 Poster: A snowHead
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Had a lovely day in SFL/Valmorel instead though.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The runs from the top of Saulire are still good, if you get out early and pick the runs that have been pisted. Check the 3V app to see which runs have been groomed overnight. The Courchevel side is generally better than the Meribel side, which tends to be firmer under foot. The lower runs are a combination of sugary powder piles over hard pack, particularly later in the day. I have no qualms about taking the bubbles down, from Saulire Express/Pas du Lac midstations or the top of Rhodos to return to Meribel centre, to avoid the hazards & bottlenecks. It is going to get very busy this week. Creux
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sat 27-12-25 20:05; edited 2 times 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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For anyone needing their skis fixed the Skiset at Meribel Plateau has an amazing workshop and brought three pairs of our skis back from dismal to nearly new overnight.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I can wholeheartedly also recommend the Skiset in the Espace Gliss (just up the hill from La Taverne) - get my skis serviced there every year and a number of years back a nasty core shot was repaired to a level I couldn't tell which ski had been worked on for the sum of E35.
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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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Just had my first day at La Tania. Anybody reading this thread wondering about snow conditions in Courchevel can stop worrying. The pistes are excellent, hard packed in shady spots late in the day but generally very good piste skiing all over. We saw a few tiny stones here and there but anybody complaining about these conditions at New Year clearly hasn’t skied many resorts or many New Year weeks. It’s not mid-Feb but it’s sunny, mogul free and awesome piste skiing.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The cannons were pumping as low as La Tania village last night as well.
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| Quote: |
Just had my first day at La Tania. Anybody reading this thread wondering about snow conditions in Courchevel can stop worrying. The pistes are excellent, hard packed in shady spots late in the day but generally very good piste skiing all over. We saw a few tiny stones here and there but anybody complaining about these conditions at New Year clearly hasn’t skied many resorts or many New Year weeks. It’s not mid-Feb but it’s sunny, mogul free and awesome piste skiing.
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Same here - except in 1650 - I've not skied this week before, and was really nervous, but piste skiing has been great today. We've all thoroughly enjoyed our day, despite being used to mid Feb conditions! Disclaimer - we're not off-piste skiers, we're very 'mid', but are very relieved compared to what we were expecting.
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Things are looking a bit sketchier in the 3 Valleys now. Lots of hard packed with a tiny layer of dust on top. There are some good spots, Mont de la Chambre was good today as was a lot of Les Menuires. Rossignol by the family park in Meribel down to Mottaret was better today than yesterday. Creux at the end of the day and Folieres down to La Tania late on were properly grim though.
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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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The cannons are on now but they’ll need to run a lot over the next few days to make any difference.
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I heard they shut the Folyere in La Tania for a while as they had a technical issue with the cannons.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Big lumps of 'snow' under various snow cannons in 1650 today. I hope they spread it around a bit over night 
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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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I'm booked to fly from Australia next Tuesday and arrive in Meribel for 2 weeks skiing on the 12th, but I haven't been well for a few weeks, so might have to postpone. Are the conditions good enough to make the huge effort and expense worth pushing myself for, if I do somehow come good?
Or, should I look at postponing till April when I've recovered my strength and have my next break from work?
BTW I like skiing reds and blacks, so if it's mainly blues that are OK currently, then maybe I should abort mission... thoughts anyone?
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@chev59 - how late can you call it? I would say postpone given the current conditions, and the snow predicted for this weekend has disappeared from the forecasts. But who knows what will happen in the next 12 days, or what the conditions will be like if April is your next opportunity!
It does feel like reds and blacks have more of the closures, but there's still plenty open. It's just hard going on the legs with hard packed snow and icy patches.
You can check the 3 Valleys app to see what's open, or this site gives you piste openings by grade: https://www.onthesnow.co.uk/northern-alps/meribel/skireport
Wishing you a speedy recovery and a Happy New Year!
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You know it makes sense.
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@chev59, a decent amount of snow is forecast this time next week. While the forecasts have been variable I think things are going to improve significantly. Plus you’re arriving at one of the quietest times of the season, so I’d say stick with the plan if you can.
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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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On a side note, does anyone understand how the snow cannons are used? I was delighted to see them running, but am now perplexed to see big mounds of produced snow under each one, two days in a row, without it being distributed across the pistes!? 
