© Wayne Watson
Still lots of cold snow in Val d'Isere
Brilliant sunshine and cold temperatures
For the first time since before Christmas, we’ve had four days in a row of stunning sunshine and with it some of the best skiing of the season. Even with all this sunshine, we’ve had unseasonably cold temperatures keeping the snow cold and light and the powder skiing exceptional. We’ve had some late-afternoon and evening snow flurries that have deposited much more snow than anyone anticipated so we’ve skied some seriously deep snow that seems to have appeared by magic!
On Monday we had a ‘maximum-turn’ morning of non-stop powder skiing off the Grande Motte, the snow was deep and light and we were totally alone for almost the entire morning. On Tuesday we ‘skinned’ to the Col du Montet at the Fornet, which is right up against the Italian border, both the scenery and snow quality were exceptional. There was a little snow storm with some wind on Tuesday night so we headed towards Tignes on Wednesday and ended up skiing some beautiful deep snow in the Sachette. Then on Thursday, I skied on the Pissaillas Glacier at the Fornet where the snow was still excellent.
After four days of sun there has been a lot of ’track damage’ and, even with the cold temperatures, the sun has had enough strength to put a sun-crust on the sunny exposures. So between tracks and sun crust, we are running out of options to find ‘clean’ untouched snow. It’s necessary to walk now to find good snow and I’ve got my fingers crossed for another little surprise flurry to give us a fresh canvas. At some stage, the weather will warm up and we’ll have enough heat and direct sunlight to give us some spring snow options, which up until now we haven’t had this season.
The piste skiing this week has been magnificent as the pistes have been groomed to perfection and, with several days of sun, they’ve firmed up and stayed relatively smooth. If you like to ski dynamically and work your edges this flat surface with a nice grippy texture is absolutely perfect. It has also been pretty quiet this week, which always makes piste skiing much more enjoyable.
The pavements are still lethal so do please take care when walking around the village. You can buy crampons that are made to slip over your shoes and they can be found in most sports shops. A friend of mine who’s lived here for thirty years fell over three times last week and ended up needing physio so it happens even to people who should know better!
It looks like a fantastic weekend ahead weather-wise as sunshine is forecast for Friday and Saturday and partially sunny skies on Sunday. The weekends are always the quietest part of the week and, with the brilliant snow conditions and the state of the pistes, you’ll have some stunning piste skiing to look forward to. For those of you who prefer to ski off-piste be prepared to walk because anything that is easily accessible is tracked-out. Have a great weekend and look out for another update on Monday!
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Ski safely off-piste
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 and also mountain guides provide instruction in off-piste skiing, avalanche safety and mountaineering techniques. Make your time in the mountains unforgettable for the right reasons, ski safe!
