© W. Watson
© W. Watson
© W. Watson
Christmas week in Val d'Isere
It's been a sunny Christmas week in Val d'Isere
I was nursing a calf injury on Sunday and Monday, and couldn’t have picked two better days to miss. It rained all day in the village on Monday, right up to between 2500 and 2700 metres on the mountain and, mixed with cloudy foggy skies, it was a really difficult day on the mountain.
My colleagues tried to ski off-piste but it was a non-starter and they ended up doing technique on-piste finishing at about 11:30. I took the opportunity to drive to Bourg to do some grocery shopping. With the rain, the roads were totally bare and the driving conditions couldn’t have been easier. After the drop in temperature there may be some patches of black ice during the night so do be careful when driving down the mountain.
Christmas day, however, was a completely different story. The temperatures dropped significantly and we had a solid freeze that stabilised the mountain and, with clear blue skies, the skiing off-piste was outstanding. My wife strapped up my leg and she and my daughters Millie and Katie joined me in my off-piste group and we had a beautiful day on the Grande Motte glacier. There was some fresh powder at altitude and, lower down, there was a support layer where the rain-crust froze. With a dusting of snow on top, it skied like spring snow. It was all very pleasant and made for a fantastic Christmas Day. The piste skiing was also excellent but the lower third of the mountain was quite icy due to the saturated snow freezing overnight.
The rain and re-freeze have stabilised the mountain quite significantly but there was still a serious avalanche late on Tuesday afternoon in the Cugnai. A skier was taken 150 metres and buried one metre deep. His group found him and dug him out in about 10 minutes because they were equipped with beepers, shovels and probes and he was a very lucky boy as he was unconscious when found but did survive. The avalanche risk was 3/5 above 2500 and 1 moving to 2 during the day below 2500m.
The sun shone again on Wednesday and the pistes were much better as they had a chance to groom and work the snow at the bottom of the mountain. The off-piste remains tricky with some great snow at altitude on the lee slopes, some ‘educational’ snow a bit lower down, and then spring-like snow towards the bottom. Only the smooth snow at the bottom is worth skiing because anything with old powder tracks in it is bumpy and very unpleasant.
The streets are lethal again as all the wet snow and puddles froze leaving the pavements rock hard and as slippery as a skating rink. Do be extremely careful, especially after a trip to the bar where a few drinks may lead you to let your guard down.
Thursday was another gloriously sunny day. I took my clients for a little ‘skin’ in the Sache and we were rewarded with some great snow and solitude. The piste skiing was fantastic again but care is needed on the lower slopes as they are still hard and icy in places due to the rain last Monday. The avalanche risk for Thursday was 3/5 above 2400m’s and 1/5 below that level, which just shows the effect of a solid re-freeze.
The forecast for the weekend looks pretty good with partially cloudy skies on Friday (which means partially sunny), a sunny day again on Saturday followed by a partially/cloudy day on Sunday. I’d bet on more sun than cloud as we aren’t expecting any snow for another week. We could really use some new snow now, especially for the off-piste as we’ve had rain, wind and track damage and a fresh canvas would be welcome.
Have a great weekend and log on for another update on Monday.
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.
