 Poster: A snowHead
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I enjoyed my first day at La Grave on Wednesday with descents both sides of the lift along Vallons and Chancel. It was a generally murky day with falling graupel and snow, ice, deep fresh powder, slush, bumps a plenty, rocks and tree roots too. Because of the poor vis and high wind up top, the La Grave lifts didn't open first thing and the link across the glacier was closed so there was no snow cat tow to get there and we ended up taking a bus instead, arriving at P3 shortly after 11. Visibility was variable with one minute almost perfect clarity going to a sudden 'ski by feel' whiteout and with a range of conditions from deep winter to spring from top to bottom. I can't wait to go back now though, preferably on a mid winter day in bright sunshine.
I just remembered the weirdest thing which was the way that passing skiers shouted out 'bonjour' in the same way that on the rare occasions you see fellow ski tourers here in Scotland you hear an 'awright pal'. 
First lift from the base station ...
A minute or two after I took this pic, you couldn't see much more than 50 metres ...
Approaching the 'terrain park' that was the traverse through the trees Chancel side after the remaining low cloud finally cleared ...
A long lunch at P2 while waiting fro the clag to clear ...
Which way ? ...
On the glacier Vallons side at about 2.00 ...
A chance for a wee rest while watching the others ...
The stunted larches that the Derby racers would have charged through a week or so earlier ...
In the trees on the way to P1, Vallons side ...
Enjoying a beer ...
 
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 2-01-14 19:11; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My legs were burning just looking at the pics, never been so knackered skiing in La Grave but what a place.... 
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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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moffatross, glad you had a good day.
that traverse is a nightmare- when you should be relaxing- you can't- ruts, bumps, stumps and branches at eye height!
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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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Looks great there. Definitely want to ski La Grave at some point, hopefully next year 
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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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moffatross, Sorry to have missed you last week, we were leaving the morning after you called easiski. We didn't make it over to La Grave this year, too much snow or wind and/or the Derby got in the way. Looks like you had a great day though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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moffatross, nice, it's an amazing place. I prefer the Chancel traverse to the one back from Vallons but maybe I'm just odd. Has it began to melt out in the bumps yet so you get massive mogul with vertical back face to rock/mud? It was only about a week or so later than this that you had to walk the last bit to P1 last year.
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Colin, I went with ESS who had already taken our money in advance for the guiding so obviously were keen not to hand it back, whatever the weather !! It's a shame not to have met up at L2A last week though ... I was enjoying a beer at the 'Tribeca' when I phoned. It's a brilliant little bar near Point i with hardly another Brit voice to be heard all week, the same place we used every evening 4 years ago.
Swirly, half the bumps in the open trees had lost most of their faces and been scrubbed down to tree roots & mud. The most fun bit of the narrow traverses though was the way that the lines themselves kept running out of snow, requiring sudden switches to different paths above or below. Since the paths were effectively mogulled channels and 170 cm skis don't lend themselves to scrubbing speed suddenly in what amounted to a 1m wide half pipe, that direction change required a little faith (and a lot of luck)
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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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moffatross,
We went over a couple of days after you on the friday. Interesting weather it started off really cold and blowing a hoolie at the top with the glacier tow closed. Our first run was wind blown powder and freshish snow at the top with icy traverses into P1. The wind stopped and warmth descended. Our last descent was very soft indeed in the Vallons, though still not bad at altitude.
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Why I always go down the valley if poss!!
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Surely that gets worse, lower and narrower.
From Chancel you could always go down the Freaux and hitch back to La Grave.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Those two main, easy ways down are well characterised by the photos above. They should be fine for someone who can ski black runs. Right after snowfall, of course, they would be deep snow since nothing is groomed. However if you don't know the way down there is a chance you might end up at one of the steep couloirs by mistake.
Edit: Oops, just realised this isn't the thread where someone had booked to go and asked about skiing with/without guides.
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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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^ I was just thinking that route looks like good fun! There's no way I'd try the gnarly stuff in La Grave though. I think going there would be wasted on me.
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