J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by snowcrazy2005

Another fun Sunday comes to an end! As planned we headed over to the Bellecote bowl in La Plagne first thing this morning. The sun was out and the sky was blue, but it was freezing. By the time we reached the Glacier on the Bellecote it was -24 degrees and my hands and toes were very cold. No photos until much later in the day, I was not going to freeze again like yesterday!

After spending most of the morning and early afternoon in the bowl making various routes in fresh untracked powder using the Chalet de Bellecote chair and the Gondola, as the light was turning flat and the wind had started to blow stronger we headed back towards Les Arcs via the Friolin Bowl and the forest above Les Coches.

Despite the intense cold we had a great day and made loads of fresh tracks everywhere. Once over in Les Arcs we slowly made our way home using the Derby and Vagere Chairs.

Although most of the easily accessible off piste is well tracked in both areas, it is still soft and light. With the new snow forecast for the next few days the off piste will continue to be excellent. The pistes everywhere are quite hard packed in the busy areas coming into stations, but most other pistes are in good condition after the recent snow. There are more people about now, but so far it is still not to bad.

As I came home tonight there was light snow falling again higher up. Tomorrow promises to be another fun day although we might need to be in the trees for some of the time if the visibility is poor or there are high winds.

I only took a few photos again today. Take a look at the Feb 2013 Album in my Les Arcs Winter facebook page. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/photos

Here is a photo I like from today!


Nice route!

COLD! COLD! COLD!

Today was great powder, but oh so cold! I managed just a dozen photos before my hands could take no more, ' - 22 at 3000m'. If you have to cope with these temperatures to be a sports photographer I think I might give up this idea.

Despite the cold temperatures we still had a great day in the powder. Started off with a warm up off the Arpette ridge in Les Arcs down a short couloir and then up the top of the Arcabulle Chair and a quick ride down the middle ridge of the Arc 2000 bowl in more powder before heading over the back of the Col de la Chal for a fun ride in mostly untracked snow the whole way to Moulin village.

Chatted with some people on the bus and quickly changed our plans. The Bellecote was open!

We headed over to La Plagne and the Bellecote bowl. Managed to get there while the sun was still shinning and had a great descent down one of the couloirs of the North Face in mostly untracked powder from top to bottom, even in the meadow near the restaurant it was fresh snow. It was such fun we are going back again tomorrow if the weather is ok.

After getting back to Les Arcs, a quick ride over to the Derby chair through the forest and down the ridge to the 'big drop'. Found some local lads taking a bit of air. Very nice!! Wish I had 15 year old knees again.

We then continued down to Arc 1800 off piste the whole way and back up the Vagere Chair. Then to the top of the Clocheret Chair and over into the Comborciere valley for a run in surprisingly untracked powder in places. Finally it was time to head for home.

Back up top and down through Malgovert and the Mont Blanc forest and then the meadows to the mid station of the Funicular and home. Another good day at the office!!

The pistes are holding up well and although becoming hard packed in the busy places they are still in great condition. There is still plenty of powder, some untracked in the off piste areas and if you take a guide there are many great places to go for that special day out.

Despite the very cold temperatures, if you dress up well, those of you just arriving are in for a great holiday. You might need chains on the smaller roads if driving out, but the main roads are clear right now.

Check out the few photos I took today in the Feb 2013 album of my Les Arcs winter facebook page. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/photos

Here are two photos from today that I like!


One of the local lads taking a bit of air on the smaller of the two jumps back in Les Arcs! Nice!!


Entering the couloir on the North Face of the Bellecote. This one is a little steep!

The guy in the tree was ok, if you look at the photos on my facebook page you can see the full sequence of the shoots I took.

Today!!

Blue sky and powder!! What more could we ask for!

Today we started from Les Arcs early and headed over to La Plagne hoping to get on the Bellecote, but we were out of luck, closed all day. Time to find something else to do.

Whoever thinks La Plagne has nothing to offer is very mistaken. We found untracked powder and soft snow all day.

Starting with a ride down from behind L' Arpette we rode through the powder to La Roche and then headed back up top and down the back of Les Verdons to the chair far below. Up top again and down by another route through the powder and some steeper drops to the Borseliers Chair. After a quick lunch, up to Roche de Mio and over the back for a long decent by one of the couloirs to the Bauches Chair. From the top of the Dos Rond down through the meadows and forest to the Pierres Blanches chair and one final run down to the Vanoise Express in the trees. Almost every route over in La Plagne had untracked powder and the pistes we crossed were all in great condition.

Back over in Les Arcs, a quick dash through the Peisey Vallandry forest to the Derby chair and from the ridge down the shoulder for a quick jump off the 'Big Drop' before heading to Arc 1800 by way of the forest and meadows which even at 5pm were still not completely tracked out. The pistes on the Les Arcs side were also in great condition after the fresh snow.

What a wonderful day, powder and blue sky although the cloud did come and go which caused spells with flat light at times. For those coming out this weekend, with more fresh snow forecast you are in for a great time.

Here are a couple of photos from today.


Not always scary, but still fun!


That is fun!

If you want to match up what I have written with photos of where we went today, take a look at the Feb 2013 Album on my Les Arcs Winter facebook page. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/photos

Powder! Powder! Powder! Today it just kept on snowing!!

Now all we need is a bit of good weather to really enjoy the backcountry without nearly falling in the holes we cannot see.

Today was another one of those excellent powder days when everywhere you went you were able to make fresh tracks and the powder was flying up into your face. Because some lifts opened late we went up at 10am and then stayed around the Arc 1600 area in the trees and powder fields. After lunch we headed over to the Peisey Vallandry side and again played around in the trees and also in the open areas when the light improved.

