Val Thorens Snow Report: 27th December 2011

Since Friday is a transfer day for many of the tour operators, Val Thorens pistes weren’t overly crammed with snow-chasers, despite the glorious weather. As such, the conditions were close to absolute perfection. Descending Plein Sud in the morning, it was peculiar to consider that this was the same piste I had ridden only a day before. Akin to the feeling of removing a plaster-cast from a busted limb, with the clear skies above came the ability to move without the fear of hurting oneself.

Furthermore, without the concern of being whisked clear off the face of the mountain by a sudden strong gust, the prospect of exploring higher areas is far more attractive. The 10 o’clock sun gave the red Lac Blanc piste (accessed by Funitel Peclet cable-car) a rousing radiance, highlighting the surrounding Péclet and Borgne peaks. With the newly arrived visibility, it is much easier and safer to jovially move between the piste and the surrounding powder fields, not to mention, much more enjoyable. Lac Blanc in the cloudless sunshine is also an excellent piste to take at some speed. With its varying gradients and languid curves, it is a suitable slope for both speed freaks and those who like a decent rush but also a bit of security. And of course, there are the adjacent powder fields...

Disappointingly, Christmas Eve saw a return to poor visibility. However, the passing clouds had a silver lining as they deposited a fresh layer of snow in preparation for a beautifully white Christmas.

And a Joyeux Noël it was; constant unbroken sunshine, wonderful snow conditions and enough earnest Christmas cheer to fill a barrel. Taking the 2 Lacs chairlift, followed by the Grand Fond cable-car, the morning began with a very rapid descent down the red run, Variante, followed by the less extreme blue piste, Fonde. Offering an exciting speedy run as well as some nice off-piste areas for the more adventurous, we had free reign of Varient slope as it was strangely quiet. Its geography is similar to the nearby Rhodos red run but it seems to attract less skiers and boarders (whether or not this is usual for the piste I do not yet know). So if you fancy a nice speedy, exciting yet quiet run, venture over to Varient. Overall, the conditions of the slopes were harder than Friday which was benefiting from the masses of fallen snow. Rather, they were well groomed and secure, perfect conditions for some fast skiing and boarding.

Rather than the traditional roast Christmas lunch, we opted for a slap-up pizza at Les Chalets du Thorens (accesed via the Cascades chairlift). Whilst a little pricey, their slope-side pizzas are absolutely delicious and you certainly get a lot of bang for your buck. After a sunny post-lunch relax in the terrace deck-chairs, we ended a day of Christmas snowsports with Lac Blanc followed by Plein Sud. Both pistes were doused in enough sunlight to make it very warm indeed, a reminder of how comfortable snowboarding can be after the icy chill of last week.

The forecast for the next few days predicts a mixture of snowfall, clouds and sunshine leading up to a showery New Year. No doubt there will be some great conditions this week for the new arrivals but over the last two weeks, we have had some serious schooling in the unpredictability of the weather. Whether the weather is poor or excellent, we can take solace in the fact that it really came through for Val Thorens for the festive week. And I sincerely hope that you all had a very merry Christmas.