Chamonix Mountain Report: 27th February 2013

The school holidays have begun, for many people these dates dictate the annual ski holiday. Every year we build up to half term and there is always a certain amount of anxiety in the air. We expect the pistes to be busy, the car parks to be full and general hustle and bustle about the centre of Chamonix. But this year we have been pleasantly surprised. The holidays were spread over a few weeks which meant that the slopes weren’t too busy. There were still a larger number of skiers on the pistes than usual but they weren’t overly crowded. You were even able to change ski area through the day and get car parking spaces!

We couldn’t have asked for better weather conditions during the holiday period. Blue skies plus sunshine equals happy skiers. The temperatures have been very low recently which has been keeping the snow in great condition, on and off-piste. As long as you are wrapped up snug and warm with good clothing layering system you’ll be smiling from underneath you face buff!
The pistes in all areas of the Chamonix are in great condition chalky, grippy with little or no icy patches. But if it’s fresh tracks that you are hunting, you will need to be up early to avoid the morning rush on the lifts. Or if you have booked a lesson with an instructor you will have the advantage of using the priority lift queue.

There is still plenty of fresh powder even though we haven’t had a significant snow fall in past two weeks. Whether you put on your touring skis and go for a little hike or track in from lift access you will not be disappointed. The off piste in Le Tour is still in great condition and if you search and pick the right slope aspect you will certainly be rewarded. This certainly was the case from the Col de Balme down to Trient where our rewards were knee deep fresh untracked powder! Also we had some magnificent fluffy cold light snow on a recent tour around L’Aiguillette de Possettes which was a little unexpected.

If you're prepared to travel a little further down the valley, the ski touring this week in Le Contamines has been in great condition. Easily accessible by lift means that it doesn’t have to be an extremely early start and you can get away from the busy slopes very quickly. The regular route down the Col de la Cicle is well skied but the Col des Chasseurs which requires a little more technical skill to get to was untracked!

This week I resumed the seasonnaire programme which had taken a small break over the half term period and the group were eager to get work on their off-piste skills again. We arrived at the mid station of the Grand Montets and there was no queue for the Grands Montets top cable car so off we went in search of some steep pitches! The group had certainly been practising and skied some challenging terrain with ease. Their goal over the current season is to become more comfortable on steeper terrain and they are certainly getting closer to achieving this.

Over the short break some have also taken part in an avalanche awareness course with the Avalanche Academy. I decided to put their new skills to the test and asked them to lead me on a safe route but also with the added challenge of finding some good snow. They did a great job route finding and found some good snow!! If you are intending skiing off-piste taking part in an avalanche course awareness should definitely be high on your list of things to do.

Until the next time, enjoy the sun and of course, the snow...