 Poster: A snowHead
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Micky really enjoyed it and would definitley like to return. but he is the "if it aint broke, dont fix it" lol, so now he wil be worried that the next place we pick wont be a patch on les saisies, just like he was worried that les saisies wouldnt be a patch on valmorel
Ah Yes! Lukes spectacular fall lol! well they did insist on going down that ridiculously steep bit lol and all i could do was watch him from the top, thinking do i break my neck and ski to him? but you did a great job as if he had of been with me he would probably have been obnoxious and it would have been all my fault lol. If Jack had of asked Luke if he was ok, I think you would have had to pick me up from the floor, as it would have been a first! lol. we actually did the red (purple) run a few times later in the week (although by Friday it was starting to get a bit icier than when we had done it with you) and the "bumpy blue" next to it, they really enjoyed that.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Leaving for the school holidays tomorrow. I took this picture in Les Saisies village at 4.30 pm, as skiing was finishing for the day. Not too much snow left on the roofs, but plenty on the slopes of Mont Bisanne - all white - no nasty white strips through brown grass! The steeper slopes the other side are all still open, and fully covered, and not in bad nick (though looked slushy towards the bottom at 4.30).
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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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polo99, kids usually behave better with someone other than their parents! 
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been keeping an eye on the forecast for saisies and looks like you are leaving as the snow is about to show, so hopefully by the time you go back, there will be perfect coverage. me and micky thinking of a midweek somewhere at the end of march, who knows we might end up back in saisies!
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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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polo99, let us know if you come back - maybe could show you some of the more distant areas!
From the webcams (I'm now back in UK) it looks to me as if it's raining in Les Saisies at 1650m and I'm not optimistic about there being much new snow (Chamonix meteo is showing very little, though thankfully the whole outlook is still very uncertain and that could well change).
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pam w, I was in Megeve today, it was snowing down to about 1000m there though it was a bit wet even up at Cote 2000.
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rjs, snowing in Crest Voland? The LS webcams still look like there about 39 flakes of rather wet snow. 
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Some of the best skiing in Megeve area is on the other side of the valley at La Jaillet where the skiing towards La Giettaz on the north facing slopes is usually good (though haven't been there this year). Beautiful long blue called Treffleanaise and nice reds at La Torraz.From NDB easy to get to 10 km up road through Flumet towards Col d'Aravis. Also Les Contamines from Hautluce and Areches are good for a day out. Pity that Praz d.Arly and Megeve aren't linked.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
Pity that Praz d.Arly and Megeve aren't linked.
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There's been a lot of talk about it, over the years, but I'm not convinced it will ever happen. There's a lot of environmental opposition and I have some sympathy with the goal of keeping some of the area free of ironmongery!
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doesn't it cross some nature reserve or protected space which has stopped what would appear to be a realtively simple liason between Praz and the back of Rocherbrune? Seem to remember reading it a while back when they were creating the Diamant area.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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skinutter, yes it does. There is also a (much less comprehensible) "environmental" objection to the replacement of the ghastly old Mont Rond chair. Difficult to understand, given there's a chair there already, but I suspect there is also some local politics tied up in it all.
Personally, I couldn't be bothered with a link to Megeve as it would be too far for us to do much over there in a day and I suspect the Praz sur Arly end of this would just get invaded by a lot of Megevans. But a ski pass deal (similar to the one we have with Les Contamines) would be good.
I was really definitely going to "do" Combloux and La Giettaz this year.... will have to be after mid March now. I also enjoy going to Areches-Beaufort. Going by car to other places is OK, and gives you a longer day, as you can make an early start and get there for when the lifts open.
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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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yet to tick them off the list, when we went to try Combloux the snow on the area we could see at the time looked.....ummmm....patchy to say the least so gave it a miss. Also fancied a morning in Passy, looks an interesting area to explore and not well known either.
I guess being stranded at the end of the day in Megeve is going to leave a pretty stiff taxi fare home 
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You know it makes sense.
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| pam w wrote: |
| rjs, snowing in Crest Voland? The LS webcams still look like there about 39 flakes of rather wet snow. |
I had not updated my location, I'm staying in Praz sur Arly for a final week before going home. I went up to Crest Voland this morning and there had been some new snow though it could still do with more.
