 Poster: A snowHead
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There seem to be quite a few Snowheads visit the area, with more in recent years, so I thought it might be handy to have a thread that pulls together info on the area, including snow conditions. We're off there in late January.
I'm hoping @pam w might kick us off with a condition report, as she was there over Xmas and knows the area well.
Also, does anyone know if there is a lift pass off in the Foret area near the Belambra?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, happy to oblige, though I wasn't skiing. Daughter and family were. Conditions were fine in Saisies and higher parts of the ED (they went down to Notre Dame 1350 which was a lot quieter than Saisies) but lower areas were closed, as elsewhere throughout the region. We left yesterday afternoon but it seems it's been snowing this afternoon and the webcam right down in Hauteluce shows it's falling right down there, which surprises me. Current forecast has dodgy rain/snow level for this coming week. I don't know whether there's a lift pass office near the Belambra - my guess is that there's not, but obviously the tourist office could confirm. Might be a case of getting a bus into town (or in the other direction to Bisanne 1500) to buy passes. It was very busy this week, even quite busy yesterday, for a change-over day. Will be a different world by late January, which should be an ideal time to visit.
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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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There is a lift pass office at the bottom of the Carrets chair.
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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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Yes, indeed, so I guess you could ski down to that!
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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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| rjs wrote: |
| There is a lift pass office at the bottom of the Carrets chair. |
Splendid. Thank you. That looks like a nice cruise down a green to pick up a lift pass to ski on arrival day.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@pam w, sorry to bug you again, but I'm hoping you might have some knowledge of the Les Saisies ski schools. One of our party is a beginner skiers and is keen to join ski school. It looks like the options are ESF and ESI. Any thoughts on which is likely to be better?
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Been snowing hard since 4pm and was cold enought last night and during the morning to have the snow cannons on.
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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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| rjs wrote: |
| There is a lift pass office at the bottom of the Carrets chair. |
Thanks for this. It worked out really conveniently.
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We're got back yesterday from a week in Les Saisies. I'll try and do a trip report at some point.
The conditions in the Les Saisies bowl remained good throughout the week, in spite of both rain and then warm weather. The lower resorts were suffering, though. My trip down to Flumet on Wednesday was a bit of an adventure, including taking my skis off and walking for a short distance where the notice of thin snow rather oversold the condition of the piste.
I really enjoyed the area. It was nice to explore somewhere new. Some of the piste grading seemed a bit arbitrary and I've not ridden that many drag tows in years.
It's was a great area for the beginner in our group, who did ski school with ESF. The Belambra hotel has a great location from a skiing perspective and is an easy bus ride into town for shopping etc.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@sugarmoma666, sorry I missed your question about ski schools. I'd have said I prefer the ESI but i thought that ESF had classes starting from Belambra! You were adventurous to go down to Flumet in current conditions. Yes, it's like another world down there. Skiing 40 years ago. Glad you enjoyed it.  That's impressive snow sculpting. Snow looking quite good!
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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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There have been reports of sheet ice from all over the place recently (though IME sheet ice is very rare......). So sounds as though Les Saisies was a good choice.
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@Origen, I'm thinking of starting a thread to see what the oldest chairlifts still in operation in Europe are. The Evette chair out of Flumet, commissioned in 1971, was quite a long experience. However, I found from skiresort.info that the Planay lift linking Notre Dame de Bellacombe 1350 to Mont Reguet (or "Regret" as it became known to us, based on the conditions and prevalence of drag tows) is even older at 1969. The view from Planay is very picturesque and I got to ride it both ways due to the conditions 
I didn't make it down to Flumet Les Seigneurs of Notre Dame de Bellacombe 1150 as there were no lifts operating out of them but did make it down to all of the other village bases.
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You know it makes sense.
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This was the point on Wednesday at which I decided to take my skis off and walk for a while.
Thankfully the conditions improved just round the corner and were actually pretty acceptable by the Flumet nursery slope at the bottom.
The resort were making a good job of keeping things open where they could. This was the bottom of the red down to Hauteluce (1150m) on Thursday:
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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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| Origen wrote: |
| There have been reports of sheet ice from all over the place recently (though IME sheet ice is very rare......). So sounds as though Les Saisies was a good choice. |
The ski down to Praz sur Arly on Tuesday was rock solid corduroy and really not pleasant and there was some hardpack in some places but I didn't find any sheet ice on the pistes. In fact, it was possible to stay on nice snow in the Les Saisies bowl and around the Sommet de l'Espace Diamant if you chose.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Origen wrote: |
| That's impressive snow sculpting. |
There was a Lego minifig at the bottom of the Chamois chair a few days ago, but gone now.
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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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Hi all, anyone in or have been in the Espace Diamant this week able to comment on conditions? Have been in La Clusaz for the last week and planning a day trip over. TIA
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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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There used to be some spectacular little ice caves with beds and bedside table and lamp down there sometimes - maybe the same liftie! Was it a drag lift? My memory fades......
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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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@PG1972, Where were you thinking of skiing? I haven't been up to Les Saisies since Monday.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@rjs, Probably park up at Les Saisies and take it from there depending on how we find things.
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I have two vouchers for one day's Crest-Voland ski pass if a couple of people fancy a free day skiing in the area. They need to be used by two different people and I need to be there at the same time to validate them as they came with my season pass. I plan to be back there from the end of French half-term.
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Really sticky snow today in Les Saisies due to the Foehn wind, I gave up at 11:30. Still plenty of coverage though, the area got new snow yesterday
All the lower lifts in Crest-Voland, Flumet and Praz-sur-Arly have been closed since Monday.
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