 Poster: A snowHead
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Not to worry. Glad you had a good time. It is snowing again out here!
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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 left Tignes le Lac on Sunday (7th May) morning. There had been snow in resort overnight!
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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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Don't know why they've bothered to shut have you seen the webcams! Normally there's only a band down for the run from GMotte left with snow on now.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I was out there 29th April to 1st May.
I couldn't believe how good the snow was for the time of year.
First time I've ever skied or boarded on 1st May.
Hoping to do the same w/e next year.
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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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Summer skiing and Snowsports in a world of ice and snow
20 km of pistes, 130 hectares, a vertical drop of more than 750 m, a snowpark shaped afresh every night, 5 snowsports schools, the privilege of rubbing shoulders with champions out training… here there’s a really fun atmosphere. Beginners will appreciate the soft snow, amateurs will love the space and the cool atmosphere, and the pros are great to watch.
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Well, there's a bit of spin for you, from the www.tignes.net website! With a bit of luck it might be like that on the 18th of June when the glacier opens for the summer... but for how long?
And I bet you're all overwhelmed by the
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privilege of rubbing shoulders with champions out training
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- just so long as it isn't at any great speed, of course! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| amateurs will love the space |
What space? All I could see was gates and narrow lanes!
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the privilege of rubbing shoulders with champions
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as they storm through the lift queue to get to the front 
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| boredsurfin wrote: |
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the privilege of rubbing shoulders with champions
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as they storm through the lift queue to get to the front |
Not when I've been there in the autumn. No lift queue privileges, not even for national teams. The only exception were people with a trainer's pass who were allowed to catch the 8am train up to the Grand Motte to set courses. Everyone else just joined the queue, which was particularly large for the 8.30am train.
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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 do remember seeing a young French boy and girl very tentatively approach a rather big bloke in French team lycra and asking for his autograph, which he willing gave with a big smile. Don't have a clue who he was 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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PG, couldn't find the bit you referenced but I did find that the summer piste map has changed considerably. The Lessire run and lift is no longer show, neither is the pair of drags to the right and below the funicular station, any pretence of the drags coming up from near the bottom of the second chair (which I've never seen running in winter at all and always looks abandoned). Also the snowpark has moved to the top of the cable car and by the funiclar station. Whats happening?
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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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Yes I noticed the Leisse etc had vanished from the summer map, although if conditions are good that might change. I've got another interview with Tuaillon, the piste security director there. I'll check out what the plans are. But if you take a look at the photos I posted of the glacier from last August, given the rate at which it's receding, I think we all know the answer in advance... 
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rob@rar.org.uk, The French national team do have priority, as do Espace Killy instructors.
boredsurfin, What discipline was he training ?
Last autumn, I saw Carole Montillet-Carles get mobbed by kids wanting her autograph whenever she stopped.
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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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PG, Phil Smith frequently told me not to take too tight a line! I don't know why I kept doing it - I certainly didn't like clattering into the damn things all the time. Perhaps I should try something which involves skiing in a straight line...?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Have you got some good protective wear? As for the right line, as you know it's dependent on several factors. Not least gradient - doing what you're doing there sometimes feels perfect and you get to the finish with a slow time you can't understand - until you worked out how many extra metres you've covered to gain the extra speed and stop skidding turns. Especially if it's flatter than you thought. I suppose it becomes instinctive in the end - I've seen racers really nail runs and not really know why, and then look just as good without any mistakes and be off the pace.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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PG, no protective wear other than a helmet and a thick skull. Choice of line is still a complete mystery to me, but I try to avoid slamming into the gates now 
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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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rob@rar.org.uk, sounds as if a well-padded GS suit or at least a top would come in handy! Allegedly you can't feel a thing...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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PG, I have quite a lot of "in-built padding" so not sure that adding to that would be desirable
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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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So just 17 days to go now, and conditions are fantastic right now. This taken last week while the French WC team were training at Val Claret - it would still be possible to ski down to resort at 2100m.
Could be one of the best ever starts to the summer season if it stays this cold - snowing down to 1000m earlier today in the Savoie. Saturday June 17th is the official opening date of both the Tignes and the 2 Alpes glaciers, with Val d'Isère following a week later. With the French yet to go on holiday, it's usually really quiet until the end of June (some photos of the Tignes Grande Motte glacier from June 2004, the last great start to a summer season, in this MySnowSports piece...)
It really is worth considering a short break when things are this good. For info, the glacier is open between 7.15am and 1pm from June 17th. There are some excellent accommodation + lift pass deals available, and Tignes has made a big effort in terms of summer activities. Buy a six day lift pass for the skiing, and they give you a multi-activity "Sportignes" card, with free access to just about everything, for just 1€...
And now of course there's the new Aqua Centre...
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The Aqua Centre is scheduled to open early July. Its facilities include a 25 metre swimming pool, plus a fun pool with four 30-metre water slides, a leisure pool with swimming against the current, a bubble bed, a whirlpool seat, a geyser, a waterfall feature... a paradise for big kids of all ages... and for the smaller version there's a paddling pool with a water slide, a mini-whirlpool bath, a 'champignon' feature and more…
The Aqua Centre also includes a spa centre with spa pools, steam baths, saunas and jacuzzis, hydro-massage, a solarium with direct terrace access, a fitness centre and gym, weight training, stretching and dance... |
With cheap flights to the likes of Geneva via the budget airlines at this time of year, well worth thinking about a break on the snow before it gets too busy and the glacier snow deteriorates too much.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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PG, serious question.
Why do they shut the glacier for a month ?
Surely with some decent marketing they could attract customers during late May and early June ?
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bladeskier, I think the glacier needs 'recovery time'.
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bladeskier, as Helen says. It used to be a "365 days a year" resort for skiing, but it currently shuts early May through June 17th, then again at the end of the summer, August 31st through to mid-October. Plus it just doesn't cover costs over those periods, no holidaymakers, just race ski clubs are very low lift pass rates.
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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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Just came back for a few days and it is snowing on the glacier might even get the skis out for a quick blast. Anyone else been skiing in Tigne this summer.
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snowcrazy, yep ! Was the best August Bank Holiday ski for years......... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Nice to see a light dusting of snow down to about 2300m on the Tignes webcams this morning. Fingers crossed for a cold and snowy autumn so the Grand Motte is in good condition for a pre-season week in November
snowcrazy, did you go up to the glacier to see what it was like?
ski any photos?
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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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ski, sounds great. How busy was it? I assumed that the end of August would have very poor snow, but it sounds like that might not lways be the case.
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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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| ski wrote: |
| Also - your old Head SLs were great |
I'm glad that they are finally getting a decent workout!
What pistes were open for skiers who aren't training? When I've skied the Grand Motte in November lots of the available terrain is allocated to GS lanes, meaning that there's not much left for casual skiers/boarders.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ski, that sounds pretty good. Much more space than in the autumn. Did you plan ahead to be there, or see a favourable weather forecast and decided to go at the last minute?
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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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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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ski, wow! Snow looks amazing for the end of August.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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cant see the pic
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brian
brian
Guest
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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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cheers Brian!
The theory on the name last night after a glass or two was kite n ski......(kite and ski)
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FAQ
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On the other hand, (remembering that this is August), they can be (as this year) great. 
