Skip to main content
SeeChamonix

Chamonix Snow Report: 20th November 2008

featured in Snow report Author Tom Wilson-North, Updated

Well, there's stil no snow below 1500m in Chamonix, unless you count the rapidly expanding icebox in my refrigerator. But winter's edging closer in other ways. Around town works are frantically underway to get new shops finished for December - the Nikita store (which is going to be next to The Pub) is progressing nicely. Across the road, Swedish protection brand-store Poc (which stands for Piece Of Cake) is opening next to Helly Hansen, and had piles of stock and furnishings stacked outside yesterday as they race to open by winter.

But what of the skiing? Well, Les Grands Montets won't be open this weekend - despite a buzz around town to the contrary, perhaps based on this Facebook group? This means that Chamoniards wishing to get some turns in will need to head to the already-open nearby resorts of Verbier, Zinal, Saas Fee or Zermatt in Switzerland; Cervinia in Italy; and Tignes in the Tarentaise. I hear Zinal is the one to watch this winter, a well-kept freeride secret amongst Scandie seasonnaires in the valley.

I went to Verbier last weekend and had a brilliant time on good early-season snow. Some rocks in places, but good November coverage all the same. The Mont Blanc Unlimited pass gave me free skiing, and the folks at the caisse in Le Chable (at the lowest lift, next to the railway) accepted it no problem. Having to pass by the caisse everytime we ski Verbier will be a pain, but it's a small price to pay for access to this well-laid-out, varied and chic resort.

Unsatisfied with a mere one day on the snow, I begged (stole) a Mont Blanc Tunnel pass and went to ride Cervinia, in Italy. Normally the Montenvers would have supplied me with the cheap tunnel journeys, but apparently this isn't working until Courmayeur is open. Gah! Anyway, Cervinia is a groovy little resort, with tons of chairlifts all over the place giving access to a long, high (up to 3500m) ski area. Check Helen's full report here.

Anyway, you're here to read about Chamonix, so enough of that. Chamonix is cold at the moment, and it'll be colder this weekend, when it'll dump 1m at 2000m and snow right down to town (1000m). I go pass the frosty and empty Gaillands climbing wall on my way to work, and my car is frozen up every day, requiring me to get out of bed five minutes earlier to de-ice the thing. However, there are still plenty of well-equipped people braving the cold and jogging or biking around town. Bravo!

I still maintain that Les Grands Montets will be opening 29/11/08 - though there are quiet mumblings about problems with the snow-making on the Pierre A Ric. We'll just have to cross our fingers that the Compagnie du Mont Blanc will deliver. Otherwise, Courmayeur's swish new website seems to indicate that they'll be open the same day. Driving back from Cervinia the other day, I looked up and saw that it looks very white from just above midstation at Courmayeur, so it won't take much for them to open with existing coverage.

Here's to winter!

Tom

Stats

Snow Report
  • 0

  • 0

  • Alt. Resort: 1050

  • Alt. Summit: 3800

  • Alt. Last Snow: 3800

  • High Temp.: 8

  • Alt. High Temp.: 1050