Chamonix Snow Report: 25th February 2005

With the beautiful weather we've been having, yesterday we went on a ski tour to Le Buet. We started at Flegere early in the morning whilst the pistes were still deserted and freshly groomed – it was already fantastic just being up there. We took the Index, then the Floria, where we strapped on our snow shoes and headed up to the Col des Aiguilles Crochues. There had been quite a few people up before us so the skinning trail was well worn, making our life easy, and about halfway up it was possible to take our snow shoes off and use the boot pack for the last part of the ascent. We were heading into the Berard Valley, via the Col de Berard, a route that involves a long traverse and then a bit more snow shoeing. The traverse was good as it was well worn and quite easy to stay on. The views from here are pretty special with not a ski lift in sight. There were a few other parties around doing the same route as us, with some of them grumbling about snowboarders messing up skiers' skinning tracks with snow shoes! I thought the mountain belonged to everyone, but arguments were avoided as we did as we were told and let the skiers pass. The final hike to the Col de Berard is shorter than the first and isn't a steep climb, about 15–20 minutes. The snow in the Berard Valley was superb: even though it was tracked, it was still light and powdery, with fresh turns to be had here and there. There was evidence of there having been large avalanches to the valley floor. The snow was good and powdery all the way to the bottom where the trees begin and from here we threaded our way along the riverside to Le Buet. The trail out was well covered in snow although it's a winding route that requires a bit of attention to avoid hitting trees, bushes and rocks. A great day out that ended with a beer and a train ride back to Chamonix.

If you want to know more about backcountry routes, there are a few good guide books with directions that you can buy in Chamonix. However, if you're not sure where you're going, it's always a good idea to hire a mountain guide as the backcountry can be very dangerous and routes sometimes complex.

After yesterday's exertions we headed to Le Tour today for a relaxing day on the gentle slopes there. More blue sky and sun made for great conditions, with the snow on the pistes perfect all over. The off piste is pretty packed now, although there are a few patches of less tracked snow if you search them out. A ride up the Aiguillette drag took us to the Aiguillette des Posettes from where we rode down the ridge to just above the top of the Vallorcine Gondola. Whilst the top half had packed snow, the lower half was good with some lighter stuff to ride with fewer tracks, not quite champagne powder but very soft anyway; what I love about that run is the rolling terrain with numerous opportunities for jumps and drops. The lift queues were variable today. The car park was full when we arrived at noon so I was surprised that there was no waiting for the Autannes chair. Longer queues developed after lunch, and the Tete de Balme chair was also busy this afternoon. The Liason Balme piste that leads from the front of Le Tour to the back was busy, especially at the piste intersections. Most of the other pistes weren't too busy and if you chose well, some were deserted; the ones served by the draglifts seemed to have least people on them.

Useful Links
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.

Additional snow and weather information provided, with thanks, by meteo.chamonix.com and the Tourist Office