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Val d'Isere Snow Report: 15th December 2011

The storm has hit!

featured in Snow report Author Debbie Priestley, Val d'Isere Reporter Updated

Val d’Isere is on Amber avalanche warning tonight with a blizzard hitting the town. The road is closed into resort, with the buses finishing at nine and advice not to walk between Val village and La Daille or Le Fornet at all. We’ve also been told to shut avalanche shutters, if we have them.

The skiing was limited as well today, with all the high up lifts closed, along with the Tignes links due to the conditions. The light was beyond flat although the snow was in great condition. The snow is fantastic, and the powder is out of this world, we just need this storm to blow over and the snow to stabilize so we get to have some fun on and off piste again soon.

There is over a metre of snow sitting as a base at the top of resort, and I think it’s safe to say we’ve almost already had more snow than last winter. Tomorrow we’re due a lot more snow, another fifteen centimetres due between now and Saturday, and the wind’s going to get up again, to around fifty-five kilometres per hour at the top of resort, which could mean skiing will be a little limited again tomorrow. The temperatures due to drop again too, so remember your thermals if you do head up the hill.

A good idea tomorrow morning might be to listen to the radio to hear what the conditions are, or to go on the Val d’Isere website and see what lifts and pistes are open. I’m going to be taking extra layers in my rucksack, along with something to munch, on the off chance I get stuck somewhere. I’d also advise low light lenses if you can get hold of them.

In the next couple of days, the conditions are due to be similar, so take care, and make sure you know where you are when you’re skiing. Remember which side of the piste the poles are with the orange tips on them so you know if your off piste or not (I’m not going to tell you in case I get it wrong – but check in the morning) and have fun. I’ve had some amazing days even when the visibility has been terrible!

Some extra advice I’m going to add for when you’re in the towns of Espace Killy is that it is very slippy everywhere, so be really careful, especially when your crossing the roads as it isn’t that easy for cars to break on the snowy roads, you tend to slide if you try to stop suddenly at the moment.

Also, the off piste is getting really unstable again due to the sheer volume of snow we’re experiencing right now, so make sure you have the right kit, you don’t want to be at the bottom of the slide without a way for anyone to find you quickly. I know it all sounds a little scary right now, but the pistes are in amazing condition, even with the wind and snow. Get out there and enjoy it, we haven’t had this much snow in ages!