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Mixed conditions across the Val d'Isere ski area

Early morning piste skiing to get the best conditions

featured in Snow report Author Wayne Watson, Val d'Isere Reporter Updated

The difficult weather continued Monday through Wednesday with extremely warm temperatures and no real re-freeze at night, and on top of that it was overcast most of the time.

We still managed some great skiing and found some fresh winter snow in the Pays Desert and over the Col Pers at the Fornet on Monday.

On Tuesday we returned to the Fornet and it was snowing and blowing and felt like winter again. It was fantastic to ski winter powder again although it did heat up as the morning progressed.

On Wednesday we headed to altitude on the Grande Motte, which is the highest point in the Espace Killy, and we skied some lovely warm powder. But the skies cleared Wednesday night allowing a re-freeze and with clear blue skies.

Thursday we enjoyed a fabulous morning of spring skiing in Tignes. And Thursday afternoon turned into one of the finest afternoon’s of spring skiing I’ve ever experienced, and to share it with my 12 and 10-year-old daughters Millie and Katie made it that much more special. We headed up to the Fornet and skied three runs on Millie’s Run, which is a steep line in the Grand Vallon, and the snow was pristine top-to-bottom. From there we dropped into the Vallonnet and traversed back around the corner past. Oh My! It is a truly impressive place and it was clean and steep to the valley floor, and it was absolutely exquisite! It was too good to stop and the girls wanted more so we did it again and finished at 4:30. Wow, I was a proud Daddy!

The piste skiing was fantastic early in the morning from Monday to Wednesday but became extremely difficult in the afternoons as the snow became heavy and very sticky, but the pistes also improved drastically with the solid freeze Wednesday night followed the stunning sunshine on Thursday. And the piste users were also incredibly grateful for the change in weather as it has been a pretty dismal 10-days or so for sun worshippers.

There have been some huge avalanches this week with a big slide in the Manchet and massive slide in the Super L that ripped through the ‘L’ piste taking trees and damaging snow cannons. This was a controlled slide that the Pisteurs set off in the early evening with dynamite. Tignes also had some action with a couple of big plaques in the Sache and one in the Lavachet. Thankfully we are starting to get some colder weather at night to help with the freeze which will stabilize the mountain.

If you’d like to try one of Val d’Isere’s best gastronomic delights, head up to the Crozet Restaurant under the Fornet Cable Car for a Pissenlit salad. These are made of fresh sprouting dandelion, bacon, croutons, and poached eggs topped off with a delicious dressing. These are truly mouth-watering and not to be missed! You do need to book and reserve your salad as they can only pick so much fresh dandelions per day and they are very popular because once tasted you’ll always go back another time. (Tel. 04 79 06 17 90 )

Weather in the resort:

  • Friday-Partially sunny AM/light rain in the PM/snow during the night -3C/+4C from the NW at 5km/h
  • Saturday- Cloudy AM/ snow in the PM -3C/+4C Wind from the S at 5km/h
  • Sunday- Sunny -5C/+9C Wind from the S at 5km/h

We should receive a little snow to cover the tracks and with the sun forecast to shine on Sunday it should be another fantastic weekend of skiing. Have fun and have lunch at the Crozets!

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For more updates on a daily basis, follow Wayne's blog.

Location

Map of the surrounding area