 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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Scouselibby, Hi! There will be a large number of peeps, some are snowheads here, many of whom are skiing with me at various points of the day. We would all be delighted to include you and your family in the 'club'  Contact me via my website or a PM.
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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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Scouselibby, I'll be there along with my 14 year old daughter. As easiski, mentioned there will be quite a lot of snowheads and others there that week including quite a few youngsters (mostly skiing better than the parents). Easter is usually quite a sociable get together there, this will be my 4th year in a row. Look forward to meeting up.
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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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Scouselibby, We'll be there from the 31st 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'll be there all that week as well! It would be nice to meet some other snowheads while I'm there. Are you fully booked for private lessons that week, easiski?
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stevehaskew, yes - but have the odd space in max 4 groups. Adults decent intermediates, reds OK; kids same level (younger teenagers).
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Ok, thanks for the info. Am looking to get lessons focussed on going off-piste.. maybe next time!
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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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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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easiski, Oooh a repeat of last year's excursion sounds good! A reminder of last year.
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Colin B, Local info tells me the snow is really good at LG. there is certainly more than last year.
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You know it makes sense.
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easiski, I think the Derby had tracked everything out last year, in fact I've just noticed it is on the 2nd April this year.
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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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Colin B, Yes - on the Friday, we will have to choose our day carefully. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Colin B, depends where you go, the Derby only really uses the Vallons de la Meije so Chancel, which IMO is an easier ski, won't see the traffic. Also when over that side it's worth remembering that Banane is only about as steep as the top of Valentin albeit for longer and it's narrower; the hidden couloir is even less steep although it can have a narrow entry (or you could jump in ~ 3ft drop  ) Patou is similar with a nicer entry but a long traverse above cliffs to get to it although it's pretty easy and it would be hard to fall off. They'll all be mogulled too so in spring snow, which I'd expect in April, a fall in any of these couloirs would most likely be of little consequence. However, the queues for the lift system would make going over on race day infeasible if you really want to ski. I thought I had some photos of the days after the race last season but we spent that time in Montgenevre as they had more snow and then it was Easter and we began to play catch up at AdH instead so didn't go back to La Grave until after the next big dump.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Swirly,  I'll be following easiski, and the party will be largely made up of kids (who admittedly are the better skiers). I'm not sure which route we took last year, It must have been either Vallons de la Meije or Chancel. I don't expect (hope) couloirs will come into the equation. Still nice to experience La Grave though.
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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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It must have been either Vallons de la Meije or Chancel.
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Roughly speaking Chancel is skiers left of the cable car with a long traverse back to P1 or town and Vallons skiers right with what seems a long traverse until you do Chancel. I'm honestly not trying to sandbag here with talk of couloirs (unlike when I suggest Voute or Muratouse/Mines). The hidden one is no steeper than Diable and although the entry can be rocky for a metre or so it's easily wide enough to sideslip or sidestep. The chute itself is then probably about 1/4 the width of Diable (so wider than you might think from the term couloir) but less than 1/4 the length (the lake couloirs are really short). It's just instead of piste poles you have walls. If you can ski to town at L2A at the end of the day you can ski it, in fact the steep pitch at the top of Vallons de la Meije is steeper albeit wider with the rock wall only on one side. Until I'd ridden a few the term "couloir" was a bit of an issue for me and I was fairly het up over getting my first one done, probably a bit too much as I made a royal mess of Banane which annoyed me enough to get straight back up the lift to do it properly.
I'm certain Easiski will find you a fun time whatever you do anyway.
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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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Swirly, I don't know that side nearly well enough to take kids there or their parents. 
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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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easiski, obviously you can't take a group there without knowing the run fairly well but it's worth a look at some point: follow the bumps under the lift straight down until you can trend left. Stay left without any big traverses until just below the Chancel hut (on the right at this point is a good rock to eat lunch on: it's where the classic photos of Banane are taken where it looks super steep). After this head back right to the trees, there are wooden arrows pointing right on the trees to hut the traverse, I never got low enough but there are a few levels of traverse and Hamish said the lowest has a rope below it to stop you going too far into the woods. After a long traverse (heavily tracked and bumpy unless you got first lift on a powderday and kept ahead of the locals) you end up under the lift. The traverse is the only essential part to the route finding as if you miss it you're in the Freaux at best but you'd have to be skiing blindfolded to miss it especially if you go right as soon as you're below the hut.
Even if you don't trend left early you aren't committed to the couloirs, they're easily avoided with a traverse left until you're in the mouth of bannane*. Once again if it's more than a day after fresh snow the line is obvious. The lines into them are once again obvious from the tracks: they're the only place you can go if you head right above the lake. For some reason the guides don't (or didn't) seem to take groups down the hidden very often. But it seemed to us that they would take the La Grave introductory group down Patou first and then Banane on the next run down. Patou's easier but I don't think you'd like the traverse, it's very wide and if you stay high you're a long way from the edge. As it gets less traffic the hidden is less bumped and you don't need to go anywhere near a cliff to get into it, only problem is you can't scope the line first without climbing up round the far side of the lake. I guess it would be really hard to schedule but any chance you could get Jutta to go over with you, it'd only take one run but I guess it would be hard to plan the time?
* Or you can take the big rightwards traverse high up to get to the Breche Pacave and drop back into Vallons, basically you keep as far right as you can after the first pitch and it's obvious but this might be making directions more complex.
Edit to add: I'm certain the group will always have fun in Vallons, just trying to think of variations that would make it more interesting for you.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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easiski, I'm probably not quite up to scratch, but I would absolutely *love* to go over to La Grave! I'll have to meet up with you guys early in the week so that you can tell me if I'll be able to do it!
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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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Any of you guys want to meet at some point? I'm now around, enjoyed the powder today! Would be good to see some snowheads! Probably best if we PM mobile numbers.
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stevehaskew, give me a bell, and I'll tell you where/when we're all meeting.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Scouselibby, Was lovely to meet you and your family, hope you had a safe journey home
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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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Sorry guys, I totally failed at trying to meet up with you all. I had a superb week, though! Beautiful weather on Thursday/Friday to give a great end to the week.
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You know it makes sense.
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stevehaskew, sorry we missed you. I think it was the day I forgot my camera that you were at the Patachon! Glad you had a good week though.
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FAQ
~ hhmmm~ 
I'll try my best anyways....!