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Poster: A snowHead
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I will be in Les Menuires from January 10th for one week. Latest weather forecasts suggest that there will be snowapocalypse right on Saturday, which is a very traffic-intensive day.
I will be arriving by car, equipped with winter tires. Do I also need snow chains on top of winter tires?
Anyone?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Skied all over Courchevel today. Sorry to anybody who is hoping for good news but it’s terrible out there. Everything is very hard packed other than the first run or so of the day. There’s also lots of rocks and stones appearing an a fair few slopes.
I definitely wouldn’t push to come over from Australia in 12 days, I wouldn’t push to come from Albertville at the moment.
Coming back for Feb half term so plenty of time for more snow but wow do they need it.
I’m a massive skiing optimist by the way and made the best of it, see my posts earlier in the thread but in 30 years of skiing I’ve only seen it this hard packed everywhere a handful of times.
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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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@matejp, if you have 3PMSF winter tyres (marked with a snowflake in a moutain) I think you don't legally need snow chains in the high mountain zones. With older winter tyres (eg M+S) snow chains / socks are legally compulsory.
But even having 3PMSF tyres isn't going to be sufficient if the local gendarmerie deem chains are necessary given the road conditions , and stop those without from proceeding.
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@ecureuil: thank you for your answer. I do have 3pmsf winter tyres Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 and my car also have AWD (Tesla Y).
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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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| levart wrote: |
| Things are looking a bit sketchier in the 3 Valleys now. Lots of hard packed with a tiny layer of dust on top. There are some good spots, Mont de la Chambre was good today as was a lot of Les Menuires. Rossignol by the family park in Meribel down to Mottaret was better today than yesterday. Creux at the end of the day and Folieres down to La Tania late on were properly grim though. |
Never skied Les Menuires until today - thought it was a little outpost of VT. Blown away by the scale of the skiing even at the moment with snow conditions as they are. Top and middle sections hard packed but “skiable” and great fun. Hit some proper blue ice though approaching Sunny Express and Broyeures lifts- even my ski instructor daughter ended in a heap and she tried to avoid the bit I’d just spiralled over. Other than that all very good and had excellent and surprisingly reasonable (for 3v) lunch at L’Antigel.
Pistes down to Orelle mid-station obviously had a lot of work done yesterday evening/night as 100% better.
Great day - but yes more snow desperately needed.
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Yes we found Les Menuires the best spot yesterday. Now enjoying the delights of Pub Le Ski Lodge in La Tania. Highly recommend anyone visiting the 3 Valleys comes here to visit Tim and co at least once. Make sure you order the goats cheese salad if you do.
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I was out first thing and found Creux, Park City and the Combe Saulire, which had all been pisted, still very good. The slopes were nice and quiet for the first couple of hours. There were large snow piles under some of the snow cannons, which were hard to spot in the shade. It is forecast to get much colder over the next few days(-12C in Mottaret on Saturday and feeling like -20C with wind chill!)
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So summary is no snow for ages, more needed, but still lots of fun enjoyable skiing to be done in the meantime!
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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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@chev59, it's been an incredible "drought" but it has to end sometime.
As someone else said - how long can you leave it?
I think personally I would still go for it - as also mentioned it's a quiet time and the drought has to end.
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@matejp, we've always carried snow chains. Used 3 times in around 60 weeks of skiing (or 120 up and downs). Any reason for the reluctance to buy?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just spent north of £900 on some new all-mountain Rossis - ideally don't want to rip the bases to shreds this week. Are the pistes still covered enough later in the day to prevent disaster? We're staying in Reberty above Les Menuires so will gravitate more to the Menuires/VT sector than dropping down and up into Meribel and Courch...
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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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@FastEddie, I'm not in resort but was out in Paradiski Christmas week - since which there has been no fresh.
I think you would do well to not hit a few small stones at the very least and there is a good chance you would ski over something a bit more substantial - unless you were super careful.
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| FastEddie wrote: |
| Just spent north of £900 on some new all-mountain Rossis - ideally don't want to rip the bases to shreds this week. Are the pistes still covered enough later in the day to prevent disaster? We're staying in Reberty above Les Menuires so will gravitate more to the Menuires/VT sector than dropping down and up into Meribel and Courch... |
My 2 week old skis look like they have done 2 seasons. Nothing dreadful but plenty of light scratches and deburring my edges every night. One of my clients took a big core shot out of her rentals.
