Fluffy, fresh snow on the Alpe d'Huez slopes

This snowy period comes with perfect timing as we approach the busy half-term month of February, and it really sets things up ideally for this. The general forecast for the next seven days is snowy and then, for days eight to 14, the weather looks like being largely settled with plenty of lovely sunshine, so it will be a fantastic start to February in Alpe d’Huez.

After the weekend's heavy snowfall, on-piste snow cover currently stands at:
Alpe d’Huez 1850m - 120cm

• Pic Blanc (3300m): 160cm
• Auris Station (1650m): 60cm
• Auris Signal (2176m): 120cm
• Villard Reculas (1500m): 80cm
• Vaujany (1250m): 40cm
• Oz Station (1350m): 50cm
• Montfrais (1650m): 70cm
• Dome-des-Rousses (2800m): 120cm

The heavy snow of the weekend means that off-piste depths currently stand at:

• 3000m: north - 240cm, south - 200cm
• 2500m: north - 180cm, south - 120cm
• 2000m: north - 130cm, south - 80cm
• 1500m: north - 65cm, south - 40cm

Care obviously needs to be taken when venturing off-piste directly after heavy snowfall – it may look amazing but take care. If you have any doubt about the suitability of skiing off-piste, it is best to get the advice of the local SATA liftie (in black and orange) or any of the ESF ski instructors (the guys in red) when up on the hill.

The weekend's snow fell across the entire Grand Domaine ski area and it has obviously brought about a rise in the avalanche risk that now stands at 4 out of 5. The pisteurs of SATA Ski are currently busy securing the whole area and, with more snow in the forecast this week, the avalanche risk is likely to stay at a heightened level for the rest of the week which means that the “boom” of safety charges being let off will resonate around the hill for a few more days. Thankfully, the recent snow didn’t come with any strong winds so the securing process should be fairly quick and straightforward. However, care should be taken up on the hill in the meantime, while any slabs are made safe.

Even with ongoing works up on the hill, there were still a whopping 89 pistes open on Monday. Of these, 29 are green, 29 blue, 24 red and 7 black so, as I always say, there really is something for skiers of all abilities here in Alpe d’Huez at the moment. These pistes are currently being served by 58 lifts and, with resort being relatively quiet at the moment, lift queues really are very short and should stay that way for the next week-or-so until the beginning of the half-term holiday period on Saturday, February 9th.

With the fresh snowfall, the whole of the Grand Domaine ski area is in truly tip-top condition and things will only get better over the next few days as well. The one thing that fresh snowfall does mean that it’s the perfect time to explore the lower slope areas across the ski area. The runs over in the Forest area down to Maronne in Auris will be truly stunning this week, and the trees will provide some much-needed definition in times of heavy snowfall.

The 'gilet jaunes' fuel duty demonstrations are still ongoing in France and, whilst they are entirely peaceful, they are causing delays on Saturday mornings when they usually meet at 09:00 at the already busy roundabout in Vizille on the way to resort. This is causing some delays to both car and coach transfer.

Take care up on the hill and enjoy the amazing conditions.

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