ncjones
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Posts posted by ncjones
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31 minutes ago, swebby said:
Yep, suspect Haldon will be a big headache. I think a lot of the amber warning in the SW is going to be related to the snow being proceeded by rain and therefore prescriptive gritting is simply not going to work. I wonder if DCC still have their work gangs of highway maintenance people camped out at the top and bottom of Haldon Hill?
My wife's just driven through... snowing at top of Haldon but not settling yet. Gritters out in a major way on the hill .
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2 minutes ago, West is Best said:
Haldon Hill? I'd honestly say there's little chance of you getting through. It's always awful up there and today could be particularly bad looking at this.
Yep. They grit it to death these days, but obviously will get overwhelmed if really intense.
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Leaving Paddington now.. will reach Haldon Hill about 445pm, had thought little chance of snow settling by then. Confidence waning!
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34 minutes ago, Blessed Weather said:
Truly incredible conditions this week, both on and off piste. For the first time in 18 visits to this resort, every single run is open this week. Very cold though with an overnight low of -10C in the village this morning and even colder up high. Couldn't feel my fingers skiing for the first hour or so this morning!
I've been using the "White Motorway" for several years now as it misses the heavy traffic around Lyon and for the leg down to Chambery. And it's a spectacular drive with less traffic than via Lyon. Not a lot in it distance wise, but a more pleasant, quieter route. After Dijon head for Dole; after Dole head for Annecy; then on to Chambery. Aussois is just down the road from Val Cenis, so would work for you too.
Surprisingly little cloud today, so wonderful skiing.
Thanks. I know the route you mean....I've gone that way in the summer, but not tried it in winter.
I'll see what the traffic is like, I wouldn't be getting to Lyon until quite late so may keep on the big road...but I'll bear that way in mind as it's certainly more scenic.
Conditions look fantastic. Fingers crossed for a cold Easter!
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Looks/sounds fantastic. We're heading out to Aussois on Good Friday for a week. Please don't use up all the snow!
By the motorway through the Jura mountains do you mean when you when you fork left (east) after Dijon, past Dole towards Lyon??....or is it a different route.
I was planning to head straight down from Calais - Reims - Dijon - Lyon....but would be interested to hear alternatives.
Have a fantastic holiday.
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11 minutes ago, WINTRY WALES said:
Aww thanks for that blessed !!
hmmm driving! Now that good be a good idea!! How long would a journey to say val disere take by car once arrived in Calais??
10 hours is good rule of thumb. That's assuming travelling at the French limit and only relatively quick comfort breaks. The snowheads forums are a really useful resource.
I'm driving out at Easter. Will leave Devon as soon as school finishes on Maundy Thursday. Eurotunnel that night and overnight stop near Calais. Then straight down to the Alps ready for skiing Saturday morning.
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1 hour ago, seaside 60 said:
Also seeing as everyone is saying thats its a back loaded winter you could well be ok in a lower resort.
This. Most ski resorts stats show better conditions at Easter than Christmas, yet people are generally more concerned about going late than early. I'm going to a lowish small resort at Easter (Aussois).
If you travel independently worst case you may have to drive to a nearby higher resort (in my case Val Thorens).
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Chamonix is nearly unbeatable. If the conditions are excellent and you are a competent off piste skier. Otherwise it's just pretty good.
The downsides are that it does not consist of linked ski areas like many other resorts and hence you tend to ski a different area each day and queuing for a bus at the beginning and end of the day can be a pain.
That said it is my favourite short break destination and is very quick an easy to get to from Geneva airport. I'd recommend hiring a car....and if you do so make sure you hire one from the Swiss side of the airport. This way you automatically get a car with winter tyres and snow chains.....rather than having to pay extra for chains and risk summer tyres if you use a company on the French side. The Swiss Motorway vignette (Toll sticker) is also included on Swiss cars and this enables the quick easy route to and from the airport.
You regularly need winter tyres, even in March, on the road up to Argentiere.
We usually fly Easyjet and stay at Gite Le Belvedere in Argentiere
Last year when we were there, a lot of new snow was forecast one night, but it didn't arrive. However we heard at breakfast it had dumped it down in Courmayeur......so we jumped in the car and 40 minutes later we had the most amazing skiing in Italy!
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Just driven over Dartmoor, past Princestown. 3.0C and sleeting.
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Snowing.....first flakes for 2 years. If we're getting snow from this, more optimistic about Sun onwards.
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Fingers crossed for S Devon. We've pretty much missed out so far this year. Snowing earlier on the top of Haldon, still raining in Chudleigh.
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Off to Avoriaz with wife and children for New Year. Can't wait!