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The lifts are open & winter 16/17 is officially under way!

Plenty of skiing to be had with the help of snow canons

featured in Snow report Author Anita Gait, La Plagne Reporter Updated

Due to the unfortunate circumstances of having a full time job and responsibilities, I was unable for the first time in several years, to get out on the mountain for the first day of lifts. Usually I stand fully geared up, lift pass in hand at the barriers of the Becoin chair and await the very first lift of the season, but sadly not this year.

I sat and watched through the window seething with jealousy as those lucky souls rode the first chairs of the winter and got first tracks down the untouched mountain. Saturday and Sunday were both beautiful blue sky days full of empty pistes, private gondolas and not a lift queue in sight. My jealousy got worse as I taunted myself with ideas that the quiet weekend would come to an end with screaming hordes of crowds arriving, taking over the mountain, scraping away the snow and choking up the pistes.

Imagine my surprise then when I headed out for first lifts this morning to find that the weekdays haven’t brought crowds but if anything the mountain is even quieter than it was at the weekend. It seems that the less than ideal amount of snow we’ve received is keeping many would be skiers away and we’re in for a beautifully quite first week of the season. It’s not ideal for the on-mountain businesses I do admit, but it’s hard to worry about that when you can cruise an entire blue run from Plagne centre to Bellecote without seeing more than three other people.

snow canons in la plagne

In terms of snow coverage, we’ve not had a large dump of snow since early November but the resort is doing what they can, which involves pumping out an epic amount of artificial snow from the cannons dotted strategically around resort. Luckily although the snow hasn’t come down the temperatures have, meaning that the cannons have been in use not just overnight but through the days as well, building up mounds of snow which have then been trucked and bashed away to needy areas of the pistes. This effort coupled with the low ski traffic means that the coverage on piste is not bad at all. Off piste is somewhat non-existent and the lower villages and South facing Champagny are looking somewhat green and spring like but if you stick to the pistes in the open areas there is plenty of excellent skiing to be had.

la plagne in winter

In keeping with previous seasons, only a certain amount of the resort is open this week and its mainly the central areas and the connecting runs, It’s all about the blue runs with 21/70 blue runs open, only 2 red ones and if you’ve got an urge to get on a black run you’re going to have to get yourself to center and find the only open black in resort: Rochette. Take it easy though, the season’s young!

With no snow on the 7 day forecast and blue skies stretching away in to the future, the pistes are going to get icier as the week progresses, so get your gear serviced, make sure you’ve got some good edges on your skis and snowboards and make sure you’re wearing helmets, bum pads, wrist guards and anything else that will make any falls softer. I had an excellent first day of the season and enjoyed myself immensely but I did fall over and I am certainly going to be rocking some bruises tomorrow, so pad up people!

Here’s to a wicked winter season, winter 16/17 here we go!

Location

Map of the surrounding area