 Poster: A snowHead
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@BobinCH, The theme of most of these days tend to be "Jaysis lads, we're lucky to be where we are, could be working in Slough". Super morning, the weekend dump means we're probably gonna be able to tour locally still for a few weeks yet...Twas a bit of a sprint to get up before the sun, but made it with seconds to spare to whip out the phones.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| coddlesangers wrote: |
| @BobinCH, The theme of most of these days tend to be "Jaysis lads, we're lucky to be where we are, could be working in Slough". Super morning, the weekend dump means we're probably gonna be able to tour locally still for a few weeks yet...Twas a bit of a sprint to get up before the sun, but made it with seconds to spare to whip out the phones. |
Haven’t done anything around the lake for last couple of years as we just haven’t had a decent base. It’s special when you can do it though as is clear from your photos! What altitude are you starting / finishing at? We need snow at 900m
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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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We're a bit higher, parking at 1200m, tops out at 1670, the recent snow has made it skiiable down to probably 1100m at a stretch.... best loop here is an 8km round trip from st cergue to barillette , on up to la dole then back to St cergue....
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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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Climbed the Obergabelhorn from the Zermatt side back in the 80's, long day! Great pics 
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Had a great tour yesterday. Col de Evettes with some extra bits.
Last one of the season for me but I’m very happy how my first season with skins has gone.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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17th and final day touring for 2025. Once again we were up on Gestelgrat, above Mennigrund.
We walked in for around half an hour putting skins on at 1510m elevation.
Lovely sunshine with a very cool breeze following us from the North. Perfect spring conditions to finish our season.
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Last tour for me yesterday. 49 days touring this year. Probably around 60,000m vert (I stopped counting at 50k  ). Excited to be putting the splitboard away and getting back to running and cycling.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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@Weathercam, I realise it's blasphemy to say, and I'm extremely fortunate to be in this position. But typically by April I've had enough skiing for the year and am ready to move onto something else. If I was living permanently somewhere with touring options in April I'd probably continue to do the odd day too. But after a full season on snow it's just not worth the travel and associated costs for me personally to extend the season further.
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@boarder2020, yes, taking each day as it comes is a luxury, and mixing cycling and skiing from one day to another can also present other options.
In these shots from today, you can see how good the snow cover is on W facing aspects and right down to the valley floor, however beyond the valley to lookers left it faces more S/SE and snow suddenly runs dry to the road, so you can drive around in the afternoon, park up, take the bike out and have an hours ride & 750m and then ski the next day back to get the van
Above my mate there is 450m of perfect W facing snow waiting to transform at the right time and superb terrain.
And now is also the time when people are going to the Alps at altitude for ski-mountaineering, as well as some with an eye on skiing Mont Blanc and others, so having to acclimatise.
I presume on your trip to Cham etc that you were not prepared to stump up the €70 or so for the Aiguille du Midi or the Skyway, choosing instead to bootpack from 1,400m to 3,000m and chapeau for that, but mates* have the season all sector pass which with early season discount (actually cheaper than our Serre season pass  ) and that simply opens up so many interesting options.
*As they hold down jobs in the UK have a number of weeks in Jan then do weekends and further weeks in March and April, but yes they are able to throw money at it.
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You know it makes sense.
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…talking of Lofoten, the season’s been open since mid Feb but by all accounts, had a terrible start, a fantastic middle but the past couple of weeks have been variable. Plenty of cover but recent rain means death crust in places. A classic day yesterday courtesy of @offpisteskiing, once again:
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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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| Quote: |
I presume on your trip to Cham etc that you were not prepared to stump up the €70 or so for the Aiguille du Midi or the Skyway, choosing instead to bootpack from 1,400m to 3,000m and chapeau for that, but mates* have the season all sector pass which with early season discount (actually cheaper than our Serre season pass ) and that simply opens up so many interesting options.
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I've been off the midi 3 times already. Including Breche Puiseaux over to mallet glacier. The standard Vallee Blanche routes are mogul fields. There are nice lines off tacul but afaik it's not in yet, certainly a few days ago from all the talk was nobody had been up there to ski it yet. It's been really windy the last few days you wouldn't have wanted to be up high, but maybe you can enlighten me what great lines off the midi I'm missing?
