th) up high on Mont Du Vallon above Mottaret with the two long reds, Camagnol & Combe Vallon being good all the way down. The long blues back into Meribel were a bit brown & stoney.
Val Thorens
VT scheduled for Thurs 6th but poor visibility aborted the trip. Went round shops in 1850 for a few hours until the weather cleared. Mega prices as the Russians were in town for their Christmas Day on the Fri.
1650
Not too bad all round but only spent an afternoon there (Thurs 6th) as we did it to death last year. J.Pachod back into 1850 was a bit brown in places. Did a few runs full schusse runs down the green Granges which was excellent as usual as no one ever skis it.
Meribel & Les Menuires:
The reds off Saulire & Mont De La Chambre down into Meribel were pretty good (Wed 5th). Too much queing for lifts in Meribel though which I'd put down to poor management with plently of instances of say only 2/3 people at a time getting on a 6 man lift. The snow was also great above Les Menuires, probably due to the altitude. The black, Leo Lacroix, was my favourite run of the week.
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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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Glad i didnt pre order my lift pass then! Better pack the travel Scrabble and some good books
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In response to spyderjon, I too love the Leo Lacroix black! We discovered it on the last day of our last trip to the 3vs two years ago. I seem to recall that it is a run with everything that you'd want from a black run: bumps in some sections, steep but smooth in others, fast in places and totally knackering all over! Going back in a few weeks and will make it a top priority for this year, assuming it snows again before next Christmas. Otherwise I'll do it on a mountain bike!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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They're doing a good job at keeping things going but it really is getting a bit dire.
First thing, on newly pisted runs, it's not too bad but I don't think I've skied a run that didn't have a load of pebbles rollling around on it somewhere.
M is shut due to protruding rocks.
Suisse is oK but not from the very top, again, because of rocks.
No couloirs skiable, even by the fool-hardy.
Even Combe de La Saulire has its fair share of shale to dodge.
Strangely, lower down, things are a little better. La Tania and Le Praz are both accessable via multiple routes. Jean Blanc is closed but Jockeys is open and perfectly skiable, though hardly relaxing! Even on the best of runs, things are ranging from hard packed to icy now.
"Best conditions on the lower slopes" (and don't believe anyone who says otherwise  )
Despite valiant efforts by the pisteurs, only the gods can save January from being a notorious disaster as far as the 3v's are concerned.
on the upside, it is really quiet around here
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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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Again - to look on the bright side - was reading an article somewhere that suggested the best of the snow was in the French Alps, that it was even worse in Austria and Switzerland!
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Thu 13-01-05 7:37; edited 1 time in total
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PG, It's snowing in Austria right now! The seven day forecast also predicts snow again on wednesday, so maybe things are not so bad here.
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You know it makes sense.
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Let's hope they get something substantial, a few centimetres aren't going to make a whole lot of difference.
Just off to Val d'Isère for the day, conditions there are about as good as it gets in France at the moment. Will report back later.
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