 Poster: A snowHead
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@michmike, thanks  had a day off today but back out first thing in the morning although starting/finishing from Morillon Village (probably up via Samoens and down via Morillon).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@rungsp, I could understand if it served some reds and blacks for which it would then have a purpose (i.e. for Veret). However it serves three blues so it is not at all appropriate and in fact dangerous.
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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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@Faust1, yeh there are a couple more drags that have shown no signs of opening.
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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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Cautionary tail: Although I've shared with a few random people in the past via this forum (male and female) and its worked out well that has been due to compromise and the good nature of both parties. This trip has been very nice on the skiing side meeting up with a few people over the first week but has been a disaster in terms of the accommodation sharing. A mid fifties male who bangs on my bedroom door and shouts loudly when arriving pissed at 1.15am, eats pizza by frying in a pan and then heating in a microwave due to no oven, mocks and ridicules incessantly, and cares not one jot about anyone but himself. Not sure why such a person would consider sharing in the first place but it has put a real dampener on my holiday as a result.
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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Faust1, any idea what the VS and WE acronyms refer to?
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@Millom, how about sharing a room with somebody who suffers from sleep-apnea, and therefore wears a positive pressure mask all night with the attendant pump running. I kid you not!
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@azza2110, "hors vacances scolaires et hors weekends".
...which translates as "outwith school holidays and outwith weekends".
...which if you're not from Scotland translates as "periods outside school holidays and outside weekends" 
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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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@azza2110, school holidays and weekends I think - it's just changed to longer hours for the lifts.
Edit: should check other replies but yes the lifts are now around 30 minutes or more later.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sun 29-01-23 19:09; edited 1 time in total
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@kditrj2d, this guy snores badly too but I can't blame him for that except maybe wearing something to dampen the noise, whereas everything else is done just because he doesn't care about anyone else and thinks he's more important. Although the situation you describe is maybe bad (and should have been communicated up front) it is not something they can presumably avoid.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Wildsmith, was nice skiing with you. Feel free to give me a shout if you'd like to join for some skiing in the future. Will try the Cascades run on a sunny day at least once this coming week. Met another lady in Samoens today who had injured her leg (knee?) also on a blue in Flaine near to where your wife was injured. Also leaving today so thought for a second they may be the same person but in fact just a coincidence. Hope the return journey wasn't too bad for her and she's back on her feet asap.
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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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@denfinella, @Millom, thanks!
I was caught out by Corblanche and Diamant Noir not running last week - this explains why.
But I'm glad they fired up Molliets on the weekdays, despite what was scheduled. There's no way Tete de Saix could cope with all the Flaine > Portet > Samoens/LC/Morillon traffic.
Regarding the current piste conditions, it's all generally quite good. I can echo what others have said here about the linking runs getting quite tricky.
- Parts of Tourmaline, Portet, and Lower Dolomie are getting scraped clean by about 1pm
- Grenat, sign-posted as an easier alternative to Upper Dolomie, was claiming quite a few victims (including myself)
- Some horrible pebbly snow on many pistes below about 1400m. Sucked the fun out of Timalets and the blues down to Coulouvrier
- Special mention to the runs under the Gron, Plein Soleil, and Sairon lifts, which are staying in good nick through the afternoon
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Man, I was hoping we'd get a big hit of fresh snow toward the end of this week but models are looking like it's mostly going to miss Haute-Savoie.... fingers crossed some things shift around, we could certainly use a refresh before Vacances!
Should I pack my bags for Austria?!!? 
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You know it makes sense.
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@coldrainsnow, yes a top-up would be useful. February holidays without a good refresh will be interesting!
Today was a very nice day with clear skies and some sun. A little cool towards the end of the day with a slight wind. Pistes still excellent early in the day and the off piste still hanging on. I did the Cascades run today just after midday and it took about 30 minutes. My take: the run is best for early intermediates and above; there are some flat sections requiring poling/skating/walking but not disastrous; the views are beautiful and you feel remote from the ski area (which you are); there are a few nice skiing bits and some pretty winding through trees; one section was very stoney (unnecessarily so I'd say as they have snow cannons) but it was only about 50-100 yards (don't give your skis a service before skiing the run this week); the bottom section where it winds down was slippery (not icy) and rock solid (cold artificial snow) in parts and would trouble a beginner a lot; I could see it being more of a problem when very busy; I would say try it at least once for anyone above beginner level.
