 Poster: A snowHead
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Warming temperatures should be better as long as the visibility remains high. It will soften the slopes into spring snow which is way more fun and safer than hard pack.
I'm sure you'll have a great time. A week of sun is worth a foot of powder in my book !
The real problems may be the week after.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Got the same misgivings as Greavsie at the moment. Am heading out there Sunday... Hey ho.. 
Anyone got any idea how feasible a day trip to Serre Chevalier is given that it's allowed on the pass ? Would love to see what it's like there (even in these "disappointing" conditions) ...
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 2-02-11 14:04; edited 1 time in total
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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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Got back from there on Monday after a long weekend. There had been no fresh snow since I was down the previous week, but the conditions were remarkably similar and you could ski most of the area. I suppose this was mainly down to the cold weather. Even though Sarenne was closed, we still managed to get down it. The usual spot before the track at the bottom was either brown or icy, but otherwise it was OK. A lot of daytrippers around at the weekend as I assume the lower skiing closer to Grenoble is non-existent. Good luck to anyone going soon as it's about to get a bit warmer which could do some serious damage.
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Bjorn_again_Daehlie, not out there again until mid-March, surely it will have snowed by then! Would be getting a bit nervous if we were heading out for half term which is daft I know but really don't fancy another week with conditions as they are.
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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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livetoski, Good effort. I think I nearly met up with your son a couple of weeks back, he was possibly coming for an evening snow shoe walk up to a resto with Jack from Ski A Oz but didn't in the end. I'm sure we'll bump into each other at some point, he's working about 100m from our apartment and Oz aint that big!
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Just back from ADH
The weather was blue skys for the whole week and the temps up to 20degrees in the sun- its eating the snow. the pisteurs are doiung a great job but ive trashed a set of skis as there are a lot of stones about and off piste is non existant!!!!!!!
It needs snow very badly - there is a lot of slush late afternoon - sadly one of our party broke a leg on the last day so please be careful if you are out there over half term - the best skiing is over Oz and Vaujany. The Sarenne is closed and the Tunnel carnage - enjoy !
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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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2cm overnight and still snowing lightly in Oz @ 1350m just reported from friends staying in our place, it's a start I guess!
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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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I was there from the 12th through to the 19th..
Conditions were poor on the 12th.. lots of rock and muddy sections on the lower slopes. Still easily skiiable however so i wasnt overly concerned.
Over the course of the week i think something like 30 centimetres fell on the upper slopes.. It really did snow hard for 2 or 3 days of the week. Sarrenne remained shut due to the lower slopes being slightly rocky, But it was technically skiiable.
Tunnel was rather amazing.. The lack of snow has prompted the slide in (on the far side of the tunnel) to be around 100 metres long.. and so narrow and high off the slope that a safety net has been set up. Once you make it on to the actual run the moguls are probably over a metre high at the top.. Lots of powder lying on it courteosy of the snowfall.
Overall.. High up conditions are fantastic. Lower down..Not so great. But snowfall was a vast improvement on what was there when i arrived. Most of the rocky icey stretches are down in the runs running into the Bergers area.. and also over in Auris.. which was decent at the start of the week..But is now a mudbath.
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So how are conditions now in Alpe d'huez, we are coming on 3rd March? 
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You know it makes sense.
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chaletlizard, we just came back today after being there for a week. Some snow last weekend as mentioned by Nick D and then some more during the week on a couple of days. The bad news for us (but better for you) is that there was a serious snowfall starting last night and still going this morning when we left, looked like the predicted 10cm or so in resort. As of our last day, the sunny days were warm and so everything below approx 2500m was suffering with lots of slushy snow on the lower runs in the bowl. Places like Auris are just white tracks among green/brown fields, but pisteurs have succeeded in keeping runs skiable (some remain closed like Sarenne). We found conditions up at the top (glacier/herpie etc) to be good on Saturday. Hopefully the new snow will have helped some of the hard pack scrapy areas and provide covering for other lower down slopes - saw the lights of the piste bashers at work this morning at 07:00. If it stays cold for a while that will be good too - last week's falls seemed to lose their impact too quickly given the sunny days, warm temps and half term volumes of traffic. Still, we enjoyed the week, and hope you will enjoys yours too 
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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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Thanks SteveM I was getting worried but things are looking up. Glad you managed to enjoy your week 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Reports from my lad this morning down in Oz was that they had about 30cm of fresh stuff
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Just back from a couple of days at l'alpe d'Huez. I only skied as far as the 1st Troncon/Signal so cannot comment on conditions higher up. Last week's snowfall obviously didn't do much for the resort - I think they only got 30cm max whereas the Belledonne to the west got 60cm. The runs are a bit hard and icy in the morning, obviously a lot of man made snow on them. There is about 30cm of cover on the lower runs. Things soften up after lunch and the slopes are quite skiable. A lot of thaw though with some noticeable brown patches appearing during the day. That said it is very skiable at the moment without having to worry about rocks and the ground except in a few obvious places.
