© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
© Sam Birch
Great Snow and LOTS More on the Way
The pistes are lovely but about to be lost under serious powder
Sunday morning was absolutely gorgeous in Les Arcs with clear blue skies, soft snow off-piste, quick but choppy runs and even a rainbow circling the sun.
By the mid-afternoon the weather had dramatically changed with clouds rolling in, visibility becoming non-existent and the first flakes of a forecast 48 hours of snow beginning to fall.
It has been a lovely weekend on-piste; recent snowfall has built up the snow base and provided a soft top layer to practically all of the runs.
Conditions above 2000 metres have been super and all runs down to resort level have improved since the midweek “warm snap.” In general, all pistes have become more consistent and quicker with a liberal covering of soft snow on top. Where the runs are steeper (usually reds and blacks), there are likely to be small moguls and bumps as the loose snow has been shifted about by carving skiers and snowboarders.
Snow is now falling in some quantity and little respite is predicted until Tuesday afternoon so, however good it is now, it’s going to get even better.
What’s Open?
The weekend saw practically all of the lifts open, with the notable exceptions of Varet, Aiguille Rouge and the Grand Col above Arc 2000. This will be down to avalanche risk, as snowfall through the week combined with the gradient of many of the pistes accessible means they often take longer to “make safe” than some other areas. It seemed the Grand Col was on the verge of opening on Sunday, but mountain security clearly decided to keep it closed as the clouds began to gather.
The anticipated deluge is likely to disrupt lift opening in the initial instance, with the high-altitude lifts up to the Col de la Chal, Arpette/Col des Frettes and the top of Clocheret/Comborcière usually the first to be shut down. Low visibility and constant snow through Monday into Tuesday is a firm invitation to stick to your local slopes and make the most of the powder. Until the clouds clear, pick a couple of runs and enjoy soft stuff whilst it’s still falling: it’s nice to go exploring, but some of the best days are on fresh snow and one run.
Will there be any sunshine this week?
According to the forecast, the weather will change dramatically again on Tuesday. This will bring clear skies, sunshine and warmer weather for the rest of the week. If some lifts have been closed, they will begin to reopen, affording access to hitherto untouched snow both on- and off-piste.
Many pistes were running quite flat, fast and true before the heavens opened, so they should become blissfully silky smooth with the addition of fresh snow. Choose a run with a bit of an incline (as the snow will make very flat blues particularly slow-going) and let rip. Obvious choices are Grive, Edelweiss, Mont Blanc, Grands Melezes (blues), Belette, Aigle, Ours, Arandelières (as soon as it opens) Arolles, (reds) and any of the black runs from the Varet bubble.
There was still plenty of largely untouched off-piste in all resorts towards the end of the weekend although some of it had begun to develop a slight crust and none of it was “super soft” (or scarily deep).
With the areas underneath the Arcabulle, Clocheret, Arpette, Vagère and various other lifts remaining un-tracked and the freezing level scheduled to be below around 1400 metres whilst the snow dumps, the off-piste is going to become especially deep. Where lifts have been closed for a few days (Grand Col, Varet, Aiguille Rouge), the snow is going to be practically infinite. If you are the first person laying tracks when the skies clear, go prepared and exercise proper caution.
Overall Conditions
The fresh snow is being accompanied by a drop in temperatures which should ensure it reaches all levels down to Villaroger. Powder is always (very, very) welcome so, even with the poor visibility, Monday and Tuesday should be great fun. Once the skies clear and the sun reappears on Wednesday the conditions will be absolutely glorious.
Not only will the snowfall make the pistes feel wonderful, it will “keep on giving” by increasing the snow-depth across all of the resorts. To surmise, if you are lucky enough to be in Les Arcs this week, you are in for a real treat.
