Amazing conditions on Meribel's pistes : 10th January 2012

You’ll have to forgive me if today’s report is full of hyperbole. The snow is simply wonderful at the moment and it’s hard not to gush about it.

As you may know, there was a huge snowstorm at the end of last week and it took a few days before the lift company was able to reopen all the lifts and pistes. Today all the lifts in the valley were finally running and skiing conditions were near perfect.

The snow depths are excellent: 220cm on the summits and 120cm at the bottom of the runs. This is pretty amazing compared with the past couple of seasons: this time last year the depths were 113cm/60cm and the previous year they were only 80cm/40cm. Even if it doesn’t snow again, there is now enough snow to last until the end of the season.

More important than the quantity, the quality of the pistes is wonderful. Today we skied in all three valleys (above St Martin, on both sides of the Méribel valley and in Courchevel 1850) and found beautiful snow everywhere. There was not a stone, not an icy patch, not a badly-groomed slope anywhere. Even better, it is now low season so the pistes are quiet and there are no lifts queues.

Méribel is spectacularly beautiful at the moment, resembling a painting in a fairy-tale. Snow is clinging to the trees, there are deep walls of snow along the roads, icicles are glinting and everything is pristine white and beautiful.

Best of all, the forecast is for perfect sunny weather and relatively mild temperatures for the whole week ahead. You can understand why we’re pretty happy here in Méribel.

The only slight flaw in our snowy paradise is the off-piste. The gales that accompanied last week’s snowfalls have left us with wind-blown, compacted snow in many places and a considerable avalanche risk. The best snow off-piste that I’ve found has been the skied-out areas next to the pistes. Tomorrow I ski off-piste with a mountain guide in the hope of finding some softer snow further afield and I will report back on what we find.

Today at the top of the Tougnete chairlift we happened on the entertaining spectacle of the local avalanche dogs in action. Each year all the avalanche dogs and their handlers are tested on their ability to find a buried victim. Volunteers are hidden in special-constructed snow holes and the dogs take it in turns to find them. The dogs were reassuringly keen on their work, eagerly rushing around trying to pick up the scent, barking excitedly when they find their ‘victim’. Let’s hope they never have to search for real this season.

Finally, do watch out for a new menace on the slopes this winter: photo-muggers (or should that be “phuggers”?) At the top of almost every chairlift lurks a pack of charming young men, wheedling and pestering to take your photographs. There are more of them than in previous years and they now also follow you on the pistes and even off-piste, snapping away as you ski. If you give in and let them lead you to their favourite photo spot, you will probably end up with some great (if pricey) shots. Top tip: take advantage of their expertise and local knowledge. Watch where these professionals choose to photograph their client, then take your own pictures in the same spot. 

• Latest Conditions
  Excellent
• Depth of snow on lower slopes
  120cm
• Altitude of last snowfall
  2700m
• Date of last snowfall
  6 January 2012
• Depth of last snowfall
  80cm
• Total number of pistes
  85
• Highest temperature
  2C
• Altitude of lower slopes
  1450m
• Depth of snow on upper slopes
  220cm
• Avalanche risk
  3
• Number of pistes open
  81
• Altitude of upper slopes
  2700m
• Altitude of highest temperature
  1450m

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