Chamonix Snow Report: 25th February 2012

Thursday was a pretty non-descript day with high cloud and flat light the whole length of the valley. Friday however, was a cracker – it dawned warm, clear and beautifully sunny. I headed up Brevent.

I’ve been sticking to just a little lunchtime ski these last couple of weeks; as I said, when time is tight, it’s worth making the most of lunch time. No hanging around in queues at the lifts and fewer bods on the slopes. Plan Praz was pretty busy though when I stepped out of the gondola but it was mainly people hanging out in the sunshine, chilling in the deckchairs or grabbing a quick drink at the umbrella bar. Every time I’m there I can’t get over the piste information sign that is currently half buried in snow – it’s the same height as the one at the Brevent base station and the ones at the bus stops and you have to properly look up at it in summer time. Definitely no shortage of snow up there even after 2 weeks of school holidays!

And there is still no real sign of the pistes being skied out at all. On the descent down the Vioz blue run to the Parsa and Cornu chairlifts, there was great cover everywhere although the snow was noticeably more spring like here (on the sunny side of the valley) when compared to earlier in the week on the north facing Grands Montets slopes. Off the Cornu, the Charlanon red off to the right was pretty bumpy and as you dropped lower, the snow was even getting sticky in places (really must get my board serviced!!). I wondered what the Charles Bozon black run off the very top lift would be like, but to be honest, I didn’t really find it that much fun. It was undoubtedly harder packed than the lower slopes and with a hint of loose snow on top, but it got to the point of being almost icy in places and then swiftly turned spring like just like the rest of the area. Whilst I appreciate that there are only a couple of black runs from the top of the Brevent gondola (plus numerous couloirs drops and off-piste itineraries), everyone should still take the lift up there just to take in the view. It’s really one of the best photo op’s of Mont Blanc in the valley and the Panoramic restaurant at the top has a great viewing terrace and tasty cheese laden menu for lunch You can always take the lift back down if your ability or cheese intake at lunch makes skiing the blacks inadvisable.

Down below the Altitude 2000 restaurant, the new airbag jump was getting a lot of attention – and not just from the kids. It’s really funny to watch and there was never less than 10 people waiting to have a shot whenever I passed by yesterday.

Today again has been a rather bland day weather wise, and the town has been rammed with the Saturday market and people coming and going on one of the last big transfer days of the winter. No snow on the immediate horizon for us yet but the temperature is due to drop a bit for the next couple of days although the sun is sticking around so visibility should remain good. I don’t want sunshine, I want snow, but as it’s the last week of the school holidays now there’s still something to smile about :O)