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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
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    Big Sky, MT
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    La Grave/ French Alps late January

    Calling those who have European skiing experience. I have derived a plan to go ski in France the last two weeks of January. However, I know that the continental snowpack could be very thin and/or unstable at that time. Can anyone give me some advice from personal experience in the Grenoble region- specifically the mountains around La Grave, at that time of year? I know that we cannot predict the weather, but anything from past experiences to local guide knowledge would help. I am just trying to determine if it is worth it/ doable before I pull the trigger on a flight. I have a friend living in Grenoble so I'd love to make it out there at this time if its realistic. Whatchya think skiiers?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
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    Scotland
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    833
    Generally March / April is better in La Grave...

    The glaciers and upper slopes need time to fill in properly.
    It is rare for the entire mountain at LG to be in perfect condition all at one time.
    7000ft is a huge vertical between the village and glacier.

    End of January could be good - very much low season after the new year holidays. So the mountain will be quiet, which is a bonus. However the snow conditions might be more variable than you would expect in spring. Or you could hit the jackpot....

    Any trip to LG is always something of a gamble with conditions.
    However when its "on" then I reckon its probably the best lift in Europe (and therefore the world).
    Visit LG for the "adventure skiing" rather than expecting reliable deep powder.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    2,503
    Went to alps in Jan last couple of seasons. When planning the second trip LG was on our list and I called a place in LG about conditions...he said " we are alpine climbing not skiing till mid Feb". FWIW

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Bottom feeding
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    10,827
    What Scottish said.
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Camden, innit?
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    I've been going to that area for a long while and you really can't generalise. I've had everything from scratchy windpack to spring like conditions, to deep cold pow.

    it's a great and rare treat if you catch LG in primo snow conditions, but Scottish Skier pretty much nails it

    If you don't know a local to show you around, definitely budget for a guide for at least a few days. Much of the best stuff you would never find without a guide, or you might find it and then realise that you didn't bring the necessary mountaineering kit to get down safely
    fur bearing, drunk, prancing eurosnob

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    yurp
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    2,362
    Late Jan is my favourite time to be in LG. As Scottish_Skier says, it isn't guaranteed to be epic - but if things come together then no other time of year beats it IMO. If there is enough early season snow to fill things in and you get some fresh you can be skiing massive top to bottom pow laps and hitting the classic big road lines with no one around.

    If you want to play things safe then late season is statistically a better time of year to see snowfall. But I wouldn't consider it necessarily better. Any fresh snow will transform fast so you might get a few hundred vert of pow, then some horrible refrozen shit, then walk over the mud. And some of the big lines will be melted out at the bottom.

    If there's a weak start to the season then April would almost certainly be better - so a safe bet. But when Jan goes off... No contest... Now I'm only there occasionally I prefer to risk Jan than deal with the above in spring. But I've had a lot of LG days so maybe I'm spoilt.

    Flights might be an issue for you - but if you can wait to see how conditions shape up you'll probably find late accommodation quite easy to find in LG in January.

    FWIW I lived there for a couple of winters. Not there so often now.

    I wouldn't consider it a continental snowpack btw - way solider than CO, for example. The Alps and LG just don't get stormed the regular way that US coastal mountains do (and there are smaller pre-Alps that create a rain shadow if there are smaller storms). LG also gets well skier compacted so avalanche risk on the main routes is less significant than one might assume.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    In the trees
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    1,276
    I want to go skiing, grrrrr, having a family vetoed stellar trajectory to euro ski bum
    Gone fishing

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Snowttingham
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    1,291
    daniskis are you a chick or do you have a dick? either way you're JONG, if youre the former get some nekid pics posted of yourself, if youre the latter get some nekid pics posted of your gf/sis/milfy mum,
    Scothish skier nailed it for you, if LG gets nuked mid/late Jan while youre there youre in for a serious treat if it doesnt your still in for an interesting time,
    i dont kare i carnt spell or youse punktuation properlee, im on a skiing forum

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
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    Before
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    I'm not as experienced as others, but I've been around there 2 different months, each time starting at around the 20th of January going through the 20th of February.

    Coverage was decent both years (96 and 97) but there were some rocksharks lurking around but the big couloirs were skiable down to the Romanche.

