Fresh snow and cold temperatures in Val d'Isere

It all started to change on Sunday was the clouds rolled in and light snow started to fall. Unfortunately it was also extremely windy at altitude and the visibility was very poor, but we had an adventurous morning off-piste in the Sachette in Tignes. Once we were down off the little Col and out of the wind it was quite pleasant, although with the flat-light the navigation was difficult. On Sunday night we were expecting between 20cm and 50cm of snow, and as it turned out we received about 20cm.

The north-westerly wind was vicious during Sunday night and in places there was about 40cm to 50cm of snow on Monday that had been transported by the wind, and much of the snow at altitude was wind-compressed and tricky to ski. The lower half of the mountain had much looser and less compacted snow, and was much more pleasant to ski. Fortunately the visibility was much better than forecast, which helped make skiing the slightly ‘educational’ snow easier. The avalanche risk was bumped up to 4/5 from 2/5, so there was danger lurking and caution and safe route selection were the main priorities.

After a cold night on Monday it was -18C on the summit of Bellevarde Tuesday morning, and the cold dried out the snow significantly and I had perhaps my finest day of the season. We skied in fantastic snow in the Lower Borsat, the Chardonnet, and off the Motte, and by staying in the sun we were warm enough to stay out all morning long without needing to stop to warm up. The avalanche risk dropped to 3/5, which is still considerable, and unfortunately two skiers were killed in an avalanche in Les Deux Alpes. The Gorge du Malpasset is definitely impassable so far this season.

After a couple of years in a row with the gorge full of snow, tourists have become used to skiing down through it, but the truth is the gorge is closed and impassable most of the time, and the last two seasons have been rarities. On Tuesday 39 skiers were rescued from the gorge at great expense to themselves as helicopter rescues aren’t cheap, and the rescue services also charge for their time as well, plus it’s dangerous and a serious inconvenience for everyone concerned. If you’re coming to Val d’Isere in the near future, do not attempt to pass through the Gorge du Malpasset because it is seriously dangerous and impassable.

On Wednesday the wind was blowing again, and with -15C it was jolly cold. The visibility was extremely poor, but we managed one of the best runs of the season in knee deep snow down the Little Lavachet into Tignes. There are some well spaced trees which give definition and make seeing so much easier, and it was a run that made the morning on a pretty tough day. In 38 years I’ve never skied that run in better snow, and I’ll remember that one for a while. Thursday started off grey and windy, but it cleared up mid-morning and we had another brilliant day on the mountain, both on and off-piste. Snow is forecast for Friday with up to 50cms, and the avalanche risk is rated at 5/5 on northern slopes and 4/5 on southern slopes, so we are now in a period of high risk skiing off-piste. You can ski safely with this risk on gentle green/blue type slopes, but with that much snow it would be difficult to get any momentum and powder-on-the-piste is the way forward. The rest of the weekend is forecast to be grey with on-and-off snow, and next week looks to be partially sunny.

The pavements in town are slippery again, so please be careful when walking about the village. The medical clinics are full of people who have fallen and broken bones, and the state of the pavements is a real problem. You can buy slip-on crampons to go over your street shoes or boots, and they are incredibly effective. On the music front, the Baraque has excellent music every night of the week except Mondays starting at 19:30, while Le Petit Danois has live après-ski music every night. My favourites are the Guinea Pigs who play on Thursdays at 17:30, and Karen and Andreas who play on Fridays starting at 17:00. Cocorico at the Rond Point is extremely popular with the younger crowd, with live music daily and dancing on the tables. This town has something for everyone.

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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.