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Tignes Snow Report: 21st December 2012

Doomsday Dawns Bright and Beautiful!

featured in Snow report Author Emma Cook, Updated

How would you spend your last day? Praying and gathering survival supplies or enjoying the beautiful conditions here in Val d’Isere? I know which one I’d pick!

You may have heard that today marks a very important day in the Mayan Calendar; the end of the world, the Mayan Apocalypse. Around the globe there have been reports of panic buying with some doom-mongers preparing for the worst and entrepreneurs skilfully playing it to their advantage. However, today is important for another - but possibly less newsworthy reason - it is my first day in resort and officially the first day of my first full season in Val d’Isere!

For the last 4 months I have been holed up in a classroom in a grey and drizzly England, where dark mornings seem to transition seamlessly into dark nights. You can only imagine how excited I have been about coming out here and I was not disappointed last night arriving in resort amidst fresh snowfall and Christmas lights that twinkle invitingly along the streets.

I only had a few things on my wish-list for the 21st December; fresh snow, blue skies and glorious sunshine. Oh and if possible, no wind! A girl can dream, right? Turns out I must have been a good girl this year as Christmas came early and my wishes were granted. Conditions are exactly what I wished for. Sunshine, blue sky and moderate winds – what a way to spend my first day in Val and possibly my last day on Earth. Life doesn’t get better than this.

Val d’Isere has been blessed with snow conditions that are unusually good for this time of year and I’m not complaining. Over the past week there have been (or so I have been told) continual flurries of snowfall with intermittent days of sunshine and glorious powder days. In the last 24 hours alone, Val has been blessed with around 25cm of new snow which is now lying invitingly upon freshly groomed pistes. With the epic amounts of fresh snow here, it’s a great day to explore and enjoy yourself; after all it could be your last day!

This morning I awoke and felt once again like a small child on the morning of Christmas. After 8 months of not even seeing my board I unzipped the bag nervously and proceeded to go through my morning routine just like last season, only with newer boots and a little more experience. With temperatures at -2 at 2,000m and -7 at 3,000m I didn’t layer up too religiously. My first day was dedicated to ‘warming up’ with an early start heading over to Diebold, a lovely blue run to ease me back into the season.

From there I headed on to make fresh tracks down the Stade and enjoy the quiet slopes. Then, on to tackle le Face.... I remember coming to Val years ago as a child and was always slightly terrified of this black run and in particular Lemmings Leap. But with conditions how they are, Le Face was soft and lumpy, a welcome change from hard ice. Finally, I went to chase more fresh powder and headed off-piste towards Fontaine Froide, an old favourite of mine (even if that chairlift is particularly cold).

It is important to mention that with the heavy snowfall avalanches are always at the back of our minds, especially given the recent few reported at the start of this season. Whilst the snow up at Le Fornet was phenomenal this morning, there was an avalanche reported at lunchtime in the Grand Vallons area, which resulted in one male in a critical condition - we have since learned that this man has sadly died. If you are deciding to go off-piste make sure you take all the correct safety equipment, know what you're doing in these kind of conditions, don’t go alone and always ask someone if you’re unsure.

So the day is coming to a close and we’re all still here. But just on the off chance that midnight comes around and the world does end, the bar Salon des Fous are holding an ‘end of the world’ party that starts at 22:00 tonight and rather aptly ends at midnight.

It has been an epic first day of the season and last day for the world, a very unlikely paradox!

Stats

Snow Report
  • Alt. Resort: 1550m

  • Alt. Summit: 3450m

  • High Temp.: Sud-Est

  • Alt. High Temp.: 1550m

  • Latest Conditions: Sunny weather conditions!