16 / 02 / 2011

Twice in one day.

I know we’re in for a good day if I get woken up by the sound of the snow ploughs clearing the car park beneath my balcony. They didn’t fail me this morning. 8am they finally won the battle and I opened my eyes, pulled back the curtains and smiled.

The snow started Monday and it continued all through Tuesday and in to today. As I write this it’s still coming down with it predicted to continue for the rest of today and possibly a little bit first thing tomorrow. By Thursday afternoon we should see the clouds start to lift and as we head towards the weekend the sun will begin to return.

We’ve had a blessed season so far as it always seems to snow just as we’re starting to think we might need some. There is sometimes a downside to snow and that’s poor visibility. The links over to Sestriere and SanSicario have been closed for the last 2 days so skiing has been restricted to Sauze.

This has lead to some slight overcrowding on some of the runs as everyone is forced to stay local. The slopes though are fantastic. I would estimate that so far we’ve had 20-25cm of snow which brings back into play the off piste.

There is currently an avalanche risk of 3, they have a 1-5 numbering system where 5 is the highest risk. When the links open up again, hopefully tomorrow, people should be careful where they go and only venture off the beaten track with the correct equipment.

The tree lined runs around Sauze offer an opportunity for people to dart off piste through the trees where the risk of avalanche is reduced. I spent most of this morning alternating between piste and off piste resulting in that nice warm feeling of satisfaction.

In summary, excellent on piste conditions, fun to be had off piste and I miss my girlfriend.

Ooo the snow ploughs have just returned to the car park. Now that’s a good sign when they pay two visits in one day!

Sauze d'Oulx Red11