Chilly in Baqueira. -18 at the top of Argulls plus wind chill. The snow's keeping well, pistes are perfect and while most of the obvious powder is all tracked, some can still be found if you look.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
AndAnotherThing.. wrote:
Chilly in Baqueira. -18 at the top of Argulls plus wind chill. The snow's keeping well, pistes are perfect and while most of the obvious powder is all tracked, some can still be found if you look.
Freezing at Superbagneres, where with the wind chill it is once again in the minus 20's. The perfectly groomed slopes will soon feel the effect of the hoards of school holiday makers that have decended on the resort en mass.
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?
Just come back from La Mongie and the snow out there is fantastic. Meant to update on this forum from my previous post whilst I was out there but the sun came out so I got too busy enjoying the amazing snow we'd seen fall for the days before. Anyone going out there, you're in for a treat because the conditions are excellent. Anyone know how to post pictures on here and I'll stick a couple on from the last day I was out there.[/img]
Just got back from Soldeu Andorra snow conditions where varied across the week with the first 2 days after the big dump being great but high winds on the 2/3rd days were blowing it off the piste's and as the week went on some runs were quite icy especially the resort runs. You will still have a great time if ur heading out there soon with some runs having really good snow still.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Snowing in Baqueira at the moment. Fingers crossed it will continue tonight for a powder day tomorrow. Still flippin' cold at -12 to -16.
Snowing heavy in Soldeu and hasnt stopped all day. Resort in need of a covering as first day today saw to much ice. Off piste is totally tracked so hopefully the wind wont blow all the new pow away.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Had last Friday, Saturday and Sunday skiing at La Mongie/Bareges in glorious sunshine on great snow. A little nippy but not much wind. Think I was very lucky.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Back from Grandvalira on 12th. Horrendous journey there on the 5th, and 6th (and including the 4th to get to Gatwick.)
Blown off the slopes on Tues 7th in the afternoon.
But brilliant from that point on. Cold, some ice, but hey it's the mountains what do you expect.
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.
Local sources report up to 60cm in the Val d'Aran region and it was enough to warrant wrestling with chains on the drive up to Baqueira. Once on the hill we were skiing knee \ waist deep powder with "face shots and everything". Vis was poor so the afternoon was spent in the tree's. Sunshine is forecast tomorrow, so it should be superb grabbing fresh tracks as they open up the mountain.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 14-02-12 21:33; edited 1 time in total
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
^^ Head of ski school, knee deep in Baqueira.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Grand Tourmalet. Wooohoo.
Well, not quite Baquiera depths, but Tourmalet was reporting 10cm this morning but it was 20-30 in places.
Heaven and empty. The folks in town were staying in the bars and nobody else fancied the hour long drive up in chains. Good for us.
Flat light all day. Quite sheltered Bareges side so we stayed in the trees at Lienz. Nice moguls. Before being wind blasted back to the carpark i La Mongie. And another hour and a half home.
Due to snow overnight and tomorrow so I guess we'll do it all again....
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.
AndAnotherThing.. wrote:
Local sources report up to 60cm in the Val d'Aran region and it was enough to warrant wrestling with chains on the drive up to Baqueira. Once on the hill we were skiing knee \ waist deep powder with "face shots and everything". Vis was poor so the afternoon was spent in the tree's. Sunshine is forecast tomorrow, so it should be superb grabbing fresh tracks as they open up the mountain.
Certainly the snow yesterday was way above that forecast. By 8am we had 15cm of fresh and with heavy snow falling all day this quickly went over 30cm. Visibility wasn't the best but managing to be first on the Hount Estrete chair meant making first tracks in knee/thigh deep powder both on and off piste.
Light snow last night and a few flakes today will give those venturing onto the mountain a great day.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Just got back from Baqueira at the weekend. Skiied between 6/2 & 12/2, in the most part fantastic conditions. Plenty of snow and pistes well bashed. Puzzled by the off piste though, there were reports of 3 foot of powder over the weekend (4/5/6) but when I tried it on the 7th, it was all crusty. Perhaps it was the winds which scoured it, not sure.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
The sunshine arrived at around lunch time. Snow was still falling when we got up but vis improved as we drove up. Beret looked a good bet so we headed over making fresh tracks as we went. The depth of snow off piste is ridiculous, literally waist deep. Explains why most of the tracks off piste were straight !
