For a week now we’ve had a weather system hanging over us, which has brought a far amount of snow with it. The heaviest was on Tuesday when it started to come down really nicely. The old saying though about it being to cold to snow is true in certain respects as the other days have seen very fine snow almost like crystallised dust. Not really what we would ideally like however snow none the less. If the temperature had been slightly warmer then we would have ended up with a lot more, dare I say we might even have had our first big dump of the season.

Please do not think that I’m complaining, conditions at the moment are excellent. The official snow depths given out by the lift company say we have 80cm on the lower slopes and 120cm on the upper slopes. On piste conditions are good although just watch out for the odd hard patch lurking underneath the surface. With temperatures being what they are at the moment this is only to be expected. Off piste has made a welcome return this week however many of the good areas are now all tracked out.

The run from the bottom of the Sportinia chair lift to Jouvenceaux opened today which means that at last I can ski home as opposed to taking the lift down, happy days! Those people that are staying in Jouvenceaux will need to set off from Sportinia down red 11 then take a left turn onto Gran Pista and follow that all the way to Jouvenceaux.

The week ahead looks like it’s going to be clear with the cold temperatures staying with us for at least another 7 days although I don’t think that it’ll be as cold as the week we’ve just had. There might be some wind about Monday and Tuesday but hopefully not too strong. More snow is forecast for the weekend of the 11th February.

By Sunday evening Sauze was well and truly engulfed in cloud and with the temperatures dropping the snow turned very fine. By this morning it had stopped although the clouds have been hanging around all day teasing us with little flurries every now and then.

The forecast does say more snow will fall tomorrow and Thursday so hopefully we’ll end up with an accumulated snowfall of around 100cm, which would be very nice indeed. The wind seems to be behaving it’s self this week, which is good to see. The beginning of next week could see strong winds returning although as this is a week away I’ll keep an eye on that and bring you an update nearer the time.

Despite the good snow on offer today I ended up doing very little skiing. My first fall of the season was fairly innocuous however my right leg twisted and I ended up limping back home for an early bath, typical!

What I did do was very pleasant. It did seem slightly busier today on the slopes but certainly there were no lift queues to speak of. With the temperature looking like it’s going to remain low over the next 10 days those out this week and next week should have good snow conditions.

Before returning for my early bath I did manage to take some photos from today which I’ve added below.

At the start of the week it was reading a chilly -5. This morning when I left it was reading +5 and just now at 16.20 local time it was saying +10. You should take off at least 3 degrees to get near the temperature at the top of the mountain.

So with the colder temperatures at the beginning of the week we had all the cannons firing adding more artificial snow to the mix. As you might expect when the temperature drops the snow gets harder and you start to hear the dreaded word ‘icy’ being banded about in conversation. I will concede and say that good edges would have helped but I still wouldn’t say it was icy.

Today with the higher temperature the snow was a little more forgiving. I skied with 2 guys, one of which was a first week skier the other had a couple more weeks under his belt. We went over to Sestriere in the morning and then headed back to Sauze d’Oulx in the afternoon. Both enjoyed the day and found the conditions to be very good. Not one mention of ice!

I’ve skied pretty much everywhere in the Via Lattea this week thanks to skiing with a group of people that ski fast and drink fast! I’m happy to say that the snow coverage is good despite the fact that we are still waiting for the fist big dump of the season. It’s true to say that the best snow I’ve found is in Montgenevre and Clavier but don’t worry if you coming out to Sauze next week, the skiing is still good.

For the last 10 days we’ve had clear blue skies which is great if you’re here on holiday and a few people have been going home with some nice healthy glows. This morning there were clouds beginning to gather in the direction of the Frejus tunnel and the 3 Valleys. These did eventually make it over to Sauze and for a while we had flat light, which is no good at all if you have your sunny lenses in! They didn’t look too threatening though and by the end of the day the sun had made a return.

There is a system coming in this weekend that may or may not bring snow with it. As always it’s fairly hard to get a general consensus from the different weather websites that I look at. The one that I trust the most is saying snow all day Saturday and then from Monday onwards cold temperatures. If you’re coming out next week bring your thermals.

