 Poster: A snowHead
|
Back home nice and safe!!! 
What a drive down that was.  Having kicked the idea of skiing on the head today. I visited a few friends in various Arc stations and then headed for home. It was snowing when I left Arc 1950 after lunch having been up in Arc 2000 and it was still snowing as I passed La Grange having called into Arc 1600 and Arc 1800 on the way down a few hours later.
Arctic Roll, I did hear they were not wanting people to go to other ski areas, but that was more about not overloading the lifts in those areas than anything else. The road was only briefly closed in the morning and the buses were running until after lunch. But they stopped around 4pm and the road over to Arc 1950 and 2000 was closed around 5pm until tomorrow morning. You could still get up to the other Les Arc stations after 5pm, but maybe later tonight they will close the road, although that has not been annonced when I was out in town earlier.
After visiting the other stations I set off again and just after La Grange the snow turned to sleet and then to rain. But there was plenty of snow all the way down to the valley and right into my garden.
The roads were crazy!!! I watched a guy in a 4x4 going to fast coming up the hill straight towards me having misjudged the bend and bounced off the barrier before just gaining control again. Thank god I was going slowly or we would have hit head on. I just stopped and let him pass on my side of the road!!  . He was very lucky, if there had not been a barrier he would have gone over the edge and crashed.
I then came across a shuttle bus, still in the ditch and the driver just arriving in a car to start digging it out. The shuttle buses are now stopped until tomorrow morning when they will review the situation. So if you need to use them, you should check.
Up in Arc 2000 there was high banks of snow on both sides of the road. Down towards Arc 1600 the road was still covered in a layer of fresh snow and without winter tyres would have been a nightmare. Even the slush lower down was so deep that your steering locked and you had to take real care on the corners.
I have posted the pics of the trip down in the December folder on my Les Arcs Winter facebooks page. If you are driving out do take care. There is more snow on the way. This drive was a real challenge today.
As for the skiing, if the lifts open tomorrow and the weather improves there is going to be some amazing snow out there. Where it has been windy, the conditions could be very difficult, but in the more sheltered areas I hope to find some deep powder. 
I will post again tomorrow evening, hopefully with some more pics.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| Quote: |
This drive was a real challenge today.
|
and that was presumably in very light traffic, compared to what is likely today?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
looks like another monster storm next Tues/Weds too 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
snowcrazy, nice report, driving sounds like a challenge. Most 4*4 scare me, they don't offer much over fwd but try telling that to most the drivers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Drove from Meribel to Les Arcs today. Road down from Meribel was straightforward (although the coach that had almost slid off the road - saved by a tree - was a sobering sight), but there seems to be more snow in Les Arcs. Local police were checking all vehicles at the bottom of the hill in Bourg (main chainage area just passed the SuperU). It looked like no winter tyres and no chains and you were turned around; winter tyres and you were asked to put chains on immediately, winter tyres and 4x4 and you were let through. The road up was the worst I've ever seen it, especially above 1600m. If your car is suitably equipped you shouldn't have a problem, other than ill-equipped drivers getting stranded.
There's more snow around my apartment that I've ever seen, and the Les Arcs website is reporting 3m depth at the top station. Amazing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The access road to Arc 2000 was still closed when I came up the hill at 11.00am.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
rob@rar, 1950 looks very, very white..
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
rob@rar, is it black flag skiing wise today? How would assess the chances of things opening over the next few days? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
red 27, not entirely certain as I've not been out yet. There are a couple of chairs open out of Vallandry I believe, and the nursery chair at Arc 1800, but not much else open. I doubt that they will open anything above mid-station much before the middle of the day tomorrow, but they are blasting frequently so maybe they will. The dynamite boys are certainly working overtime!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
rob@rar, Ta. I can see people milling about near Grizzly, so perhaps the PV stuff in the trees is safe and so open.
Good luck out there - it looks 'exciting'
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Having a ball! Transarc is open to the mid station an the vallandry is open giving access to enough to keep anyone happy for the day.saw some classic examples of people leaving their brains
behind on holidAy with some o the most stupid examples of unsafe driving, whilst on the navette from 2000. It never ceases to amaze me how people think they can drive in these condition without snow chains! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
[quote="rob@rar"] It looked like no winter tyres and no chains and you were turned around; winter tyres and you were asked to put chains on immediately, winter tyres and 4x4 and you were let through.
Would they let you up with 4x4, chains/socks but no winter tyres? Not coming out til Jan, but need to be aware!!
The webcams look unreal!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Pablito wrote: |
| It never ceases to amaze me how people think they can drive in these condition without snow chains! |
It was a fairly straightforward drive for me with winter tyres and and AWD car. Winter tyres are the key.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| macduff wrote: |
| Would they let you up with 4x4, chains/socks but no winter tyres? |
Yes, with chains they seem to let anything through. I think this is the first time I've seen the police require chains all the way down in Bourg, so I guess it's a fairly rare occurrence.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Only 'real' lifts open In Vallandry today were Vallandry and Peisey (+ Flocon , Cabri & Parchey), all the rest [on Vallandry side] closed.