The best run of the day was under the gondola first thing in the morning. Hero powder, GS style. Perfect.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Coop1972 wrote:
Perhaps it was the winds which scoured it, not sure.
Yep, apparently the wind was pretty strong and moved a lot of the snow. We skied some of the gullies off the Argulls ridge and the snow was pretty good. Lower down, off the back of the cabana lift had kept ok too. Otherwise a bit crusty.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Spent the last 2 days riding fresh powder both on and off piste in Soldeu. To be honest it has been two of the best powder days ive ever had and I am amazed at how much people here arent making most of the off piste by hitting it nice and early. Even after a whole day tracking the same runs I must have seen 5 other riders all day and today was the same. At times I was thigh deep in some great tree runs with nobody in sight.
Bring on tomorrow
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
The snow just continues to fall
The freezing conditions have moved away bringing in snow again with between 10cm (Peyragudes) and 25cm (Baqueira) having fallen yesterday and last night. There is some fantastic off piste however the settling snow is liable to break away even though the avalanche risk has dropped slightly.
No visibility today - which at least will keep the vast majority of families off the mountain keeping it pristine for tomorrow
Toulouse week 2 and the start of the Bordeaux holidays on Saturday so the numbers on the slopes will go up even more
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?
Came back from Ax les Thermes after a great week - lots of snow and good visibility on most of the days. My sister in law commented that it is rare to see all the runs open in the resort. Kids made great progress. we did need snow chains! Bought them on the way up from the airport and had to put them on twice to get down the valley when we arrived and to get up to Pas de la Casa on the 20th of Feb after snow the night before. The conditions in Pas de la Casa were perfect - beautiful snow, blue skis but cold! My 5 year old managed to do 2 big long blue runs after only a few lessons! Thanks for the advice on this thread..now to start thinking about next year....
Have just returned from a very messy Stag Do in Pas De La Casa, Andorra. I was determined in spite of receiving harsh punishment as the stag by my fellow 15 compadres to make the most of the skiing conditions and got 6 full days of skiing in.
We arrived on the 19th and were met with perfect conditions, cold weather with fresh powder and plenty of sunshine. This was the theme for the following four days until it started to heat up. During Thursday afternoon the temperature started to rocket both in the village and higher up the mountain causing snow to turn firstly to slush and then to melt away. All icicles in the village of Pas have melted and snow around the village is quickly diminishing.
As a result, on the pistes and off piste areas, Grandvalira is looking vary bare in parts and is certainly in need of some cooler temperatures and fresh snow. Well maintained pistes such as the Slalom run in El Tartar are still in pristine condition along with some other well cannoned pistes and whilst the area is good in the mornings as a result of the Bashers, the afternoons are far less enjoyable with sticky slush being the main theme.
The Iphone App is great for the Granvalira region and should give a good understanding of conditions along with Webcam access.
Hope conditions improve quickly if you are heading over soon.
Simon
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
With fresh snow having fallen twice this week the resorts of the Central Pyrenees are skiing very nicely indeed. Wind has been a problem today on some of the higher lifts in particularly at Baqueira however with virtually empty slopes and cool temperatures the skiing is fantastic.
Milder weather is forecast from the weekend and looks fairly static for the rest of next week.
homphomp and I have just returned from a week in el Tarter. Monday = snow; Tuesday = +9 and glorious sunshine; Wednesday = snow; Thursday & Friday = high winds; Saturday = glorious sunshine and +9.
The conditions varied not just daily, but often on each run from powder, hard pack and sometimes to slush. On the whole though, the snow was excellent!
The winds mid-week were a different kettle of fish! From being blown sideways off lifts to having to pole down reds to stop from being blown back up them again, to having to ensure that no skin was left exposed for fear of being pebble-dashed by blown snow... It was an experience, to say the least!
The photo on the right is taken from Coll Blanc in Pas De La Casa. The 'clouds' aren't. It's snow being blown up off the pistes...
