 Poster: A snowHead
|
Back yesterday from a week. As @Iwouldlikethings says they had done a pretty good job of keeping the area skiable when the snow layer is pretty thin with grass even showing through in places. At least the low temperatures keep it there, there was even lying snow in Megeve village though not St Gervais. It was mostly pretty crunchy though, not sure whether that was because of previous freeze-thaw cycles or because the top was mostly artificial. A few ice patches did emerge as the day went on, I assume because the looser snow on top became scraped and exposed ice created a few weeks ago.
Much the same in Les Contamines, though more evidence of previous ice. The steep pitch of Croix (where @jedster had his too-close encounter with the military last year) was quite horrible, one big block of hard-frozen snow covered by a "gravel" of ice chunks.
Rochebrune sector had some places where the pisteurs had clearly struggled to do anything, in places they couldn't make artificial snow there wasn't enough to work with. Cote 2000 best, but fairly icy. En route I did try to say hello to @Idris at Alpette but he was out on a call - what he is there for after all.
Interestingly, after the change of management the runs down to the Princesse mid-station were in the best condition for several years. They were boosting things with artificial snow at the bottom, but they will need more if further snow doesn't arrive soon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
@j b, still early, but Bergfex is predicting more snow arrives from Thursday and hopefully a substantial amount over next weekend...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@mullins, yes I know, but we were watching the forecast the last few weeks before going and it always seemed there was forecast snow a week away but that disappeared on the forecast by the time the date arrived. Anyway we are looking for news of actual snow before booking our next trip, aiming for late Jan/early Feb before French half term.
It was the first time we had skied New Year and things were clearly busy. Quite a long queue waiting for the first gondola up at 8.30 but that cleared surprisingly quickly, the new gondolas are clearly much more efficient to load. During the day most places OK but often something of a queue at the Mont Joux chair, the Mont d'Arbois gondola in Megeve, and the Nants chair in St G - the latter justifying their upgrade, hardly anyone used the old two-man chair it replaced.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Out tomorrow for 5 days.
Hopefully by day 3 we will have fresh snow
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@j b, I hear ya. I was monitoring in December, and ended up booking a Friday morning and driving down that day. Ended up going to L2A as snow was better then closer resorts to me...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
First time in Megeve, just arrived, staying near the base of the Princesse gondola.
Got 5 and 7 yo kids who are strong skiers but do get knocked around by the weather, which is clearly coming.
Any tips for where to ski in poor weather, and harvest some fresh snow adjacent to the piste?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Chamwow, I've got to say you will have to play it by ear tomorrow and Friday given the forecast. However you are in the right location for skiing among trees, all the runs down to the Princesse mid-station qualify (and by Saturday there might be the continuations to the bottom, not that those are that exciting). And from the top of Princesse you can also get straight on to Finance blue down to Bettex and Chateluy green similar.
But depending on the amount of snow that actually arrives any of those are likely to develop moguls during the day, and some might be closed by the pisteurs.
With luck, by Sunday everything should be opening up again, and in better nick than we experienced last week (though most places were skiable).
Good luck!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Skied cote2000 yesterday and Les Contimens today, glorious blue sky and snow was good but by god was it cold.
Heading to le Jaillet tomorrow to shelter from the weather
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@j_b, Thanks yes it felt like a good spot to be for this storm, we will move over to Cham when it’s cleared. Sadly both kids have been up all night with a stomach bug so it will just be me today after I go and sort out the Ikon passes, guess it’s good for me to have a recce before we get out there with the kids.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Chamwow, where in France are Ikon passes working now? I missed this news...
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Megeve & Cham in France, also Zermatt, Aosta, Dolomiti Superski, St Moritz, Grandvalira, 5 days each on Ikon Base or 7 on Full Ikon.
Ikon Base was a $500 add-on to my Mt Buller season pass, which is about 280e, so a screaming deal given I’ll use 4-5 days at each of Megeve, Cham, Zermatt and Aosta on this trip and also thinking about Mammoth and Snowbird over Easter, value is off the charts especially considering I get great value out of my Buller SP as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Chamwow wrote: |
| ... I’ll use 4-5 days at each of Megeve, Cham, Zermatt and Aosta on this trip ... |
Sounds an exciting trip. Post a report when it's over!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Chamwow, that season pass at e280 is a screaming deal! I think it's paid e240 in L2A for 4 days and will pay e280 for St Gervais for a week!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
@j_b - not that exciting with a 5 & 7yo in tow, we did far cooler stuff in Cham, La Grave etc before having kids!
