Off Piste Snow Report – N French Alps – 29th Nov – 5 Dec 2025. Early-Season Conditions & Key Safety Points

Beautiful skiing conditions mark the start of this year’s season, but there are some things to be aware of…..

We now have a good amount of snow after the recent snowfalls. At 2,000 m, there is around 50 cm settled, with well over a metre in most places above 3,000 m. 

While this brings a promising start to winter, it also creates classic early-season challenges — most notably a fragile snowpack structure in some place and very limited to no skier compaction at all on many slopes.

Avalanche Danger: Not Widespread, But Serious Where It Exists

The overall avalanche situation is not showing widespread instability, but there have been several very large avalanches triggered in isolated cases. Enough of these big avalanches have been reported that the danger level across most of the Northern French Alps and surrounding areas has been maintained at Level 3 (Considerable).

One of these avalanches was triggered by skiers in the off-piste area near the Daunscharte pass on the Stubai Glacier, Austrian Tyrol, on 27 Nov 2025. Eight skiers were involved but no fatalities; three were flown to hospital. The slide triggered a major response with helicopters, avalanche dogs and alpine rescue teams, and came during a period of wind-affected new snow.

The main concern is a persistent weak layer on north-ish facing slopes above 2,000 m. 

Early-season conditions add to the challenge:

• Little or no skier compaction so far

• Ski areas only recently opened — many classics remain untouched 

• Early-season snowpack is notoriously fragile and unpredictable

A Crucial Reminder: Tracks Do NOT Indicate Safety

A recurring theme in avalanche accidents worldwide is that the slope already had tracks on it — or similar nearby slopes did in most cases.

This often misleads people into thinking the slope is stable.

But tracks do not tell you anything reliable about stability

Do not base your decisions on tracks or other quick visual cues.

Use our HAT “Safety Is Freedom Framework”

Instead of relying on gut feeling or simple visual observations, use the key points in the HAT Framework. These are the nine essential behaviours that were not applied by most avalanche victims — and following them can significantly reduce your risk.

You can also see these key points in the HAT Prevention Pocket Guide shown in the video. These tools are designed to complement avalanche training and remind you of what actually keeps you acceptably safe.

You can find the Framework, Pocket Guide and the full blog at: HenrysAvalancheTalk.com https://henrysavalanchetalk.com/product/hat-safety-pack/ and see the pocket guide on video https://youtu.be/xPcz5W2-Rcw 

Weather forecast : Sat 29th Nov to Wed 3rd Dec

SATURDAY 29th November: Overnight cloud cover will clear rapidly. The rest of the day will be generally fine and bright, with only a few isolated grey spells possible over northern Isère; Minimum temperatures: 0 to +4°C; Maximum temperatures: +8 to +12°C; Freezing level: Around 2,300 m; Wind: Still very light

SUNDAY 30th November: Slightly unsettled. Starting cloudy, but precipitation will extend to all areas by midday and into the afternoon. The rain/snow limit will lower from 1300 m to around 1100 m altitude. Expected snowfall: Foothills: 5–10 cm above 1800 m; locally 10–15 cm in Vercors and Chartreuse. Internal massifs: 1–3 cm around 1400 m; 3–5 cm above 1900 m. Minimum temperatures: –1 to +1°. Maximum temperatures: +7 to +10°C. Freezing level: Lowering from ~1900 m to ~1500 m. Wind: Very light westerly

MONDAY 1st December:  Low-level cloud, lifting as the day goes on.

TUESDAY 2nd & WEDNESDAY 3rd December: TUESDAY: Bright and sunny in the morning, followed by increasing cloud cover spreading in from the west during the afternoon. WEDNESDAY: Likely more unsettled, with light snowfall possible over the mountains.

REST OF THE WEEK: Often unsettled overall.

Tip of the Week:

How I’m Managing My Skiing Right Now

Given this setup, I’m starting my skiing on slopes of less than 30°, outside avalanche terrain. When I do move into steeper ground (30° and above), I’ll be doing so in segments rather than skiing wide-open slopes.

Large, open bowls are exactly where many of the recent massive avalanches have occurred.

So instead, I’ll be choosing short, isolated sections of steep terrain — 50 to 100 metres — skiing one at a time and then moving on to the next safe spot. I’ll be very careful to avoid Terrain Traps below me.

And if I have any doubts, I’ll stick to lower slope angles out of avalanche terrain, the “low hanging fruit”. There is plenty of nice snow around – nothing worth getting injured or killed for. This is the kind of approach early-season conditions require, especially with persistent weak layers and no skier compaction yet in place.

Final Thoughts

These are excellent early-season skiing conditions — but they come with hazards that require disciplined decision-making. Keep terrain choices conservative, avoid big open slopes, don’t rely on tracks, and use the HAT Framework to remind you of the key safety points to apply.

Stay informed, stay aware, and enjoy yourself.

Safety is Freedom!