Courchevel Snow Report: 28th January 2013

We have truly fantastic conditions right across the Courchevel valley right now, all the way from the beautifully groomed Chapelets, to my favourite tree-lined run Folyeres.

Last week the cooler temperatures remained and we've not yet reached the stage of the season where we see freeze thaw conditions affecting the lower slopes. If you are a confident skier then high on your list of priorities should be a trip over to the upper sections of La Tania where you'll find the black run Dou des Lanches and the red run Bouc Blanc. If you catch these on a day when they have been specially groomed then you're in for a real treat. Link them with Folyeres for an exciting 905m descent. A great tip is to check out the boards at the main lifts in the morning at each resort. You'll find a notice detailing the piste conditions. In Courchevel every green run is freshly groomed each evening as well as roughly 80% of the blues, 50% of the reds and 25% of the blacks. Each day two runs are specially groomed and become 'piste du jour'. These are well worth heading to first thing if you like skiing fresh corduroy.

In past seasons January can be remembered for being a cold but rather dry month and we've seen slopes such as Lac Bleu beginning to suffer. Lac Bleu is the main route back from La Tania to 1850 and is predominantly south facing, sees a large quantity of traffic, and can often be icy. When I skied it on Friday however it was in great condition, well groomed with a good covering of snow. When it's really busy it can be worth missing out Lac Bleu altogether by heading around the mountain on Anemones.

On Friday we lunched at the Bouc Blanc, one of the cheaper mountain restaurants with a huge terrace and stunning views. There is a lightning speed of service although if you like your food hot then try and get a seat inside as the mountain air soon cools it. If, like me, you're a fan of coffee, then give the café gourmand a try: a shot of espresso served with a selection of desserts. On Friday we indulged on chocolate mousse, mini profiteroles, ile floatante and a raspberry tart, yummee!

In the afternoon we skied the red runs Creux and Chapelets, two wide open pistes. If you're a blue run skier looking to make the step up to red runs then a freshly groomed Chapelets is probably the way forward. After a steep first section it mellows out, however watch out late afternoon as it can become icy.

On Sunday night a fresh 15cm of snow fell adding to an already huge base. The snow was accompanied by strong gusts of wind and there are large sections of wind slab in the off-piste. On the pistes after a couple of quiet weeks, things have got noticeably busier and most of the chalet companies in 1650 are full. The ski schools have booked up fast so if you're looking for lessons over the coming weeks make sure you pre-book to be guarantee a space.

There are plenty of excellent ski schools in Courchevel, one of which is New Generation. This season they have loads of interesting products, including off-piste explorer guided days and technical performance clinics as well as the usual group sessions. Check out their website or ask around in resort for more info.

Looking ahead, the temperatures are set to rise so expect slightly icy slopes in the morning and slush in the afternoon. Tuesday and Wednesday are my days off and it's the first time in eight seasons of working in Courchevel that I've managed to get two days off in one week! I've set myself the challenge of raising some funds for Disability Snowsports UK by attempting to ski tour from Courchevel Moriond to the top of Cime Caron and back again in a day. I've scheduled to do this in March so it's about time I did some training.

Tomorrow I'm heading out on a practice run, how far will I get... who knows... I'll report back next time.

Have a great week!