Chamonix Snow Report: 28th April 2011

There seems to be a system moving through today which is dumping snow above 2000m, although this might do some good it will also come with some dangers for off piste riding, covering only slightly the many rocks, boulders and muddy sections widely spread across most of the skiable terrain. Unless a metre or more dumps down this evening I wouldn't foresee the lift company changing their minds about staying open a little longer.

So for those of you left in the valley make sure you get up for that last little shred tomorrow, followed by some après drinks in the town of Argenitere home to some of the last pistes in the Alps to close before the summer season begins.

If you have a holiday planned for next week out here there will still be loads for you to do, although unless you are an experienced ski or snowboard mountaineer there won't be any skiing or snowboarding for you. The Aiguille du midi lift is still open for the ski or snowboard mountaineer and local guide companies are still operating for those wishing to hike for some sweet lines. If you are in to this sort of riding you should know that this time of year can be quite good for some of the steeper, higher slopes as the more humid temperatures allow the snow to stick to some of the slopes that are normally too steep to ride as snow doesn't get much of a chance to settle throughout the rest of the season. This type of riding comes with some obvious dangers, falling, opening crevasses, and wet slide avalanches. However for the experienced riders you will find some high altitude adventures awaiting you, should you decide to visit the area. Hiring and gaining the advice of local guides is always advised.

For the not so extreme rider why not get in to some of the activities which summer has to offer. There are many activities to get in to, like climbing, hiking, mountain biking and many more. There is no shortage of rental shops and guides that offer these services at the moment so be sure to look them up when you come.

Although I didn't get up the hill today, those who braved the white out conditions are coming back with reports of a lot of snow falling from the mid station up, so make sure you get up the hill for the last day, and the last powder day of the season!!!

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!