Courchevel Snow Report: 11th January 2016

We haven't been able to believe our luck with the snow this last week. I had been religiously checking Courchnet for news of a snow dump and quizzing friends who had recently been in the 3 Valleys for any hope that snow was on it's way. And with all the want in the world for a great skiing holiday, I hated to admit that it wasn't looking good.

But, it seemed luck was in our favour and snow was coming down thick and fast coinciding with our arrival early on Saturday morning. This made for perfect conditions on Monday and Tuesday this week, we had some glorious skiing in brilliant sunshine. However, heavy snowfall brings its own issues, the worst of which cumulated on Thursday.

It was snowing heavily when we woke up so we didn't hurry to get on the slopes early. When we did the amount of powder was beyond imaginable. It was like skiing off-piste, all the time. Even putting on our skis was a joke as they were lost as soon as we put them down on the ground! We soon agreed that a simple ski from 1650 to 1850 would be all that we could manage for the moment whilst we got used to the conditions.

But when it came to skiing off the end of the Aiguille de Fruit chair lift we were both, in retrospect, pretty apprehensive about what then met us. The high winds were whipping heavy snow fall relentlessly against our faces, which really hurt, and having been sat on the lift we started the Altiport run looking like snow men (and finished looking like a couple of drowned rats!) I couldn't even get my phone out for a photo at that point. Not that it would have been much good; It was blanket white up there. I couldn't see beyond the tips of my skis, and it was only after this experience that I could understand that conditions such as this can bring on motion sickness in some skiers. You can only turn in response to what you feel the terrain might be under your skis. Not pleasant, even on the more gentle runs.

Thank goodness the visibility improved as we made our way down to 1850. I think most skiers had been wiser than us and not bothered coming out, as the slopes were pretty much empty. I managed some photos looking down onto Chalet des Pierre (Verdons run), which I can assure really doesn't get anywhere near doing the terrible conditions any justice! (Funnily enough my mum recognised this view from her ski instructor days in the French Alps during the 70's. She was a regular at Chalet des Pierres. Apparently she even won the Courchevel bikini contest!) From there we pushed on and safely arrived in 1850, unanimously deciding that we were done for the day. Some days are just not meant to be for skiing, and today the mountain was telling us this was one of them.

So a hot chocolate later we made our way onto Aquamotion, which more than made up for both a cold and a bit of a non-starter of a day. Review on this to follow!

We were hearing from the locals and workers out here that the snow dump this week has brought on the start of the season in the Three Valleys, which really is great news for everyone. So for anyone who is coming out in later months, have a super time and I'm already very envious even though I'm still here.

A couple of things have really been great for me this year. First of all I got a cracking pair of goggles from Boot Lab in 1650. They made an enormous difference to my skiing experience so thanks guys! Also my lovely friend Anton put me onto an app called "Ski Tracks". Once downloaded, you can use it without turning on your mobile data. It records everywhere you've been during your day's skiing on a map, along with all those vital stats you've always wanted to know, such as your max speed, total distance, max altitude... vertical distance descended... steepest slope gradients... superbly geeky yet addictive. Enjoy!

And, however good the snow might have be, it would never make for a great holiday if I weren't lucky enough to be skiing alongside such wonderful friends. Thanks to Darren, Ruth, Tim and Mike for your company this week. Also to John and Julie, your 1650 apartment is just delightful.

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If you would like to be involved in writing a snow report or having your picture in it, please email tim@talkyachting.com