The end of the snow drought is nigh!

Recent snow showers in the last week have brought temporary changes to some areas, but we are still waiting for a big dump of the white stuff to open up the remaining closed pistes. The best skiing is still primarily at the highest altitudes, but I expect many of the tree-lined blue runs to become more popular as cloudy weather continues.

Col de la Chal

When there’s a lot of precipitation, the lifts up to the Col de la Chal provide some protection against the elements. If you take the Transarc gondola from Arc 1800, or the covered Arcabulle chairlift from Arc 2000, you gain access to a large number of open pistes from which you can reach Arc 2000, Arc 1950, Arc 1800, Vallandry and even Peisey at the far end. Tuffes (red) is still closed, but some people are going “off-piste” on it anyway, despite the proliferation of rocks. Plan des Eaux (blue) is riding pretty nicely, especially on the wide bottom section. Plagnettes (red) is not at its best, with small stones showing throughout and the snow wearing thin on the approaches to the steep sections. Dents du Peigne and Plan Vert (both blue) are feeling fine, as is the Grand Renard (red).

Aiguille Rouge

The iconic Aiguille Rouge run is still truncated at the base of the Droset lift, but there is still plenty of good snow on-piste due to its serious altitude (105cm snow depth at 3226 metres high). A few stones have worked their way onto the piste at the very top and in the twisty cliffside section, but it is mostly consistent all the way down. Arandelières (red) is running nicely but, after the first flat section, the left-hand side has a couple of thin patches which should be avoided. Another benefit of the Aiguille Rouge and Varet lifts is, when it snows, they are both enclosed and keep you away from the worst of the weather.

Grand Col

Also over in the Arc 2000 bowl, you have the Grand Col lift. This is often the first to shut when the weather comes in, but is also one of the most popular when fresh snow is on the ground. Whilst the Refuge black piste has been closed for a couple of days, despite it being a complete mogul field the snow base on seems fine. This section is one to watch after any snowfall, so keep an eye on the lift status.

L’Arpette / Col des Frettes

The Plan run towards Arc 2000 is a good, fairly broad, blue run with a gentle incline. On the other side of the mountain, the best runs are the blues leading from Arpette. Of the red runs, Carreley is still closed, Froide Fontaine is patchy (particularly on the left-hand side) and Col des Frettes is a bit hard (especially in the early morning). The black runs from this peak are still closed, although the Ours piste seems fairly well covered and may be a contender for opening with a little more snowfall.

One of the best places you can go to at the moment is the snow park to practice your grabs, spins and flips on the various jumps and rails... or just watch other people to feel jealousy and schadenfreude in almost equal measure.

Aiguille Rousse

This peak is actually not skiable from the top, as it is rather ridged, rocky and bare at the snowiest of times, but it does overlook the upper part of the Peisey-Vallandry pistes. Some of the best practice areas are here, such as the Cabri and Flocon beginners’ zones. Grive (blue) and Blanchot (red) either side of the “2300” lift are continuing to be great little runs. The Ours, Aigle and Morey red runs, which are usually some of my favourites across the whole of Les Arcs, are presently very hit-and-miss: be cautious on your first run down, because conditions seem to change from comfortable to icy very quickly. Écureuils is still closed.

Bad Visibility Runs

Currently the better tree-lined runs are the blue ones. Towards Peisey-Vallandry you have Plan Bois, Forêt and Retour Plan Peisey which are all in very good order. Always be cautious where the pistes cross the steeper red runs, as these junctions receive the most traffic. Over at Arc 1600 Arpette leading into Mont Blanc is still very consistent, with no unpleasant surprises. Edelweiss, whilst not bounded by trees, is in a well-defined valley so can be a good option near Arc 1950.

What to Expect

From Tuesday onwards we are expecting snow. Forecasts suggest it will be persistent rather than heavy, with fresh powder anticipated every day along with plummeting temperatures. There is a good chance that conditions will change daily, with new pistes (and lifts) opening by the end of the week. Bring it on!