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Blue skies followed by fresh snow in Val d'Isere

Fantastic weekend of skiing in resort

featured in Snow report Author Wayne Watson, Val d'Isere Reporter Updated

Friday and Saturday were cold with clear blue skies and absolutely stunning snow, and on Sunday morning there was 30cm of fresh snow that had fallen during the night.

On Friday morning it was -10 on the summit of Bellevarde and about 5cm of new unexpected snow had fallen during the night, which was just enough to freshen things up a little. I took my clients for a fifteen minute skin and we were rewarded with some fabulous powder snow, and our effort guaranteed us the mountain to ourselves. Being alone with a trackless mountain and clear blue skies under brilliant sunshine is special and our little walk really paid off.

Blue skies followed by fresh snow in Val d'Isere

Saturday morning was even colder, so I took my team for a thirty minute skin against south-facing slopes to stay warm, and we again accessed some terrific powder snow. Over the past five days we’ve been treated to some of the best quality powder that we’ll ski all season. We still have many days of fantastic skiing ahead, and we’ll have lots of high quality powder to come, but these past few days have been exceptional.

It snowed 30cm in the village Saturday night, and it was a totally different scene on Sunday. The temperature rose from around -12C on Saturday morning to 0C, and the snow was quite humid and heavy. Overnight wind also worked the snow over and mixed with warmth and humidity it made for some tricky skiing in places. Still, there was some great skiing to be had but it was certainly more educational than the champagne powder of previous days.

Blue skies followed by fresh snow in Val d'Isere

The piste skiing on Saturday and Sunday was absolutely brilliant, with perfectly groomed slopes, a nice winter texture, and bright blue skies. On Sunday the piste skiing was really hard work as the visibility was poor, and with all the fresh snow the pistes became bumpy and uncomfortable quite quickly. With all the new snow and wind there was a limited opening, so everyone was funnelled onto the same pistes which made it pretty crowded in places.

The pavements in town are so slippery that I finally bought myself some crampons to slip over my boots or shoes. You don’t need to actually fall over to hurt yourself as just trying to recover from a slip can lead to pulled muscles, and I decided that I can’t afford to hurt myself walking around town. Our secretary’s partner fell in the street last week and broke his ankle so that's his season finished before it even really got started. I mention the state of the pavements regularly because it is a serious problem and the town council needs to address it.

Blue skies followed by fresh snow in Val d'Isere

The road up and down the mountain is very slippery as well at the moment, and a four-wheel drive or a car with snow tyres and chains in the boot just in case are a must. The forecast for the week ahead is cloudy with light snow on Monday, clear blue skies and -11C on Tuesday, snow on Wednesday with up to 30cm, and then partially cloudy on Thursday. As I was walking home on Sunday evening there were some breaks in the cloud cover so it should get colder during the night and dry out the snow somewhat for Monday morning, which would be great as Sunday was hard going at times. Tuesday is shaping up to be a brilliant day both on and off-piste so be up early, and after a snowy day on Wednesday some sunshine is forecast for Thursday morning. The avalanche forecast for Monday is 2/5 below 2200 metres and 3/5 above 2200. Have a great week and log-on for another update on Friday.

Follow more from Wayne in his Daily Diary.


NB: Exploring beyond the ski resort boundaries is an amazing experience for anyone who's physically fit and has mastered the pistes well enough. There are, however, risks associated with venturing outside the safety of the marked/patrolled ski area, including awareness of your actions on those below you on the slopes. Mountain guides are professionally qualified and have extensive knowledge of the local terrain to provide you with the safest and most enjoyable possible experience in the mountains; as a visitor here we highly recommend you hiring one. Many ski schools also provide instruction in off-piste skiing, avalanche safety and mountaineering techniques. Make your time in the mountains unforgettable for the right reasons, ski safe!

Off-piste skiing and mountaineering are dangerous. The opinions expressed in these articles are very much time and condition-specific and the content is not intended in any way to be a substitute for hiring a mountain guide, undergoing professional mountaineering training and/or the individual's own backcountry decision making.

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