Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
laugh or cry or both,then drink
After all it is free
After all it is free
Lans en Vercors a few days ago. At least they have some snow thanks to the canons. FYI: The rotund girl in the pink helmet is Stella Tassan I think, daughter of extreme skier Liionel.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Friends were over at Super Devoluy yesterday, and report that the conditions were better than expected, with bits of hard pack here and there.
Two smaller resorts, Jarjatte and Ceuze have shut, but we will be checking out others, such as Orcieres and Chamrousse, it depends on where the conditions look the best.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Conditions in Orcieres are ok at the moment. I've not skied much in Jan as my son has been ill most of the month. We did go up to the Col de Marcieu which had the two junior pistes open but entirely on artificial snow. They had made a massive effort running the snow canons since it got cold mid week due to them hosting a slalom competition. It was pretty good to be honest. I also skied a bit at les 7 Laux. Again conditions are not bad. 10cm of fresh snow since Friday and the guns have assured the snow conditions on the runs back to resort.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
davidof, sorry to hear your little one has been unwell. Hope he's on the mend now.
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.
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
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
That's a lot more encouraging Lol. Cannot wait to go now, Just found out they do student prices for lift passes too! awesome.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
At Super Devoluy today the conditions were much better than I expected. Occasional polished bits again, we just need some new snow to top this lot up. The forecast snow keeps getting put back!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
has anybody been to Areches-Beaufort recently? Must be freeeeeeeeeeeeeeezing cold, but maybe the snow is good?
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I skied the Olympic Black in Chamrousse today (as a way to get back to the car and have a bit of rest). The snow above 1900m is not too bad but it is very hard and icy so you really need to take care out there unless you have your edges sharpened to razors. I will post a photo later. Below 1900 and there is a lot of man made snow around. I couldn't see the pistes over towards the Bachat Boulod end clearly but they did look better.
Yesterday I was in the 7 laux. Again on piste is ok, probably better than Chamrousse as it is less sun exposed but a lot of ice around.
Lots of injuries on slope, in car parks in resort from falls on ice. Be really really careful esp if you are not in your first flush of youth.
Snow making in the 7 laux
Someone who fell on ice being taken to grenoble hospital by helicopter
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
pam w, was there today - not on the pistes much though - Grand Mont side looked OK on the pistes (though the main red back down is shut), but Combe des Perches open & good all the way to Planay + Blvd Liaison open & complete... Mixture of snow off-piste, some transformed stuff in the sun, plenty of crust & rough compact snow, & some patches of softer snow with more crust inbetween on North facing slopes.
No idea re pistes above Planay, but pretty sure everything (or nearly) was open on the piste board at the bottom.
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?
A quick photo round up. First les 7 Laux, Pipay sector taken on Thursday afternoon
Picture at 1500m. Globally the pistes are in good nick with snowmaking to cover some of the bare patches.
Looking down the Olympic Men's black at Chamrousse
Due to the south facing pistes the snow is not quite so good as at the 7 laux but still skiable.
Then today at the Col de Marcieu (St Bernard du Touvet)
The 3 / 4 beginners pistes are open, as far as i can tell snow cover is artificial but it is still much better than a snowdome. The pistes are in good nick and the uncrowded skiing is great for kids and beginners.
I love this thread, keep posting and the vid was great...
Cheers
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Not feeling too well today so just a short tour above Olympic Chamrousse. The pistes are holding up well in most cases. No problems to ski down to Bachat Bouloud and the Totem Pole. The snow is a bit hard in the morning and on shaded slopes. You wouldn't want to fall hard on it. Take extreme care here and elsewhere on paths, tracks etc where meltwater or the surface of the snow has melted and refrozen into ice.
The facetted snow has been created over the last month by the steep temperature gradient in the snowpack (0 degrees at ground level, -10 / -20C during the night with just 30-50cm of snow depth at 2250 meters). This is a bit of a miracle because it can eat through a layer of hard snow leaving something akin to powder. This can be a weak layer if there is fresh snow. However three major factors are in play
i. we need some newsnow
ii. if it rains this will consolidate this layer, this is not impossible, we've already had rain to 2400/2500 meters
iii it is the 6th of February... within a month we will be into spring below 2500m and this layer, while not dissapearing, will become less dangerous.
After all it is free
After all it is free
davidof, Great report with interesting avalanche info.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Friends were over last week, and Super Devoluy, Orciere and the smaller resort of Ancelle all had the same conditions, better than expected, but hard pack in places, softening in the afternoon. Others said Ancell was better than Chamrousse. Orciere on Saturday was softening up, and the lowest slopes at 3.30 were getting cut up, slushy but not soaking wet.
By the way, Ancelle has a new chair replacing the drag from Les Taillas, bringing up the numer of chairs to 2!
