La Plagne Snow Report: 19th April 2013
2012/13 you’ve been awesome!
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 19th April 2013
Here goes with my last snow report of the season...I’m afraid for the last week you’re going to be riding blind out there without my insightful interpretations of the weather forecast. I have had an absolutely epic season, both skiing and boarding, powder days and trail riding; I’ve learned some tricks, honed some skills and hit up some amazing terrain. I am truly sad to see the season coming to an end.
Latest conditions
| Number of pistes open |
125 |
| Date of last snowfall |
|
| Depth of snow on upper slopes |
240cm |
| Depth of snow on lower slopes |
150cm |
| Highest temperature |
-11 °C |
| cm |
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However, don’t panic yet because I am here for you today so lets make the most of it shall we? What is going on out there? A whole lot of sunshine is what’s going on, it’s been beautiful out there for the best part of a week and I for one am loving it, the snow is melting sure and there is a definite slush factor in play but the skies are blue and the pistes are empty and I am having a great week. I spent yesterday playing around off the back of the Arpette lift and the coverage over that area is still epic. In between the Salla and Crozats chair lift is a huge area that in safer times is wonderful for mellow off pisting, since we’re still in avalanche central I stuck solely to the piste (as should you), but couldn’t help but notice that the in between areas still looked deep and fluffy and without a hint of muddy brown snow or rock poking through, hard to resist but resist I did, safety first people!
Today I took myself up the Roche De Mio because Les Sources is one of my all time favourite runs in La Plagne and I’m striving to ride it all I can before those lifts close. One of the best things about it is the views you get on your way down, if you take a glance at this weeks photos you’ll see I have dedicated many of them to the views from the Roche De Mio. On certain days clouds serve only to enhance the beauty of a blue sky and today was one of those days, truly breathtaking it was up there, enough to make me head straight back up once I reached the end of my run.
It’s not all perfection though, certain runs are beginning to be closed off, ending their season early due to the conditions, Arnica and Mercedes for instance because of the avalanche risk on the surrounding faces, Cretes drag lift is closed and if you look up from the bottom of the Becoin you can see why, the entire ridge along which the lift usually runs is one long over hang of snow waiting to fall. Unfortunately getting right down into Champagny is off the agenda now due to both Mont de la Guerre and Les Bois being closed off, and Kamikaze has been shut for a few days due to lack of coverage but over all the map is still extremely accessible and there are some great runs still to be had.
I hope you have been making the most of the sun as well because incredibly for mid April we’re about to get another load of snow! The forecast was earlier calling for 20 something cm in 2 days and although it’s calmed down slightly we’re still due snow from Friday morning straight through to Tuesday with 6 and 7 cm falling in the nighttimes. I have no idea how its going to work for the mountain I assume the avalanche risk will stay high so keep an eye on that, but whether the snow freshens up the runs or turns to slush straight away we shall have to wait and see. I for one hope it turns everything powdery and we see out the season on a high.
Well that really is it from me for winter 2012/13!
I wish you all the best for the remaining days of the season and hope the snow stays on your side.
See you next year, Ride on!
What you say - tell us what you're thinking
La Plagne Snow Report: 16th April 2013
Off Piste is Off Limits
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 16th April 2013
It is stunning outside. Absolutely breathtakingly. I can’t believe I get to live here - it's just stunning. We haven’t seen a cloud in days and the temperatures are hot with a side of tropical.
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La Plagne Snow Report: 11th April 2013
Spring Powder
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 11th April 2013
Oh. My. God. On the 10th of April, everyone was talking about the end of the season and I had one of my best days of the year so far! It dumped and dumped hard on Tuesday then dawned bright and blue Wednesday morning leaving us with a bluebird powder day 3 weeks from the end of season, what more could you ask for?
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La Plagne Snow Report: 9th April 2013
It’s oh so quiet...
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 9th April 2013
Finally peak season is over! The holiday crowds have left, the festive ones, the half term ones and now at last the Easter crowds have gone, leaving us with three full weeks of blissfully empty mountain skiing. No lift queues, no ski schools snaking around the pistes no crowded runs, it’s private mountain time!
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La Plagne Snow Report: 5th April 2013
White Once More
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 5th April 2013
We started the week with a couple of beautiful bluebird days, a bit of warmth and sunshine and excellent conditions for riding. There was even still soft powder and some fresh tracks to be made if you searched for them. Things have closed in a bit since then and now the skies are white once again.
