Chamonix Snow Report: 6th January 2008
What a difference a day makes! As forecast it snowed last night, 30cm was forecast but I estimate that at least 40cm has actually fallen.
In the valley the day did not look promising, it was grey and cloudy, and the snow had largely fallen as rain at lower levels. A quick look at the Compagnie du Montblanc web site revealed, that with the exception of the top section of the cable car, every thing was open at Grands Montets, but also that the avalanche threat level had been raised from, Moderate (2) the previous day to, High (4). High is the highest level where skiing or riding is possible, at the next level up, Very High (5) it is usual to close all the lifts for safety reasons.
Riding up the Herse we could see we were in for a mini powder day, and more or less had the place to ourselves. The light was a bit flat, and I was happy to be in the company of Kevin, the previous snow reporter, as he knows where all the secret stashes are, and wearing his super bright orange jacket was easy to follow. We headed off left (skiers right) at the top of the chair, over to the Italian bowl tucked under the Rachasses Ridge that runs due north from the summit of Grands Montets.
The snow in the bowl was superb, powder, and up to 50cm deep in places. So down we went traversing a couple of bare ridges, but always finding a bit of fresh. At the cat track we decided to continue down the Hotel Variant, again it was superb and hardly a track in sight. As we lost altitude, the snow was defiantly getting heaver, and had been affected by the rain. Large moguls under the new snow were visible, but well covered.
The Hotel Variant joins the Pierre a Ric, home run half way down, it was also in good condition, but a timely reminder of the avalanche threat was a small slide onto the piste, from one of the gullies on the left.
After a play around in the trees above Plan Joran we headed over into the Le Lavancher bowl, the powder was a little thinner here but still plenty of lines to be had. We finished off with a few of Kevs secret stashes to the left of the Bochard, and headed off down tired (me) but grinning. As is often the case, some of the best days are to be had, right after a snowfall and before the weather has cleared.
At the top of the Pierre a Ric on the way down I was asked by two different parties what it was like. At the moment it is good snow all the way down, with no hardpack, it's a straight forward red run, neither excessively steep nor narrow. The main challenge at the end of the day is the large number of people on it, with significant differences in rate of progress.
The forecast is for up to another, 50cm tonight, but with a freezing level of up to 2200m !
A word of caution, riding and skiing off piste in high avalanche threat conditions carries a high level of risk, and it is prudent to do so properly equipped, and in the company of a suitably experienced guide or instructor.
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 4
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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.: 3
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Alt. High Temp.: 1050