Looks like we might finally get a bit of a freshen up the second half of next week.
Maybe consider hiring full on piste skis the first half of the week.
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You know it makes sense.
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Small tip (they did the same last year) Looks like the cheap Sat lift pass is still available all season for 65.4 Euros. For me (and the same last season) it's cheaper to add the Sat pass and a 4 day pass to my existing card vs paying for a 5 day pass that includes the Saturday.
16.4 Euros cheaper per person!
https://www.skipass-meribel.com/en/3-vallees-on-saturday
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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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I’d stick to rentals for a while at least, lots of small stones even as high as Mont de la Chambre at the top of Les Menuires and bigger stones lower down.
Found some lovely piste skiing around St Martin today, felt like normal conditions on piste at least. Meribel is still hard packed but they’re doing a great job grooming in the artificial.
Courchevel is still largely a disaster.
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Poster: A snowHead
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We did only ski Courchevel at the end of the day though.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Layne, Simple reason. I don't have snow chains, and I have to buy them. I do, however, have 3PMSF winter tyres, which are equivalent to snowchains based on road tests. That’s why I asked if snow chains are legally required to access Val Thorens during snowfall. But based on the answer by @ecureuil, it depends on the mood of the local gendarmerie whether you should mount snowchains or not. Therefore, I will buy them  .
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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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| matejp wrote: |
| I do, however, have 3PMSF winter tyres, which are equivalent to snowchains based on road tests. |
Link?
I mean that intrinsically can't be true so I am interested what/where you have read it.
This is what Parkers says for instance "Winter tyres provide better traction than regular tyres in cold and snowy conditions, but they may not be sufficient in severe snow or icy conditions. Snow chains offer additional grip and are often required in extreme weather or on steep inclines. In some European countries, snow chains may still be mandatory even if you have winter tyres, depending on road conditions and local laws."
There are always two things to bear in mind - what is legal and what is necessary. We were once driving up to La Plagne late on a Sunday evening (long story but it involved a lot of snow falling). There were certainly no gendarmes about and virtually no cars either. So we could have easily tried to tried to drive up with our winters. But the chains I would suggest were very necessary. Even my missus, who is from southern Germany and knows how to drive in snow with winters, was impressed by the increased traction with chains.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@matejp, interesting review.
His data shows ice braking and ice traction is much better with metal no?
Personally I would take the tyre thing out of the equation: winters are better than all weathers (although it sounds like European are better than American) and all weathers are in turn better than summers. But chains (or other non-tyre devices) are add on. And depending on the tyre will depend how often or how much you will need them. And how much it can make the difference.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Perty, @BornAgainBeginner,
Thank you for your responses. Heartbreakingly I've had to cancel. Not only am I still not well, but now I've injured my leg. 1st world problem, but at 63 yo losing a whole ski season is a bitter pill to swallow, not to mention the tiny refunds. Hopefully travel insurance will help with that.
Fingers crossed for next year...
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@matejp, I don't want to mislead you. In most (perhaps 95% of) circumstances where they are making drivers fit chains you will be able to point to your 3PMSF tyres and they will let you through. But if the road is say covered in ice rather than snow, such that even vehicles with those tyres are having difficulty, I can't imagine that they won't be strongly advising / insisting that chains are necessary.
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| chev59 wrote: |
@Perty, @BornAgainBeginner,
Thank you for your responses. Heartbreakingly I've had to cancel. Not only am I still not well, but now I've injured my leg. 1st world problem, but at 63 yo losing a whole ski season is a bitter pill to swallow, not to mention the tiny refunds. Hopefully travel insurance will help with that.
Fingers crossed for next year... |
Sorry to hear that, I had a similar thing happen to me last year, morning 1 of skiing for the season and my shoulder came out of its socket… gutting. Out next Friday again and praying for better luck.
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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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Latest forecast suggest at least 30 cm of new snow on Saturday. It is going to be a massacre on roads...
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Good ski today despite the worn pistes. We went over the VT and found some decent snow.
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