I’ve added a couple of photos taken by the group I’ve been skiing with this week. Thanks Clive.

Those that have been here this week have experienced clear blue skies with great on piste conditions. The temperature has been high for the time of year making it feel like Spring has already sprung. Fear not though the snow is holding up well with great skiing to be had throughout the Milky Way.

Tuesday I skied in Sestriere with this years resident band “The Pistey Boys”. The snow was good and firm with very good coverage. The mens downhill was superb from top to bottom. Wednesday I skied from Sauze to Clavier. The intention was to ski all the way to France however the group I was with didn’t have the correct pass. Just a word of warning, you can only ski in Montgenevre on the 6 day pass. Anything less and you’ll need to buy an extension.

That didn’t spoil our fun though as the snow in Clavier and on the way over was great. The track back down from the top of Cesana is skiable although I’d recommend taking the lift down. I never like taking lifts down but if you value your skis it is advisable.

Next week the temperature is due to drop, which will mean that the cannons can start firing again. There is no natural stuff forecast until 21st January although as this is 8 days away it’s possible for this to change. Most forecasts that I’ve looked at do point to snow for the latter part of next week so we’ll just keep our fingers crossed.

Some resorts in Austria and France have seen huge amounts of snow with many resorts being cut off or closed. That isn’t any issue here and whilst we’d always like more snow I’m not panicking yet.

Below are pictures taken on Wednesday’s trip to Clavier.

All the links in the Via Lattea are open and the skiing is generally good. The snow above 1800mt is plentiful and in good shape. Below 1800mt the snow is good but there is more of a reliance on the snow cannons. This can and does affect the snow making it a little harder. Currently the Clotes slope is closed below half way although yesterday I did sneak around the fence and picked my way down to the bottom.

The last snowfall was Monday when we had about 10cm in the village and more up at the top of the mountain. The official snow depth is now 80cm on the lower slopes and 100cm on the upper slopes. What off piste was on offer has pretty much been tracked out by now.

The forecast has more snow forecast for Thursday night continuing into Friday and by all accounts it could be quite heavy. Here’s hoping.
   

Lets not get too excited, it’s not throwing it down but it is snowing. It’s forecast to continue through tonight and possibly in to tomorrow. It should have stopped by New Years Day but then more is on its way for Monday.

Again lets not get ahead ourselves. It’s not going to be the first substantial snow fall of the season that we’re all looking out for but as long as we keep getting little tops like this then at least that’s a start.

Along with the au natural stuff, the cannons were blasting it out last night in near perfect snow cannon conditions ie no wind. The wind has been a big factor so far this season with many of the earlier days seeing lift closures due to uncharacteristically high winds. Unfortunately today was not going to be any different.

All lifts above Sportinia were shut. The only runs open were the 2 that lead from Sportinia. One to the mid station of the Jouvenceaux lift and red 11 which takes you from Sportinia to the top of Clotes.

So not the best day on the mountain. Not too many photo opportunities either so I’ve added a film that I took last week. It’s the run from the top of Fraiteve back to the bottom of the bowl. Watch the video.

I hope you all have a great New Years Eve and a prosperous new year.

On to matters of the heart, snow! Since the last post we have seen a change in fortunes as far as the snow is concerned. Last week saw a lovely low pressure system come in over Sauze d’Oulx which provided us with a relatively decent snowfall. Still not officially the first big dump of the season but a mighty good effort none the less.

Friday 16^th December saw the heaviest snow which continued into Saturday and whilst it is hard to say for sure how many centimetres fell, on Friday alone in the village at least 20cm came down with more being reported up top.

We had a little break then until yesterday when I woke up to snow falling again, nice big flakes. Up the mountain was great, the sort of day when even on piste is off piste. It was the first day on the mountain for many people as the first holiday makers took to the slopes. Probably not the best day to start your skiing career but if you don’t mind a little snow in your face then all’s good. After all surely it’s only the Italians who are fair weather skiers?

