© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
Fast and frosty on the slopes of Les Arcs
Baby, it's cold outside!
The Closing Ceremony has brought an end to the Winter Olympics for another four years and the British half-term holidays may have passed by, but here in Les Arcs we are looking forward to another lovely week on the pistes. There are still two months of skiing left in the season and, with the snow depth remaining absurdly high after the monster snowfall of November, December and January, there is plenty more fun yet to come.
Although there has been light snow on a few occasions this week, it has rarely amounted to more than a dusting of powder on the pistes. In fact, this is probably the longest “dry” period since the start of the season in terms of significant snowfall. A fair amount of new powdery snow arrived on Sunday to freshen up the pistes although not the big, fat flakes we are used to. The increased traffic of the holiday period has compacted many areas, with sometimes breezy conditions taking the top layer off exposed steep slopes. We have seen, and will continue to see, plenty of sunshine so, although the temperatures are low, suntan lotion is still a necessity for most people.
The pistes
Essentially, skiing on the mountain is a bit mixed at present. The weather is changeable, the pistes are hard in some places but soft in others, the lifts can be quite busy or completely deserted: it's like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates. The freezing level has stayed very low, which is good for maintaining snow depth and coverage but has contributed to icy conditions in a few areas.
Whereas the lower pistes can soften up during the daytime, often the higher altitudes are staying hard and, particularly where the wind hits the slopes, there are icy patches. Where the traffic has been heaviest, which normally around the entrances and of the lifts, the snow has been well compacted. The top of the Mont Blanc chair, the bottom of Le Derby, the top of Plagnettes on the Col de la Chal have all become very slippery, so take care when you are jumping off the lifts.
Despite this, conditions for skiing and snowboarding are still generally very good. Where the sun hits the lower slopes (such as Aigle, Mont Blanc/Cachette, Grands Melezes, etc) they soften up throughout the day, improving grip and confidence underfoot. As usual for this particular year, overall coverage is exceptionally good and brown or grey patches are very rare indeed. The snow depth at 3226 metres is still within a gnat's whisker of 4 metres and there is well over a metre down at Arc 1600.
Weather & expectations
It is going to be cold this week. The freezing point has dropped to sea level and we are expecting highs over the next couple of days of -10ºC at 1600 metres. At anything above 2000 metres, the temperature could be 20 degrees below. There may be a few small flurries throughout the week, with light but persistent snow anticipated throughout Wednesday and into Thursday.
With fewer people on the slopes, the runs should improve, with the effects of the piste-bashers' work remaining noticeable for longer. Skiing this week should continue to be quick and consistent, but be prepared for the odd hard spot. Oh, and wrap up warm...
