 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking at the GM webcams looks like there will plenty for me to leave for you Stevo and plenty of nice sunshine too, could it be any better?!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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bling1981, January in the GM is my have time. Usually like it is now, hard fast well groomed pistes, and very few people. There will be times when you are the only person on a piste.
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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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Just finished our 10 day trip and now have to wait until Weds 25th to return. Current conditions....excellent. Pistes are grippy and well covered. A little bit slick in places but I'm being picky. Gers bowl utterly amazing today. Front face of Samoens off piste and blacks in amazing shape. Also found some very reasonable packed powder above the gron chair. Gullies under the vernant chair haven't a rock in sight and, as usual, the snow there is great. Also skied a number of off piste lines above Flaine today, all of which were well tracked but in great shape. In summary, taking the forecast into account, anyone coming out in the next few days is going to find excellent skiing. I don't want to appear greedy and selfish but I'd quite like the predicted snow for thursday and friday to materialise to set up my next trip. Great season so far. First 5 days skiing in blizzards either side of xmas and now 5 days sun.
Info for those that fancy a little something out of the ordinary...the refuge de Bostan tornay is open and manned. 2 hour snow shoe or skin from Les Allemands and untracked powder skiing to die for...all with a genuine wilderness feel.
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chrisheath, Thanks for the update... travel tomorrow... Monday first ski day.
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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.
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Good conditions all around the areas I ventured today
Dropped in to Flaine but didn't go around it. Even the run under grand vans was the best I have ever seen
A bit icy in places but no complaints here. As said before hard fast ppistes.
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(New poster here - thanks to all for your information, which I've been reading as a lurker. Now I'll contribute!)
My frame of reference is minimal here, as I am just starting out skiing in France. My previous experience is in Colorado, and that has been in some of the best snow of the century due to some nice coincidences. So anyway, I will try not to compare to Rockies powder and just supply some data.
I spent the day (Sunday, January 15, 2012 - perfect temps, -5 to -1, bright sun, almost no wind) in a rough triangle between Samoens-Flaine-Sixt and back to Samoens by bus. Did Les Cascades through from the top once (a little poling but not awful up top; the soft snow and ample bowl/off piste opportunities on the top 1/3 made it worth it) and once after crossing Zeolite into the Gers bowl. That bowl, by the way, is up there with Vail's back bowls in terms of size, and it was soft and gentle today, full of natural half-pipes and mounds and such that had me laughing with glee as I goofed my way down it. And virtually empty of people.
Note that if you try to link Gers bowl to Les Cascades you are going to be walking for about 5-800 meters along the Lac de Gers leading up(!) to la pepiniere refuge.
Lower 1/4 to 1/5 of Cascades was icy by my standards. I was working hard to keep skis under control.
It was my first experience with the Cascades bus. It's a bit every-man-for-himself and when I was a good fellow and waited my turn I got left.
In Samoens, I skiied velarge, plateau, forry down to the Saix gondola. Awesome up higher, groomed but still soft. There was a LOT of ice down below. Haven't seen ice like that since New Hampshire. Saw some unhappy boarders.
The big open slopes leading from Tete des Saix down to Flaine - tourmaline, etc - were great up high. Views, space, good groomed but soft snow. Down below Grand Vans lift, heaven have mercy. I was there twice, once early in the morning once early in the afternoon, and it was bad. Huge numbers of people, many not in control, steep and choppy/icy terrain. That little corner at that moment (sunny, beautiful Sunday) was bad. But after 5 minutes (7 in the afternoon) waiting for the Grandes Platieres gondola, I got out of there and back up to the Cascades/Ger area.
Tomorrow I was going to go someplace else (exploring areas in a decent driving distance from Geneva) but I might head straight back to enjoy the continued sun on a Monday, spend a bit of time in the Flaine bowls which looked like great fun in the afternoon.
I can generally ski most terrain in good conditions. This morning I found that the ungroomed stuff was covered with a nearly unskiiable (for me, and it seemed everyone else) ice crust: it looked great, but you went out on it and it was a clattery mess that scooted you straight back onto the groomers. This is normal for the area, I guess? In the afternoon, and in the Gers bowl, it had softened up and become great to ski in.
