Val d'Isere Snow Report: 7th April 2012

Rain hits town. Weather takes a turn for the worse

featured in Snow report Author Debbie Priestley, Val d'Isere Reporter Updated 24 October 2014

The forecast predicted snow, and I supposed we did get a little, but what we got more of was rain. This was particularly unfortunate as it had made conditions low down very soft and wet. Yesterday was verging on ankle deep slush, but today was a little better after the pistes were bashed again.

It isn’t all doom and gloom though, the weather may be less than ideal, but in two weeks we have pretty special events going on in Espace Killy.

The Mono Ski World Championships is upon us once again. A (novelty) event that takes place in the Val d’Isere Oakley snow park that everyone should take the time to see. Mostly because it is hilarious! Mono-skis are supplied by the Event team, and if you want to take part you need to buy a Village Fete ticket from the BlueNote Bar in Val d’Isere. Your ticket includes entry to the Championships which commence at eleven o’clock on Wednesday the 18th, and entry into the Village Fete, which is basically a bar crawl. Even if you don’t enter, this event is well worth watching. Most competitors have never or rarely been on a mono ski before, so you see some very entertaining stuff. For more information, your best bet is to either pick up a copy of The Mountain Echo in Val d’Isere or check out their website. The event may be mostly for season workers, but we would love if you came to laugh!

The forecast has not exactly been accurate this week. We did get a little snow but it was so wet it made on piste conditions a nightmare for most. But fingers crossed for something better to come. We are forecast more snow, mostly on Tuesday and Wednesday, right down to resort level, but as the temperature is not due to drop below zero, it looks like it’s going to be wet again. It looks like rain is due tomorrow, but then sunshine for Sunday which should make for a fun day skiing, the weather is supposed to deteriorate again after that. It really does feel like the end of the season now.

My tips for skiing at the moment are to get up early and make the most of your day. If you’re up early enough you can enjoy skiing almost everywhere on the mountain, but the later it gets, the higher you need to stay to find good snow with the current warm temperatures. If you are out there late in the day, be wary of the slushy conditions. Hitting slush, if you’re on harder snow, can be quite disastrous, especially for skiers, as your skis will tend to stop without you, occasionally resulting in being ejected from both skis. If you’re on a snowboard you are more likely to do a cartwheel. So stay high late in the day; Grande Motte and the Le Fornet glacier are probably the best places to ski right now.

If it does get wet this week then you really want to make sure your kit is up to the task or you are going to get soaked. Waterproofing spay is readily available for any older kit (I use it one mine all the time, it smells a little like PVA glue) but new kit with a decent waterproof rating should be fine.

Bar that, enjoy the warmer temperatures, and make the most of the snow while it lasts, sample the views from the top of the Motte on Sunday, or the serenity of Le Fornet any day of the week.

Bon ski!