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Chamonix Snow Report: 15th March 2008

featured in Snow report Author Jim Brady, Updated

Included on the super-duper season pass for Chamonix are several “away days” at nearby resorts in France, Switzerland, and Italy. Today, for a change of scenery we headed over to nearby Flaine.

Flaine is some what of an anomaly, on the one hand it's regarded as one of the ugliest ski resorts in France, and on the other it is the only ski resort listed on the French Historical Monuments Inventory, having been designed by the famous Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer. It's also sprinkled with superb monumental works of modern art, including a piece by Picasso.

It takes under an hour by car from Chamonix, to Flaine. We parked at the large car park at Vernant just below the main town. The skiing at Flaine is very different to Chamonix, we skied on the piste all day and covered a colossal mileage. The pistes are generally wide and well groomed and not steep by Chamonix standards. The piste grades are also much easier than in Chamonix.

The snow conditions were mixed, it was a very warm day and all the south facing slopes were softened enough to be spring like and quite pleasant. Most of the higher north facing slopes were also in good condition. We also found a couple of pistes, most notably the Black, Combe de Veret that were refrozen slush and a bit of a nightmare.

On the far right hand side of the resort (looking up) there is a fine snow-park, with plenty of jumps, rollers and tables, but no half pipe as far as I could see.

As to whether Flaine is a modern masterpiece or an abomination, go take a look and make up your own mind. As for the riding and skiing, it's well worth the effort to experience the vast interconnected system, wide fast pistes and lots of off piste potential. Unlike Chamonix the off piste had not been hammered, and there was still lots of untracked snow around.

A little closer to home, I have heard reports of two fatalities in an avalanche off piste at Les Houches today. The avalanche threat level was 2, moderate, however the first warm day after a snowfall always demands extra caution.

The weather forecast is for snow overnight 15-25cm and snow showers tomorrow, and Monday. Meteo France is predicting that the avalanche threat may rise back to 3, by Monday.

Sunday Update- following overnight snow the avalanche risk has been raised to 3 , Considerable.


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

Stats

Avalanche Risk
  • Level 3

Snow Report
  • 0

  • Total Pistes: 75

  • Alt. Resort: 2000

  • Alt. Summit: 2700

  • Alt. Last Snow: 2700

  • High Temp.: 10

  • Alt. High Temp.: 1050