Val Thorens Snow Report: 20th December 2011

Tuesday saw our (two snowboarders) first day on the slopes for the season and it began with two grievous errors. Error number one: deciding not to put on my gloves at departure from home as it was a mild morning. It was only when I took a soft slam into some powder just off the Plein Sud piste that my sleeves were packed with snow and I decided that it would be wise to glove-up. Alas, my right hand glove had found a new home, possibly littering the mountain somewhere beneath the Plein Sud chair-lift. On the bright side (the thin morning clouds meant that this was in fact the brightest it would be all day) the piste was well groomed and a joy to navigate. It was busy enough for there to be a palpable sense of early-season cheer but not over saturated so there was room to move and fluctuate in speed.

Error number two: now gloveless but pumped after a good run, we decided that attempting the Hermine piste at the top of the 2 Lacs chairlift would be a wise move. On the plus side, the usually mild, accessible blue run was bereft of people; literally no one. But there was, naturally, excellent reason for this: the piste had not been well tended to after a heavy snowfall and it was entirely in shadow giving the lumpy, patchy run next to no visible definition. In short, it was a rather hellish experience which saw me tumble from a rocky outcrop with enough turbulence to rip the yellow bobble from my hat. Had the piste not been in complete shadow, Hermine would have been ideal for powder-hungry boarders and skiers who were bored of the more straightforward pistes closer to town. From what I could feel beneath my feet, the snow was soft and the slope littered with moguls of various sizes which, if we could see, would have made for an exciting yet not too challenging run.

After lunch (English pub The Frog and Roast Beef is great for a €9 decent sized burger with a bunch of trimmings) our party gained a skier and we were able to sniff out some great runs for skiers and snowboarders alike. Despite the constant snow and harsh winds which made it very cold indeed, the afternoon made up for the slightly shaky morning with some excellent rides. Generally, the pistes were well groomed and ridden and many of the popular off-piste areas were boasting decent powder. The Plein Sud run proved to be a popular afternoon location since the conditions were reliable and it has the comforting advantage of heading straight into town. Such a benefit is attractive when there is the chance of worsening weather and low visibility. Although, the biggest draw of the Plein Sud area is undoubtedly La Folie Douce, the lively bar near the top of the chair lift. Offering “chic cuisine” from 12 p.m. and a lively outdoor dance floor pumping out constant house tunes (usually accompanied by live saxophone), this is the perfect place to ease your sore shins and enjoy a beer at 2500m. When the sun hits it: bliss.

The stable bombardment of snow since Tuesday has rendered Val Thorens’ slopes largely underpopulated, culminating in a disastrous Friday which saw the closure of all the major lifts by mid-afternoon. With steady downfall and winds of up to 60 km/h, it has been an incredibly cold end to the week. Merely two weeks ago, the browny-green hues of the grassy slopes were the bane of many snow-goers enjoyment, and it seems apt to assume that this barrage of white stuff is the result of a thousand early Christmas wishes. With the prospect of clear skies on Monday and Tuesday, it looks as though they may be about to come true.