 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
mountainaddict, there were reports on another thread on multiple accidents blocking the road both ways either side of Moutier - but then Steve Angus seemed to get through OK although he mentions 'taking the back roads'...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
mountainaddict, I think yesterday was a fairly chaotic day, and possibly the police weren't hot enough on insisting that no ill-equipped cars could travel. People were chaining up in the middle of the main street of Les Saisies yesterday evening - leaving it far too late. It snowed quite hard, but wetly, and gradually turned to rain leaving difficult road conditions which, certainly round here, were passable only with care, even with 4 new snow tyres. Christmas isn't low season. It's not AS busy as New Year, but still one of the key weeks of the year for crowds.
A lot of resorts opened yesterday, with superb snow conditions, so there might also have been quite a few local day trippers in some places.
Steve Angus reported that Geneva airport was chaos, as might be expected, with half hour queues to get into the parking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Ta for the replies.
| Quote: |
| Christmas isn't low season |
I know - but had assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that outbound from resorts would be a lot quieter than inbound - arrivals on 15th Dec would surely have been a low season week?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Outbound from Les Arcs to Moutiers was OK, just a bit slower than usual because of a few cars which insisted in driving at 10mph wearing chains even though there was just a bit of light slush on the road. Traffic coming in to resort was a bit chaotic with too many cars were sliding around because they should have fitted chains earlier, or had stopped in stupidly inappropriate places to fit chains. Didn't see any police managing traffic and requiring chains to be fitted at an appropriate time. However, the real bottleneck was approaching Moutiers, with a long queue of stationary traffic on the N90. Happily I was always going against the traffic 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A few accidents (not weather related) made it worse. There was a three car accident just outside Salins, which queued taffic in both diections for about 6km. It had a knock-on impact in Brides, and the 2 gendarmes diecting traffic there made it 10 times worse. We can see about 6km of the road from Moutiers to Val Thorens from our kitchin window. At 9pm last night, nothing moved except the blue lights
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One of the guys from a restaurant in Plagne centre had to go down to Aime and back. Took him 6 hours 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
chaletgirl, Aime to Longefoy took 2 hours and that really is just a 10 min journey!
The locals are blaming the Police for not acting quickly enough when the snow started and then not 'relaxing' the 'special equipment' when the snow had stopped.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Hopefully it was all a bit of freaky day and a bit of a one off.... 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
a bit of a one off...
|
fairly standard for a snowy Saturday in Feb/March that there are significant hold ups somewhere along the line. And somehow, the worst of the snowfall seems to happen on Saturday.
When will people start being sensible and staggering arrivals and doing flexible holiday lengths? Still, if the world and his wife insist on Sat/Sat holidays, they have to put up with the traffic jams. Sunday is much better, though Geneva airport was still very busy today - cost me a fortune to stay in the departures car park and wait for a slightly late plane (I was stopped going into P1 because I was overheight, though actually I'm fine with a 2m barrier). Geneva town wasn't busy, so finding Cornavin station wasn't a problem, and the train from Milano was punctual, to the minute. But traffic back up the mountain, through Megeve and Praz sur Arly was still busy, and a lot of slush on the road higher up meant still travelling at pretty cautious speed. Lots of vehicles still in chains.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, apparently its unacceptable! According to one of the guests in resort. Not sure how I can affect the airport, road traffic and weather on a day that includes first day of French holidays, Christmas week and first full day the resort is open. But there you are. We should have done better on the transport!! LOL
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
chaletgirl, I suppose that's the peril of the job - having to deal with rude and ignorant people. Trouble is, TOs do tend to give some over-optimistic transfer times. Rather than saying "this transfer would take 2 hours if you'd like to come in mid January but up to half a day at busy times, and if you're really unlucky you could spend the night in a school sports hall in Bourg St Maurice. "
Very few operators seem to give honest information - so maybe it's their own fault?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| chaletgirl wrote: |
| Well, apparently its unacceptable! According to one of the guests in resort. Not sure how I can affect the airport, road traffic and weather on a day that includes first day of French holidays, Christmas week and first full day the resort is open. But there you are. We should have done better on the transport!! LOL |
Are you saying you won't take responsibility for the snow/lack of snow.........shame on you and your employer!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Maybe. We advertise a 3 hour 45 min transfer from Grenoble to La Plagne DEPENDENT ON CONDITIONS - which I think is pretty fair really.
People just don't like sitting in coaches and to be honest I agree, its pants. But then if I was coming out to a ski holiday I think I'd get the snow train! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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 tell them they're open chaletgirl, wave them off and get out of the chalet- also possibly find a new employer
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
don't think the employer can do much about the complaints either!! some people just like to moan!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
As Patch, said there were a few accidents.. the one in Salins (just outside Moutiers towards Courchevel) was horrific, some of my guests drove past the wreckage and wished it had been covered with a tarp.. (I won't go in to the details). 
It made us all think how lucky we were...
Wishing you all a Merry and safe Christmas
x
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Quote: |
When will people start being sensible and staggering arrivals and doing flexible holiday lengths? Still, if the world and his wife insist on Sat/Sat holidays
|
Slight chicken and egg situation isn't it - most of us punters do Sat to Sat as that's when all the flights/transfers/changeover days etc are, so is very difficult to do otherwise. Even the DIY approach is tricky as everyone 'lets' from Sat to Sat.
There are other factors as well, to get a 6 days ski holiday with Wednesday as change over, I would need to take 6-days off work. Sat-Sat is only 5 days and with limited leave, this is a big factor. And lets avoid the Feb half-term being fixed for many people as the only week possible as time off in school is a no-no.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Silver ski and ski Olympic do Sunday changeover and this was always a massive selling point for us. Quiet transfers and empty Saturday on the hill.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Some of the TOs do Sunday transfer to Serre Chevalier. For the reasons Frosty the Snowman gives, it was one of the reasons we started going there, and when we bought our own place, chose to be flexible with arrival day,preferring a Sunday if possible. I tend to find people still ask for Sat-Sat dates more often than not, some can be steered towards Sunday arrival but some can't.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
I used to offer flexible rentals of my apartment, starting on any day of the week (subject to a minimum stay of 7 night). Few people took advantage of this, so mostly it was Sat-Sat bookings. The company does the cleaning and linen service charge me more for turning the apartment around on a day other than a Saturday, so a couple of years ago I switched to Sat-Sat bookings. The last couple of seasons have had the highest number of weeks booked, so clearly switching to the 'normal' booking pattern hasn't harmed my rentals.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The rental company we use, CIS Immobilier, advertise Saturday to Saturday, but we do see odd other bookings, usually an extra day or two tagged on to a week when the next week is quiet. Very rarely we will see a 2 or 3 day booking come through in mid jan.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
