Val Thorens Snow Report: 26th February 2012

We have had no snowfall in Val Thorens for over a week and the weather has been getting warmer. This information will surely send a wave of frustration through many snow-goers in resort but remember; it’s about making the best of it (yes, you’re beginning to realise the relevance of the above preface). Despite the fact that certain areas are slushy or icy, there are still plenty of fantastic and beautiful areas to sample in our varied resort. One needs to look on the bright side which is not hard since we are enjoying plenty of glorious sunshine. And if a cloud does happen to pass overhead, there is always a silver lining in Val Thorens.

First of all the decision has to be made whether you are to stay low or climb high. Truth be told, the worst snow in resort is at town level, the lower parts of Plein Sud and a lot of Cairn, having been plagued by slushy patches. Thus, any venture high or low will yield you with a pleasant surprise; the snow is in fact extremely varied and some of it is still top notch. If you fancy a nice, fast run, stick to the southern slopes of the resort. Both the Moraine and Portette chairlifts (located either side of Chalet du Thorens) will take you to some good, fast runs of varying steepness. Often subject to strong, cold winds which can blow away the fresh stuff, the pistes in this area tend to be rather hard; excellent for speed freaks. Even so, there are still some softer areas to be found in the surrounding off-piste slopes.

At the top of the Portette is the newly opened Funitel de Thorens, a fairly swanky and very efficient lift which transports you up to the edge of the valley where Glacier de Thorens and Glacier du Bouchet meet. Peering over the edge is not recommended for those who suffer from vertigo but the views at the top of the valley which leads down into Orelle are quite beautiful (incidentally, it is possible to ski from here to Orelle off-piste but I have yet to sample the route). From the top of Thorens there are two options available to you piste-wise. Directly in front of you is the winding blue run, Chocard, which will provide you with access back to Portette if you fancy that exciting red. Alternatively, to your right there is the red slope Asters which feeds onto the blue slope Genepi after a few minutes. This route is fun, steep at times with a good speedy slope at the intersection. As one of the higher runs in resort and subject to the previously mentioned gusts, if it hasn’t snowed in a while, it can be quite hard up here, but there is plenty enough variance in the run and some nice off-piste banks to keep things interesting and varied.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Boismint chairlift, found at the very bottom of the resort; at least 1000m below the top of Thorens. Lower down, the snow found at the top of Boismint is often softer stuff. With a number of options available to you at the top and plenty of choices to be made during the descent, this is a nicely varied area of the resort. A personal favourite is the blue option, Blanchot, a slope which winds its way down the mountain side and can either be taken calmly or with a healthy dose of extremity. As a speed run it’s great as you can try slingshotting yourself round the numerous bends and there is plenty of space for playing around with your freestyle on the surrounding off-piste banks and lips. It can however, be taken calmly and is often used by ski instructors trying to push their students’ potential on a slightly more challenging run.

It’s a funny one with the weather this week. Today we were forecast dazzling sunshine and cloudless skies but in the afternoon the entire resort was engulfed in cloud and there was even a little snowfall. We have another six days of sunshine in store for us with the chance of some passing clouds tomorrow afternoon. Temperatures are approaching but staying just below freezing point and the air should feel a little colder than last week especially with the winds on the higher slopes. But at the end of the day we are at the mercy of the mountain weather. Remember, it’s about making the best of what we are dealt. Happy skiing.