Meribel Snow Report: 2nd February 2012

Brrrrrrrhhhhh, it’s chilly! I’m aware it’s stating the bleeding obvious to mention the cold in a ski resort, but it really is arctic this week. Today’s mildest summit temperature was minus 15C and tonight minus 24C is forecast. Not good weather for brass monkeys.

There is usually one really cold snap in the mountains each winter, often in January or early February. Providing you are well prepared, these periods can be a great time to ski as very cold weather is often combined with brilliant sunshine and great snow. To make skiing in the cold more bearable, here are my top tips for keeping warm in “le grand froid”.

1) Eat lots; stay hydrated.

2) Wear mitten rather than gloves. Use inner gloves, preferably made from merino wool which is warmer than silk.

3) Wear good base layers. I’m addicted to merino wool which doesn’t itch and never seems to need washing. Icebreaker and Smart Wool are two makes to look out for. Merino is shockingly expensive but worth it because it’s wonderfully warm and lasts for years and years.

4) Always wear a hat or helmet – the boring cliché about losing heat through your head is true.

5) Cold feet often result from too-tight boots reducing circulation. Buy or rent boots which don’t constrict your feet, and if you have poor circulation, consider getting electric boot warmers.

6) Take bubble lifts rather than chairlifts. Fast, high chairlifts to avoid in cold weather include: Cote Brune early in the morning; Suisse and Dou des Lanches in the late afternoon; St Martin 2 at any time of day. All of these will sap your will to live quite quickly.

7) Make frequent stops for hot drinks, especially if you are skiing with children who lose heat faster than adults.

8) Don’t even think of going to Val Thorens on cold days: this high and exposed valley is the coldest in the 3 Valleys. Try to stay low instead, where the air temperature is slightly higher.

9) Check your companions’ noses and cheeks regularly for the first signs of frostnip and ask them to do the same for you. The danger sign is skin which has turned yellow, white or red. If this happens, go indoors immediately and allow the skin to warm up without rubbing it.

10) If you must take a chairlift, sit next to someone you fancy so you have a good excuse to snuggle up to them. This won’t make you any warmer, but it will take your mind off the cold.

Today I skied down the Villages run to les Allues, the lowest skiing point in the Méribel valley at 1100m. This pretty run was closed the last two winters, so it was fun to become reacquainted with it. The Villages run is distinctly rustic in flavour, winding through woods, past beehives and abandoned shepherds’ huts, along the back of hamlets and over streams. It can get rather rutted and icy in places and there are some flat parts where you have to pole, but it is fun and feels like a mini-adventure. You eventually arrive in Les Allues, where there are various good restaurants for lunch, and you can take either the Olympe gondola or the free bus back up to Méribel. It’s a good run to take in bad weather or in spring when you fancy a quiet picnic away from the crowds. Although it is rated as a red, it must be the flattest and easiest red run in the world.

You can start this run from the Roc de Fer chairlift, or from the much higher Olympic chairlift which gives you a long (1200m) vertical drop. I prefer the latter as it offers you spectacular views over two valleys from the summit. From the top, take either the black Face run or the easier blue Grand Duc then turn left just after the bottom of the Olympic chairlift. Don’t worry that the route is signposted to Raffort only: take this Raffort run and fork left where signposted to Les Allues.

Fresh snow fell a couple of days ago and the pistes are in fantastic condition. The amount of snow that has accumulated already this season is quite extraordinary. According to the 3 Vallées Association, a mind-boggling 5m of snow has fallen in the past 5 weeks in Val Thorens. If you haven’t already seen them, do take a look at the photos on this association's website, taken after our big snow storm in January.

There is only one more week of low season before the French holidays begin. If you fancy a last-minute holiday on quiet pistes in great snow, next week would be a good one to choose. Just remember to bring plenty of warm clothing with you: the forecast is for sunny but even colder weather on Sunday and Monday.