 Poster: A snowHead
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the traffic has steadily decreased throughout the day
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on Saturday the traffic going up to Les Saisies will steadily increase through till around 5 pm. It's the traffic density, combined with the weather conditions, which determine the call to insist on chains. It's forecast to snow solidly from now till Sunday morning, with significant accumulations.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We're heading down to Lyon from Saint Sorlin in Les Sybelles tomorrow morning...have a rental car with snow tires and chains. the driver doesn't have experience in driving in snowy conditions. any advice in getting down the mountain??? particularly wondering about how to safely get down switch backs with a good cliff off the side of the road. sound ridiculous but have never attempted this type of driving before.
some questions:
1. Under the weather conditions and considering that it's a transfer day, can we expect there to be alot of traffic and hence slow moving? Thankfully time isn't a constraint for us so slower is better!
2. When should we remove the snow chains. Was hard enough to get them on, really don't to take them off only to have to put them back on.
3. What's the etiquette on passing snow ploughs? stop and let them pass or just pull in as best you can?
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Fri 9-01-26 18:29; edited 1 time in total
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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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What's the etiquette on passing snow ploughs?
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don't overtake a snowplough. Not sure about when a snowplough looms up behind you! Use common sense, I suppose.
It's never easy to know when to take snowchains off, especially when you don't know the road very well. Later rather than sooner, I'd say! Try to have a big black poly bag to put them in - they won't go back in the box.
Good luck - it'll be fine, just take it easy and leave a big space in front of you.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Skifamily, if the plough has their blue light lit, it's illegal to overtake.
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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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particularly wondering about how to safely get down switch backs with a good cliff off the side of the road.
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One of the most important aspect (that's if you've not experienced it before) is to use transmission/gears to generally control the pace of vehicle. Thats not (to make it clear) as substitute for braking when really needed, but to select a lower ratio to just let the car control its pace without urgent need to apply brakes to control OVERALL speed.
If its a manual transmission, then its under driver's complete control. If automatic, you'll likely need to use the gear control to hold lower ratio (lesser gear number) by override if available.
Its generally less stressful controlling ultimate speed in this way and should give the most secure method in extreme circumstances. Keep an eye on following vehicles if they want to be faster, letting them pass you is sensible if road is suitable for them to do so, giving you less to be concerned about.
Sounds reasonably equipped , the car you have. Steady approach should give you safe journey.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks so much for the advice, info and thoughts all, really appreciate it.
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Descending a steepish hill in the dark in a snowstorm I was startled by an unfamiliar grinding noise and a juddering. I had no idea what was happening and my heart raced. It felt as though I had caught something hard under the car. It turned out to be the antilock braking system doing what it was designed to do, for the first time. Scared me to death though.
Do signal right and slow down on a stretch with good vis to allow a faster driver to overtake you. you will get a grateful flash of lights and it's useful to have somebody in front, lights to follow.
If you are following a snowplough, leave plenty of room in front, and be grateful. When they come towards you on the other carriageway with their wings spread they sometimes leave it quite late to fold them in..... hold your nerve. 
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@Astontech, AFAIK socks won't get you passed a police chains stop. Maybe I'm wrong, but socks are good, and chains are essential.
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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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AFAIK socks won't get you passed a police chains stop
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AFAIK they will..... and indeed, that's confirmed on the parallel "Menuires" thread. Sure, they can be damaged, or insecurely mounted and cause problems, but so can chains, especially cheap and nasty ones.
Snow socks that you feel confident to put on, and put on as soon as you feel any loss of traction (whether police demand it or not) are better than the chains which are still in the boot as you do a 180 skid and end up embedded in a pile of snow-ploughed concrete.
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| Origen wrote: |
Descending a steepish hill in the dark in a snowstorm I was startled by an unfamiliar grinding noise and a juddering. I had no idea what was happening and my heart raced. It felt as though I had caught something hard under the car. It turned out to be the antilock braking system doing what it was designed to do, for the first time. Scared me to death though.
Do signal right and slow down on a stretch with good vis to allow a faster driver to overtake you. you will get a grateful flash of lights and it's useful to have somebody in front, lights to follow.