We made one effort to go high, but the light was very flat and although the snow was excellent, you could not see anything and I hate falling in holes so we went back to the trees again. Looking across to the Arc 2000 bowl, it was very misty and poor visibility so we did not try going in the other valley.

By the time we went home when the lifts were closing it was snowing right down to the valley and tomorrow should be all fresh tracks again. It was colder today which is great for the snow and the wind had dropped a little which will allow the snow to settle a little. Today was a level 4 avalanche warning day so we did not try anything exposed in the off piste, but still found a few jumps and steeper places to ride safely.

Tomorrow they say the weather will start to improve a little. Looks like we shall have a few more powder days before the week is over.

Take a look at the photos of today (did not take many today in the poor visibility) in the Feb 2013 Album on my Les Arcs Winter facebook page if you are interested in seeing what the conditions are like right now. The amount of snow in the trees in some places is quite amazing. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter/photos

Here are some I really like.


Great powder, but in this light it is hard to see where you were going!


Now for something a little bigger!!


Can you see him!?

After posting the update this morning as it was windy, raining and some lifts were delayed from opening I decided to take the day off. I was given the following report by someone that went up anyway.

The mist made the visibility poor 'on and off' most of the day. The snow was wet and heavy lower down, but powder higher up. The winds increased as the day progressed forcing some of the higher lifts to close later in the day. The forest riding was good, but you were dropping through onto cruddy snow quite often. Despite the mixed conditions he said he had fun and did not come down until mid afternoon although he did look very wet when I spoke with him.

Tonight it is snowing heavily up top right now and even lower down the snow is settling. They have now forecast snow for all day tomorrow and the winds are still blowing very strongly tonight. It should be an interesting day. Next update tomorrow morning around 8.30am.

MORE AMAZING SNOW IN LES ARCS!!! Powder days are here again!! Monday 4 Feb.

Although the light was coming and going all day, we were able to get some great powder. Having crossed over the Vanoise Express we made a route from the top of the Salla Chair down through the meadows and forest to the La Roche chair and then back up to Plagne centre for a picnic in the hall.

After lunch the sun came out for a while and we went from the top of the Grande Rochette down to Champagny via the south facing slope. Had to take care here, but the snow was still good and the ride down was fun. Then up the Roche de Mio and down the centre ridge for a few more fresh powder lines before heading home through the hidden valley and then the off piste down to the bottom of the Bauches Chair.

Once back on the Les Arcs side of the Vanoise Express a quick ski across the pistes and off piste areas to the trees above Arc 1600 before a final ride down in deep powder again to the meadows in Arc 1600 and home.

The fresh snow in the last few days has made all the pistes in great condition right now. Even the north facing well skied pistes have held up to the extra traffic from the growing number of people around as the February holiday ski period gets started.

The off piste is still powder and although you must be careful to avoid the more unstable areas, if the fresh snow promised in the next few days does arrive, those coming out for the holidays are in for a great time.

Take a look at the photos of the last few days in the new Feb 2013 Album on my Les Arcs Winter facebook page. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.429402117136260.95575.195692797173861&type=3

Powder in the trees, but poor visibility and getting colder with strong winds. Quiet on the mountain and many lifts closed today. The fresh snow in the valley did not arrive, but there was plenty up high together with strong winds (approx 30cm). It has started to get cold again and although the wind has badly effected the snow in exposed places, in the trees it is powder. The pistes higher up are in good condition after the fresh snow and even lower down where it was raining (below 2200m) they are ok now that it is colder.

Tomorrow when the sun comes out (hopefully) it should be a better day and I will get some photos if it is not to cold. No photos today, but check out my Les Arcs Winter facebook page for photos of the last few day. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/LesArcsWinter

Just got home, what a day!

Went up a little late as some lifts were delayed from opening. It was raining when I left the valley and it was still raining at Arc 1600. We headed up the Mont Blanc Chair and by half way up it was snowing.

From then on the morning was powder for the first half of every run and wet for the second in the forest areas where we could see a little. Having been down the bottom half of Malgovert forest and on both the left and right side of the Mont Blanc forest we headed over to the Arpette restaurant for lunch and to dry out.

We were going to head for home, but then the clouds cleared, the rain stopped and it was snowing lightly at around 1900m. Went across to the Derby and made a number of loops of this lift through the forest on both sides plus a little detour which meant I had to go round the ridge to find some ones dropped ski pole. Found it and he did reward me with a beer later.

Then after some very good snow higher up and plenty of wet heavy snow lower down in the trees we headed back towards Arc 1800. Just before reaching the bottom one more mishap! Someone ended up crossing a snow bridge just as it collapsed and head planted into the bank. Time to rescue their ski. Just as I was about to do so the whole thing collapsed and I ended in the ditch up to my chest. Interesting! At least it was dry and he was ok, just winded, he now owned me another beer!. As nobody was hurt, including me, it was very funny!! Having climbed out we headed down to the bar and then home.

The top lifts and the links were closed most of the day and the wind became so strong that the Mont Blanc chair was also closed in Arc 1600 by late morning. Despite the high winds, wet snow and rain below 2200m it turned into a good day with powder higher up in the sheltered areas and through the forests. If the snow predicted for tomorrow really arrives it should be an interesting next few days. The pistes higher up were powder today, but the lower runs into the stations were all wet, sticky and heavy. It really needs to get colder!

If you want to see the pictures from today take a look in the Feb 2013 Album on my Les Arcs Winter page tomorrow. Time for bed now and dreams of powder above my waist tomorrow!

For anyone driving out or driving home, right now the roads are still clear lower down, but very wet and covered with a little snow higher up. Tomorrow it might be a different situation. Check the morning update for more details.