© G. Pinkerton
Plenty of snow on and off the pistes in Chamonix
Great snow conditions all around the valley
Is it the early bird who catches the worm, or they who laugh last laugh the longest? Do you prefer to be waiting, front of the queue, for the lifts to run or sat on the sofa with a nice cup of tea waiting to see which lifts open?
On Sunday, you probably got the best riding from the first technique. The forecast predicted weather conditions would deteriorate over the course of the day and sure enough, by the time I'd stopped drinking tea on the sofa, Brévent and Flégère had closed completely and the remaining areas had only limited lifts open. Riding at Grands Montets, you could see why – with the wind gusting violently once above the treeline. Below the treeline, it was snowing but not quite heavily enough to have fully filled in the old tracks in the forest. The riding was still pretty good, just maybe not as good as you knew it would be by tomorrow.
On the piste, if you had the legs to deal with the falling soft snow on top of the firmer pisted snow and the confidence to deal with the flat light, then there was plenty of fun to be had. Fast laps of the red Pierre a Ric home run are a great workout for legs and technique, with no queues on the Plan Joran lift to bring you back up for just one more go.
Following strong overnight winds and heavy snow showers, Monday was definitely a cup of tea on the sofa morning. Not that the lifts didn't open fairly quickly, just that not all of them did and sometimes it's worth taking a little longer to form a plan whilst studying the lift status board. Arriving at Brévent in perfect time for the opening of the Col Cornu lift, and with many of the keen off-piste skiers already at other areas with more terrain open, there were plenty of easily accessible fresh tracks to be had with very little stress from other skiers fighting for the fresh snow.
Powder hunger sated, a cruise around the Brévent and lower Flégère pistes showed how much help overnight snow can be in freshening up the runs. Although some slopes were smoother than others, none of the pisted runs were too cut up and, with the sun trying to break through the clouds, there was much better light to see with than the day before.
Even low down on the hill there was great skiing to be found. The forests lower on the Brévent hill have some of the better tree skiing in the valley but, and it's a big but, due to the aspect of the slopes, it's rare that the snow is deep enough and in good condition. More importantly, the main open sections are all avalanche corridors and great care needs to be taken to ensure you aren't triggering any slides down on parties below. On Monday though, the snow was deep and light nearly all the way to the valley floor.
Apparently, a change is as good as a rest – but, not forgetting, better the devil you know than the devil you don't – so, on Tuesday, we took advantage of the Verbier day pass included in the multi-day Mont Blanc Unlimited ski passes. If you don't have your own transport then getting to Verbier is possible via a scenic but long train journey to Le Chable, then up the telecabine to the skiing but driving is the most convenient option.
Surprise, surprise, the skiing's pretty good over in Verbier right now too. The Verbinet snow report will give you a better idea of conditions but, with bright sunshine, wide well-groomed pistes and, on Tuesday at least, great snow off-piste in the mid-mountain, there really isn't much you could complain about. The snow at higher altitudes was a little bit compacted and worked by the previous days' wind, and the more popular pistes were a little busy at times to ski quickly, but that's being picky.
Tuesday's weather sets the tone for the rest of the week, indeed the rest of the month if the long-term forecasts are to be believed, with dry settled weather stretching out through the whole of February. Whether you're touring for north-facing powder or cruising the pistes, it's time to enjoy the sunshine and top up the vitamin D levels.
NB: Exploring beyond the ski resort boundaries is an amazing experience for anyone who's physically fit and has mastered the pistes well enough. There are, however, risks associated with venturing outside the safety of the marked/patrolled ski area, including awareness of your actions on those below you on the slopes. Mountain guides are professionally qualified and have extensive knowledge of the local terrain to provide you with the safest and most enjoyable possible experience in the mountains; as a visitor here we highly recommend you hiring one. Many ski schools also provide instruction in off-piste skiing, avalanche safety and mountaineering techniques. Make your time in the mountains unforgettable for the right reasons, ski safe!
Off-piste skiing and mountaineering are dangerous. The opinions expressed in these articles are very much time and condition-specific and the content is not intended in any way to be a substitute for hiring a mountain guide, undergoing professional mountaineering training and/or the individual's own backcountry decision making.