The runs to Morillon and Samoens are still open and snow cover is good but again the snow is quickly scraped and would trouble anyone not comfortable sliding a little (in control). One lady had removed skis and was going down on her backside (I'm not sure this was easier but people get freaked out and panic). A few bumps also appearing on well used blues making them a little tricky for those expecting smooth sailing.
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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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@Millom, thanks for the report! I was about to ask how Cascades was, thinking of giving it a go on Wednesday maybe as the kids are out of school and before it gets crazy next week.
Agree it was absolutely gorgeous today - we skinned up to Le Prarion and the views of the valley were stunning, it's somehow clearer up there than downvalley near GM. The snow on the bottom of Les Houches was technically there, but it felt entirely artificial (and I think it was haha). Made me thankful for the good runs still left at Flaine!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@coldrainsnow, definitely do the Cascades during the week and before the main holidays (Wednesday should be good if forecast favourable). Not really sure what would be the best time of day for crowds or piste conditions?? Also go when the weather is clear to get the best of the views. It curves around a steep mountainside at one point with high netting for safety. The valley looks really nice for winter hiking actually and would probably be a great alternative at Easter if piste conditions aren't great. I like waterfalls and there seem to be a few great ones near Sixt.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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On a different topic does anyone know the likely/expected impact of the strike action tomorrow for the Grand Massif ski area?
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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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@millom this is from the Araches-la-Frasse FB page last night:
[PERTURBATIONS CITY HALL & SKIABLE AREA]
Due to the social movement of Tuesday, January 31, the sports service of the municipality will not be able to open the Aquacime. Nevertheless, the reception will remain open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. which will allow the general public to access the form space.
- No disruption to other municipal services.
- A notice of a strike for an indefinite period has been submitted by the union delegates of the skiable areas of Carroz (Soremac), Giffre and Flaine (GMDS) against the pension reform, but also that of unemployment insurance for seasonal workers. Without knowing the exact extent, we already know that tomorrow will be disturbed on the ski area of the Grand Massif. As of this Monday 30 January we are not able to know what will be open on the ski area. Indeed, depending on the number of staff on Tuesday morning, the lift teams will update us shortly of openings/closures.
Thank you for your understanding.
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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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| Quote: |
A notice of a strike for an indefinite period has been submitted by the union delegates of the skiable areas of Carroz (Soremac), Giffre and Flaine (GMDS) against the pension reform, but also that of unemployment insurance for seasonal workers. Without knowing the exact extent, we already know that tomorrow will be disturbed on the ski area of the Grand Massif. As of this Monday 30 January we are not able to know what will be open on the ski area. Indeed, depending on the number of staff on Tuesday morning, the lift teams will update us shortly of openings/closures.
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Oh wow - keep us posted as this develops! Already plotting how to get my kid back from school today without the buses running (and the rond points shut down in Cluses)
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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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@Millom, super useful Cascades report, thank you! Have you done agate, the black off Lindars Nord? I had a look yesterday but didn't get a good enough look at the lower part to work out whether there was an option that didn't involve super steep hell 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Official announcement just posted that Les Carroz is closed today due to the grève. I wonder if others to follow?
@Millom, how was catching the bus at Sixt? If we do Cascades I think I'm planning on parking the car in Sixt at the front end and then taking the bus to Samoens to start... Is it pretty obvious where to grab the bus?
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@coldrainsnow, a few other closures today
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| Millom wrote: |
| @coldrainsnow, definitely do the Cascades during the week and before the main holidays (Wednesday should be good if forecast favourable). Not really sure what would be the best time of day for crowds or piste conditions?? Also go when the weather is clear to get the best of the views. It curves around a steep mountainside at one point with high netting for safety. The valley looks really nice for winter hiking actually and would probably be a great alternative at Easter if piste conditions aren't great. I like waterfalls and there seem to be a few great ones near Sixt. |
Your waterfall observation, yes it's a good area for that in summer too and particularly good to visit with not really a huge amount of people generally. The far end of valley Giffre (iron horse shoe) is absolutely beautiful and like a lost world up there. Bordered by high peaks that give the Franco Swiss boundary, it's really stunning, easily accessible and no real infrastructure to alter it. Cascading crystal clear water, ibex roaming etc etc, certainly worth visiting I feel. A very nice, serene part of the world but not far from anywhere.
