A group of people skiing down a snow covered slope

A group of people skiing on a snowy mountain

A snowy mountain with a blue sky in the background

A group of people skiing down a snow covered mountain

A snowy mountain with the sun shining through the clouds

Chamonix Snow Report: 18th April 2008

featured in Snow report Author Helen McGrory, Chamonix Reporter Updated 24 October 2014

It's been bright and sunny these past few days in Chamonix, so it's been perfect spring skiing conditions. The snow remains in great shape for this time of year – soft and light on the higher slopes, and not a hint of a bare patch on the lower pistes. Today we went up to the Grands Montets in search of the light and fluffy stuff that had been so abundant at the beginning of the week. The Herse chair was closed all day today – when we enquired about the reason for this, we were told that some lifts would close on alternate days to help preserve the pistes until the end of the season. A tad cautious perhaps, considering the amount of snow there is… Despite the closure of one of the main lifts in the area, there were no queues for the Bochard, and we did a couple of runs down the piste to warm up. The snow on piste is in fantastic condition, smooth and grippy and just perfect for long carving turns. It was almost a shame to leave them behind so we could try the off piste in the Lavancher bowl. The top section of the bowl was full of soft and light snow, a little choppy but great fun. About two thirds of the way down, the snow became heavier and a bit crustier, so we headed back on to the piste and down to the Retour-Pendant chair. Another ride up in the Bochard led us to take a sharp right at the top, so we could explore the off piste down the front face. The snow here is in cracking condition and we did a couple of circuits, ending up on a velvety and deserted (and therefore perfect) Combes piste.

We had been eyeing the empty mountainside above the Herse chair, and there seemed to be plenty of fresh tracks to be had, so we headed hopefully for the top cable car. We only had to wait for ten minutes before we were whisked up to the summit. We opted to head down Pylones, which allowed us to check out some of the shaded top section before coming back around to the front face. Plenty of space for everyone here, and although it wasn't exactly powder snow, there were plenty of chances to cut the first tracks through. The ungroomed piste was light and choppy, and we followed it down to join the Blanchots piste and a well deserved lunch in le Chalet-Refuge. This is one of the best mountain huts in the valley - relaxed and full of character. It's also pretty popular and they always recommend that you book in advance if you can. Or, like us, just arrive late (3.00 pm) and smile sweetly! From le Chalet-Refuge, you can either take a 10 minute (uphill) walk back up the cat track to join the Point de Vue piste, or cut across some off piste to join the Variante Hotel piste. This ungroomed route has the biggest moguls in the world on it, and thankfully today, they were soft enough to bring a smile to the face, rather than a grimace.

The forecast is telling us it will be mild and sunny this weekend, and so the spring skiing conditions continue. Stay high for the best snow, or take the foot off the peddle and just enjoy cruising around on the smooth and butter-soft pistes.

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!