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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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rjs, how are things in Praz sur Arly? Is the run down from the Cret du Midi OK? I have some people staying at our place next week who are wondering about it - but they are snowboarders, and that link's not too clever on a board! I'm inclined to advise that they'll be better staying in Les Saisies.
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Poster: A snowHead
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pam w, I have not skied it, it looks better than it did at the bottom but there are brown patches showing again already.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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looks to be snowing at the top of Manant as of 20:45 local time
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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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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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Back out here now, and had a nice couple of hours on the pistes this morning. Flat light, but the snow conditions on piste were actually surprisingly good to ski on, though off the pistes it all looks terribly patchy and gloomy and there's a lot of bare ground on the south facing slopes. We've been here at this time of year until the end of the season every year since 2003 and in most of those years the conditions at the very end of the season have been no worse - and often much better - than they are now. It's certainly not good, and much of the snow which can be "harvested" to keep the pistes going has been used already. To actually ski on, the snow this morning was infinitely more enjoyable than that icy boilerpack of January. But some colder temperatures and more snow are badly needed.
We were skiing with friends who were here last week. they said it was bright and warm sunshine all last week and that the slopes and main lifts were very busy. The crowds are all gone, the sun was gone, and no queues at all this morning.
Almost all runs are open in Les Saisies (our local black run is south facing and extraordinarily bare - been closed for some time) but a large fall of mid-week rain will do them no good at all. Let's hope that the temperature drops fast on the back of that front.
Lovely to be back out on the skis though.  And great to have the serveuse in the restaurant know what I wanted (a vin chaud) before I asked! Even if her very young dog did then run away with, and savage, my fluffy neck buff.
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Forgot to mention (selective recall) but the confession on the Chamonix thread has shamed me into it - major foehn wind blowing. It's always worrying to feel so very uncold on a chairlift in such a strong wind.
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Hmm. Strong foehn for 24 hours has done nothing for the snow cover. Some lifts closed today because of the wind, and the pistes (many in good condition) pretty deserted.
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Much more enjoyable skiing today - quarter of an inch of snow overnight made things look fresher, and the snow on the east and north facing slopes was very nice until around 2 pm and enjoyably slushy thereafter. A few sticky and thin bits on the south facing side of the bowl, though, and these become more noticeable every day. Had an enjoyable day showing Lou and her friends something of the immediate area - they drove over from La Giettaz. We baked on a sunny terrace at lunch time (big plate of frites/wings 5.90, better value, said Lou, than her 16 euro croque monsieur in Megeve). Very, very, hot. It was lovely to have some sun, and no wind to speak of, after two driech days, but with another one forecast for tomorrow, won't do much for the snow.
Les Saisies was very crowded today - we actually had to wait for a lift a couple of times. I think everybody from miles around is coming up here for the snow- the car parks were packed.
Today was exactly like what you'd expect in an average season around mid-April. In fact, with more bare patches, and generally thinner snow on piste, than we've had in April most years. It's most pleasant, but it ain't mid-March skiing.
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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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pam w, can you still ski back to your place? I assume that black underneath the chair is shut??
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kitenski, oh yes, can still ski back (we've never not been able to ski back, right to the end of the season) but at 4.20 pm it was very sticky - came in with knackered knees. Yes, the black has been closed for a while - it's very bare. In fact, that black's not been open much this year at all.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pam w, Weather-wise, it really has been the oddest year. Thinking of heavy snowfalls in the UK in November and then yesterday being the warmest/sunniest birthday that I can ever remember. Makes you wonder if the winter is going to finish early. I hope not, but here it's unusually warm. 
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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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Schuss in Boots, we just skied down our home run. As I said to kitenski, we've always been able to ski home, right to the very, very, last gasp of the season, around 25 April. The bottom section - below our apartments - is often horrible by then but today, the higher section was worse than I've ever seen it right at the end of the season - some very bare patches, plus its beauty is not enhanced by being scattered by pine cones and debris blown off the trees by the very strong foehn winds.
Without a major change the season will definitely finish early - but I wouldn't rule out a major change. Fingers crossed. Huge clouds building up today, some very black and ragged ones down towards Albertville but it's still too warm to snow and I suspect we will get some rain tomorrow before temperatures drop - meteo France forecasts snow for us on Thursday.
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You know it makes sense.