My take is that the Grand Massif has a wonderful range of skiing on a huge variety of terrain, as varied as the giant resorts of the Rockies, but it could use some more fresh snow (duh, who couldn't?). Also, there's some ugly bottlenecking down near the base of Flaine.
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Welcome to the GM ski area. When it's been some while since a snow fall you need to take note of the aspect of the slope if you want good off piste. The top face of Samoens, under the Grand vans chair, lindars nord, gers and the cliff area skiers left of the DMC all face north and hold their snow quality. Much of the top of Flaine is also ok if you don't want perfect powder. Normally the area around the Aup de Veran gondola is good too but as its out of action it's not as straightforward to get over there as usual. Other faces are often ok at certain times. However after a relatively warm Thursday last week, the south facing slopes went through a thaw-freeze cycle....so they're rock hard. Often they become q sporting in the afternoons with a little softening but this last weekend the air temps were low so they didn't soften at all...not even in the late pm. Good for removing fillings and preparing for bad touring conditions.....
Stuck in the UK doing some work but it looks like more snow Thurs-Sun. Back on Jan 25th.
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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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Was out there on Saturday and Sunday and would endorse everything chrisheath, says. Picking up on Genevirginian and chrisheath, reply, you can get to the top of the Egg (Aup de Veran) by using Mephisto Superieure off the top of the DMC (turn right) and keeping to the left towards the end. To avoid a slight uphill do the black off the Lindars chair and head to the left of the top of the Egg. On Saturday at about 10.30 the offpiste was lovely and soft, not at all crusty. It's north facing so isn't so vulnerable to the freeze/thaw pattern.
Skiing conditions are about as good as I have seen them in 4 years of going to the GM regularly.
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Clare_M, If you want any detailed advice on Montsoleil let me know - that's where I always stay.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Conditions today (Monday, January 16, 2012) in the GM were delightful under my skis but coooooold. Things warmed up in the sun (I was wearing a black jacket) but overall, brr. There is no new snow, but the cold temps let them make some cover in the icier bottlenecks and kicked up snow is falling back on the trail as soft stuff. I was able to get off piste more than I was yesterday, and was well rewarded for it (Flaine bowls, stuff off Les Cascades, Morillon). Fewer people on a Monday, of course, which was nice. People were shocking nice. I got mixed up on the bus timetable from Morillon-Samoens, and while discovering that I was going to have to wait an hour for the bus, a French woman offered to drive me to Samoens herself, since she and her group were going that way anyway. (This is inconsistent with warnings I've received about French attitudes towards English speakers - even if they're trying to speak French - in the Alps.) And a Scandinavian guy (some glottal nordic language, not sure which one) who accidentally sprayed me with snow while I was eating my sandwich was extremely apologetic, and his skiing comrades were actually angry at him for his carelessness. Samoens locals were chatty with me on the gondola up (who knew you're limited to one concubine and one spouse on your family lift pass?) and the lonely lift operators in Sixt were positively effusive. All that with beautiful sun and packed/windblown powder everywhere, and I had a lucky GM day.
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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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Now looks like a heavy snowfall this coming weekend is a certainty and not just a snow-forecast 9day speculative myth. The long range forcasts seem to have been pretty reliable this season. Anyway here's to the snow dropping as promised and perhaps continuing for several days (there i go with that selfish nature again....)
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chrisheath, arrive on saturday for a week.......... 
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You know it makes sense.
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Just back from an unplanned long weekend in Flaine
Conditions great - snow holding up - bright sunny days - no crowds but sooooo cold (-18 deg C in the shade early morning)
Agree with Genevirginian about the bottom of Tourmaline - major problem area that needs to be sorted - too many people, too fast, out of control
Saw piste patrol treating at least 3 people here over the 3 days!
That said, should have seen it 5 years ago
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Looks like there will be some precipitation the next day or three; the weather gnomes are predicting that at least some of it will be rain, though. Trying to decide if it's worth it to drive over on Saturday in spite of forecasts of fog/snow/rain. I'll probably wait until Saturday morning to decide.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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stevo_the_saddler, That gulley under the vernant lift? usually has really nice snow as it faces north, you can go around the side of it as well if its full of people who wished they hadn't and go in near the bottom, just dodge the bushes!
