Skiing bliss in the Three Valleys this weekend

This weekend, particularly on Sunday, the slopes were busier than usual with a large number of locals visiting to benefit from the current great conditions. I visited down in Le Bettaix for the first time this season which is an area not particularly well known but is great spot to stay.

The village is located just below Les Menuires with a nice scattering of Chalets, most boasting an outdoor hot tub and they have a ski shop there too. The old lift coming out of Le Bettaix was slow and rickety but this season has been replaced by the old St Martin 2 lift making access in/out of Le Bettaix much easier. There are also some great walking paths along the river up to Les Menuires so is a good spot for families looking for a quieter location.

The atmosphere on the slopes on Sunday was fantastic, I have never heard so much bonjouring and whooping! I witnessed two awesome skiers who have my upmost respect. The two guys were accompanied by guides giving directions as they were both blind and have a fluorescent vest just to warn other behind to not ski between them and their guide. Such an inspiration.

Yesterday morning I thought that I would take advantage of the amazing views from the top of Cime Caron however it was not to be. Firstly the queues for Cime Caron were larger than I have witnessed at February half term with the queue snaking inside the building and leading out onto the snow. Luckily some people gave up the wait which meant the queue went down quicker than anticipated. Once we arrive at the top though there was zero visibility despite being a bluebird down in Val Thorens centre.

After a quick aperitif stop to see whether the cloud would shift, which it did not, we headed back down to the find the sunshine. At the top of Peclet conditions were much clearer and everyone was profiting from the spring sun on the terrace tat the top. I really like the runs down from Peclet which are always nice and quiet and the snow is always great at this altitude.

This afternoon the clouds have started to gather which is inline with the snow forecast for tomorrow and Thursday. There are however also high winds forecast so take care and make sure that you plan your route carefully over the next couple of days. The avalanche risk has now dropped to ‘2’ but make sure you still check at the lift stations if you are heading further afield.

Towards the end of the week it looks like our sunny days return and that we are on track for another amazing weekend. Spring skiing can often be known for slushy slopes, early starts and early finishes however at the moment we have great snow, early starts and late finishes and long may it continue!