Snow – 3V Summary, Outlook and What’s Still Closed

Saulire bowl yesterday from Nick Ski

[Update 12:00 on 24 Dec]
Chanrossa lift now open for access to 1650 side (Chanrossa & Jean Pachod pistes not open yet). Signal lift in 1650 is also open and Mont Vallon gondola open with skiing on the Campagnol piste.

[Update 10:00 on 23 Dec]
Today’s lift and piste count stands at 163 open pistes and 114 open lifts across The 3 Valleys and at last it’s easier to say what is still closed than open. Considering the low snow depths some incredible work has been done by the lift companies plus instructors, local ski clubs and community volunteers in getting us this far.

High up there’s still decent skiing available although becoming hard packed in exposed and high traffic areas. Above Les Menuires and the top half of Saulire (including Creux Noirs) are good picks. In Val Thorens they’ve now got 31 out of 32 lifts running (only the new Plan de L’Eau at the bottom of their ski area is closed) but we do hear it’s extremely busy over there this week with some restrictions on lift pass day ticket purchases in place. The 3 Valleys has suspended reciprocal lift pass arrangements with other ski areas and ski clubs to focus on locally paying customers.

3 Valleys Lift and Piste Status 11:30 on Tue 23 December 2014 – A lot more green showing now! Full Size Image Here

The only 3 Valleys links that remain closed are the Meribel to St Martin ones of Roc de Fer and Cherferie (although the Cherferie drag is open) plus the Tougnete link to Les Menuires, however the other links to Les Menuires and Val Thorens are all open. The new Loze Express chair from Meribel is now open connecting over to Courchevel above La Tania.

In the Courchevel Valley the 2 new lifts of Foret (for access only) and Aiguille du Fruit to link in 1650 are both now running. The Chanrossa lift remains closed but access up the other side to Roc Merlet is available. Signal and Chapelets remain closed in 1650 with access to skiing via Ariondaz and the Gravelles piste with return from 1850 possible via Roc Mugnier.

Up and downloading remains in place for Courchevel 1550, Le Praz, Meribel Village and the Saulire side of Mottaret. In the Meribel Valley most main lifts are open but the Mont Vallon and Roc de Fer areas are closed.

The beginners area below the Altiport in 1850 is open and Biollay lift and piste finally opened up on Monday.

The La Tania Tourist Office offered free breakfast on Sunday morning at the Dou Des Lanches chairlift – good work! Up and downloading remains in place on the La Tania Gondola (6.5 minutes) and access to the Loze piste via Lanches chair. The Bouc Blanc Chair is running from today (23/12) after S3V put a lot of work in getting the top section of Folyeres down to there completed – so no need for the poll-ing / skating across the top of the Loze Est Piste now!

Top of Folyeres down to the Bouc Blanc chair this afternoon – Thanks to Nick Ski

Hopefully Folyeres will be completed at the weekend when new snow and colder weather for snow cannons is forecast so skiing down to La Tania will be available for New Year Week.

Weather / Snow Outlook

Each line is a separate forecasting model. Top lines are temperature and bottom precipitation. Red is the 30 year average temp.

With regular false dawns of snow forecast before Christmas week as weather fronts melted before out eyes before reaching The Alps, it is looking increasingly likely that significant snow will arrive from Saturday night, through Sunday and in to early Monday morning. Still a bit far out for certainty, but GFS forecasting models are in broad agreement now and definitely forecasting colder weather so at least the snow cannons and Pisteurs can build that Folyeres resort run.

More Sun today and tomorrow but looking like a cloudy day on Christmas Day with the odd snow flurry to count as a White Christmas but nothing significant unless the front holds up more than predicted.

Still plenty going on in La Tania – See the Tourist Office Guide and What’s On at Pub Le Ski Lodge & La Taiga. Don’t miss Santa in La Tania (he’s probably in The Ski Lodge around midnight on Christmas Eve too).

So the days are already getting longer – if you haven’t booked that ski holiday for this Winter don’t mess around as the fantastic New Year and January offers won’t be there long now this snow is due…

Merry Christmas Everyone,
Toffa – latania.co.uk