 Poster: A snowHead
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| Max13biker wrote: |
With a little tweak in "Photoshop."
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assuming firebug doesn't mind, can I get a hi-res version of that tweaked copy for my desktop background please??
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| bobinch wrote: |
| I was trying to work out where the much talked about low viz off piste is in Les Houches but couldn't see much obvious stuff. The trees look pretty tight? Anyone care to share? |
I'ld also be interested in the low down on OP in Les Houche. The guide vids on You Tube that Firebug (I think) posted a link to make it look great but like bobinch I'm not sure where to start looking 
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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 haven't seen a pic of the Toule avanche but I heard it came almost to the Mont Blanc tunnel entrance (on the Italian side) 
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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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Sorry bug, with a bigger tweak in PS couldn't resist- such a fantastic photo.
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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 done the Envers du Plan this week? And did you get any snow on Thursday? Fancy a run or 2 tomorrow on the new planks and hoping it's not a mogul field....
Here's one of Les Houches from last Sunday...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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bobinch, no significant new snow anywhere in cham that i noticed . . . sorry don't know about the condition of Envers du Plan
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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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Eskil, love your posts and website. Interesting and informative. Please keep them coming. Did the Col de Belvedere a few weeks back and it was a belter! If you do a Brenva glacier trip this season and have a free spot please let me know.
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| Quote: |
The snow on south faces such as Glacier de Toule is not yet transformed to "spring snow", which means that in the afternoons the snow is simply heavy, rotten powder that easily slides, no place to be after lunch...
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Don't know about after lunch but it was certainly no place to be at 9 in the morning on monday when it felt like skiing boulders as it was cut up frozen slush from the day before 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Col des Montets shut for avalanches and apparently most of the snow formerly known as the "Flegere pistes" is now avalanche rubble in the valley
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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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C des M had lots of mini slips onto the road on thursady so I'm not too suprised given the temps/rain since then. Shame about Flegere as we've just lent our bedroom to a couple of total newbies and as it's at the base of Flegere that would have been easiest for them to build up some snow time. All sounds a bit iffy for the coming weekend when I bring out the other half 
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BUMP - how bad is it at the moment? More importantly how good does it look for this weekend when I arrive with Mrs Midget?
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Dear oh dear, what dreadful reports.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yep, but isn't the snow supposed to arrive again by friday? Please..............Oh pretty please.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Errr, snow has actually been really good up high the last couple of days...
I have mostly been climbing, but the top of the Grands Montets on Monday was in great nick with 30cms of fresh, and today there was still plenty of nice softness around up high in the VB, with good spring snow lower down..
I would probably forget about brevent/Flegere now mind you... (Oh and Pierre a Ric Monday afternoon, was a slush-bump-fest...).
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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, What snow? The stuff that slipped off isn't going to make its way back up again...
Look at the CMB webcams. Looked fine to me. If all the Flegere pistes slid down into Le Praz, I think we'd hear about it.
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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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offpisteskiing, good to know the conditions are still tiptop up there. How is the exit? Assume it's by the train now and pretty bare on the met de glace?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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offpisteskiing, What were you climbing? Conditions look good despite some of the reports i've heard elsewhere in recent times.
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bobinch, exit fine, nice spring snow all the way down yesterday.. hardly any rocks showing through on the main 'motorway' .. I know the James Bond track was still being skied middle of last week with a couple of short walks, but that was before the thaw/rain - not too sure I'd be going anywhere near it personally just now (looked very bare low down too).
frank4short, went up for a look at all things E.face Tacul etc - went round to the Valeria goulotte on the Pt Capucin, as the top half was looking alright, but the bottom few pitches were black 'nasty' ice... still had a good wander up under some of the faces & got some good turns in, but felt a bit of a wasted day as there was definitely some 'steepage' to be skied...Mind you we weren't the only ones drawing a blank yesterday. Goulotte-wise its all really really bare at the moment, 2 teams heading up pellissier goulotte on lachenal, couple of teams heading for a very grey Chere, Supercouloir looks good though, but a bit beyond me for a first proper route of the year..
re more conditions apparently the couturier was getting loads of traffic last week, but would have been a proper swimming battle with the new snow.. whymper top 2/3 was looking very white from a distance, shroud on the Grand Jo also looking very white..
