Val Thorens Snow Report : 27th December 2012

I will pass on some excellent advice I was given by a ski instructor a few years ago. “What you have to remember,” he said, “is that the correct layers are vital in this sort of weather. You need a good wicking base layer. On top of that you need several warm mid layers. On top of that you need a windproof and waterproof shell layer. On top of that you need layer made of wood and tiles, preferably with an open fire and a good wine waiter….” It’s hard to disagree on a day like today.

Looking on the bright side, we have lots of lovely snow this winter and all the lifts and virtually every piste is open in the 3 Valleys. It’s been a spectacularly good start to the season and today’s rain is due to turn into snow very soon so any soggy/icy pistes will soon be covered over and forgotten.

There are, of course, dozens of other activities other than skiing on offer in Méribel, many of them indoors. If you need fresh air and exercise, the winter walking paths are a lovely way to discover the beauties of our valley, even on a day like today. There are lots of these paths, linking the villages and hamlets or heading up the mountains to spectacular viewpoints. On a snowy day, snow shoes are recommended, but usually the paths are so well groomed so you can use normal walking boots. I often walk the snow dog along these paths and find them a relaxing contrast to the hectic pistes in high season. Simply pick up the free map from the tourist office, or join a guided snow shoe outing.

We all know where the snow comes from, but do you know where it all goes? I mean all the thousands of tons of snow which are cleared from the resort roads, car parks and pavements each season. Well, if you take the Olympic gondola from Raffort to la Chaudanne, look down at the steep cliff at the foot of the Ravines car park below Méribel centre. This is where cleared snow is tipped and there is already a gargantuan pile of the stuff. It doesn’t melt until summer, when hundreds of items swept up with the snow rise to the surface. I like to imagine archaeologists of the future puzzling over the odd accumulation of kids’ mittens, plastic lift passes and glasses marked ‘Dick’s tea bar’ and wondering what sort of a society we were....