Chamonix Snow Report: 9th March 2005

We dropped off our snow shoes at the house and went up the Aiguille du Midi cablecar to do the famous Vallee Blanche. Most people have heard of this run, but if you haven't it's a long off-piste run on glacier from 3842m back down to Chamonix at 1036m. As it's a high mountain route with crevasses and seracs posing a serious risk to your safety it's recommended to hire a guide to show you the way, and that you go equipped with a harness and crevasse rescue kit just in case. It's not a particularly difficult route to ski or board so it is an option for most intermediates, which is why it can be so busy. A good time to try it is early in the week as generally people seem to do it at the end of their holiday stay here.

On the arête it was very windy and the snow was consequently pretty scoured with not much powder, and the first section was actually quite icy. Once we got round to the Gros Rognon the snow improved as it was more sheltered from the wind. There wasn't any powder here, but instead a soft layer of windblown snow a few centimetres deep that was pleasant enough. It wasn't long before we entered the Geant ice falls. There is less snow here than in previous winters, making it look fairly intimidating with lots of open crevasses, and there was even a section where we had to slide over some rock. It was a little tricky navigating through here and far less snowy than is ideal, with a few small holes hidden behind moguls. The last flat run out on the Mer de Glace was straightforward matter with the exception of one crevasse crossing the trail that required a 2 to 3 foot drop. The sting in the tail was the last section just as you leave the glacier to hike up to the tea hut for the final ride down to Chamonix (just before this, you can instead climb the steps to the Montenvers station and take the train down if you prefer). Here, there was a steep wall of glacial ice that required traversing: very intimidating and probably the worst part of the whole run. The rest was a simple ride down the moguled and worn cat track that connects with the Planard beginners' slope; the run down was good except on the hairpin bends where the snow was banked up and a bit rocky. I couldn't wholly recommend the Vallee Blanche at the moment but with some more snow it could improve a lot. The scenery is outstanding so it could be worth it if you're not too bothered about good snow.

Today we went back to do the Berard Breche again, this time the Index lift was running. One advantage to an early start to do this hike is that as we head over from Brevent to Flegere we get to ride some fantastic fresh groomed corduroy with no one on the piste. I've described this route in previous reports, as it's one of my favourites, so I won't waste space going into it again. It was a busy hike up the Crochues today with more people doing it than on any of the other occasions that we've been up there this year. Most seemed to be heading for the Col du Berard so things quietened down as we hiked up towards the Breche in the hot sun. The snow was amazing in the Berard valley; hardly anybody had been through from the Breche since the snowfall two days ago so we could pretty much choose our own powder lines. The snow was about 50cm deep, and felt bottomless. It was the best it's been there yet this season and a massive improvement on the snow we'd experienced in the Vallee Blanche.

Useful Links
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.

Additional snow and weather information provided, with thanks, by meteo.chamonix.com and the Tourist Office