Val Thorens Snow Report : 17th January 2013

I was lucky enough to make the most of these exceptional conditions by skiing with a guide today. Mountain Guide Roland George took us touring into the valleys behind La Masse in Les Menuires where he found us gorgeous, light powder. “Less than 200kg per cubic metre,” he informed us, with a significant look. I Googled snow densities later and discovered that this is very light for snow, which can weigh anything from 100-500kg/m3. It was certainly a joy to ski.

Roland, being a guide, is an expert in everything to do with snow. I asked him why my skis weren’t gliding well over this very cold snow. He explained that snow crystals change continuously. When there is a high temperature gradient (ie the air temperature is much lower than the snow temperature) the crystals become sharp edged and abrasive and slow down your skis. When the air warms up, the crystals on the surface become more rounded and so create less friction against the ski. So now I know. Cold weather = slow skis.

Very low temperatures can occur at any time during the season, but are most common in December to February. Here are my top tips for keeping warm during periods of “le grand froid”.

1) Forget dieting: eat plenty of calories and make sure you stay hydrated.

2) Wear mitten rather than gloves. Use inner gloves, preferably made from merino wool which is warmer than silk. If you still suffer from cold hand, add a mini-handwarmer to each mitten.

3) Wear good base layers. I wear several layers of merino wool which is super-comfortable and doesn’t itch. Icebreaker and Smart Wool are two good makes. Merino is horribly expensive but worth it because it’s wonderfully warm and lasts for years and years.

4) Always wear a hat or helmet – the boring cliché about losing heat through your head is true.

5) Cold feet often result from too-tight boots reducing blood circulation. Buy or rent boots which don’t constrict your feet, and consider getting electric boot warmers fitted.

6) Take bubble lifts rather than drags or chairlifts. Fast, high chairlifts to avoid in cold weather include: Cote Brune early in the morning; Suisse and Dou des Lanches in the late afternoon; St Martin 2 at any time of day. All of these will sap your will to live quite quickly.

7) Make frequent stops for hot drinks, especially if you are skiing with children who lose heat faster than adults.

8) Stay low.

9) Check your companions’ noses and cheeks regularly for the first signs of frostnip and ask them to do the same for you. The danger sign is skin which has turned yellow, white or red. If this happens, go indoors immediately and allow the skin to warm up without rubbing it.

10) Ski slowly so the chill factor is reduced. Make lots of short turns to keep your legs warm.

11) Go and have a really nice lunch instead.

Speaking of nice lunches, I’ve discovered a good little restaurant just below Les Menuires. As you probably know, restaurants in Les Menuires and St Martin de Belleville are generally much cheaper than those the Méribel or Courchevel valleys, so I’m always pleased to find a good one here. Le Medz’é-ry is a rather sweet little restaurant, tucked away on the Preyerand piste below the main resort. The food was good; the service friendly; the prices good value and the décor was charming. I particularly enjoyed a pair of great-granny’s bloomers being used as a window covering. Le Medz’é-ry means “manger et rire” (eat and laugh) in the local dialect, and we certainly had a jolly lunch here.

To find the restaurant, ski into Les Menuires centre, go through the gap in the main buildings as if you are heading towards La Masse and where the piste forks, go right: it’s signposted from here. Tel 04 79 08 16 74 to book.

If you have any top tips on how to survive the cold weather, please do share them below.