Chamonix Snow Report: 3rd March 2012

It really has been warm this week and it’s incredible just how much snow has disappeared from the pavements and verges in town. It is now possible to walk on tarmac that hasn’t seen the light of day since mid-December. As a result, Chamonix perhaps isn’t looking at its best at the moment; there’s a lot of grit and rubbish emerging from the melting snow piles that is more akin to the brown sludgy month of May.

However, oop top, it’s spring skiing all the way! Pistes are pretty crusty in the morning and then soften up a treat by lunchtime; the terraces are full and empty deckchairs must be honed in on and swiftly bagged!

I popped over to Italy this week (as you do!) for a leisurely slide around Courmayeur. As I’m sure you know, holders of the MBU lift pass have enjoyed unlimited access to the slopes of our Italian neighbour for several seasons now and it really is one of my top choices for a day trip. If you’ve got wheels, then call by the Montenvers cash desk with your MBU pass for a half price Mont Blanc tunnel ticket before you set off; if not, then take advantage of the free shuttle buses that run from outside the Chamonix railway station and book yourself a place the night before.

We drove over and parked at the Dolonne gondola (although the Val Veny cable car is the first lift that you will pass on exiting the tunnel). We like the psychedelic tunnel that you pass through from the parking to the lifts at Dolonne, but hey, little things.... There was a group of people heading up at the same time as us dressed only in hoodies or long sleeved t-shirts which I thought was a bit keen, but at the top, sure enough, it was pretty toasty.

Jumping on the super swift Pra Neyron 6-man chair from Plan Checrouit, we headed straight over to the shadier Val Veny side via the Diretta black run to the Zerotta. I did not like. It was hard packed and pretty icy in places and with ski schools still snaking all over the shop (even though it was lunch time!) we sacked that off in favour of the sunnier Plan Checrouit side. Snow was much softer over here, pretty lumpy and even sticky in places but then with the odd hard patch thrown in for good measure too. I did not like this very much either. At the top of the Plan Checrouit gondola is one of my favourite runs in the area – as you go up the lift it’s on your far right, massively wide, usually beautifully flat and perfect for a massive hoon! It’s also normally almost deserted because people seem to get more funnelled onto the red that passes directly below the gondola which bottlenecks and is often icy misery. But even my favourite spot was a bit chopped up this week and so we had to be a bit more liberal with the brakes than normal which was no bad thing as holiday makers and even ski school had strayed onto it >:O( I sound a bit moany; I adore Courmayeur but I seemed to have someone else’s legs this week and we weren’t getting along. Normally I only find that my legs get mixed up with someone else after lunch which is why I always eat late.

Things started to come together on the red off to the right at the top of the Plan de la Gabba – smooth, fast and empty and worthy of several laps. Even continuing down the Internazionale piste (normally referred to as the “icy nightmare on a funny camber”), there was good grip and cover and minimal icy bits. The contrast when taking the track through the pines that leads you back to Zerotta felt like fast forwarding 6 weeks and aquaplaning through the last days of the season!

Anyway, by this point it was time to get down to the serious business of the day – lunch. Whatever the weather, whatever the snow conditions; Courmayeur is ALWAYS worth visiting when you’re here for the food. The choice and quality of the restaurants there is leagues ahead of the Chamonix valley and the prices are way better value. Naturally pizza and pasta are very prevalent on the menus but if you’re after a real Val d’Aostana local speciality then try one of the polenta/fontina cheese dishes. Personally, I’m not a polenta fan but Fontina cheese has a deliciously intense earthy flavour and has been made in the area since the 12th century. Stand out restaurants to try are the Christiania at Plan Checrouit and the Petit Mont Blanc at Zerotta for pizza/pasta stylie food; or the Maison Vielle and any one of the little stone cottages that run alongside the Chiecco drag lift just above the main lift hub at Plan Checrouit. The other speciality to try in Courmayeur is a Bombardino. It’s a hot drink that’ll blow your socks off – order one when you’re next there, as long as you’re not driving home....

The sky has clouded over tonight for the first time in days and there is a brief front heading our way that will hopefully drop some fresh snow on us Sunday/Monday night. Not much (5-15cms) but a little freshen up is just what we’re after. Don’t forget, if the weather is ever overcast and rubbish in the Chamonix valley – check out the webcams to see what it’s like just over the way in Italy – it can often be a very pleasant surprise!