Great snow cover as we head into the last month of the season

I received a call from my guests on Friday mid-morning as their ski day was cut short with the St Martin lifts all closed for high winds. They were quite glad to have safely skied to the bottom after being on a swinging chairlift! Luckily they were then taxied up to Chez Pepe for a birthday lunch so the day was not wasted.

The high winds seem to have affected different areas at different times. Apparently one of the chairs on the Granges lift actually came loose whilst the lift was running, but luckily it was on the descent with no-one seated. The lift closures have meant that more skiers have had to ski in the resort in which they are staying, making these areas seem busier than normal.

The pistes currently are a combination of a hard packed base with slush on the top which is generally expect for April. Temperatures have also been incredibly warm despite the lack of sunshine with figures around 15 degrees most days at 1,400m. The snow melt can be seen to be gushing down rivers and ravines in the valley.

Whilst both the French holiday and UK holidays are still under way the resorts generally do seem quieter with the previous week being more popular and probably getting the better conditions.

The way forward seems to be morning skiing and there are plenty of activities still to keep you amused in the afternoon. If you are staying in Val Thorens then go Grease 2 and hit the bowling alley or try out the luge run, one of the highest in Europe! In Les Menuires you can relax at the sports centre or take the kids for a run on Speed Mountain. Down in St Martin there are some great village walks that are now accessible with less snow cover and some lovely restaurants if you fancy treating yourself afterwards.

It does seem that temperatures are starting to decrease over the next few days and there is even snow forecast for the weekend. Whilst for seasonaires it feels like we are nearing the end of the season, the resorts have still got plenty more to give. St Martin does not close until next weekend, Les Menuires has another couple of weeks and Val Thorens has another month to go where the snow depth at 3,200m is 260cm, there are 78 out of 81 runs still open and all lifts are still running. So if you don’t fancy packing your skis away just yet there is snow on the forecast and Val Thorens is open until the end!