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Lou, yes, I was a happy guide! Good to meet you all.
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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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It's snowing, but pathetic effort at 1500m - webcams suggest better coverage at the top (1950m). Just spitting gently at the moment, but at least it's not raining, which it was (not hard though) till 2 am. Visibility rubbish and I have a major project to organise photobooks for family birthday presents before the BOGOF offer on Photobox expires at midnight, so I'm not going groping around out there in the murk.
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Poster: A snowHead
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was looking and does look pretty damp and murky there....forecast for FL to drop..fingers crossed 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Pam, groupon have an offer on a photobook, which is £5 for £25 worth of photobook. I have never used the company before but might be worth giving it a look.
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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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polo99, thanks, I've done mine half price with photobox.
We didn't get much snow in the end - the resort website says 5 cms at the top. It wasn't that it was too warm, we just didn't get much precipitation at all.
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Decent snowfall overnight, couple of degrees below freezing and still snowing at 1550m. Great to see the snow, though it's a truly grotty morning with very low cloud so unfortunately that will put a major damper on the annual hot air balloon festival. Sun forecast for tomorrow so they'll be able to fly then. There was also a freestyle competition this morning, which we'd planned to watch, but they won't be able to see where they're jumping.
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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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Lovely morning, a bit of fresh snow and plenty of hot air balloons.
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The weather is certainly stunning but even the slopes with the best aspect were covered in big piles of soft snow by mid-day. Some great skiing, though 4 hours of that is enough; my legs were beginning to complain. Several runs are now closed and the piste markers have been removed - they obviously have no intention of re-opening them, even if we do get four flakes of snow next week.
The vast majority of the Les Saisies domain is open, and is certainly not "white snakes down through the fields" as described elsewhere, it's even open all the way down to Hauteluce at 1150 - though we didn't go down that far, just half way. Mont Bisanne is still completely white, so there's still a fair bit of scope for scraping snow off onto the pistes, but it's difficult to imagine them keeping much going for more than another couple of weeks, though the season is not scheduled to end for over a month.
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pam w, Passed through last Thursday on the way to Les Contamines for the day - (we get to ski 3 days at 3 diff resorts with our season pass but only at stations in the Haute Savoie so sadly couldn't ski Les Saisies) interested to know what was going on Pam? Driving in to Les Saisies from Le Grand Bornand the Car Park on the right was very full as was the Camper Van Park and there seemed to be masses of people around. Was there an event of some kind happening? Conditions in Les Contamines much the same as you mention - white coverage but extremely heavy going and 4 hours was definitely enough for us, but not surprising really as the temp in the car where we had parked read 24 degrees when we got back to it at 4.00 p.m.!)
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| Quote: |
interested to know what was going on Pam? Driving in to Les Saisies from Le Grand Bornand the Car Park on the right was very full as was the Camper Van Park and there seemed to be masses of people around. Was there an event of some kind happening?
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No, nothing special going on, but the village was busy for the time of year all week, because the snow is so much better than everywhere else around. That's not to say it is good - I skied till 3 pm one day but frankly, if I'd not had a keen visitor to show around, I'd have packed up a lot earlier. We just drove up from the Aravis and Notre Dame de Bellecombe looked pretty shocking. The top of NDde B will will be good but is best accessed from Les Saisies at the moment. Quite a few of the Espace Diamant links are already closed and I'd say the Arly Valley is pretty well a write-off.
It was 2 degrees and sleeting in Les Saisies when we got back about 4.30 - I didn't envy the few people still out on the pistes.
Our visitors hugely enjoyed their week of wall to wall sun - one having beginners lessons, the other having not skied for several years was just thrilled to find skiable snow and now inclined to be picky. This next week, forecast to be cloudy and drizzling, will be a different story.
Me, I'm off to Italy to visit son working in Genoa. Might be sunshining again when we get back towards the end of the week.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I went out for a couple of hours this morning in Crest Voland, one of the local instructors reckoned that this would be the final week. It only needs a little bit more to melt or be washed away by the rain and you won't be able to ski back to the main chairlift.
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rjs, that's kind of what I thought - haven't ventured down there for a while.
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FAQ
) and very kindly gave us a tour of some of Les Saisies. The snow was very good all things considered in this disappointing season 
Thanks again Pam.
