Going to Chamonix by coach tonight for a week’s boarding. The question is, how do I get it to snow? Should I be praying to someone/something? Making some sort of sacrifice? Telling myself and anyone who’ll listen “No, the conditions are rubbish, and will definitely stay like that all week” and hoping the universe decides to prove me wrong? What?

Do not believe what you read in the UK press, they love a “there’s no snow in the Alps” story every January.

Wednesday in Sainte Foy (not a million miles from Chamonix):

If you’re an experienced backcountry rider, there will be epic conditions to be had at altitude in Chamonix. On-piste, conditions are perfectly decent.

There is some very mild weather forecast for this weekend, which is likely to crust things up at low/moderate altitudes though.

Far from “an experienced backcountry rider” but I have dabbled in a bit of between-piste on a few occasions. I’m going out with UCPA on a full-time instruction/guiding week, so I expect they’ll find me some good stuff.

Thanks for the encouragement though – I was starting to get worried. That pic brings the grin back!

Cool, UCPA should sort you out with the goods.

Here, it snowed 10-15cm on Sunday night, then another 20cm or so on Tuesday night, I think Chamonix got pretty-much the same.

I am just back from a long weekend in Chamonix. The weather is mixed at the moment but the outlook isn’t too good.

Saturday and Sunday were very icy with hard crust and ice off piste so pretty depressing. Pistes were scratchy and icy with rocks coming through, Pierre et Ric and the home run at Domaine du Balme were open but under Flegere was completely bare.

Thankfully overnight on Sunday there was 15-20cm up top of Les Grand Montets. We were lucky enough to get the 2nd top cablecar up and lay fresh tracks all the way back to midstation. Spent 90% of the day off piste and skied until I could hardly stand. Got a few ‘faceshots’ of powder – here’s a poor quality video grab from Monday to get you excited.

Good luck with the weather and have a great trip!

Well, it was awesome. No snow while we were out there, and the pistes were pretty solid, but we still had loads of fun.

Especially cool was the day on Grand Montets where the instructor dragged us around the mountain the whole day to find every single tiny pocket of untracked snow that was left. Well worth the effort, if hard work. And terrifying.

If anyone hasn’t been to Chamonix yet – give it a go. It is unique, and I say that without even having done any serious off-piste.

MMM i’d LOVE to help you! We have just come back from a week in Avoriaz and the reports that there was no snow was in fact correct in some places. Morzine/ Les Gets was ALL snow cannon with some runs with literally NO SNOW. I would’ve taken my MTB had I know it was like that. The guy in the shop said he had been riding his MTB every day. It didn’t snow at all whilst we were out there, come last Thursday/Friday the conditions were horrific. Severely icey even through to the mud/rocks underneath. I really pity anyone going out to Avoriaz this week as there is still no snow forecast for another week. We had a good (well okay) holiday but it was one of the worst ones we’ve ever had.

As for off piste… mmmmmm not really any.

What was more annoying was we nearly booked to go to Breckenridge, CO but didn’t and they had some ridiculous amount of snow and it was phenomenal. Gutted but never mind.

If anyone hasn’t been to Chamonix yet – give it a go. It is unique, and I say that without even having done any serious off-piste.

Yup, I am very over the whole mega-resort thing and really like my little quiet corner of the Alps, but the only other place that gives me tingles and makes me want to get in the car and go somewhere else for the day is Chamonix.