This morning dawned bright and clear in the Southern Alps, but as I write to you this afternoon it's snowing outside. This is typical for alpine weather but it's been more changeable than usual over the past week. Clouds started to draw across the resort just after lunch and the high winds that have been blasting Pic Blanc for the past week attracted another snow storm to the resort. The top of the glacier was engulfed in cloud by 2pm, which gradually rolled down the mountain with snow arriving in resort just after 4pm.
The clear weather this morning was the first time we've seen proper sunshine for nearly a week. On Christmas day, the snow abated early in the morning with around 5cm falling between 5am and 9am, but it wasn't until 4pm that the clouds finally cleared to reveal bright sunshine and snow-drenched hills. Yesterday we had flat-light conditions in resort, with the clouds remaining high but blocking the sun. The top of the mountain was open but the pistes were wind-blown and the off-piste routes victim to multiple slab avalanches.
In an effort to stay out of the wind and discover some new pistes, we made our way to Montfrais at 1650m. Tucked into the valley it has been sheltered from the gales and the snow cannons have been at work, making sure the pistes have good coverage. Even so, some parts of the final run are pretty bare with large patches of exposed, hard-packed snow. There are signs warning users of thin snow and these are especially helpful to beginners. The steeper section of Blue Vaujaniatae is especially challenging in these conditions.
Today I've been both to Oz en Oisans and the Sarenne Glacier. The snow on the higher pistes is excellent but the winds and extremely low temperatures make it tough going. We took Black run Glacier through the clouds and the flat light made it almost impossible to navigate the moguls on the top of the run. Lower down the pistes are more uniform and the snow is grippy and even, in comparison to lower down the mountain.
On the lowest lying pistes, those at 1350m which surround Oz, the snow is variable, with some areas bare of fresh snow meaning you have to skid over the hard-packed base layer. Alpette is running fast but beware the 'death cookies' created by the artificial snow cannons. It's a lot warmer in the sheltered parts of the valley but the snow is holding well and not turning to mush. Only here you can shelter successfully from the wind.
Today, the busiest pistes were those in the middle, between 2800m and 1700m. The coverage here is very good but the sheer volume of users means that there are inevitable areas of patchy snow, where all the fresh, grippy stuff has been pushed to the sides of the pistes, leaving the centre bare and difficult to navigate.
Clocher de Macle – infamous for its moguls – is living up to its reputation, with heavy mounds separated by a bare and skiddy path. The Red bypass route – Promontoire is a far more attractive option. On the route to Vaujany, Les Rousses and Bartavelles are both beautiful, if a little windswept. The snow here is in great condition and worth a couple of loops if you can handle the lift queues.
A word to the wise: it was very busy on the pistes today as it's a popular holiday week and we do have a lot of weekend guests who come from neighbouring towns and cities. It was almost impossible to get onto the DMC this morning so we opted for the Les Jeux draglift, followed by the Lievre Blanc chairlift. This route takes you to around 2500m but if you want to get higher you'll have to brave the queues for the DMC or Marmottes lifts. A seasonnaire trick for busy weeks is to only ride during lunchtime, when the tourists stop for a break or avoid riding at the weekends. Although we have the mountain to ourselves a lot of the time, we're still very resentful of the queues and probably spend too much time debating the relative merits of joining the queue, finding an alternative route or simply hiking, which is what I opted for this morning. However, holidaymakers don't despair: the crowds usually die-down on a Monday leaving the pistes more pleasant for the rest of the week.
Vickie will be reporting on the snow conditions in Alpe d'Huez on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, throughout the season.
Check out what to do around town once the lifts have closed with our Apres Ski Report - a weekly round up of what's hot and where to party in Alpe d'Huez!
