Chamonix Snow Report: 18th February 2008

One way of avoiding lift queues which have not been too bad, is to avoid the lifts. One of our half term strategies to avoid the crowds is to do a few backcountry hikes. For this hike just three lifts are required, to get to the start of one of the most enjoyable day tours in the valley; the Crouchues-Berard traverse.

The key criteria I use in choosing a hike is the ratio of up hill walking to downhill skiing or riding. This particular route has an excellent, three to one ratio with over 1500m of decent for “just” 500m of accent. However the main motivation for doing this route has to be the incredibly beautiful Berard valley which is only accessible by those prepared to walk a bit. The valley runs parallel to the Chamonix valley, behind the Aiguilles Rouges range of mountains.

The tour starts at the top of the Floria drag lift at the highest point of the Flegere system. The initial climb to the Col de Crochues takes just under an hour. It can be done on skis with climbing skins or with snow shoes for boarders. The last couple of hundred feet are too steep either for skies or snow shoes, there is however a line of kicked steps to take you to the chilly Col. For those who don't like heights or a feeling of exposure a rope can be handy here.

The next section is a long traverse skiers right which when icy is hard on a board as it is all on one edge. It's wise to be on this slope early in the day as it faces south and is a natural terrain trap traversing as it does over a line of cliffs. Even small sun induced slides here could carry you over the cliffs.

The traverse brings you to the second climb of the day the mostly easy angled accent to the Col de Berard. This climb is shorter and easier than the first, however the last section is steep and while it is possible to skin right to the Col, many people walk the last few hundred feet. This second climb takes about half an hour, and brings you to an ideal spot for your lunchtime picnic, accompanied by a few Alpine Chuffs happy to share it with you.

The decent from the col into the Berard valley is superb, the right-hand side enjoys a lot of shade and the soft snow remains in good condition for quite a few days after any snowfall. The tour finishes with a tricky section following a twisting track through the woods, before emerging in the hamlet of Le Buet. There is a delightful pub where you can spend a few minutes (hours) waiting for the train back to Chamonix which leaves on the hour from the station just across the road. The cheese on toast is highly recommended.

This tour is an excellent introduction to backcountry boarding and skiing as it is relatively straightforward with no glaciers to worry about. If you want to do this hike, a guide is strongly recommended, they will also be able to provide all the specialist equipment necessary. There's also a good description of this route in the book by Anselm Baud, Mont Blanc and the Aiguilles Rouges: a guide for skiers ISBN 1904207278.

Chamonix valley guides.

According to France Meteo the avalanche risk is 1, low.

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