Chamonix Snow Report: 17th March 2012

Saturday
It was 29 degrees on Brevent this week. No, that’s not a typo – twenty nine degrees on the info board thermostat!! That’s just crazy temperatures! Fair enough, this board sits in the full on sunshine all day but before you start worrying that you may have to cancel your ski trip or pack your walking boots instead; let me assure you that there is still plenty snow up top. Snow depths at the mid stations are still very healthy despite the scorching temperatures: Plan Praz – 130cms, Flegere – 160cms, Lognan – 179cms, Charamillon – 88cms and Prarion – 130cms; and of course the snow depths only get more substantial as you head up to the top lifts. It is still possible to ski down to the valley floor in Les Houches, Le Tour, Vallorcine and Argentiere but the ski outs from Brevent/Flegere are now both closed which is no great surprised as they get hammered by the sun all day long. The Chosalets beginner area at Grands Montets has also now closed for the season but the nursery slopes at the Savoy, Planards, La Vormaine and Les Houches are still going strong.

I was on Flegere at the back end of the week and yes, it was absolutely roasting, the snow was slushy but there were still no bare patches or rocks on any of the pistes. As always, the snow off the Floria drag lift was the best and the Crochues red and the Floria black runs were fabulous for about the first 800m before they too dissolved into slush. The Lachenal red off to the left at the top of the Index chair has been closed all week due to an increased risk of avalanche. Whilst the majority of the valley is currently rated 2/5 (limited risk) on the avalanche scale, Brevent/Flegere is at 3/5 due to its south facing slopes and the increased prospect of heavy wet slides.

At the top of the Index chair we got collared by one of the roving photographers you’ll see around the valley that get you to hold various poses against the Mont Blanc backdrop. Normally, we duck and dive past them but sometimes it’s quite fun just to go with it and get a few snaps taken. You can usually see the images in the respective photography galleries by the end of the day and although there’s no obligation to buy, you might be pleasantly surprised and end up taking home a rather nice souvenir of your trip to the valley!

There are a couple of newly revamped mountain restaurants on Flegere this year; at the top of the cable car is the Foehn Cafe and the Adrets restaurant which have both had a face lift since last year. My favourite place to hang out though is La Chavanne, underneath the 3-man chair of the same name. It’s a fair weather place though as there isn’t any indoor seating, just deckchairs and huge bean bags and it’s just a great place to chill out and grab a drink or a snack. It’s very much become the place to hang with cool tunes pumping out and often live music and DJs playing here as well. The real novel attraction though is the hot tub! If you’re feeling brave, you can strip off and have a soak whilst taking in the outstanding views of the Mont Blanc range and the Mer de Glace. I was a bit put off on one visit as I saw a group of the local soap dodgers dive in there for their monthly bath (not sure how often they change the water although I guess there are strict regulations on that sort of thing, aren’t there?). However, a sure fire crowd puller there next week will be the Miss Jacuzzi 2012 competition on Thursday. If you’re a potential candidate then don’t forget your bikini or if you just like looking at girls in bikinis in hot tubs then don’t forget your camera!

The weather is due to deteriorate for the next few days as the clouds gather and some long awaited fresh snow should begin to fall later on on Sunday. 5-15cms are predicted for Sunday and then another 10-20cms overnight to Monday with the possibility of it snowing down as low as the town. Those shorts and summer dresses that have begun to appear around town this week will definitely need to be put back in the wardrobe for the next few days.