It was a peak/line we saw from another day out we thought looked interesting so wanted to go and do (despite of the snow which we had very low expectations for!). We did it from the valley for a couple of reasons;
- Going up the same way we could scope out the route, there are a few different lines down so was nice to be confident in knowing where to go. Also see what condition the snow is in.
- The alternative route to get there from the lifts is in awful condition (we did it a few days before and it's just ice and frozen crud).
- We had the whole day, 1600m is a nice amount for a day tour. We are in good shape, it's not a hardship. (I followed it up with a 17km trail run the day after so you can see it was not overly fatiguing).
It had nothing to do with cost of lift pass. I think alpinist pass is only 35euros now.
We got a few chalky turns higher up that were reasonably nice, it's north facing and quite sheltered. But quickly turned to refrozen crud that was like concrete. Guess the wind was enough for it not to soften up at all until lower down where it became a slush fest dodging rocks.
A good day, but not good conditions.
Like I say, you can have too much of a good thing. Im ready to put away the splitboard now, my motivation is fairly low. I'm sure if conditions were epic it would be different. But with conditions how they are I was far more excited to get out for trail running today than another day of splitboarding.
Next year I have plans for some higher altitude stuff in Spring. But for this year I'm done, and I'm fine with that. It's been a great season for me, probably around 60k metres touring and more bottomless powder days than most people get in their life. Excited to move onto something different and don't really feel like I'm missing out.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Sharkymark, oh ffs, fresh snow and sun again  enjoy!
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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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At least the light’s good even when the conditions are poo-poo haha
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@boarder2020, this is in my neck of the woods 10km from me and two days ago.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1AMtEZ9sum/
Like I say this is the time of year that pure alpinistes thrive as conditions are so good enabling them to boot pack steeps in "safe/stable" condition, abseiling into lines that the likes of me don't have the experience to do solo and with others.
Though I've been fortunate to do some shite like that in the past with guides.
These guys know where to find good snow in protected couloirs etc
Good friend I was touring with yesterday said she was skiing great cold snow off the back on N faces from 2900 down to 2400 then climbing back and descending down on Spring, like she said this time of year delivers so many options.
So please don't infer the season is over, for many it's just starting.
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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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@Weathercam, I'm not really sure what you are getting so worked up about. I'm well aware that is is possible to ski for a lot longer if people really want (I have friends who will be skiing in August this year in the northern hemisphere).
I followed @Rogerdodger, post saying it was his last day touring, you don't seem to care that he also finished
I never said the season is over, simply my season is over and I'll be putting away the splitboard to focus on other things. A large part of that, as I said, was due to the fact I've done a lot of days and am a bit bored and ready to move onto something different.
I'm not sure what showing a top professional mountaineer in a different area has in relation to me, a normal person with average skills in chamonix where it's generally acknowledged (at least by everyone locally maybe not people on the internet ) that conditions aren't great. I've asked you and others that keep telling me there is great conditions here I'm missing to tell me a line or zone to check out where I can find better snow and none of you have managed to name 1! Even a lot of locals are putting away the skis and getting their mountain bikes out (again some of it is simply they've had enough of skiing for the year, although if there was knee deep powder I suspect they'd still be skiing).
I have actually had a pretty good time here. While conditions have not been great, they have been "sufficient" to do most of the stuff I've wanted to do, and pretty much inline with what I expected. (Some things were not possible due to lack of snow, for example Aguille D'Argentierre). If I wanted powder this isn't where I'd come looking for it!
That includes plenty of bootpacking and a few rappels. Ironically you telling me about your friend bootpacking sheltered north faces at that altitude is exactly what you yourself described me doing 2 days ago. I can promise you conditions here were not that good, there was certainly no interest in going back up for a other lap!
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| boarder2020 wrote: |
| @Weathercam, I'm not really sure what you are getting so worked up about. I'm well aware that is is possible to ski for a lot longer if people really want... |
Well maybe you forget how you riled a few people in the Chamonix thread by dissing the area and snow conditions and that there was not a lot to do there...
| boarder2020 wrote: |
| I was also in brev-fleg yesterday. Pistes already slushy by noon, off piste awful. I quite like a bit of slush so somewhat enjoyable, but it's hardly "great conditions" right now in Chamonix like some of you guys are making out. Went up Mont Buet today and snow there also awful, track out bare in many places, had to hike out. I've got another 5 days here but am already looking at trail running options because lift pass is simply not worth the current conditions. Even the touring areas are pretty poor right now. Let's see if the snow comes this weekend, it will take a bit to help and probably won't last long even if it comes as simply too hot and sunny. |
And this just in from a mate who is a very average skier and was taken on a tour yesterday by a mate who knows where to go etc...
