La Plagne Snow Report: 16th April 2013

It is stunning outside. Absolutely breathtakingly. I can’t believe I get to live here - it's just stunning. We haven’t seen a cloud in days and the temperatures are hot with a side of tropical.

The pistes are still deserted and you can do run after run without seeing a soul. Chairlifts are only populated every third chair and Plagne Centre is empty to the point of eerie. I looked out today at 10am, peak time and there was a lifty on skis being pulled along by his dog (awesome) and no more than fifteen other people in view. This is the time to be out here, when all the crowds are gone and you would be forgiven for feeling like the mountain is there for you alone to enjoy. Take a break from the pistes to chill in a deck chair and soak up the sun with a frosty beer and the best view in the world and then tell me you don’t love La Plagne. I love it that’s for sure, and I especially love spring skiing.

All this blissfulness comes at a price though I’m afraid to say it would appear that off piste time is officially over. Oxygene ski school went out of their way today to come and find us with a warning about the dangers of off pisting right now. It went completely above and beyond their job description but they put the warning out any way and asked us to pass the word along to others. Basically with the enormous snowfalls that we've experienced right up until last week, combined with high winds at altitude and the massive increase in temperatures means it's avalanche time and it's just not worth the risk of heading even just slightly off piste.

There are visible avalanches and slides around on all sides of the mountain and certain lifts are closed accordingly. We were warned that there are many lips and overhangs around that are hanging on by a thread and would need only the slightest pressure to slip entirely, and we don’t want it taking you with it. For once I’m not telling you to take the right safety gear if you go, I am telling you not to go at all, especially not with someone who swears they know what they are doing because anyone who does know wouldn’t be taking the risk.

Lecture over, now let's talk about what you can do; first lifts are back on the agenda again, the snow is not icing over completely at night any more so in the morning the runs are not only groomed to perfection but soft as well. There are not enough people around to worry about peak times or busy runs or areas getting cut up and mogulled. You can ski all day long without fear of a mogul unless you go hunting them down.

Obviously the balmy temperatures are taking their toll on the snow and it is slushing up fast, which will slow you right down but doesn’t have to be a problem. Slush (sometimes known as poor girls powder) is as soft as anything so other than getting wet, falling is no longer an issue. Take the opportunity to ride switch or practice those tricks, get creative and find a way to enjoy it because if you’re heading out with a need for speed you’re not going to have a good day - and boarders take it from me, avoid the long flats! Even with a freshly waxed board I was un-strapping and skating like a beginner along runs I normally would cruise without a second thought, keep it steep!!

This beautiful weather isn’t going anywhere until the weekend, we are looking at blue skies and sunshine and a freezing level of 3,500m for several days until it plans to drop dramatically over Friday and Saturday. So make the most of it now, get the sun screen out, hit first lifts, find your favourite deckchair and work on your goggle tan, but whatever else you do, please, stay on piste.

Ride on.