A pile of snow with a hole in the middle

Val d'Isere Snow Report: 16th December 2013

Grainy Snow Found Ski Touring beyond Tour de Charvet

featured in Snow report Author James Fisher, Val d'Isere Video Reporter Updated 24 October 2014

Thanks to Henry Schniewind from Alpine Experience for this report. Henry is an Off-Piste Guide and avalanche expert with over twenty years skiing in Val d'Isere.

Henry was Ski touring today (16 Dec) with Jim, Rob and John in Val d'Isère just beyond the Tour de Charvet in the Parc Nationale de la Vanoise.

The snow has a very granular sugary consistency as you can see in some of the photos. It is very unconsoldiated which makes for some nice skiing - in what is known as 'loud powder' in North America.

This nice sugary/granular snow is going to turn into a very unstable layer under the new snow forecast for the end of this week. So be careful off-piste once we get the new snow!

Find out more about Avalanches and Off Piste Safety on our page or visit Henry's Avalanche Talks for tips on how to have fun and stay safe.