The pistes are in great condition for Easter weekend

On Monday we skied some lovely winter snow in the Pays Desert up at the Fornet, and needed three short ‘skins’ of ten minutes to access trackless snow. I had the complication of a clients touring binding losing a screw and the entire heel piece feel apart, but fortunately we mended it with some trustworthy Duck Tape! Thank goodness we could repair it or we would have needed a helicopter rescue as we were a long way away from civilization!

On Tuesday we headed to Tignes and skied some perfect spring snow in the Sachette along with a couple of pitches of powder, and I can tell you that in the current state of affairs it was a jolly good ‘sniff’! Wednesday was a tricky day as we ‘skinned’ to Mont Roup but when we arrived at the summit cloud from the valley floor rose and we were suddenly enveloped in fog, which made for an interesting trip down. It was still a fantastic ski was we skied a couloir I’d never done before and the spring snow was perfect. On Thursday we ‘skinned’ up to the Col des Fours and skied a mix of soft powder snow and soufflé dur. It was a wonderful outing scenically with great ambience as we were alone on the mountain. (See photos)

The piste skiing this week has been absolutely brilliant with perfectly groomed pistes, a nice texture to the snow, and sun for the most part to light the way. Skiing in sunshine is always what someone here for a week’s holiday dreams about, and this week was didn’t disappoint.

We are desperate for a fresh snowfall to cover the tracks and give us a fresh canvas, and fortunately a light snowfall is expected Friday afternoon. Fingers crossed on that one.

Weather in the village:

• Friday- Cloudy start with 5 to 10 cm’s of snow in the afternoon -8C/+3C AM wind from the S at 5km/h PM wind from the W at 5 gusting to 40km/h
• Saturday- Sunny -9C/+9C Wind from the S at 5km/h
• Sunday- rain/snow -5C/+3C Wind from the S at 5km/h
• Monday- Cloudy -7C/+5C Wind from the S at 5km/h

Friday looks like a tough day with flat-light in the morning and probably strong winds at altitude in the afternoon, but any fresh snow that falls will be great appreciated by the off-piste community.

There was a big avalanche up at the Fornet Wednesday afternoon that came down across the walking path that leads up to the Pont St Charles. Fortunately no one was injured as it’s a very popular path with pedestrians and a way out for off-piste skiers.

If you’re looking for a bargain (if that’s possible in world class ski resorts) the spring sales are now in full swing. It’s always fun to have a look around and tempt yourself as there are some outstanding products on offer. Get in there quickly as the popular sizes and makes disappear before your eyes.

My wife Gill and two daughters, Millie and Katie have arrived for their third trip of the season. This is the first winter that they haven’t done the winter term in the local French school and it’s great to have them back. Needless to say I’m looking forward to skiing with them in the afternoons after what will hopefully be a great week of off-piste mornings. Have a wonderful week and stay tuned for another update on Monday!

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