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offpisteskiing, I'm intrigued. Do you have a good picture of some of the faces mentioned in your posts above? I'd be interested to know where they are. Hoping for a crack at Mt Blanc by the 3 peaks route this year. I think Mt Tacul is the first of the peaks as you ascend from the Cosmiques. I guess the East face is the one you see when descending the valley Blanche by the classic route?
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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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| Quote: |
.. I know the James Bond track was still being skied middle of last week with a couple of short walks, but that was before the thaw/rain - not too sure I'd be going anywhere near it personally just now (looked very bare low down too).
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By the 'James Bond' track do you mean the one down from the drinks hut after hike up from the Mer de Glace (that crosses the Montenvers rails and joins Planards)? If so I skied it twice last Sunday without taking off skis other than to cross the rails, it was pointless & unpleasent then, and I'm sure a lot worse now, monday saw me refuse to do it (to the annoyance of my 'purist' companion) and ride the Montenvers down twice instead.
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bobinch, top pic above shows a small part of the East face of the Tacul, Gervasutti couloir right above Greg skinning up, Jaeger just right of that. The East face is on the right as you ski down the top gentle section of the classic VB. MB du Tacul is the first of the 3 Monts - from the bottom of the Midi ridge traverse right under the South Face of the Midi then cut across the col du midi to the bottom of the North face & skin up there.. Will see what other pics I've got..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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offpisteskiing, Jaeger & gervasutti look a bit grey in places for skiing though looks like they're not far off of it. By the looks of it i'd guess the gabarou albioni & modica noury were probably in for climbing, no?
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frank4short, modica was climbed a few days back but super-thin ice + several hundred metres of wading to get there...
Gerva is v.bare at the moment, Jaeger much less so (relatively)- I reckon its just been a bit more sheltered from recent winds while the gerva has been stripped..
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You know it makes sense.
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offpisteskiing, thabnks for the pics and explanations. Assume skiing these = early start day tours from the mdi? How steep is the Gervasutti and Jaeger? Assume they need more snow, consolidated without wind to be in condition?
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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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bobinch, Gervasutti is about 50ish you can either tour up the nth face of Du Tacul & drop in above or climb the couloir. Second option is the technically preferable one as you get to find out what the snow is doing however the couloir is overshadowed by some HOUWGE seracs if one of these goes you're instantly dead effectively. So the climb Tacul & drop in from above option has become more & more common in recent years. I believe the jaeger is a bit steeper but is becoming a bit more of a trade extreme route due the fact it's relatively sheltered so it holds snow better & doesn't have the seracs of death overhanging it. Both would be done from a first lift up the midi. Key is in being super fit so you can climb fast to have the right window in terms of time of descent.
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Poster: A snowHead
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frank4short, thanks for the info. 50 degrees after fast ascent and danger from seracs is probably above my risk tolerance alas....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hearse chair opened for the end of the day. 3.30 in the afternoon and fresh tracks at GM 
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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, how much did you get today?
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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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We got about 20cm windblown snow on 3000m last night, but you still hit the base on Grands Montets, the top never opened due to strong winds today (27th March). Some clearings just before lunch allowed for a quick run off Aiguille du Midi.
After the big snowfall promised for tonight (40-50cm) + strong winds conditions will be quite scary many places. Most steep skiing will probably be in good conditions when it clears up again though, the skiing was already great before this snow came the last few days.
Skiing off Aig. du Tacul 24th of March.
With last week's temperatures, north-east faces stays powdery above around 2500m, and south face below 3000m transformed to corn snow quite quickly, in general.
Don't know what happens with the golottes and ice routes whit all this snow? For me life is still powder skiing =)
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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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bobinch, maybe 30cm on friday and some fri night, the boards said 40cm of fresh up Flegere this morning (sunday). Are you doing any skiing in Cham at easter or the 2 weeks after, looking for someone to help me lose my 'guideless cherry' up the AdM  ?
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midgetbiker, up there tomorrow with horizon and possibly a couple of others. Planning a Hellbroner, Vallee noir, Vallee blanche epic...
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bobinch, aaaargh, I left this morning at 9am (actually 9.15am because at 7.30am I realised it was really 8.30am and I had to be in GVA pronto) 
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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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heading back by car on friday though
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Brevent very heavy this afternoon (+15C or so) - sizeable slip onto piste at one point had the pisteurs a little perturbed.
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