One thing that is plaguing us at the moment is wind. In the afternoon yesterday they shut the chair lift up to the top of Fraiteve due to high wind, effectively cutting Sauze d’Oulx off from Sestriere and SanSicario. The wind continues to play havoc today.

Good news is that many of the lower slopes are getting all the attention required to get them open before the end of the week. If the wind does continue then at least these tree lined runs should provide sheltered skiing.

Last Thursday evening an old local boy was heard to say “the drains are smelling, snows on the way” Now I’m not one to mock when the locals come out with strange sayings like that, after all they live and breath the mountains but this did take me by surprise. Thinking about though a change in the atmospheric pressure would indeed have the effect of pushing the air from the drains. Sure enough within a few hours the snow had arrived. If you arrive and there’s a rather dubious odour, rejoice, snow could well be on the way.

Official snow depth: 80cm on the lower slopes and 100cm on the upper slopes.

On a positive note some Scandinavian resorts have reported some decent snow falls last week whilst in North America some west coast ski areas have had up to a metre of fresh in the last week.

Here in Sauze we have snow above 2000mts and we are still on course to open on the 7th December albeit with only a few lifts.

We have snow forecast for this weekend, which will certainly help the situation. These showers alone will not make too much of difference to the lower slopes although it should add a nice top layer higher up.

Cooling temperatures will allow the cannons to start firing so all is not lost. I have seen it worse than this before now only to be blessed with massive snow falls. All can change in 24 hrs so lets keep the faith.

As way of trying to explaining the delayed start to winter we could look back to August when we had a double full moon, commonly known as a blue moon. This phenomenon is rare hence the saying “once in a blue moon”

There is no doubting that the moon has a direct effect on the weather and many believe this occurrence is responsible for pushing the seasons back by a month.

I’m no expert but that explanation will do for me. We will get snow, it’s just making us wait.

The triplex lift that was seen to the left of the 2 man lift as you went up is being dismantled and moved across to become the successor of the 2 man lift. Not only will this double the potential capacity out of Sportinia it will also cut the journey time from an agonising 20 (ish) minutes to just under 10 minutes.

This is not the only change that’s happening to the lift system over the summer. The Pian della rocca lift, which is at the top of the Clotes lift, is being swung round to finish at the famous Chalet Mollino just above Sportinia which I am reliable informed will open as a restaurant next winter.

Now, my initial reaction was “why dont they simply put a new lift in Sportinia and leave the others as they are?”
This slips off the tongue rather easily when it’s not you having to sign the contract and pay for the works.
My main concern was that if you wanted to venture further afield to Sestriere or San Sicario then you have no option but to go through Sportinia. This however with the increased speed and capacity that the changes will bring shouldn’t really cause any issues.  Another reason why this makes sense is that the triplex lift finished on an exposed ridge which meant that it was often closed when the winds picked up. The drop off point at the top of Sportinia is slightly more sheltered and therefore wont be as susceptible to closing.

No runs will be lost with the changes and in fact some of my favourite runs around Sauze will now become quicker to access. There is now doubt that something had to done and I’m glad that things are finally happening. Roll on next winter!

Visibility was bad effecting what was open but by Wednesday the weather had changed and skiing the Milky Way was back on. The village was submerged beneath a bank of cloud but above 1750mt the sun was shining and the snow was deep!

Wednesday morning saw me waiting patiently at the bottom of the lift itching to claim first tracks. The on piste conditions were the best that I had experienced all season. The avalanche risk had gone up to 4, one below the highest level so picking where you decide to leave the piste was somewhat important.

The helicopter was out first thing dropping explosives into the high risk areas but despite watching and hoping to see something spectacular, nothing happened. Better safe than sorry though.

The official snow depths have the upper slopes at 160cm and the lower slopes at 80cm. All major links are open and whilst I pen this I’m happy to report that it’s snowing again. The forecast says that we’ll have snow today and tomorrow and then for it to return Monday. After that the week should be fairly sunny and cold, just what we want!

Just a word of warning though, it is carnival week in Italy next week so Monday and Tuesday could be rather busy. Hopefully it’ll quieten down from Wednesday onwards.