 Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone got any news on the conditions in these areas? The official site says good, Ski Club Reps report is a bit iffy. Any news would be great as I'm off there of 15th Jan.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Stop worrying! There is, as you can see from the webcam here, decent snow cover:
http://www.merinet.com/webcams/image_pan.php
Another point is that Mottaret and Meribel are not at all the same place. There is a lot of height difference between them and Mottaret has better snow and better skiing than Meribel. I'm a Mottaret regular and have only been to Meribel once. Too low, too slushy and too crowded for my taste. From Mottaret you can get to the cream of the skiing in the 3V, so stop worrying about dodgy conditions at Meribel. You won't want to go there.
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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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It's Mottaret I'm off to Chris, so that's good to hear. I knew about the height difference, it was the west facing slopes that concerned me and I didn't know if the local slopes in Motteret would suffer as those in Meribel do.
Two weeks and counting!
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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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skibandit, What sort of level of ability are you? I think whatever the weather if you are wanting to do some Km you can always find decent snow. There is such a huge area to ski you really have nothing to worry about in January. I'm just starting to plan easy days with a dodgy medial ligament. Think I'll start with the Grande Combe down to Courchevel 1850!
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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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Advanced-ish! I'm confident on everything but steep moguls, not keen on off piste but love getting the miles under my belt which is why we chose the 3V's after years of promising ourselves a visit.
Less than two weeks and counting...........!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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You will not have any problems. Just enjoy!
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skibandit, at the moment many of the slopes are a bit icy and/or rocky - but with two weeks to go there's plenty of time for conditions to change. I wouldn't worry too much!
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skibandit, just got back from a week in La Tania. As Alastair says, things are rather rocky at present, but there's plenty of time for improvement. Good snow a week ago produced a deceptively good snow cover. In two afternoons skiiing some gorgeous virgin stuff between the pistes, though, I managed to blow out three edges on my Bandit XX's  on submerged rocks. Later on in the week this had bedded down so, while less interesting, it's probably more reliable now. Towards the end of the week several pistes were getting very bare, and some were clearly open only because they were the only way in/out. One very awkward thing though was the amout of loose rubble on the surface - varying from small pebbles that would give a minor scratch, to some larger rocks you really wouldn't want to hit. This also seemed independent of altitude (e.g. even the Suisse bumps in Courchevel were not clear). There was some really excellent skiing over above Courchvel 1650 though - probably because it was a little less busy than the main drags. Val Thorens seemed pretty good from the brief time I got over there.
Chris Bish, If you're anything much beyond a beginner is there really much difference between Mottaret and Meribel? I spent most of the time I was there being unaware/unconcerned about which region I was in - but found the most interesting skiing out of Meribel (above the Altiport and under Tougnete)
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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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GrahamN, Being restricted to half-term, the difference is mostly lift queues! I think Mottaret gives you the chance to get higher quicker, but I take your point. Getting up half an hour earlier would be the same difference. 
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Mottaret s doing pretty well.. but that's because it's got loads of snow cannons!
Generally the low temps are keeping what little snow there is, in condition but there's so little snow overall that it's not funny.
It's not worth venturing 6 feet off piste, or U will just hit rocks.
Some one on a lift said it was like March... I have never seen it like this in March! Perhaps April, late April!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Interesting report. This is the snow report on snow-forecast.com, 4 days old:
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Date of report: 09/01/2005 Weather: Sun. Clear skies providing great views
Lower Slopes: 45 cm Temp at 8am: 2 C
Upper Slopes: 72 cm Date Last Snow: 02/01/2005
Glacier Snow : Off Piste: Varied
Runs to Resort: Fair No of Lifts Open: 61 / 61
Piste Condition: Hard |
Mottaret is the first place I ever saw a snow cannon in Europe c. 1979.
It would be interesting to know the location of the first ever snowmaking in Europe. There was an attempt, in the mid-1960s to operate snowmaking at Mar Lodge in the Scottish Highlands. The project failed because of freeze/thaw problems.
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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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Just got to the top of mt vallon and the view bellow is stunning! Not least in the fact that there are clouds clinging to the peaks bellow us. The celestial snow canons were running last night and there is a good couple of centimetres across the range. Much needed. Must go now: got to ski!
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You know it makes sense.
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Ha ha. Good point! Just on the way back up now to do the other side.
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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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Thanks for the good news U. Hope things start looking up for you now.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Still a lot of stones knocking about. The valleys are still in cloud, the peaks in sun. Again the lowers seem to have done better than the uppers. Off to val T now.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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admin, I'll be in Les Menuires tomorrow morning from 9.30am on, FIS race (giant slalom) at the stadium. Will you be around?
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