Courchevel Snow Report: 14th March 2015

The snow is gradually transforming into spring snow – the process by which dry, powdery snowflakes turn into wetter, more granular snow crystals due to sunshine and warmth. This is not surprising, as this week has been one long gorgeous sun-fest of cobalt skies and balmy weather.

The snow transformation is happening at different rates on different pistes according to their altitude and slope orientation, so conditions have been very mixed and quite difficult to predict. Normally, I have a pretty good idea of what the snow on any given piste is likely to be but this week I have found it really hard to know which pistes to choose. It’s a bit like being given a box of chocolates without the key – you never quite know what you’re going to get until you’ve tried it.

There is still good, dry snow in high, north-facing pistes. For example, Roches grises in Courchevel was perfect the other morning with heavenly soft corduroy snow. Many of the north-facing runs in Val Thorens still have dry, wintery snow, which makes Val Tho a very popular place to be at the moment. Snow on the lower and sunnier slopes, however, is very spring-like. These runs are hard first thing in the morning, softening up as the sun hits them and becoming beautifully slushy later on.

In the off-piste areas too, spring snow is gradually developing on sunny slopes. But we’ve found the best snow this week in high, well-skied, north-facing areas which have gorgeously grippy and easy-to-ski snow.

I personally enjoy a bit of slushy snow on piste. Modern fatter skis make slush so much easier than the old, narrow equipment. And I’m also enjoying the excuse to stay in bed and not bother setting out on skis until later in the morning when the pistes have softened.

For me, March is all about la dolce vita - enjoying social skiing in warm sunshine and indulging in long lunches on a restaurant terrace with a good bottle of chilled rosé.

Here are a couple of lovely little, tucked-away restaurants that I’ve particularly enjoyed this week. They are the sort of places that you wouldn’t find unless someone tells you about them – and where the patrons make a real effort to keep their clients happy. Both are in les Menuires’ ski area, always the best value in les 3 Vallées, and both are at low altitude where the temperature is more conducive for lunching out of doors.

1) Le Lachenal in St Martin de Belleville. Ski to the very bottom of the slopes, to the foot of the little draglift, take off your skis and walk down the steps, across the road to the church. You will see the sign shown in the photo above on the wall facing you – follow the direction shown by the arrow for about 50m. (Bear with me; it’s worth the effort.) Here you will find a charming, traditional village house with a south-facing terrace where you feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the slopes. The three-course set lunch is delicious and copious and a snip 28€ and the owners are charming.

2) Le Medz’e-ry in Les Menuires. Ski down the Menuires piste into the main centre of Les Menuires, follow the piste through the gap in the buildings as if you are going towards la Masse but fork right straight away and keep right, continuing for a couple of hundred metres or more. The wooden restaurant building is set just above and to the right of this piste. I like the quirky deco, nice patrons, good food, excellent salads, the good value for money and sheltered sun terrace. What more could you want on a sunny day in March?

The forecast was for snow today but so far only a few snowflakes have fallen. So, expect spring snow for the foreseeable future….