Another storm rolls into Val d'Isere

It all changed on Tuesday night when 190km/h winds were recorded on the summit of Solaise and I could hear the wind humming in the chimney and rattling the window all night long. It probably snowed another 30cm overnight but the really disruptive factor was the hurricane-force winds that not only kept the resort closed but stopped the Pisteurs from getting up the mountain to start securing the slopes. It was a really difficult day around town with traffic problems as delivery lorries couldn’t find anywhere to park, the roads were becoming narrower and the snow removal got harder with each snowfall. The removal teams are just running out of places to dump the snow!

Unfortunately, ESF’s 80-year anniversary celebrations were cancelled on Wednesday due to the weather. They’d planned a technique demonstration, a torchlight descent and a massive fireworks display. It was a shame that the event couldn’t be held as the ESF have a proud history in town and had a great festive afternoon/evening planned!

On Thursday, the wind died down and some lifts opened just after 09:00. Even though the visibility was poor, we enjoyed a fantastic morning. The avalanche risk was 4/5 but there were a lot of safe options and everyone was happy to be active again after a day of ‘cabin-fever’. After light snow during the morning the snowfall intensified during the afternoon and another 40cm of snow was forecast for Thursday night.

It’s all wind-related at the moment because when the wind is blowing at 100 km/h and more at altitude where huge amounts of snow are being transported. This makes securing the mountain, grooming slopes and digging out lifts much more difficult and time-consuming. We spotted several lifts on Thursday morning that couldn’t open because they were buried and needed digging out. The Laisinant Express chairlift had some of the seats on the chairs ripped off by the wind. 190 km/h winds are extremely powerful and can do massive damage so it may be a few days before we know the full extent of the damage.

If you’re in town Friday don’t miss the Guinea Pigs at Le Petit Danois at 17:30. Happy hour finishes at 17:00 but the beers are very reasonable and you get a shooter with each drink after 17:00 (if you’re into your shooters). I think the Guinea Pigs are fantastic and I never miss them so maybe see you there?

Snow is forecast for the weekend and, with any luck, the wind will be kind and we can enjoy a fantastic weekend, both on and off-piste. Have fun and stay tuned for another update on Monday!