Val d'Isere Snow Report: 8th December 2015

Snow report 7th December 2015

Of course, all of the niggles that come with skiing wash away as you step foot on that first lift. For me, that was the Olympique bubble up from Val d’Isère. With the sun shining down, the sense of anticipation to get the skis back on only increased the closer I got to the top of the lift.

Riding on Scott Aztec (rental skis), it seemed like a good idea to take it easy early on. There would be nothing worse than an injury on day one. A quick run down Verte to the bottom of the Borsat chair, it was evident that the few centimetres of fresh snow from Friday night and the snow cannons have done some great work on the pistes.

A nice layer of soft snow on top of the groomed piste was great for getting the edges dug in. The ski legs coming back turn by turn, the unmistakeable thigh burn of carving hard came flooding back.

The Borsat chair provided some amazing runs. They may only be categorised as green runs (that’s probably why people tend to avoid them), but these completely deserted slopes gave me plenty of space to play around and properly re-find my ski legs.

Joined by a strong group in the middle of the morning, a blast down “OK” made me feel more than just OK. The corduroy pistes were smooth and gave ample opportunity to really see how good these skis are. And they definitely held their own!

Used to throwing skis around and pushing them to their limit, the Aztecs did not seem to sloppy, even compared to the brand new, fresh out the box 2016 models my counterparts were riding. Not quite good enough to keep me in touch with the speeds the women’s World Cup riders will be hitting next week, but more than good enough for my needs.

A short bus ride through from La Daille to the centre of Val (there’s nothing more annoying than having to download on the Olympique gondola) and I headed up the Solarise Express for the first time this season.

It did not disappoint. Every piste seemed to have that perfect, soft two centimetres of snow on top of the groomed piste giving that feeling of invincibility beneath the skis. With that trust in the snow, you can really open up and have some fun on the piste.

The undeniable highlight run of the day was Plan Milet. Underneath the Glacier Express chairlift, the cambered blue run (once again with that incredible soft snow) was a pure joy to ride. The kind of run you could ski all day and never get bored. The perfect early season run.

On the up and over Leissieres chair and into the La Fornet side, I could only imagine the quality of the snow on the glacier. After a quick coffee break en route to Pissaillas, the anticipation was growing in the group. When we eventually got there, it did not disappoint. Montet, Moraine and Combe de Geant left that smile on your face you just can’t rub off. The only problem with grinning ear to ear? Sensitive teeth pain! (yeah, I know… I have a tough job, feel lots of sympathy for me).

To make you all feel a little less jealous, the run down to La Fornet was a bit icy in places and had a couple of stones on the pistes. But hey, who can moan about skiing so low on December 7th?

Skiing around all day without having to queue or jostle for the best piste position was fantastic. I often wonder why people don’t make the most of early season skiing when there is a nice snow base like this year. If people want to sit at their office desks while I tear up the mountain… let them. I’m happy selfishly taking advantage of this lovely mild weather and amazing piste conditions.

All I know is, it feels pretty good to be doing the sport I love in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Ahh, I’ve missed having skis on my feet!