 Poster: A snowHead
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Oh well I may as well kick this topic off with the first snows of the season falling across the Central Pyrenees. The first dusting has fallen quite early this year with snow down to approximately 1900 metres - though this will disappear on Monday with temperatures rising again.
Local farmers are already talking about a long cold winter - fingers crossed they are right 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ski Guide, I hope your right, or the locals
are right!
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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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Ski Guide, Looking at the Baqueria web cam today
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Im sure the farmers know what they are talking about, I hope thats will be a weekend in the pyrenees before xmas,,,, 
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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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From the pas de la casa webcam it looks like there's quite a lot of snow cover already. Are the chairs always on the lifts or does that mean the resort is using them to ferry around the staff to get the terrain ready? it looks like someone's skiing there anyway because there are tracks up to the lift.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Webcams! http://www.infonieve.es/sala-de-webcams/donde-esta-nevando/
Not so many cameras available today, but there were loads on during the last couple of days showing the great results of the precipitation that fell over the whole of the Iberian peninsular.
Good to get the ground wet and cold, but there's not much action forecast for the next few days. Fingers crossed for early next week.
Some Pyrenean resorts are aiming to open on the weekend of November 26, but the majority are saying the following weekend which marks the start of the Spanish holiday period (which lasts a whole week this year, what with the two public holidays falling on the Tuesday and Thursday.
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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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Hey metalhead132, good to see you back here! Didn't see you or AlTom on the Pyrenees thread last year. What were you up to?
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In my case, I am very busy with my son and other one that comes.
And the past season was awful, with poor snow, and with nothing to explain.
AlTom spent last year in Peru for working themes.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Another amazing pic, yesterday.
Pica d'Estats
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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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All those optimistic claims of opening this weekend are now being withdrawn in the central and Eastern Pyrenees. The fact is, there's no snow in the lower half of the vast majority of the resorts. All stations have got their eyes on the following weekend that marks the start of the Spanish "megapuente", which consists of public holidays on Tuesday 6 Dec and Thurs 8 Dec (and hence the days in between as well for many Spanish employees), but the forecasts don't give any promising for the next few days either. Personally I remain doubtful about the start of December. As we've experienced all over Europe, this has been a rather strange year, with the seasons quite significantly delayed. Perhaps we'll be on the hill from Christmas to May this season?
Anyhow, one positive thing to note is that one tiny, special resort is still planning to open on 26 November: Vallter. This is the easternmost resort in the Pyrenees, and it's very small but rather cute and with views over the Costa Brava and the mediterranean beyond. (You don't get /that/ in Courchevel.) Like many small resorts, it's really struggling economically with threat of closure, and so it's fantastic news that it, of all places, won the snowfall jackpot over the last couple of weeks, and has 30cm on the lower slopes and 50 on the upper. Best of luck to them.
(Sierra Nevada is doing OK though. Looks like they might outdo the Pyrenees again this year. Curse them! (only because it's so far away from me  ))
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You know it makes sense.
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(Vallter has also postponed its opening until the following week, despite half a metre of snow on the upper levels, because the lower levels are poor and will get destroyed rapidly. They haven't got the cannons running yet, and possibly they've got old cannons that require lower temperatures to be productive?) Pity 
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Amazing! There's a lot of disappointed people this week because of the decision not to open. Let's be honest though; if *everyone* had gone there because it were the only place open, it would have been totally ruined on the lower slopes. I'm looking forward to a day or so there later in the season!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Vallter and nearby Puigmal on the French side are both opening this weekend with a reasonable area available. A couple of others in the central/eastern zone are also opening but with more limited offering.
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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.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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No new openings for the Spanish public holiday tomorrow, and the weather forecast for the coming week doesn't look at all promising.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Roll on Monday when Tourmalet opens. At last...
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A very pleasant view out of the window this morning! The ski resort have announced 60cm of new snow at the Tourmalet bottom station, and 80cm at the mid station. The nursery slopes have opening this morning at Tournaboup, and the main lifts will be opening tomorrow. With cold temperatures forecast til midweek, the skiing should be superb. Just wish I didn't have to stay at home and look after the baby
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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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Pic from respomuso refuge, in the western spanish Pyrenees
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Heavy snow fell across the central Pyrenees over the weekend with 80cm of powder falling over the two days. Peyragudes opened for the season today, and Superbagneres is scheduled to open tomorrow.
Peyragudes: 100/80cm
Superbagneres: 80/50cm
Perfect timing for the start of the holidays
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Any news on Andorra \ Soldeu ? I'm tempted to grab a late deal.
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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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Still snowing above La Massana this morning - not sure how helpful info this is!
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The large dump over the weekend was followed with another 5cm on the 19th, and snow has been falling on and off today and though the freezing level has now climbed, snow continues to fall through the evening.
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You know it makes sense.
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Been raining in Tarbes all morning, hopefully falling as snow higher up.
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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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Baqueira is reporting 100cm+ upper levels and 60cm+ at the lower levels. Webcams show that the resort has opened some lifts/runs and that it's still snowing.
Some warmer weather is forecast for over the Christmas period but hopefully this will be a good base for more snow into the new year.
A lot less worried about my trip than I was a week ago, when all that could be seen was green green grass!
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Poster: A snowHead
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AndAnotherThing.., Grandvalira (of which Soldeu is a part) is due to increase its offering to 164km of pistes this week (out of a total of about 200km).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Namsbreh, Pyremaniac, Cheers. It's going to be tempting
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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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Fresh dusting of snow at Arcalis this morning but not much more than that - first few runs of the day were beautiful though. Biting wind made it a tough day for the kids but once we had sussed out the runs that were most windswept it was ok (2 boarders literally blown over in front of my littlest one at one point). All in all conditions really good considering how little snow there is. Eldest daughter's favourite tree runs not doable yet and long button off limits to little one as not enough snow yet and she was lifted off her feet and helicoptered round in mid air last time she went up. Lots of fun to be had all the same
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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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Yuck yuck yuck - rain today even up to about 2000m at Arcalis. Shame after the fresh snow yesterday - can only hope it turns to snow at some point later in the day
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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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Over the last 10 days I have been fortunate to visit Saint Lary, Piau Englay & Pas de la Casa.
Conditions have been similar to spring skiing. Pas de la Casa had the best snow & a couple of inches fell before I left. More snow is needed!
It has been raining in Tarbes on and off the last few days again, falling as snow higher up, so I am told. Off to La Mongie next week.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm v. interested in this thread as I may be going to Pas at the end of Jan. However, much as I love looking at the excellent photos they totally screw up the page.
Please re-size the photos, or post a link to snowMedia.
This seems to be occuring all over the site.
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Any idea what conditions are likely to be like at the beginning of FEB??
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bruisedskier, Welcome to Snowheads. Me too. Just about to book a week starting 29th Jan at the Hotel des Pistes via Thompson.
Long range forecast via Netweather doesn't show any real snow for the next 2 weeks. I'd hate it if they closed the Soldeu links from Pas.
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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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Off to El Tarter from 5th Feb. The two times with been before the good snow has arrived the week after, (if we'd booked the first week of the season we might have made a lot of people happy )
So we booked a week later hoping to get some good snow.......
Anyone offer any hope or insider knowledge?
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bruisedskier, Hard to say at the moment. The 10 day chart looks sunny for that part of the world but there is time yet. I expect we'll be out in the Pyrenees at half term.
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FAQ
Looking back on the chain from teh Pic du Midi gives quite a promising view too : 
