English Weather, News, and Events - April 06, 2025

Weather:

Another glorious day of sunshine, warm temperatures and light winds on the way to Val d'Isere today.
Temperatures are set to reach a serious high of 10 degrees in town and a light wind will prevail from the northwest.
At 09:00 temperatures were sitting at -1 degree on Bellevarde, 3 degrees in Town, and  -2 degrees on the Pisaillas glacier.
Best not forget your sunnies and suncream as the UV index is 6, and panda style sunburns are debatable.

Ski Report:

Le Fornet: 

Piste Tunnel closed. Pistes Petit Bois, Signal and Foret not groomed. 

Pissaillas: All open and groomed. 

Solaise: 3000 closed. Cugnai, the S and Marmottons not bashed. 

Bellevarde: All open except bottom of Epaule du Charvet. Borsat and Village Perdu not bashed. 

Walking trails mostly open, these are closed: Joseray, Chemin Ferme, Laisinant, Fornet, Daille, and Les Sources. 

Touring: Brinzei closed due to lack of snow. Ecuriel open, experts only!

Avalanche Risk: 2/5... which I have realised is 40%! Dont forget your transiever, shovel and probe. Your airbag is a good idea if you've got one. But most importantly as I always say, dont forget your knowledge, pack your experience and your friends, and consider hiring a guide if your knowledge is sporadic!

Roads:

This morning, the road surfaces were clear.

News:

Jean-Charles Boraso was an Avalin and a child of the region. His mother, Mathilde Jaccod, was born in Le Fornet, and his father, Pierro Boraso, had roots in Rhêmes-Notre-Dame in the Aosta Valley. Pierro came to Val d'Isère to work on the Tignes dam. Jean-Charles Boraso was the youngest of four siblings, with three sisters. He met his wife Cathy at the Bourg-Saint-Maurice secondary school. They fell madly in love and were inseparable from then on. The couple later had two sons: Quentin and Alban.

Life Path
A pure-blooded Avalin, Jean-Charles Boraso always lived in Val d'Isère. He did his schooling in the village and in Bourg-Saint-Maurice before joining the army, where he became a supervisor at the Air Force Military Centre (CMA). A natural competitor, he was part of the Alpine skiing section of the local sports club. He also passed his auxiliary exams at ENSA in Chamonix. Before Boraso Sports was located on Place des Dolomites, his parents ran a ski equipment workshop and shop behind the Hôtel Oreiller in 1974.
In the 1980s, Jean-Charles began working with his father renting out skis near the Iseran, at the foot of the glacier by the Cascade chairlift. After taking over from his parents, he became a true ski technician, always up-to-date with the latest gear. He was even the first to test the Mojo ski. His children also worked with him in the shop. Additionally, he served as a municipal councilor under Marc Bauer’s term from 2014 to 2020.
Outside of work, Jean-Charles was deeply involved in village life and local associations. Like his father, he was part of the Sports and Mountain Fishing Group and had loved fishing from a young age, especially with his father at Lac de l’Ouillette. He never missed a fishing contest or the lake festivities. As a member of the Val d’Isère Traders’ Union, he also attended every Avaline Fair and was present at each opening. Finally, with his lifelong friends and companions, he took part every year in the Grand Prix du Villaret.

Passions and Personality
A pillar of the resort, Jean-Charles Boraso was above all a bon vivant. Behind his imposing appearance was a protective teddy bear. Smiling and generous, he was always ready to help, loved by all, and funny. With a vibrant and colorful personality, he also had a strong Savoyard temperament—he stood by his ideas and could be stubborn. His friends, whom he considered his second family, describe him as an epicurean who loved the simple things in life and partying. Jean-Charles loved skiing and motorbiking, which he did for many years. He was also passionate about fishing and fine wines, with an impressive wine cellar he loved to share with those close to him.

Habits and Routines
Generous by nature, Jean-Charles Boraso brought pastries every morning during the season for his employees from his friend Patrick Chevallot’s bakery. He also had other little routines, like going to the post office every day at precisely 11 AM, often stopping to see his friend Jules before heading back to work. He also loved spending time in autumn at his mountain chalet in Mont Valezan, where he could recharge and host friends. He enjoyed dining at the restaurant run by his first cousins Christèle and Gilles Bonnevie, especially in spring to enjoy their dandelion salad.

Anecdotes
Close friends like Jean-Pierre Bazile and Patrick Chevallot shared that life without Jean-Charles Boraso—also known as “Jean-Chou”—will no longer have the same flavor. He will be missed by everyone who crossed his path, and his absence will leave a huge void. Still, Patrick fondly remembers a funny moment during a fishing competition. After the festive and friendly event, they descended on foot with Jean-Charles’s sister Béatrice and briefly considered calling for help. Despite the challenge, the trio burst out laughing repeatedly as Jean-Charles kept sitting down every ten minutes. Once they made it back, they rewarded themselves with a hearty Savoyard meal.
Jean-Pierre Bazile shared another memory of a trip to Villaret, where he and Jean-Charles picked up a beehive and placed it on the car. The bees started chasing them, and Jean-Pierre laughed, saying he had never seen Jean-Charles run so fast.
Jean-Charles Boraso had a beautiful funeral ceremony on Thursday, March 20, with about 400 people in attendance—family, friends, and clients from across France. A tribute was held for him by ski instructors, including Jean-Pierre Bazile, his family, and friends during a torchlight descent down the Face de Bellevarde. Another tribute will be paid during the fishing competition on Saturday, August 15, with Fabrice’s group playing the accordion—an instrument Jean-Charles loved. His favorite traditional song will also be sung in his honor. Jean-Charles Boraso now rests in the Val d’Isère cemetery.