WEATHER
What a wonderful sight when you opened your eyes, and shutters, this morning!
After the rain yesterday we had huge snowflakes !
There was already 12 cm or more covering the pavements and there was about 25 cm on our mountains.
We are in for another cloudy day, and it is due to snow all day.
There may be a strong westerly wind this morning with gusts of 80 to 100 km/h at 3000 metres.
This will calm down this afternoon, and blow from the northwest.
The temperature stayed above zero during the night
At 11.00 the temperature is
- +2° in the Village.
- +1.6° on Solaise.
- -6° on Pisaillas.
Maximum Temperature expected is to be zero at 2000 meters.
But it is going to get cold at the end of the day.
ROADS
There is plenty of snow on the road towards Bourg St Maurice.
Snow clearing machines are hard at work but your car needs to be properly equipped if tackling this road today.
By that we mean snow tyres, four-wheel drive or chains.
If you need to use chains, anticipate, put them on in a designated area and don't
block the road.
That is stressful for you, and dangerous for everyone.
SKI REPORT
The good news is that most of our lifts are due to open.
The unexpected volume of heavy wet snow has caused both delays and some important closures while the ski patrollers work hard to open as many pistes as possible.
Our safety is foremost in their minds.
The lower lifts opened on time and there is a gradual opening of the upper lifts and slopes although the wind on Pisaillas may keep that area closed all day.
The chairlifts to Tignes are closed due to high winds.
Please keep an ear on RadioVal and an eye on the piste notice boards.
If a piste is closed
DO NOT SKI DOWN IT.
At Le Fornet.
At the moment the only lifts open are
- Cable Car from the Fornet Village
- The Pyramide chairlift
The following pistes will not open :
- Tunnel
- Signal
- Variante du Col
- Table d’Orientation
On Pisaillas.
No lifts are currently open,
On Solaise
These lifts are closed. - The Leissieres chairlift linking Solaise and Le Fornet
- The 3000 draglift
- The Cugnai chairlift
The following Pistes are closed
- The traverse du Laisinant
- Mattis
- Aiglon
- Route du col
- 3000
- Leisseres
- St Jacques
- Cugnai
- The L
On Bellevarde.
All lifts are due to open, and the lower ones are already open.
The following five pistes are closed
- The Orange
- Santons
- Epaule du Charvet
- Boarder Cross
- Brinizei touring track
The chairlifts linking Val to Tignes are CLOSED due to high winds.
The avalanche risk today is a significant 3 out of 5.
If you fancy skiing off piste
Considering the current snow, visibility and avalanche risk, why not only ski off piste with a mountain guide ?
The snow on the lower slopes is wetter and heavier than normal, so if your legs are already tired
why risk hurting your knees ?
Bow out gracefully and get the lift down.
Cross Country Tracks in
the Manchet Valley,
and Laisinant are closed - there was a technical problem with the grooming machine which should be fixed today.
The following are open :
- La Daille
- Lac d'Ouillette
The walking paths that are CURRENTLY open are
- La Daille
- Manchet
- Lac d'Ouillette
- La Ferme
- Le Fornet
The following are closed :
- Laisinant
- Les Branges
- The Pont St Charles
- Col de l'Iseran
- Joseray
- Les Marmottes
The track at ‘les Sources’ is in the steep area below
What many call the "Avalanche path".
So, not surprisingly, this may close later due to risk of
Avalanche.
If it is closed, do not risk walking there.
LOCAL NEWS
Continuing our news concerning the proposal to include Val d’Isère in the French Alps bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics.
Yesterday we mentioned that the cost had been overestimated, and it would only cost 18 million euros to organise the Slalom and Giant slalom for the men and women.
Holding these events in the Haute Tarentaise could improve the railway to Bourg St Maurice, or would at least prevent it deteriorating in the coming years.
In the same way that the Winter Olympics in Albertville in 1992 enabled the construction of the dual carriageway between Moutiers and Albertville, and the improvement to the Tunnel de L’Epine, the 2030 games could have both economic and ecological benefits.
No huge investments are in the plan, even though there are dreams for a lift from Bourg St Maurice….
There is an interview with our Mayor Patrick Martin, discussing all the issues, on our website.
The final concert of the 30th Classicaval Festival takes place in the Church this evening.
Yesterday’s, dedicated to Spring and Winter, was sold out so if you want to go this evening I would buy tickets IMMEDIATELY !
For this third concert, Anne Lise Gastaldi, the Artistic Director is aiming big !
7 works by 6 different composers, with all the festivals talented musicians on stage for the finale, “The Carnival of Animals”.
An evening that is bound to be full of surprises, although perhaps more choreographed than the previous concerts.
