Chamonix Snow Report: 29th January 2006
It's been windy in Chamonix, very windy, but thankfully it's died down now. Yesterday (Saturday) it caused almost all the lifts in the valley to close: only a few of the lower lifts at Grands Montets managed to open later in the day as the wind dropped. It's not just any wind either, but a Foehn: a warm wind that has raised temperatures to well above freezing making it feel like a spring day rather than midwinter. Its effect on the snow is not good, and we've seen the snow around our house obviously thawing and as I type I can hear the constant sound of water dripping off of the roof. It's +7ºC on our balcony! The snow hasn't even had the chance to refreeze overnight as temperatures have stayed above zero and are forecast to be similar tonight and tomorrow.
That's it for the doom and gloom! Friday saw me trying out the ski de fond trails in Chamonix for the first time. As a snowboarder and someone that last skied about fifteen years ago, it was never going to be easy, and I'd chosen to try the skating technique rather than the classic kind. But I battled on, into the wind, which was trying desperately to stop me going anywhere fast up the valley. I actually enjoyed it, especially the easy bit when the wind was behind me on the return leg and I was going downhill – you know, I think that last part might catch on. The trails are very good in Chamonix with different gradings just as in downhill skiing. Argentiere has its own series of trails too with the foyer de fond at Les Grassonets. Chamonix's is opposite the MBC as you head out of town towards Les Praz. Yesterday the ski de fond trails were closed because of the wind: it had blown debris onto the trails – twigs, cones and the like. However, it didn't seem to deter many skiers, as I saw quite a few around. Cross-country skiing is relatively cheap: it cost me 10 euros to hire the skis for a morning, and 6 euros for the ticket to use the trails, much less than the downhill version. It's got me hooked and I'll definitely be trying it again.
Today (Sunday) saw me back on the lifts at Grands Montets to see what the wind had done to the snow. Initially things didn't look too bad but it all depended on the aspect of the slope. Some parts of the Bochard piste had been wind scoured to the point where there was nothing but sheet ice; these were marked with hazard poles so there was some warning. Other parts had some soft snow, deposited by the wind. The moguls, which are almost everywhere off piste right now, often had soft deposits in their dips, which made them easy to ride. The small park at Grands Montets has become harder and icier than at my last visit, and this really didn't encourage me to try anything too fancy. One run through was enough: I'll wait until there's some softer snow in there.
I took a ride up the Herse and things weren't looking good. The glacier above looked about the worst I've seen it: lots of glacial ice showing that's normally under deep snow, and many more crevasses visible than usual. Below the glacier the off piste looked exceptionally rocky, and the wind has stripped most of the snow away. The lower part of Pylones was almost bare. I wasn't hopeful for what lay in store on the red run Combes on the way down. The top section looked like it was going to be icy but instead I was surprised at how much soft snow was on it. The whole upper section of the run was actually very good, large piles of loose, soft snow and the apparently icy patches between were easy enough to hold an edge on. There were a few rocks showing through here and there but nothing serious, and they were all marked with poles. The off piste looked awful from the chair, but the few shortcuts I took between the piste had decent snow that was windblown but soft. Pierre a Ric was not bad either, softer than it has been, although it still had a few icy patches to watch out for. I guess the trees lower down helped to protect it from the worst of the wind.
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
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
Stats
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Level 3
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0
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Total Pistes: 80
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Alt. Resort: 1050
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Alt. Summit: 3000
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Alt. Last Snow: 1250
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High Temp.: 8
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Alt. High Temp.: 1050
