 Poster: A snowHead
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Tomorrow I leave snowy Oxfordshire for arctic Kent. Am I going to make it to Eurotunnel? 
Have Wiessenfels 9mm Klack and Go chains. All tips hints suggestions comments appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Leave plenty of time and try to avoid the rush hour. You should make it if you give yourself enough time. It is when people are in hurry and not respective of the conditions that accidents happen. Good luck!
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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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slikedges, your biggest problem will be other people who are not as aware / well prepared as you seem to be. I made that mistake once in Tehran - ignoring a heavy snow fall knowing I had a 4WD on chunky tyres. I never got stuck - but all the taxis on bald tyres and buses did. Grid lock. Took me 4 hours to get home - normally a 20 minute drive. Take a shovel and a tow rope if you have one. To dig out the guy who is blocking your path. And go as early as you can with the radio on traffic advisory alerts 
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 3-03-05 9:50; edited 1 time in total
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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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The trains and tunnel will probably be ok, however I think it might be illegal to use chains on the motorway which could make getting there that much harder
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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slikedges, what time are you planning to get the train? You may want to drive late night to avoid the traffic.
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Wear The Fox Hat,
Booked for 1230. Normally 2.5hrs from here.
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slikedges,
Operation stack this morning. Parts of M25 and M20 London-bound shut due to accidents.
Jcts 8-9 had accidents as did 11-12..the Eurotunnel turnoff on the M20. The weather down here is intermittent snow but the main roads are passable if it is not freezing
I have to travel that route later today, I will see if I can get an update.... if I get through..!!!
Although late night sounds better it does depend on the temp'
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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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But since you are prepared for mountain driving you stand the best chance, I would be quite confident you will get there. Haven't heard yet the state of the trains tho'
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Ok, here is an update as from 1800 Thurs.
Operation stack is in progress but it appears to relate to the tunnel but I am not sure why so check with Eurotunnel
Lorries are parked from Jct 11-12 but the traffic is light for this time of the evening with only a few queued up before Junction 11.
The police have got it all organised and I drove straight through.
The M20 and A20 is in very good condition and again the traffic is light.
So if there are no more big snowfalls then travel through East Kent should be easy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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kuwait_ian, you actually drove in Tehran and survived?!!  Saying that - I learned to cross the road in Tehran (we didn't have a car) and it used to scare my mother witless!
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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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Alan Craggs, 
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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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slikedges, best of luck to you
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Poster: A snowHead
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pollittcl, You are right. The Iranians do not believe in pedestrian crossings. I haven't found one yet in my 6 trips to Tehran. They are experts in playing chicken when crossing the roads. A very weird place indeed.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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slikedges,
The tunnel had signaling problems for about 6 hrs this PM but are now fully working, I hear. The backlog of lorries may take some time to clear but it wasn't bad...noticable, but not bad, when I came through at 1900. Cars can expect to drive straight pass them as the lanes are segregated in these instances.
I suspect that the backlog will be cleared through the night and your drive should be straight forward, hopefully.
There is nothing on the M20 weather wise that should delay you as I speak.
Have a good journey and bon ski
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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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JT,
The son is going to Brussel this weekend and has been worrying about the route. Thanks for this update on Thursday night.
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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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:JT, thanks for setting mind at rest - we are driving to Ashford on Saturday morning to catch Eurostar to BSM. Hopefully they can keep the M20 open for that long!
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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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saikee,
Pleasure, hope he has a good journey
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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JimW,
Providing it doesn't dump again the main roads should be fine.
I will try and get an update early morning as I am gonna be here all night, I think.
No one I know has had a problem getting into Dover this week. Maidstone was supposed to be bad and East Kent had lots of snow
but collegues have travelled from Croydon via M25/M20 with no problems so hopefully everybody will get off ok.
Have a good ski
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Friday 0600. Weather is freezing cold but the sea is as flat as a pancake, haven't been on the M20 yet but if see any problems I will report back before 0800 hopefully
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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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Oh! The M20 is predicted to have snow this AM but I'm in Dover as we speak and I can see no evidence of it apart from it being V cold.
Skies are clear so far and the main roads are well salted.
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0730 Friday as I drove the M20.
There is still evidence of Operation stack between jct 11 and 12 but that should not affect cars too much as they are being diverted down the old A20. This will add only about 10 mins driving time as it covers the last 5 miles or so to the tunnel. I'm pretty sure the stack relates to the tunnel and not the port of Dover as the roads are clear all the way into Dover. Only lorries remain in the stack on the M20 and cars seem to be getting through to the tunnel ok. Maybe the stack is just a holding area to filter lorries through to clear the backlog from yesterday's signal ( hearsay ) problems.
