© Wayne Watson
© Wayne Watson
Sun, snow & clouds in Val d'Isere
Surprise snow makes for another great week
After a very tough weekend last week, this three-day period was outstanding although we had to deal with some very poor visibility at times.
On Friday, the sun was forecast but we started out in flat light until mid-morning when the sun finally broke through and we finished off jubilantly in stunning sunshine. The snow quality was excellent, it snowed off-and-on constantly and although it never seems like much in the village we’ve enjoyed surprising quantities up on the mountain. Ranging from a cushion of ten centimetres up to 30 to 40cm in places.
I skied the Combe du Signal twice in deep snow but with flat light before skiing the Pays Desert up on the Glacier. We started out in a cloud but, just as we were taking off our skins, the sun broke through and we had a wonderful run down. We then skied the Col Pers in sunshine to finish the morning.
We weren’t as lucky on Saturday as we were back into whiteout conditions and couldn’t see much. But, as Saturday is the quietest day of the week on piste, we profited with a nice mix of great off-piste and beautiful piste skiing up and around the Grande Motte. One of my colleagues had a client ski past him in the flat light and ski into a huge hole. Fortunately, she wasn’t injured although she was shaken up, it’s a golden rule to never stop below or ski past the guide, especially in flat light. It’s something we stress regularly but it does happen occasionally and, thankfully, no one came to any harm.
On Sunday, we had just enough light to take advantage of more fresh snow that seems to come out of nowhere (the reason I haven’t been doing Dump Alerts) and we had a brilliant morning up at the Fornet. We warmed up off the Laisinant before skiing the Grand Vallon, Combe du Signal, Pays Desert with a ten-minute skin and a lovely trip over the Col Pers and through the Gorge du Malpasset to finish. We had Chamois, Bouquetin and Perdrix Blanche on show on the way through the gorge, which always adds to the occasion.
My colleague Chris witnessed what looked like the aftermath of a nasty accident around the Laisinant at the end of the morning. There were pisteurs, gendarmes and a helicopter, all of which add up to serious trouble and Chris seems to think there was a fatality. I don’t have any more information than that at the moment.
I went to the Baraque Bar last night and savoured some wonderful gin and listened to the music, which was absolutely superb. There is live music in the Baraque every night except Monday’s starting at 19:30 and it’s easy-listening and not too loud. The band plays until late so if you’ve dinner in a chalet you could always go for a nightcap afterwards. There is also live music in Le Petit Danois every night starting at 17:30 and the Danois is much louder and ‘rock’ orientated. I love them both!
Light snow is forecast for most of the week but we should see some sunshine filter through on Monday and Wednesday. Don’t forget your sun cream because you can still get seriously burnt through the clouds. It’s scary how many red faces you see at this time of the year because people don’t cream up on cloudy days. Have a fantastic week and stay tuned for another update on Friday!
Follow more from Wayne on his Daily Diary.
Ski safely off-piste
Exploring beyond the ski resort boundaries is an amazing experience for anyone who's physically fit and has mastered the pistes well enough. There are, however, risks associated with venturing outside the safety of the marked/patrolled ski area, including awareness of your actions on those below you on the slopes. Mountain guides are professionally qualified and have extensive knowledge of the local terrain, to provide you with the safest and most enjoyable possible experience in the mountains; as a visitor here we highly recommend you hiring one. Many ski schools and also mountain guides provide instruction in off-piste skiing, avalanche safety and mountaineering techniques. Make your time in the mountains unforgettable for the right reasons, ski safe!