If you are following a snowplough, leave plenty of room in front, and be grateful. When they come towards you on the other carriageway with their wings spread they sometimes leave it quite late to fold them in..... hold your nerve. |
Regarding your middle para, I’ve always done the same. Very sensible for all involved.
The one that sticks to mind was in ascending the Col du Lautaret in a snow storm, two French number plate hot hatches stuck behind me, I let them pass as soon as I could. They disappeared into the road upfront, appeared to be racing!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Skifamily wrote: |
3. What's the etiquette on passing snow ploughs? stop and let them pass or just pull in as best you can? |
I read this as, what do I do when a snowplough comes in the other direction? Not, can I zoom past because they're slow?
I think the answer is to just drive sensibly, and make space if you can safely do so (without marooning yourself in a snow bank).
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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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We detoured around a big bouchon in the south champagne district last week in snow. The detour was though through backcountry with completely hard packed snow/iced roads (350m elevation). It was a) very pretty b) very slow with a train of other detouring cars - UK and French, and c) very very slidey! Mrs Doccam commented after a few minutes how a merc 3 or 4 cars ahead could be coping. Right on cue it slowly span left, then right, then off the side into a ditch on a downhill slope. The Brit car ahead of me started braking and sliding so I tooted my horn for it to keep going- as did I after gently checking the brakes. I think I could have stopped but I’m damn sure the French guy behind me wouldn’t - he had been more or less in my boot for 5 miles looking for an overtaking opportunity (as one other white van had done earlier!)
It was a low speed accident and a Toyota hilux thing behind did stop so they had help. The French guy behind me did take the hint and dropped back on downhill sections.
We were on x-climates and had (newly bought!) snow socks in the boot but wasn’t inclined to put them on. There wasn’t any drama but there was definitely reduced downhill traction and if I’m on steeper alpine roads like that I’ll definitely be fitting socks.
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he had been more or less in my boot for 5 miles looking for an overtaking opportunity
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those are the guys I will get rid of by signalling right and slowing down (gently!) as soon as there's a stretch with decent visibility to pass. Sounds as though everybody in that scenario was driving a bit too close to the car in front!
the road scenario you describe (packed snow/ice) is very common and it makes me laugh when people insist that "they keep the roads clear" as though that means you'd be driving on tarmac. Roads which HAVE been ploughed can still have packed snow and ice weeks later when traffic is light.
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You know it makes sense.
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Top tips are use common sense.
Don’t drive close to the car in front.
Don’t brake into a corner like on a dry road. Brake early and on the straight.
Practice putting chains on before travelling.
Think, if you need to put on chains, think what clothes you would prefer to wear and travel in them or have them handy. Eg waterproof trousers or a mat to kneel on.
Good nitrile gloves are the Screwfix orange gloves. They have little nodules on the fingers to help you feel and put one on top of another.
Have your shovel handy, not under all your gear.
Make sure your screenwash is 2x the expected temp. Eg if it is going to be -8 then use some that is -15 at least.
Lidl have some -50 stuff that is stinking but better than a dirty screen
I use prestone extreme says good to -23c and it doesn’t stink. And remember, you are likely to use more screenwash so have a spare to top up.
If driving in the dark, clean your lights before you leave.
And clean the whole car of snow. Don’t be the person that only cleans the windows and then a roof full of snow slides off onto another car and hits their screen. That happens all the time here in Scotland.
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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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| those are the guys I will get rid of by signalling right and slowing down (gently!) as soon as there's a stretch with decent visibility to pass. Sounds as though everybody in that scenario was driving a bit too close to the car in front! |
Yep considered that. But road was narrow and to overtake meant going “off the racing line” so less traction. It was a bit hairy with the van going past earlier, and I didn’t fancy having a car beside me under acceleration and increased likelihood of me doing the waltz with him! Also didn’t fancy pulling over and losing traction.
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Poster: A snowHead
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no, indeed, can well understand that. The purist answer, of course, is that you should have put your snowsocks on! Once you are aware that your traction is dodgy, you know you should have done it earlier! Been there, had that feeling!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm a sailor - and have had the same feeling when aware that I'm over-canvassed but really don't fancy trying to reef...