    We got a few dustings in the 4-6 inch range that made for some soft, but didn't really find bottomless stuff until we went elsewhere like Serre Chevalier or the Milky Way at Montgenevre-Claviere in the larch forests. I'd plan for some mobility since these places are less than 90 minutes away and really worthy.

    Why are you going to La Grave?
    There's other spots around Europe a days travel away that are more snow sure.

    La Grave is special in that modern development is minimal, the lift served skiing there is as wild and off-piste as one can get.

    The village for some is a dump with a serious dirth of discos and sn00ty restaurants or places to be scene (p.i.) and tell your investment group about.

    For others the village is a beautiful, quiet taste of real France with all it's sheep shit and funk, history and ancient buildings, streets with fountains and a sense of being away from it all.
    Merde De Glace On the Freak When Ski
    >>>200 cm Black Bamboo Sidewalled DPS Lotus 120 : Best Skis Ever <<<

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Oz
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    944
    Quote Originally Posted by Mulletizer View Post
    you might get a few hundred vert of pow, then some horrible refrozen shit, then walk over the mud. And some of the big lines will be melted out at the bottom.
    Raises hand.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Scotland
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    833
    ^ Sounds about right

    Have only spent short periods of time in La Grave, though at different times of year.
    Had very different ski experiences at each time of year.
    Was lucky to meet some good locals - then a friend ended up living there for 3 winters.

    Early Winter (Jan / Feb) : Can ski low down mountain in the trees and also all the way back to the village.
    Mid Winter (Feb / March) : Top button tow opens and the more challenging couloirs fill with snow.
    Spring (March / April) : Ski touring and upper glacial off piste routes come into condition. Lower slopes will be melted.

    Local knowledge is key - hiring a guide would be worthwhile (even for strong groups that usually ski solo). They will take you to some amazing places that you wouldn't believe are lift accessible or otherwise be able to find safely. The 1 telephrique accesses a huge mountain...

    Best advice is to get the Vamos book and spend a day skiing the 2 main itineraries on your own. Vallon De Meije and Chancel are straightforward. Then maybe hire a guide and ask them to take you to their raddest secret spots and couloirs further afield

    http://www.editionsvamos.com/index.p...pshop&Itemid=8
    Last edited by Scottish_Skier; 09-17-2013 at 02:16 AM.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Chamonix
    Posts
    625
    Obviously pretty early to say one way or the other at the moment, but take the following with as much salt as you'd like - as I stare out the window now, I can see the very highest trees on both the Brevent and the Aiguilles side of the Chamonix valley are dusted with snow, the rocks above them are swimming, and everything down to 2500m got another dusting just last week. If this keeps up, things should be in condition pretty early this year!

    The old boys in the bar have been considering the evidence, lots of rowan berries on the trees and such, and are of the opinion that it is going to snow solidly all through October. If this is the case, late January in LG might be a winner for you. I've got my fingers crossed, anyway.

    edit
    It's not La Grave, but check out these Chamonix webcams for a taste of what the Alps is looking like right now:
    http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/fr/webcams

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    yurp
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    My observation was always that wet autumn = wet (snowy) winter.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Schweiz
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    480
    From what ive seen in the cental Alps, id say late jan is a gamble, but it could be one that very well pays off. Ive only been in the alps for a few years, but ive also heard alot of locals stories, and the concensus seems to be that there has been a large change in the intensity and reliability of the winter seasons in the last 13 years or so. The seasons arent as strong as in NA, and you could have it nuking beg. of december, and then 20 degrees and sunny on Christmas (last year). It ended up being a good season once we got into feb, but certainly no-one would have expected it beginning of jan.
    As far as this season is concerned, its far too early to tell what will happen, even with this early snowfall. All of the locals ive known have said, beware of early season dumps (oct-nov) because it could mean that come dec-feb, there will be a drought. That was the experience 3 years ago, and that season did indeed suck.
    Id also agree with what Buster said, you would be more prudent to be mobile, there are definitely more "snow sure" areas in the Alps. Most people i know also hold off on la grave til march at least, last year it was a great season for them.
    In any case, good luck!

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