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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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| Quote: |
Your waterfall observation, yes it's a good area for that in summer too and particularly good to visit with not really a huge amount of people generally. The far end of valley Giffre (iron horse shoe) is absolutely beautiful and like a lost world up there. Bordered by high peaks that give the Franco Swiss boundary, it's really stunning, easily accessible and no real infrastructure to alter it. Cascading crystal clear water, ibex roaming etc etc, certainly worth visiting I feel. A very nice, serene part of the world but not far from anywhere.
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For sure, meant to chime in on this and I forgot! We usually spend summers in this region but this is our first winter living here through the season. Sixt and that whole area are great in the summer - I log lots of trail running kilometers back there for sure. There's a great refuge/backpack circuit called the Tour des Fiz that cruises around the massif between GM and Mont Buet. https://www.passy-mont-blanc.com/activites/randonnee/mon-tour-des-fiz-randonnee/ It's a great loop and really fun to do, and easy to get away from the big crowds of Cham during the summer (although Sixt proper can be a bit crowded at the height of the season).
There's lots of cross country travel you can do from back there too, including getting up on Cheval Blanc and the North Arrete of Mont Buet, or heading North into Switzerland and Lac Emosson. Good stuff all around!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@ski3, the first word appears in blue because it is one of the "smart words" which are configured on the site which gets converted to an embedded link, in this case to a car hire company. The site gets a small commission if these are used.
In converting your text, the additional hyphen triggers an alert because the generated link shouldn't be followed by a hyphen. One of the oddities of an obscure word being used in two different ways...
The rule is important, so in this case the workaround of dropping the hyphen is the best answer.
Sixt Fer à Cheval is not technically correct, but it works 
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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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Thank you @security_hamster, I realised that something was making a ringa ding dinging on the hamster cage, apologies for the disturbance
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@sj1608, thanks
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You know it makes sense.
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@robb0, the agate piste doesn't really flow. It's ok and worth a go but it's more of an adventure than a ski. It's not super difficult or long but requires care in a couple of places to take the right route i.e. a little traverse onto the final pisted section. Some of the larger moguls on the unpisted blacks can be 'not at all soft' snow making them a little tricky (at least for me) so just take care.
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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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@ski3 and @coldrainsnow, thanks for the insight.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 31-01-23 16:14; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Today was a fine day weather wise and still quite warm at 3pm. I expected it to be busy with the closures but instead it turned out generally to be a very quiet day on the slopes. The deterioration of the snow continues and it is finally starting to have more of an affect with more stones/undergrowth appearing in the odd place on piste and runs cutting up earlier. However first thing in the morning was again excellent on piste and remains quiet for a few runs. Skied a couple of closed pistes that were perfectly fine too i.e. Corne.
Planning to meetup with someone first thing tomorrow morning if anyone would like to join. Wonder if Les Carroz will join the party?
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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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@Millom that's interesting to know. I've been keen to get down Corne and Paccoty but not ducked the barriers yet. No issues then?
Also planning on getting a few laps of the Chariande and Coulouvrier chairs first thing tomorrow morning if you're coming from the Samoens side - before meeting @Robb0 and some others - may head to Gers after that.
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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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Sorry for a silly question, but where is Corne?
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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@LittleSnook, both are probably still ok to ski I think (been a few days since I did Paccoty but it was also officially open briefly too - although not when we skied it). Corne has a few grasses sticking through and I saw one bit of tree stump (also a few obvious bits to avoid/go around) but none of this was a problem. I wasn't quick or stylish but I got down with minimum fuss (and nobody laughed from the lift ).
I also want to try Gers (not sure if it will push my limits - first ski in 5 years with a new half knee replacement). Plus I have a couple of blacks on the Les Carroz side to ski. I'm coordinating something for the morning with someone on Facebook - Samoens Ski, I'll post back on here once we've got a plan.
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@LittleSnook @robb0, either way it'll be good to catch up with you both sometime this week even if tomorrow doesn't work out. My last ski day is Saturday. We're heading to Vercland for first lift and then over to Flaine. Will be wearing blue jacket/hood over helmet if you'd like to join?
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 31-01-23 21:14; edited 1 time in total
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aaah... Thank you! I never dared this one (for some reason it does not show on the map in their iphone app).
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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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@alexsas, I wouldn't rate any of the moguled blacks as particularly harder or easier than another (I've skied all but a couple of short ones in Les Carroz). The top of Corne is a couple of linked mogul fields and then it becomes a groomed slope that soon joins the red.
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Well there’s no single black mogul run I didn’t regret taking. Particularly the ones directly under chairlifts with mean giggling users. 
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FAQ
