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Chamonix Snow Report: 15th March 2013

The Black Weekend, Empty pistes & quiet car parks

featured in Snow report Author Jo Rothenberg, Chamonix Editor Updated

This week has been a mixture of a very busy holiday weekend, with French schools on half-term still, and the Black Weekend activities, to really quiet pistes and empty car parks during the week. It has been great. With all the clouds that have been looming over Chamonix there has been time to find the odd spot of sun here and there and with small sprinklings of snow and lovely groomed pistes we have been enjoying a great week skiing.

At the weekend we had the Black Weekend, an event hosted by Black Crow skis, you could test skis, join in with the parties, watch some ski & snowboard jumps and there was even a fun fancy dress theme. After a quiet night on Friday we were ready to go up the mountain and knowing that the excellently named ‘Hot Dog’ competition was on we headed up Grands Montets to play on the pistes and watch some of the jumping.

The clouds were over the mountains and the temperatures were slightly mild but the snow was still holding out – if not a little cut up and mogul covered. The car park was busy and the queue for the Lognan cable car was quite long so we jumped on the Plan Joran and headed up the Tabe lift to get over to the Bochard lift to do the red Bochard run down. At the top of the lift there was a lovely break in the clouds and the mountain tops peaked through and the sun shone but, it was short lived so, after a little sun on the face we headed down the red Bochard piste. The snow on the piste was a little crisp in places and with large soft moguls on, it definitely got the legs going. The clouds at this point started closing in and the visibility got a little worse.

Not to be defeated we headed over to the left side of the mountain as the trees there often offer better visibility. So we headed down the blue gentle runs that run in between the trees. They were in great condition and had been groomed and pisted to perfection. With fewer people over on this side of the mountain the Coqs, Arolles and Marmottons blue pistes were lovely for having a relaxing , slightly easier ski. At this point with the bad vis we thought it was time to go and join in with some of the Black Weekend fun, after a quick round of chips at the mid station we went to the bar and DJ area that had been set up for the day at the bottom of the Herse chairlift. After a few beers, some table football and some dancing we took the Pierre a ric home run down which surprisingly given the warm weather was still in ok condition, just a little slushy and heavy at the bottom.

Sunday bought some more Black Weekend fun, with heavier heads than the day before we decided to go up Brevent. At the top of the Plan Praz bubbles we headed down to the Cornu chairlift via the Vioz piste, again the snow was lovely up here with soft groomed pistes it was the perfect cure for a heavy head. Once up the cornu we started to take the Cornu red piste down but, a little way down from the top we noticed a boardrider piste had been set up and it looked like lots of fun. Taking the route down it was windy with big rolling hills that provided lots of laughs and giggles. We definitely thought this was worth a few laps! Tired legs and tired heads meant the skiing did not last very long but stopping at the top of the Plan Praz bubble, where a seating area, bar and a band were playing live music (due to the Black Weekend) provided the perfect place to take a break.

During the week the crowds have cleared and the slopes have emptied meaning that along with the clouds and a few dustings of snow the pistes have been lovely and quiet. Heading up Flegere we got a parking space right next to the Flegere cable car (whoop), the car park was much emptier than it had been for a while with all the previous weeks school holidays. The clouds had cleared and the sun was shining at the bottom of the mountain, unfortunately at the top they were still looming, but we weren’t going to let that ruin our day. So we headed up the Flegere cable car and to the Index lift to do some of the red pistes off the top. We started off by heading down the Pylones piste which was in such lovely condition, the snow was perfectly soft with no ice on show and no slush it was the kind of snow you want to have for a day of piste skiing. I was skiing with people who I haven’t skied with before and I do always love skiing with new people. The socializing, surroundings, views and just the mountains in general make up the whole skiing experience for me.

So after some laps of the Index lift and the red pistes down it has to offer we headed over to the Chavannes chair lift to do the red Stade piste down, again the run was in lovely shape with groomed snow and there was no one else on it – perfect. The clouds started to really close in at lunchtime at the hope of sun was gone for the day so we huddled in to the top of the cable car for some chips and Vin Chaud.

With the temperatures dropping over the next few days and the sun due to shine a little over the weekend the snow should stay in perfect shape on the pistes.


Stats

Snow Report
  • Alt. Resort: 1035m

  • Alt. Summit: 3340m

  • High Temp.: -6

  • Alt. High Temp.: 1035m

  • Latest Conditions: Sunny - cold in the morning - mild on sunny slopes in the afternoonSKY CONDITION : clear or partly cloudy - high cloud crossing over at times in the morning. Period of sunshine close to 85%.PRECIPITATION : none.WIND - ground level : variable light to moderate.WIND - mid mountain : SE -> variable light.WIND - high mountain : E moderate - moderate to strong at times.TEMPERATURE : low -12

Location

Map of the surrounding area