It was ‘team Norway’ enjoying our off piste & touring day at Les Houches today with great snow cover and decent snow quality. A few cms of fresh snow had fallen overnight and most of the side country was well tracked. However, with skins, a map and some creative route finding, we did 3 enjoyable micro ski tours out of the boundaries of the resort and skied some pristine velvet snow.
Steep skiing on the St Gervais side of the Les Houches resort. Great snow volume and quality, 20th Jan 2018
Where the snow had not been well tracked by skiers it was excellent down to about 1400m, even on sunny aspects and with great cover above this in the meadows and forests around the resort.
Ski Touring On The Prarion, Les Houches, Chamonix Valley
There is now a black grouse restricted area (that means no skiers – black grouse are allowed!) on the East face of the Prarion and this area has been roped off to prevent skiers entering this nesting area.
Black Grouse restricted area on the East Face of the Prarion, Les Houches
From 1400 the snow started and by 1700 there was 15cms of snow in the car park at Prarion. With heavy snow forecast for much of Saturday night, Sunday and Monday, the snow volume is increasing substantially again on top of an already extensive snow pack, but so is the avalanche risk. Some chalets in the upper Chamonix Valley were even being evacuated this evening in anticipation of some more big spontaneous avalanches reaching the valley floor in the next 48 hours or so.
Bon weekend, bon ski, soyez prudent!
