Quiet pistes in tiptop condition

The snow just keeps on coming

featured in Snow report Author Gemma Hunt, Val Thorens Reporter Updated 18 December 2017

Well what a week. We've had lots of snow, high winds, white-outs and some very unwelcome rain but overall we are pleased to report that the end result is that the Three Valleys is now looking mighty fine indeed!

Snowfall at this time of year has been a cause of concern for the past few seasons and so we were feeling pretty blessed with the large amount of snowfall over the past few weeks. That was until a huge storm arrived at the beginning of last week, literally washing snow away from the lower resorts and unopened areas, and causing all kinds of problems. Luckily this was quickly forgotten thanks to the arrival of fresh snow and then more snow. So we can all breathe a sigh of relief once again and we won't dwell on that little weather blip any further.

Last Thursday night saw a sneaky 40cm of fresh snow. I can say that we have certainly shifted more snow so far this winter to clear drives and terraces than we did nearly all of last season – not that we're complaining, we love a good snow clear workout, honest. This is a lovely reminder of what winter should feel like, opening the curtains and not being able to get out of the door quick enough to hit the slopes.

These early weeks in the season are a real treat for locals/seaonnaires before the manic festive season really hits. It's when we can also scratch that ski itch that's been there since the end of last winter. We have been well rewarded this week with quiet slopes in Val Thorens and Les Menuires along with fresh untouched powder. The key has been to not wait for the 'bluebird' days as we've had cloud rising and lowering and the sun popping in and out - the best days are always those unexpected ones. Once the full Three Valleys are open it's easy to forget about the closest slopes right where we are based, preferring to get kilometres under the skis across the resort. These early few weeks are always great to just stay local and explore the slopes of Val Thorens and Les Menuires, doing laps of the quiet untouched pistes - parfait. The runs down from the 'Becca' lift in Les Menuires are definitely ones by-passed during the season but it is a really good area for an early season play around. Similarly the runs leading from the 'Peclet' lift in Val Thorens are sill a firm favourite for a good speedy blast when staying local and never fail to disappoint.

This weekend we welcomed the opening of resorts Saint Martin de Belleville and La Tania which now complete the opening of the Three Valleys. The snow depth figures are putting a big smile on a lot of peoples faces considering we struggled to get above around 100cm last winter so drum roll please - at 2300m the current snow depth is recorded at 200cm and at the highest point of Val Thorens, at an altitude of 3200m, the snow depth is currently 275cm. We really hope that we just see these figures rising over the next few months.

This weekend temperatures in Val Thorens fell to between -8 up to -11 with snow falling overnight on Saturday. Just be aware that with all the fresh snow at the moment there are scheduled avalanche blasts taking place regularly which have caused later opening times for some lifts. Make sure you keep an eye on local information boards before heading out so you can plan your route.

Quiet pistes in tiptop condition

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