Overcast here today, 8 deg C and waiting for snow!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Overcast in the Isere too. I didn't ski with junior this weekend, we decided to wait for the fresh snow even if the local resorts have done a great job keeping the skiing going through the drought. I'm also hoping for some rain on the garden which is very dry at the moment.
Snow down to 1250 here according to the local tourist office, and I can confirm this by looking out of the window! Hopefully there will be more...
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.
More like 1400 meters at les 7 laux, about 10cm on the pistes but the snow is very very light.
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
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
Quote:
Snowfall has been, and will probably be, insufficient
- Chamrousse tourist board.
Insufficient for what you may ask? Well to change the situation much.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Mont Serein on the Ventoux has the pistes prepared and is opening tomorrow, first time this year I believe... if you are in Marseille or Avignon. You won't get that kind of info from the T Club.
Ceuse near to Gap has decided not to open before Christmas 2011. All staff laid off.
davidof, aaargh, why am I going to Canada, I've always wanted to ski the Ventoux?! I have been visiting that area at least annually, often more frequently, since I can't remember when, but have never caught enough snow on the Ventoux to ski. The only time that might have been possible, I was firmly snowed in, in Suzette - a village above Beaumes, with an amazing view of the mountain and of the Dentelles de Montmirail (not skiable). Hey ho, don't suppose Whistler will be too bad, though.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
We were in Chamrousse last week (with a side trip to drink/stay with my brother in Grenoble). Having seen the Crystal offering, I reckoned I could do better via the tourist office (6 person apartment at Recoin for €400), Jet2 from Edinburgh to Chambery and a car. Including passes for 2 adults and a child, and lessons for the child, we beat the Crystal price by a small margin. The conditions were pretty good considering the weather - on a couple of occasions we had to head in from the sheltered, South facing balcony to the cool of the apartment.
Skiing was on fairly hard snow in the mornings, softening into the afternoon, and slushy patches by lift closing towards the end of the week, but they kept most of the resort including, crucially for my son, the boarder cross runs, open pretty well.
Flying into Chambery on the Saturday was pretty much as described elsewhere, but flying back on the Sunday was from a deserted airport - no queues, only c25 people on the plane coming back, and smiles from everyone - check-in, security, passports control etc
The boy (11) had a one-one freestyle lesson on Friday afternoon with Fabrice Dompnier (ESF) (having finished group lessons in the morning) which he described as "the most awesome lesson and best instructor - ever" - this I think is high praise as he has had pretty good experiences in Banff(x3), Montgenevre, Saas Fee, Verbier, as well as less good in Jasper and Glenshee.
Obviously, with it being my brother's local hill (well, one of them, but the one he can see from his central Grenoble flat), I had other reasons for going there - including nostalgia for a drunken NY in the CAF hostel many years ago - but it was good to see it lived up to my hopes for everyone.
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?
Looking back through the thread both Orcieres and Ancelle have had a good covering of fresh snow this week. The Western Pyrenees also got 20cm overnight above 800m with good conditions reported.
Grand Bornand on the other hand has almost run out of water for the snow canons. Out of 200,000M3 built up over the summer they have just 4% left and not much pressure. The head of piste services says he just wants to get through the next week and get rid of the Parisians then they will start a progressive shut down if they don't get fresh snow. It is possible they may pump from the public water supply or streams but there are already worries for pisciculture and agriculture if they do this.
> Have you seen any recent monthly snowfall stats for the French Alps in Dec, Jan and Feb at all?
For the Northern French Alps this season is comparable to those of 1989, 1993 and 2007. We will have to wait until the end of the month but I suspect it will worse than 2007 and just ahead of 1989 and 1993. A generational winter if you will. The situation has really been critical below 1600m. Snow depths, according to Meteo France are just a quarter of what would be considered average. I wrote some more detail at the top of this thread:-
In the French Pyrenees snow cover below 1800m is amongst the worst for 30 years.
However 400cm in the Sierra Nevada at 3000m according to a friend who is there but the wind blew at 80km/h for 72 hours. A huge avalanche caught a group of ski tourers on Sunday. Slab over 1km wide and 150cm deep.
As you can see from the videos I've posted there is snow and it is skiable.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
A real pea souper at the Collet d'Allevard today. The tot had his ski lesson but we stayed in the cafe! The upper part of the domain was closed due to avalanche risk yesterday. Snow looked good. Roads clear to 1400m, snow covered afterwards.
Avalanche in the Vecors in the Villard des Lans sector, one serious injury. The slide hit a red piste.
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.
Weather improved on Tuesday letting us tour the 7 laux backcountry with 60cm of fresh snow at 2300m (but a lot of wind transport). The snow is quite good above 1800m
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Poster: A snowHead