The photo on the left is taken from the iglu bar at Pla De Les Pedres.
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.
Just back from a long weekend in Grandvalira. The snow is very tired now - plenty of bare patches. There is no off piste, or at least none that looked worth the effort.
Having said that, the resort is doing a fantastic job keeping any runs open, never mind the 90% or so that they have done. Piste maintenance was really impressive, considering it was over 20 degrees when we arrived. Unless there is a lot of snow soon however, i'd say the season is just about over.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Amazing how things change.
Near the end of the worst season for a number of years in the Eastern and Southern-Central Pyrenees, the long-awaited "San Josep snowfall" that traditionally marks the beginning of Spring did not let us down! During Wednesday and yesterday, we had 1 metre of snow in the East (eg tiny Vallter, who hit the jackpot at the start of the season but saw little else afterwards), 70cm or so in Masella and La Molina which had received just 10cm of natural snow in the entire season up until now (yes you read that correctly ) and a metre or so in the other smaller Spanish resorts, the Andorran resorts and Baqueira.
Brilliant news for everyone in the industry; it's been a seriously tough season for most. (Despite excellent snowmaking; the industry suffers because people—and bear in mind that the Pyrenees don't see much foreign tourism outside of Andorra, so we're talking "natives"—think that no snow = no skiing, but the efforts this year to successfully open a load of runs has been monumental.)
We had the second best day of the season in Baqueira today, with powder everywhere, almost everything open, and blue skies and no wind. (And nobody there of course, being a weekday.) 8-hour day, pretty much non-stop . There was a high avalanche risk though, and following local advice to figure out which off-piste areas to take was definitely the order of the day. We saw two small, skier-triggered avalanches (onto one of the closed pistes) ourselves, and evidence of various others that had occurred during the day. But great, great powder....
The word is that all resorts in the area are working to open 100% of the pistes and installations this weekend; what with the forecast sunshine, it's going to be a busy one!
Advertized levels:
Baqueira: 100cm - 240cm
Vallnord (Andorra): 140cm - 310cm
Grandvalira (Andorra): 80cm - 180cm
Smaller, less-touristed resorts: up to 120cm or so
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Can echo Pyremaniac’s comments – we were in Soldeu El Tarter 18-25 March, it dumped it down for two days mid-week and we rode all types of snow & conditions! From the artificial compact stuff melting into icy slush in the afternoons to perfect powder (which I rode – and got buried in – for the first time!). From what we could see on chairlifts, every off piste was ridden!!
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.
How long will it last do we think? Would I be mad to be looking at the Pyrenees for a break over Easter weekend?
If so, any advice on resorts? I've toured the area by motorbike but never skiied there.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
frosty75, it could definitely be worth a gamble! It looks like there'll be some more snow in the first half of next week, on the upper levels at least. The snow that fell last week seems to be surviving OK, but I'll give you an update during this weekend.
The Pyrenees are a beautiful place to be in springtime! If you really want the best snow, it would have to be Baqueira; but conditions in the French resorts that Ski Guide reports on, and in Andorra, all seem good too. Your transfer options would be Toulouse or else Barcelona (since I imagine that Thomas Cook's charters to Lleida-Alguaire have ended for the season by now).
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Conditions in Soldeu are currently good, but most of the ~60cm that fell a week ago has now melted and the pistes and off-piste are in a similar condition to before the snowfall. Off-piste is currently spring snow on sun-facing slopes in the afternoons where it's not too rocky and on piste is very hard first thing going to heavy and slushy later in the afternoon. There are several pistes closed due to lack of snow, but none of the major routes.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
frosty75, I can only speak for La Mongie, but we were there Wednesday and it was thawing very fast with overnight lows on just freezing. The big snowfall of 2 weeks ago is long gone. We have snow showers forecast for Weds/Thurs this week and lower temperatures. But rain showers from Sunday night through to Wednesday. Resort is claiming 80% open but not all day. The south facing slopes are so heavy by noon the lifts are closed while those on the north side open up.
On the other hand there is nobody there! The birds are singing and the verges around us (300m) are covered in flowers. Beautiful.
