Heli-skiing in sunshine : 17th January 2012

Heli-skiing is banned in France, right?

Well, actually, that’s not entirely correct. Being dropped off at the top of a mountain to ski has been illegal since 1985 but it is still permissible to be picked up below 1400m by a helicopter and dropped at a designated airport. This loophole allows skiers to make off-piste descents from the top of the lift system and be collected by helicopter. This ‘reverse’ heli-skiing is what I’ve been doing today. (I know, snow reporting is a tough job.)

The day begins at a civilised 9.30am at la Chaudanne. Our instructor for the day, Ed Wooley, Director of Parallel Lines ski school, takes us for a gentle off-piste run from the top of Tougnète to get our ski legs working. It has been ten days since the last snowfall and conditions off-piste are mixed. It is “interesting snow”, according to Ed, and we encounter everything from powdery snow to crust with some wind-blown, hard-pack and spring snow for good measure. The conditions change constantly, often from one turn to the next, so you have to concentrate or risk an embarrassing face-plant. From what little we saw of the pistes, I can say that conditions are still good. A few hard patches are developing on some runs, but snow cannons have been adding layers of soft new snow on top.

Having demonstrated to Ed that we are sufficiently competent to be taken further off –piste, he takes us on a long descent to Bettex*, a tiny village below Les Menuires. The snow may not be perfect powder, but the sun is shining, the sky is brilliant blue and it is gorgeous to be away from it all and spending the day in the peaceful backcountry.

From the top of La Masse, we leave the pistes behind us and start our main descent into a vast and seemingly-deserted valley. This off-piste run to La Planchette is rarely skied because the only way out is to take a taxi to Orelle – or book a helicopter. The snow conditions are mixed, but Ed manages to find us some gorgeous powder pitches and by the time we reach the bottom we are all grinning like Cheshire cats. We haven’t seen another soul during the entire 1500m descent and the peace is absolute apart from our laughter and whoops.

Lunch is in a remote refuge, run by a friendly couple who carry up the food on their backs from the nearest road, a 40-minute hike away. We eat outside in the blazing sunshine, tired but elated from our long ski, happy in the knowledge that we can relax and enjoy a second bottle of wine as there is no more skiing to be done.

At the appointed hour, a whump-whump sound can be heard approaching and we say our hurried goodbyes and scramble to the helicopter which is landing in a nearby field. As soon as the skis are stowed and we are safely strapped in, the helicopter rises like an express lift and we are soaring back over la Masse towards Meribel.

It’s hard to top a day skiing off-piste in brilliant sunshine: returning to Méribel in your own private helicopter is probably the only way to do it. I know that this is the least ecologically-friendly sport in the world and quite impossible to justify – but it is wildly exciting and brilliant fun.

We land at Méribel’s Altiport, feeling like royalty. We end our perfect day at the Rond Point where we enjoy a few beers and make our friends jealous with our tales.

It has been claimed that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day in the entire year. If you’ve been been feeling down on ‘blue Monday’, I suggest you contact Ed Wooley as soon as possible, because he has discovered the perfect cure.

*I should state that the Bettex chairlift is an ancient two-seater. I was very rude about old, slow lifts in la Plagne in my last report, forgetting that there are a few of these dinosaurs left in our own ski area too.

• Latest Conditions
  Generally good but harder patches developing
• Depth of snow on lower slopes
  115cm
• Altitude of last snowfall
  1450m
• Date of last snowfall
  6th January 2012
• Depth of last snowfall
  80cm
• Total number of pistes
  85
• Depth of snow on upper slopes
  205cm
• Altitude of lower slopes
  1450m
• Highest temperature
  -1C
• Avalanche risk
  1
• Altitude of upper slopes
  2850m
• Altitude of highest temperature
  1450m
• Number of pistes open
  83

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