@mullins yes it's amazing. We've already had a week in Piedmont after the Retour d'Est and a couple of days in Briancon and what we were paying for tickets was starting to grate a bit knowing we had Ikon passes for the rest of our trip. Especially with what we were paying for our 7yo, she barely got a discount at plenty of places. I don't mind paying a day ticket at a good resort for a full day of skiing but when you're compromised by the kids it's a different story. Felt much better dinking around Megeve for a couple of hours today knowing it cost peanuts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Currently based in Le Fayet d'En Haut and have been skiing out of Saint Gervais since Sunday (yesterday we went over to Megeve, otherwise it's been the terrain between Bettex and Mont Joly).
Weather has been excellent all week with clear blue skies and not much wind. The snow from last week's dump is holding up well - a bit hard and clattery very first thing, but it improves rapidly as it warms up and the pistes are well groomed. Coverage gets very patchy below Bettex however, so despite seeing a couple of brave souls trying to get down the run to Saint Gervais proper earlier today, it's really not a good idea.
The forecast is for some light snow tomorrow evening (Thursday) and then some heavier falls going in to the weekend, so the rest of January into early-Feb looks to be very promising.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Thanks @silburnl, and welcome to the forum.
We have been following the forecast having held off booking our next trip, and been frustrated by the way snow seems constantly to be forecast about 6 days hence and then disappears as the date gets closer. At the moment the best bet is for the middle of next week. However if the base is as good as you say even light snow at the weekend should be good.
I think the run down from Bettex is rarely enjoyable, it seems to be there just to make a point that St Gervais town is a ski base. They do seem to keep it topped up with artificial snow though, it is usually open throughout French half term.
Le Fayet d'en Haut is an interesting place to stay. Do they still run a navette up that way? It always mostly carried people up from Le Fayet proper, and I rather assumed it would stop - or at least get much less frequent - now the gondola connection is running.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
There is a stop near by where we are staying but I don't know the frequency as we've just been driving over and getting the bubble up to Bettex. There's plenty of parking around the Alpin station and we've not had a problem finding a spot - we've been getting there a little before nine each morning and there's been plenty of spaces.
We had some snow today a little after midday but only at high altitude (the runs around Epaule and Mont Joly) - don't know how long it lasted as we were below it by about 2:00 and didn't go back, only one of us had goggles and the light was totally flat up there, so the skiing had to be done by feel.
Further down the light was better, but the loss of the blue skies we had up until yesterday was a bit of a bummer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 back from a first time trip to Megève for a long weekend - lucked out obviously with relative cold and a completely open ski area, as far as I could tell. Some lovely tree-lined skiing. Clearly the area hasn't seen the lift investment many other resorts have, which has its nostalgic charms for a short time (though slow non-detachable chairs tested patience after a few round trips!). Must infuriate the season pass holders though?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Tried the new Combloux gondola for the first time on Sunday, it worked well. At first sight the queue for it looked like it would take a long time to clear but the lifties were doing a good job of filling the cabins and was on to it quickly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
I liked the slots in the floor that held your skis in place.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
@rjs, does that start from the big car park up the hill?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Origen wrote: |
| @rjs, does that start from the big car park up the hill? |
Yes, it is just above the Cry car park, it is a direct replacement for a detachable 4 seat chair.
Was able to use one of the free days elsewhere provided with the Espace Diamant season pass.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Jonny996 wrote: |
| I liked the slots in the floor that held your skis in place. |
Agreed, we tried the lift for the first time last week and that was the feature that impressed. They are pretty good looking cabins too.
We had the best snow we've experienced in that sector, and had fun pootling around those gentle uncrowded tree-lined slopes. But it can get pretty slushy down there (bottom is below 1200m) and I wonder whether the intention is to provide a download option when the snow is only decent higher up. It will presumably also let them tap the mountain bike trade in the summer, though it only goes half way up the hill.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
I wonder whether the intention is to provide a download option when the snow is only decent higher up
|
I'd be really interested to know that too. I thought I saw something on the French blog that was posted somewhere on here (can't remember if it was on this thread or another) that suggested that downloading wouldn't be available but I couldn't understand why.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@NatalieG, nobody was downloading when we were there, but obviously there was no reason to. I think access to the top station is just about possible from one red run (Bouquetin) as things are, and could be easily improved. It would probably need some tree felling and earth moving to make a route down for blue piste skiers though, which would obviously be ideal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
