 Poster: A snowHead
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It looks like last winters snows could be due to be repeated...
Moderate snow falling to 1600m today, the first of the season in Bareges - Grand Tourmalet
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi Rob, sorry to see what happened to the Hotel this summer - fingers crossed that the meteo are right with their long range forecast for this winter where I gather they are saying that it is going to be the coldest for decades. Good luck and best wishes to you and the family for the coming season.
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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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Heading to the Vallnord area (Arnisal) in March so hoping that it will be a repeat of last years snow!
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any ideas which resort will be the first to open in the western pyrenees?
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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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The Val'Daran (Baqueira) this morning. Photo taken from Salardu by the looks which I'm guessing is around 1200m
Photo from The BB Ski School.
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Happy start of winter, everybody!
| snowskisnow wrote: |
| Couldn't happen again............could it?? |
Haha my thoughts exactly!!
Grandvalira (Andorra) received up to half a metre of snow yesterday, and all Pyrenean resorts are now white. Happy days 
I was pretty surprised to read a month or so ago that many resorts planned to open on November 30th. After the strange year we've had, with summer starting really, really late and lasting well into October, I really didn't expect an early winter, and was advising friends not to make bookings for the Spanish bank holiday weekend (Fri 6 Dec). How wrong I was!
Baqueira has just announced it's opening next weekend, 23rd November! They're really pushing the benefits of the snowmaking system they installed on Cara Nord a couple of years ago. I'm loving their new policy on resort dates; they used to be very inflexible about changing the published dates but now they seem to be more like Masella, extending the season to its limits. Talking of Masella, which loves to market itself as having the longest season in the Pyrenees, I doubt they'll allow themselves to be left behind here and so I'll be very surprised if they don't open next weekend too (or even a day earlier, just for the publicity!). They've already published their closing date as being 4th May, so an early opening would guarantee them the crown once again.
After two seasons in Baqueira and other nearby Spanish resorts, it's time for a change this year and so I'll be in Andorra - looking right over Grandvalira's El Tarter pistes in fact, at the newly-remodelled Àliga black piste, which is now almost guaranteed to become a FIS downhill world championship piste in one of the coming seasons. The mountain looked sad on Thursday when I was up there, with the new route creating a big scar, but of course that'll be seeded over next summer, and as of yesterday it's all white anyway! I wonder what they're going to do with the old route? Naturally, I hope they'll leave it unpisted and it'll be a nice little return to base. I expect I'll also be spending a lot of time in Arcalís, where I hope the Creussans hill will be a worthy substitute for la Peülla, as well as hopefully discovering Andorra's backcountry options. I'm determined to visit some of the French resorts this year too.
I'm absolutely gutted that Puigmal isn't opening this winter though due to its little problem of a €9 million debt. It's incredible to see how many of the Pyrenean resorts have eyewatering levels of debt - Aramón, the semi-public holding for various Aragonese resorts, owes €80m - and you have to wonder how on earth they can ever repay them. Puigmal is tiny, though with apparently great freeriding down from the peak at 2900m (or you can even go down the backside into Val de Núria), and I wonder if it'll ever open again. I'm kicking myself for not ever having visited it when I had the chance.
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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any sign of a resort opening in the western pyrenees this weekend?
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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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You know it makes sense.
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Spectacular conditions right now, chucking down really hard in vall d'aran and al northern mountains. At the final of the episode we'll have a consistent base above 1 metre... probably more in vall d'aran.
The partial opening of Baqueira this weeken could be really interesting.
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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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Some back country action from Baqueira. Some of the best conditions for that run that I've seen 
One Run Bagergue 20/11/2013 from Millan http://vimeo.com/79936392
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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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Porte Puymorens
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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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Hi Ski Guide, me plus a few others are staying in Montrejeau over new year and are looking at Bag du Louchons for 2-3 days skiing. A novice or two, and some wannabe good skiers. Wld that resort be our best bet? We'll have cars so mobile.
Ta!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Les Angles, november 22nd
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Muy bien
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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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Great pics, all of them!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Beautiful sunshine all across the Pyrenees at the moment. Somewhat high temperatures, though usual for the time of year. The snow is holding up great though, with many resorts fully open or close enough and with pistes (and even off-piste) in excellent condition. The Spanish bank holiday weekend that starts on Friday - which is one of the key dates in the Pyrenean calendar - is going to be the most successful in years.
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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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You know it makes sense.
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Any news from the Vallnord area? Are conditions generally the same across the Pyrenees?
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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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Ski Guide, thanks v much, will bear that in mind, esp the bar advice!
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Poster: A snowHead
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The sunshine continues! It was a beautiful weekend across the Pyrenees - and very crowded in Andorra at least. The place is still almost empty mid-week though.
The pistes at Grandvalira mostly remain in excellent condition, but the off-piste is almost dead now, with everything tracked out and hardened, although there are still areas (typically which receive no sun at all) which are enjoyable enough.
unsubtlewoods, conditions in Vallnord are more or less the same as at Grandvalira, although with slightly thinner snow depths on piste. I plan to go to Arcalís on Saturday so I'll report back then!
Currently, it looks like the western Pyrenees might get some snowfall on Friday night, but it doesn't look all that certain that it'll find its way over to the eastern side. I think it might be at least a week before the next big dump here.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nice new powder yesterday - I think I'm right in saying that the Pyrenees are still No1 in Europe for snow depth at the moment? We have 1.5m at the top of the pistes, 70cm down the bottom with a nice powder top.
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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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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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Snow levels holding up well despite the warmer day temperatures. Freeze thaw over the last few days has allowed the snow cannons to continue overnight and with a bullet hard base the snow depths on piste are not varying much. Snow forecast today and overnight before returning back to milder weather.
Strong winds from the tail of the storm that has hit the UK has closed a number of lifts today, but this will die down overnight.
Current snow depths in the Central Pyrenees:
Luchon-Superbagneres: 100/40
Peyragudes: 140/90
Baqueira Beret: 195/145
With the end of the French holidays the slopes next week and going to be very quiet indeed as this has been a record breaking holiday season for our resorts with a reported 20% increase in visitors - the February and March holidays should be manic.
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agree with Ski Guide's take on the conditions....had a v nice day at Saint Lary on the 31st, super dry and grippy snow (and a resort that seems to attract v low %'s of off piste skiers), followed by Peyragudes on the 2nd, which had some rock hard pistes lower down first thing but by noon was a real pleasure. Former resort had a bit more 'character', helped by lots of trees, but latter much better lift infrastructure. Would v happily return to either. thanks for the earlier advice Ski Guide and all the best for the rest of the season - was pissing down rain as we left Montrejeau and hope that was falling as snow for you in the mountains...
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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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Ski Guide, yep understand that, and maybe why it seemed to have few strong skiers.
Shld have added that the spa at Luchon was a real treat post Peyragudes. A real steal at e13 for grotto steam, and 2 spa/baths/pools.
We missed the bars - but made up for it with NYE action 
Glad u got the white stuff.
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have commented to get this post ni "my posts" so I can find it quickly. Going Andorra in 2.5wks so any Andorra snow reports would be great (Im presuming they are the Pyronnese too) (sorry if they arent)
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FAQ
Now everything is crossed in the hope that it stays that way 
