 Poster: A snowHead
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Who has been? Supposed to be along the Monte Rosa, La Grave type.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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flicksta,
Haven't been there as we couldn't get it in our 'tour' last year but we have it down to have a look at.
All the reviews seem to have a large off-piste intinerie feel to it. Didn't get the impression it was as expansive as Monterrosa but I will scope it out for a 3-4 trip tagged on the back of Engelberg.
I will be interested in what other posters say..!!
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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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Probably the best way to think of it is as a slightly cut-down Grands Montets without the queues (except on weekends), if that helps any. It's not as wild as La Grave or Alagna, but there's a lot of off-piste potential. Almost all the fun comes from the Gemstock cable car, which gives you about 800 vertical metres to play with. This gives a good range of runs; a 'carving piste' with simple off-piste next to it one way, a couple of marked but unpisted runs another way, with a lot of unmarked terrain either side, and a completely off piste face off the back.
I filled a week there about 4 years ago, almost always skiing off Gemstock, and had enough to play on to fill the week (though with a fair amount of repetition), and have been back for a long wekeend in December. The main skiing drawback is probably that Gemstock gets shut in high wind (that happened for part of 2 days in the week), which leaves very little access to steep terrain. It's amazingly quiet during the week (even in mid February), but gets busy weekends. It's got a pretty good snow record, as most weather systems seem to dump snow there
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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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Is it easy to access without a guide? I will always ski La Grave with a guide until I've been there a lot more often. Alagna may well get it instead this season.
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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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flicksta,
Monterosa is so huge you need a guide as the maps are quite vague. You will save so much time using one and will discover bits and bobs you would never find othewise You can find yourself on the top of a lift and look all around you and without knowing where you are going it can be very dangerous and that is on a clear day. For example I have never found the piste at the top of Pinta Indren down to Gressoney, you always use Altaluce, and Stolen/Balma to Alagne isn't that straight forward, fine if you have done it before, but...!!!
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