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Chamonix Snow Report: 15th February 2010

featured in Snow report Author Kieran Sharp, Updated

Some brilliant sunny days have been had here in Chamonix, no new snow and very cold, but the sun can have good physiological effect of being slightly warmer, and it has felt that this season has been filled with cloudy, but productive snowy days! So the past few days it has felt that we have had more energy absorbing vitamin D from the sun, which has been good for some early morning fast piste carving, but unfortunately the off piste has not been in condition unless you head to shady areas where the snow is a more constant temperature.

More touring is now possible but choosing the right route is essential, as if you go for one of the more popular routes you will probably find that many people have been down and the area is all tracked out. There are as well as having some actual guides in the area, a few good books available in Chamonix which explain some classic off piste, backcountry, and if you search for it a good book on extreme skiing in the area. Giving all levels of explorers that enter this wonderful valley the opportunity to discover new and exciting routes that may not be so obvious or seem accessible on your own accord. You can get books on the Chamonix area in most sports shops and there is a library in town where all versions are available in French and in English, so if your in to your off piste, back country, or extreme skiing/snowboarding then get down the shops and buy one of these books, and accompanied with a current map and compass you can explore routes previously not thought about.

Yesterday was another exceptionally sunny day and with not much possibilities off the piste for some fresh or soft landings combined with little motivation to go on a tour it was time to enjoy a bit of piste carving around the Brevent and Flegere areas! The pistes, especially early in the morning have been in superb condition for a bit of carving, also with fewer people around early in the morning you can really let rip without the worry of crashing in to anyone else or cutting anyone up. We got up fairly early, not quite first bin but enough to enjoy some fresh corduroy! Brevent and Flegere are brilliant areas to be early morning watching the sunrise and some epic view of the Mont Blanc Massif. We took full advantage of not many people around and we used the whole width of the piste getting some super g carves in! unfortunately the fairly quiet ski area became pretty hectic pretty quick, holidays have just started so lot more people on the slopes now, which makes carving around like we where earlier, like a massive moving maze! Not ideal and quit risky that an accident might occur, so we stopped our super g carving and seen as a lot of the snow was getting brushed off the side by the many people out riding we had a few goes at some of the mogul fields now forming in the area, trying to take a more downhill route every go.

The moguls where having quit a tiring effect on us so after a few more runs we headed down the fairly busy home run in Brevent which had surprisingly few rocks poking through. After reaching the bottom we headed to Bar'd Up for a couple of nice happy hour pints and with happy hours on every day now in Bar'd Up there is no reason to refuse!


Check out what to do around town once the lifts have closed with our Apres Ski Report - a weekly round up of what's hot and where to party in Chamonix!

Stats

Avalanche Risk
  • Level 2

Snow Report
  • 1

  • Total Pistes: 75

  • Alt. Resort: 1972

  • Alt. Summit: 3233

  • Alt. Last Snow: 1500

  • High Temp.: -1

  • Alt. High Temp.: 1050