Chamonix Snow Report: 28th January 2008
My first experience of the charming Les Chosalets nursery area at Argentiere was not in the winter, but as a summer camp site, when it was equally as delightful. I thought at the time it seemed a little steep for a campsite! but it is at a perfect angle for a nursery area. It is situated up a narrow, signposted road that goes right immediately after the Grands Montets turning off the main Chamonix-Argentiere road. There is little parking at the top of the road so it is easier to park at the bottom by the rubbish bins, or if traveling by public transport, ask the bus driver to stop at the bus stop at the junction and walk the short distance up the hill. On the bus it will be announced over the loudspeaker as “prochain arrêt Les Chosalets”.
The area is devoted to beginners and also has a Nordic ski track nearby. There is a small Buvett (café) for drinks and light snacks. Two slow drags one long, one short, serve a large tree lined area that is not steep and just right for your first few days on a board or skis. The area is NW facing and gets some sunshine particularly in the afternoon. At the moment the snow is in good condition but it can get a little soft and grabby late on warm afternoons. In line with other nursery areas in the valley there is a cheap day ticket at 12.80€ for adults and 10.80€ for under 16's.
It's been sunny in the valley since last Wednesday and today was no different. We had arranged to meet some friends at Grands Montets. The car park was less than half full at 10am and the lifts practically empty. As we rode up the Bochard gondola, everywhere looked in terrific condition and quiet. From the top of the Bochard we headed off piste to skiers left to find the steep natural half-pipe that leads down to the top of the Marmottons. The snow in here although well tracked and slightly mougled was soft and great to ski on.
Unfortunately not far from the top one of our group badly twisted a knee and we had to call the piste rescue on 0450 54 04 73 for a sledge evacuation.
If this happens to you apart from normal first aid, there are certain things that you need to do-
-Safeguard the casualty;
Secure them from falling further.
Mark the spot with a board or crossed skis, well above the casualty; also station someone above to keep others well away.
Keep them warm and reassure them help is on the way.
-Safeguard the rest of the party.
-Inform the rescue of the number and condition of casualties, and the position of the incident, i.e. piste name and marker number if there is one, off piste this is more difficult, if the itinerary has a name, give it, otherwise describe the route taken, where you left the piste etc, plus the nearest lift and/or physical feature.
-Witnesses must assist and give their names, particularly if the accident was caused by a collision.
Our rescue arrived very quickly and with great efficiency dug a platform, (well it was steep) loaded the patient and gear onto the sledge and was gone. Needless to say we had great difficulty keeping up.
The safety record and efficiency of the Chamonix Piste Patrol sets them out as one of the finest in the world, although their work in rescue and avalanche safety, which itself is not without risk, goes largely unnoticed.
Feeling a bit spooked we spent the next couple of hours practicing our bumps skiing. The off piste at Grands Montets has started to grow some fine examples. They are mostly soft and great fun. The on piste conditions remain good, mainly soft packed powder over a hard base, and no bumps, yet! There is the occasional harder section where the surface has been scraped off.
The avalanche threat remains at 2, moderate. The forecast for the next few days is for the fine weather to be slowly replaced by more cloudy conditions, with the prospect of light snow Thursday and further mixed weather after that.
Useful Information
Useful Links
Additional snow and weather information provided, with thanks, by meteo.chamonix.com and the Tourist Office
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
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.
Stats
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Level 2
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0
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Total Pistes: 75
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Alt. Resort: 2000
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Alt. Summit: 2700
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Alt. Last Snow: 2700
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High Temp.: 8
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Alt. High Temp.: 1050
