Great snow, lots of sunshine & blue skies
Don't forget your sun screen
Everyday when drawing back the curtains, we’re being treated with the thrilling site of deep blue and pure white. And the warmth of the afternoon sun is delicious.
The snow is great too, but the balance of good ski time verses basking in golden sunshine is tipping. That’s not such a bad thing and it’s still possible to do a full “ski hard” day if you want, but a little more care in where you choose to go is required.
1650 remains a top favourite, as it has been all season, with runs like Chapelets, Bel Air and Signal maintaining their composure for a large chunk of the day. I enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Bel Air restaurant, yesterday; it is a 100% reliable “go to” place to eat and is a total sun trap.
For the morning runs, care is required as pistes get icy following the refreezing overnight of the day before’s thaw. Aiming high first thing is wise, working down towards the treelined runs to La Tania and La Praz around mid morning. The Bouc Blanc restaurant at the top of the La Tania bubble was my favourite haunt last year, but since a complete refurb has lost a tiny bit of it’s charm, however, for a morning coffee or hot chocolate and even late afternoon tipple, it’s location and service is perfect.
Off piste can be wonderful too in the spring, where you’ll often find the chalky topping to the snow. Care must always be taken when really adventuring off the trails and the warmth we are having can destabilise the snow pack. If an area is marked as closed, it will be for very good reason. There are plenty of mountain guides available or instructors who really know where is great, so don’t be afraid to ask for help! Also remember that when the sun disappears, the air temperature can drop very quickly. I don’t think we’re quite into T shirt skiing yet - although I did see a gentleman skiing without any top on this week!
The strength of the sun is not always apparent, but judging by the shiny red noses and panda eyes in the resort, a decent strength sunscreen should be deployed; especially for all of those English rose completions.