Apparently they've opened Marmottes in 2000??
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
 WHAT A FUN TIME WAS HAD TODAY!!
Despite the 'Level 5' avalanche warning they did manage to open the Funi and the beginners lift in Arc 1600 plus the Transarc 1 and Chantel chair in Arc 1800.
This meant we could get up from the valley and head straight to Arc 1800 (I was very pleased I drove down yesterday, the road looked even worse this morning).
On our way to Arc 1800 by bus, as we went round a corner in Arc 1800 another 4x4 skidded in the snow and hit the side of the bus. Nobody hurt and after a few words by the bus driver (not his fault), the bus moved off so we did not waste any ski time. Crazy drivers going to fast.
Up the Transarc 1 and straight into the powder in the trees and over to the Vallandry chair. Up top and back down under the chair almost the whole way in more powder to the Vallandry chair again. Then up and over to the Peisey side of the forest and down through the forest until I hit the new Combe Ecureuils piste. Interesting that the top half was great powder and the bottom section coming onto the new piste had started to go 'off'.
Then down to the VE and over to Montchavin for lunch. There were suppose to be musicians and Vin Chaud at the VE, but it did not happen when we passed through in both directions. On the way down to Montchavin the snow higher up was good but as you approached the village it had become very crusty off piste and hard packed on piste.
After lunch over on the Montchavin/Les Coches side we headed up as high as possible and found some nice untracked powder through the meadows back down towards Les Coches and then on down back to the VE at the sides of the pistes.
Finally heading back through the trees of Peisey Vallandry to the Derby chair and back to the Chantel Chair, then across to Arc 1600 along the Gollet forest piste. Loads off snow everywhere and looking up from the Gollet piste the snow looked great, just waiting to be skied.
Just for a change we headed down the Granges red to the lower Funi station. We had considered going all the way to Bourg, but even before La Grange despite there being loads of snow, the top surface had gone off and turned to breakable crust so we jumped on the Funi and home.
Despite the very high avalanche risk, if you go where there is NO risk of anything moving, you can have real fun off piste. Now let us hope they can get it safe enough to go higher tomorrow before the next snow arrives in a few days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
cheers for reviews snowcrazy, and allanm, and rob@rar, + anyone else over there. Got 7wks to go, but cant help logging on almost every day to see the updates. Now wished I had booked to go over Christmas.
How come there is avalanche risk? Is it because of the huge amount of snow that has fallen or high winds? Does what has fallen count as a good base. My only worry
now snow has fallen is that it wont be there beginning of Feb!!!! What sort of snow fall do you need to keep topping up what you have?? (just so i know what to look for on the forecasts) Cheers for info
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Jon Ford wrote: |
cheers for reviews snowcrazy, and allanm, and rob@rar, + anyone else over there. Got 7wks to go, but cant help logging on almost every day to see the updates. Now wished I had booked to go over Christmas.
How come there is avalanche risk? Is it because of the huge amount of snow that has fallen or high winds? Does what has fallen count as a good base. My only worry
now snow has fallen is that it wont be there beginning of Feb!!!! What sort of snow fall do you need to keep topping up what you have?? (just so i know what to look for on the forecasts) Cheers for info |
There will be loads more snow before that first week in feb Jon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
some great images on the webcams today
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
beautiful... in 28 years of skiing I've seen stuff like that maybe 3 or 4 times.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just started to snow again. Will it never end?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| red 27 wrote: |
| beautiful... in 28 years of skiing I've seen stuff like that maybe 3 or 4 times. |
statements like that make me wish i'd booked for now rather than the first week of feb, but who knows maybe it will be even better by then
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Russeh, it's the luck of the draw. On average you'd hope to get better conditions in February than you would in December, but that's not guaranteed. My best day of last season, in Europe at least, was Boxing Day and Feb and March in Les Arcs weren't up to much. But in previous years Christmas has been relatively poor compared to later in the season.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
rob@rar, It's looking fantastic out there at the moment, do they have any 'really accurate' depth figures yet?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
ricfrench, they're reporting 320cm at 3,000m (which I think is the Meteo France recording station on the Bellecote in La Plagne). Whatever it is it's A Lot, especially for December.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
In answer to some questions I have been asked about what is down at the bottom of the Funicular in Bourg now.
First. If you are coming by train or are staying in Bourg (or even up the mountain) you can rent your ski and snowboard gear from Polaire Star Ski shop right by the Funicular bottom station.
If you rent your skis/snowboard from them you can leave your gear there at the end of the day. If you have your own gear, you can pay a small charge to do the same thing each day if you are staying down the valley and do not want to carry them back to your apartment.
On changeover days it is also possible to leave your luggage there from 8.30am until 6.30pm for 4 Euros a day.
