The never ending winter of 2017/18 in 2 Alpes

Excellent conditions as we near the end of the season

featured in Snow report Author Alex Armand - TipTop Ski Coaching, Les 2 Alpes Reporter Updated 3 October 2018

Well what a winter we have had here in Les Deux Alpes! It has snowed, snowed and snowed and amazingly its still snowing! The conditions in resort are fantastic, we are skiing right to the village and the Valley Blanche side is still completely open and white!

We saw more snow again last night and have done for the last few nights, only 10-15cm per night but just enough to be a skiers dream!

Temperatures are cold at night and warm during the day so the avalanche risk is high in the afternoon and 3 in the mornings. As the snow pack heats up either with air temperature or the direct sun it becomes more unstable and likely to slide. We have seen some enormous (controlled) spring snow slides here in Les Deux Alpes and also all over the Alps.

The Glacier

Everyones mind is turning to summer now and the snow pack is so deep up here we are hoping for the best summer skiing in a long time! The team of snow machine drivers are still working hard farming the snow against the winds to ensure the pack grows over these last few weeks!

The skiing conditions on the Signal blue run are magnificent, corduroy cold snow perfect for carving, Great for short turns and easy for learners when the sun comes out!

We have also seen really wintery conditions up here. Yesterday afternoon there was a blizzard raging, wind from the east and plenty of snowfall! Luckily the sun is shining up here this morning!

2600m La Toura

Again who can complain, winter is still here on 13th April 2018! Sadly the Lac Noir chair lift has reached the end of its life and will be removed before next season. This was expected at the end of the season but all the wet weather we have had has taken its toll and it is now deemed unsafe so will remain closed for the rest of the season. However the Toura chair just next to it is still very much alive and kicking!

The snow park is in great shape and the boarder cross enormous fun! There are also some fantastic blue runs up here hidden in gullies that have collected snow over the winter so are much wider than usual!

Bellecombe

As you would expect being north facing and high this area has had great snow conditions all winter! The off-piste here has been fantastic but is now dangerous in the afternoons as the temperatures rise so do be careful!

We have seen the Bellecombe 1 run shut some afternoons to be sure nothing falls down onto the run. Should this happen you can come up higher via the Telepherique from Le Cret or the Jandri Express from the village. Please respect the signs and barriers/cords as they are there for your own safety.

La Fee

The pistes here in La Fee are still in great shape, becoming a little slushy later in the day towards the bottom and therefore firm first thing.

This is a key off-piste area for the resort. Most of the off-piste here has avalanched (controlled) over the last week or so with such high temperatures in the afternoons so there are few slopes that remain skiable or safe. Please take extra care if skiing off-piste at this time of year with so many avalanches happening across the Alpes. It's best to take a guide or an instructor who knows the area well and is in contact with the pisteurs to be continually updated on what they are seeing as they blast controlled avalanches.

Bas De Piste

Who would have expected wintery conditions down here as well mid-April? There was 10/20cm of fresh snow in the village again this morning for the 3rd morning in a row! The winter of 2018 is now known as “The Never Ending Winter!”

Valley Blanche

This area is normally closed by now but is still very much open and skiable! It gets the sun first thing in the morning so can become quite slushy later on in the day but is a great place to go mid-morning! Or first thing in the morning when it's a powder day!

Conclusion

The season is sadly nearly over with only 2 weeks left of the lifts opening. The resort will close with loads of snow so the ski touring season will start for all those that have been working hard all winter!

The quantity of snow that we have and the fact its still falling is putting us in a very strong position for a great summer season of skiing up on the Les Deux Alpes Glacier. The resort closes on 28th April 2018 and reopens for summer on 23rd June 2018. The glacier is also open from 11th June for Racing, this is privately arranged and you need to be with a club or coach to benefit from this.

Have a fantastic end of season/summer and I look forward to telling you all when the snow starts falling for the 2019 season!