The Alpedhueznet.Com Alpe d'Huez Snow Report

Looking back up the Grand Sablat

The snowstorm promised by last week's forecast lasted for 40 hours. In that time, over 30cm fell in resort and a good 90cm at the top of the mountain. The promise of clear blue skies and a foot or two of powder provided too much temptation to remain on the pistes so we hired a guide from the Bureau des Guides and set out for a day off-piste.

Before I go any further, skiing outside the marked pistes carries considerable risk. It should not be attempted without a fully qualified guide, the proper equipment (transceiver, probe and shovel) and a reasonable level of expertise. Today's snow report is a summary of the route and conditions on the Grand Sablat and the Col de Rivé.

From the top of Pic Blanc we traversed into the top bowl of the route known as the Grand Sablat and set off towards Haut Clavans. There are a couple of traverses on the route but for most of the way you're riding through wide bowls and rolling terrain. The top of the descent is the steepest and once you near the village of Clavans you're riding through meadows and along a track that's a road in summer.

The conditions along the whole route were epic. Another member of the group has been living here for ten years and said that today's snow was the best he'd ever seen on this particular route. The powder was light and fluffy, with the fresh snow at least a metre deep. As the morning progressed, and on the sunnier faces, the snow was a little heavier, but in no way slushy or hard. Imagine the difference between icing sugar (light powder) and caster sugar mixed with a little water (the heavier powder). The base was solid below the snow and felt secure, despite concerns that the first few hours of the recent snowstorm produced spherical snowflakes which don't usually bond well with the existing base.

We were some of the first to make the descent today and had fresh tracks nearly all the way. After weeks on piste it was amazing to feel the reaction of the powder as it pushed you upwards each time you pressed down. The gentle creaking and groaning of the soft snow under-ski was only occasionally interrupted by bare patches caused by other skiers and snowboarders. Even then, the only sound was a light skidding as the skis hit the thinner snow.

If you've never been off-piste it's hard to describe the exhilaration. You need to adapt your skiing to the deeper snow, bringing your legs closer together and making more up and down movements with your body. You'll find that your weight is automatically tipped back by the snow but you need to maintain weight over the soles of your feet in order to control you turns. Once you've got the hang of the different sensations – powder is much more responsive than piste underfoot – you can start to enjoy the views.

One of the reasons experienced skiers and snowboarders rave about off-piste is that the more advanced routes take you away from the crowds, to parts of the mountain most people never see. The Grand Sablat is one of these routes. After passing under the piste barriers at the top of the Pic Blanc lift, you slip into a silent, ancient landscape, free of lifts, buildings and piste-bashers. Suddenly you become aware of just how small and insignificant you are, faced with Mother Nature at her most beautiful and most imposing. The mountains command respect and slight nervousness is a far better attitude than over-confidence. Throughout the route you have your back to Alpe d'Huez and can only catch a glimpse of the pistes of Les Deux Alpes across the valley. The views are dominated by the three peaks of the Aiguilles d'Arves and the jagged Meije.

At the end of the descent we took a helicopter transfer back to Alpe d'Huez, which was organised by Steph, our guide. We then took the three Marmottes lifts back up Pice Blanc and took the Col de Rivé route which hugs the ridge to the skier's right of the Sarenne. We finished by joining the piste at the base and lunching at La Combe Haute, next to the Chalvet chairlift. The food here is simple but tasty and the service excellent. We arrived just as the sun peaked over the Signal de l'Homme and spent an hour on the terrace reliving the morning... easily the best so far this season!

Vickie will be reporting on the snow conditions in Alpe d'Huez on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, throughout the season.


Check out what to do around town once the lifts have closed with our Apres Ski Report - a weekly round up of what's hot and where to party in Alpe d'Huez!

[1] Generally described in more detail in the resort avalanche bullettin (e.g. altitude, aspect, type of terrain etc.)
[2] Additional load:

• High: e.g. group of skiers, piste machine, avalanche blasting
• Low: e.g. skier, walker
• Steep slopes: Slopes with an incline of more than about 30°
• Steep extreme slopes: Particularly unfavourable in terms of the incline, terrain profile, proximity to ridge, smoothness of underlying ground surface.

This is an indication of status at time of writing. Please check latest situation at the lift stations before setting out.