Val Thorens Snow Report : 31st January 2013

There was some snowfall overnight on Sunday and on Monday we woke to blue skies, which made for a great day out on the piste. We had some guests staying just for a short break Saturday-Tuesday who came back beaming after their last day on the mountain on Monday. Taking in the tree lined runs and fresh powder, what more could you ask for? With snow on the trees from the overnight snowfall the Three Valleys was looking as picturesque as ever.

Tuesday started off clear to begin with but clouded over pretty quickly and stayed that way for most of the day with snow starting to fall in the late afternoon. My parents are staying at the moment and as non/tentative skiers we took to the walking paths rather than the slopes which was a refreshing change. It's really nice to take in the valley at a slower and more relaxed pace. Also, it's good to get some well needed exercise.

People are often saying how fit we must be living out here all the time but they forget the lack of cardio exercise whilst sliding down the mountain and also the Savoie diet of meat, cheese, wine and more wine! We did a fantastic walk from St Martin – Le Bettex and my mum was pleased to hear that we could opt for a gratuit pieton (free passenger) lift up to Les Menuires rather than continue the walk. The temperature was just right for walking and meant we managed to warm up nicely on the (many) uphill sections. We also opted for the bus back to St Martin as the snow started to come in, a welcome sight.

I was eager to get my parents up to the top of Saulire for a coffee in the sunshine on Wednesday but as soon as we started our trip some very dark clouds were looming. I thought it would be a race against the clouds but luckily they stayed down the valley for the majority of the day and it only became fully covered in late afternoon. Val Thorens was definitely the place to be - it was basking in the sunshine and the higher altitude pistes meant that there was no sign of the the slushy sections that have begun to appear on the lower slopes.

if you're out on holiday at the moment, please remember that the severe change in temperatures over the last few days have made for some extremely icy pistes – so take care out there and don't go too quickly!

It could be an interesting changeover day on Saturday as heavy snow is forecast on Friday evening but with a high freezing altitude at 2,000m. This does drop on Saturday when light snow is forecast all day at around 700m so again, take care if you are driving up to resort this weekend. It might be worth bringing snow chains and if you don't know how to use them, take a look at our video guide.

Temperatures are set to drop severely to around -10 on Saturday. The ‘mixed’ theme also continues next week with sun forecast for Sunday, clouds and light snow for the rest of the week and again temperatures going from -1 to around -15 and a chilly -20 on Wednesday with wind chill. So, if you are reading this prior to your holiday you will need to pack a bit of everything, sun cream and lots of layers.

I would advise checking the forecast each day to know exactly what kit you need to take out on the slopes. There is nothing worse than being caught out having been lured into a false sense of security going from a sunny day to a windy chilly day. You need to remember that you are in the mountains, nothing can be predicted but you can do your best as all good boy scouts and ‘be prepared’. The weather is varied and as fun as the mountains are, it can also get quite dangerous.

Anyway, enough of the serious stuff. Today’s activity with my parents is teaching them how to snowboard. It is not very often you get the opportunity to teach your parents something!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the new snow!