A shadow of a person is cast on a snowy slope

A snowy mountain range with the sun shining through the clouds

A person standing on top of a snow covered mountain

Chamonix Snow Report: 27th January 2011

featured in Snow report Author Kieran Sharp, Updated 24 October 2014

Unfortunately the forecasters got it wrong, what was supposed to be snow showers yesterday and today, was only a single cloud which spat a small amount less than a centimetre over the slopes. However it has remained sunny and still cold, no more snow has and we are all getting nice big dirty goggle tans!

Considering it hasn't snowed for almost two weeks the snow conditions are actually not that bad. On the sunnier slopes, as it's been bellow freezing they haven't been going through the freeze thaw process which makes it very icy. There are patches of rocks poking through in places on the Les Houches, Flegere and Brevent hills, and Le Tour is mostly grass underneath so not too many pokey stones there! Grand Montets which is normally seen as ice death hill in these circumstances has been in very good condition and the lovely guys at Compangnie du Mont Blanc have been on top of the snow conditions, getting the snow cannons on as much as possible, so the pistes on that side of the hill have been a reasonable pleasure to ride.

Backcountry skiing/snowboarding hasn't even been talked about recently, as the conditions of piste have not been very appealing at all! If you are in search of powder when you come out here, get down to the Buearau des Guides, where they can help you pick a great spot to hike to or offer a guiding service taking you in safety to some of the best spots around.

If you're out and about at the moment I would recommend mixing your day up, make the most of the sun and get up Brevent for an early morning shred and make a visit to the Restaurant Panoramic, accessible from the Brevent top cable car, for some outstanding views and some truly amazing coffee. If you still feel like you have some energy deep inside you after lunch then why not jump on the short bus journey up to Grand Montets as the sun starts to hit the hills on that side of the valley, and get some runs off the top lift, where you will see some amazing sites of the glacier and have one of the longest descents possible in Europe! On your way down from the top make sure to pop in to the refuge Longon for more amazing coffee and wonderful views of the foot of the glacier.

As we begin to move out of one of the quietest times of the year January, we start looking and preparing ourselves for the big crazy fun February! I can feel it in my bones that there is going to be some major dumps during this month after such a dry and weird weather January, and just in time for most of the holiday makers arriving in the valley for their annual ski trip. If you aren't out soon, I would start looking for some good holiday deals now, as I will bet money on it, that the next time it snows it's going to be awesome!!

Check out our Mountain Guide Listings for contact details of local guiding and activity companies.

Check out what to do around town once the lifts have closed with our Apres Ski Report - a weekly round up of what's hot and where to party in Chamonix!