French resorts have been proving the wisdom of the country’s post-war planners in creating ski areas high up because they’ve been performing the best over the past month or so with top to bottom skiing open at most areas, despite the lack of fresh snow in the past month, until the past few days, after the big November snowfalls.
That altitude means there has been little thawing and if anything snowmaking has been able to build bases higher.
The fresh snowfall that has arrived this week after a month long wait has so far particularly benefited ski areas at the southern end of the country’s ski regions, with Val Cenis (below) and powder paradise Bonneval over on the other side of the mountain from Val d’Isere both reporting 20cm of fresh snow in 24 hour on Monday/Tuesday of Christmas week. Unfortunately along with the snow fall there are other weather issues, notably strong winds, which led to the cancellation mid-event of the Women’s World Cup racing in Courchevel on Tuesday.
The moderate accumulations forecast at the weekend to fall over this week do not appear to be living up to expectations but still there is at least some fresh snow freshening up slopes at most areas, including Les Arcs, pictured here over the past few days:
“I am just back from Les Arcs where there was some fresh snow (just a few cms), and the pistes were really were in good condition. You can ski around the whole area, including down to Peisey-Vallandry and to Arcs 1600,” one skier told us.
Valfrejus claims the deepest snow in the country at 2.7cm, most of the big resorts have between 70 and 170cm up top. Val Thorens is pictured top, fresh snow in Les 2 Alpes below
