Chamonix Snow Report: 11th March 2015

Keen to take advantage of the quieter pistes, I headed up Brevent early(ish) to get on the groomers whilst the corduroy was still fresh. Being south facing, Brevent and Flegere get very soft and slushy in the afternoon, enough so that you can see the evidence of lots of wet snow slides off piste. That soft slushy snow then gets groomed and crisps up nicely overnight giving perfect fast carving conditions for the first few hours of the day. I wasn't the only person up enjoying the snow and views, but it was never crowded.

Getting on for lunchtime and I moved up the valley to Grands Montets and it's high altitude, north facing slopes. With less direct sunshine and colder temperatures, the snow here is more chalky than slushy. The lighter winds this week have helped buff the slopes nicely to give ski anywhere conditions across the whole upper mountain. Of course, it being Grand Montets more than 1/2 a day after a snowfall, as well as smooth chalk, you get moguls. I love moguls, so as far as I care this is a good thing, but if des bosses aren't your bag, then maybe avoid the direct line down underneath the Herse chair.

Elsewhere in GM, the valleys main snowpark is looking a little underwhelming this year. The poor snowfalls at the start of the winter have not helped, with the snow getting moved to keep the pistes in good condition, but now there's a bit more snow to go around it's a shame a little more effort couldn't be put into making some slightly bigger kickers let alone the kicker line that has been there for the last few winters.

The Pierre a Ric home run is getting a bit slushy lower down by the afternoon, but still riding really well. So well that the new Plan Joran gondola and it's quick access back up the hill meant it took me a couple of laps longer before finally calling it a day.

The rest of the week seems to be promising more of the same, with sunshine and warm temperatures. Next week is hard to call, though it's possible there could be some snow coming to Courmayeur, the Italian resort included in the Mont blanc Unlimited ski pass. There's less chance of substantial fresh snow in Chamonix, but you just never know with mountain weather, and there's plenty of snow to last a while longer yet.

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Seven Twenty were up at Flegere today, take a look at their latest update here.