I also checked out there new ski service equipment and it is amazing. If you need your gear serviced. It is done right on site with really high tech equipment. Makes your skis/snowboard look like new (well nearly) if yours are as old as mine!!
http://www.polairestar.com/
Second. There is a new 'Funi Snack' bar serving drinks, breakfast, snack etc everyday. This is a really good addition to the Lift Pass Office at the bottom.
Third. They have a new entrance area which is covered and seems to be much better for entering the Funi. Not had to queue once yet.
Forth. On changeover days they have a free shuttle from the railway/bus station direct to the Funi to save walking around. Very nice.
Fifth. Finally for now. Parking at the bottom of the Funi is free and with the present conditions may be a much better option than trying to drive up to resort stations if you do not have too much luggage. You must buy a ticket for the Funi or get your ski pass at the bottom so that the ride up and down is included. The shuttle buses at the top are free and run as long as the Funi is open everyday.
Hope this answers all the questions I have been asked recently.
If you have any other questions about Les Arcs, please get in contact and I will try and help. Have a good holiday!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
rob@rar, that picture is just pure yumptiousness!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
These are the STATISTICS for today that I was sent direct from the pisteurs this morning in Les Arcs. They measure them on the mountain at the Les Arcs weather stations which are enclosed areas around the resort.
STATISTICS: (at 8.30am each day)
Altitude: 1620/1800m, 2040m, 2400m, 3000m,
Snow depth: 120cm, 180cm, 260cm, 320cm,
Temp: -8.2, -10.4, -12.5, - 15-2,
Risque d’avalanche (1 à 5) : 4 risque fort
Last snowfall : 30 cm Le 17/12/2011
If you want to read the up-to-date info each morning whilst you are out in Les Arcs, visit my favebook page, link below. I always try to tell you what it is like right at that time, not just the predicted forecast. When planning our day, my friends and I find this a real help, so hope it is useful to all of you as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
For anyone just arrived, as I am online, here is a copy of the current conditions right now in Les Arcs and what's open. Have a nice day!
SNOW, WEATHER, LIFTS and OTHER INFO for TODAY in LES ARCS
19.12.2011
WHAT IT LOOK'S LIKE OUTSIDE:
Outside my window it is snowing lightly and there is poor vis again. You can just about make out the trees in the distance and the mountain behind are hidden with a veil of cloud. It is cold.
STATISTICS: (at 8.30am each day)
Altitude: 1620/1800m, 2040m, 2400m, 3000m,
Snow depth: 115cm, 170cm, 255cm, 300cm,
Temp: -9, -12.6, -15, - 15,
Risque d’avalanche (1 à 5) : 3/4 risque fort
Last snowfall : 5 cm Le 18/12/2011
WEATHER & FORECASTS OF THE DAY:
Mixed! Overcast this morning with clouds covering the mountains. It will snow to the valley with approx 5cm expected. This afternoon cloudy and dry everywhere. Winter atmosphere.
TREND FOR THE NEXT DAY:
Tomorrow severe weather is expected once again with strong winds from the northwest. The mountains will remain covered in clouds all day and heavy snow fall to the valley floor.
THE LIFTS THAT ARE closed TODAY:
SECTEUR PEISEY-VALLANDRY : Delayed opening to be confirmed. Check at Station.
SECTEUR 1600 : SNOW PARK,
SECTEUR 1800 : Delayed opening to be confirmed. Check at Station.
SECTEUR 2000 : THP AIGUILLE ROUGE, , TS GRAND COL
SECTEUR VILLAROGER : TK RHONAZ
LIAISONS with other areas:
AIGUILLE ROUGE : Closed
TRANSARC 1 : Open TRANSARC 2 : Delayed
LIAISON ARCS 1600/1800 VERS ARCS 2000 : Delayed
LIAISON ARCS 2000/VILLAROGER : Delayed
VANOISE EXPRESS : Open
LIAISON MONTCHAVIN-LA PLAGNE : Open
THE BEST PISTE TODAY:
SECTEUR 1600 : CACHETTE
SECTEUR 1800 : FROIDE FONTAINE
SECTEUR 2000 : GOLF
SECTEUR PEISEY-VALLANDRY : RENARD
TIPS OF THE DAY:
The connecting lifts will open between the stations during the morning. Take advantage of the excellent snow conditions: light, powdery and cold while respecting the rules of prudence!!
Stay safe out there. Have a nice day!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Snowing again. Don't think it's going to stop. Most lifts open. Knee deep everywhere. Awesome, awesome, awesome.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
rob@rar,  Enjoy. Raining where I am thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Snow's a bit heavy for waist deep, but I did get a couple of face shots this morning. Can't remember when I last got that in Europe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
But thats why we picked feb as "on average" it should be a good month, just all these great pictures of lovely fresh snow look amazing. Great conditions would be spoilt on us anyway as we're still new to skiing 
