Perfect blue skies & powder on the pistes

I would like to begin by apologising for my negative attitude earlier in the week when I said that any ‘snow’ that was due to fall on Wednesday would absolutely definitely without question fall as rain. Well shows what I know because what fell on Wednesday was absolutely definitely without question snow and snow in great proportions. What started as a rather wet shower of sleety snow thickened up quickly until we had a full on blizzard on our hands complete with high winds and skiers coming in out of the cold looking like half drowned yetis. The timing was as usual impeccable, we had about 4 sunny days for about 4 in a row and then come Wednesday, the day in which people had planned actual outdoor events and parties, boom; incoming blizzard.

The end of season rail jam and barbeque up in the snow park managed to survive through sheer force of will and a group spirit of everyone ignoring the snow falling around them but by 3pm when it was time to change locations to the Bergerie bar for outdoor après the conditions had become hard to ignore. Lifts were shutting all over resort and the Bergerie’s guest performer Script MC was trying to set up equipment that was flooding around him. With some quick thinking and a last minute change of plans everyone packed up and headed on down through the blizzard to Scotty’s bar in Plagne Centre where the DJ’s were able to dry off their equipment and set up in the warm and the soggy skiers could come out of the cold. The last après of the season was saved and as the snow kept falling thick and fast outside it became less of an issue and more something to get excited about. The faster it fell the more excited people got and the more they began talking about first lines and fresh tracks and powder days and all sorts of things that we thought were over for the season.

These hopes were not unfounded, Thursday dawned bright and clear and just down right ridiculously beautiful, not a cloud in the sky and a fresh few inches of powder coating every surface in resort including the pistes. The snow had kept falling long after the piste bashers had done their job and that meant we were in for a sweet morning of powder pistes, which, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know are one of my favourite things in the whole entire world.  You had to get out there early if you wanted to ride them though, hikers were up and out at the crack of dawn and queues appeared for first lifts like they haven’t done in weeks.

By 11am the runs had been ridden clear of powder and fresh tracks were popping up off piste all over resort as seasonaires and holiday makers alike raced to get the most out of what was quite possibly the nicest day we’ll see for the rest of this season.  I was no exception and though I only had a few hours to spare I spent them racing around my favourite runs of resort hitting some untouched powder spots, getting fresh tracks down a few off piste areas and returning to work with the worst goggle tan I’ve had in a while. All in all a very successful day, and I really hope you were all around to make the most of it.

Especially since the forecast has taken a dark turn and is forecasting us rain for the rest of the weekend, unfortunately not snow that I believe will fall as rain, but actual forecast rain. The rain my turn back to snow at the end of the weekend and some sun’s due again after that, but how much good that’ll be after 3 days of rain I’m not sure. So it’s a royally mixed bag of weather as we head into the last week of the season.

Seriously folks we’re at 8 days and counting until the lifts shut and then it’s all over for another year! I hope you’re ready to give it all you’ve got for one more week come rain or snow, and every one pray to the snow gods on the off chance that we can squeeze in one more day like Thursday, an end of season powder day is the perfect way to end Winter 15/16!