Chamonix Snow Report: 16th January 2008

We took the cable car and as there was no queue when straight up to the top of Grands Montets. Both the black pistes from the top, the Pylone and Point de Vue were open.

Several excellent off piste lines take the area to skiers right of the pistes however as it was poor visibility and a friend had lost a ski in a crevasse in this area the previous Tuesday we decided to stick to the Point de Vue piste. Great care is needed in this area when venturing off piste, it is tempting to think that due to the many board and ski tracks that are visible in the off piste it is straightforward, however this is a glacier and there are crevasses in this sector. The further to the right one ventures the greater the number of crevasses, but it is sensible to ride and ski in full control even close to the rope as the crevasses are often difficult to spot from above.

I was a little disappointed in the snow; it wasn't bad at the very top but mostly had been totally hammered the previous day. The middle section had started to get a bit moguled which made it very hard work on the legs in the flat light. The lower part had been pisted and was much easier. We decided to cut off right at the bottom, and ski past the Hotel (nice tarts) on the ungroomed Hotel Variante, and on to the Pierre a Ric at about the halfway point. This makes a superb if tough combination, 2500m of decent and over 7km distance. Later we lapped the Pierre a Ric as it was in great condition, soft packed powder over a firm base, and very unusually, almost totally deserted.

Tuesday was sunny and with another 10cm of fresh overnight, we are really getting spoiled. Needless to say both the piste and off piste are in great condition everywhere and should remain so while we are having almost daily snowfalls. I had a look at the Savoy nursery area in the afternoon. This is a large sector that comes right into the centre of town. It is served by three lifts, two slow drags and a magic carpet. There is also a small café and toilets so is ideal for children. The snow here can get a little icy at the top, but at the moment the snow is in reasonable condition if a little hard in places. There is a local pass available for the Savoy area at a cost of aprox 12 Euro for adults, and 10 Euro for children.

Yet another 15-20cm of snow overnight Tuesday and a mini powder day was in prospect for Wednesday. From the valley it looked a little grim first thing, but once up on the hill, even with the light coming and going a bit, it was absolutely brilliant. We stayed on the front side at Le Tour all day, and just lapped the Autannes chair and drags grabbing fresh tracks every run. Both the yet to be pisted, pistes, and the off piste were light powder. We eventually retired, tired but happy down to the pleasant little café off the car park for hot chocolate.

The avalanche risk was posted as 3 considerable, and the red, Chatelet Trail was closed. The barrier and an avalanche warning banner were supplemented by a piste security man telling riders and skiers to stay clear. After heavy snowfall the SW face of the Grand Autannes threatens this area.

The forecast for the next few days is mixed with more light snow and also sunny spells. Warm and clear for the weekend.

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!

Useful Information
Cross-country skiing is Open
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