Off piste fun in La Plagne

We’ve had some good dumps of snow in the past week or so and the crews are out there daily securing the mountain and testing avalanche prone areas, and even though the snow fall stopped a few days ago, they are still blasting away and we’ve still got plenty of powder to ride!

Sticking to my own rules I’ve been trying to get out early this week to make the most of that quiet hour between 9 and 10am and its definitely been worth it, the pistes have been freshly corded, smooth and empty and I’ve been able to get a solid hours peaceful riding in and be far away from the central villages when the 10am crowds and ski schools begin striking for the lifts. It’s not a perfect system, ultimately the crowds catch up with you but it does get the day off to a good start and when the pistes get busier that’s when you want to head off piste and keep one step ahead of the crowd. La Plagne has a huge and absolutely beautiful range of off piste skiing areas for visitors to enjoy from beginner areas to proper gnarly backcountry riding and it’s something every skier should try especially on a week like this with fresh snow all the way down to 1250m and a snow depth up top of 175cm we’re in a good place on piste and off!

As always, safety first! If you’re wanting to head off piste ever there are a few basic rules you need to follow:- never go alone, always take someone who knows the area well. Never go without the appropriate equipment, at the very least a transceiver, probe, shovel, off piste insurance and mobile phone. Always tell someone where you’re going and when you plan to be back. And lastly check the conditions before you go, the general avalanche risk for La Plagne right now is 3/5 which is a moderate risk, avalanches are possible and can be triggered by light loads, take care with this warning and if it climbs any higher then you’ll be better off staying on piste.

If you’re new to off-pisting but want to give it a go then the best thing to do is book a powder lesson with one of the many ski schools in resort, that way you’ll start right with the correct technique and you can also put your faith in the fact that the instructors know the resort inside out and will take you to the best spots that are safe to ride each day. If you don’t want to pay out for a lesson but want to try it out then the best thing to do is to pick a spot where two pistes run parallel to each other with an expanse of un pisted snow in between. This way you can venture off piste just a little and if you struggle to stay on your feet or control yourself in the powder you can easily head back to the safety of a piste. One of the best spots for this ‘beginner powder’ is off the Arpette chairlift, several trails run close to each other here and the gradient is not too gnarly for beginners. Stick close to the piste until you’ve got the hang of it and remember that the sensation of riding powder is very different to that of pisted snow. Powder is light and fluffy underfoot and if you’re not careful your skis and board can tunnel underneath it until you get stuck. You need to lean back and pull up the nose of your board or skis until you’re up on top of the snow, riding over the surface of it with a floating sensation.

I seriously recommend getting into the powder now because there’s sadly no new snow on the forecast for the coming week and temperatures are set to climb up, leaving us with warm, spring like skiing but sadly powder that’s not going to stay fresh for long. Get out there this weekend and make the most of it!