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La Plagne Snow Report: 2nd April 2013
It Aint Over Till It’s Over
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 2nd April 2013
About a month/six weeks ago I was sitting out on a terrace in blazing sunshine working on my goggle tan and cursing spring for coming too soon. Everyone was talking about how it’d been a short season and since the sun’s already here and looks like it’s staying we may as well start planning summer because the season’s over. Then winter rallied it’s forces and the skies closed back in, it dumped hard and we got several more weeks of fresh snow and powder riding.
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La Plagne Snow Report: 28th March 2013
Wet and White
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 28th March 2013
So my prediction of a week of white outs was slightly off the mark in that Tuesday and Wednesday were both a picture of blue sky brilliance, I also told you it shouldn’t harden up too much over night, in that respect I was ever so wrong, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings were described by a friend of mine as “bulletproof”, although it did soften up later in the day.
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La Plagne Snow Report: 26th March 2013
I can’t see my feet!
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 26th March 2013
This being Easter week, and traditionally being a frantically peak week just like half term (which has only just ended I might add, do these kids never go to school?), I was all set to give you another chat about busy pistes and getting out nine till ten and twelve till two, skipping lunch and picking the quiet routes, but today has been almost quiet and didn’t require that kind of warning at all.
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La Plagne Snow Report: 22nd March 2013
Who needs the X Games? We got powder....
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 22nd March 2013
The mountain is so good right now! The snow fell and kept on falling until Tuesday when out popped the sun and it was fresh tracks time!
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La Plagne Snow Report: 19th March 2013
Spring? What's Spring?
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 19th March 2013
I don’t know where to begin. According to my calendar we are two days away from the official start of spring and yet outside my window tells a whole different story.
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La Plagne Snow Report: 14th March 2013
Get the powder board back out!
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 14th March 2013
The snow is well and truly back! The guys at the forecast are still getting it wrong but at least it’s working in our favour this time and we’re now getting all the snow they promised us last week.
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La Plagne Snow Report: 12th March 2013
Winter Returns...
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 12th March 2013
My faith in the weather forecast has been restored, the liars and charlatans who were running the show last week have been ousted and we’re back in the hands of true weather psychics.
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La Plagne Snow Report: 8th March 2013
The sky is falling!
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 8th March 2013
White stuff! White stuff falling from the skies! It’s snowing in La Plagne finally and granted it was only a cm or two on Thursday but the temperatures are low and the forecast (which I now have faith in again) are calling for 6cm on Friday morning and more scattered over the weekend it’ll be just what we need to freshen things up.
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La Plagne Snow Report: 4th March 2013
Get it while you can....
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 4th March 2013
Right well I did my snow dance and I made other people do their snow dances I roped in my father and had him snow dancing in another country (which thinking about it might have been why his didn’t work) and still no snow!
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La Plagne Snow Report: 26th February 2013
Where’s my snow???
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 26th February 2013
I’m starting to think that the snow gods have gone on holiday and the forecast is definetly manned by charlatans and frauds. The snow we were predicted over the weekend never materialised other than a wee sprinkling on Sunday afternoon - it passed us by and went and played favourites in Val d’Isere (boo Val d’Isere) and according to the forecast it should be dumping 6cm right now but the skies are most certainly blue and have been all darn day long.
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La Plagne Snow Report: 22nd February 2013
Spring Fever is here
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 22nd February 2013
We’ve all got a little bit of spring fever here in La Plagne over the last few days. The weather has been beautiful, cloudless blue skies and sunshine from first lifts till darkness, which incidentally is coming later and later these days.
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La Plagne Snow Report: 20th February 2013
Half Term - take two
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 20th February 2013
It’s the third week of February and things aren’t getting any quieter in La Plagne: the queues are still raging and my advice about picking your times carefully still stands strong. I got caught in a 4 o’clock Colosses queue earlier and ended up getting the bus back from Bellecotte to save time and heartache.
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La Plagne Snow Report: 14th February 2013
Powder Hounds
Anita Gait | La Plagne Reporter | published: 14th February 2013
I have had my gnarly boots on this week, let me tell you - I have been steep and deep-ing it all over the place. I took my own advice to get off the pistes and avoid the crowds and it was a marvellous choice (I really am very wise).
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The crew of 2012/2013
Chairlift love
Another beautiful day in paradise
Big skies, big love
A good day to fly
Take off preparation
