Val d'Isere Snow Report: 29th February 2012

This week I’ve been back in ski school, well, snowboard school really. I’ve been training with Renelle Mortimer from Alliance Snowboard School in Tignes for my next instructor’s exam. Although maybe not exactly like ski school, it’s given me a reminder of what it’s like to be in a ski school.

Lessons start at ten o’clock in the morning in Tignes Le Lac which means I have to get up early and get as near as I can to the first lift to get over to Tignes from Val d’Isere. It’s possible to get from Val d’Isere to Tignes Le Lac in around twenty minutes as long as you don’t get caught up in the Ski schools, but I’m playing it safe as I don’t want to be late.

Renelle Mortimer is a fantastic snowboarding Instructor, she is also a BASI (British Association of Snow-sports Instructors) Instructor Trainer, so she really knows her stuff, as do the other Alliance Instructors, she’s not the only trainer amongst them.

The bluebird skies and burning sunshine have made for some really enjoyable lessons, we’ve been in both Tignes and Val d’Isere and found great pistes on both sides of the hill. They have meant that sunscreen is especially important though. I’m writing this with some rather special goggle lines and sun burnt lips which isn’t particularly pleasant. It’s really hot, and you need at least factor thirty sunscreen to avoid burning at the moment, especially if you are on the hill all day, and don’t forget to re-apply!

Back to the snow conditions; the pistes are great, the off piste, not so much. If you really want to find powder then you’re going to need some resort knowledge or a good guide, and to be prepared to walk for it. The pistes are, however, in great condition, as always, the morning is the best time to be out there, the snow is freshly pisted, and really smooth and grippy. The later you get in the day, the harder and icier it gets. It’s not getting to an un-skiable point, but it is much nicer in the mornings.

We’re still experiencing the tail end of half term here, so you need to be either up for first lifts, before the ski schools get there, or wait till a little later to let the masses disperse from the lift queues. Lunch time is usually a particularly good time to be on the mountain, as this is usually a quieter time, with everyone stopping, surprisingly, for lunch! If you can take an earlier or later lunch you will probably experience depleted lift queues and less manic slopes. It really can be worth it!

Now, the weather forecast. Well this seems to be continually changing. There was snow on the end of it, and we’re still maybe due a drop of the white stuff on Sunday, but this does seem to keep getting pushed along the forecast and never actually arriving. That said, there are definitely snow whispers spreading around the town here, and we all live in hope! The temperatures are due to remain mild until Friday, and then gradually cool off over the weekend to give some chillier temperatures on Sunday. There is the possibility of a low of minus sixteen at the highest points in Espace Killy on Sunday night.

Although we all love skiing in T-shirts and lunches on sun-drenched terraces, for me, it will be a welcome return to cooler temperatures, we are still in February after all! I’d quite like the snow the last till the end of the winter too. The towns look a little sad all brown and muddy when the snow melts.

My tips for skiing this week are most importantly, to wear sun cream, and keep re-applying it. Also, good sunglasses or goggles are essential, snow blindness is real, and really unpleasant. As for where to ski, stay high, start on the slopes the sun hits first and follow it round to get the best conditions, that way you tend to avoid all the harder stuff. At the end of the day take your time, if it’s really slushy or icy remember you can always download on a ski lift, especially if you’re just learning, you don’t want to hurt yourself on the last run of the day!

Apart from that, enjoy the sunshine, and keep those fingers crossed for snow!

Bon ski!