I'd check with Eurotunnel on car delays but I think it is a backlog rather than a current problem due to the amount of traffic when I drove past.
The weather is overcast so maybe it will snow as expected but the roads are well gritted
Hope it all goes ok and lots of snow...in the alpes.!!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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JT, thank you once again. We can plan on not leaving Berkshire at 4am then!!!
Slikedges, whre in Les Arcs are you going? - we're in 1950 for two weeks from tommorow and yes, it does look rather chilly at the moment. But as you say a little and often on the fluffy stuff.
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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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JimW,
I have heard that Stack is in Operation between Jct 8 and 9 which is between Maidstone East and Ashford West, a 11 mile or so stretch and jct 11-12.
But I have travelled between 10 and 11 which is Ashford to the Chunnel and it seems that they are stacking lorries only and the word is it is for the ferries. I saw lots of FR8 upto Junction 11 - to be stacked - and then none onwards to Dover so this could be correct.
They may be filtering these for loading as and when..
But as you are only concered with getting as far as junction 10 (Ashford East ) and then taking the A2070 and the signs for Ashford International you should be fine. Check out the travel bulletins but the road condition is fine as I speak
Good luck and bon ski!
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Thanks for your help and good wishes, everyone. I write this on GPRS in a hotel in Dijon. WiFi available here. Should have brought my wireless PC Card but didn't think of it.
So what actually happened? Well, all well until Jct7 of M20. Then got well and truely Operation Stucked.  Lots of queueing traffic to come off at Jct 8 and a slow crawl all the way on the diversion which took 1hr 45min (I suspect a lot quicker to have come off M25 towards Tunbridge Wells and gotten onto M20 from the west  ). Back onto M20 at Jct9 then off again from Jct11 to 12 and immed joined queue for Eurotunnel, and that bit as JT said was only slightly slow, not much of a delay at all.
With flowing traffic all the way it should be a 2hr journey for us, but we've usually had a sticky bit (it's called the M25) and usually make it in 2hr 15min. We'd allowed 3hr 30min today, but were still 45min late, but so was everyone, so Eurotunnel were just slotting you on the next available as you arrived. Incidentally, I booked a high vehicle slot for MPV plus a few skis in a couple of bags on top(I know I use more petrol this way, but I want to  ), but got directed back to normal vehicle lane. Was a little concerned as the limit on the website is 1.85m. However our estimated 1.96m got in with about 6cm to spare.
The journey to Dijon was 5hr 15min driving plus 45min stop to feed us and the car, scything through a driving blizzard almost all the way. The A26/A4/A26/A5/A31 were snow free though. Why? Because teams of really rather efficient looking gritter-cum-plough vehicles were grimly ploughing up and down both sides. Lost count of the number but must have seen 15 teams going up or down, maybe even more. They spray the grit out their offside from the inside lane. It prevents the nearside of your car from frosting up and has a secondary benefit on the road surface too. Seriously, it beats the single one they have for the entire UK motorway network - you know, the one with the guy in it, who has a small trowel which he occasionally uses to throw some grit on the road, but only when he can be bothered. Interestingly, the road seemed to get noticeably whiter when the temp got down to -3. I don't know what temp grit takes the freeaing point down to but I wonder if that has anything to do with it. 
JimW,
Going to 1800 as drags are a drag with small kids and 1800's got none (drags not kids).
Must go to bed now. Need do lots of skiing tomorrow.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Thu 8-09-05 12:07; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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slikedges, glad you made it. Have a great week (and post some pics when you return )
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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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WiFi available here. Should have brought my wireless PC Card |
But did you notice cost of it? In a Novotel in France its about twice what I pay in the UK
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Poster: A snowHead
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Well I know that putting salt down is supposed to take the freezing temp down to -15 but I'm not sure about grit having any effect, it could be that below -3 wheel traction has less effect i.e the wheels are partially melting the snow but as you approach -3 they no longer melt the snow
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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boredsurfin, but in Holland U can get it for 15 euro a week (or was it day?, even that would be cheap) I believe - bet U don't get that in the UK 
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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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Alan Craggs, I pay £2.00 an hour or 4 hours for £6.00 or £10.00 per day!
€5 per day ( £10.50) is about right or very good for a week!
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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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My bro went down there this morning from Liverpool (he's meeting us to pick us up at Geneva next Friday night), to catch the 7:30 Ferry to Boulogne. Took him 4 hrs door to door. Lucky bug should be just about in Chamonix now!
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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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FAQ
, and seems to have acquiesced to my request of a few cm each evening just to keep things fresh and interesting 