Chamonix Snow Report: 13th December 2005

The snow at Grands Montets, which remains the only area open as yet, continues to benefit from the cold conditions. Today up on the mountain the snow cannons were busy working on the upper sections of the Bochard red run suggesting that it won't be long before it opens. Yesterday saw the Herse six-person chairlift open, so we had to test it out. However, I'd recommend waiting a little longer until there's some more snow before having a ride on it. The run Combes from the Herse is thin and rocky in places with yellow and black hazard poles marking the route of the piste!

Today we stuck with laps on either the Tabe or Marmotton chairs; the snow off the Marmotton chair is good with coverage perfect. The Coqs piste is less well covered and has thin patches on some sections. We finished with a run down Pierre a Ric, which is in good condition. The icy patches I found on it yesterday didn't seem quite so icy today; instead they were merely very firm. I think all in all it's the best run at the moment, which is surprising given that it's the lowest altitude run.

Crowds on the mountain aren't an issue; in fact it feels pretty lonely up there. Most of the chairs aren't running yet as there are so few people around. I'm determined to make the most of it as I know it's a little like the eye of the storm, in less than two weeks it'll be another story as Christmas descends on us.

Useful Information
Cross-country skiing is Closed
Piste Maps for Chamonix (pdf format), Les Houches (jpg format), Cross-country skiing (pdf format), and Mountain-bike trails (pdf format)
Current status for opening of Pistes & Lifts
Chamonix Webcam Index

We will be keeping this Chamonix snow report updated often during the season, but if you want even more up-to-date news on the ski conditions, why not sign up for our Dump Alert? We'll email you each time it snows enough to significantly change the skiing conditions. It's great to know that the snow is falling in the run-up to your holiday, and it might even allow you to book a last-minute weekend when the snow is particularly good. The service is free, and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.

Useful Links
Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research
French Avalanche Research Institute
Meteo France - Mountain weather and avalanche conditions bulletins (in French)
Henry's Avalanche Talk - popular avalanche training sessions based in French Alps as well as translation of current avalanche conditions
PisteHors.com - Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding News in English for the French Alps. Excellent coverage of avalanche safety and advice

Additional snow and weather information provided, with thanks, by meteo.chamonix.com and the Tourist Office