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Warm temperatures & clear skies all of this week

Spring skiing in Courmayeur

featured in Snow report Author Lorne Cameron, Chamonix Reporter Updated

Spring is in full swing already in Chamonix with warm temperatures and clear skies all of last week.

It's been about two weeks since the last real snowfall in the Chamonix Valley and temperatures have been pretty warm, making it pretty tough to find good soft snow off piste. But that doesn't mean that we're not still having fun; with town still quite quiet during the week I've had some good relaxed piste days and there's a definite spring atmosphere in town with drinks outside and catching up with friends I haven't seen in a while.

On Tuesday we headed through the Mont Blanc Tunnel to Courmayeur (lifts included on all Mont Blanc Unlimited ski passes) for a classic Italian piste day. The Val Veny car park was a good indication that ski crowds would be even lower than in Chamonix and there wasn't a cloud in the sky; we knew we were in for a good day.

Skiing down to the Zerotta chairlift on shaded slopes on our first run the piste was very firm so starting out in the sun was the best plan. We lapped the Checruit gondola and Aretu chairlift for a while for perfectly groomed pistes with the snow just softening enough for good edge grip and the red Aretu piste was probably the best of the day, being wide and empty with its steep sections begging to be skied as fast as we could.

A late-morning coffee break at the Checruit cafe next, of course, how can you say no to €1.50 cappuccinos and pastries outside in the sun? By the time we were done the queue for the top lifts had died down a lot so we had a look off the first station but the entrances to the front side couloirs were rocky and the snow beside the main piste a bit crusty. So we were happy to stick to the pistes and seek out some lips and gaps to the sides for a bit of air, moving around the mountain to follow the sun as it softened up each section.

We stopped for pizzas for lunch (as above, of course), at a restaurant underneath and slightly looker's-right of the Maison Vielle chairlift line near the top. I hadn't been here before but I'll definitely be back. Most pizzas were €10.00-11.50 and bigger than average, with quick service and plenty of seating outside. I split a pizza, not wanting to make the mistake again of trying to ski hard with a stuffed belly, and we got some more good laps in around the front side of the mountain and Bertolini chairlifts. The snow was softening further especially lower down on the front side but without too much ski traffic it wasn't getting too cut up.

To finish we found the top of the Val Veny road piste and followed it out to the carp park. There's currently just enough snow cover in some sections to ski all the way but it won't last long if these temperatures keep up.

The weather is looking pretty good for the next couple of days before a bit of snow around Friday and hopefully more by Sunday/Monday. A little top-up for next week would be perfect before the Easter holiday crowds arrive. Let's wait and see what we get.

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Follow more from Lorne in his ski blog.

Location

Map of the surrounding area