 Poster: A snowHead
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You should have seen the state of the Tignes glacier this morning - described here
Photos soon. Mentioned in that post a trip around the glacier in a piste basher on Sunday or Monday, weather permitting. That will be very interesting. I've got a lot of questions for the piste security director who's taking me around!
In fact - any  Heads have any questions they want me to ask? Obviously the guy is only responsible for the technical side of piste maintenance, so there's little point asking too many awkward questions, I'll doubt I'll get any useful answers! But fire away if you've got any suggestions...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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PG - Re the Tignes glacier, I've seen on their website that they're meant to be replacing the drag that never runs - during winter at leat - at the bottom of the Grand Plan run ("Double Plan" I think) with a new chair this year ... is that true and has it started?
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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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stevew, don't know - but I'll ask!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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PG, Can't think of any questions right now but the trip sounds a lot of fun and a great opportunity! Take some pictures while you are there!
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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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It would be interesting to know the rate of recession, and the projected impact of further recession.
I get the impression that summer skiing in itself is a loss-leader for the few Alpine resorts that offer it, but I've no facts to back that up. I guess it appeals in terms of offering a distinctive all-round package for visitors - but the costs of providing it must be very high.
I haven't summer-skied the Grande Motte glacier since they replaced the two-stage gondola up from Val Claret with the funicular, though I've been back a few times in winter. It certainly used to offer a great run, even in September, from the top of the cablecar down to what used to be a chairlift with a dog-leg turn. I remember a T-bar down there as well, with a bump run, but I guess they struggle to offer much below the top station of the funicular now. What's the longest run available, and where does it end?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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 Here are the photos taken this morning. No effort to photograph the "best" or "worse" views, it's a fair representation of how things are, good and bad. Still, you might struggle to find the good!
Haven't had time to sort/title them yet, but I can explain which pistes/views are involved, in the meantime, if anyone's curious...
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Sat 6-08-05 13:47; edited 1 time in total
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I have a stupid question.....
Would not skiing/boarding/pisteing on it in summer make any difference to the glacier?
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PG, I have just one word to say. Yuch!
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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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| Nadenoodlee wrote: |
I have a stupid question.....
Would not skiing/boarding/pisteing on it in summer make any difference to the glacier? |
I don't think it's a stupid question. As far as I know, the use of chemical snow cement (used by racers to firm up wet snow) has been banned on glaciers, and hopefully people respect that.
Any form of skiing is a process of erosion - skis can't turn without causing erosion - so snow is always swept downhill by skiers. But given the thickness of snow and ice where most glacier skiing takes place (despite global warming) the effect of skiing must be fairly superficial.
The use of snow guns on glaciers, which is a relatively recent stop-gap against the problems, is controversial. But snowmaking is controversial, generally, in view of the water and energy consumption.
Certainly all this use of plastic sheets, snow guns, snow harvesting and glacier/snow 'maintenance' is quite a blot on a once pristine mountainscape ... but fortunately our activities take up a reasonably limited area of the Alps and there's very little expansion of ski terrain taking place.
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PG, Sad. If anything it looks even worse than here! Of course the Grand Motte glacier is steeper than ours, so I presume there are likely to be more and bigger crevasses anyway. Shame you lost what you'd gained. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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PS - forgot to mention - the one thumbnail photo in the post above is of Mont Blanc, taken looking north from the terrace of the Panoramic Restaurant on Grande Motte. Click on the thumbnail for the full definition image...
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