 Poster: A snowHead
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Ok have a free day to use in any of the above, next week, so looking for advice to see if any are more likely to be good for snow bearing in mind where we are in the season!
I have had one recommendation for Les Contamines so am off to check out info now.
We will be driving from Les Gets and kids have been primed for early start. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We're in Le Grand Bornand this week and the snow is suffering a bit now. Rain today and forecast for tonight and tomorrow. Freezing levels are high so I wouldn't recommend it for next week.
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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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Lou, just back from skiing Cote 2000/Rochebrune in Megeve and the snow was in good shape. From guests reports (haven't been over there myself) the lowest slopes in La Clusaz are starting to suffer slightly but upper slopes are fine. But, next week... who knows? There are partial closures in Megeve from the 11th I think (but definitely not the Cote 2000)...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Les Contamines would generally be my choice once you get into April. An extra fifteen minutes to drive though.
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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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Lou, I think I'd be inclined to go for Les Contamines (though it's the only one of your options I know well, so my opinion might be a bit suspect). You'll need to get right up the top, and stay there, if possible. Download in the gondola. The higher, east facing, slopes keep their snow quite well. The Roselette restaurant is a nice spot for lunch - you see it on your right as you go up the Roselette drag.
The Veleray sector is closed but unless long mogully blacks are your thing (they're not mine) that won't bother you too much.
The slopes down on the Belleville side suffer more from the sun but might be nice if you get there early, if it's been freezing overnight. Lovely views, if it's a sunny day (I wouldn't bother with the trip over to Les Contamines if it isn't. The Col de Joly can be quite windy and bleak if it's a miserable day).
We haven't been over there this year - we were just wondering if we'd left it too late.
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Thanks for honest replies. We will be making a decision nearer the time as free day or not, it may not be worth it. I want to have somewhere in mind if conditions are right.
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Lou, there are some nice long cruisy red and blue runs at the top of Les Contamines, and it's compact enough that you won't spend your whole time poring over the piste map.
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Les Contamines would also be my first choice for best chance of best snow and likely extent of open slopes.
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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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Annie, hello there. Knowing the whole area as you do, your opinion is more accurately based than mine! 
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Had a lovely morning in Les Contamines today. The snow was great till mid-day and quite enjoyable till 1 pm, then it was time for a long lunch. I think I was wrong about the Belleville side in my post above - going up the chairlift today (from the Belleville side) it was clear that the morning sun was shining on the other side, whereas the Belleville pistes (with practically nobody on them - the whole area was very quiet as it's Saturday) stayed frozen longer. It was very pleasant down as far as the middle station of the gondola, early on, then better up on the Aiguille Croche.
Will probably be good till much later in a few days time, when it gets colder. Well worth a visit.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks Pam. We are in PdS now and just thinking about the next few days. Where would you recommend parking?
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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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Lou, Hmm. I don't know Les Contamines village - we never go down there as the journey over from here to the Belleville side is only 20 - 25 minutes and it takes forever to get to LC village itself. The "Gorge" telecabine from the bottom was out of commission today (technical fault) but they will probably get it going quite quickly. The bottom of the Montjoie gondola is the obvious place, but I don't know how quickly the car park fills up. Best to be early anyway, at the moment. At the end of the day I wouldn't bother to try to ski down - take the gondola down from Etape. The red down to the Gorge telecabine is particularly uninviting at the best of times - it's narrow and steep, basically a road, with quite a drop off the side (there's a warning at the top). It's just the thing to give you the willies with kids. And it's probably closed now anyway. Much better do another nice run up the top, then download by gondola.
We both noticed how many English voices there were over there - still a minority, but so many more than this area. I also noticed both that there were a lot of good skiers around, and that they were all on the piste - don't think the off piste is up to much now. If you can, get up to the Aiguille Croche - stupendous views. We watched a poor little 6 year old doing the black mogulled "Croche" run and decided on the red "Aiguille" instead! They're only short runs, but it's worth the chair up, to get to the top and see the views.
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pam w, thanks for helpful bits! Have read info about the red to Gorge out loud to boys in case they try and argue otherwise. Thinking of going on Monday as 2 day forecast is looking bright and cool in the morning (at the mo anyway).
