Val Thorens Snow Report: 27th January 2014

We are, of course, delighted by the fresh snow. Twenty centimetres has fallen in the past 24 hours, making the resort look like a picture-postcard and giving us wonderful soft snow both on and off-piste. After a slow start, this season finally feels like a proper winter with low temperatures and lots of the white stuff everywhere.

Until now, there has been little reason to venture off-piste. The relatively low snow cover in December and early January meant hidden boulders were a real danger. In addition, a weak layer at the bottom of the snowpack made the experts very wary of avalanches, and high winds had resulted in crusty, wind-blown snow on the upper areas.

Now that we’ve had a snowy couple of weeks, the off-piste is suddenly looking much more interesting. If you are heading out to the Alps this weekend with fat powder skis, do please remember that this lovely fresh snow is quite unstable. The off-piste avalanche risk is currently rated as considerable, at three on the scale of five. On steep slopes you can see the layer of fresh snow is cracking and ready to slip. Experts who have been digging snow holes, tell of a deep layer of unstable snow they describe as resembling “ball-bearings”.*

If you do ski or board off-piste, the safest way to do so is with a professional guide or instructor. Hiring a private guide is beyond most budgets, but there are less expensive ways to ski with a pro. The ESF (French Ski School) offers an off-piste group and the Meribel and Courchevel Bureau des guides offers a fantastic guiding group for off-piste skiing and ski touring.

To find out information on the current avalanche situation, remember to check the avalanche bulletin (given in French) before you set out; check the avalanche flags at the main lift hubs; and, best of all, do ask the local ski patrollers. They can be found in their little wooden chalets at the top of almost all the ski peaks – these are marked on the piste map with a red cross symbol. Ski patrollers know their own zones better than anybody and are always very happy to answer questions about which routes are safe and where the dangers are located. Don’t hesitate to knock on their door and ask for help – they would far rather give you advice than dig you out of an avalanche.

Another good source of general information is Henry’s Avalanche Talk website. As its creator, Henry Schneiwind always says, have fun and stay safe out there.

*Just in case I have scared any beginners into wanting to cancel their holiday, I should clarify that all this talk of avalanches applies to the off-piste areas only. The open pistes are made safe from avalanche danger by thorough avalanche blasting before the lifts open.