 Poster: A snowHead
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hi
To anyone in Chamonix at the moment : what's it like? Weather forecast looks promising and thinking of going for the weekend. Is it worth it?
Diarmuid
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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, 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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I Was up Les Houches today, it was very wet and the snow slushy and heavy and slow.
Still had a blast though!
The higher resorts should be getting a nice layer of snow today and tonight, so if they open in the morning it should be NICE. Weather is offering a pretty sunny day too!
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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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Just back yesterday, having been out for a week. Epic conditions up high (Grandes Montets/Vallee Blanche) - more mixed elsewhere with the temperatures low down too high - meaning some bits of slush. Very, very quiet (but maybe this weekend will see the start of Easter holiday crowds). It rained in the village most nights we were there (snow - some of it wet - above 1800 metres or so). But it started snowing for real on Monday night in the village - and was still snowing heavily when we left yesterday afternoon. We spent all Tuesday afternoon putting fresh tracks down the same parts of Brevent - our tracks had covered over by the time we got the lift back to the top. Yesterday morning, the vans coming into Chamonix from Argentiere and Le Tour had about 2 feet of snow on them. The forecast for the weekend was improving (and a bit colder). Go as soon as you can - you'd kick yourself if you didn't go. Have a ball !!!!
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sounds great. Anyone got any idea what condition the Pas de Chevre is in at the moment or, more to the point (but more difficult to answer), what it's likely to be like two weeks today, when I'll be there?
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Where is the zoo keeper?
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Jsut back. Two good days. My friend was skiing Grand Montets on Friday. After the snow on Thursday, la Tour along with a lot of Brevents, Flegeres was closed. So Saturday promised big things. I went to La Tour on Sat to make the most of the powder. However the sun on Friday had done a lot of damage to the off piste. It was VERY crusty so fun was limited to the piste. However it started snowing at lunch and the runs proceeded to get a nice bit of snow. The last run of the day was the best. Not worth going below 1600.
Went to Grand Montets today. Great day. Place tracked out by 11 but still spots of powder to be had. Best snow was above 2300m. Pendant was great down to maybe 200m above the lift. I couldn't get to the top as the queue for the cable car was 1hr wait. I wasn't prepared to do that so in about 8days in Chamonix I have never got to the Argentiere glacier  ( What's up there that';s so special ?)
At the end of the day saw LOADS of guys on skis with all the mountaineering gear (harness, ropes, ice picks etc. full back pack) What are they doing up there? Are there run accessible only after climbing? Very curious as to what I'm missing out on...
Anyways great weekend. Stayed here http://www.hermitage-paccard.com/default.html. Great spot if you want to stay for a weekend. (a bit pricy but good)
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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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| Diarmuid wrote: |
At the end of the day saw LOADS of guys on skis with all the mountaineering gear (harness, ropes, ice picks etc. full back pack) What are they doing up there? Are there run accessible only after climbing? Very curious as to what I'm missing out on...
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Slightly surprised about the timing - "end of the day" - but they're probably all off on the "Haute Route", a 6(ish) day ski tour that finishes in Zermatt. If you saw them at the end of the day, I assume they're heading for the Argentiere Hut, just over the other side of the Argentiere glacier from Grand Montets, in order to make an early start on the Col du Chardonnet tomorrow morning. It's probably about 2hrs from the top of the lift to the hut.
The skiing from the top of the Grands Montets is easily the most spectacular in Argentiere, which is why everyone wants to go up there. Actually, while there's some truly extreme stuff up there, the skiing below Lognan (through the trees) is probably more difficult (like I've always been too chicken to try it, but am quite happy on "normal" stuff up top), but that up the top has the grandeur of the glacier and crevasses etc.. Unfortunately the queues to get up there are always horrendous - probably the least I've ever queued for it is about 20 mins. After a good dump, 45-60mins is pretty normal, in my limited experience 
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While there is normal stuff up on the top of the Grand Montet, there is also some extremely gnarly stuff up there.
Quite a few pro-riders go up there on the good days with camera crew in tow. For getting good shots (i.e. untouched powder fields) you have to go off the beaten track somewhat. it's all glacier up there, so if you are going off the beaten track, it's only sensible to have all the safely gear.
It's quite simillar to the cable car up to the Aguille du Midi. You can take an easy tourist route down or you can take some of the craziest lines in the world. If you are doing the crazy stuff, you bring your safety gear 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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cool. I have a Chamonix off piste book (French/English) and it has descriptions of lots of routes in Chamonix. However most in Grand Montet are glacial and without a guide I'm not interested (crevases). So I'm promising myself the next time there I'm getting a guide, one day from the Midi and one day from the Grand Montets.
Looks like a few snow showers above 2000 during the week, anyone there keep me posted please
BTW At the end of the day all the ski mountaineers I was talking about were down in Argentiere.
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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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Snowing at 1800, will drop lower tonight. I can hear those rotor-blades turning. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Snowing heavilly at resort level.
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