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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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So, the K&K Pro snow socks went on this morning, when snow arrived earlier than forecast before our guests set off on their summer-shod tyres. Very easy indeed to put on, and I was glad I managed to persuade them to put the socks on: the driver was all for ‘giving it a go’ on the summers first. No problem at all on the steep exit to the car park and the hairpin before joining the main road. I reckon they wouldn’t have got more than 20m before getting wheel spin.
It can be really hard to convey to someone who has never been on summer tyres in snow, just how useless they can be, and just how quickly you can be left completely unable to move, other than backwards downhill.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Wed 28-01-26 19:08; edited 1 time in total
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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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You certainly only try it once, mine was aged 18 on a hill in the Cotswolds, managed a clean 180 while sliding backwards but there was a drop one side of the road, I got lucky. Idiotic.
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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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I filled up 27th Dec in a LeClerc in France with diesel. Stayed in Alpe D'Huez all week where it got to -12 overnight and it wouldn't start until I'd put a LOT of hot water all over the fuel system... Next year I will be putting in a bottle of additive...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I used Michelin easy-grip "rope-chains" in L2A last week over non-winter tyres - very impressed with the ease of use and the car's stability on snow.
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@Arpette, good to know. I've just bought some for a tenner from Vinted, thought they'd do a decent job if it snow at Easter
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| onefff wrote: |
| I filled up 27th Dec in a LeClerc in France with diesel. Stayed in Alpe D'Huez all week where it got to -12 overnight and it wouldn't start until I'd put a LOT of hot water all over the fuel system... Next year I will be putting in a bottle of additive... |
Try filling up in a Total and using ‘Excelium’. -18 the other morning and the van cranked up fine.
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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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| LaForet wrote: |
| It can be really hard to convey to someone who has never been on summer tyres in snow, just how useless they can be, and just how quickly you can be left completely unable to move, other than backwards downhill. |
True, but also: summer tires aren't just useless in the snow, they're useless in the cold. I took delivery of a pretty nice car one wet 40 degree day and damn near slid off the road on a normal 90 degree turn. I got away with it and it has stayed with me! Our weather here is pretty much like yours. I would only have summer tires on a toy car now, never an everyday driver.
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Reminding our Europeans that 40F is below 10C…
Two thoughts from me, from your B&Q or Leroy Merlin. 1. LM have a very wide selection of work gloves including rubberised, grippy nodules etc. Have a look and select a couple of pairs that you would use to handle frozen metal covered in snow. 2. If you look in the paint/decoration section, you’ll find a variety of plastic dust sheets, of varying price/thickness, nicely folded. Buy a not too thin one. If you park outside, put it over the front half of the car. Will save you a lot of trouble if it snows.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Little rant, but people with snow-sox and, to a certain degree, chains often cause a degree of frustration and subsequent carnage when driving selfishly, as I've witnessed a fair bit and one matriculation stands out, and it's not Ukranians 
We've had a fair few good dumps this week, and side roads have been snowbound until later in the day, so those wishing to drive to the ski area parking rather than take the navette leave their sox & chains on, and then get to the main road, and then proceed to drive at a snails pace, which then has various drivers behind them keen to overtake and that can also present issues.
Plus today and tomorrow will be even worse, as they keep them on for their departure, and leave them on for nigh on 12-15km up the valley road to the Col, as they know they'll probably have to have them to get over the last couple of km, so because of the hassle of fitting them they leave them on, and the bouchons build up, and people endanger themselves and others is a bid to get pass the guy going at 15km, as at that speed it could well take them an hour to get over the Col rather than 20mins.
My view if driving out get feckin snow-tyres, as do the vast % of sensible people it seems 
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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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You know it makes sense.
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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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Nowt wrong with Snow Socks. I used them on my T6 and got up to La Plagne a piece of cake in the heaviest snowfall of the year Jan9th. Took me about five minutes to put them on didn’t inconvenience anyone happy days. First time I’ve had cause to actually use them.
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FAQ