Pistes towards Auris
A number of very bad, out of control skiers on the beginner pistes. Amused by the guys in full body armour and 100mm skis skiing badly on the Signal blues and reds. A lot of really bad bladers too. Oh and dads, if your child can't ski don't take them down a steep, icy red!
Lack of clientèle this winter according to the locals and those who are there are not spending as much as usual.
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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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Friends reported yesterday that it's way too warm again and pistes are beginning to suffer showing signs of wear with bare patches appearing and Auris as usual deteriorating rapidly. Tarmac throughout OZ village now so very much an end of season flavour already. May take the mountain bike this weekend!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Little point in me worrying about the state of the bases on my skis then, seeing as though they're likely to get trashed next week!
Flying out on Saturday - I'll keep an eye out and report back when I'm there.
Shouldn't be too disappointed - had cracking snow for the last 4 years or so and only one week of bad vis. But it's difficult to fork out £700 knowing it's not going to be brilliant.
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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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wadgebeast, It'll be fine if you stay high, there should still be some decent snow up top. I think next week we'll be going for an early start, mars bar on the lift for lunch then back down for a beer in the sun about 3.30!
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Upper lifts open again today after yesterdays high winds. Snow remains decent on higher slopes but anything below 1800m getting very slushy by mid day. Auris looks finished for the season, totally brown and the lower south facing runs into ADH best avoided. May take a day trip to Serre Chevalier tomorrow for a change of scenery. (via SMS)
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Any updates available? Looks they've had a fair bit of snow overnight, but looks very wet on the webcams now? Arrive this Sat, any info on how much snow / rain they've had would be appreciated.
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Heading back out there on Friday for some meadow skipping, sunbathing, beer drinking on the balcony, light VTT'ing and maybe a little skiing up high with the early morning hordes. Marmottes have been spotted frolicking in the grass on the lower ADH slopes (now totally bald of snow) which I understand is a sure fire indicator of an extremely cold and snowy winter to come!
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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 out there on Friday for some meadow skipping, sunbathing, beer drinking on the balcony, light VTT'ing and maybe a little skiing up high
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Don't forget there's a pool - take your speedos...
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andyrew, That's something nobodys gonna wanna see! Had word from a friend out there this morning, skiing sounds very very limited, guess it beats working
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Nick D, I believe they have opened up the bike track from Alpe d'Huez down to Huez village and you can bring your bike back up on the Huez bubble. Not the longest run but if you had transport / a chauffeur you could always pedal around to Villard Reculas and pick up the bottom part of the Megavalanche route down to Allemont. I also understand for what was to be the final week of the season, up to the 30th. the main lifts are closing completely but all the other facilities like the pools and sports centre, tennis courts etc. are free. I reckon it will snow like mad that week. 
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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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A sun-kissed end to the season which locals are calling the worst since '83. Nothing of any note left open below 2000m but up top things are remarkably skiable if you time it right. The glacier runs today were excellent, spring snow and very quiet with only a few rocks lurking under the surface. The Tunnel was opened around 2.00 but not many takers. Mountain restaurants say they've had a great season, ski hire shops not so much....Off to L2A tomorrow to check things out there, but could happily ski short days & take early beer stops until the slopes close here this weekend, chapeau to the pisteurs, doing great work with what little snow is left. (via SMS)
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Pic shows the Bergers area last weekend, they managed to keep skiing to resort open until the death....just! A season to forget (or to remember for all the wrong reasons) in 30 odd days out there I only managed one decent off piste trip on Boxing Day. Time to look forward to next season!
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FAQ
my lad had a tough draw he was up against last years winner in one of the first runs, he was winning till the 3rd to last gate when he had a mare on some ice. Fair play not bad going the other lad was using full slalom setup and my lad was on his 3 season use 
