Chamonix Snow Report: 18th April 2013

With the sun hitting the mountains with such force the snow has been melting at a rapid rate and with plenty of avalanches (the massive one in Taconnaz for example) the risks have been high. On Friday we headed up Grands Montets as the temperatures start to rise I really feel like this is the place to go for the best snow. Using the Grands Montets cable car you can get up really high and enjoy some soft fluffy snow even with the soaring temperatures.

Last Friday was the start of the warm weather and with a little sprinkling of fresh snow the night before it meant there was actually some lovely off-piste skiing to be had. We strapped on our skis and headed straight up the Bochard. Heading down the Bochard red piste we skied a little way down and then took a right off to the side of the piste where the snow was fresh and lovely a real bonus on a day when the clouds were clearing to let the sun peek through. We decided to do this a few times as the snow was so soft, like icing sugar, and was yet to become the heavy slush that the baking sun can turn it into in the afternoons. Going up the Herse chairlift we decided to cut across left from the top of the Combes red piste. Again we got some fresh tracks and beautiful snow, with patches of hard cut up ice in between it wasn’t perfect but the fresh snow was such a lovely treat you heard no complaints from any one.

After a heavy night at Chambre Neufs final après with the sun beaming through our window we couldn’t help but want to leap out of bed and lap up the sun from the slopes. So off we went again straight up Grands Montets to meet some friends and potter around the slopes. We decided to stick to the pistes today as the afternoon sun on the Friday meant the off piste had been made slushy and then icy overnight. Heading up the Herse we took the red combes piste down. I really enjoy this run as most of the time it is in great condition, is quite long and it has a varied amount of steeper and flatter parts. The snow, surprisingly, was in lovely condition. It had been pisted and groomed so was a joy to ski down, especially in the lovely sunshine, it really felt like true spring skiing had arrived. We took the Bochard next and came down the red Bochard piste, again another great run with the narrow (and slightly mogul covered) part at the top over with the rest of the run was in lovely shape.

As the sun got warmer and the day progressed you could feel the lower you got the slushier the snow was getting. So with this in mind we decided to have a stop at the mid station and take in the sunshine and the glorious views. With a Café Mambo event on we listened to the DJ and sipped on some beers (and plenty of water) loving the fact that spring had arrived. To get back down the mountain we had a choice to either ski down the Pierre a ric home run, which we all thought would be slushy and busy, take the cable car down or take the Plan Joran chairlift down. Our choice was the Plan Joran chair so we could still sit in the sun and take in the fresh air. The afternoon was then filled with drinking rose on a sunny balcony and really getting in the summer time mood.

On Sunday the temperatures soared even further, but determined to make the most of the sun we (again) headed up Grands Montets. Although it seems repetitive, the snow up here really is the best to be had with sun this warm, and even though Brevent closes this Sunday the 21st, we still felt that Grands Montets was the place to go. Off we went up the Plan Joran and the Tabe chairlifts and down to the mid station. After a quick lap of the Herse we went up the Bochard and over to the Lavancher bowl. At 10am with the shade still on this part of the mountain the snow was choppy with some icy patches meaning the off piste was definitely a leg warmer. Taking the Retour Pendant back up we headed back down to the Herse and did another Combes piste. It was at this point we saw the deck chairs and sunny terrace enticing us at the mid station, so we thought we would spend the remainder of the afternoon soaking up the sun and enjoying the mountain atmosphere!

The warm and sunny weather has stuck around all week which has meant the snow has melted and become a little slushy but, this weekend the temperatures are due to drop, the clouds will cover the mountains and hopefully some fresh snow will fall up top. Meaning there will be some much needed new snow on the slopes. The weather report at the moment says the sun should peek through on Sunday afternoon so hopefully with some fresh snow and a bit of sun it will be another great Chamonix weekend!