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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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In poor weather conditions Avoriaz has the same problems as Flaine... lifts closed due to wind, no trees to give visibility. There is some lower skiing to be had at Les Gets and Morzine but I don't personally think this is as interesting as the stuff at Morillon and Les carroz. I'd tend to wait for a nice day to go to the Portes du Soleil. When you do go, as Stevo says, the Perrieres lift in Les Gets is only 20 minutes away and gives good access to Les gets (Mont Chery is great) and Morzine. If you want to do Avoriaz or the "circuit" then I'd recommend driving a bit further..Morzine itself or better still Prodains at the bottom of the Avoriaz cable car or Les Lindarets where the Ardent gondola starts. That way you can enjoy the skiing over there without the long haul back and walk across Morzine. I'm back on Weds and looking at that snowfall. Snow forecast is predicting some rain but, as I have told them, they tend to get the freezing level wrong in the Giffre valley with snow much lower than they predict. Also Chamonix valley (the all new weather page) is predicting snow much lower down. I also see that there's snow forecast for next week too. What will be will be. Looking forward to enjoying some fresh stuff. January doesn't usually get too busy and bad weather keeps the crowds away. Lads only trip next week so will be found drinking in various Samoens bars. Also planning an evening climb to the Bostan refuge for anyone whose ski legs aren't exhausted.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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weird, i used to live in bromsgrove and went school with chris heath (although he lives in redditch!)
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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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| cantridepete wrote: |
| weird, i used to live in bromsgrove and went school with chris heath (although he lives in redditch!) |
Never lived in Redditch. School was in Evesham. Bromsgrove is OK, Worcestershire countryside is nice. Samoens is better. Usually manage at least a day skiing in Cham each season, glacier and climbing there in the summer. MB should be on everyone's list to climb once. Giving some thought to carrying the skis up next time. Descent to the 1st Aiguille de midi cable car station allegedly not too taxing (with a guide!)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Well Hello Fellow GM skiers. Just joined the site, though I've been aware of it for ages. I've been swinging my handbag in the North American skidiva site for a couple of years, but thought I'd join Snowheads today so I could mope to sympathetically minded folk about a. being at work and b. the magnificent snow currently falling on your heads over in France.
The most frustrating thing is that for the last 2 seasons (09/10 and 10/11), we rented a place in Les C for the season. We are under 15 mins from Gatwick and loved zooming over for a couple of days at a time. Easyjet's 9.30pm flight home is great-we could even go for the day if we felt totally decadent....(we didn't!). Really loved the place though felt very let down by the dire snow last year. My mission was to have cracked off piste technique by April 11, but as it was I used my fatties for 1 day plus a couple of hours!
And now....grrrrr! Oh.. to whack on my fat skis and come and play with you all this weekend and early next week! Though next weekend looks like it might be good now-the blooming Geneva Motor show is on...price of one way ticket last time I looked next Friday...£404! and return on Sunday £200 or so...
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Looks like another good snowfall yesterday in Morillon and the GM 
Not long now till I'm out there again.
Does anyone know if there is an ATM in Morillon village itself, ie not Les Esserts please?
Or would Samoens be the nearest?
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Yes there is an ATM in village . From where you come into village turn left towards gondola and it's on righthandside. Not far along.
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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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| snowmam wrote: |
| Yes there is an ATM in village . From where you come into village turn left towards gondola and it's on righthandside. Not far along. |
Outside the ESF offices
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I'm driving in to Samoens on Monday. What are the road conditions like? Are chains required on the road from Cluses to Samoens?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi, Just joined Snowheads. Heading to Flaine 28/01, looking good at the moment!! BUT, just looked at the Chamonix Meteo site (link from Flaine weather page) and its suggesting a Foehn wind towards the end of the week. Anyone know how bad that gets on th GM? Been in the TV when it blew and it was horrible, bad tempers, hot and more like water skiing.
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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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Thanks snowmam and marcellus
Thought there was, just couldn't place it.
