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Chamonix Snow Report: 5th March 2006

featured in Snow report Author Ellie Mahoney, Chamonix Editor Updated

The snow turned to rain last night and then back to snow again this morning as the temperature fell back down to below freezing. So, it was looking like being another day of lift closures and mass exodus to Les Houches, or farther afield.

Then it happened: Grands Montets opened the cable car and a couple of chairlifts at midday. Surely it couldn't be true, not after the massive snowfall of the last three days, and given that it was still snowing at midday! So up I went hoping for the best, not quite sure whether to believe the Compagnie du Mont Blanc website. There was no queue so I walked straight onto the cable car and soon I was standing at Lognan in a whiteout wondering what I was doing on the mountain in those conditions with the avalanche level only recently dropped from a maximum 5 to 4. It was confusing as there were no lifts running from Lognan; I'm sure some people just headed straight down Pierre a Ric thinking it was all closed. But I asked a pisteur just to be sure, and Tabe and Plan Roujon chairlifts were open; it just took a little walking and pushing on the cat track to get there.

It was worth every step, and as I rode up Tabe I could see below me that there were only one or two tracks in the powder. As I sat on the chair all I could hear through the whiteout where whoops and laughter from the lucky few who got there first: I don't think they could contain their excitement. The ride down confirmed the powder was the best it's been all season: bottomless (with the exception of the ridges), light and absolutely unbelievable. Visibility improved a little as I ducked into the trees of the Dream Forest, and today it really lived up to its name. The snow in the Dream Forest was the best it's ever been over the last four seasons that I've ridden in there, and I still can't quite get over how good it was today. Most of the smaller rock drops have been filled in and are now part of the slope and I rode them without leaving the ground; the larger cliffs are still there but with the super deep powder they are droppable, that's if you've got the minerals.

It started to get busier as the afternoon wore on: I guess word got around. But still there were empty chairs going up, and the chopped-up snow in the more obvious areas stayed light and was still fun to ride. The fog set in later, probably keeping numbers down. By 4:30 it was time to head down and the fog had become very dense by then with visibility down to about two chairs on the lift. Riding Marmotton piste was interesting as everyone was sticking to the poles at the side just to keep going the right way. Pierre a Ric was the same to start with, not much visibility until the straight section, where the fog lifted and I could see across the valley. The view was stunning after days of grey skies and fog; the valley was blanketed in snow, the rocky peaks plastered white and the sky clear blue. By 10:00 this evening, all the cloud has gone and the sky is clear, the wind is coming from the north and it's feeling very cold. At our house in Argentiere it's -8ºC on our balcony as the slush of Saturday night is freezing into solid ice and we have a massive 180cms of snow in our garden. As the lifts get dug out and start running again the next few days are looking like being some of the best of the season. That is until the next dump of snow arrives, which according to the forecast could be later in the week. What a season!

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

Stats

Avalanche Risk
  • Level 5

Snow Report
  • 0

  • Total Pistes: 80

  • Alt. Resort: 1050

  • Alt. Summit: 3000

  • Alt. Last Snow: 1250

  • High Temp.: -2

  • Alt. High Temp.: 1050