Morzine Snow Report: 23rd January 2012

Initially things were not too promising. The pistes lower down were a little scraped off and icy. I think it had rained a touch at this level yesterday and then frozen solid overnight. As for the off piste, well it gave the impression of being good snow from a distance but when I popped off into the edges all that apparently soft snow was bullet proof.

We decided to gain height to get beyond the freeze thaw line. The Mossettes télésiège takes you to the high point of the Portes du Soleil system at 2250m. First time around the light was very flat so it was difficult to perceive the lumps and bumps. We could, however, feel that the snow under foot was really nice.

Another lap and the clouds cleared a little and the sun began to poke through, the result being the visibility was vastly improved. We took full advantage and got off the piste as early as possible.

The Abricotine blue takes you along the ridge line marking the border between France and Switzerland. There are many points along here before and after the Les Cases red where you can drop into the off piste. The Abricotine makes a big sweeping turn below you so, eventually, you come out onto that. That’s about as straightforward a powder turns as you’ll ever get.

We repeated variations on this drop in for the next couple of hours and it really was brilliant. The snow was relatively firm but we were still carving tracks a good couple of inches into it, kicking up big rooster tails behind us (the benefits of twin tip skis, although the person behind may not thank you.) A couple of runs in and the confidence was growing, as was the speed!

Once back on the Abricotine, we cut over to skiers' left and got some more off piste turns in before re-joining the blue run. The snow did start to turn a little heavier and crustier just as we were emerging back onto the piste. You can ski all the way back to the Mossettes télésiège off piste but we’d found yesterday’s rain/snow freeze/thaw limit.

Evidently we had had the best of the snow at that point and cut back onto the piste. A few turns on here and we were itching to get back on that lift and into that fresh snow. The run was fairly skied out and icy although, if you plan your route and head for the piles of snow that have been scraped off by other skiers and turn on that then things are not so bad.

The forecast is for light snowfall tonight. Snow showers tomorrow morning, followed by breaks in the cloud and cold temperatures around -1, should keep the snow nice. The rain snow limit is expected to be 700m so that should freshen up those icy lower pistes all the way into Morzine. Another good day in prospect tomorrow, I think.

Bon Ski