Chamonix Snow Report: 2nd March 2006

Yesterday, the original plan on my McNab backcountry freeride course was to head up the Aiguille du Midi but the weather was looking cloudy, snowy and windy up there so not the kind that's much fun for riding on a glacier. Instead we went up Brevent, bypassing the massive queue for the gondola up from Chamonix: being in a lesson or with a mountain guide does have its advantages. So, in next to no time we were standing at the top of Brevent, snowshoes on our packs, snowboards strapped on our feet, and staring into the whiteout wondering where the hell the guides were going to take us. The visibility was about 20-30 metres, not ideal for snowboarding, but you just have to go with it when it's like that, loosen up and absorb the bumps, of which there weren't many, as the snow was deep and soft. The route we took lead through some tight rocks and steep sections into some more open areas. All the time we had to take care and stay spread out so as not to stress the snow pack too much. Soon we were strapping into our snowshoes for the long hike to the Aiguillette des Houches. It was a slow affair with plenty of map reading by our guides. The hike took us along a high ridge with a steep drop either side. As we hiked along I could see plenty of fresh slides on the north-facing side, with fracture lines where the snow had settled and not slid. We had some glimpses of Mont Blanc and the Aiguille du Midi as the clouds lifted for a few moments before plunging us into a whiteout again. Eventually, we made it to the Aiguillette after several hours of hiking. The plan was to descend a couloir, but it was far too wind loaded so we took a different route down to Le Bettey. It was a little wind scoured to start with but soon we were snowboarding fresh powder through gentle meadows, and heading for the tree line. The weather started to break and we could see where we were going. Lower down in the trees the snow was thinner, only 10 cms of fresh at a guess, and before we knew it we were at the car park at Le Bettey looking back up to the Aiguillette des Houches, which was by then in perfect visibility!

This morning the weather was again windy and cloudy. So, we went up Grands Montets. The top cable car was closed because of wind. It was pretty unpleasant up there this morning, it must be said: strong wind, snow and poor visibility. So, Neil gave us a few tips on technique and we did some laps on Pierre a Ric, which had perfect snow for working on your turns: smooth and good to hold an edge on. In the afternoon the weather started to break up; it was still windy and snowy but the sun was getting through now and again improving visibility when it did. We had some great runs in the Italian bowl off the Herse chair heading out skier's right, and sticking to the wind-loaded ridges; there was a good 50 cms of fresh in places making for some fun powder turns. Combe de la Pendant was almost as good, but it lacked the consistently good snow that was in the Italian bowl and had a few icy moguls poking through. By the end of the day, Pierre a Ric had become quite icy in places and wasn't as good as in the morning, but by then it's more a case of getting off the mountain and going home.

There's some heavy snow forecast for the next few days so anyone coming out for next week could be in for some great skiing and boarding. The snow here is just getting better and better at the moment.

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