 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
 Looks great mountainaddict!! I am out there on Monday for 2 weeks so looking forward to some more of those conditions hopefully
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
the snow looks lovely. I was to have been in the alps (though not skiing) at the moment, but plans have changed. The weather has been miserable - cold and wet - so I'm quite glad I'm not there. Though if you're high enough for wet = snow, then that's good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Ooh, lovely!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
always fancied it, is that fairly typical or do you just have to roll the dice and have a plan b??
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Touchguru The couple we were there with are out there for another two weeks so asked me to keep them updated with weather forecasts.
I checked today on the Chamonix website (as its forecast is very detailed) - warm/hot weather is on its way from Africa. It would seem that normal service is to be resumed, so to speak. Anyway, there's so much snow on the glacier that I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time.
pam w
| Quote: |
The weather has been miserable - cold and wet - so I'm quite glad I'm not there.
|
We hiked, mountainbiked and skied and had a great time - with only one washout day from five. We just made the best of it and regarded
the amazing glacier snow as compensation - though on the really wet day we had to try hard to convince ourselves that sliding the bikes (unintentionally) sideways down muddy tracks and slippery rocks was good fun! Regardless, it was still better than a day at work  . Mind the temperatures of 1.5-10C in resort were a bit of a contrast to our visit last summer - when it was 32C in Tignes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
barry No, unfortunately that's not typical. We've skied at Tignes the last 5 summers, with conditions varying from usually decent cover in July to bare
glacial ice with minimal snow in August.
The lifts close at 1pm in summer as the snow is usually very soft, if not wet, by then - on a really hot day you can be skiing mush by 10am. Lifts open about 7.15. Typical early morning conditions are frozen/hardpack softening to spring snow and then mush.
This year we were just very lucky with the cold, unseasonal weather. Having said that, even when it's hot and the skiing more limited, it's an amazing experience to be skiing in high summer. Also, temperatures in the mid to high 20s (Celsius!) in resort make for a very pleasant afternoon of hiking, mountain biking or whatever.
By way of a contrast, here is the glacier in the first week of August, 2009. Believe it or not, there was still some decent snow to be found, as shown on the second pic:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
mountainaddict, is that second picture the area to the right of the glacier as you look down it that has a drag on the shoulder of the mountainside that you can;t get to during the winter (hope that made sense) (to the right and above the little hut in the left of the first pic?)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| kooky wrote: |
we have snow here but glaciers are closed for revision  |
Your glaciers have to do exams? That's mean!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
rob@rar, I just love the second pic down - so sweet!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| Quote: |
is that second picture the area to the right of the glacier as you look down it that has a drag on the shoulder of the mountainside that you can't get to during the winter
|
Yes! That's the one!
barry Although the glacier did look knackered when we got out out of the funicular, we had a surprisingly decent ski that day! Mind we are easily pleased when it comes to skiing  - still better than an indoor fridge Bigtipper!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Bigtipper: Also meant to say.......Skiing on the local glacier?.....Mentions of Glasgow Xscape? Is the said local glacier one that I don't know about
in Scotland 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
mountainaddict, I have never been to the indoor fridge, maybe someday!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Barry - don't forget the white water rafting (from Bourg St M) as an afternoon sport - excellent fun - though it does delay the drinking by an hour or 2. Whilst we are talking about drinking the Tignes Wine Festival (in the teens of August each year) is possibly the best time to combine my 2 favourite hobbies!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
mountainaddict, thanks for that, often wondered what it's like up there, lot bigger sector than I thought
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| chocksaway wrote: |
| though it does delay the drinking by an hour or 2. |
That's what camelbacks are for, no? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Barry - Yes but I do find the lime slices in the Bombay Sapphire and Schweppes get stuck in the tube. (Realising I have now triggered a new debate "The appropriate type of citrus for a G&T!")
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
chocksaway, surely you mean lime wedges dear boy. I do like the sound of the Wine Festival, could be the hook I need to convince mrs barry
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Barry - I stand corrected - I have just checked Debrett's and you are indeed correct. I also didn't know the official way to mix a mojito was 'to muddle the mint and sugar' in a highball. To more practical matters the Fetes du Vin is 11-15 August this year with a spiffy fireworks display around the lake on the 15th (I suspect this is where about 50% of my Taxe D'Habitation goes!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
stevew Cheers! There's 600m of vertical available at Tignes at present. We skied in late July one year when an even lower chairlift
was open for even more vertical than that.
It's stated as about 20km of piste each summer - though it feels quite extensive when you're there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
mountainaddict, the Vanoise chairlift was open when we where there in June. You could ski from the top of the Grand Motte to the bottom of the Vanoise - that's a lot of vertical for summer skiing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Tignes looks in reasonable shape.
How did Val's glacier fare this Summer?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Whitegold, I haven't been up close but I was looking at Val's glacier today and it doesn't look in great condition looking at it from Grand Motte.
Tignes Update
Conditions in the morning on Grand Motte are fairly good before 10am but then things go a bit pear shaped with slush forming on a lot of the areas below the park and rivulets and puddles lying about halfway down Champagny.
Rosolin doesn't look fantastic but I haven't been on there beside the first run on the week.
Skied most of the day on Champagny today and we were the only gates on there with most setting on Stade round 3500 due to the Champagny poma being slow to open this morning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
. It snowed as low as 1800m, with the snow line settling at about 2200m. Here are a few snaps:
)
we don't like to stray too far from the piste on glaciers) - to find that it wasn't as deep as it looked - probably only a couple of inches. We still got some fresh tracks though! 