There is an interview with Anne Lise Gastaldi talking about this concert on our website.
Once again, two tickets can be won this morning on RadioVal so stay tuned.
The lucky school children of Val d’Isère will meet the musicians this morning, and work with Anne Lise Gastaldi, Ingrid Jacquemod and Lucie Paltz to explore the many similarities between music and sport.
A record number of 20 teams, so 40 keen and competitive skiers, took part in the cross country ski relay race yesterday evening.
There were bumps and banks, beginners and experts, tumbles and bumbles.
But no big accidents and plenty of good humoured banter.
Congratulations to Gaetan and Jeremy.
There are lots of photos online.
There will be another race next Wednesday.
Finally World Cup Downhill Skiing
Alexis Pinturault.
You will remember that he had a big fall last week during the World Cup Super G in Wengen, rupturing his left anterior cruciate ligament.
He held a press conference yesterday.
He admitted to considering retiring, as he is not sure if he can ever regain his previous excellence.
He used the opportunity to criticise the FIS, including that the tracks have become faster and faster and above all that the already full calendar is even more pressured after the cancellations and restarts at the beginning of the season.
He sadly described it as a “desire to put skiers in hospital…”.
You can listen to him on our website.
Yesterday was the second training session for the men on the Kitzbuehel downhill.
The two French men with the best results were Nils Allegre and Blaise Giezendaner.
In the Womens slalom on Tuesday at Flachau, Maire Lamure from Chambery was the fastest French lady, finishing 11th.
17.45 Airboard.
Come to the Savonnette piste for this fun and free experience.
The snow bodyboard is controlled by transferring your weight and gives you the impression that you are flying above the surface of the snow.
You must wear a helmet and be over 9 years of age.
Children must be accompanied by a parent.
18.30
The final concert of the 30th Classicaval Festival in Val d’Isère.
Takes place in our beautiful Baroque Church.
The program - to tempt you !
Happy Birthday Classicaval !
Piano improvisation
Musician : Charles Heisser.
Composers : Gabriel Fauré / André Messenger
Memories of Bayreuth
Piano four hands (duet with 2 playing the same piano)
Musicians : Anne-Lise Gastaldi, Charles Heisser.
Composer : Astor Piazzolla.
Libertango.
Piano four hands.
Musicians : Marie-Josèphe Jude, Charles Heisser.
Composer : Johannes Brahms
Three Hungarian Dances.
Piano four hands.
Musicians : Marie-Josèphe Jude, Michel Béroff.
Composer : Camille Saint-Saëns.
Danse Macabre.
Adapted for a trio, with piano, by Edouard Delale.
Musicians : Virginie Buscall, violin, Diana Legeti, cello, Anne-Lise Gastaldi, piano.
Composer : Fritz Kreisler.
Tambourin Chinois.
Caprice viennois Op2.
Syncopation for violin and piano.
Musicians : Volkhard Steude, violin, Marie-Josèphe Jude, piano
Composer : Camille Saint-Saëns.
Carnival of the animals (final).
All the musicians.
Tickets can be bought online, at the Tourist Office, or at the Church from 17.30 (if any still available)
The red shuttle bus (‘le train rouge’) runs between La Daille and Le Fornet, via the roundabout adjacent to the nursery slopes (‘Rond-point des Pistes’) every 6 minutes from 07.00 to 20.00 and then every 20 minutes until 02.00.
The blue shuttle bus (‘le train bleu’) travels between the Rond-point des Pistes and Legettaz every 15 minutes from 08.30 to 23.20.
The yellow shuttle bus (‘le train jaune’) takes you to the Manchet valley via the main street and the rue de la Balme every 20 minutes from 08.30 to 23.20.
The shuttle bus between Val d’Isère and Tignes does 6 round trips a day.
- Leaving La Daille at 07.55, 08.35 and 10.50 in the morning and 16.25, 17.25 and 18.20 pm in the afternoon.
- Leaving Tignes 1800 at 8.05, 8.45 and 11.00, in the morning and 16.35, 17.35 and 18.30 in the afternoon.
The Swimming Pool and Sports Centre is open from 10.00 to 21.00.
The Ice-Skating Rink is open from 10.00 to 20.00.
The Tourist Office is open from 08.30 to 19.30.
The Multimedia Library is open from 14.00 to 18.00.
The Town Hall (La Mairie) is open from 9.00 to 12.00 and from 14.00 to 18.00.
The Association for Employees in Val d’Isère (Vie Val Dis) is open from 15.00 to 18.00.
The Reservation Centre (On the Lower Ground Floor of the Tourist Office) is open from 08.30 to 19.00.
The Post Office is open from 09.00 to 12.30 and from 14.00 to 17.30.