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jellylegs, if the roads aren't clear - then yes, but it isn't that often. An alternative route is to leave the A40 just after you go through the toll booths (almost immediately) and take the Evian road, then head for the D907 (look on Googlemaps) and come up the valley that way through Taninges. It's a much more gradual climb and not as high, so less likely to be troublesome. Also saves you the last toll (approx 1.8 Euros or half a frothy coffee in real terms)
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You know it makes sense.
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| stevo_the_saddler wrote: |
| jellylegs, if the roads aren't clear - then yes, but it isn't that often. An alternative route is to leave the A40 just after you go through the toll booths (almost immediately) and take the Evian road, then head for the D907 (look on Googlemaps) and come up the valley that way through Taninges. It's a much more gradual climb and not as high, so less likely to be troublesome. Also saves you the last toll (approx 1.8 Euros or half a frothy coffee in real terms) |
Yes, I'll probably take that route along the valley verte but I was just wondering whether there's much snow on the roads around tanninges or whether it's falling as rain in the valley.
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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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Saturday 21st Jan
Just arrived, lots of very wet snow in village, rain just turning to sleet at village level, hopefully lots of snow at top
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Poster: A snowHead
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carroz, when we left this morning excellent snow in LC, bit of a scary trek on my first chain drive down until almost bottom of the valley but others without chains were keeping the speed of everyone down.
Would have loved to stay a few days more to enjoy that excellent powder. Im sure you will make the most of it all 
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cran
cran
Guest
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| jellylegs wrote: |
| I'm driving in to Samoens on Monday. What are the road conditions like? Are chains required on the road from Cluses to Samoens? |
Not usually. Only if the roads aren't clear and you don't have winter tyres.
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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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Clare_M, Gutted that the Jouvence is booked as we thought everything about it was great. Except pool and pool area was a bit cool, but the steam room was amazing lovely menthol flavour. excellent place, miss it already and we only left 12 hours ago. There used to be a snowhead who owned a place he hired out in montsoleil. i will have a scan through and try and find him.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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cran, we had snow tyres but would not like to have done it without chains.
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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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Back form a fantastic week in Samoens snowboarding. Unfortunaly i left on the thursday evening and missed the fresh snow that fell, always the way for me exactly the same happened last year. But to be fair the whole week under blue skies and sunshine was great and the snow on piste was fantastic. Only problem was close to the end of the day the ice was building up on the slower slopes like Marmottes.
Id say the best snow was over in Flaine, it was deserted during the week and we had the red runs pretty much to ourselves and no problems with ice over there ;0)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| bling1981 wrote: |
Id say the best snow was over in Flaine, it was deserted during the week and we had the red runs pretty much to ourselves and no problems with ice over there ;0) |
It usually is, that's why they built it When it gets rough or gnarly elsewhere you can usually find reasonable snow in the higher reaches of the Flaine bowl. Flaine isn't pretty but I don't go for the architecture.
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Sunday 22nd jan
Its a bit warm!! and foggy.
Lots of snow, but its all a bit heavy. Spent all of day in les carroz and morillon as trees means you can see. Tried some off piste low down, but so heavy needed to go straight down in places!
No queues at all, not very busy, even for a sunday
now getting sunny, but still very warm.
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carroz, Have a good week - I look forward to your reports
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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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Monday 23rd Jan
Much colder this morning, went to tete des saix, run down marmottes then grand cret down to vercland, er...... ungroomed and icy rubble! was nice at the top with some new snow, then bare patches. With new skis i was careful!! Did marmottes a few times and chamois off tete des saix.
No queues at all all day,lunchtime it was deserted!!
Aim was to go to flaine, but gers was shut and with lovely snow under vernant lift, spent most of day offpiste around here, doing mogulled red down to the lift in the sun sometimes to warm up a bit. Les carroz on way home in afternoon was rather foggy and cold. timalets was excellent as ever......new skis started to work properly...
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I found at lunchtime last week there was almost nobody on some pistes.
The last part of the run to Morillon was also icy rubble. New skis have some battle scars after only one week. Oh well.
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FAQ
