Off Piste Snow Report : 11th to 16th December, and HAT Pocket Guides
Off-piste snow report for the Northern French Alps and surrounding areas.
Temperatures are running well above seasonal norms, and that pattern looks set to continue for roughly another week. Expect mostly blue skies, with only occasional breaks- possibly bringing a little precipitation.
Snow depths are good for the time of year, particularly above 2500 m.
Click on the video below for more!
Overall, the snowpack is generally very stable, with one important exception: steep, north-ish facing slopes above about 2,500 meters.
These higher, shaded aspects still hold a persistent weak layer in the snowpack.
Coincidentally, these areas are also where you’re likely to find the best snow and the best off-skiing is to be found, so it’s exactly where you need to be most disciplined.
That doesn’t mean you’ll trigger an avalanche every time you ski on one of these slopes, but it does mean there’s a real chance you could, and the consequences can be severe.
The black part of the “clover” icon on Météo France’s avalanche forecast highlights the problem very well : it represents places of potential instability on north’ish facing slopes above approx 2500 m
Because of this, it’s essential to apply the key accident-reduction points from our “Safety is Freedom” framework – principles drawn from more than a decade of recurring avalanche accident patterns where people often failed to use what they were taught.
The other critical part of reducing risk is having a solid rescue system. If something goes wrong, you and your partners need to be able to dig someone out (or be dug out) from under the snow in 15 minutes or less.
Used together, consistent application of these key points plus an effective rescue setup can make off-piste travel and ski touring acceptably safe.
The HAT Safety Pack is designed to complement basic avalanche training.
It’s available via our website shop, along with blog posts and regular updates explaining the method.
There are also free explanatory pocket-guide videos on our YouTube channel, to both the Framework and the Rescue guide.
Weather forecast : 11th December and into next week.
This 10 day forecast from Meteo Blue says it all really. This is for Val d’Isère, but it’s a similar pattern all over the N French Alps and surrounding areas.
Enjoy the beautiful sunshine and lovely off-piste skiing. Stay safe!
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