Exceptional conditions for the holidays in Courchevel

Manicured pistes and cold temperatures signal a white Christmas in Courchevel

featured in Snow report Author Eliot Prince, Courchevel Reporter Updated 26 December 2017

Snow conditions in Courchevel are immense for December with perfectly manicured fresh snow and cold temperatures as Christmas approaches.

Regular arrivals of fresh snow over the past 2 opening weeks give skiers the best December skiing in years. Most of the lifts and pistes are now open and running smoothly, with the last few set to open over the weekend.

Packed powder on the trails totals at least 100cm in depth from top to bottom. At the summit of Saulire, there is now a base of over 127cm and, despite baltic temperatures, icy patches continue to stay at a minimum. Lift and piste openings smoothly roll out across the valleys with Courchevel offering 42 out of 52 lifts with 92 of the 100 trails ready for action. The remainder are set to open this weekend before Christmas day on Monday.

This week, sunny spells have returned for glorious skiing conditions after weeks of low cloud and snow. Anyone lucky enough to have been in resort through the middle of the month will have been delighted with fresh tracks all day, every day. As quickly as pistes could be groomed they were greeted with a new layer, some mornings there has even been knee-deep skiing on the pistes.

The sun offered itself through the middle of this week, finally allowing the snow to be manicured and the piste skiing is now as good as it gets. Air temperatures have remained extremely cold, rarely touching 0ºC. It's definitely time to stay wrapped up warm especially early in the morning with the wind chill making it feel like -10ºC or less.

Things might get a little warmer over Christmas as the freezing level looks to break 2000m through Monday. One this is for sure, we won’t be dreaming of a white Christmas in Courchevel. Snow glistens in the valley from top to bottom. The quiet slopes sit in wait for more happy arrivals this weekend but as usual, there is plenty of skiing available for everyone over the festive period.

Courchevel’s modern high-speed lift network is always a gift and despite the school holidays and busy town, you’re unlikely to be stood in a lift queue. Ariondaz gondola has been upgraded this year whisking people out of 1650 into the Three Valleys ski area. Below this, families will enjoy the sparkling introduction of a luge run which takes you from the top of the gondola right to the base of the Marquis piste. There are hair-raising hairpins, crisscrossing tunnels and lightning fast luges for an adrenaline-fueled apres-ski activity.

If you’re keeping an eye on the snow forecast for the coming week then more happiness awaits. The sun is expected to stay through the weekend and Christmas day so those looking forward to skiing on the 25th December won’t be disappointed. Boxing day signals a turn in the weather once again. Temperatures should drop down well below freezing, maybe even around -10ºC above 2000m. Snowfall will flicker through Tuesday and begin to get heavier overnight and into Wednesday. Well over 50cm is predicted to fall at the moment, if you’ve got powder skis sitting in the garage then you should seriously think of getting a fresh layer of wax on them.

The avalanche risk has been downgraded to a 3/5, which is still considerable, in recent days but it is easy to see the danger on the mountains. Even with settled conditions and temperatures, there have been many avalanches around the ski area due to the sheer volume of snow. It can be tempting to venture off-piste with such enticing fresh snow on offer but make sure you stay safe with the correct equipment and a guide. The next bump of snow early next week will probably take the avalanche risk back up to a 4/5, so stay safe and stay aware.

Eliot Prince is a freelance writer with a focus on the ski industry, he offers services to small and bespoke companies.