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You know it makes sense.
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Have read info about the red to Gorge out loud to boys in case they try and argue otherwise.
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 you could tell them they'd probably get stuck behind a really nervous beginner.
By far the best of the skiing (and the snow) is at the top - the reds down on the Les Contamines side are all long enjoyable, cruisy runs.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Lou, I think the car park at the Montjoie gondola base is where we usually park - we are always there are crack of dawn as we do things with fairly military (not that he has ever been military) precision in this household as you no doubt gathered at Christmas, and if a job's worth doing and all that sort of thing - so a day out means a day out, and we get there bright and as early as possible and then have coffee and croissants up top. We do not like to feel that someone has got to park before us!!!
All pam w's advice is good re Les Contamines. We have been up on the Chavannes in Les Gets today - how wonderful to have it to ourselves again today after the huge crowds of last week. Daughter arrived very late last night (thanks Easyjet) and so was able to take the strain off us with the magic carpet and the grand-daughter and the latter small person was able to go up the 'big mountain' and come down again, rather faster than intended at some spots, and we are now ready to tackle ski school proper tomorrow for six days. That gives us about 2 hours to stretch our legs again.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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how wonderful to have it to ourselves again today after the huge crowds of last week.
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was that Brits? It was busier her than the previous couple of weeks, up to 30 seconds wait at some lifts and the pistes less empty than normal. But absolutely no "huge crowds" though I'm sure the resort would have loved to see huge crowds. Plenty of small children in ski school - that was the main difference over previous weeks.
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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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pam w, well maybe I exaggerate - there were, as you say, plenty of small children in ski school - I didn't ever have to queue for very long - just that it had been very quiet - son and his girlfriend who were staying didn't think it was very busy at all. Yes, there were lots of Brits, also Dutch and Belgians.
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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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Lou, good, glad you enjoyed it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Bumpety Bump. With Christmas done I feel its time to start counting down the days to my La Giettaz trip at the end of Feb. What's the snow like so far?
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Just for you Shimmy Alcott some on-the-spot iphone snaps of conditions down at the chalet (taken from just underneath your balcony).
They've put a new webcam up at the top by the little green http://www.webcam-ski.com/interfaces/evasion/interface.php?pk_interface=367&m=images&r=panoramique#depart which is more about the views than the pistes to be honest... you can see La Clusaz direction on the left and if you scroll to the right you can see the Praz sur Arly direction.
We've got a large number of catered guests in at the moment so I haven't had time to go out since Christmas Day, but guests are still reporting great skiing on this side (the pistes you can't see from the webcam), where it's north-facing and very quiet, so the snow is staying minty fresh (it has been bitterly cold up there the last few days but is much warmer today).
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miranda, thanks, looks fantastic...so looking forward to our trip.
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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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the snow suffered today - very warm, gutters gushing with water. But conditions now have absolutely no relevance for the end of February, other than the inevitability of lift queues in the busy areas. Took the baby round to the village to do a teeny bit of 10 month old toboganning, and meet her parents for lunch. There were big queues for the main lifts after lunch - and the pistes busy with some of the Nuts and Idiots mentioned the other day. I am more than content to do baby minding, cooking, washing, relaxing a little, this week and just look forward to the quieter weeks to come. I'm spoilt. Crowded pistes, or crowded beaches? You can keep 'em.
The weather outlook thread has some encouraging noises about snow later in January.
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miranda, just spotted this, gorgeous pictures, can't wait to be there!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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miranda, just spotted this, gorgeous pictures, can't wait to be there!
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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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NatalieG, Just got back from Le Grand Bornand yesterday - met Miranda in the summer and armed with the knowledge that the Col d'Aravis rarely closes we had a day in La Giattaz last Wednesday. Glorious blue sky day and a fabulous place to ski - enjoy!!!
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loatie, sounds fabulous. Really looking forward to it! Hopefully I'll manage only to post this once... 
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You know it makes sense.
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NatalieG, I thought you were just so excited about skiing you had to say it twice! We are really looking forward to introducing you to La Giettaz... and you've managed to sneak your trip in before Shimmy Alcott, so we'll even have some supplies left in the bar to toast your visit with 
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