Sun drenched Fornet, cloudy Bellevarde & Tignes

With the sun shining at the Fornet we enjoyed the best light in the resort as it was much cloudier over Bellevarde and towards Tignes. On Saturday the retour de l’est had started to move in and we skied in Tignes to shelter from the wind and to take advantage of some sunshine and fantastic snow as we skied the Little Lavachet followed by the Sachette down into Les Brevieres, which is the lowest point in Tignes down below the dam.

One of the real pluses of the Espace Killy is the weather can be so different from one end of the resort to the other and there is often options to take advantage of the best conditions possible. On Sunday we awoke to 40cm’s of fresh snow and the Pisteurs had a huge amount of work to do to secure the pistes before opening. We caught the first lift up around 10AM and again stayed away from the clouds toward the Fornet and had a fabulous morning around Bellevarde. The avalanche risk was 4/5 so we skied risk-free slopes that weren’t steep enough to slide.

I must say that the piste skiing isn’t at its best during times of continuous snowfalls. The pistes are fine first thing but when the resort is full and there is a limited opening the pistes become chopped up, bumpy and overcrowded very quickly. Being used to the freedom of off-piste skiing with virgin untracked snow and solitude, I find the overcrowded pistes very unsettling and can hardly wait to get down.

There has been a mention of a strike on Tuesday by the Pisteurs and a meeting is in progress as I write between the Pisteurs representatives and the Mayor’s office over a pay dispute. I’ve heard that the Pisteurs are getting 20% less than some other resorts and if this is true I find it quite ludicrous! Val d’Isere is one of the best and most prestigious resorts in the world, and they spend a fortune on unnecessarily lighting up the Face du Bellevarde at night and are never short of money when a new lift is needed.

The Pisteurs risk their lives when dynamiting to secure the pistes and the village from avalanches and they are a proud bunch who takes their jobs very seriously. They deal with some nasty situations as they pick up broken bodies or dig dead people out of avalanches, and they should be paid a proper wage. Rumour has it the Mayor said they should feel lucky to have jobs and that they could be living in Calais! Sounds like a spicy meeting which could go long into the night and negotiations may go on until late tomorrow night. I personally hope the Pisteurs get what they want and deserve and I'm disappointed with the attitude coming out of the Marie.

The pavements in town are absolutely lethal again so do pay attention when walking around town. In fact it was so slippery Sunday that many of the buses turned around at the Laisinant because they couldn't make it up the last slope to the Fornet! Avoid silly shoes and walking with your hands in your pockets, or carrying children around on your shoulders. There are crampons made for street shoes and boots which are always a good idea, especially for the elderly, and they can be purchased in most ski shops.

We received 40cm’s of snow Saturday night with much more towards the Italian border and another 40cm’s is expected Sunday night.

Weather:

• Monday- Cloudy -4C/0C Wind from the S at 5km/h
• Tuesday- Partially sunny -7C/0C Wind from the S at 5km/h
• Wednesday- Snow -5C/-2C Wind from the W at 10 gusting to 55km/h
• Thursday- Partially sunny with snow -7C/-2C Wind from the NW at 10 gusting to 65km/h
• Friday- rain/snow -7C/+1C Wind from the W at 5km/h

It looks as if we’re in for another fantastic week of skiing with fresh snow and some periods of sunshine. Have a brilliant week and stay tuned for more news on Friday.

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