 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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Hi Scarlet, and welcome!
Its genuinely sensible enough to be wary of skiing on glaciers, but there's no need to worry about skiing on clearly-marked pistes on glaciers within public ski areas.
The run from the peak of La Grande Motte all the way down to Val Claret is an epic run and well worth a go. You can get to the top using just 2 lifts from Val Claret: the Grande Motte underground funicular, then the Grande Motte cable car. The uppermost piste is called 'Glacier' and it seamlessly links with the 'Face' piste, which in turn flows into the 'Double M' piste for a non-stop run back to the resort; big wide reds all the way.
Enjoy!
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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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The snow on the glacier is normally lovely, it can become a quite windswept, and so long as you stick to open runs theres no more danger there than anywhere else in the ski area. Make sure you pick a sunny calm day to go up
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1 of 2 things will happen when you come out of teh funicular at Grane Motte :
a) if it is a sunny day you will be absolutely gobsmacked by teh immense beauty of the world and reaffirm every positive thought about why you choose skiing as a holiday
b) if it is a snowy day, you will stagger against theglacial wind and blizzard as soon as you climb out of the train, force your way to the exit doors, try and find a bit of shelter to put your gloves on and do your jacket up, then fight your way out into the eye of teh blizzard and then work out how to stand up in a gale, get your skis on, work out where your friends are, work out its useless to open a piste map, try and find the piste signs, and then just follow the indistinct shapes in front of you that seem to be going downwards off into the snowy mist
Have a great time - you will not need tp wprry about crevasses on a pisted run up there. It really is another world. Honestly i prefer the glaxier above Val D'I than Tignes albeit it was the coldest my feet have EVER been in ski boots , so make sure you put on 2 pairs of socks the day you go .
Wonderful place whatever the weather - in both cases you really know you are alive 
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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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Thanks, that puts me at ease somewhat! Hopefully we'll get good weather and I'll have the opportunity to go up.
Is the deal much the same over at the Pte du Montet? Is this worth a look too, or will it not be worth the trek? (We're staying in Les Brevieres)
Ta for your help 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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sev112, Ahh yes, blizzardy soup! We had some of that in Chatel last year (albeit at a much lower alt) - got off the chair and then wandered around for about 10 minutes until we found the piste! As I remember, we spent the rest of the day in the monkey park, trying not to break various limbs. But at least we could see 
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No need to worry about crevasses on the marked runs as has already been said.
Just for the record though, skiing in December a few years ago on the piste from the Grand Motte when the snow cover was not brilliant, we did find two or three "cracks" and a couple of little holes in the piste. They were far too narrow to be any threat but when we took a close look at them, in the unlikely event that you had dropped a ski pole down a couple of them, you would be unlikely to see it again.
One half decent snow fall and they would be filled in but even on piste it's quite surprising what you might be skiing over without realising it.
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richjp,
wow - have not seen that
But i was looking at the Kitzsteinhorn glacier at Kaprun on google earth yesterday and it looks REALLLLy like a geography textbook  Gulp
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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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| sev112 wrote: |
1 of 2 things will happen when you come out of teh funicular at Grane Motte :
a) if it is a sunny day you will be absolutely gobsmacked by teh immense beauty of the world and reaffirm every positive thought about why you choose skiing as a holiday
b) if it is a snowy day, you will stagger against theglacial wind and blizzard as soon as you climb out of the train, force your way to the exit doors, try and find a bit of shelter to put your gloves on and do your jacket up, then fight your way out into the eye of teh blizzard and then work out how to stand up in a gale, get your skis on, work out where your friends are, work out its useless to open a piste map, try and find the piste signs, and then just follow the indistinct shapes in front of you that seem to be going downwards off into the snowy mist
Have a great time - you will not need tp wprry about crevasses on a pisted run up there. It really is another world. Honestly i prefer the glaxier above Val D'I than Tignes albeit it was the coldest my feet have EVER been in ski boots , so make sure you put on 2 pairs of socks the day you go .
Wonderful place whatever the weather - in both cases you really know you are alive |
There is a 3rd, I nearly passed out the 1st time I went on the funicular from Val Claret. It was the 1st afternoon in the resort and I went straight on the funicular after only being in the resort for an hour. The severe change in altitude was more than I could handle. Day after I was fine. 
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Save the trip up there for a clear day. The views are amazing.
There is a restaurant at the top of the funicular with a massive terrace and then the big cable car to near the peak.
Its a must visit.
The piste is very wide and marked as such as a red. Its only steep in the odd place near the very top.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Scarlet wrote: |
| Thanks, that puts me at ease somewhat! |
Don't just be put at ease somewhat. Be put at ease totally by what has has been said. 
The Grand Motte run is great. The Le Fornet side of Val d'Isere is also a great place to play. Go enjoy and worry not.
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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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Agreed! You'd never know you were on a glacier, unless you knew.  Fabulous, fabulous, vistas. But don't bother if it's cold.
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| Quote: |
coldest my feet have EVER been in ski boots , so make sure you put on 2 pairs of socks the day you go
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Don't do this, if your boots fit properly it will just cut off the circulation to your feet and make them much colder. I'm not even sure I could get mine on with two pairs of ski socks. Just keep moving and you will stay warm
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You know it makes sense.
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Agreed rambotion, that was bad advice. I certainly couldn't put my boots on with two pairs of ski socks. If I could, it would be because the boots had been badly fitted in the first place. When your feet have started start getting cold, sev112, have you tried slackening your boots off a bit in case you are inhibiting the circulation?
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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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Ok, ok, I'm at ease! Getting excited now
ccl, rambotion, don't worry, there's no way I could get 2 pairs of socks in my boots without chopping my feet off! Might take an extra (upper) layer though.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
I'm not even sure I could get mine on with two pairs of ski socks. Just keep moving and you will stay warm
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I definitely couldn't get two pairs on, but I don't agree you will stay warm if you keep moving. If it's very cold, and you're made that way, your feet will get cold (indeed, even if it's not very cold, my feet appreciate my heatronics). It's particularly difficult if you use a lot of drag lifts - I suppose your feet are then very near the snow. If you're inclined to cold feet, and it's chilly, there's really little point going up the Grand Motte when there's so much else you can do.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Scarlet,
In a week you should be able to cover the whole Espace. Do try both glaciers if you get chance (even the Val D glacier is not too huge a trek from Brev). Also do the 'Eye of the Needle' and take your camera!
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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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I love that run off the top of the Grand Motte, but haven't managed to do it the last couple of times I've been to Tignes. Year before last, I was ill for the whole holiday and only managed to get half a day's skiing and last year the cable car up to the top was closed everytime I made it up there because of strong winds. If you do manage to get up there on a clear day it is amazing and worth the queuing for the cable car. When you get to the top, hang back for a while, take in the views and then, just before the next cable car arrives - head down the glacier - you will have it practically to yourself!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I once watched a liftie standing on top of the cable car sweeping snow off the roof. Nothing special about that, you say? Well, it wasn't while the cabin was stationary at the bottom but from the top all the way down . It brought my vertigo on just to watch him. 
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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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It is sometimes warmer on the glacier than in the valley = two weeks ago it was minus 12 in Tignes and only minus 3 at the top of the Grande Motte cable car.
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When I was there in April last year, the glacier had the superior conditions.
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FAQ
have pointed out, it gets cold on the glacier and you have to keep moving 