Morzine Snow Report: 15th April 2013

Sunday saw great conditions on the slopes, even till 4 in the afternoon and I’ve just spent the last hour or so sunbathing on the balcony after riding. This is my kind of end to the season! We made the most of the last open day on the Swiss side of Les Portes du Soleil and we even got to try out the new gondola in Avoriaz on the French side which is FINALLY open! It’s very sleek and super fast. We’re looking forward to a similar one opening in Morgins for next winter and the potential of a link between the centres of Morzine and Avoriaz in the near future. The Portes du Soleil is really stepping up its game.

The last few days have been amazing as far as end of season skiing are concerned - the sunshine has been fantastic and we’ve even found some spring powder in places. The heavy rain that fell on Thursday and Friday did produce some very wet conditions down low, but up at the very top, we got a little powder snow. With the avalanche risk being high (4/5) not much of this has been touched and rightly so.

The weather forecast is looking promising too. We’ve got sun, light wind and warm temperatures through until Thursday, and then we look set to see a sudden dip in temperatures on Friday, and possibly some snow. The temperature could dip as low as -6, and -13 with wind-chill, on Friday night at the top of Avoriaz, meaning we might see an end of season powder day yet.

The snow has been surviving the hotter temperatures really well and although we were all expecting knee-deep slush this week, we have yet to discover it. The snow has stayed firm right into the afternoon even with the sunshine burning down.

Afternoons are, however, best spent on a sunny terrace or balcony, with a nice cool drink enjoying the sunshine. With temperatures as they are, be careful in the sun however, I’ve seen a lot of sunburnt faces around, and you really want to avoid full body burn. Sun cream is going to be essential over the next few days, especially on the slopes. And if Friday does get cold, you might need to pull the thermals back out for the last day.

With conditions as they are, and the ski area closing down, just enjoy it. The snow’s holding up pretty well everywhere, so it shouldn’t really matter where you ski. If it does get hotter, then you need to start skiing on the slopes which have been in the sun longest, and then follow it round so that you finish your day on the slopes which are last to get the sun.

The new 3S gondola is now open in Avoriaz, so you can now use this to get up and down from Morzine for the last few days of the season. It dramatically cuts down the journey time from Prodains up to Avoriaz, and feels almost luxurious compared to the old cable car. The building work may not yet be finished, but at least we’ve got to try out the gondola before the winter ends.

We are now limited to the Avoriaz, Les Lindarets, Pres la Joux and Linga ski areas for skiing for the last week. Although this may feel a little limited after skiing the whole of the Portes du Soleil this season, there is still some great skiing to be had and a whole range of slopes to ski on. You could even ski in Avoriaz in the morning; have lunch in Chatel and then ski back to Avoriaz for après ski.

Enjoy the sunshine, take care off piste, and make the most of the last week.

Bon ski!