Les 2 Alpes enjoy cold temperatures & clear skies

The snow is fantastic up here but temperatures are cold! We are very lucky that there are 5 different lifts in Les Deux Alpes from the resort up to altitude, so queues are not normally a problem in the mornings. It has also been so cold for the last few days that most people have been staying low in the resort so, if you want to practice some lovely carved turns on an empty piste, the glacier is your place. However, if you really want the pistes to yourself, you can join the First Tracks with the resort's pisteurs on a Wednesday morning and they will take you up before the resort opens to show you the ropes. This involves opening the pistes with them and enjoying a nice breakfast in La Toura

The skiing is fantastic at La Toura and the mid-station, with lots to do for all the family. Here you will find the family park, with a boarder/skier cross run, as well as the big park which is great to watch but you need to be an expert to actually jump. There is also a great little video slalom that is free with your lift pass so, why not take on family members during the week and watch the video finish? As for the snow, it is great as it has been a little sheltered from the high winds we have seen, so it is the area to head for.

The Bellecombe area, being north facing and having the runs in a gully, has also been sheltered from the winds we have seen over the last few days so is another excellent place to choose to ski. There are blues, reds and blacks in this area, as well as some fantastic off-piste. It is important that you know where you are going in this area as there are quite a few danger spots so, if you want to head off the piste, take a good instructor or guide with you to ensure you find the best snow.

Le Cret is still in good condition with a great base. The wind has whipped across the top of the blue piste here so it can be a little icy for the first few turns but, after that, it boasts beautiful corduroy. This is a wide open piste where the green joins the blue and, therefore, a great learning area. The magic carpet is also a great place to learn as the piste is quite easy and the carpet is not only an easy uplift but it's also in a tunnel so is sheltered from the wind and cold, perfect for children!

The bas de piste covers all the button lifts along the village, as well as the lifts that link the Valley Blanche to the main slopes. This has been busy over the half term period but, luckily, we have so many buttons people have been reasonably spread out. The snow is still good here but can be firm first thing at the moment. We are hoping to have a few flakes fall early next week to freshen it up.

The Valley Blanche is a wonderful area for good skiers with the sun in the morning and very few people. The blues are steep and can be icy, though, so it's not the place to do your first blue. There is a wonderful cafe over here as well that claims to serve the best Vin Chaud in the alps and certainly does very good hot chocolate by an open fire and good traditional mountain food.

The weather is staying cold for the rest of this week and into next week. We will be seeing temperatures as low as -15ºC in the village early next week so wrap up warm and bring plenty of layers. The secret to staying warm is lots of layers and a good, warm Buff to go around your neck, I never go out without mine!