Chamonix Snow Report: 25th January 2007

Yesterday, the weather stayed snowy and cloudy, with a thick layer of cloud hovering around mid mountain. Up at Flegere it was snowing constantly for most of the day in the cloud and there was about 20–25 cm of new snow on top of an icy crust. It doesn't sound like much but it was enough to make a big difference. It wasn't bottomless powder but it was high-quality light snow and if you found some windloaded sections it was possible to avoid scratching the ice below: we found a few good lines off of the top of the Floria and skier's left of the Index chairlift. The cloud and cold weather (-12ºC) kept people away, meaning that the lifts and pistes were empty; the only busy place was the mountain restaurant at Flegere as people crammed in just to warm themselves up. Our afternoon was cut short though as the Index lift broke down at around 2pm, which was a shame as we were having great fun. We didn't venture into Combe Lachenal, which can be great in fresh powder, for two reasons: first, it was closed, and secondly we had heard that the lower section was full of avalanche debris the size of Minis! The pistes were all in superb shape at Flegere: in fact they were the best that they've been all season.

It was still cold this morning (-9ºC at our house) and with clear blue skies we went up Brevent with the intent of doing some of the couloirs above the Charles Bozon black run. We ducked the rope, and went past the warning signs as we traversed along the back of the ridge to the Col du Brevent. It wasn't too bad for my skier buddies but one section required walking in snowboard boots, and crampons would not have gone amiss as the fresh powder just slid away from the hard icy surface below making it nearly impossible to kick a foothold into the ice. There were plenty of others taking this route and we weren't going to be getting any fresh tracks today. Once at the Col du Brevent, which is the easiest and most open of all the couloirs from the ridge, we strapped in and started the descent. The top section was good and deep even if the snow was a little heavy where the sun had worked on it. There was a little bit of surface sluff but nothing serious enough to worry about. There were a few tracks already but with a little bit of looking we managed a few clean turns and for most of the run down it was really good riding. The section just above the Bozon piste was a bit of a shocker though. I could see the avalanche debris but mistakenly assumed that the 20 cm of snow on top would have softened the lumps somewhat: big mistake, it was like hitting lumps of broken concrete! The icy traverse combined with the hard debris was enough to make me decide to wait for a little more snow before doing the same run again.

For anyone who likes to stick to the piste, the conditions are fantastic at Brevent: soft snow on the piste and good cover with barely a rock in sight. As with Flegere the pistes are in the best state that they have been all season. Queues were non-existent today even though it was a beautiful sunny day, and you'd expect a lot of people to be out taking advantage of the great snow. Don't forget that it's very cold up on the mountain at the moment, so wear thermals; if you get too hot you can always take off a layer and put it in a backpack.

This afternoon we headed out for a few laps on the ski de fond in Chamonix. The snow down to the valley has revitalized the ski de fond trails, which were mostly bare at the beginning of the week. With the cold weather the snow cannons have been running too so things are looking up right now. All of the trails around Chamonix were open but hadn't been properly groomed in places, so there were a few lumpy sections to contend with. The pisteurs were busily sorting this out this afternoon, so I imagine by tomorrow morning it'll be looking much smoother after the piste basher has had a chance to drive round.

Check out what to do around town once the lifts have closed with our all new 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