In a nutshell, we think we are done for the season. Although the skis are still standing hopefully by the front door, the motorbikes are coming out to play this week
Stella
Hautes-Pyrenees
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Thanks for the info. Probably give it a miss then. Might try it for a long weekend earlier next year.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Yep, I can confirm that we're pretty much back to where things were before the snowfall, so not great in most resorts but perfectly OK for piste skiing in Baqueira (which is 100% open). It's really hot now, so it's time for T-shirt skiing, sunbathing, and generally taking it easy!
I think all resorts in the eastern/central region are scheduled to close after Easter Monday, with the possible exception of Masella which will try to be the last resort to close, as usual.
Things are pretty unfair though, because it's currently looking like there'll be an extended snowfall throughout next week and over the Easter weekend, which means that there'll be poor visibility and a load of snow going to waste...
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?
http://www.skipass.com/meteo/pyrenees/ the meteo in the Pyrenees for the comong week looks real nice, so this week I will go for a roadtrip for telemarktouring, with a break Wednesday for drive to the atlantic coast near Biarittz, then surf-forecast reporting about monsterwavs, a good end of season at least, a season that most have been about work for me 3 days skiing at xmas, a planned trip to US in beginning february I was need to cancelled because of my work, but a fantastic roadtrip in Appeninies after an epic snowstorm end february/beginning Mars and now in afternoon start to drive to Pyrenees,, then only Surfing and work to october and a new season,,,
Always the way. Buckets of snow yesterday and overnight but Grand Tourmalet is now shut for the season
Of the N'PY resorts, only Piau and Cauterets are still open for one more week. Don't know what else is still open, but have fun.
Time to get the motorbikes out.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
We started east with Masella yesterday, big sun 20cm powder on top of gromed slopes, warmer during the day, but a wonderfull day, complete emty slopes, Spanish pyrenees seems to have more option for good skiing this week than the french part, the skins are with us so its not nececery that the resorts is open, there will be possible to make touring many weeks more this season in the Pyrenees, After a breakfast here in the village Alp we will drive to Arcalis in Andorra today, that seems still be open, and this evening go west to Jaca and ski Candanchu tomorrow that also is still open, after that we realy dont know what to do, perhaps one or two days surfing and after that try to make some touring,,
freeheelskier, I don't think Arcalís is still open, but let us know how the tour goes! As usual, this time of the year brings a bit of a downer as the reality of no more snowsports sinks in for most of us.
Masella's having a ball at the moment, with fresh snow almost every day (and bear in mind that it hadn't snowed at all until just a few weeks ago). They've received 70cm of new snow in total. Crazy how the season works in the Spanish Pyrenees, with every resort desperate to open at the start of December for the public holidays despite there being little snow historically; yet closing after Easter because people switch to summer mode, despite the most snow falling at that that time. I'm still desperate to get just one more day in
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Pyremaniac, You had right, they had closed for season, a real shame with 40 cm fresh,, but to put the skin on skis and start climbing is good for your mind, near a perfect day the site skiinfo.es was not update for one week when we had a look there, We have stay the night in Lannemezan in France and today if its possible beacause of weather climb Pic du Midi, the cablecar is closed 2 weeks from this week but they open again the 28th april,, this evening we will have a look on surf-forecast to decide if we will drive to the coast or stay in the mountain, my vote will be for the mountain, I dont need to be back to work before monday, and the snow is perfect just now,,
After all it is free
After all it is free
Closing day in the Pyrenees and the Spanish Peninsular: 1st of May, after a number of consecutive days of light snowfall. Only Masella (alone in the Pyrenees) kept going to that date and had anything worth skiing... and what an unexpected treat it was:
Knee-deep powder in May? (And God, don't you hate the crowds in the Pyrenees? )
An awful season, but a spectacular end as we head towards summer. Only 7 months to wait now
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.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
) and a metre or so in the other smaller Spanish resorts, the Andorran resorts and Baqueira.
. There was a high avalanche risk though, and following local advice to figure out which off-piste areas to take was definitely the order of the day. We saw two small, skier-triggered avalanches (onto one of the closed pistes) ourselves, and evidence of various others that had occurred during the day. But great, great powder....