Col des Dards, up and then down
Great to have such a kind and patient guide. Thank you Bing! Awesome to summit and look down the other side. What a day? Tough, still using the old skis - heaviest on the planet.
And I messaged him to say bet he enjoyed it and his response was
You know me too well, yes was was having orgasms all the way down and it'll keep me going for a long time.
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| Sharkymark wrote: |
…talking of Lofoten, the season’s been open since mid Feb but by all accounts, had a terrible start, a fantastic middle but the past couple of weeks have been variable. Plenty of cover but recent rain means death crust in places. A classic day yesterday courtesy of @offpisteskiing, once again:
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Looks fab! Next on the list…
The new Chamonix 
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@Weathercam, the people in the Chamonix weather conditions thread were making out conditions were fantastic in resort - which in my opinion is a huge overstatement. I never said there was "nothing to do".
I've been on the col des dards ridge 3 times in the last 2 weeks (doing different cols/peaks and lines though). There are a few ok turns to be had on the upper section of the north sides. South side could be some nice spring snow if timed right, but skiing col des dards not particularly interesting and hardly a "tour" by my standards (around 400m gain I think). Like I said I didn't come to chamonix for (or expecting) great snow, I'd rather ski an interesting line in "ok" conditions than a boring line in good spring conditions. I just had 2 months of bottomless powder 25-30 degree slopes so came here for something different.
You are your mate are welcome to come out to central Asia next year and I'll show you around and what "good" conditions really look like. If he thinks col des dards right now is orgasmic he might explode with the experience of some real powder
a lot of it is simply subjective personal opinions. As someone that tours a lot and gets to ride a lot of powder I'm probably more picky in what I consider good conditions and an interesting tour.
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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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I’m being a bit dim here.
How do I turn on the red 30 degree plus layer now on geoportail.gouv.fr?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| MAthert wrote: |
Had a great tour yesterday. Col de Evettes with some extra bits.
Last one of the season for me but I’m very happy how my first season with skins has gone. |
Nice !
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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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@altis, looking at the map just out of interest, I see that there is a trail that does not take such a steep line as the ski-tour route, and has less exposed terrain above it?
But I would not base my decision just on a map, though suspect as you climb up you'll be better placed to make the call; it does look like a nice route etc
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You know it makes sense.
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| altis wrote: |
I’m being a bit dim here.
How do I turn on the red 30 degree plus layer now on geoportail.gouv.fr? |
Left hand panel...
Données Thematiques > Description du territoire > Carte des pentes
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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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@BobinCH, what damage is today’s front doing your way? It’s been pissing down at sea level here but we were very surprised to find snow falling above 400m. Actually had quite a good ski and quit whilst we were ahead. A lot of soggy folk round here now. Tomorrow is a PROPER storm.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Absolute scenes and today’s summit. Banging view
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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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@Sharkymark, that's the kind of view I remember
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Christopher, bingo! Thanks for that.
The Olizane guide says “conditions stables indispensables” which put me off a bit, but then his route goes up the, slightly steeper, LHS of the stream. Anyway, we’ve bottled out and have moved our booking back to Sunday with no problem.
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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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| Sharkymark wrote: |
| @BobinCH, what damage is today’s front doing your way? It’s been pissing down at sea level here but we were very surprised to find snow falling above 400m. Actually had quite a good ski and quit whilst we were ahead. A lot of soggy folk round here now. Tomorrow is a PROPER storm. |
3 degrees and rain. Looks very soggy out there  some guys were climbing one of the couloirs below Storgalten but didn’t look like a good idea to me so we sat it out.
Loads of precipitation and temps coming back down Thursday night so refueling day and saving ourselves for Friday / Saturday.
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I’ve always fitted skins from the fixed end towards the springy end whichever way round that is.
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@kitenski, main issue I can see is you would be pressing the skin into the ski against the grain, as it were. I smooth the skins down to ensure a good fit, not sure how you do that back to front.
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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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@altis, ta!
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@kitenski, in horizontal wind and rain it really doesn’t matter
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FAQ
as off to Norway in 2 weeks!
